Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 August 1916 — Page 7

ttltitlHlltttttllltlttltttfttttttHMt* I Are You a Woman ! i A TAKE * | Cardui I {The Woman’s Tome!

SYNOPSIS Talbot Ward’s challenge to Frank Munroe to a personal encounter to determine whether Munroe is fit to make a trip to California in search of gold is accepted. Munroe gets a hammerlock on Ward and wins the bout. They choose the Panama route. Ward, it develops, is an old campaigner. On board ship they meet Johnny Fairfax and Tank Rogers. The four become partners. Arriving at Chagres, Talbot Ward’s knowledge of Spanish and his firm treatment of the native boatmen help wonderfully. The party enters a tropical forest.

CHAPTER IV. A Tropical River. WE returned through the town. It was now filled to overflowing with our compatriots. They surged everywhere, full of comment and curiosity. The half naked men and women with the cigars and the wholly naked children and dogs seemed not in the least disturbed nor enlivened.

Talbot’s earnest inquiries finally got us to the Crescent hotel. It was a hut exactly like all the rest save that it had a floor. From its name I suppose it must have been kept by a white man, but we never got near enough through the crowd to find out. Without Talbot we should have gone hungry with many others, but he inquired around until we found a native willing to feed us. So we ate on an upturned hencoop outside a native but. The meal consisted of pork, bread and water.

We strolled to the beach at the hour appointed with our boatman. He was not there, nor any other boatman. “Never mind,” said Ward. “I’ll know him If I see him. I’ll go look him np. You fellows find the boat with our things in it.”

He and I re-entered the village, but a fifteen minutes’ search failed to disclose our man. Therefore we returned to the a crowd was gathered close about some common center in the unmistakable restless manner of men about a dog fight or some other kind of a row. We pushed our way in. Johnny and Yank were backed up against the palmetto awning of one of the boats in an attitude of deadly and quiet menace. Not two yards away stood four of our well dressed friends. Nobody as yet displayed a weapon, except that Yank’s long rifle lay across the hollow of his left arm instead of butt to earth, but it was evident that lightnings were playing. The boatman, who had appeared, alone was saying anything, but he seemed to be supplying language for the lot Johnny’s tense, alert attitude relaxed a little when he saw us. “Well?” inquired Ward easily. “What’s the trouble?”

“Yank and I found our goods dumped out on the beach and others In their place,” said Johnny. “So you proceeded to reverse matters. How about it?” he Inquired pleasantly of the four men. “I know nothing about it,” replied one of them shortly. “We hired this boat, and we intend to have it, and no whlppersnapper is going to keep us from it.” "I see,” said Talbot pleasantly. “Well, excuse me a moment while I talk to our friend.” He addressed the man in Spanish and received short, sullen replies. “He says,” Talbot explained to us, “that he never saw us before in his life and never agreed to take us up the river.” “Well, that settles it,” stated the other man. -“How much did you offer to pay

GOLD

by STEWART EDWARD WHITE

him?” asked Talbot. The man stared. “None of your business,” he replied. “They're askin’ S2O a head,” volunteered one of the interested spectators. “Exactly. You see,” said Talbot to us, “we got here a little too early. Our bargain was for only sls, and now this worthy citizen has made a better rate for himself.” “Y'ou should have had the bargain immediately registered before the alcalde, seuorspoke up a white dressed Spaniard of the better class, probably from the castle, .

“I thank you, senor,” said Talbot courteously. “That neglect is due to my Ignorance of your charming country.” f “And now if you'll move, young turkey cock, we’ll just take our boat,” said another of the claimants. “One moment!” said Talbot Ward, with a new edge to his voice. “This is my boat, not yours. My baggage is in it; my boatman is on the ground. That he is forgetful has nothing to do with the merits of the case. You know this as well as I do. Now, you can acknowledge this peacefully and get out or you can fight. I don’t care a continental red copper which. Only, I warn you, the first man who makes a move with anything but bis two feet will be shot dead.”

He stood, his hands hanging idly by his sides, and he spoke very quietly. The four men were not cowards, that i’ll swear, but one and all they stared into Ward’s eyes and came individually to the same conclusion. I do not doubt that dancing flicker of refraction or of devilment was very near the surface. “Of course, if you are very positive,

"The first man who makes a move with anything but his two feet will be shot dead.”

I should not dream of doubting your word or of Interfering,” said the tallest and quietest, who had remained in the background. “We desire to do injustice to no man”— Johnny, behind us, snorted loudly and derisively/ “If my knowledge of Spanish is of any value in assisting you to a boat, pray command me,” broke in Ward. The crowd moved off, the boatman with it. I reached out and collared him.

