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WEBSTER—MAN'S MAN Author of "Cappy Ricks," "The Valley of the Giants," Etc. Br PETER B. KYNE Copyright by Peter B. Kjnt CHAPTER XI—Continued. —11— "This Is more comfort than I had hoped for when I came here, gentle men. I am »very grateful, I assure you. Of course this little revolution you're cooking up Is no affair of mine, and I trust I need not assure you that your confidence Is quite safe with me." The Doctor and the Colonel Imme diately rose and bowed like a pair of marionettes. Webster turned to Ri cardo. "Have you had any experience in revolutions, my son?" he asked. Ricardo nodded. "I realized I had to have experience, and so I went to Mexico. I was with Madero through the first revolution." "How are you arming your men?" "Mannlichers. I've got 20,000,000 rounds of cartridges, 25 machine guns, and a dozen three-Inch field guns. I have also engaged 200 American ex soldiers to handle the machine guns and the battery. These rascals cost me $5 a day gold, but they're worth It; they like fighting and will go any whero to get It—and are faithful." "You are secretly mobilizing in the mountains, eh?" Webster rubbed his chin ruminatively. "Then I take It you'll attack Buenaventura when you strike the first blow?" "Quite right. We must capture a seaport if we are to revolute success fully." "I'm glad to know that. I'll make It my business tt> be up in the mountains at the time. I'm for peace, every rat tle out of the box. Gentlemen, you've cheered me wonderfully. I will now go home and leave you to your evil machinations; and, the good Lord and the jiggers willing, I shall yet glean a night's sleep." Mother Jenks was waiting for Web ster at the foot of the stairs. He paused on the threshold. "Mrs. .Tenks," he said, "Billy tells sne you have been very kind to him. I want to tell you how much I appre ciate it and that I stand willing to re ciprocate any time you are in need." Mother Jenks fingered her beard and reflected. " 'Ave you met Miss Dolores Ruey, sir?" she queried. "Your ward? Yes." "'Ow does the lamb strike you, Mr. Webster?" "I have never met many women ; I have known few intimately; but I should say that Miss Dolores Ruey Is the marvel of her sex. She Is as beautlfnl as she is good, and Is as In as she can be." telligent as "She's a lydy, sir," Mother Jenks affirmed proudly. "An' I done it. You can see with arf a heye wot I am, but for all that, I've done my dooty by her. From the day my sainted 'Enery—'e was a colonel o' hartillery under President Ruey, Dolores' father •—hescaped from the burnin' palace •with 'er an' told me to raise 'er a lydy for the syke of her father, as was the finest gentleman this rotten country'll ever see, «he's been my guidin' star. She's self-supportin' now, but still I ain't done my whole dooty by her. I want to see 'er married to a gentle man as'll maintain 'er like a lydy." "Well, Mrs. Jenks, I think you will live to see that worthy ambition at tained. Mr. Geary Is head over heels In love with her." "Aye. Willie's a nice lad—I could wish no better; but wot 'e's got 'e got from you, an' where'll 'e be if 'Is mine doesn't p'y big? Now, with you, sir, It's different. You're a bit older'n Billy, an' more settled an' serious ; you've made yer fortune, so Willie tells me, an' not to go beatin' about the bally bush, I s'y, wot's the matter with you an' her steppin' over the broomstick together? You might go a bloomin' sight farther an' fare wuss." "Too old, my dear schemer, too old!" John Stuart replied smilingly. "And she's In love with Billy. Don't worry. If he doesn't make a go of this mining concession, I'll take care of his finances until he can do so him self. I do not mind telling you, In strictest confidence, that I have made my will and- divided my money equally between them." "Gord bless you, for a sweet, kind gentleman," Mother Jenks gulped, quite overcome with emotion. Hastily Webster bade Mother Jenks good night and hurried away to es cape a discussion on such a delicate topic with Billy's blunt and single minded landlady. His mind was in a tumult. So it was that he paid no at tention to a vehicle that jogged by hiiji with the cochero sagging low In his seat, half asleep over the reins, until a quick command from the closed In terior brought the vehicle to an abrupt halt, half a block in advance of Webster. Save for an arc light at each end of the block, the Calle de Concordia was dim ; save for