Vernon Parish Democrat., 1921-04-14
the time wanted to ask you one

the time I wanted to ask you one
question" -
TASK 1t now"
"Are you a SobranteanP
81 was born in this country AID
raised here until was fourteen"
But youre-why, hang it, You're
not a Latin"
''No. I'm a mixture, with Latin pre- |
dominating. My fOrebears were pure
Castilians from Madrid, and crossed |
the Western ocean in caravels.' It's |
been a matter Of pride with the house |
Of Ruey to keep the breed pure, but |
despite all precautions, the family tree |
has been grated once with a Scotch |
thistle, twice with the lily of France,
and once with the shamrock Of Ire
land. My mother was an Irish woman"
"You alibi yourself perfectly, Ricar-
do, and my curiosity is appeased. Per
NIT me to continue nay tale" he added |
in Spanish, and forthwith he related |
with humorous detail his adventure at |
the gangplank of the steamer that had |
borne him and Ricardo Ruey south. |
Ricardo interrupted him. I'VE know
all about that, friend Webster, and we
knew the two delightful gentlemen had
been told off to get yOu-unott1cially.
The SObrantean revolutionary Junta
has headquarters in New Orleans. 1t
is composed of political exifes, for
Sarros, the present dictator of So
! brante, rules with an iron hand, and
has a cute little habit of railroading
I. t., NTin
treason charge and the firing squad.
! He killed my father, who was the
best president this benighted country
ever had, and 1 consider it my Chris
tian duty to avenge my father and a
patriotic duty to take up the task he
left ulfinshed-the task of making
over my country.
'In SObrante, as in most of the coun-
tries in Central America, there are
two distinct classes of peOple-the
aristocrats and peons-and the aristo-
crat fattens on the peon, as he has
had a habit Of doing since Adam. We
haven't any middle class to stand as
a buffer between the twO-which
makes it a sad proposition. My father
was an idealist and a dreamer and he
dreamed of reform in government and
solution of the agrarian problem
which confrOnts all Latin-America. He
trusted one Pablo Sarros, an educated
peOn, who had commanded the gov
ernment forces under the regime my
father overthrow. My tender-hearted
parent discovered that SarrOs was
plotting to overthrow him; but instead
of having him shot, he merely removed
him from command. Sarros gathered
a handful of bandits, Joined the old
government forces my father had con-
Quered, hired a couple dozen Yankee
artillerymel and-he won out. My
father was captured and executed; the
palace was burned and my sister per-
ished in the flames. I'm here to pay
off the score"
"a worthy ambition! So you organ
ICED the revolutionary junta in New
Orleans. eh?"
Ricardo nodded. "Word Of it reached
Sarros and he sent his brother RaOul,
chief of the intelligence bureau, to in
vestigate and report. AS fast as he
: reported, Colonel CaraveO reported to
me. My fathers soa possesses name
to Conjure with. Consequently it was
to the interest of the Sarros admins
tratiOn that I be eliminated. They
: watched every boat; hence my scheme
for eluding their vigilance-which
thanks to you, worked like a charm
"But," Webster complained, "Im not
d, sitting in the game at all, and yet I'm
caught between the upper and neither
, millstOnes."
"That is easy to explain. You inter
: fered that morning in Jackson square
then RaOul SarrOs met you going
aboard the steamer for Buenaventura
and you manhandled him, and natural
> ly, putting two and two together, he
u has concluded that you are not only
his personal enemy but also a friend
and protector of mine and consequent
Iy an enemy of the state"
"And as a consequence I'm marked
for slaughter?"
at would be we'll, my friend" Doc
:, tor Pacheco suggested, "tO reture2 tt
= the United States until after RiC do
and his friends have eliminated you
Nemesis.
T. ''How soon will that happy even
! transpire?"
+ "In about sixty days we hope to b,
/ ready to strike, Mr.. Webster"
Colonel Caraveo cleared his throat
3 "I understand from Ricardo that yoV
{ and another American are interestet
in a mining concession, Mr.. Webster
e Webster nodded.
II "Is this a concession from privat
y landhOlder or did your friend secur
Il it from the SarrOs gOvernmentY
"From the government. We pay tel
j. per cent. royalty, on a ninety-nine-yea
III lease, and that's all I know about II
u l have never seen the property, AM
a my object in coming was to examine
and if satisfied, finance the project"
= eff you will return to your hote