The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-04-22
by D. E. Dermody, in the Pacific
Monthly.

back and forth beside the long Ia
BILE at which sat the yet loyal mem.
bers of his cabinet Squat, alert,
middle-aged; olive-skinned and bald
Of crown, it was significant Of the
usurper's mentality that he did not
lower his head to look at the paper
in his hand, but lifted the blood
scrawled letter to the level of his
steely eyes. The missive read:
Fugitive, but loyal, sore wounded,
but undaunted, / write in my blood
with the left hand that remains to
me. am in hiding near Hidalgo. My
hair is burned from my head. A jaw
an arm, a leg, are broken. can
not talk, walk or crawl. Viva Orona-
qua! Viva Azurpan!
Will you send for me a carriage?
Four hours will suffice for the jour
ney here and there The bearer knows
the way.
salute you. VIRoTI,
Commander-in-Ch Chief.
IT must not lose him." reaffirmed
the dictator. HE is worth many regi-
ments, and must be at my side when
/ come back He will be here within
the hour"
"And the army of the revolution
within two hours" suggested tht Sec
rotary of Finance. ct is a risk to
wait, your excellency."
81 have risked more for less worthy
men," commented his excellency dry
ly; whereat the Secretary visibly
WINGED. 1--WE will wait the coming Of
our lion. Have all needful prepare
tidns been made for boarding the
steamer, Masquerade"
"The preparedness is perfect, your
excellency. You will be on the water
before the populace becomes aware
that you have left the palace"
Hoary Masquenal, arch-contriver
and human depository of state Sc
crets through three regimes, was in
fulsome fettle. Republics rose and
fell. but he remained, knowing too
much either to be ousted from Office
or silenced by death.
ut is WE'LL" his master told him.
Gentlemen, I would be alone for a
little whitehall of an hour.
AS the cabinet members filed out
Azurpan caught Masquenals eye, and
beckoned him to remain with bare
ly perceptible lift of a forehnger.
''You will have the three prisoners
in the cellars brought in to me one at
time; also the American, and the
lady, Sonora Viesca. Do not let the
lady and the American meet"
An hour later tho dictator was
his cabinet, the members Of which,
grouped without his door, had COM
missioned Masquenal as their spokes-
man.
Board the Alceste at once, your
excellency," pleaded the willy states
man. You can wait for the general
on board. Should the army of the
revolution come in sight, the popu-
lace, already wavering, would proba-
bly, envelop the palace, and demand
your appearance On the vessel,
should the popular tide turn thus
against you, there will be another tide
at your discretion, whereon you can
ride to safety until the more propi-
tious hour"
SIT is WE'LL" agreed Azurpan. IT
will go aboard the Alceste" He stood
framed in the doorway. Depart each
of you as has been planned. Mas
quenal this way. have few words
to say to you before leaving"
One by one the five cabinet mem
bers went down the palace steps, but
one overlook another on the way; one
paused here, another there. At the
foot of the steps the FIVE had drifted
together, and they remained there for
some time in an apparently earnest
discussion.
Word of their appearance passed
swiftly from mouth to mouth, and
from street to street, and the
separate groups Of the neighbor-
hood mob rapidly coalesced on
the plaza and calle fronting the
palace, so that these public
spaces, previously crowded, were
soon damned. The sparser knots Of
people on the side streets thinned
rapidly, In the rear Of the palace
there was nobody left but some wom-
en- and children, and sentries of the
loyal soldiery. who We're hardly bet
ter clothed than were the war-ridden
civilian innocents. From here and
there amid the danser nasses came