Gunnison news-champion., 1911-08-04
lie flag Paramount

~ a 0A0

newly sninpea crex--shree GrinnsnG-
s,assy hlaas caribs bare to the waist.
me sand ~ The streets squirting 10 .
shsser trom the spring Of their na&sa
feet
wi.h becoming dignity Felipe -
nanslad his vessel OF the collector.
Ana nox a fresh honor awaited hsss-
The collectors Siie. a thin litsie. yei-
io~ Noman xhe read novels IN ham
uock al aay had iossa. IA an Odd
boob an engraving OF fas psrport-
nag 10 be the naval fss OF the repab-
lac Perhaps II had been SO designed
by the founders Of the nation. but
as no navy had ever been established.
soblivion had claimed ms iiss VITA
her o~n tawny hands she had made
a aax after this psftern-a red cross
g,,on a blue and white ground. Has-
ing a little of the romance that
aboundea in her novels. she present
ed II 10 Felipe with the words; Brave
sailor This hag is OF y0ur country
10 yoa viii defend with the lie. Go
with God
For the next month or TIVE the navy
had its troubles. Even the admiral
Was perplexed 10 know what 10 do
without orders but none came. Meth
er did any salaries. The sloop Was
re-christened "El Nacional" re-paint-
ed and swung idly at anchor. When
Felipes little store of money was ex-
hausted. he went TO the collector sad
raised the question of finances.
Salaries" exclaimed the collector.
with his hands raised Que salaries.
Not one oeBtave have l received of my
own for seven months. The pay OF IN
admiral. do you ask? Qaien sabeY
should it be less than three thousand
pesos? Mira, You will see a revolu-
tion In this country very soon. A
good sign OF II is when they call for
pesos. pesos. pesos. and pay none out.
Felipe left the collector with look
almost of content in his sombre face.
A revolution would mean fighting. and
then the government would need his
services II was rather humiliating
to be an admiral without anything to
do. and have a hungry crew begging
for reales to buy plantains and bread
to eat
When he returned to where the
good-natured Caribs were hopefully
waiting. they sprang up and saluted,
as he had taught them.
Come, muchachos," said the admir-
al The government 10 poor. 1t has
no money at present. We will earn
what we need to live upon. Soon
his heavy eyes almost lighted up
"our help may be glaAly sought for"
Thereafter III Nacional turned out
with the other coast craft and freight
ed bananas and oranges out to the
fruit steamers who could not come
nearer than a mile on shore, there be-
ing no harbor at Solitas. Surely, .
self-supporting navy deserves red let
tiers in the budget of any nationl
There was little telegraph once
in Soltas whence q little telegraph
line ran over the big mountains to the
capital After earning enough ct
freighting to keep his crew to provi-
sions and pay for a week or two. Fel-
ipe would infest this Office. looking
like the chorus of an insolvent comic
opera troupe besieging the managers
den. Sprawled in a favorite corner.
upon the floor In his fast decaying
uniform. with his prodigious sabre dis
tributed between his red legs. he
awaited, day after day, and week after
week, the long delayed orders from
his government Each day he would
inquire. gravely and expectantly, for
dispatches. The operator would pre-
tend to make a search, and reply:
Not yet. it seems, Senior el Almi-
rante-Poco tiempol"
At the answer the admiral would
plump himself down, with a rattle. in
his corner to await the infrequent
click of the little instrument on the
table. Outside, in the shade of the
lime trees in the calle, the crew
chewed sugar cane, or slumbered. we'll
content to serve a country content
with SO little service.
One day in early summer the rev
olution predicted by the collector
famed out suddenly. II had long been
smouldering. At the head of the in
surgents appeared that Hector and
learned Theban of the Central Amer
lean republics. Don Sabas Placido. A
Traveller. soldier. a poet. a scientist.
statesman. and a connoisseur-the
wonder was that he could content him
self with the petty, remote life of his
native country.
IL is whim of Placido's." said a
friend who knew him well. "to take
UP political intrigue. 1t is not other
wise than II he had come upon a new
tempo IN music; new bacillus in the
ar; a new scent. or rhyme. or exp,o-
siVe. he will squeeze this reyolution
dry OF sensations. and. a week after
ward. forget il. skimming the seas of
the world In his brigantine to add To
ms already worldfamous collections
Oh = por Dos - everything - from
postage stamps TO maquinas de vapor."
But the aesthetic Placido seemed tn
De creating lively row. for a mere
aliettante The admired of the peo-
pie. they had risen almost in hoav
70 seat aim in the place of the incla,,,