The Kenna record., February 18, 1921, Image 2

About The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924

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THE KENNA PECORD
Webster
ams
am
By PETER B. KYNE
', Author of !'
I ; "Cappy Rick.," 'Thm Valla? J !
of the GianU," ate
( Copyright, br Pettr B. Kyoe)
CHAPTER XIII Continued.
14
"I think so. I dare soy Rlcardo
hopes to take Sarros by surprise, bot
tle the city garrison up In the car
tel and the government palace and
there besiege them. Uuvlng secured
nominal control of a seaport, be can
Import arms and ammunition; also he
can recruit openly, and at his leisure
hunt down the outlying garrisons. The
Sarros crowd doesn't suspect his pres
ence In Sobrante, and by a quick, sav
age stroke he should be able to Jerk
this one-horse government up by the
heels In Jig time particularly since
the citizenry feel no loyalty toward
the Sarros regime and aro only kept
In subjection through fear and lack
of a leader. I'm going to play Rlcar
do to win, If he Isn't killed In the
opening row, for I'm certain he'll lead
tils men."
"I dare say he Is greatly like his
father not afraid to die for his coun
try," she replied pretently. "I am
frlad to be here when be takes that
risk."
"Oh, but you mustn't be here," Web
ster protested.
"Why?"
"Because there'll be street fighting
probably of a desperate character,
and I understand your countrymen go
rather war-mad and do things not
sanctioned by The Hague tribunal. If
there's a steamer In port at the time
I'll put jou aboard her until the Issue
Is decided. I'm going to see Rlcar
do tomorrow night and learn the de
tails of his plan of campaign; after
that I'll be able to act Intelligently."
Rlcardo Ruey, with Dr. Pacheco and
Colonel Caraveo, were engaged In
consultation when Jack Webster, hnv
lng left the Hotel Mateo via his bed
room window In order to avoid pos
sible espionage and made his way to
El Buen Amlgo on foot, was an
nounced by Mother Jenks. The three
conspirators greeted him Joyously, as
Indeed they should, for his loyal
friendship had thus far been one of
their principal bulwarks.
"Well," Webster Inquired, after
greeting them and carefully closing
the door behind him, "here I am In
Buenaventura, marking time and, like
Mr. Mlcawber, waiting for something
to turn up."
"You will not be required to wait
long," Colonel Caraveo assured him.
"Thanks to your kindly otllces, the
trap Is already baited."
"Our friend, Ruey, has, since our
first meeting. Insisted on dispensing
with my consent when using me to
promote bis enterprises, Colonel.
Strange to say, I have been unable to
berate him for his Impudence. I was
down at Leber's warehouse this after
noon. You have enough road-making
tools consigned to me there to build
a pretty fair highway to the gates of
the government palace, I should say.
I hope you have all pondered the re
sult to me, an Innocent bystander, If
your enemies should take a notion to
open one of those cases of shovels."
Colonel Caraveo favored lilm with a
benignant smile. "You forget, my
friend, that I am second In command
. In the Intelligence department, and
that during the absence of your par
ticular friend, Raoul Sarros, In New
Orleans, I am first In command. Since
I already know what those cases con
tain, naturully I shall not take the
trouble to Investigate."
"Well, that's a comfort, Colonel."
"You have Investigated your mining
concession, Webster?" Rlcardo Ruey
asked.
"You bet."
"What did you find?"
"A couple of millions In sight."
Rlcardo shook his head slowly. "It
Is not In sight, old man," he reminded
Webster. "Without our aid and you
cannot have Cur aid unless our revo
lution Is successful, when you shall
have It freely your millions are,
most positively, not in sight If you
want those millions, friend Webster,
there Is but one way to get them
and that Is to close your eyes and
play our game to the limit. 1 wonder
If you'd go further about $40,000 fur
ther, to be exact."
"I might, but I never go It blind for
a wad like that. What's your trou
ble?"
-The Indlvldunl In charge of the
funds of the revolutionary Junta In
New Orleans was muraerea last nignt;
the funds were deposited to bis cred
it as agent in a certain bank, and be
fore the Junta can obtain legal pos
session of them again the psychologi
cal time for their use will have passed.
