The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1942-07-23
CHAPTER III

the morning sea, IIIS DuLSAiSS "a
Cabeza de Negro taking shape. His
arm unconsciously frightened about |
Lee.
Long before they drew close
enough to make out details of the
sturdy new docks and receiving |
sheds they saw the motor launch |
cutting along the coast as though |
to intercept them. 1t, too, was head
ed for the port, and at last Curt
recognized the figure standing In the
cockpit.
He yanked off his hat to wave it
wildly.
Jerry, you old muckle-head," he
shouted. ''I might've known you'd
come down to meet u.s."
"Yeh, got your wireless you were
coming through Cabeza. Hiya,
Curt. Hiya, Lee" called the stocky
man IN the launch. cts good to
see you folks again. Where're the
kids?"
Curt and Lee each picked up a
child and stood him on the broad
rail. Buddy, from his new vantage
point, piped up: Mummy, what's
a muckle-head?"
"a muckle-head, darling" she an
swered gravely, sis your Uncle Jer-
ry down in the little boat. See?"
my Uncle Jerry, Mummy? Have
got Uncle Jerry?"
Eyes, dear. Wave to him"
There was no opportunity for dali
living here. The launch drew away
and by the time the Pisces warped
up to the dock Jerry McInnis-leath-
cred face, close-cropped hair,
weather-stained clothes-was wait
ing for them.
A dockhand delivered a message
from Senior Montaya on company
briefhead. The senior had been de-
layed in getting down river to meet
them but would reach Cabeza In
another hour or so.
Curt lifted his eyes, glancing
about for a radio shack.
Right" grinned McInnis. 'No
hallway measures here. They've as
good a wireless set-up as we have,
though apparently for their own use.
mean, they're not entering into
commercial competition with u.s."
Cheapest communication for
them, suppose"
"Sure, you know yourself tele-
phone line across these marshes
would be out of the question; it'd
have to be re-strung after every
flood. They have a line now from
Tempujo on to San Alejo-Tempu-
JOS their upriver port across from
our Riverbend Junction. Before that
they used radio, as they do at Ca
beza now. And is their San Alejo
station a darb! More powerful than
ours at Soledad. Talk with Europe,
Asia, anywhere"
THAT one of their river boats?"
"Yep. They have two. But we
can talk later, Curt" He scooped
UP the children, one in each arm.
Lets find more comfortable spot
for the wait. Lee, you're looking
ereatI If l didn't know better I'd
guess you were twenty. Hard to
believe these are yours. Marta
sends her love and can't wait to
see you"
McInnis, chuckling, nodded from
Curtis piled luggage to his own
launch boy, and the mestizo imme-
diately took possession to stand
guard. Then the Associated man
led the way from the dock to the
one main street of the town. There
were signs of recent construction.
The new company was booming the
village.
''That's a good dock they've
built" Curt said. 81 suppose Mitch
ell did it?"
Sure"
Just the one word, and it sounded
strange. Clipped and odd, for Nc
Innis. Curt threw his friend side
long glance.
Looks like they're really going it
big here"
"And howl They pushed their rail-
road from Tempujo to San AleJo
more than kilometer week. And
meanwhile were building San Alejc
with materials flown across the
SWAMP by two freighter planes.
You've got yourself job, Curt"
'They must've sprung up full,
hedged."
''I'n say! One day we caught them
throwing up temporary buildings al
Tempujo, the next day heavy ma
terials were coming in through Sole
dad. We had the facilities. They
shipped to Riverbend over our lines
and ferried across the Negro. They
still have a transportation office
over IN Soledad, but most OF theil
stuff's coming in through Cabezs
now"
Associated Fruit Growers-where
Curt and McInnis, fresh from
M. I. T., had their first years O.
practical engineering = stretched
along the north bank of the Rit
Negro. a hundred kilometers Of
more of banana plantations in al
almost unbroken line. These were
fed by a narrow-gauge railroad, ant
there was one handling of fruit from
farm pickup platforms to conveyo
belts at shipside.
But the new Compania Agricol;
Tropical, south of the Negro, hat
more of a problem. It wasn't pos
sible to run a railroad through Il
the sea. Salt marshes lay between
their concession and the coast AM
made it necessary to handle frui
py rail from farm to river port, AM
by steamer or lighters from Their
to Cabeza where ocean vessels coul'
pick it up. Not so good, two han
dlings of perishable fruit. Costly
too. And the delay and expense @
hauling construction materials u
river was sharp in Curtis mind.
"Well, here we are"