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12
CHAPTER XIV. Continued.
tie speeded the launch toward La
Kstrellltn, and as tho crnft scraped
In alongside the great steamer's com
panion landing, her skipper ran down
tho ladder to greet them am) Inquire
eagerly of tho trend of events ashore.
"We left In a hurry the Instant It
started," Webster explained. "As
Americans, we didn't figure we had
ny Interest In that scrap, either
way." Ho handed Dolores out on tho
landing stage, tossed their baggage
after her and followed; Don Juan
took the whrel, and the launch slid
out and left thorn there.
At the head of the companion ladder
Webster paused and turned for another
look at Buenaventura. To the west
tbrco great flres now threw a lurid
light skyward, mocking an equally
lurid light to the east, that marked the
approach ' of daylight. Ho smiled.
"Those aro the cantonment barracks
burning," he whispered to Dolores.
"Itlcardo Is keeping his word. He's
driving the rats back Into their own
holes."
The weeks of clean living, of ab
stention from his wonted dally alco
holic ration, had Inspired In Don Juan
Cafctoro n revival of his all but de
funct Interest In life; conversely, In
thoso stirring times, he was sensible
of an equally acute Interest In So
brantean politics, for he was Irish;
and flabby Indeed Is that sou of the
Green Little Isle who. wherever he
may bo, declines to take a hand In
any public argument. For the lovo of
politics, llko the love of home, Is nev
er dead In tho Irish.
It Is Instinct with them tho
heritage, perhaps, of centuries of 'op
pression and suppression, which nur
tures rather than stifles tho yearning
for place and power. Now as Don
Juan turned Leber's launch shoreward
and kicked the motor wide open, be,
too, descried ngalust tho dawn the
glare of the burning cantonments west
of the city, and at tho sight his pulse
beat high with the lust of battle, the
longing to bo In at the death In this
struggle where tho hopes and aspi
rations of thoso he loved wcro at stake.
Two months previously a revolution
would have been a matter of extreme
Indifference to Don Juan; he would
have reflected that It was merely the
outs trying to get In, nnd that If they
succeeded, tho sole benefit to the gen
oral public would be tho privilege of
paying the bill. Today, however, In the
knowledge that ho had an opportuni
ty to light beside whlto men and per
chance even up some old scores with
the Ouardla Civil, It occurred sudden
ly to Don Juan that It. would bo a
brave and virtuous act to cast his
lot with tho Iluey forces. Ho was a
being reorganized and rebuilt, and It
behooved him to do something to dem
onstrate his manhood.
Don Juan knew, of course, that
should the rebels loso and bo be cap
tured, bo would be executed; yet this
contingency seemed a far-fetched one,
In view of tho fact that he had John
Stuart Webstar at his back, ready to
finance his escape from tho city. Also
Don Juan had had an opportunity, In
the hills above San Miguel do l'ndun,
for a critical study of Itlcardo Ruoy
and had come to tho conclusion that
at last a real man had come to lib
orate Sobrnnte; further, Don Juan
hud hod ocular evidence that John
Stuart Wobstor was connected with
the revolution, for had he not smug
gled Ituoy Into the country? It wus
something to be the right-hand man
of the president of a rich llttlo coun
try like Sobranto; It was also some
thing to be as closo to that right-hand
man as Don Juan was to his master,
Webster; consequently self-interest
nd his sporting code whispered to
Don Juan that it behooved him to
demonstrate bis loyalty with every
means at his command, even unto his
heart's blood.
"Who knows," he cogitated as tho
launch bore him swiftly shoreward,
"but what I'll acquit meself with hon
or and got a flue Job undhor tho new
administration? "Pis the mnsthor's
fight, I'm thlnkln'; then, bo tho same
token, 'tis John Joseph Cafferty's,
win, loso or draw, an' may tho devil
unm mo If I fall him afthcr what
ho'a done for me. Sure, If Glneral
Ruey wins, n crook av tho masther'a
linger will make mo Jefe politico. An'
If ho does hoo-roo I Hoo-rayl"
With his Imagination still running
riot, Don Juan made the launch fast
to tho llttlo dock, down which ho
rnn straight for tho warehouse, whero
the Ituoy mercenaries were still con
gregated, hustly wiping the factory
grease from the weapons which had
Just been distributed to them from tho
packing cases. A sharp volco halted
htm, ho pausod, panting, to And him
self looking down tho long blue bar
rel of a service pistol.
