Show f known to have conveyed troops from point to point insurgent the along COBBt the first note of war the admiral of the naval fleet and force made all a sail for Belize where he traded hastily collected cargo for cartridges for the five Martini rifles the armament of El Nacional Then back he hurried to he prepared for his counAs yet there had been no try’s call actual uprising in Solitas Military law ruled and the ferment was bottled for the time There was a report that everywhere the revolutionists were encountering defeat In the capital the president's forces triumphed and there was a rumor that the leaders of the Tevolt had been forced to flee hotly pursued In the little telegraph office at Solitas there was always a gathering of officials and loyal citizens awaiting news from the seat of government One morning tho telegraph key began the and operator clicking presently called loudly: “One telegram for elCarAlmirante Don Senor Felipe At The Hag Paramount it By O HENRY tCopyiighl by Amulet! Magazine Co) newly shipped crew — three grinning glossy black Caribs bare to the waist the sand In the streets spurting In a shower from the spring of their naked feet With becoming Felipe dedignity collector manded his vessel of the And now a fresh honor awaited him The collector’s wife a thin little yel- low woman who read novels In a hammock all day had found in an old of a flag purportbook an engraving ing to be the naval flag of the republic Perhaps it had been so designed but of the nation by the founders as no navy had ever been established With oblivion had claimed its flag her owfl tawny hands she had made a flag after this pattern— a red cross Havupon a blue and white ground that ing a little of the romance abounded in her novels she present“Brave ed it to Felipe with the words of is sailor your country This flag Go It you will defend with the life with God” For the next month or two the navy had Its troubles Even the admiral to know what to do was perplexed without orders but none came Neither did any salaries The sloop was "El Nacional” When and swung idly at anchor Felipe’s little store of money was exhe went to the collector and hausted raised the question of finances “Salaries!” exclaimed the collector with his hands raised "Que salaries! Not one centavo have I received of my The pay of an own for seven months sabe? do you ask? Quien admiral Should it be less than three thousand You will see a revoluMira! pesos? A soon tion In this country very good sign of it is when they call for pesos pesos pesos and pay none out” Felipe left the collector with a look almost of content in his sombre face A revolution woflld mean fighting and would need his then the government services It was rather humiliating to be an admiral without anything to do and have a hungry crew begging for reales to buy plantains and bread to eat the coast When he returned’ to where were hopefully Caribs It was upon this hint that the minister of war executed his little piece waiting they sprang up and saluted as he had taught them of drollery that so enlivened the tedium of executive session "Come muchachos” said the admirIt has In the constitution of this small al “The government is poor maritime banana republic was a for- no money at present We will earn Soon”— what we need to live upon gotten section providing for the main-dA1 navy The champagne his heavy eyes almost lighted up — trickily in the veins of "our help may be gladly sought for” A curial statesmen Thereafter El Nacional turned out encrustwas prepared with' the other coast craft and freight-’eed with chromatic seals and jaunty bananas and oranges out to the the fruit steamers who could not come bearing with fluttering ribbons and connearer than a mile off shore4 there befloral signatures of state a CarDon Senor el Surely Felipe ing no harbor at Solitas ferring upon rera the title of Admiral of the manavy deserves red letters in the budget of any nation! rine fleet and force of the republic office There was a little telegraph Thus within the space of a few minr utes and the dominion of a dozen ex- in Solitas whence a little telegraph tra dry the country rose to a place line ran over the big mountains to the Carand Felipe After earning enough at among naval powers capital rera became entitled to a salute of freighting to keep his crew to provitwenty-onguns whenever he should sions and pay for a week or two Fellooking enter port ipe would infest this office The southern rqces are lacking in like the chorus of an insolvent comic that particular humor that finds enter- opera troupe besieging the manager’s Owin a favorite corner tainment in natural misfortunes den Sprawled upon the floor in his fast decaying ing to this defect they are not moved the to laughter at the deformed uniform with his prodigious sabre dishe his red between legs or the insane Felipe Cartributed Therefore awaited day after day and week after rera was but the people of Solitas called him “el week the long delayed orders from Each day he would his government pobrecito loco" saying that God had for sent but half of him to earth retaingravely and expectantly inquire The operator would preing tlje other A somber youth glow- dispatches rarest tend to make a search and reply: ering and speaking only at the Senor el “Not yet It seems times Felipe was but negatively locd — Poco tiempo!” all He generally refused to answer He seemed At the answer the admiral would questions when on shore a rattle in with handidown himself to know that he was