The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1942-07-16
- IS & Is
SsS BoMBS BURST ONCE %zM
w. YfVkEp by GRANVILLE CHURCH. -..~.zz1zl1<ssAW
W.N.U. s e RNiCE


about them. They're rivals, Lee"
81 have feeling, I can't explain,
but" She bit her lip. "No, that's
a woman's trick, that's not fair. "
Finally, with reluctance, she said,
''Well, at least it wouldn't do any
harm to find out more about these
people,"
Sweetheart" Curt shouted, and
jumped for her.
Her next words were muff1ed
against his shoulder: "Well, I hope
I'm not a sugar-and-water wife. "
He didn't see the tears in her eyes.
And that was the first step that
led to their being here on the Pisces.
The second?
Curt had put in a short-wave
phone call for Jerry McInnis, his
closest friend during the years he'd
worked in the tropics. McInnis was
now Chief Engineer for the Associ-
ated Fruit Growers at Puerto Sole
dad. The call came through later
that morning. Greetings were
quickly over. Then:
GERRY, what do you know about
the Compania Agricola Tropical?
Claim to have that swamp between
the Negro and the Masica-"
"Yeh, I know, only it won't be q
swamp much longer. They're doing
swell job of reclamation, Curt
Well, I don't know much about
them. Guy called Montaya heads
the outfit. There's a whisper around
he was hooked up with Cedillo ir
Mexico and got out by the skin Of
his teeth when that revolt failed
But that's only gossip, take it fol
what it's worth. Seems to have
plenty dough behind him, but
don't know where it comes from
Old Man Moore probably has the
lowdown, but you know how tight
Tipped he is"
Moore was General Manager il
TERRA Libre for Associated Fruit
Growers.
''Who's in with this Montaya?"
"Don't rightly know, Curt. Mon
taya seems the only top man so far:
I can see. There's a couple o.
Swedes I don't know anything abou
except they hold their liquor anc
don't talk. Youngish guys. And {
Observation-Disclosures, I mean;
chemical man. Panama disease ha!
shown up over on our side and i
they're going to raise banana:
they'll have to find some means o
combating"
eyes, sure. But how come Asso
ciated didn't have that piece tiec
up? Never heard of anyone getting
ahead of Old Man Moore before"
"Well, we've already got plent,
of good land, all we can handle nov
or in the reasonable future. Ant
this piece'n cost real money to de
velop. Why all these questions
Curt?"
"Under your hat, Jerry, they'v'
offered me the job Of Chief Engi
neer. Wanted to know more abou
them. Think they're reliable?"
"Well-l, yes, Curt, they are, s.
fairs I know. But I'd hate to hav
you make a decision on my say-so.
A wary, reluctant note had crep
into McInnis' voice.
'Who's been handling the job?"
"Chigger Mitchell"
"What! Old Mitch? He's a goo'
man. What happened they need an
other?"
"Well, you know how Mitch wa
kind of tough on labor. A drive
and all that. And he could sure fin
a guys weak spot and dig unde
the skin. He didn't get the nam
'Chigger' for nothing. Well, h
must've made an enemy over Their
who wanted souvenir. Anyway
his ears were missing when the
found him-just few days ago,
was-and they had to use baske
for the rest of him. These machete
are bad stuff, as you know we
enough"
Early In the morning Curt wire
his acceptance to the G. A. 7. pee
Piles New Orleans office. BAG
came, overnight, contract for sig
nature. And things moved fast.
The freighter Pisces, one of
small fleet of Norwegian vessel
chartered to the c. A. T. outfit
would be held over a day in Ne'
Orleans awaiting them. Loaded wit
rails, cement, lumber, machinery,
was bound for Cabeza de Negro, tn
new C. A. T. port at the mouth {
the Rio Negro.
Curt had less than twenty-fou
hours to wind up all his affairs
the States, store the car, arrang
for care and lease of the hous
through an agent, for forwarding {
their mail
Their mail! The first batch, n
addressed and sent by air to Ne
Orleans, caught up with Curt ju:
before they sailed. Busy with d.
tails of baggage and boarding shil
he hastily stuffed the handful of lie
tiers into his pocket.
It was hours before he thought {
it and hauled it forth for inspe'
ton. The ship had reached tn
mouth of the Mississippi; they
drc d the pilot and were heade
out Ito the Gulf. One letter was
small plain envelope, postmarke
Puerto Soledad, TERRA Libre.
Inside was a brief note.
"Mr. Curtis. Don't bring you
family to San Alejo, don't com
yourself. Don't comet Fora Mitcl