The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-01-01
Chapter Is
DEFEAT

DEFEAT
"CTICK around and rest up a
Ccouple of days" That was useless
and Bucky Corrigan knew it. He
went on casually-"There's been
shooting in the streets in Propion-
ORE"
Willett said nothing.
"If the port is mined"
"Then I'll get off at Dos Rios and
cut around Propionoire." Willett
spoke with a snap and bite to his
words. Get a gang from one of those
villages on the lower Palva and get
portered up the river"
Corrigan hesitated.
I'm not trying to make it hard.
son, but those villages are tied up
with the fever"
II don't give a damn how hard it
IS" said Willett grimly. "Tll get
through. Don't worry about that"
And Corrigan abruptly knew that
Terry Willett would get through.
He'd have bet his last dollar on the
tall redhead. 81
They rolled up near the small. drab
banana steamer. The dock was lit.
tered with signs of the recent load
ing. straw. broad green leaves. bur-
lap. blackened stems, and sQuashed
unripe fruit.
Willett stuck out his hand.
$50 long. Bucky."
so long. fella Maybe we'll be TO-
gether on job some place-be swell,
wouldn't it?"
Sure" said Willett. $50 long"
Corrigan watched him walk quick
ly through the fine grey mesh of rain.
Then he leaned back in his seat,
stuck his feet against the partition
and eyed his enquiring driver with
an anti-Spig glare.
"Redmonte Bar. you punk"
EUTlLITYi 1t was expressed in
L every detail of the camp on the
banks OF that tropic river-futility.
despair. and a malevolent frustra-
tion. There was no life-no sound
except the humming of insects in
that fever-ridden spot.
All was beaten and groveling-
hedged in by a fringe of tangled
vegetation and matted creepy trees
that looked hollow and unreal-with
a cursed muddy river licking the
Shiny bases of the pontoons that sup
ported a would-be conqueror.
The clearing was scarcely larger
than a child's playground-it was
but spot plucked from the jungle
and slowly returning to it's own
decaying. torpid. and heated in its
pathetic civilization like the head of
gulture close to the sun.
The main hut that spoke Authority
was square and flat-ceilinged with
twO-by-fours lining the walls; the
window was jaggedly screened-in-
sects Knocked it as the river Knocked
the dredger.
A work table was Uttered with
crumpled blueprints and sheaves
Of foolscap filled with sprawling cal
culations-two unmade cots with the
mosquito netting in jumbled con-
fusion over the disordered sheets
and sickness and madness every.
where.
There was one thing that defied
the squalor and defeat of the place
that was the tall bearded man who
slouched YEARLY over a table. His
eyes were very bright. too bright,
and the fine straight nose breathed
jerkily. thin nostrils dilating like a
racing thoroughbred's.
But. withal, a hint of Mayfair
chung to him: square appearance
OF the shoulders, the breeding in his
face. the shape of the hand that
trcmbled with pen-perhaps.
He was writing, not 1aring to lose
the chance of what might be last
lucid moment.
This is left for you should not
be able to last | know you'll get
here and whatever you tInd-head
up.
The usual last request nom
sense-take me back TO the States;
Carteret. Virginia. is where l be-
gan-Id like TO return there. This
undreamed-of sentiment will prob
ably surprise you. but l know
you'll respect this last wish"
For moment a brief attempt at
a smile appeared on his face. AS if he
cared where he was buried. But 1t
was good enough as an excuse to get
Terry out of the country should lie
by any chance have had other ideas.
His eyes returned to his message,
the last vestige of humor gone. and
he had to rest his head on his free
hand as the pen resumed its shaky
progress.
and take It easy for awhile.
Don't go rushing off to some
Pluto's playground right away or
I'll Jinx everything you try to build
there are other things in life
give them chance and they'll find
you
Cheerio.
Dad"