Webster, the car riage and the two men who piled hur riedly out at the rear of the convey ance, the Calle de Concordia was de void of life. Webster saw one of the men hurriedly toss a coin to the coch ero; with a fervent "Grocias, mi cap Itan," the driver clucked to his horse, turned the corner Into the Calle E1I sondo and disappeared, leaving his late passengers facing Webster and calmly '«waiting h la approach. He was within 20 feet of them when the taller of the two men spoke. "Good evening, my American friend. This meeting Is a pleasure we scarce ly hoped to have so soon. For the same we are indebted to Lieutenant Arredondo, who happened to look back as we passed you, and recog nized you under the arc light." Webster halted abruptly; the two Sobrantean officers stood smiling and evidently enjoying his discomfiture. Each carried a service revolver in a closed holster fastened to his sword belt, but neither had as yet made a move to draw—seeing which, Webster felt sufficiently reassured to accept the unwelcome situation with a grace equal to that of his enemies. "What? You two bad little boys up this late ! I'm surprised," he replied in Spanish. He folded his arms, struck an attitude and surveyed them as might an indignant father. "You kids have been up to some mischief," he added, as his right hand closed over the butt of his automatic, where it lay snuggled in the open holster under his left ann between his shirt and coat. "Can it be possible you are going to take advantage of superior numbers and the fact that you are both armed, to force me into a duel on your terms, my dear Captain Bena vides?" By a deferential bow, the unwhole some Benavldes Indicated that such were his intentions. "Then," said Webster, "as the challenged party I have the choice of weapons. I choose pistols." "At what range?" the lieutenant r.sked with mock interest. As we stand at present. I'm armed. Pull your hardware, you pretty pair of polecats, and see if you can beat me to the draw." Captain Benavldes' jaw dropped slightly ; with a quiet, deliberate mo tion his hand stole to his holster-flap. Lieutenant Arredondo wet his lips and glanced so apprehensively at his com panion that Webster was aware that here was a situation not to his liking. "You should use an open holster," Webster taunted. "Come, come—un button that holster-flap and get busy." Benavides' hand came away from the holster. He was not the least bit frightened, but his sense of propor tion In matters of this kind was un dergoing a shake-up. "In disposing of any enemy In a gun fight, so a professional killer once In formed me," Webster continued, "it is a good plan to put your first bullet anywhere in the abdomen ; the shock of a bullet there paralyzes your oppo nent for a few seconds and prevents him from returning the compliment, and in the interim you blow his brains out while he lies looking at you. I have never had any practical experi ence In matters of this kind, but I don't mind telling you that if I must practice on somebody, the good Lord could not have provided two more de lightful subjects." He ceased speaking, and for nearly half a minute the three men appraised each other. Benavides was smiling slightly ; Arredondo was fidgeting ; Webster's glance never faltered from the captain's nervous hand. "You would be very foolish to draw," Webster then assured Bena vides. "If I am forced to kill you, it will be with profound regret. Sup pose you two dear, sweet children run along home and think this thing over. You may change your mind by tomor row morn " The captain's hand, with the speed of a juggler's, had flown to his hol ster; but quick as he was, Webster was a spilt second quicker. The sound of his shot roared through the silent calle, and Benavldes, with his pistol half drawn, lifted a bloody, shattered hand from the butt as Webster's au tomatic swept In a swift arc and cov ered Arredondo, whose arms on the In stant went skyward. "That wasn't a half bad duel," Web ster remarked coldly. "Are you not obliged to me, Captain, for not blowing your brains out—for disregarding my finer Instincts and refraining from shooting you first through the abdo men? Bless you, my boy, I've been stuck for years in places where the only sport consisted in seeing who could take a revolver, shoot at a tin can and roll It farthest in three sec onds. Let me see your hand." » Benavides sullenly held up that dripping member, and Webster in spected it at a respectful