"Who aro you, and what are you
doing here7" the man behind tho
weapon demanded brusquely.
"I'm Private John J. Cnfferty, the
latest recruit to tho Ituoy army," Don
Juan answered composedly. "Who did
70 think I was? Private secreth'ry to
that dlvll Karros? Man, dear, lo.wer
Uir,1 mm at roore. ' l knows I'm
-M
By PETER B. KYNE
Author of "Cappy Rick.," "Tho Valley of the
nervous enough as It Is. Have yo
something' ye could give me to flght
wit,' avlc?"
The man who had challenged him
a lank, swarthy Individual from tho
Mexican border looked him over
with twinkling eyes. "You'll do, Caf
ferty, old timer," he drnwled, "and If
you don't, you'll wish you had. There's
a man for every rifle Just now, but I
wouldn't he surprised If there'd be a
right smart more rifles than men be
fore a great while. Help yourself to
the gun o the first man thnt goes
down; In the meantime, bop Into that
there truck and keep the cartridge
belt for the machine guns full up.
You're Just In time."
Without further ado Don Juan
climbed Into the truck. A little clt
ndcl of sheet steel had been built
around the driver's seat, with n nar
row silt In front through which the
latter peered out. The body of tho
truck hod been boxed In wjth the same
material and housed two machine guns,
emplaced, and n crew of half a dozen
men crouched on the. floor engaged In
loading tho belts. Four motor bicycles,
with sturdy, specially-bull t sldo cars
attached, and a machine gun In each
sldo car, were waiting near by. togeth
er with a half-dozen country' carts
loaded with j ammunition cases and
drnwn by horses.
"How soon do we start?" Don Juan
demanded anxiously, as he crowded
In beside one of bis new-found com
rades.
"I believe," this Individual replied
In tho unmistakable accents of an Ox
ford man, "that the plan Is to wnlt
until five o'clock; by that time all tho
government troops that can be spared
from the arsenal and palaco will have
been dispatched to the fighting now
taking place west of the city.. Natu
rally, the government forces nren t
anticipating an attack from tho rear,
and so they will. In all probability,
weaken their base. I bellevo that
eases our task; certainly It will save
us many men.
Don Juan nodded his entire approval
to this shrewd plan of campaign and
fell to stufllng cartridges In the web
belting, tho while ho whistled softly,
unmusically, and with pufllng, hissing
sounds between his snaggle teeth, until
a Sobrantean, gentleman (It was Doc
tor Pacheco) enme out of tho ware
house nnd gave the order to proceed.
They marched along the water front
for four blocks and then turned up a
sldo Btreet, which happened to bo the
Calle do Concordia, thus enabling
Mother Jenks, who was peorlng from
tho doorway of 101 Buen Amlgo, to see
them coming.
"Hah I" she muttered. '"Enery
they'ro comln.. The worm Is turnln'.
'Enery, They're Comln'."
Encry; 15 years you've wyted for
vpngeance, my love, but tod'y you'll
get It."
She waddled out Into the street and
held up her baud In a gesture as nu
thorttatlvo und Imperious as that of a
traffic officer. "Batter-r-ry 'ultl" aho
croaked. She had hoard the late 'En
or' give that command often enough
to have acquired the exact Inflection
necessary to maae an impression uyou
men accustomed to oMeylng such a
command whenever given. Instinc
tively the column Blowd up; some of
the Foreign Legion, old coast nrtll
lerlsts, no doubt, camo to a halt with
promptness and preclHlou; all stared
at Mother Jenks.