"We have a steamer chartered, and
200 men, whose business It Is to fight
under any flag at $5 gold per day
and no questions asked, are now mark
ing time on the Isle of I'lnes, off the
coast of Cuba, waiting for our steam
er to cull for them and land them,
with their rifles and ammunition and
six 75-nillllmeter field guns and some
rapid-fire Maxims, at San Bruno, some
18 miles up the coast from here.
"The guns and munitions are now
In Tampu, having been shipped to our
agent there on sight draft, with bill of
lading attached; the steamer Is char
tered and en route to Tampa from
Norfolk, Va., and we must pay the
owners $10,000 the day she begins tak
ing on her cargo, and $10,000 before
she unloads It on lighters at San
Bruno. '
"We must also pay 200 men one
month's pay In advance that Is, $30,
000 ; we cannot meet this expense and
still take up that sight draft now
awaiting our attention In the bank at
Tampa.
"In return for this favor to the pro
visional government of Sobrante, you
shnll have the note of the provisional
government, signed by the provisional
president, myself, and the provisional
cabinet. Dr. Pacheco, Colonel Cara
veo, and two other gentlemen whom
you will meet In due course unless in
the Interim they should be killed. And
as a bonus for saving this country
from a brutal dictator, who Is pillag
ing Its resources for his personal prof
It, yon shall have- a deed of gift to
that mining concession you and your
friend, Geary, are so desirous of work
ing; also the title shall be certified
by the government and the Supreme
court of Sobrante and absolutely se
cured to you against future aggres
sion In the event that the new regime
should be overthrown at some future
date. Also you have my profound
gratitude and that of my people."
"Tell me your plan of campaign,"
Webster suggested.
In a secret rendezvous In the
mountnlns I have 1,000 picked men
my father's veterans. They are armed
with modern rifles and machetes. The
nitrate company, which has been suf
fering from heavy export duties im
posed by Sarros, has loaned me all the
rolling stock of the railroad for one
night It will be mobilized at San
Miguel de Padua by next Saturday
night; my troops will arrive late the
same afternoon and entrain at once.
"In the interim all telephone and
telegraph communications with Bue
naventura will be severed. The night
previous our steamer will have dis
charged her cargo of men and muni
tions at San Bruno; a chain of out
posts will at once be established and
all communication with the capital
will be shut off.
"On Saturday night also, the Con
solidated Fruit company's steamer,
La Estrelllta, will make port with 30
Americans In her steerage. These
men will be road-makers and miners
Imported by Mr. J. 8.' v Webster, and
In order to make certain that they
will come, you have already ordered
them by cable. We have arranged
with the port doctor to give La Es
trelllta a clean bill of health the very
night she arrives. Hence the ship'
authorities will not b auspicious, I
hope, when we remove our men after
dark and house them In Leber's ware
bouse, where they will fcpend the night
unpacking those spades, picks and
shovels of yours and getting the fac
tory grease off them.
"At '4 o'clock In the morning varl'
ous citizens of Sobrante, with rebel
lion in their hearts, will begin to m
blllzr at Leber's warehouse, where
they vlll be Issued rifles and aramunl
tlon and where they will wait until
the action Is opened to the south by
the detachment from San Bruno,
which, having marched from San Bru
no the night before, will have arrived
outside the city, and will be awaiting
tbe signal from me. I will attack
from the west cautiously.
"Now, there are 6,000 government
troops in the city and in various can
tonments on tbe outskirts. These can
tonments are to be rushed and set
afire; I figure that the confusion of
our sudden attack will create a riot
purtlculurly wheb I do something that
Isn't very popular as a war feature
down this way, and that is charge
and keep on coming.
"The government troops will start
to full back on the city, only to find
themselves flanked by a fierce -artillery
fire from the San Bruno contin
gent ; the troops from the arsenal, the
guards at the palace and the Flf
teenth regiment of Infantry, now sta-
Honed at the Cuartel de Infanterla.
next the government palace, will be
dispatched post baste to repulse the
attack, and 400 men, with the machine
gun company waiting In Leber's ware
house, will promptly move upon them
from the rear and capture the arsenal.
fT' V. . M . i . .
xnere um a ibw mousana rines and a
lot of ammunition stored there: 1
miss my guess If, as soon as the news
of Its capture by the rebels spreads
through the city (and I shall bavs
men to spread it), I shall not have a
few thousand volunteers eager to help
overthrow Sarros.
