The San Francisco call., 1909-07-04
"The White Mice"

By Richard Hardiug Davis Published by
Charles serioner's Sons, New York Price
When one is able to say OF this new
story Of Richard Harding Davis that it
IS quite as good as The Exiles."
Three Gringos in Venezuela and Cen
tral America" and soldiers Of For
tune" one has given it praise enough
and at the same time suggested it's
style 10 the reader.
The story opens with the familiar
''Once upon a time" and is followed by
the old Aesop fable OF the lion and
the mouse Next we are shown the
interior OF a fortress prison in the
hsrbor OF Porto Cabello and see Gen.
eral Don Miguel RoJas, who had in
his youth been called "the lion of Va
lencis," pining away IN solitary con-
hnement He had been there two years
and was very weak and discoura ged,
for his condition seemed quite hopeless.
Then the fscene shifts TO the other
side OF the world and four young
Americans are discovered sitting on
the mats OF the tea house OF the Hun
dred and One Steps
"Of the three one was Rodman For
rester. His father. besides being
pointed out as the parent of 'Roddy'
Forester. the one time celebrated Yale
pitcher, was himself not unfavorably
known to many governments as a con-
structor OF skyscrapers. breakwaters,
bridges, wharves and lighthouses,
which latter he planted on slippery
rocks along inaccessible coast lines.
Among his fellow captains OF industry
he was known as the Forester con-
struction company, or, for short, the
z. c. c. Under that alias Mr. For
rester was now trying 10 sell TO the
japanese three lighthouses TO nlumi-
nate the Inner sea between Kobe and
6himonoseki. To hasten the sale he
had shipped Roddy' straight from the
machine shop to Yokohama"
~Roddy" Is failure. He seems to
be g good enough boy, but very young
and enthusiastic and devoid Of business
instincts. It is while these four young
men are taking their tea and talking
that a brilliant idea comes 70 'Roddy."
he says:
- The most important mem
ber OF the ships company on a sub
marine doesn't draw any pay at all
and he has no rating. He is a mouse.
mean mouse, & white
mouse with pink eyes. He hunks in
the enginea room and when he smells
guIphurio gas escaping anywhere he
soueals and the chief finds the leak
and the ship isn't blown up. Sometimes
one little white mouse viii save the
lives Of dozen bluejackets."
Whereupon these idle, gay youngsters
organize the Society of the Order OF the
White Mice. The object Of the society
Is 70 save everybody's life. Don't tell
me that you fellows will let a little
white mouse save twelve hundred blue
jackets an you sit there an grim You
mus all be white mice. You mus all
save sonaebody's life. ."
The scene changes again and we are
not surprised 20 see "Rcddy" in charge
Of q department OF bis fathers con-
etruction company in Venezuela. Soon
he hears the story OF General RoJas
Imprisonment and be and his friend,
Peter de Peyster, are very much IN
terested They are told that when
Rojas was shut UP his wife and daugh-
ter were exiled and went to the Dutch
island Curacao, about 60 miles away.
Every evening al sunset the mother
and daughter stand on clih looking
toward san Carlos and say prayer
for the deliverance OF husband and
father. ~Roddy" and Peter are much
touched and one evening when they
are out boating on the little bay Peter
whispers;
II hear something"
s-What?" asked Roddy.
L hear the call of the white mice"
said Peter de Peyster.
The first step in the little conspiracy
Is to obtain credentials from the family
so that Rojas viii not think he is be-
ing deceived. So Roddy and Peter go
10 Wiuemstad on Curacao with the IN
tention Of meeting Nine. Ro3ss. THIS
must be done quietly. Of course, and
secretly. for spies are everywhere
Matters at once become complicated
Roddv is not in his fathers confidence
in All matters, and because Of it much
serious Misunderstanding results. The
FORESTER construction company is
backing a revolution against President
Alvarez. who has put RoJas in jail Al
vsrez refuses 10 pay a Just debt TO the
+. c. c.. hence their attitude. At the
head Of this revolutionary party is
Colonel Pino Vega, a young Venezuelan
who wishes to become president vega
Is IN love with Nine. Rojas' daughter,
Inez. and has gained the mothers con-
sent 10 ask fnez for her hand Nine
Rojas knows Of the revolution vega Is
leading and has been told by him that
its object is TO overthrow Alvarez and
place ROjas back IN Office. lnez does
not love Vega. but the mother thinks
that for gratitude for what ne is try
Ing 10 DO for the father she should
accept
Roddy in Curacao has made little
progress. He has saved the life OF
Vega at a restaurant one evening, when
IN assassin is almost upon him. The
result Of this encounter is that Roddy