The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1913-08-16
81 Henry Collins Walsh
. ~ RIDcWAy CO.

d0p 'Wo adaptation 10 enVlioH-
| ~ \ w ment which Mr.. Spen-
~. Ger tells US is the law
~ of life. When we say
"gentlemanly adven-
turers," we Immediately thlnh VI
Raleigh and Morgan and Ponce De
Leon, and such gentlemen OF the ola
school, but they have their successors
today, and will have till the love OF
adventure is dead in the human heart.
have met several OF these adVen-
utrers in the course OF my personal
wanderings Here is one OF them.
After many days Of travelling on
muleback. through jungles and over
mountains, In Spanish Honduras, l
found myself at little Inn In Santa
Barbara, q town situated in the inter-
Tor. Here, one evening. | was indulg-
ing cigarette and after-dinner coffee
with my landlord and his lady. when
in upon this peaceful scene walked
John Drummond.
had heard of him, and he was good
enough to say that he had heard Of
me. and that he had come into Santa
Barbara to take me out on his ranch.
II would accompany him.
l was obliged to refuse his invita-
ton, but we remained together for
that night and part OF the next day,
at Santa Barbara.
Aside from displaying himself in
the altogether and showing me body
fairly perforated with buIlet-holes, the
visible "reminiscences of many battles,
he was reticent concerning his life and
adventures, as such men usually are.
What record about him have learn
mainly through a friend OF mine who
has been much In Central America and
who knows John Drummond we'll
John Drummond, l have learned. was
born in Mobile, Ala. but Just when ]
do not know, nor can tell anything Of
his early days. and 1t sufices to say
that he really became interesting
when the spirit Of adventure led him
into the unsettled country of Hon.
duras Here he became a soldier of
fortune. and rose to the position Of
commander-in-chief Of the army of
Honduras under the former President
VasQuez. whom he helped into power;
for the presidency Of Honduras is won
not by votes but by bullets.
Vasquez remarked to my friend that
John Drummond was always absolute
ly loyal to whatever cause he happen
ed to be enlisted in.
At the end of his enlistment he
would fight Just as well and loyalty
under the flag OF former opponent
Well. Vasquez had gone out of pow
er and was anxious for another term.
In Honduras this is a matter not OF
and elections, but of up
risings. So VasQuez rose, and engaged
Drummond to help him. Drummond
was first sent to capture a Quartelle. /
or small fort
He stole upon 1t during the night
and darkness. He armed his men only
with daggers. and made them strip
OF every article Of clothing. Nude, |
they stole into the quartelle, and i'm
mediately extinguished all lights. In
the confusion and darkness, Drum
men knew each other by the
feel Of the bare skin in the hand-to- |
hand combat that ensued, and In this
way the garrison was quickly ex-
terminated
Drummond, with a small body of
troops, then made a rapid march to
the Atlantic coast and captured the |
principal port. Puerto Cortez. His
force consisted of eight Texans and
q few hundred native soldiers.
An army of government troops were /
stationed at San Pedro, town at the |
end OF line of 40 miles of railroad |
which starts at Puerto Cortez and rep
resents the entire railway system of |
One day 1t was reported to Drum.
mond that the government troops were
on their way from San Pedro on a
banana train. He Immediately took
possession of an engine and tender.
placing the latter In front OF the en-
CINE. Then he barricaded it, mounted |
> small piece of ordnance, and his
oA6AI AuSIy AcAoAS uPou IL, anu 50
went serene1y forth to meet the en-
envy
AS soon az the banana train hove in
sight. he let fly at 1t with artillery
and rifles. and stampeded the invading
army. who took to the woods In ter
ror.
Drumm0nd and his men returned In
to Puerto Cortez. Then an
alleged gunboat-nathing but . con-