The Little River news., 1920-09-01
CHAPTER VII.

Webster reached New Orleans at the end of the first leg of his journey, l to discover that he was one day late | to board the Atlanta-a banana boat | of the Consolidated Fruit company's line plying regularly between New Or leans and that company's depots at Limon and SaE Buenaventura-which necessitated wait of three days for the steamer La Estrellita of the Ca rbbean Mail line running to Caracas and way ports.
 He decided to visit the ticket office ly and avoid the rush in case the l travel should be heavy.
 The steamship office was in Canal street. The clerk was waiting on two well-dressed and palpably low-bred sons of the tropics, to whom he had just displayed a passenger list which the two were scanning critically. Their interest in it was so obvious that unconsciously Webster peeped over their shoulders (no difficult task for one of his stature) and discovered it to be the passenger list of the steamer La Estrellita. They were con- verSing together in low tones and Web ster, who had spent many years of his life following his profession in Mexico, recognized their speech as the bastard Spanish of the peon.
 He sat down in the long wall seat and waited until the pair having com pleted their scrutiny O. the list, turned to pass out He glanced at them cas- ually One was a tall thin man whose bloodshot eyes were inclined to pop" little -infallibe evidence in the Latin-American that he is drinking more hard liquor than Is good for him
 His companion was plainly of the same racial stock, although Webster suspected him of a slight admixture of negro blood. He was short. stocky. and aggressive looking; like his com panion. beieweed and possessed of thin carefully cultivated moustache that seemed 10 consist of about nine teen hairs on one side and twenty on rhe other Evidently once upon time, as the story books have it, ne had been shot. Webster suspected a MauSer bullet, fired al long range It had entered his right cheek, just be- low the malar, ranged downward through his mouth and out through fold of flabby flesh under his left | jOWl. It must have been a frightful wound but it had healed well except at the point of entrance, where if had tendency to pucker considerably, thus drawing the mans eyelid down organ something of the appearance of a bulldogs.
 Webster gazed after them whimsi. cally as he approached the counter "Pd hate to wake up some night and find that hombre with the puck cred eye leaning over me. By the way" he continued, suddenly appre- hensive, "do you get much of that paraqueet travel on your line?"
 About 80 per cent. of it is off color, sir.''
 Webster pondered ,the SO-per-cent. l probability of being berthed in the same staterOom with one of these people and the prospect was as re- vOlting to him as would be an unin- vited negro guest at the dining table of southern family. He had all a Westerner's hatred for the breed.
 "Well. want ticket to San Buena- ventura" he informed the clerk. but ] l don't relish the idea of A GreaSer in the same stateroom with me. I won der if you couldn't manage to fix me with stateroom all to myself or at least arrange 1t so that in the event of company I'll draw white man."
 I'm sorry. sir, but I cannot guar antee you absolute privacy nor any kind of white man. It's pretty mixed travel to all Central American ports" I How many berths in your first class stateroomsf
 Two"
 Webster smiled brightly. He had found a way out of the difficulty "Tll buy 'em both, son." he announced.
 "I cannot sell you an entire state room, sir. It's against the orders of the company to sell two berths to , one man. The travel Is pretty brisk and it's hardly fair to the public. you know"
 . Well, suppose I buy one ticket for l myself and the other for--well, for l my valet, let us say. Of course" he added brightly, q haven't engaged the