distance. "Steel jacket bullet," he Informed the wounded man. "Small hole—didn't do much damage. You'll be just as well as ever In a month." He helped himself to Arredondo's gun, flipped out the cylinder, and slipped all six cartridges into his palm. Similarly he disarmed Benavides, ex pressed his regret that circumstances had rendered it imperative to use force, and strolled blithely down the calle. In the darkened patio he groped along the wall until he found the swinging rope by which he had descended from his room—whereupon he removed his shoes, tied the laces together, slung them around his neck, dug his toes into the adobe wall and climbed briskly to his room. »•»*•*• The next morning V7tîbster waited until Dolores appeared and then ae companled her into the dining room for breakfast. "Well, how did you pass your first night In Buenaventura?" she Inquired, in the manufacture of breakfast con versation. "Not very well. Jiggers bit me and woke me up, and finally I fell into a trance and had a vision—about you. After that I couldn't go to sleep again. I was fairly bursting to see you at breakfast and read your palm. I've just discovered a wonderful system." "Show me," she flashed back at him and she extended her little hand. He picked It up gravely and with the dull tine of a fork made a great show of tracing the lines on her palm. "You are about twenty-four years old, and your ancestors were pure-bred Castillans who came from Madrid, crossing the Atlantic in caravels. Ever since the first Ruey landed on this coast the family has been Identified with the government of the country in one way or another. When you were quite a little girl, your father, Don Ricardo Ruey, at that time president of Sobrante, failed to suppress a revo lution and was cornered In the govern ment palace, which was set afire. "Through the bravery and devotion of a cockney gentleman, Colonel Henry Jenks, an artillery officer in your father's army you were saved from perishing in the burning palace. Col onel Jenks turned you over to his spouse, now known as Mother Jenks, with instructions to raise you a lydy, and Mother Jenks has carried out those instructions. Colonel Jenks and your father were executed, and Mother Jenks sent you to the United States to be educated. You had a brother, Ricardo Luis Ruey, older than your self by seven or eight years, I should Judge. In some mysterious manner you and your brother lost track of each other, and at the present moment he believes you perished In the flames that gutted the government palace. "You are of a proud, independent na ture ; you work at something for a liv ing, and Inasmuch as you haven't been able to set aside a great deal of mon ey from your earnings, you are plan ning to terminate your visit to your native land at an early date and re turn to the United States for the pur pose of getting back to work. These plans, however, will never be con summated. "Why? Because you are to be mar ried to a nice man and live happily ever afterward, and about sixty days from now, if all goes well, I, John S. Webster, am going to Introduce you to your long-lost brother Ricardo. You will first see Ricardo riding at the head of his victorious rebel troops as he enters Buenaventura. He will be the next president of this wretched country, If. fortunately, he Is not killed In the revolution he Is now fomenting against his father's ancient enemy. Your brother does not know you are living and It will be a proud and hap py day for me when I bring him to you. In the Interim, what do you pur pose having for breakfast? Ham and eggs sunny side up, an omelette or a cereal?" He released.her hand and favored her with the boyish grin that always had the effect of stripping the years from him as one strips the husk from a ripe ear of corn. She was gazing at him in wide-eyed amazement. "Is my Drother really alive?" "He was as late as midnight last night. Do you recall the chap I saved from being assassinated In New Or leans?" "Yes." "Your worthy brother. And do you recall the chauffeur whose passage to this port I was forced to pay?" "Yes." "The same Individual. I sent him ashore in the launch with-Billy, and he has been housed at El Buen Amlgo, but left early this morning for the back country to open a recruiting of fice." She reached across the little table and squeezed his big brown hand Im pulsively. "You're the most wonderful man I ever knew. And does my poor brbther know I am living, Mr. Web