White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-12-17
CHAPTER IV-Continued

=
Clever rogue! He knew that the
encircling loiterers, most of whom
were doubtless Spanish sympathizers,
must be appeased, SO he had deliv-
cred the task of lying over to me.
Now Pedro Carrizal broke in again:
"Yes, Senior Frenchman, tell us where
you saw our amiable Manuel, and tell
us why he dislikes the flavor Of your
fist"
"Assuredly," said /, mixing men
dacity and truth; 1--WE had some words
at La Guaira, and Manuels knife, by
chance, was slower than my fist;
therefore my lungs are still intact,
while his teeth, as you might see, are
hardly company front"
The swarthy sailor offered sour
smile at this, and the crowd, laughing,
went back to card games and drinks
again.
Manuel turned to Carrizal and be-
slowed another wink. II would speak
with this fellow sailor privately,
Pedro" Whereupon the bartender
ushered us through a massive door
and closed it after us; and Manuel,
standing with his back against it,
drew a cleaning knife from his belt.
Elbow come you here, Senior? l
saw you fall into the sea-
"The sea was kind to me, Manuel,
as we'll as the wind-and that knife
you hold might still be slower than
my fist"
"Your life is forfeit in Caracas,
Senior Garde. When that dye has
been removed the Colonel Fuentes will
be pleased to see you, for he loves
you not at all; neither will the cause
of revolution suffer in your passing"
And when tell him of my mas
querade as San Isidro in New Orleans,
and what saw and heard?'
Manuel swore, and then laughed.
"Your interest, I think, is not with
Venezuela, nor with Spain.'
"Never Spain, Manuel, for I have
looked upon the dead city of Tuca-
yam"
He replaced his knife in the scab-
bard at his belt. II have heard of
what Morales did to Tucayan; it is
merely one Of the many payments
that we will have to make to purchase
freedom. But freedom, at any price,
is cheap"
My heart suddenly warmed to this
earnest patriot. 81 met an Irish SOL
der on the road" / said, captain
Monahan, one of the British legion,
who offered me his trust. He helped
me change the complexion Of my face
+ and hair, and he referred me to
Tomas Carrasco and the Cantina
Merida"
"And the sign of the Sociedad Patri-
otico-?"
''He gave me that as we'll"
"Your life in this city, Senior, will
not be worth q silver real when Fuen-
ties finds you out. He has little cause
to love one who, in the space of an
hour, vanquishes him with the sword
and steals the heart of his lady"
GLOW can you know that, Manuel?"
cried hopefully.
"a mere matter of logic, a simple
thing indeed. New Orleans was filled,
one brilliant moonlit night, with the
hue and cry Of the chase, and the
quarry was tall, hatless, fair-haired
man who had stabbed the noble Col
onel Fuentes during the course of a
duel in the Place d'Armes. We found,
hiding in the apse reserved for San
Isidro, such man, who afterward re-
fused to leave the Santa Lucrecia at
the safe port of Coatzacoalos. Be
sides, the lady came to see him in his
prison, and sought him out again in
the fury OF the storm. The lady jour-
neys to Caracas and the Viking dyes
his hair and beard and face and fol-
lows her, only to put his foolish head
into moose"
'sUntil the moose tightens, then
4 Manuel" said, "my foolish head is
z safe. It is a long way from Spain
to the cathedral, and I intend"
The sailor gave himself over to
boisterous laughter "But the cathe-
dral has been reached, Senior, the
journey ended, for the Senorita Dulct
Lamartina will be married today al
high noon-which Is within the hour