Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1910-06-28
CHAPTER XVIII.

CHAPTER XVIII.
WHEREIN THE PRESIDENT PREsIDEs.
nEFORE the exciting story sc
| rudely interrupted is resumed
| ~ it may be well to set down In
their sequence the queer work
ings Of fortune which led to Philips
timely temperance at Las Flores.
His troop of scouts consisted OF
twenty-eight men. Five were sailors
and firemen from the Andromeda
three were Germans from the Unsel
Fritz. But the whole eight were ex
| soldiers, and one man at arms trained
on the European model Is worth ter
Of the Brazilian product. The remain
ing twenty were hillmen, good riders
excellent shots and acquainted will
every yard of the wild country within
a radius of hundred miles. They
| would fight anybody If we'll led, and
here 1t may be observed that when
Philip called on them to storm the
ballroom he said "Come on" between
which curt command and its congener
"Go onr' these half breed warriors
drew a fine distinction. The language
difficulty was surmounted partly by
an Interpreter in the person of one OF
the Germans, who spoke English and
had lived In Bahia, partly by signs
and largely by Philips methods as a
leader.
He never asked his men to do any,
thing that he did not do himself, and
they were never dubious as to his tac,
tics, since he invariably closed with
any Nationalist detachment met dur.
| ing the days operations.
About midday. then, they came upon
the advance guard Of column sent
of a week earlier by the expert at
Pesqueira with instructions to arrive
at Las Flores before sunset that very
day. Instantly the twenty-nine charg,
ed. With equal celebrity the advance
guard bolted. From the crest OF
rocky pass Philip looked down on a
column of fully thousand men. The
situation was critical. 1t called for
prompt handling. Five men held the
horses, twenty three spread themselves
among the rocks. Philip unslung bis
carbine, and twenty-four rifles INDUCED
In long range practice on a narrow
mountain path crowded with men and
animals.
Nothing more was needed. 1t has
been noted already that the Brazilians
disliked long range shooting. There
was a stampede. The scouts occupied
| the ridge until sundown and were re-
turning leisurely to report the pres
ence of the column when they fell III
with the first batch Of fugirives from
the valley. Forthwith Philip became
q general and each scout IN oiiit er
They reasoned and whacked the run
aways into obedience, picked up quite
| a number Of men VINO we're WILLIE
enough to fight If told what was eX
pected Of them, and the rest was
matter Of simple strategy such as
Macaulay's schoolboy would exhibit In
the escalade Of a snow fort. But II
was a near thing. Five minutes late'
and HozIer might have seized the pres
idency himself.
And now as to the night ana the
next day.
Russo and his diminished staff tool
Philips little army as nucleus. Bra
zil had duly elected Dom Corrla' as
proyided by the statute, and the news
spread like wildiire. Before morning
the Liberationists were 10000 strong
Before night closed the roads again
the Pesuue;ra genius wrote to Don
Corria under flag Of truce and point
ed out that he served the president
not any crank who said he was presi
| dent. but the honored individual IT
| whom the people of Brazil placed theil
trust. Dom Corria replied in felicitous
terms, and, as the newspapers say, the
incident ended. The navy sulked FOL
awhile. because it held that Russo's
treatment of the Andorhina was moi
| cricket or baseball or whatsoever game
| appeals most to the Brazilian sports
man. 1t was not even professional
football. it said, but an acrimonious
discussion was closed by strong MIN
from the treasury that pay day NIGH
be postponed indefinitely If too mucf
were made of regrettable accident t'
the guns Of the Maceio artillery.
Meanwhile Dom Corria, the man wht
did not forget, was puzzled by two cir
cumstances not Of national Importance
San Benavides, never demonstrativt
lover where Carmela was concerned
was changed man. He was severely
wounded Curing the fight. and Carmelf
nursed him assIduously, but there
could be no doubt that he was undel
her thumb and would remain there
The indications were subtle, but un
| mistakablc. Carmela even announced
the date Of their marriage.
Dom Corria remembered. of course
what San Benavides and his daughtel
had said when they all met in the ball
room. 1t seemed to him that Salvador
was teil.i.; tie truth and that Carmels
was fibb. iS On that occasion. But III
let well enough alone. 1t was good To-
Salvador that he should obey Carmela
He blessed them and remarked that
really smart" wedding would be jus
the thing to inaugurate the new reigI
at Rio de Janeiro.
He was far more perplexed by th'
ua;iuicly wrath of Philip Hozier. H'
thought Of 1t for at least five minutes
acxt morning. Then he sought Dickey
Dulmer. who had just quilted Coke'i
bedroom and was examining the rar'
rhrubs that bordered the lawn.
what news of that brave man?'
asked Dom Corria, and his deep voice
vibrated with real feeling.
First rate. sir" said Dickey. "Th'
bullet Is extracted, an the doctor say
ell soon be all right Leastways
that's wot Iris tells me. / can't tall
Portuguese meself. an pore old Jim
mics langwidge amt fit to be repeat
ed"
The president laughed.
"He is what you call bundle O.
contradictions, cha rough fellow witt
the heart Of bull2 But be saved m!