badly plump to await the infrequent capped on land where so many kinds his corner of understanding are needed but on click of the little Instrument on the in the shade of the Outside the water few sailors whom God had table crew the calle lime trees in the entirely and carefully completed could well He could chewed sugar cane or slumbered handle a sailboat as well a country content to serve to content nearer the sail a sloop five points ' He with so little service wind's eye than the best of them One day in early summer the revowned no boat but worked among the collector the by crews of the schooners and sloops that olution predicted and It had long been flamed out suddenly skimmed the coast trading At the head of the into the steamers out fruit smouldering freighting Hector and It was surgents appeared that where there was no harbor through his famous boldness and skill learned Theban of the Central AmerA Don Sabas Placido as a sailor as well as the pity felt for ican republics that he was traveler y soldier a poet a scientist his mental imperfections as a a statesman and a connoisseur — the recommended by the collector content himcould he suitable custodian of th6 captured wonder was that self with the petty remote life of his loop of Senor native country When the outcome said a “It is a whim of Placido’s” little pleasantry arrived in the the friend who knew him well "to take ?orm of the imposing commission and then smiled ollector wondered up political intrigue It is not otherwise than if he had come upon a new He sent for Felipe placed the document in his hands explaining carefultempo in music a new bacillus in the air a new scent or rhyme or exploly to him the high honor that the govWithout a sive He will squeeze this revolution ernment had granted him yvord the newly created admiral took dry of sensationq and a week afterward forget it skimming the seas of and departed his commission to add to The next morning he came again to the world in his brigantine collections as he passed his already and the collector 0f — por Dios! — everything — from through the village streets many were to de of maquinas postage stamps vapor” the compassionate exclamations a But the aesthetic Placido seemed to muchacho” but never "pobrecito be creating a lively row for a mere laugh or a smile toThe admired of the peodilettante Somewhere Felipe had raked ple they had risen almost in a body gether a pitiful semblance of a milito seat nim in the place of the inclemtary uniform — a pair of red trousers was There with ent President Prados a dingy blue Jacket embroidered where qjiarp fighting in the capital yellow braid and an old fatigue cap abandoned (contrary to arrangements) the army by one of the British solinof defense to the had rallied the he had the In latter Belize diers in There was alBO lively skirfastened the gaudy feathers of a par- cumbent rot's tall Buckled around his waist mishing in most of the coast towns It was rumored that the revolution was an ancient ship’s cutlass contriba as aided by a powerful concern in uted by Pedro Lafltte the barber who from the states— the Mogul Banana comproudly asserted Its inheritance Two of their steamers the buccaneer hiR ancestor the illustrious pany were and the Salvador ' the admiral's heels tagged his Traveler DOZEN quarts of cham In pagne conjunction with an Informal sitting of the president and his t cabinet led to the of the navy and the of Felipe appointment The wine had Carrera as its admiral been sent by the Mogul Banana company of New Orleans as a token of amicable relations — and certain consummated deals — between that company and the republic Next to the champagne the credit of the appointment belonged to Don Babas Placido the newly appointed minister of war The session had been signally tedious the bus ness and the wine proA sudden prankish hudigiously dry mor of Don Sabas Impelling him to the deed spice the grave matters of state with a whiff of agreeable playfulness In the order of business bad come a bulletin from trie department of del Mar reporting the seizure by officers at the coast the town of Solltas cf the sloop Estrella de Noche and her cargo of dry goods patent medicine granulated sugar and r tyandy Also six Martini rifles and ten thousand Havana cigars the Caught in the act of smuggling sloop and cargo was now according to law the property o' the republic The collector of customs in making his statement departed from conventional forms so far as to suggest that the confiscated vessel be converted to The prize the use of the government was the first capture to the credit of the department for ten years It oftofficials en happened that government required transportation from point to point along the coast and means were Furthermore the usually lacking sloop could act as a coast guard to disart of smugcourage the pernicious The collector would also vengling ture to name one to whom the charge of the boat could be safely entrusted —a young man Felipe Carrera not be it understood one of extreme wisdom but loyal and the best sailor along the f tV rera!” ' There a was a shuffling sound and the great rattling of tin scabbard admiral prompt at his spot of waiting leaped across the room to receive it The message was handed to him Slowly spelling it out he found it to be his first official order — thus running: "Proceed with your immediately vessel to mouth of Rio Ruiz transport beef and provisions to barracks at Martinez General” Small glory to be sure in this his Pul it hnd called country’s