ster?" "No—and I'm not going to tell him. I think it will be much nicer to re store you to each other on the steps of the government palace on the day when the Ruey faction comes into its own again. That will make his victory all the sweeter. By the way, where was Ricardo when your father's ship of state went on the rocks?" "At school In a military academy In Kentucky." "It is a marvelous mix-up, which Ri cardo can doubtless explain, Miss Ruey. I know he believes his sister perished with her father. Mother Jenks didn't know where hç was and couldn't communicate with him—and there you are. However, little old Jack Fix-it will bring you together again In due course. In the interim, how about those eggs? Straight up —or flip "em?" She beamed across at him. "We are going to be such good, true friends, aren't we?" she urged. He almost shivered, but managed a hypocritical nod. "While we have only known each other twenty-four hours, It seems a great deal longer than that—probably because Billy has told me so much about you, and you're—so comfortable and easy to get acquainted with, and I—I can't very well express my grati tude for what you've done—for what you're going to do." Her voice falter ed; she smiled roguishly through the tears of her emotion. "If I were only Billy, now, I could put my arm across your shoulders and settle the matter by saying: 'Johnny, you old horse thief, you're all right."' The best thing to do would be to cease puffing me up with importance. And now, before we climb out of the realm of romance and the Improbable to the more substantial plane of things for breakfast, just one brief word of caution. Now that I have told you your brother lives and is in Buena ventura, forget it until I mention it again, because his presence here is his secret, not ours." "All right, Caliph," she agreed. "I think I shall call you that hereafter. Like the late Caliph Haroun AI Ras chid, it appears you have a habit of prowling around o' nights in queer places, doing good deeds for your sub jects. But tell me about my brother. Describe him to me." "Not now. Here comes the head waiter with a cablegram for me, I think." That functionary came to their table and handed one of the familiar yellow envelopes to each of them. "We'll excuse each other," Dolores suggested. She read : "Go you If I lose. You are a good, game little scout, and I like you fine. "JEROME." She glanced across at Webster, whose face was a conflicting study of emotions in which disappointment and amazement appeared to predominate. "You ancient scoundrel," she heard him murmur. "What ho. Caliph ! Unpleasant news?" she ventured. "Yes—and no. I had one of the finest Jobs In the world all staked out —and now the boss cables me It's filled—by a better man." "What are you going to do about it?" "Well—as soon as I've had my breakfast, I'm going to cable Neddy Jerome and tell him I'm satisfied satisfied to stav here and satisfied um "You Ancient scoundrel!" he's a liar. You see, Miss Ruey, he objected vigorously to my coming here in the first place—wanted me to take a 30-day vacation and- then manage the Colorado Consolidated Mines com pany, Ltd., for lilm. I like Neddy and would have been glad to go to work for his company, but, of course, Billy comes first, and so I declined the of fer. Later I changed my mind, and last night I cabled him I'd accept If he'd wait 00 days—possibly 90; and now he replies that he's sorry, but the job is filled by a better man That's why I know he's a liar." "I see. You figure there isn't a bet ter mining engineer than you—eh, Ca liph?" He looked at her reproachfully "No, but Neddy Jerome does, and I know he does because lie has taken the trouble to tell» me so more than once. And as a rule Neddy inclines toward the truth. However, it's just as well " He paused, staring hard at her. "By the way, you foretold this! Why, this Is amazing." She could have wept with laughter. "Well"—soberly—"I told you sornè other things equally amazing, did I not?" "Yes, you told me other things more or less Interesting, but you foretold this. How do you account for that?" "The witness declines to answer on the ground that she may incriminate herself and be burned for a witch." "Remarkable woman !" "You were about to remark that It Is just as well " "That Neddy's reconciled to losing ine, because since cabling him yester day evening I've changed my mind again. I'm going to stay here now." "Indeed I Why?" "Just to be obstinate. Apparently