Talbot had turned on Johnny. “Fairfax,” said he icily, “one of the first things you must learn is not to stir" things up again once a victory Is gained. Those men were sore, and you took the best method possible of bringing on a real fight.” Poor Johnny flushed to the roots of his hair. “You’re right,” said he in a stifled voice. Talbot Ward thawed completely, and a most winning smile illumined his face. t “Why, that’s what I call handsome, Johnny!” he cried. “It’s pretty hard

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W. J. WRIGHT, Rensselaer, Ind.

to admit the wrong. Yon and Yank certainly looked bold and warlike when he came along. Where's that confounded ruozo? Oh, yon have him, Frank! Good boy! Come here, my amiable citizen. I guess you understand English after all, or yon couldn’t have bargained so shrewdly with our blackleg friends.” The flush slowly faded from Johnny’s face. Yank's sole contribution to the changed conditions was to spit with great care and to shift the butt of his rifle to the ground. “Now,” Talbot was admonishing the boatma’n, “that was very bad. When you make a bargain stick to it But I’ll tell yon what I will do. I will ask all people, sane, everywhere—your people, my people—and if everybody pays S2O, then we pay S2O. Sabe? But we no pay S2O unless you get us to Cruces poco pronto, sabe? Now we start.” The boatman broke into a torrent of talk. “Says he’s got to find his assistant,”” Talbot explained to us. “Come on, my son. i'll just go with you after that precious assistant”

We sat on the edge of our boat for half an hour, watching the most comical scenes. Everybody was afflicted with the same complaint—absence of boatmen. Some took possession and settled themselves patiently beneath their little roofs. Others made forays and returned dragging protesting natives by the arm. These generally turned out to he the wrong natives, but that was a mere detail. Once in a lucky while the full boat's complement would he gathered, and then the craft would pull away up the river to the tune of pistol shots and vociferous yells. At the end of the period mentioned Talbot and the two men appeared. They were quite amicable—indeed, friendly—and laughed together as they came. The “assistant” proved to be a tremendous negro, nearly naked, with fine big muscles and a good natured, grinning face. He wore large brass ear <>irclets and bracelets of copper. We all pushed the canoe to the very edge of the water aqd clambered aboard. The negro bent his mighty shoulders. We were afloat.

Onr padrone, as Talbot told us we should call him, stood in front clad in a colored muslin shirt. The broad sluggish river was alive with boats, all making their way against the current. By the time the lagoon had narrowed, however, they had pretty well scattered.

We entered a tropical forest, and never shall I forget the wonder of it. The banks were lined to the water’s edge with vegetation, so that one could nothing hut the jungle. There were great palm trees, which we recognized, and teak trees, which we did not, but which Talbot identified for us. It was a very bald sort of tree, as I remember it. Then there were tremendous sycamores in which were ants’ nests as big as beehives, and banana trees with torn leaves, probably the most exotic touch of all, and beautiful noble mangoes like domes of a green cathedral, and various sorts ol canes and shrubs and lilies growing among them.

Our men paddled steadily ahead. The negro hummed strange minor songs to himself. Suddenly he flashed his teeth at us and broke into full voice: Oh, Susannah, don’t cry for me! I’m off to California wld my banjo on my knee. The accent was queer, hut the words and tune were right. Talbot questioned him in Spanish. "He says all Americans sing it. He has taken many up the river.” “Too many,” muttered Johnny. “I wish we’d started three months sooner.”

It was growing dusk when we came in sight of a village of bamboo huts on the right hank. To this we headed, nardly had the boat struck the beach when both of our men leaped ashore and raced madly toward the huts, pausing only long enough to slide the boat beyond the grip of the river. We followed, considerably mystified. Quick as we were, we found both the padrone and his man, together with a dozen others, already seated at a monte table. The padrone was acting as banker! We discovered the name of this place to be Gatun. Talbot found us a native

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hut In Which were Hammocks we couSI rent for the night. The hut was a two storied affair, with a notched pole liy which to clamber aloft I took one look and decided to stay below. My weight seemed sufficient to bring the whole thing down about our ears. I do not know which had the better of it. My hammock was slung across one comer of the single room. A cooking fire blazed merrily five or six feet away. Some ten or a dozen natives were drinking and talking until nearly morning, and to my personal knowledge some ten or a dozen thousand fleas were doing the same. Six dogs were that hut’s allowance. They discovered that my weight sagged my hammock down to a height just suitable for the rubbing of their backs. In vain I smote with boot or pistol barrel. They klyled and departed, but only for a moment. I had not even time to fall Into a doze before one of the others was back at it. This amused the drinklug natives. I suppose the poor beasts very passionately wanted to, scratch their backs. I could sympathize with them. None of them could have had as many fleas as I had, for their superficial area was not as great, but perhaps they had as many per square Inch. In the course of the night It began to rain. I mean really ruin, “without going Into details as to drops,” as somebody has said. Then I ceased envying my friends upstairs, for from all sounds I Judged the roof was leaking. Next morning It was still drizzling. The town was full of sad eyed, wearied men. I think every one had had about the same experience. The padrone was at first a little inclined to delay, but he quickly recognized that our mood was bad, so shortly we were under way. That day was not an unmitigated Joy. It rained, picking the surface of the river up In little spots and rings. The forest dripped steadily. All the butterflies and bright birds had disappeared, and sullen, shifting clouds fairly touched the treetops. It was cold. Wrap ourselves as wo would, we became thoroughly chilled. (To be continued.)