The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-02-11

dTGIt6, put his IOOC Oh IL anu Wdlteu,
his face grim and his jaw tight.
Miguel Valera was coming up the
mule track.
He came into the clearing and
stopped. For moment the two Of
them stood looking at each other
with steady appraisal. Miguel Va
lera came forward.
Were going to start down." he
said. "We can get there before they
do. If you don't mind doing as I
tell you, there ought not to be any
trouble. We have plenty of time"
Before we co." Pete said quiet
ly, "I'd like to know where you
stand in this business"
Sat the moment my chief interest
is Miss Haywood" Valera answered
evenly. 1.-THE rest Of it is up to
you. I'd like to keep out Of sight If
possible, for reasons of my own. If
can't, Okay. Are you ready?"
Pete looked at him for an in
slant. Cali SET" he said.
They crossed a ravine and started
up rounding slope.
"What about your people?" Pete
asked.
"The peons?"
eyes"
"They're all right. The common
people have an idea what democra-
cy means, even out here.
The road ahead of them was lined
with royal palms. A man came rid
ing out of an archway in the blue
stucco wall. He nodded at Miguel
and set off down the road. They
crossed the dirt compound and en-
tered the house.
Upstairs" Miguel said.
81 don't get your part in all this"
Pete said. "Whose side are you
on?"
"My peoples" Miguel said calm
ly.
"That depends on your point Of
view, doesn't it?"
''I think not.-Be quiet. They're
coming"
Pete looked at him in the half
dark. 1t could still be trap.
EFT is a story, Miss Haywood"
Mr.. Taussig said, ''that should
not have told you if you'd minded
your own business. Perhaps should
be as concise as possible, because
time is precious"
Anne crossed her knees and
leaned back in her. chair.
"There is not much point in your
taking notes, since unfortunately you
will not be able to write the story.
I'm telling it to you to keep my end
of the bargain, and because there is
little writing I'm. going to ask you
to do.-And please, Miss Haywood,
don't be so detached. It's annoying.
If you think this is a joke, you are
quite wrong"
"I'm just interested, Mr.. Taus-
sig"
She spoke calmly. It was the
fatalism of the end Of the road. 1t
was even a pleasure to be able to
make him angry.
"You may remember the five gen.
tlemen you spied on under the court
yard stairs night before last" he
said. eff you had not left your hand
kerchief there we might not have
realized how stupid you were be-
ing"
"-He doesn't know Miguel was
there" Anne thought. ''It was stu
pid," she said.
"The gentlemen-three of whom
are with you today-feel that some
thing must be done to save their
work. For your story, our
work is simply to render the Gil
braltar of America hors de combat
when the signal is given"
He tapped his brief case.
"The plans are simple and very
carefully organized. I regret there
isn't time to 60 into them in detail.
I think l hear the motor of our
plane being tuned up. We have a
skeleton organization, however, that
will function. The plane you see
out there, for instance, serves a
dual purpose. 1t brings money, and
it brings ammunition. Both are
downstairs in the storage rooms we
passed, under a couple of feet of
coffee beans-which, since the mar
ket is so bad, Don Aware wisely
refuses to SELL"
''Does Don Aware know about it?"
Anne asked slowly.
''Don Alvaro," said Mr.. Taussig.
''has the old-fashioned idea that
wars are fought and won or lost on
the field of honor"
"How very quaint of him."
A cobra CLINT shone in the con.
centric circles of his spectacles for
an instant.
''His brother-in-law, however, has
the modern notion of the bloodless
war. When the time comes, for in
stance, your Panama Canal will fall
with very little loss of life, and quite
intact"
81 wouldn't count on it too heav-
ily," Anne said.
Gas you won't be here to see it,
NG;es Hovuood Won can take INV