Evening star., 1924-10-05

, hands that were so strangely white,
and sobbed and sobbed, "Caiman.
Caiman,
THE letters Of the police travel by
L train, so that the warning of
bandits approach came many days
before Andres Tobar. In distant
village he had gone mad, that dan
gerous criminal, wrecking a peaceful
wine shop and leaving woman and
her uncle bound and gagged. He had
passed through Tequila between two
suns, and here he had demolished
the shop OF shoemaker. it's owner
being left with barely enough life
to tell of the outrage.
And the madman had boasted that
he journeyed to Guadalajara to steal
the child again.
But the senor, the father of the
child, should not fear. The police
would guard his house every night;
and that was their mistake, for Ell
Caiman did not come at night. In
the broad light of afternoon he
shuff1ed timorously along the street
of Placeres, stopping now and then
to ask some paSser to decipher a
house number for him. So he came
to the house and knocked at the
iron-barred inner door, quite as if
II wish to speak to the master OF
the house." he begged humbly of
the porter, who looked with scorn on
big, shy countrymen who wore cot
ton pantaloons instead of trousers
and who carried dusty saddlebags.
"He is not here"
Il will wait" said Ell Caiman, and
squatted patiently on his heels, so
that when at evening the master came
IL ha ~ Of hnx g
visitor was. While FL Caiman was
rising the porter unlocked the IRON
barred cancel
What offers itself to your in
quired the master of the house.
TT was a mistake" said Ell Caiman
simply. Il will not sell the boy"
Now the American knew him.
Through a murderous haze he saw the
man who had stolen his happy,
healthy baby and had sent him back
a poor little savage, who whimpered
all day and moaned all night like
some wild animal that could not
endure captivity, and because he was
Of that curious race who fight with
their hands he struck FL Caiman
not know how to defend himself
| against this unique attack. He stag
gered and shook his head and charged
| into those failing fists, smashing the
American against the wall, Whirled
him about and smashed him against
the other wall and pitched his breath
less bulk into the street
Then he charged. not for the open,
| but for the inner door, hurlinG the
dazed porter headlong from it. Madly
he bounded from room to room, shout
| ing for the devil. but he found only a
| pale lady grooming over the shrunken
| form of a tiny man-child who likely
| to die because he would not eat.
Stupidly Ell Caiman stopped and
dragged off his hat and threw out a
hand in incoherent pleading.
A gendarme came up behind the
| madman unheeded and thumped him
smartly with his club. The skull of
FL Caiman was not thicker than the
| skulls OF other men; he fell and they
| dragged his carcass away. And quiet
| descended in that house of trouble.
! There was only the eager voice of
the little sick boy. who struggled in
his mothers arms and cried, "Caiman.
| Cafmani"
! A LONG time Ell Caiman lay in that
= iron cage where they had flung
him. Slowly his brain began to
work. He attempted only one prob
lem at time. In the corridor paced
| sleepy guard with a rifle.
Ell Caiman groaned, begging
hoarsely:
| Water, Water"
| The guard, being soft of heart.
| brought water, and Ell Caiman came
| not too steadily to the bars and put
| out his hands. He seized the unsus-
| pecting guard and throttled him.
| When the guard was limp he low
| cred him gently to the floor and ex-
plored his person. The man had no
keys. FL Caiman took the rife and
tried to pry open the door. The bars
bent and the door buckled and the
| bolt slipped. There was no noise !;
the door struck the body of the
| guard.
| At the outer door paced two other
| guards. 1t was still and weary
hour Of the night, pausing together
| for sociable cigarette and a mo-
ment of gossip. they became aware
of huge countryman uncertain be-
side the portal.
Excuse, senores." said Ell Caiman