The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-05-17
ny r. JENKINS HAMS.

brassy glare upon the coral
l. reef, and Manuel sat watching
the oily Gulf, which stretched
away To the eastward Ike an azure
plain. There was no wind. not a rip |
pie upon the surface of that blue sea.
The heat was terrific and the Their
mometer which the Mexican Govern
ment had furnished in a TT OF scientific
research registered more than a hun
dred In the shade Of the light.
To the northward the hazy clouds
showed where the point OF Cape Rojos
stuck its way out into the blue. A
long line OF pelicans swung across the
skyline. the leader striking the air with
his wings with sudden beats which
were instantly taken up by his follow
ers who held along directly behind him.
Then he would sail steadily and rest for
short time to repeat the motion.
Manuel watched them lazly. They
were fishermen like himself. The un-
der keeper snored away in the shade
of a palm tree and the sound blended
with the low snarl of the breakers
which, in spite of the calm, fell upon
the edge of the bank like a white line
OF sentinels or pickets who were ad-
vancing, always advancing. toward a
To the Mexican the hot splendor OF
the tropic day meant nothing but an
other spell Of languor, Of duh routine
broken only by few hours fishing
and then the light. Yes always that
light. 1t must be lit, cleaned after
ward and then lit again. It spelled
work to the languid man whose duh
features showed morose and sullen I'M
der the brim of a gigantic sombrero.
Manuel was Mexican OF the old
type. Eyes slanting like those OF the
wolf, thick skin of a chocolate color n
sturdy, stocky frame upon which rested
head which turned always from right
to left as though watching. waiting for
something not quite understood but al
ways expected. His manner was al
most as furtive as that OF wolf and
his beakcd nose, somewhat different
from the coarser fiat features OF the
modern native. showed that predatory
hook which Is always associated with
a bird OF prey.
At the end of an hour the keeper
stood up and stretched himself. Then
he went into the house and brought
forth telescope. He adjusted it and
swept the blue rim to the eastward
carefully before putting It down again.
There was nothing in sight
Manuel muttered TO himself in Mexi-
can Spanish. Long periods of lonely
life made him acquire the habit nearly
all humans develop who see few people,
the habit of thinking aloud. lie num-
bled softly and put down the glass.
THE Azteca should show before dark"
, he said, his course Is due west from
! the Great Campeche B8nk--they must
| have met the steamer before this and
the rifles should be safe aboard by now
five thousand rifles-ten in gold for
each riiie--fifty thousand dollars it
| will be very great shall pilot them
ln--when the light has failed"
He smiled at the thought When
the light has failed" Somewhere he
had heard that expression before. II
amused him. The light at Lobos was an
important one. for without It a ship
coming up the coast from the south
ward might ram her nose upon the coral
OF Rojos-and then--well. there were
both rebels and Fcderals near at hand.
The war had divided the country.
| Brother was fighting brother and father
sou. What matter. Some one must be
| in command OF the Government. Better
be on the side that would govern. The
| rifles were for President Huerta-but--
well. there was that fellow Villa and
Zapata. both hard fighting men who
might do much in the end. Jose, the
underkeeper was a Huerta man clear
| through.
II shall die for him." said he when
! questioned by the captain of passing
fishing smack upon whose stern lay
the black letters Azteca. Yes, he would
die for Huerta He would he faithful
always. IIe had sworn to II.
Manuel had waHched him with n
wolfish grin spreading upon his dark
features, his slanting eyes narrowing to
little Sits in the bright sunlight. But
Manuel while very laxative when alone
was almost as a dumb man when In
company. lie seldom or never spoke
save for an order.
Capt Romero had sailed away for the
Trangles the reef three hundred miles
eastward and upon the edge OF the
Great South Bank. Romero had certain
papers aboard his little vessel which
might have got him into trouble had
their existence been known. When
che embargo had been shut down upon
rifles Huerta had commissioned him
10 receive whatever he might find upon
certain ships which might appear within
sight OF the Triangles and which might
stop for fishing smack when signalled
The Germans were exceedingly busi-
, nessllIe people, had no quarrel with