first call and joy surged In fhe admiral’s breast He drew his cutlass belt to another buckle hole roused his dozing crew and in a quarter of an hour El Nacional was tacking swiftly down coast in a stiff landward breeze The Rio- Ruiz is a small rivet emptying into the'sea ten miles below Solitas That portion of the coast is wild and solitary Through a gorge in rushed the Cordilleras the to glide at Ruiz cold and bubbling the last with breadth and leisure morass alluvial iflto an the through sea In two hours El Nacional entered The banks were the river’s mouth crowded with a disposition of formidable trees The undersumptuous growth of the tropics overflowed the clothes of all were drenched bespattered and rent by the thicket Some stress of circumstance must have driven them dlable a quatre through flood mire and jungle senor almirante” called the large man "Send us your boat" The dory was lowered and Felipe with one of the caribs rowed toward the left bank The large man stood near the water’s brink waist deep in the curlAs he gazed ing vines upon the scarecrow figure In the stern of the a sprightly interest beamed dory of Months upon his mobile face wageless and thankless service had dimmed the admiral’s His splendor red trousers were patched and ragged Most of the bright buttons and yellow braid were gone from his Jacket The visor of his cap was torn and depended almost to his eyes The admiral’s feet were bare “Dear admiral” cried the large man and his voice was like a blast from a I knew we horn "I kiss your hands could build upon your fidelity You had our dispatch — from General MarA little nearer with your boat tinez dear admiral Upon these evils of the with shifting vines we stand smallest security” Felipe regarded him with a stolid face “Provisions and beef for the barracks at Alforan” he quoted "No fault of the butchers almirante mio that the beef awaits ypu not Put you are come In time to save the cattle Cot ts aboard your vessel stnor at once You first Caballeros — a prhea Come back for me The boat Is too small” The dory conveyed the two officers to the sloop and returned for the large man "Have you so gross a thing as food good admiral?” he cried when aboard "And perhaps Beef and procoffee? visions! a little N'ombre de dlos! longer and wq could have eaten one of those mules that you Colonel Rafael saluted with his so - feelingly sword scabbard Let ua at parting have food and then we will sail — for the barracks at Alforan— no?” to The Caribs meal a prepared which the three passengers of El Nacional set themselves with ’famished delight About sunset as was Its custom the breeze veered and swept back from the mountains cool and steady bringing a taste of the stag- The lessly at his short commands were watching Inthree passengers and tently the sea before them when at length they came In sight of a steamer lying a mile out from the town with her lighte radiating deep into the water they held a sudden converse and voluble The sloop was speeding as If to strike midway between ship and shore The large man suddenly separated from his companions and approached the scarecrow at the helm "My dear admiral" he said "the has been exceedingly regovernment miss I feel all the shame for It that only Its Ignorance of your devoted service has prevented It from sustaining An Inexcusable oversight has been made A vessel a uniform and a crew worthy of your fidelity shall be furnished you Hut Just now dear admiral there Is business of moment afoot The steamer lying there is the I and my friends desire to Salvador be conveyed to her where we are sent Do us business on the government's the favor to shape your course ac- cordingly” Without replying the admiral gave sharp command and put the tiller hard to port El Nacional swerved and headed straight as an arrow'B course for the shore "Do me the favor” said the large man a trifle restive "to acknowledge at least that you catch the sound of It was possible that the my words"' fellow might be lacking In senses as a well as intellect Oestreieher Du hast mein hers shout Mire! Of my friends gebrochtn!’ Herr Grunttz of Vienna you have heard me relate That man has trav eled to Ceylon for an orchid —to Patr —to Benares agonla for a for a slipper— to Mozambique for a to add to his famous colspearhead lections Thou knowest also amigo Rafael that I have been a gatherer of curios of battle My collection flags of the world’s navies was the most complete' in existence until last Then Herr Grunltz secured year two oh so rare specimens One of a Barbary state and one of the a tribe on the west coast of Africa I have not those but they can be procured But this flag senor — do you know what It ia? Name of God! do you know? See that red cross upon the blue and white ground! You never saw it before? no It is the marine flag of Mire! This rotten tub your country we stand upon is its navy— that dead cockatoo lying there was its commander — that stroke of cutlass and single pistol shot a sea battle All a piece of absurd foolery I grant yqu — but authentic There has never beea another flag like this and there never will be another No It Is unique in the whole world Yee Think of what that means to a collector of flags! Do how you know colonel mio many crowns Herr Grunltz would golden likegive for this flag? Ten thousand Well a hundred thousand would ly not buy it Beautiful Little flag! devil of a most flag! old grumbler beyond the ocean Wait till Don Sabas comes again to the Koenigin strasse He will let you kneel and touch