The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1942-07-03
CHAPTER 1

Lee haQ ever visited the OHe-I1IlS
small fishing port in the old days,
but that was the way it hit them
now as it rose up out of the sea.
Once it had been only a collection
of manaca shacks on stills, cut off
from inland by fever-ridden
marshes. An unhealthy spot for
white men. Today all that was
changed-or fast changing.
They were up at dawn for the
early docking and to watch the long,
low blur on the horizon which slowly
became the TERRA Libre coastline.
Lee caught her breath as that blur
took shape. Her memories OF it
were precious.
True, she'd been happy since, and
now she had the boys. But no happi:
ness, not even the children, could
ever erase from her mind those first
years here with Curt. Hard work
ing days for him, in job for which
he was born, romance and beauty
in the tropic setting for her.
Unconsciously she Struggled closer
under Curtis arm as they stood at
the rail staring landward. Uncorl-
sciously, too, Curt was scowling, but
Lee did not see this.
Meanwhile, Buddy and Chuck
were clamoring and tugging I'M
noticed at the ends of their split
leash-they couldn't be allowed free
run of the deck.
"Anuvver dog waco, Daddy"
begged Chuck in the fuzzy tones OF q
four-year old.
He didn't yet have Buddy's clarity
of speech, for Buddy was all of six
and quite man.
Curt obligingly called, "One, two,
three, CO." and the children scam
pered down the deck on all fours,
barking and pulling their leashes
taut.
This play brought Curt and Lee to
the vessels stern where their eyes
caught the flat black snudge in the
distance. A lean, low gray vessel
was cutting in toward the coast far
Their to the north.
Headed for Soledad," Curt NUT
tered, and the frown returned to his
forehead.
Lee clutched his arm.
"It's destroyer! One of ours,
Jeff! Must be. And it's racing! Do
you suppose there wasn't any
word on the bulletin board :"
Curt patted her hand and smiled
down at her.
Don't be getting any IDEAS" he
said, and was Immediately con-
scious he'd taken a second or so
too long in replying. "There's no
revolution here. Uncle Sans just
paying a courtesy call. We're doing
more of that than we used to
throughout the Caribbean"
"But it's speeding! See how the
smoke lays flat from the funnels!"
"That's caused by the wind from
around Punta Cauca, honey. Our
smoke would look the same if we
were in that position"
Once more, as he stood against
the rail with Lee, Curt went over in
his mind the string of events leading
up to their presence here on the
Pisces-as he'd done so many times
these past several nights, lying
awake in the dark.
He started with the proposition it.
self.
He and Lee had been dawdling
over late breakfast, while the chill
dren played on the lawn within
range of the open windows. He had
the morning paper folded to handy
size and propped against the coffee
urn, and was sunk in rowing re-
porter's column purporting to give
the progress of bomb-proofing the
Panama Canal.
It took Lee several efforts to
break through to him. It was the
final "Jeff Curtis!" that did it, and
he looked up to discover she'd been
running over the morning mail.
There was a storm signal in her
eyes and she was tapping the knuck-
les of one hand with long, fiat
envelope.
'sWho do know In Cristobal?" he
said easily. ''Why, no one, guess.
There's old Jim Bragg over on the
Pacific side. Letter? Gimme"
''Some day, my fine lad" she be-
gan promisingly, when you bury
yourself in the paper-oh, what's the
use?"
She gave up and handed him the
letter. He ripped it open, slid out
the several sheets of enclosure.
'sOnly mailed from Cristobal." He
read aloud the letterhead: Com
pania Agricola Tropical, San Alejo,
TERRA Libre. Port, Cabeza de Ne
gro. Cable, CAT Huh. Who do
you suppose they are? Cabeza's that
little fishing village down the coast
from Soledad, but never heard of
San Alejo." He glanced at the end Of
the letter. "Signed, 'Apolonio Mon
taya, President and General Man
ager.' Never heard Of him."
He ran his eye down the first page
and looked up to exclaim:
'.Why, honey, it's new banana
outfit Opening up twenty thousand
hectares between the rivers Masica
ard Necro- But that stlIff's All