"Ow ubout 'art u dozen cases o'
good brandy for tho woundod?" Moth
er Jenks suggested. "An' 'ow about
bally old woman for a Red Cross
nurso?"
"You're on, ma'am," tho foreign
leader replied promptly, and translat
ed the old lady's suggestion to Dr.
Pacheco, who accepted gracefali uuA
thanked Mother Jenks In purest Cas
tlllan. So a detail of six men was
cczxzzzzxn
man
Giants," Etc
Coprrlcht br Ftr D. Krn.
told off to carry tho sir cases of
brandy out of El Buen Amlgo and
load them on the ammunition carts;
then Mother Jenks crawled up ,lnto
the armored truck with the machine
gun crow, and tho column onco more
took up Its line of rapid march.
The objective of this unsuspected
forco within the city was, as Itlcardo
Ruey shrewdly suspected It might be,
poorly garrisoned. Usually a force of
fully 000 men was stationed at the
national arsenal, but the sharp, sav
age attack from the west, so sudden
and unexpected, had thrown Sarros
into a panic and left him no time to
plan his defense carefully. Ills first
thought had been to send all his
available forces to support the troops
bearing the brunt of the rebel attack,
and It was tremendously Important
that this should be done very prompt
ly, In view of the lack of Information
concerning tho numerical force of the
enemy; consequently he had reduced
the nrscnnl force to 100 men and re
tained only his favorite troops of the
guards and one company of tho Fif
teenth Infantry to protect the palace.
Acting under hastily given tele
phonic orders, the commanding offi
cer at the cantonment barracks had
detailed 11 few hundred men to fight a
rear-guard action while the main army
fell back In good order behind a rail
way embankment which swept In a
wide arc around tho city and offered
an excellent substltuto for breast
works. This position had scarcely
been attained before the furious ad
vance of the rebels drove In the rear
guard, and pending the capture of the
rsenal, Itlcardo realized his opera-
tlonH wore at an Impasse. Promptly
ho dug himself In, and the battle de
veloped Into a brisk nffalr of give and
take, Involving meager losses to both
factions, but an appalling wastage of
ammunition.
The arsenal, a' large, modern con
crete building with tremendously
thick walls reinforced by steel, would
hnve offered fairly good resistance to
the nverago field battery. Surround
ing It on nil four sides was a rein
forced concrete wall 30 feet high,
with machine gun bastions at each
corner and n platform along the wall.
Inuldo and 25 feet from the ground,
which afforded foot room for Infantry
which could use the top flvo feet of
the wall for protection while firing
ver it. xnere was nui one entrance,
heavy, barred steel gate which was
always kept locked when It was not
necessary to have It opened for In
gress or egress. Olven warning of an
attack and with sufficient time to pre
pare for It. 100 of tho right sort of
fighting men could withstand nn In
definite siege by a force not provid
ed with artillery heavier than an or
dinary field gun. With a full realiza
tion of this, therefore, Itlcardo and
his confreres had designed to accom
plish by strategy tl at which could not
be done by the llm.'ted forces at their
command.
