The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1916-03-04

I'm Thaeker," said the consul.
Take that cane bottom chair. Now.
if you've come to invest you want
somebody to advise you. These din
gies will cheat you out of the gold in
your teeth il you don't understand
their ways. Try a cigar?'
"Much Obliged" said the KID, but
If it wasn't for my corn shucks and the
little bag in my back pocket | couldn't
live a minute" He took out his max
ings' and rolled a cigarette.
"They speak Spanish here" said the
consul. You'll need an interpreter.
If there's anything l can do why, I'd
be delighted. If you're buying fruit
lands or looking for a concession of
any sort you'll want somebody who
knows the ropes to look out for you"
81 speak Spanish" said the Kid,
about nine times better than l do
English. Everybody speaks 1t on the
range where l come from. And I'm
not in the market for anything"
you speak SPANISH" said Thacker
thoughtfully. He regarded the Kid
absorbedly.
you look like a Spaniard, too" he
continued. And you're from Texas.
And you can't be more than twenty or
twenty-one. l wonder if you've got
any nerve"
you got a deal of some kind to put
t%hrough?' asked the Texan, with I'm
expected shrewdness.
Are you open to a propositions"
said Thacker.
whats the use to deny itF' said the
Kid. 81 got into a little gun frolic
down in Laredo and plugged a white
man. There wasn't any Mexican
handy. And l come down to your
parrot and monkey range just for to
smell the morning glories and mari
Colds. Now, do you sabe?'
Thacker got up and closed the door.
LET me see your hand" he said.
He took the Kids left hand and ex-
amined the back of it closely.
81 can do it." he said eXcitedly.
your flesh is as hard as wood and as
healthy as a baby's. 1t will heal in a
week"
eff it's a fist fight you want to back
me for" said the Kid, don't put your
money up yet. Make it gun work. and
I'll keep you company. But no bare
handed scrapping like ladies at a tea
party for me-"
Its easier than that" said Thacker.
"Just step here. will your"
Through the window he pointed to a
two story white succeed house witr
wide galleries rising amid the deep
green tropical foliage on a wooded hill
that sloped gently from the sea.
I'm that house." said Thacker, "a
fine old Castilian gentleman and his
wife are yearning to gather you into
their arms and fill your pockets with
money. Old Santos Unique lives there,
He owns half the gold mines in the
country"
"You haven't been eating loco weed.
have your" asked the Kid.
"Sit down again. said Thacker, land
I'll tell you. Twelve years ago they
lost a kid. No, he didn't die, although
most of EN- here do from drinking the
surface water. He was a wild little
devil, even if he wasn't but eight years
old. Everybody knows about it.
Some Americans who were through
here prospecting for gold had letters
to Senior Unique, and the boy was a
favorite with them. They filled his
head with big stories about the States,
and about a month after they left the
kid disappeared too. He was suppos-
ed to have slowed himself away among
the banana punches on a fruit steamer
and gone to New Orleans. He was
seer once afterward in Texas, it was
thought, but they never heard anything
more of him. Old Unique has spent
thousands of dollars having him looked
for. The madam was broken up worst
of all. The kid was her life. She
wears mourning yet. But they say she
believes he'll come back TO her some
day and never gives up hope. On the
back of the boys left hand was tat
tooed a flying eagle carrying a spear in
his claws. That's old Urique's coat Of
arms or something that he inherited in
Spain"
The Kid raised his left hand slowly
and gazed at it curiously.
That's it." said Thacker, reaching
behind the official desk for his bottle
of smuggled brandy. You're not so
slow. l can do it. What was l consul
at Sandakan for? | never knew till
now. In a week I'll have the eagle
bird with the frog sticker blended in
so you'd think you were born with it.
| brought a set of needles and ink just
because l was sure you'd drop in some
day. Mr.. Dalton"
ooh, HI" said the Kid. 81 thought
told you my name?"
"All right; Kid. then. 1t won't be
that long. How does Senorito Unique
sound for a changer"
81 never played son any that l re-
member Of" said the Kid. IF l had
any parents to mention they went yer
the divide about the time l gave my
first bleat. What is the plan of your
roundup?"