the folds of it with one finger ranold spectacled sacker of the world!” was the Impotent revoForgotten lution the danger the loss the gall of defeat Possessed solely by the Inordinate and unparalleled passion of the collector he strode up and down the little deck clasping to his breast with one hand the paragon of a flag He snapped his fingers triumphantly toward the east He shouted the paean to his prize In trumpet tones as if he would make old Grunltz The admiral emitted a croaking harsh laugh and spoke stand you" he said “They “with your face to the wall and shoot That is the way they kill you dead when I knew you traitors you stepped Into my boat I have seen your picture in a book You are Sabas Placido traitor to your country With your face to a wall So you will die I am the admiral and I will take you to them With your face to a wall Yes” Don Sabas half turned and waved his hand with a ringing laugh toward his fellow fugitives "To you Caballeros I have related the history of that banquete when we Issued that ' commission Of a hear oh so ridiculous They were waiting on the Salvador truth our jest has been turned against to welcomq them The sloop came Behold the Frankenstein's monus close alongside the steamer where ster we have created!” Sabas glanced toward Don the her sides were sliced almost to tha The lights of Solitas were lower deck for the loading of fruit shore He could see the The sailors of the Salvador grappled drawing nearer and held her there beach the warehouse of the Bodega McLeod leaned over the Captain the long low cuartel occuNacional side pied by the soldiers and behind that “Well senor the jig is up I’m gleaming In the moonlight a stretch He had seen men told" of high ’dobe wall “The jig is up?” Don Sabas looked stood with their faces to that wall for a moment revo“That perplexed and shot dead lution — ah — si” With a Bhrug of his Again he addressed the extravagant shoulder he dismissed the matter figure at the helm The captain learned of the escape “It Is true” he said "that I am crew But receive the and the imprisoned fleeing the country “Caribs?" he said tn ‘no harm assurance that I care very little for them” lie slipped down into the that Courts and camps everywhere sloop and kicked loose the hasp of the are open to Sabas Placido Vaya! what is this molehill of a republic — hatch The black fellows came tumbling up sweating but grinning (his pig's head of a country— to a man I am a paisano “Hey! black boys!” said the captain of everylike me? in a dialect of his own In Roma Londres Vienna “you sabe where York Madrid Nuevo you will hear catchy boat and vamos back same them say: ‘Welcome back Don Sa- place quick” They saw him point to themselves bas’ Come! tonto — baboon of a boy the sloop and Solitas — admiral — whatever you call yourself "Yas yas!” — turn your boat! with broader they cried grins and Put us on board ive many nods the Salvador and here is your The four — Don Sabas the two offhundred pesos in money of the Estados Unidos — more than your lying icers and the captain — moved to quit government will pay you in 20 years” the sloop Don Sahas lagged a little looking at the still form of Don Sabas pressed a plump purse behind the late admiral sprawled in his palagainst the boy’s hand The admiral gave no heed to the words or the try trappings "Pobrecito loco” he said softly movement Braced against the helm He was a brilliant cosmopolite and he was holding the sloop dpad on her His dull face was a cognoscente of high rank but after shoreward course all he was of the same rare and blood lit almost to intelligence by some internal conceit that seemed to afford and instinct of this people Even as the simple gente of Solitas had said him joy and found utterance in anit so said Don Sabas a Without other parrotlike cackle THE NEXT INSTANT HE SHOT THE ADMIRAL DOWN smile he looked and said: “The poor “That is why they do it” he said little crazed one!” "so you will not see the guns They nant lagoons and mango swamps that land and drowned Itself In the fallow he raised the limp shoul— and you fall dpad Stooping With entered guttered the lowlands The mainsail waters ’’Silently the sloop ders drew the priceless and Yes" your face to the wall Brilof the sloop was hoisted and swelled there and met a deeper silence flag under them and over the The admiral called a sudden order to it and at that moment they beard liant with greens and ochres and floral breast pinning it there with the diato his crew The lithe silent Caribs of shouts and a wrnxlng clamor from the mouth scarlets the umbrageous of mond order of star San Carlos the made fast the sheets they held and no sound or bosky profundities of the wood the Rio Ruiz furnished slipped down the hatchway into the that he took from the collar of his movement "have of the seagoing water “The butchers my dear admiral” hold of the own coat When the last one sloop said the large man smiling “too late as It curled against the prow of the He followed after the others and had disappeared Don Sabas like a Small chance there seemed of for the slaughter” vessel stood with them upon the deck of the big brown leopard leaped closed and wresting beef or provisions from that The sailors that steadied Salvador Further than his orders to his crew fastened the hatch and stood smiling the admiral was saying nothing emptv solitude El Nacional shoved The her off The Jab“No rifles if you please dear adof topsail and jib were spread and the The admiral decided to cast anchor miral bering Caribs