Evening star., 1924-10-05

humbly, have your graces the great
goodness to direct me to the street of
Placeres?"
The house of the American stood
on a corner. Along the dark side
street passed a bulky shadow, who
| whispered under the barred windows,
"Diablito, o Little Devil" And
there came an answering cry in the
baby voice, "Caiman. Caiman"
Quiet, little man. Thy Caiman is
here. Come to the window. Come"
But the man-child did not come.
Only his feverish little voice babbled
on. "Caiman. Caiman," And the
father heard and cursed in helpless
, grief; and the woman heard and went
in and knelt there so long that the
man came and led her back to her
bed. There was nothing, you see, to
be done.
1t was about this time that the
guard before the empty cell stirred
and struggled up and gave the alarm.
FL Caiman slipped off his sandals
and climbed gorilla-like upon the
ledge. The bars were vertical, pass
ing through srched cross-pieces i'm
bedded in the adobe wall: he braced
his bare feet against the wall and
gripped a corner of the grating and
threw his weight outward, standing
there like some dim, twisted gargan
tuan statue in the act of falling.
When he could no longer stife the
Iabored breathing of his lungs he
sank relaxed to the pavement.
Each of the corners in turn he at
tempted, grinding his teeth to mas
ter the pain of his throbbing skull
and the deadly ache in his neck. Vic
tory, A topmost fastening yielded
A heavy fragment of adobe went
crashing to the sidewalk Within the
house the American leaped from his
bed. listening; but FL Caiman heard
nothing. The phosphorescence of e1-
haustion was spinning before his
eyes. With a choking grunt he
wrenched downward the free corner
of the grating and clung there. for
the moment without strength even to
lower himself into the room.
Within, the muzzle of shotgun
rose against that sinister shadow;
but the woman caught it, pleading,
NO. No! Oh, please, not YETI
The shadow moved and vanished
FL Caiman was on his knees by the
bed, where little hands clutched him
and an eager voice caroled his name; !;
on his knees, choking, grooming,
Little Devil, o Little Devil, do they
not give thee to eat? Thou shalt
come with Caiman and grow big and
fat and strong"
The woman whispered, Did you
hear? Oh. did you hear? Eaiman.'"
The man groped for the light
switch.
Ell Caiman snatched up the child.
covers and all, stood covering, not
knowing where to fee. The room
was ablaze with magic light, blind
| ing, intolerable. Before him stood
IF if N
| tightlipped, pajama clad, a shotgun
in his hands, and the police were all
about the house crying, open. Open
in the name of the law"
| Put him down said the American
hoarsely., Put him down.
X +
| CTUPIDLY Ell Caiman stood holding
~ the man child to his breast, star
ing into the round. unwinking eyes
OF death, and the porter came quav-
| ering from the court 'The police, .
and stopped. paralyzed with what
his eyes beheld.
Let them in said the master.
| NO. not yet" said the woma n
grinding of doors; not too rashly the
police crow ID in, revolvers ready.
| Wait" / Caiman said heavily,
and set dow the child where no re-
| volver would menace it
But when he would have straight
! ened up again he pitched forward in
| stead on his face. Dimly he heard
the woman cry out strangely as if
in compassion. Dimly he felt the
shock of cold on his face, and then
he was sitting in a chair while the
| sonora herself wiped blood from his
lips. He struggled up, ashamed.
| "Ay, sonora! 1t is nothing. Do not
| modest yourself"
He heard her speaking, fixing q
| firm look on her husband. This is
not one of those who stole the child.
This is the man who found the baby,
and this man saved his life. From
| the shameless ones who sold it for
| ransom he has recovered the money
| But, ay, senora!" cried Ell Caiman.
| remembering. Il have lost it. l
have lost the money. l can never buy
him back now. Where can a poor
carbonero get so much gold?'
TT is here" said the American,
| oddly gentle, and Ell Caiman saw his
| own saddlebags that he had dropped