Evening star., 1921-05-22

n starting point of the rack
and -pnion railway to the rim of
the canon. The consul returned to
the city. still secure in the pos
session of IAN army and navy IN
both pockets" The little railway
single car-cut straight across the
cindery slopes of the lower SANTA
Christina. climbing spasmodically into
the air like the car of an obserVa-
ton balloon. Bianchi was inordinate-
ly proud of his accomplishment, but
he could not keep his eyes away from
MageHa, where his lively Imagination
pictured general massacre. The city
lay below them. the checker-board
roofs touched by the first direct rays
of the sun. Columns OF smoke SUN
sprang from waterfront fires. Inc
rabble was distinctly visible. toss
ing sea of straw hats, horses. flags.
gun carriages. Bianchi stared flo-
rosely and shook his head
Il wrote your father that someIhlne
like this was bound to happen. There'
is only one way to get the better OF
Gonelli-by deceit, treachery ana
They have only one standard of be.
havior-success. If you can 1ooi
then, Won are great man. If you
can defeat them. they Will ioiiow
lick tionelli as soon as possible, or
else we must retire from Magelia
altogether"
Pug remembered his fathers warn
ing There must be no faliure: ne
remembered Rita's dismissal: fo We
always had everything you wanted
it hasn't been good for YOU. He re-
membered Miss Diego's direct glance,
the warmth of courage of her smlle:
He remembered the message HaShed
to him in the depths of her eyes: Go
to it, Americano-winnlns was one
of the things they taught me IN fltts-
burgh.' e..
Bianchi. we will save the mines.
When we have rubbed GoneliIs nose
in the dust we shall be better able
to convince his nationalists OF our
good intentions. Are the Americans
armedn'
DIANCHI thought So The last
- steamer had brought certain
amount of ammunition. and some OF
II had got as far as Colombia during
Gonellis absence in Panama NC
Carthy, he knew, was spelling for
aght-but what could he do against
a handful of snipers? What we
need" Banchi said. lis genuine en-
counter with that mob of ragged
IDIOTS. They have terrorized Maeeiia
now they'll come after US.
The jerky car stopped with ter
-iIc bump at the summit of the
mountain; Pug and old Bianchi cast
Il final look 1t Magelia and plunged ,
INTO the canyon mounted on two of the |
company's pack mules. Across the |
profound. lush shadows of the deep
sliced gulch the enormous walls of
the Santa Christina seemed to shut !
nut the very sky. Far below them a =!
twisting thread of water wound |
through the dense forest Of glossy
leaved trees and giant ferns, appear /!
ing here and there in the brilliant |
green of the dank foliage like a fine !
platinum wire. The sun had not pene- |
Grated the canyon, and as the nimble |
pack mules clattered down the pre-
cipitous slopes Pug and old Bianchi !
felt as if they had been immersed in |
sea of cool shadows. The face of |
the Santa Christina glowed fery-red |
above them. like prodigious. lonely. |
and awe-inspiring fortress. The petty !
furies of Gonelli's nationalists seemed |
Tar away and unimportant. but there /,
was room in this amazing place to |
swing your arms 1
Bianchi drew rein at the ford and
pointed to where. three or four miles |
down the river, the crosscut depres-
light angles through the canyon |
Your railway to the Marias and into |
the interior would have to go that |
way. Gonelli will come through there !
TO attack US. We must attack him
from above"
"Abbasso Gonelli." Pug laughed, and |
hey splashed through the ford and !
tarted up the corkscrew trail to Co. |
>mbla between echoing walls Of !
iranite veiled under a clogging |
NJ tor Ill
ag vines. Presently, far above them. |
hey saw the sheds and houses of the |
ine. like Noah's ark toys. clinging |
the steep side Of the mountains |
Id Bianchi stared at the settlement !
18th something worshipful and proud |
, his expression. 1t was, after ali. !!
is mine-he had brayed the hard
aips and perils of that wild country ]
twenty-five years before the interior
''ad been explored at all. The Fair |
mid Company. IN New York. had paid |;
,r the practical realization of his |
ream-to Bianchi. the inexhaustible |,
-ealth of the mines was something !
his own creation. as if. in the stalk |
1g of that remote claim. so many |
ears ago. he had impregnated the |
ocky TANKS OF the Santa Christina |
18th his rich and colourful fancies |
Hd Bianchi had seen Mr.. Fairchild /
'nly once. but the American capital |
ITS belief in that golden chimera,
nds Of the earth. had CONVINCED
:ianchi that they shared the identical
'ream. worshiped the identical fetish
reated by their common courage.
.:ealth and energy.
.-ALIIOPING a little ahead Of Pug.
old Bianchi entered the dusty
:'laza of the settlement. Pug saw an
american flag rafting smartly over
me of the long sheds. Just beneath
a door opened suddenly. and tall
uan. bareheaded and without a coat.
an out with a shout of welcome.
'-oica full of satisfaction. My SON.
I-Iaw. You'll like him"
Pug threw back his head and shifted
he fragrant air of the mountains.
m excited crowd of men poured out
e the sheds and surrounded the old
administrator Pug heard English
zain-the staccato music of his own
t that crowding mob Of eager. sun
urnt. familiarly ugly faces-men
rom Texas and Idaho. California.
iichigan and Broadway; ianky tar
eels. bullet-headed negroes from
louisiana. big lrishmen. excitable
''hinaman-American all of them.
Pug shouted. I'm glad to see you.
guess some of you can help me put
he fear of God into Magella and
ailway through the, Indian trail. Is
4 go?"
he very souls of all these bored.
'estiess and angry Yankees. was
card by two Of Gonellrs snipers,
tho hurried away. following trails of