The Washington times., 1914-06-27

awayr' interrogated the Haytian QUICK
ly. Bah! One man tried that and-I
killed him with my, machete." HIS
!; thin lips drew back at the memory and
for an instant his yellow face showed
hint OF what had made his rsputa-
ton.
"She won't stay with you"
"Oh. yes, she will. She was wild
very wild-at first. but-she VIII stay.
And how about her people? They're
bad hombres. Even the government
lets them alone-fortunately for you"
They won't make no trouble about
that Markeena- He is quite dead. /
think"
by Jove! You're cold-biooded
brute"
"senor, you told me once that nobody
ever married San Bias female, eh
Yes. Even the old Spaniards tried 1t,
but the blood is clean so far something
unusual. too. In this country"
Innocencio commenced to laugh ST.
lently as II at joke.
Some day. maybe. you will see San
Bias half-breed playing In the streets
Of Colon" said he.
IN bet you my wases-,oo pesos.
Come, I'll show you"
You get out of here" said the Amer
lean roughly. That's something don
allow anybody to joke about" and
L
ued aloud: by God. this Is sure a
tough country for a white man."
Innocencio strode through the streets
toward the swamp that lies behind the
day heat that smote him from above.
from the concrete walks beneath and
from the naked walls on every side.
1t was before the days Of the Amerf-
can occupation and the streets were
nothing more than open cesspools the
stencil from which offended soreiy.
Buzzards tapped among the naked
children at play In the mire beside
the sewer bitches.
The place was filled with everything
unhealthy and had long been known
as the earth's great fostering sore.
Neither the Orient nor the farthest
tropics boasted another spot like Colon.
or Aspinwall as it had been called. called:
and its brilliant Towering grave yards
So hateful had 1t proved. in fact. that
when seamen signed articles binding
to ,Ss Work oSs their fbsx ships
a clause exempting them from enter
ing Aspinwall.
| Now, however. the town was lively,
for this was the dry season when the
fever was at its lowest and the re-
sorts were filled with the notsam and
jetsam of tropic world II was q
polyglot town. moreover. set upon q
fever-rdden mangroye isle serving as
and in II had collected all the parasites
that live upon the moving herd
The French work of digging had but
served to augment the natural popula-
over seas and now from the open doors
of their cubby holes women Of every
color greeted the passerby.
Innocencio. whose last exploit was
usual attention. there being no color
line in Colon town White. yellow. and
black women fawned upon him and
bade him tarry, but he merely paused
a word. then idled onward pleased at
the notice he evoked.
Once fairly out of the pesthole he
threaded his way through the swamp
toward the other shore OF the island
mangrove roots at his approach, the
place was noisy with the hum of in
| sects on every hand the heated mud
gave forth sound like the smack ef
he came into a different domain Here
the sea breeze banished the lowering
miasma. the shore was of powdered
coral sand. a litter OF huts drowsed
beneath grove Of cocoa palms while
a fleet Of cayucas lay moored to stakes
inside the breakers or bleaching In the
sun
some importance here, for besides his
occupation as a trader he exacted toll
from a score or more Of lazy blacks.
They were a lawless crew. gathered
from the remotest corners Of the Indies
and composed Of Jamaicans. "Bajans"
and Saint Lucians. all reared to an
easy life and ripe for such an occa-
sional crafty pilgrimage as 1nnocencto
might devise. They had gathered
5 Po'S1az 70 5s SURE aR
] a certain loyalty that had Its uses.
Although the village was but mile
from the town itself Innocencio's word
was law and aa,Iss wsen n6n 6ne to Ust tse
spot they came in numbers, never sing
Tho girl was seated on the rickety
under her, her chin upon her knees.
4 The other women were gosstping loud
| ly, staring at her from distance, put
| her black eyes only snoidered sulleniy
and sent her about her household du-
| ties, then stretched himself IN tne
shade and eyed her complacently until
he fell asleep.
men came To him breathlessly to an
nounce that the San Bias Indians were
N.How many aueried Innocencio.
-Four boat loads"
| Did they come to trader!
This was no unusual thing, for they
frequently displayed their little car
| goes OF nuts and fruits and vegetables
| upon the waterfront 1nnocencio rose
lazily and stretched; then. calling the
woman. he explained the udinss 10
her.
finally.
will kill you"
and thrusting the machete oeneatn MS
arm took the trail out through the
mangrove swamp.
Straight to the Colon waterfront ne
4 went and there Haunted himself be-
Z fore the men from down the coast.
. Here and there he strolled. casting
I back their looks of hatred with q bra
4 yado that attracted all the idlers In
! the neighborhood. Wenches nudged
each other and Uttered nervously,
/ nointInS him out and telling anew the
/ story OF his daring. Men watched him
With wondering admiration and he
heard them murr.luring.
y "Ah, that Innocencio!
i Ell Diaboie!"
And so brave! He would fight an
army" -.
i eve like tiger.
i II was the keenest pleasure he had
4 ever tasted.
But as for his enemies. they kept
| their silence. They bartered their
stock and having made their pur-
cheses raised sail and scudded away