hauled away at the rigIt was a whimsey mine The once to compile a dictionary sloop glided out of Jhe estuary and at the chain’s rattle the forest of the ging the sloop headed for the shore and Herr Grunltz’ collection of naval large man and his companions had bewas stimulated to Instant and resoundCarib lergun So I understood your The mouth of the Rio stowed themselves with what comfort flags was still the finest in the world order Perhaps you will now—’’ ing uproar BeRuiz had only been taking a morning they could about the bare deck He cut short his words for f he like the thing big in their minds had heard a sharp "swish” of iron scraGirl’s Beauty Bewitched Thief Parrots and tmbboons screeched nap been their departure of that critical A hold thief who Is too susceptible and barked In the trees a whirring The admiral had ping along tin shore and now that the hrzard was drawn business and a hissing and a booming marked his cutlass ia and was darting for the hotel thieving of animal life a dark so far reduced their thoughts were upon him The blade descended and Reitzner von Heidelberg an Austrian the awakening loosed to the consideration who was arrested in a room of further it was only by a show of surprising blue bulk was visible for engineer his way deliverance But of the Hotel Britannique when they saw the agility that the large man escaped where Seno as a Btartled tapir fought with only a bruised shoulder sloop turn and fly up the coast again the rita de Vadilo daughter of Marquess through the vines under orders de Vadilo was sleeping peacefully hung In they relaxed satisfied with the course He w'as drawing The navy glancing weapon for the admiral had taken river his pistol as he sprang and the next the mouth of the little Marquesa de Vadilo went into het The largq man sat at ease his spirThe crew served the dinner hours instant he shot the admiral down daughter's room at eight o’clock and crab found the man gazing lost In admiraited blue eye engaged in the contemDon Salms stooped plantains over him and of shark's flu soup tion at the sleeping girl lie rose again She raised plation of ihe navy's commander gumbo and sour claret The admiral closely "En el corazon” was trying to estimate this somber the aiaiin and the man was arrested lelescope with a lie said briefly 50 foliage and fantastic lad whose Impenetrable scanned tlie Impervious "Senores the navy is abolished” ard subsequently confessed to having stolen various articles Colonel Rafael sprang to the helm Himself a He said Ive stolidity puzzled him yards away the other officer hastened to loose the could have stolen much more if be and chafing It was nearly sunset when a reversought gitive his life the came from under the smart of defeat and failhad liked but the beauty of the sleepmainsail shrets Tlie boom swung berating It was answered El Nacional described a fluent ure it was characteriitic of him to round him He had forest to their left ing girl bad bewitched on mules for a quarter of an hour remained transfer instantly 1’is interest to the curve and began to tack industriously and three men mounted crashed through the tropic tangle to study of a tiling new to him It was for the Salvador looking at her and would have done so like him too to have conceived and all day had he not been Interrupted— “Strike that flag senor" called within a dozen yards of the river's and risked all upon this last message to Colonel Rafael "Our friends on the Petit Parisien bank There they dismounted his belt struck each a poor crazed fanatico cruising about steamer will wonder why we are sailone unbuckling with his grotesque uniform and his ing under it" Success mule a violent blow with his sword Poor devil what will so that they with a fling of farcical title his companions But "Well said" cried Don Sabas Adscabbard Thy success had beett at their wits’ end escape heels dashej back again into the forvancing to the mast he lowered the thy success amount to? If the thing had deck has not succeeded thou now seemed its is too where to he flag the no incredible and lay est loyunjust men to was pleased at the success of the al supporter Thus ended the minis- not though bonfires blazed from north Those were to south and bells rang and editors ter of war’s little piece of beef and plan they had called provisions be convoying and precarious One was a large and exceedingly active drollery and by the same hand that wrote leading articles and the just The brief tropic twilight seemed to began it He was things lay trampled out of sight — to man of striking presence Dob Sabas gave a great all mortal eyes an abolished and anniSuddenly of purest Spanish type with curf-- slide swiftly into the pearly splendor For It Is the right and blue?' of a moonlit night hilated thing And now the cry of Joy and ran down the slanting lng dark hair gray besprinkled deck to the side of Colonel Rafael noble alone that will have victory in and the pronounced lights of Solitas appeared distributed eyes sparkling the rest is wholly an The otbey against' the darkening shore to their Across his arm he carried the flag this struggle air of a caballero grande a postponement obstruction men The admiral stood silent at of the extinguished a fearful small two were right navy of the victory — Carlyle Ah Dios! Al"Mire! mire! senor the tiller uniforms white the Caribs like black panlmperilment military wearing The thers held the sheets leaping noise ready can I hear that great bear of an "Past and Present” high riding boots and swords te |