As the column approached the
neighborhood of the arsenal, three de
tachments broke away from the main
body and disappeared down side
Btreets, to turn at right angles later
and march partllel with the main
command. Each of these detachments
was accompanied by one unit of the
motorcycle mounted machlno gun bat
tery with Its white crew; two blocks
beyond the arsenal square each de
tachment leader so disposed his men
as to offer spirited resistance to any
sortie that might be made by the
troops from the palace In tho hope of
driving oft the attackers of the ar
senal. Having thus provided for protection
during Its operations, the main body
nominally under Dr. Pacheco but In
reality commanded by the chief of the
machlno gun company, proceeded to
operate. With the utmost assurance
In the world tho armored truck rolled
down (he street to the arsenal en
trance, nwung In and pointed Its Im
pudent nose straight at the Iron bars
while the hidden chauffeur called
loudly and profanely In Spanish upon
tho 8ntry to open the gato and let
him In that there was necessity for
great hurry, nlnce ho had been sent
down from tho palace by tho presl
dente himself, for machlno guns to
equip this armored motorcar. The sen
try Immediately called the officer of
the guard, who peered out, observed
nothing but tho motortruck, which
seemed far from dangerous, and with
out further ado Inserted a huge key
In the lock and turned tho bolt. The
sentry swung the double gates ajar,
nnd with a prolonged and raucous toot
of Its Horn tho big car loafed In. Tho
sentry closed the gato again, while the
officer stepped up to urn tho key In
the lock. Instead, he died with half
a dozen pistol bullets through his body,
and the sentry sprawled beside him
Tho prolonged toot of tho motor
horn had been the signal agreed upon
to apprise tho detachment waiting In
a secluded back street that the truck
was Inside the arsenal wall. With
yell thoy swept out of the sldo street
anil down on the gate, through which
they poured Into tho arsenal ground
At Sound of tho first shot at the gate,
the commandants of the garrison,
widen had been drawn up !n a
touble rank for reveille roll call,
realized he was attacked, and that
iwlft measures were necessary. Fortu
nately for him, his men were standing
at attention at the time, preparatory
to receiving from him one of those
nnte-battle exhortations so dear to the
Latin souL.
A sharp command, and the little gar
rison had fixed bayonets; another com
mand, and they were In line of squads;
before the autotruck could bo swung
sideways to permit n machine gun to
play on tho Sobrnnteans In close
formation, the latter had thrown out
a skirmish line and wcro charging;
while from the guardhouse window,
Just Inside the gnte, a volley, poured
Into tho unprotected rear of the truck
following tts passage through the
gate, did deadly execution. The driver,
a bullet through his back, sagged for
ward Into his steel-clad citadel; both
machine gun operators were wounded,
and the truck was stalled. Tho sit
uation was desperate.
"I'm a gone goose," mourned Don
Juan Cafctero, and ho leaped from
the shambles to the ground, with some
hazy notion of making his escape
through the gate. He was too late.
Two men, riding tandem on a motor
cycle with 0 machine gun In the spe
cially constructed slde-cnr, appeared
In the entrance and leaped off; almost
before Don Juan had time to dodge
behind tho motortruck to escape pos
sible wild bullets, the machine gun
was sweeping the oncoming skirmish
line. Don Juan cheered as man after
man of the garrison pitched on his
face, for the odds were rapidly being
evened now, greatly to the pleasure
of the men charging through the gate
to support the machine gun. Out into
the arsenal yard they swept, forcing
the machine gun crew to cease firing
because of the danger of killing their
own men; with n shock bayonet met
bayonet In the center of the yard, and
tho Issue was up for prompt and final
decision.
Don Juan's Hibernian blood thrilled;
be cast about for a weapon In this
emergency, and his glance rested on
the body of the dead officer beside the
gate. T.o possess himself of the lat
ter's heavy "cut-nnd-thrust" sword
was the work of seconds, and with
a royal good will Don Juan launched
himself Into the heart of the scrim-
Launched HlmMlf Into the Heart of
tho Scrimmage.
mage. He had a hazy Impression that
he was striking and stabbing, that oth
ers were striking and stabbing at him.
that men crowded and breathed and
pressed and swore and grunted around
him. thnt the fighting-room was no
better than It might have been, but
was rapidly Improving. Then the gory
fog lifted, and Doctor Pacheco had
Don Juan by the hand; they stood to
gether In the arsenal entrance, and
the little Doctor was explaining to the
war-mad Don Juan that all was over
In so far as the arsenal was con
cerned tho survivors of tho garrison
having surrendered that now, having
tho opportunity, he. Doctor Pacheco,
desired to thank Don Juan Cafetero
for his life. Don Juan looked at him
amazedly, for he hadn't the slightest
Idea what tho Doctor was talking
about. He spat, gazed around at the
litter of corpses on tho arsenal lawn,
and nodded his red head approvingly.