"Onto cut off from the arsenal and
the palace, Sarros must fight bis way
out oj the city In order to bave tbe
slightest chance to suppress the rebel
lion, for he will have no refuge In the
city. And with the railroad and all
the rolling stock In our bonds, .with
out a commissary for bis troops, with
out h base of supplies, even should
the government troops fight their way
threugh, they leave the city In my
hands and I'll recruit end arm my men
find hunt them down like Jack rabbits
at my leisure. Once let the arsenal
and the palace fall into my hands,
once let me proclaim myself provis
ional president once let the people
know that Rlcardo Ruey, the beloved,
lives again in the person of his son,
and I tell you, Webster, this country
Is saved. How do you like my plan
of campaign?"
"It couldn't be any better If I had
planned It myself. You might accept
my suggestion and armor that little
mt-tor truck of mine. It arrived on
yesterday' steamer."
"And some armor sheet steel with
It sheet steel already loop-holed for
tbe barrels of the two machine guns
It will carry I" Dr. Pacheco cried Joy
ously. "Have you provided a chauffeur,
Doctor?"
"I bave likewise an armored sheet
steel closet for htm to sit In while
chaff eurlng."
"How about that loan to the pro
visional government?" Rlcardo de
manded pointedly.
Webster did not hesitate. After nil,
what was money to him now? Billy
bad gone away, bis hopes raised high,
already a millionaire after the fash
ion of mining men, who are ever ready
to count their chicks before they are
hatched, provided only they see the
eggs. Besides, there was Dolores. Full
well Webster realized that Billy,
tossed back once more Into the Jaws
of the well-known wolf of poverty,
would not have the courage upon his
return to Sobrante to ask Dolores to
share his poverty wltfi him; should
Ilk
mvwm- m i&
'II, hf ' ' 1 'J.W
. 1 ,&Snrrm w,m
m ,-VA A yi i: ,
"Telf Me Your Plan of Campaign."
the revolution fall, Rlcardo Ruey
would be an outcast a bunted man
with a price on his bead, and In no
position to care for his sister, even
should he survive long enough to
know he bad a sister. She would
be alone in the world if be, John Stu
art Webster, .failed ber now more
than ever she needed a man's strength
and affection to help ber navigate tbe
tide-rips of life, for life to a woman,
alone and unprotected and dependent
upon her labor for tbe bread she must
eat, must contain, at best a full meas
ure of terror and despair and loneli
ness. He pictured ber through a grim
processional of years of skimping and
petty sacrifices and all because be,
John Stuart Webster, bad hesitated to
lead a dreamer and an idealist a pal
try $40,000 without security.
No, there was no. alternative. If
his friendship for Billy was worth a
sou, It was worth $40,000; if his silent,
unrequited love for Dolores Ruey was
worthy of her, no sacrifice on his part
could be too great provided it guar
anteed her happiness.
"Ruined again," be sighed. "This
Is only another of those numerous oc
casions when the tall goes with the
hide. How soon do you want the
money r
Rlcardo Luis Ruey leaned forward
and gazed very earnestly at John Stu
art Webster. "Do you really trust me
uiai niucti, my friend?" be asked feel
ingly. "Remember, I am asking you
tor w,uw on faith."
"Old sport," John Stuart Webster
answered, "you went overboard In
Buenaventura harbor and took a
chance among those big, liver-colored,
hammer-headed sharks. And you did
that because you bad a cause you
wougni wortn dying lor. I never knew
a man who had a cause that was
worth dying for who would even es
pouse a cause worth swindling for.
You win only I want yon. to under.
stand one thing, Rlcardo: I'm sot
doing this for the sake of saving that1
mining concession the Sarros govern
ment gave my friend, Geary. I'm
above doing a thing like this for mon
ey for myself. It seems to me I must
do It to gunrantee the happiness of
two people I love: My friend, Geary,
and the girl he's going to marry. I
reject your promissory note and your
promise of a deed of gift for that con
cession, and accept only your grati
tude. There are no strings to this
loan, because It isn't a loan at all.
