The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1914-05-04

rmation, most excellent Fernando" he
.hings one does not do in the bank
he sunshine OF his presence"
he said he tried to catch me and hi.
foot slipped. bu, that was a lie, of
course"
II understand" said Pacato.
SO, not wanting to be hanged at
that age" the captain chuckled, 81 lit
out OF the house and down the street,
and dunno how long ran. but after
while ] was down on the docks.
Thought heard somebody coming
after me. and l hoped aboard an old
ducked by a Teller that was walking
her deck, and skun down rope into
the hold. Foller me?"
You are in the hold, yes"
There must have been a million
sacks down there. 1 burrowed under
'em and, after a long while. went to
sleep. When | woke up and began 10
holler for food We were on our way to
Singni ore: and after they'd tried to
whale the life out Of me and I'd licked
three grown men. we shook hands all
around, and signed, formal and prop
err. as cabin boy"
a cabin boy. indeed?" said Pacato.
That schooner was the Lizzie g.,
out of Bangor, Me-. and | STAYED
aboard her four years. leaving as first
mate-and the best she ever had. |
left her on account OF a gold scare
we run into at Sofala, and IT took
me three years more to find out that
there wasn't gold enough to be worth
my while. and work up TO the Fan
zibar coast. IL was after that | tried
the trading game in Abyssinia. YOU
know, and told you how they
made me king, didn't |. Mike?"
Never" said Pacato absently.
That's one of the sore spots in my
life, Nike" he confessed. II Just
walked out OF lndia-with the whole
army and most OF the navy trying
to catch me. That's where I got the
name or Velvet, you know"
Because you were so very smooth"
Pacato smiled.
SO smooth that nobody could ever
get grip on me. and nobody eve.
wii my boy! ] went up TO the China
Sea after that. and sort of organized
lot of the cheap thieves they have
floating around there and in the
mouths OF the rivers; had a nice little
headquarters In Foo Chow, and they
used to bring me the stun. But there
were lot of soreheads among 'em
and-why, Mike, one night they had
every street and alley in Foo Chow
guarded. waiting to get me. ! lust
cleared out again and went to Algiers.
and took TO straight soldering for n
few years. ] did stop Off In South
Africa and tried flyer In diamonds,
OF course, but mostly / soldiered all
the way to Argentine. what with one
little war and another and a sort of
roundabout trip through Europe. and
them
Then here" said Senior Pacato,
with smiling, rather brisk, finality.
And now
And then" corrected the captain,
81 came here and sort OF rounded up
my savings and began to specialize
these child-size revolutions. and /
dunno but what 1t pays to be strictly
honest, after all ] get pretty good
prices for starting "A revolution and
keeping her going"
But no more than you deserve, my
dear friend" said the president of the
bank. And now you are going to
take vacation in New York. For
how long,"
About week. / guess" said the
captain. Il just want to shake hands
with all the old boys ana look over all
the familiar spots again"
New York will have changed in
fifty years. but Pacato began,
with a smile.
You don't understand that town,
Mike" he said. shes too big to
there in nifty years. but l could find
my way around blindfolded."
Captain" he murmured. at Is
purely . pleasure trip, this one Of
yours"
yes"
will you object to little business
as well?"
Anything you want me to do" the
captain said.
81 thank YOU. my friend" The
president OF the bank glanced about
again. Velvet. l need warship."
WHAT"
Not a large one. you know--not
real one. Velvet Merely a steamer.
you understand, upon which might be
mounted five or six good cannon.
which you will also have the good
ness to buy for me-; so that should
II be necessary to throw shell or
two into Relampago"-
This town here, Mike?" the cap
tain whispered amazedly.
"Of course"
swell, dod rot your sly old hide
the captain said fondly. Go on"
"And fancy, about five thousand
rifles as we'll" the bank president MUIR
INJURED tonscly,
Not for the Government, Mike:
Just for your whispered his conf
panion
Parato's white teeth flashed beneath
the mus,ache in an excited little
smile
For both, hope" he said. velvet,
1 have decided to be the government
90 fpr