In an Incredibly short space of
time the news that the arsenal had
heen captured and that Sarros was
besieged In the palaco spread through
the city. The sight of the red ban
ner of revolution floating over the ar
senal for tho first time In fifteen years
brought hundreds of willing recruits to
tho rebel ranks, as Rlcardo Ruey had
anticipated; these were quickly sup
plied with arms and ammunition; by
ten o'clock a battalion had been
formed and sent off, together with the
machine gun company, to connect with
tho San Bruno contingent advancing
from the south to turn the flank of
the government troops, while the
equipping of an additional battalion
proceeeded within the arsenal. As
fast as the new levies were armed,
they were hurried off to re-enforce the
hnndful of whlto men who had, after
clearing the arsenal, advanced on the
palace and now, with machlno guns
from the arsenal commanding all ave
nues of escape from tho trap wherein
Garros found himself, were calmly
awaiting developments, merely keeping
an eye open for snipers.
Tans the forenoon passed away. By
oos. o'clock Qon Juan Cafetero who In
the absence of close-range fighting had
elected himself ordnance sergeant
passed out the last rifle and ammuni
tion. He was red with slaughter,
slippery with gun-grease, dripping
with perspiration, and filthy with dust
and dirt "Begorra," ho declared, "a
cpwld bottle av beer would go fine
now." Then, recalling his limitations,
he sighed nnd put the thought from
him. It revived In him, however, for
tho first time, since ho had left the
steamer, a memory of John Stuart
Webster, nnd his promise to the lat
ter to report on the progress of the
war. So Don Juan sought Doctor
Pacheco In his headquarters and
learned that n signal-man, heliograph-
Ing from tho roof of the arsenal, had
been In communication with General
Ruey, who reported the situation well
In hand, with no doubt of an over
whelming victory beforp tho day
should-bo over. This nnd sundry other
bits of Information Don Juan gleaned
nnd then deserted tho Sobrantean rev
olutionary army qulto as casually as
he had Joined It, to make his precari
ous way down tho Calle San Rosarlo
to the bay.
CHAPTER XV.
Throuehout the forenoon Webster
nnd Dolores, from tho deck of the
steamer, watched the city. By ten
o'clock the sounds of battlo had swell
ed to a deeper, steadier roar, and
refugees arriving brought various nnd
fragmentary stories of the fighting.
From tills hodge-podge of misinforma
tion, however, Webster decided that
Rlcardo's troops were forcing tho Is
sue with vim and determination, nnd
since tho most furious fighting was
now well In toward the heart of the
city. It seemed reasonable to presume
the struggle was for possession of tho
arsenal and palace.
At noon tho deep diapason of con
flict began to slacken; by one o'clock
It bad dwindled considerably, and at
two o'clock Webster, gazing anxiously
cltywnrd, observed Leber's launch
coming rapidly out from shore. At
the wheel stood Don Juan Cafetero;
as the launch shot In under tho ves
sel's side he looked up, searching for
Webster's face among tho curious
throng that lined the rail.
"Who has won?" a voice called, and
another, evidently a humorist and a
shrewd Judge of human nature, re
plied: "Why ask foolish questions?
The rebels, of course. That fellow's
Irish and the Irish are born rebels.
Look at the scoundrel. He's blnck
with gun grease and burned powder
where he isn't red with blood. Tho
butcher I"
"Fnugh-a-ballagh 1" he shrieked.
"We've got the dlvlls cornered now.
'Twill be over two hours hlnce."
. Don Juan tied up the Inunch at
the gangway and leaped up the lad
der, three steps nt a time. "Glory be
to God." he panted and hurled him
self Into Webster's nrms. "I was In
It I I was. I got back In time to catch
up wit' the lads at the warehouse an'
they were the fine, flghtln' devils. I'll
gamble you. Och. 'twas a grrand bit
av a fight whilst It lasted. They put
me In tho motor-thruck, loadln' tho
belts wit' cn'trldges as fast as tho
gunners emptied thlm, but fnlth they
couldn't keep me there. I got Into tho
heart av the scrimmage In the yard
nv the arsenal an faith 'twas well for
that little Docthor Pacheco I did.
