Gunnison news-champion., 1911-08-11


ior the fse Martini riAes. the arussr
meni of VI Nacional Then back he
hurried TO be prepared Tor his coan-
iry call As vet there had been no
fctaal uprising 10 Solitss Military
iav ruled and the ferment was bot
'led Tor the time. There was Q report
hat everywhere the reSoIutionists
Sere encoanterine defeat In the cap.
itai the presidents forces triumphed.
and there was . rumor that the lead
ers OF the revolt had been forced to
zee. holly pursued
In me little telegraph Once sf Sol
mas there vas always q gathering Of
ofiiciais and loyal citizens. awaiting
news from the seat Of government
One morning the teleGraph key began
clicking. and presently the operator
called. loudly: 'One telegram Tor ell
Almirante. Don Senor Felipe Car
rera'-
There was q shuMing sound: Q
great rattling of tin scsbbard. and the
adilirsl. prompt at his spot Of wait
ing. ieaped across the room 10 receive
~
The message was handed TO him
slowly spelling n out. he found IL 10
be his hrst oficial order-thus run
ming:
Proceed Immediately with yeur
vessel to mouth Of Rio Ruiz: transport
beef and provisions 10 barracks. ct Al
foran- Martinez. General
small glory. to be sure. IN this. his
country's FIRST call hut n had called.
and joy sureed In the aamirsl's breast.
He drew his cutlass belt TO another
buckle hole. reused his DOING crew,
and In a quarter a an hour III Ma
cional was lacking swiftly down coast
in a stiR landward breeze.
The Rio Ruiz h Q small river.
emptying into the sea ten miles below
solitas. That portion of the coast 10
wild and solitary. Through a gorge
in the Cordilleras rushed the
Ruiz. cold and bubbline. to glide. ct
the last, with breadth and leisure.
through an alluvial morass into the
sea.
In two hours Fl Nacional entered
the rivers mouth. The banks vers
crowded with . aispositioa Of formiA-
ssle trees. The sumptuous unAer-
OFewth Of the tropics everflowed the
land end drowned itself In the fallow
waters. Silently the sloop entered
there. and met a deeper silence Bril-
hant with greens and ochres and foral
scarlets, the outrageous mouth of
the Rio Ruis furnished no sound or
movement save of the seagoing water
- 1t curled against the prov of the
vessel Small chance there seemed of
wrestling beef or provisions from that
empty solitude.
The admiral decided to cast anchor,
snA ct the chains rattle. the forest
ives stimulated to instant and resound-
Huis had only been taking q morning
nap. Parrots and babbooas screeched
aal barheA in the trees. q whirring
- Q kissing sad q booming married
the awaheninG Of animal fife: . dark
blue bulk WAS visible for an instant.
- Q startled tapir fought his wav
through the vines.
The navy. under orders. hung IN
TIE mouth Of the little river for
a sharks nm soup, plantains. crab
gumbo and sour claret. The admiral.
With a three-foot telescope. closely
scanned the impervious foliage SO
yards away.
II was nearly sunset when . rover
beratine "halloA-o" came from the
forest to their left II Was answered.
crashed through the tropie tanGle to
within q dozen yards of the rivers
hank. There they lismounted; and
one, unbucklinG his bet. struck each
mule Q violent blow with Ais sword
seabbard. so that they. with Q fling Of
heels. dashed bach again into the for
est
Those were strengthening men 10
- conveying beef and provisions.
One was . large anl exceedingly active
man. Of striking presence. He was
of the purest Spanish type. with curl
ing dark hair. gray besprinkled. blue.
sparkling eyes, and the pronounced
cir of q caballero grande. The other
two were small. brown-faced men.
wearing white military uniforms,
hiGA riainG beots snl swords. Ths
clothes Of an vefU drenehed. bespse-
tered and rent by the thicket Some
stress of circumstance must have
driven them. diable . quatre. through
food. mire and Jungle.
''Oh-hel senor almirante." called the
large man send M your boat"
The dOry was lowered. and Felipe.
With one of the caribs. rowed toward
the left bank
Tie large man stooA near the
waters brink. waist deep in the curl-
ing vines As he gazed upon the
scarecrow hgure in the stern of the
dory Q sprightly interest beamed
upoa his mobile face. Months OF
wageless and thankless service had
Aimmed the admirars splendor. His
red troueers were patched and ragged.
Most of the bright buttons and yellow
braid were gone from his Jacket. The
- q