I'm not wanted here by the powers that be; so Just to rile them I'm go ing to hang around Sobrante and argue the question with them. By the way, I see you received a cablegram also. Better news than mine, I hope." She nodded. "I have a little busi ness deal on back home. Haven't got a great deal investéd, but It looks as if I might make $10,000." He arched his eyebrows and favored her with a little disapproving grunt Sounded like the prospectus of a fake mining promoter—yes, by thunder, that was it. Dolores was a school teacher, and school teachers and doc tors are ever the mainstay of a swin dler's sucker list. "You won $10 from me yesterday," he challenged. "Bet you another ten I can tell you the nature of your in estment." "Go you, If I lose!" Unconsciously she was learning the argot of the male of the species, as exemplified in Ned dy Jerome's cablegram. "It's a mining property." "You win. It is," she answered truthfully, starting to open her purse. "Quartz or placer?" "I don't know. Explain." He chuckled at her ignorance. 'Quartz is gold-bearing rock, and placer Is gold-bearing gravel." Then my mining property is plac er, because it lias lots of sand." "I knew it, I knew It," he warned her solemnly, and he shook an ad monitory finger at her. "Black sand, eh? Is the gold very fine?" "I think it is." "Then you're stung good and deep— so don't delude yourself ihto thinking you have $10,000 coming. I never knew a proposition for saving the fine gold in black sand that didn't turn out to be a fizzle. It's the hardest thing in the world to save. Now, listen ; you tell me the name of the flim-flam artist that got you into tills deal, and when I get back to the United States I'll investigate the company ; if it's an out-and-out swindle, I'll take that promoter by the throat and choke your money out of him, the scoundrel ! It Is just these fly-by-night fellows that ruin the finest gambling game in the world and scare off investors in legiti mate mining propositions." 'Oh, you mustn't—really, Caliph. He's an old man, and I only did it to help him out." "There should be no sentiment In business, Miss Ruey." "Oh, well, let's be cheerful and hope ful, Caliph, and discuss a more impor tant subject." She was very serious now, for by her meddling she had, she realized, so ar ranged matters that at a time when John Stuart Webster's very life de pended upon his Immediate departure from Buenaventura, he was planning to stay and face the music, just to be obstinate. "You must reconsider your decision to remain In this country," she insisted. "Your life may be the price of liberty of action, you know. Isn't Billy capable of developing the mine after you advance the cash?" I wouldn't advance him a cent for his mine until I had investigated It myself." "Then y.ou should make some ar rangements to safeguard yourself while making the investigation, and leave Sobrante immediately thereafter. Isn't that a sensible proposition?" "Very—if I felt like leaving So brante. But I do not. If that mining concession is a potential winner, I'll have to stick around and make a win ner out of it before I go away and leave Bill in charge. Besides, I'm wor ried about Bill. "He's full of malarial fever, and last night I got thinking about him and decided to send him back to the Colorado mountains for a few months. I want some regular doc tors to work on Bill so he'll be fit when he gets back on the job." As a matter of fact, this idea of send ing Billy to the United States had but that moment occurred to Jack Web ster; he reflected now that this plan was little short of an Inspiration. It would give Billy and Dolores an op portunity to marry and have a honey moon ; it would leave him free of her disturbing presence, and enable him to leave Sobrante when the Gearys should return. He resolved to speak to Billy about it. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Ill-Flated Orchid Hunters. Not very long ago a New York man, traversing a Venezuelan forest on an exploring expedition, came upon a hut wherein were found three human skeletons and thousands of dead or chid plants. From between the ribs of one of tjje skeletons grew an or chid of rare beauty. The three un fortunates had evidently been mur dered. Fruit Color 1* Sunlight. The color of fruit is the result of chemical action, in which sunlight is transformed into r^d or yellow or or ange or purple coloring matter. 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