'Twas wurrk to me llkln'. I'd a ma
chete" "You bloodthirsty scoundrel I" Web
ster shook the war-mad son of Erin.
"I told you not to mix In It. but to
hang around on the fringe of the fight,
nnd bring us early news. Suppose
you'd been killed? Who wpuld hnvo
come for us then? Didn't I tell you
we hnd n dinner engagement In tho
palace?"
"Me on the fringes nv a fight?"
sputtered Don Junn, amnzed and out
raged. "Take shame for yerself, sor.
There was nlver tho likes nv mo hung
around the fringes av a fight, an' well
ye know It"
"I'm amazed that you even remem
bered your Instructions," Webster
rasped at him.
"Sure, our division hnd cl'aned up
nicely an' I had notbln else to do,
God bless ye. They were beslegin'
the pnlhce whin I left, an' small
chance av takln' It for a couple av
hours; what flghtln' there was on the
outside wns street shootln' an" not
to me llkln'."
"Is It quite snfe to bring Miss Ruey
nshore, John?"
'"Tls safo enough at the notel Ma
teo. We have tho city for half a
mile beyant. In tho rear av them an'
they're not flghtln' to get to the bay.
Tho guards an' some av the Fifteenth
Infanthry reglmlnt nro In the palaco
an' tho cunrtel close by. an' thlm
that wo failed to get In the arsenal
have J'lned thlm. But tho bulk nv the
Sarros army Is thryln' to break
t'rough to the south an' west, to get
tm the hills.- D'ye mind tho spur
thrack thnt runs In a seml-clrcle
nround the city? Well, thin, the reb
els are behlnt the embankmlnt takln'
If alsy. Have no worry, sor. Whin
we've took tho palace we'll movo on
an' dhrlve the vagahones from behlnt
up to that railroad embankmlnt. where
Glneral Ruey can bid them tho time
av day."
Webster turned to Dolores. "Do yon
wish to go nshore?"
She nodded, her flashing eyes bent
In admiration upon tho gory, grimy
Don Juan Cafetero, for she was half
Irish, and In that amazing meeting
Bho knew the outcast for one of her
blood. "I think my brother will sleep
In his father's old room tonlKtt," she
murmured softly. "And I would sleep
In mine."
They followed Don Juan down tho
gangway to the launch and sped back
kto the city. Tho door of Leber's war
House stood wide open; wllhtu wns a
litter of grensy rags and brokea
pncktng cases, with Leber, qulto myin
tilled, sitting on n keg of nnlls an
staring curiously at It all.
Guided by Don Juan Cafetero, Web
ster and Dolores passed on up tb
Calle San Rosarlo. Occasionally a'
bullet flred two or three miles to tha
west, droned lnzlly overhead or
dropped with n sharp metallic sound
on tho corrugnted-lron roofs of a
building. At tho hotel tho proprietor
nlono wns in evidence, seated behind
tho desk smoking In profound InUf
ference. In responso to -Webster's eager In
quiries for tho latest news from the
front, the placid fellow shrugged and
murmured : "Qulen snbo?" Evidently
for him such stirring scenes hnd long
since lost their novelty; the bloom
wns off tho peach, as it wore.
Webster went upstairs and helped
himself to another automatic nnd sev
eral spare clips of shells which ha
had left In his trunk. On his return
to tho lobby, Dolores saw what a
very nearsighted person, Indeed, would
hnve seen to wit: thnt ho wns not
pleased to remain In the hotel and
with tho spirit of adventure strong
within him was jleslrous of progress
ing still farther toward tho firing, In
the' hope of eliciting somo favorable
news as to tho progress of the flght
She realized, however, thnt he would
do his duty nnd remain with her In
the hotel ; so she said gnyly:
"Supposo wo walk out a little far
ther, Caliph. Many of tho side streets
will be ns safo and peaceful as one
could desire, and If warfare should
develop In our vicinity wo can step In
to some house."