It's a bet If you lose, I'll help you
get out of the country and absolve
you of any Indebtedness to me. How
ever, If you should win, I know you'll
reimburse me from the national treasury."
"And you do not desire a bonus?"
"Nothing that will cost the citizens
of this country one penny of their
heritage. I'm going to bet this mon
ey bet it understand, not loan it
However, if you want to be a sport
and grant me a little favor in return,
you can.
"Fire away."
- "After I give you this money, I
don't want the doctor and the colonel
to kiss me to show bow grateful they
are."
"You vAmderful fellow 1 Jack Web
ster, if I bad a sister I should want
her to mnrrv you."
"Show how little you'd think of
your sister staking her to a senti
mental Jackass. Shall I cable the
money to New Orleans in the morning?"
"That will do very nicely."
"To whom shall I cable the mon
ey?"
"Send it to the Picayune National
bank of New Orleans, with instruc
tions to credit account No. 240, J.
E. P trustee. In this little game
we are ploying, my friend. It Is saf
er to deal In numbers and Initials
rather than names. The local cable
office leaks aulte regularly."
"Very well, Rlcardo, I'll attend to
It first thing In the morning. Go to
It and win, or there'll be several new
faces whining around the devil, not
the least of which will be mine. When
you charge, remember you're charg
ing for my $40,000 and go through
with It. I worked rather hard for
that $40,000, and If I must lose it I
do not want to do it in a half-hearted
fight Give me, at least a bloody run
for my money. I'll have a reserved
sent somewhere watching the gome."
"If you'll take my advice, you'll go
aboard La Estrelllta and stay there
until the Issue Is decided. When the
first gun Is fired, it signals the open
season on mining engineers who butt
in on affairs of state."
"What I And mo with a healthy
bet down on the result! I hope I'm
a better sport than that"
"You're Incorrigible. Be careful,
then, and don't get yourself potted by
a stray bullet"
"Shall I see you fellows before the
blow-off?"
"1 scarcely think so."
"Then if you're through with me,
I'll bid you all good-by and good luck.
I'll bave dinner with you in the put-
ace Sunday evening."
"May I bring a guest?"
"By all means."
Webster shook bands with the trio
and departed for bis hotel. For the
first time in many years be was heavy
of heart crushed. "Neddy Jerome
was right" be soliloquized. "This Is
the last place on earth for me to have
come to. I've made Neddy sore on
me, and he's lost patience and put an
other man In the Job he promised me;
I've raised Billy's hopes sky-high and
had to bet $40,000 to keep them there;
I've been fool enough to fall In love
with my friend's fiancee; I'm a hu
man cat's paw, and the finest thing I
can do now Is to go out next Sunday
morning with that machine gun com
pnny from Leber's warehouse and get
killed."
CHAPTER XIV.
The following morning Webster In-
formed Dolores fully of his Interview
with ber brother and his confreres the
night before, concealing from her only
the fact that lie was financing the
revolution and his reasons for financ
ing It He was still depressed, and
Dolores, observing bis mood, forbore
to Intrude upon It Accordingly she
claimed the prerogative of her sex
a slight headache and retreated to
her room, In the privacy of which she
was suddenly very much surprised to
find herself weeplnj softly because
John Stuart Webster was unhappy
and didn't deserve to be.
It was Impossible, however, for
Webster long to remain Impervious to
the note of ridiculousness underlying
the forthcoming tragic events. . Here
was a little 2x4 poverty-stricken hot
bed of Ignorance and Intrigue culling
Itself a republic, a little stretch of
country no larger than a couple of
bis" western counties, about to indulge
In the national pastime of civil war
and unabie to do It except by grace
of an humble citizen of a sister re
public I
Five or six thousand Ignorant, 111
equipped, Ill-drilled seml-brlgands call
lng themselves soldiers, entrusted with
the task of enabling one of their nnra
ber to ride, horse and dog, ove- 1,000,-
000 people I
How farcical I No wonder Rlcardo,
wrth his northern viewpoint, approach
ed his patriotic task with gayety, al
most with contempt And whim Web
ster recalled that the about-to-be-boro.
provisional government had casually
borrowed from blra the sum of forty
thousand dollars In order to turn the
trick borrowing It forsooth. In much
the same spirit a a commuter board
ing bis train without the necessary
fare halls a neighbor and borrows ten
cents his natural optimism asserted
Itsel.' and he chuckled as In fancy he
heard himself telling the story to Ned
dy Jerome and being branded a liar
for bis pains.
