The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1921-02-03

has been grated once with 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-
init me to continue my 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. 'We know
all about that, friend Webster, and we
knew the two delightful gentlemen had,
been told Off to get yOu-unottlclally
The Sobrantean revolutionary Junta
has headquarters in New Orleans. 1t
is composed of political exiles, for
Sarros, the present dictator Of So
brante, rules with an iron hand, and
has n cute little habit Of railroading
his enemies to the cemetery via the
treason charge and tho firing squad.
He killed my father, who was the
best president this benighted country
ever had, and I consider it my Chris
tian duty to avenge my father and Il
patriotic duty to take up the task he
left uatinished-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 I>eons-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 sad proposition. My father
was an idealist and 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
eminent 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
Il handful Of bandits, Joined the old
4O4CCo NY AAlAICA AAu WI
quered. hired a couple dozen Yankee
urtillcrymea and-he won out. My
father was captured and executed the
palace was burned, and my sister per-
ishel in the flames. I'm here to pay
Off the score"
"A worthy ambition! So you organ
lied the revolutionary junta' in New
Orleans. chg"
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 a 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 GLIDING their vigilance-whicl,
thanks to you, worked like a charm"
But" Webster complained, I'm not
sitting in the game at all, and yet I'm
caught between the upper and neither
milstones."
''That is easy to explain. You inter-
fered that morning in Jackson square
then Raoul Sarros met You going
aboard the steamer for Buenavcntura
,and you nlanhandled him, and natural
~, putting two and two together, he
has concluded that you, are not only
his personal enemy but also 4 friend
and protector of mine and consequent
ly an enemy Of the state"
"And as Il consequence I'm marked
for slaughter?'
ut would be well, my friend" Doc
tor Pacheco suggested. "to return to
the Uaited States until after Ricardo
and his friends have eliminated your
Nemesis"
"How soon will that happy event
transpirc?"
''In about sixty days we hope to be
ready to strike. Mr.. Webster"
Colonel Caraveo cleared his thrOat.
II understand from Ricardo that you
and another American are interested
in mining concession, Mr.. Webster"
Webster nodded.
SIS this a concession from a private
landholder or did your friend secure
it from the Sarros government"
'From the government. We pay ten
per cent. royalty, on a ninety-nine-year
lease, and that's all I know about 1T.
I have never seen the property, and
my object in coming was to examine it
and il satisfied, finance the PROJECT.
''If you will return to your hotel,
my dear sir" Colonel Caraveo sug-
gested, "and remain there until noon
tomorrow. feel confident I can guar
antee you immunity from attack there
after. 1 have plan to influence my
associates in the intelligence Office
"Bully for you. Colonel. Give me six
ty days in which to operate, and I'll
have finished my job in Sobrante and
gotten out of it before that gang of cut
threats wakes up to the fact that I'm
gone. I thank you, sir
SThc least we can do. since you have
saved Ricardo's life and rendered our
cause a great service, is to save your
life" Colonel CaraveO replied.
''This is more comfort than 1 had
hoped FOR when / came here, gentle
f,,1