"I do not like to hnve you run tho
slightest risk " he began, but she
pooh-poohed him Into silence, took
him by the arm with n great nlr of
camaraderie, and declared they should
go forth to adventure but cautiously.
Webster glanced at Don Junn. "Wo
can go n half or three qunrters av a
mile out the Calle San Rosarlo, sor,"
the Irishman answered. "After that
'twill not be a pleasant sight for the
young I eddy an there may be soma
shootln. Squads av the governmlnt
throops took refuge In the houses an
took to snlpln'. 'Twill be shlow wurrk
roundln' the last av thlm up. Even
afther the flght Is over, there'll be
scatterln' shootln' scrapes all av tha
night long, I'm thlnkln'."
"At the slightest danger we'll turn
back." .Webster announced, and with
Don Junn Cafetero scouting the way
n block In advance thoy progressed
slowly toward the center of the dis
turbance. Soon they passed a horse dead In
the middle of the street; a little far
ther on one of the machine-gun
company, a lank Texan, sat on
the curb rolling n cigarette with his
left hand. He hnd a bullet through
his right shoulder and another through
the calf of his leg and hnd received no
first aid nttentlon ; the flies were both
ering htm considerably nnd he was
cursing softly and fluently, like the ex-mule-sklnner
he was.
Farther on another white invader
lay face down In the gutter; for him
the flght had ended nlmost ere it hnd
begun. In the next block half a doz
en sandal-footed Sobranteans, In tha
blue nnd red-trimmed uniform of the
Guardla Civil, lay sprawled In uncouth
attitudes, where the first blast of a
machine gun had caught them as they
rushed out of the police station to re
pel the advancing mercenaries.
Seeing that the main street of the
city would assume even a more grisly
aspect the longer they followed It Don
Juan led Webster and Dolores a cou
ple of blocks down a cross street nnd
turned out Into the Calle do Hernan
dez, parallel to the Calle San Rosarlo.
There hnd been no shooting In this
street apparently; as they proceeded
not even a stray bullet whined down
the silent cnlle. '
Four blocks from the government
palace they found the narrow side
walks of this quiet street lined with
wounded from both sides, with a doc
tor and hnlf a dozen of Rlcardo's hired
fighters ministering to them; as they
threaded their way between the recum
bent figures they came upon Mother
Jenks, brandy bottle and glass In hand,
"doing her bit."
"Hah I So here you are, my lamb,"
she greeted Dolores. "Dight-o. Just
whero yer ought to be. Gor" bless yer
sweet face. Let these poor mlsfor
tunate lads see that the sister o' the
new president ain't too proud to care
for 'em. 'Ere, lass. 'Old up the 'ead
o' this young cockerel with tho 'ole In
'Is neck. 'Ero, lad. Tyke n brace now!
Ere's some o' your own people, not a
lot o' blooraln' yeller bellies, come to
put something else In yer neck soma
thlnk that'll stimulate yer."
The "young cockerel," a blond youth
of scarce 20 summers, twisted his head
and grinned up at Dolores as she knelt
besldo him to lift him up. "Here, here,
sister," he mumbled, "you'll get that
white dress dirty. Never mind me. It's
Just n flesh wound, only my neck has
got stiff and I'm weak from loss of
blood."
Mother Jenks winked at Webster as
she set a glass of brandy to the strick
en adventurer's lips. "Glvo me a bit
o' the white meat as my sainted 'En
ery used to s'y," she murmured com
ically. (To bo continued)
Not a Continuous Quarrel.
Tho little girl next door had coma
over to play with Goldlo and, us usual,
thoy were soon quarreling. Aunty was
vexed at leaving h work to restore
peace and angrily exclaimed: "I don't
see why you wont to play together
when you do nothing but quarrel an
day long I" "We don't quarrel all day
long, we has heaps of recesses In be
tween scraps," earnestly corrected
Goldle.
