Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-02-11

cdIlnS WIFI dEIllS upfd1So0 Clat the
ground was coming up" Thereupon a
brief lull occurred; men hid themselves.
the work held it's breath, as it were.
But while the detonations still echoed
and before the. flying missiles had
ceased to shower the human ants were
mOiling at their hills once more, the
wheels We're turning again. the jaws of
the iron hogs were clanking.
Through this upheaval the motOrcar
penetrated, lodging trains of "fiats,"
which moved sluggishly to afford them
passage up and down over the volcanic
burrows at the bottom of the gorge
or along some shelf beneath which the
foundations were being dug. At times
a shovel reached out it's five yard steel
jaw and gently cleared the rails of
debris, or boosted some bOwlder from
the path with all the skill of a giant
hand and fingers. Up and down the
canyon rolled spasmodic rumblings, like
broadsides from a fleet of battleships.
Mile after mile the sightseerS rolled
on, past scenes of never varying ac-
tivity-past more shOvels, more groups
of drills, more dirt trains, more regi-
ments of men-Runnels explaining,
Kirk marveling until he was forced to
eXclaim:
81 had no idea it was so big. 1t
doesn't seem as if they'd ever finish
it."
ooh, we'll finish it if we're let alone.
You see there is too much politics in
it; we never know how long our jobs
will last. If some senator whose vote
is needed on an administration matter
wanted my position for his wifes
brother, he could get it,
81 suppose I'm an example,
Runnels looked at him squarely be
fore answering. "You are" said he,
although l wasn't thinking of you
when | spoke. It's something we all
feel however"
Anthony flushed as he answered: 81
don't remember ever taking anything
l wasn't entitled to, and I didn't think
when I was showed iii here that I'd
shove some other fellow out. | suppose
there is room at the bottom, and a fell
low can work up?"
eff he has it in him."
81 think I'll start there"
'I'm afraid you're Il poor business
man." said Runnels.
Rotten Kirk admitted. "But I've
an idea / can make good if try
"If you feel that way l certainly will
help you" said the other warmly. "Of
course III try to help you anyhow, but
i like your spirit. With Mrs Cort-
landt to back me up, III see you GO
forward as fast as you deserve"
BY now they were out of the cut and
once more upon the main line at Bas
Obsipo. heading back toward the Pa
cific
'You asked me to tell you something
about her." Runnels continued. I'm
rot sure my information is entirely
correct but, knowing who she is,
think I understand why she is IN Pan
anna. 1t IA politics-big politics. The
Spiggoties have an election next year,
and it is necessary to get our wires
we'll laid before it comes off. General
Alfarez will probably be the next pres
ident"
''Alfarez! Not Ramona"
"His father. You know we Ameri-
cans occupy a peculiar position here,
set down as we are in the midst Of an
alien people who hate us. Oh, they
hate us, all rtght-all except a few Of
the better class"
'Why?"
There are good many reasons.
For one thing, there's a sort of racial
antipathy. Besides, when we stole
Panama we made the Colombians sore,
and all Central America besides, for
they realized that once we Yankees
got fOothold here we'd hang on and
not only dominate this country, but
all the neighboring republics as WE'LL"
Il had gathered something of the
sort-but l had no idea there was so
much in it. But we don't want these
jungle Countries said Kirk
That's where you're wrong. By and
by We'll need room to expand, and
when that time comes We'll move
south. Meanwhile our farsighted gov
there's nobody better fitted for the pre-
liminary work than Mr.. Stephen Cort-
land of Washington, d. c., husband
and clerk of the smartest woman in
the business of chaperoning admins
trations. He's the figurehead behind
which she works. She's a rich woman,
she loves the game-her father was the
greatest diplomat of his time, you
know-and she married Cortlandt so
she could play it. Any other man would
have served as well, though I've heard
that he showed promise before she
blotted him out and absorbed him. But
now he's merely her power of attor-
ney"
Anthony pursed his lips into whis-
tie of establishment.
''It's been a good thing for him."
Runnels ran on, evidently warmed to
his subject. "She's made his reputa-
fiop. ho hos y,ooVou opd noe;+io,o Tor