Evening star., 1923-01-30
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
ROADS OF ADVENTURE. BY Ralph
d. Paine. Houghton Mifflin Com

D. Paine. Houghton Miffiin Com
pany.
The managing editor told young
Paine that, SO far as he could see.
there was nothing the matter with
him except an acute attack of dam
foolitis. What was he thinking
about, anyway? Probably had given
up thinking. Here he was holding
down $50 a week-and earning it, too.
once in a while. And the Cubans
never in the world would let him
join one of their crazy expeditions.
II they did, he wouldn't be allowed
to send any news back. AS for him.
he refused-pos-i-tive-ly and ab-so-
lute-ly-to stake any such asinine
project
And young Paine said he guessed
he'd better be getting along.
X 4 x *
Now, this was something like
twenty-seven years ago. The United
States government was still holding
to a punctilious neutrality in the
business between Cuba and Spain.
There was, however, d tremendous
personal sympathy in this country for
the Cubans and substantial help from
these unofficial sources was turning
the Cuban cause into a reality. More
than one filibustering expedition was
carrying arms and comfort and cour-
ago to Cuba. Now. if there was one
thing in the world exactly calculated
to fill the eye and swell the heart
of young Paine it was brave. buc-
caneering exploit in support of any
old cause. So Paine kept right on
getting along" till he finally did Sc
cure permission from the Cuban junta,
operating from this country, to sail
with the next expedition. In the
meantime IL occurred to Paine that it
might be a. good plan to gee William
Randolph Hearst, spectacular new
conner to the newspaper field. Yes.
Hearst thought he might get news
Then in casual and friendly fashion
he showed Paine a sword, beauti
Tful and diamond-set, engraved: ITO
Maxine Gomez. commander-in chief
said Paine. "Old Gomez will be
tickled to death when he gets it"
That's the idea When he gets it,"
replied the debonair Mr.. Hearst.
I've been trying to find somebody
foolish enough to carry this elegant
sword to Gomez These inscriptions
would be devilish hard to explain TO
the Spanish army II you happened to
be caught, wouldn't they?" And you
sword to Gomez with your compli-
ments?" IF YOU don't mind.
swear / don't know what else to do
with the confounded thing. OF course
if you are nabbed at sea YOU can
probably chuck it overheard in
lime And If l get surrounded
on land, perhaps ! can swallow it. Mr.
Hearst. Never mind that Tn the
damn fool you've been looking for.
Tuck the glittering weapon in the
mahogany case and I'll lug it along
right now"
One recalls this little yarn merely in
support OF the diagnosis of the manag-
ing editor.
Then one night freight train rum
bled down the tip of Florida to a lone
spot on the coast where the Three
Friends lay moored. This innocent look
ing towboat was to the Spanish army
"the perfidious and accursed Tres
Amigos" more elusive than the Flying
Dutchman. which had been harried and
chased from Cape Sfaysi to the Yucatan
channel, and for whose capture or de-
struction the captain general of Cuba
had offered many thousand pesos. Cargo
and troops were speedily transferred
from train to towboat. The cargo wa
guns and ammunition. The troops were
a handful OF excited Cubans, making
many gestures and swift passes to show
VI ha
Spaniard once they had arrived. Among
them was Ralph Paine. bearing the
sword of Gomez. Besides, quite on his
own account, he had festooned himself
with a motley of arms which. when he
walked, made him sound. SO he says,
like a portable blacksmith shop. But.
he was drunkenly happy-a bold bucca
neer. in intent, and, please fate, he
might be one in fact.
And the filibustering expedition was
off for Cuba. Capt. Dynamite john
ny O'Brien had for many years, by
way of the Three Friends. been minis
tering to the hot and turbulent countries
Of that region. He believed that they
should be free. so, in practical fashion.
he was merely acting up to that belief.
In this case he had agreed to deliver
this boatload OF men and arms at a GER
Dynamite Johnny was on his way.
Likewise, Ralph Paine. bearing the
sword of Gomez. and bursting with
hopes Of big adventure. Sailing across
to Cuba was not the easy thing it
sounds. For there, somewhere. were
ships Of the Spanish fleet. waiting to
pounce upon the unspeakable Tres
Amigos. Every shape on the horizon
stood a menace. Every smudge in the
Three Friends-advancing, lodging, hid
ing and finally escaping-found itself
one night fronting upon the dark coast
Of Cuba Toward the harbor mouth it
made its way--and a Spanish ship rose
out OF the blackness to meet it. The
Three Friends took to its heels, so to
speak, and the enemy ship raced behind
1t. 1t was then that Mike Walsh fired
the contraption that he called a gun.
Not much of gun. but enough to lodge
a perfectly good charge of piracy for
firing upon the ship of a friendly nation.
And at that moment piracy did seem
more appropriate for old Hawkins and
Dampier and the rest than for a per-
Just then this country declared war and
the. clear case, Of piracy sank to its
legitimate level of minor things.
However, there was the war. That
was a reality. And Ralph Paine be-
gan to take notice again. 1t was a
the flibustering. but prodigiously ac-
tive and fruitful in Its own way.
\ X X
The Spanish American war was no
moro than cleaned up than the Boxer
uprising sent Paine hell bent" for
China An amazing experience, which
the young adventurer hands over In
great shape.
Then a long pull of peace. And
Paine gave up newspaper work and
took to writing on his own account.
He talks plaintively-it sounds plain
tive to us-about getting older" and
sannnxa rnanacf2hle - In nr-nnf hn -, a.,