Evening star., 1921-06-05

ana the CnrlStlndS Wefe iho ifoASh
foam in the dazzling purity OF the
night Somewhere up the slope, In
one of the wooden huts built for the
engineers. a mandolin tinkled family
and tenor voice, very sweet and
sentimental, sang ."Underneath the
Stars"
Pug came out of the Office to listen.
'uJnderneath the Stars" How It
brought back old New York. Broad
way. Hurrying theater crowds: taxis
aud motors; glittering shop windows
and big electric signs spilling liquid
Pug was homesick He wanted like
the deuce to he in the fourth row
aisle of his favorite theater. watch~
ing a comic opera MitZi. Julia Sander
SON. Fred stone: A corking orchestra.
Lots of nice people in the audience:
the glitter of jewels; the gleam OF
white shoulders; the incandescent
glow of many starched shirt DOS 'mS
Hpmesick? Oh. Lordi
He opened his eyes with 4 .grirnace
of impatience. The job wasn't donel
and he coulIin't think of home until
the last rail had been laid. Then;
in Magena-Mercedes. with freckles
ON the bridge of her absurd nose and
a; pair of eyes that kindled dreams
Mercedes on. BroadwaT Mes
cedeS anywhere Woulu pe auoE doAo'
0issi Wilkinson Rna 1 and Ferry we're singing
a. Spanish love song. and Pug. throw
ing back his head, grinned at the
remote and frosty stars. After all:
it was a great game. this JOB OF
There @ was a glamour about the hid
den. mad activity of the ciogged
forests. the immense emptiness OF
the plains A great force mad oeen
set In motion by Pug's dad. who sun
believed in Magella--the protean re-
public, the white mans burden, the
uolitical crazy quilt of South Amer
iSa. So far he had contrived to- keep
IHeso in the unstable seat OF once
and had induced an unromantic. oa9k
to make a risky loan simply through
his own ardent faith In that Alice,
ihrwonderland dream of gold and
petty politicians. The engineers car
ried the torch Of progress through
tho old Indian trail. ana Masela,
Hoated with credit. looked the other
Way. Now and then a ragged mule
teer would pause to stare at the sur
Iaytne party. Or a caballero. wear
Ing as much silver braid as, posSioie.
would ride into the LOCATION .h Die,sr,d ELY
through his property. But for the
most part the unrolling-of that RIB
hon of progress was unnoticeo ny
nationalist or royalist
It's 100 ROOO W uC ~ -
thought. There hasn't been . revo-
lution since We left Masella-
g n r. y
Now. the ways Of destiny are
~ strange. There was an exclama-
ton point to Pug's hymn of praise. A
shout. A long "Halloo! far down
the trail. The singers stopped short.
like the turning off of phonograph
record, and Wilkinson. hugging his
mandolin, ran up to the ofice. with
Perry racing at his heels. .1.-....,
what was that? Did you hear some
one shouting?" -
Pug nodded. And again. coming
nearer. the ghostly 'Halloo" echoed
along the valley. A man appeared at
the foot of the trail. climbing slowly
toward them. AS they watched. he
raised his arm and waved az.
-~He's all in." Pug said I'm gong
down.
may be a bloodthirsty bandit
But Pug was gone. He recognized
Gonelli-a strangely incongruous ns-
ure in this lonely valley. He was
dressed in neat, blue serge clothes and
wore a jaunty straw hat.
"Signor Pug" he said. IT have come
from Magella to whisper in your ear.
] am-what do you say-dead beat.
For Gods sake, give me cigarette
and a comfortable chair"
Pug shook the ex.nationalists hand
did you walk all the way in those
patent leather shoes?'
At did not One of your locomotives
brought me as far as the river They
sent me across in bucket drawn on
a cable-like a load of sand. 1g-
nominious. I prayed all the way.
big nuke-all
bones and hoofs-a specter of mule.
He got so far and no farther. l slept
last night in the shadow OF Monte
San Felice- And. believe me: my
mule and put my arms around his
neck We cuddled like babes in the
woods. This morning he brought me
over your trail. and an hour ago aban-
Pug laughed. Come up and see
the chief. I'll send some one after
your mule"
The engineer-in-chief was waiting
in the doorway of the office. Behind
him six eager young Americans cram
ed their necks to see Gonelli. No one
had come out from the capital for
several weeks and there was an i'm
mediate shout for newspapers and let
terS.
and smiled. showing two even rows
of perfect teeth. Gentlemen. I re-
great 1 came unexpectedly-in a great
hurry. l have no mail for YOU"
"Oh. dammit Roth groaned He had
tumbled out of his bunk. still wrapped
in gay poncho. His blond hair stood
on end and there We're tears in mis-
eyes. ''oh, dammit. Why come at
an?"
Gonelli staggered a little. He put
.,his hat on the. floor and possessed
Himself of the chiefs chair why
come at all? I'll tell you, gentle
men" He leaned forward. his hands
on his knees. Your railway isn't
going through"
The chief kept his eyes fixed on
GoneIli's face.
rs anything wrong in Magella:"
Everything is wrong.'' The ex-
nationalist swung his arms in wide
gesture of despair Then ne glanced
these railway poems Of yours trust
worthy?''
They have behaved very WELL" the
chief answered slowly. "Why?"
Gonelli accepted cigarette from Pug.
lighted it and answered, Pedro Gamma
riilo is loose again. Which is as much
as to say that all hell is loose. gentle
men! He has been going about the in
terror for three months gathering an
army. know how he does it. 1 was his
righthand man to my eternal shame!
I'll tell you. . . He rides into viii
lage at midnight. terrorizes the inhabi-
tants by making devilish racket. orders
out the men and makes them join his
forces, whether they want to or not. l
have seen him shoot men who refused.
Like that, 1 have seen him fog de-
serters to death. He is as sly as a fox
and as elusive as a shadow. Now you