The Washington herald., 1920-05-30

them, and put an armed guard
over the poor divils to keep
them from runnin' away.
Twas thus l was double
crossed by the tropics through a
family failin' of goin' out of the
way to hunt disturbances.
They gave me a pick, and l
took 1t, meditatin' an insurrec->
tion on the spot; but there was
the guards handIin' the Winches-
ters careless. and l come to the
conclusion that discretion was
the best part of flibusterin'.
There was about a hundred of
us in the gang startin' out to
work. and the word was given
to move. l steps out of the
ranks and goes up to that Cen
eral De Vega man. who was
smokin' a cigar and gain upon
the scene with satisfactions and
glory. He smiles at me polite
and devilish. Plenty work says
he. for big. strong mans in
Guatemala Yes. Tirty dollars in
the month. Good pay. All, yes.
You strong, brave man. Bimeby
we push those railroad in the
capital very quick. They want
you to work now. Adios. strong
mans
Monseer.' says /. lingerin,'
will you tell a poor little Irish
man this: When l set foot on
breathed liberal and revolution
ary sentiments into your sour
wine. did you think l was con-
spirin' to sling a pick on your
contemptuous little railroad? And
when you answered me with
patriotic recitations. humping up
the star-spangled cause of lib
erty. did you have meditations of
reducin' me to the ranks of the
stump -grubbin' Dagoes in the
chain-gangs of your vile and
grovelin' country
The general man expanded his
rotundity and laughed consider
able. Yes, he laughed very long
and loud. and l, Clancy, stood
and waited.
'Comical mans" he shouts, at
last. so you will kill me from
the laughing. Yes: it is hard to
find the brave. strong mans to
aid my country. Revolutions?
Did l speak of r-r-revolutions:
Not one word. 1 say, big, strong
mans is need in Guatemala. So.
The mistake is of you. You have
looked in those one box contain
ing. those gun for the guard. You
think all boxes is contain gun?
No.
There is not war in Guate-
rnala- But work? Yes. Good.
Tirty dollar in the month. You
shall shoulder one pickaxe, senior,
and dig for the liberty and pros
perity of Guatemala. Off to your
work. The guard waits for you
Little. fat. poodle dog of a
brown man. says /. quiet, but
full of indignations and discom-
forts. things shall happen to you.
Maybe not right away, but as
soon as J, Clancy can formulate
somethin' in the way of re-
partee.'
THE boss of the gang orders
US to work. l tramps off with
the Dagoes, and l hears the dis
tinguished patriot and kidnapper
laughin' hearty as we go.
Tis a sorrowful fact. for
eight weeks 1 built railroads for
that misbehavin' country. l fill
bustered twelve hours a day with
a heavy pick and a spade, chop
pin away the luxurious land
scape that grew upon the right
OF way. We worked in swamps
that smelled like there was
leak in the gas mains, trampin'
down a fine assortment of the
most expensive dollhouse plants
and vegetables. The scene was
tropical beyond the widest imag-
ination of the geography man.
The trees was all skyscrapers:
the underbrush was full of
needles and pins; there was
monkeys jumpin' around and
crocodiles and pink tailed mock
and ye stood knee
deep in the rotten water and
grubled roots for the liberation ,
of Guatemala. OF nights we ,
would build smudges in camp to !
discourage the mosquitoes, and
sit in the smoke with the guards ;
pacin' on the road-mostly Da- :
goes. nigger-men, Spanish-men
and Swedes. Three or four were
Irish.
One old man named Halloran
"a man of Hibernian entitle- !
ments and discretions, explained !,
1t to me. He had been workin'
on the road a year. Most of
them died in less than six :
months. He was dried up to
gristle and bone. and shook with :
chills every. third night.
When you hrst come says I