The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-07-04

throw him overheard dozen times.
And now he says to follow him and
he'll get us n place to stay
"Some native pigsty with Heas," l
remarked skeptlcally aside to Johnny
"You conn.," begged the padrone'
with flash of teeth
We came bearing our household
goods, because we could nowhere see
any one to bear them for us. At that
we had to leave the heaviest pieces ON
the beach. Talbot insisted on Juggling
his huge bundle of newspapers.
"They may come in handy" he an
swered us vaguely. "Well, they re
mine, and this is my back" he coun-
tered to Johnny's and my impatience
with such foolishness.
The padrone led up through town to
the outskirts. There we came to a
substantial low house of several rooms,
with veranda and veritable chimneys.
The earth in front had been beaten so
hard that even the downpour of yes
terday had not appreciably softened it.
To our summons appeared very suave
and courteous figure, that. 1t appeared,
of the alcalde of the place.
"My fren'," explained the padrone
In English, for our benefit, they good
peepele. They wan estay. Got no
place estay."
The alcalde, a portly gentleman with
side whiskers and a great deal OF dig
nifty, bowed.
my house is all yours" said he.
Thus, although arriving late, we stop
ped at the best quarters in the town.
The sense OF obligation to any one but
our boatman was considerably relieved
when next day we paid what we owed
for our lodging. Also, had 1t not been
for Talbot and Johnny, am sure
Yank and / would have taken to the
Jungle. There seemed to be required
30 much bowing, smiling, punctllious
ness and elaborate complimenting that
in a short time felt myself in the pre-
else mental attitude of very small
monkey shaking the bars of his cage
with all four hands and gibbering iI
the face of some benign and Infinitely
superior professor. | fairly ached be
hind the ears trying to look sufficiently
alert and bland and intelligent. Yanl
sat stolid, chewed tobacco and spat ou
Of the window, which also went fal
toward stanpeding me. Talbot ant
Johnny, however. seemed right a
home. They capped the old gentle
| nla IN tnUnlvnf
speeches, they talked at length ant
pompously about nothing at all, thei
smiles were rare and sad and llnger
ing-not q bit like my imbecile though
well meant grinning-and they seemed
to be able to stick 1t out until judg
ment day. Not until heard their pri
vate language after 1t was all owe
did realize they were not enjoying
the occasion thoroughly.
At dusk millions of tirehies cam
out, the earth grew velvet black, ant
the soft. tepld mir breathed up iron
the river. Lights of the town flickere'
like larger yellower fireflies throug
the thin screen of palms and jungle
and the various noises, subdued b
| distance, mingled Win tne voices
thousands OF insects and strang
booming from the river | thought
very pleasant and wanted to stay on
but for some reason we were hale
within. There the lamps made th
low broad room very hot. We sat o
real chairs, and the stllted exchang
resumed. have often wondere
whether our host enjoyed 1t or whetl
er he did it merely from duty and wa
as heartily bored as the rest of us.
A half naked servant gllded in
tell us that we were wanted In tn
next room. We found there our goo
padrone and another, fine tall mai
dressed very elaborately in short Jacl
ct and slit loose trousers, all sewe
with many silver buttons and orni
ments.
"He my fren'," explained the p,
drone. "He have dose mulas."
With tho gorgeous individual Talb'
concluded a bargain. He was to fu
niah us riding animals at $40 each p,