"Well, I've had one comfort ever
since I first saw that girl," he re
flected philosophically. "While I've
never been so unhappy u all my life
before, or had to tear my soul out by
the roots so often, things have been
coming my way so fast from other di
rections that I haven't had much op
portunity to dwell on the matter. And
for these compensating offsets, good
Lord, I thank Thee,"
He was John Stuart Webster again
when Dolores saw him next; during
tbe succeeding days his mood of
cheerfulness nnd devil-may-care indif
ference never left him. And through
out that period of marking time Do
lores was much In bis society, a con
dition which be told himself was not
to his liking but which, nevertheless,
he could not obviate without seeming
Indifferent to her happiness. , And to
permit his friend's fiuncee to languish
In loneliness and heart-break did not
appear to John Stuurt Webster as the
part of a true friend or a courtly gen
tleman and he remembered that she
had once called him that
They rode together In the cool of the
morning; they drove together on the
Malecon In the cop of the evening;
chaperoned by Do,rJuan Cafetero and
a grinning Sobrantean,4hey went shark
fishing In Leber's launch; they played
dominoes together; they discussed,
throughout the long, lazy, quiet after
noons, when the remainder of their
world retired for the siesta, books, art.
men, women, and things.
And not once, throughout two weeks
of camaraderie, did the heart-racked
Webster forget for-a -s'ag'.e Instant.,
that he was the nvw friend destined
to become the old friend; never, to
the girl's watchful eyes, did be be
tray the slightest disposition to estab
lish their friendly relatloLS on a closer
basis.
Thus did the arrival of Tbe Day
find them. Toward sunset they rode
out together along the bay shore and
noted far out to sea the smear of
smoke that marked the approach of
La Estrelllta on schedule time.
"You will go aboard her tonight,
Webster said very quietly to Dolores.
"And you?"
"I shall go aboard with yon. I have
arranged with Don Juan for him to
stay ashore and to come out in Le
ber's launch with the first reliable
rews of the conflict If Rlcard6 wins
the city, be wins the revolution, and
you and I will then go ashore to dine
with him in the palace. If he loses
the city, he loses the revolution, and
we will both do welt to remain aboard
La Estrelllta."
"And In that event, what will be
come of my brother?"
"1 do not know; I forgot to ask
him, but If he survives, I Imagine
he'll have sense enough to know he's
whipped and will retreat on San Bra
no, fighting a rear guard action, em
bark aboard tbe steamer that brought
his men there, and escape."
"I'm worried about Mother Jenks."
"I have asked Mother Jenks to dine
with us at 7 :30 this evening, and have
ordered a carriage to call for her.
When she comes I'll tell her every
thing; then, If she wishes to stay
ashore, let her. She's been through
irore than one such fracas and doesn't
mind them at all, I dare say."
And In this Webster was right
Mother Jenks listened In profound si
lence, nodding her approval, as Web
ster related to her the story of the
advent In the country of Rlcardo Ruey
and his plans, but without revealing:
the Identity of Andrew Bowers.
At the conclusion of bis recital the
old publican merely sold: "Gor bll
me I"
After a silence she added: "My
sainted 'Enery used to s'y the proper
hodris for a white man in a bally row
o' this nature was 40 to 1. Gor1, but
how my Balnted 'Enery would henjoy
beln: 'tre this night to 'elp with the
guns." She sighed.
"How about a little bottle of wine
to drink peace to your sainted Henry
and luck to The Cause?" Webster sug
gested. "That's wot I calls talkln'," Mother
Jenks responded promptly, and Web
ster, gazing reflectively at the old
lady's beard, woudered why she had
not been born a man.
Dolores, fearful for her benefactor's
safety, urged Mother Jenks to accom
pany them out aboard La Estrelllta,
but the old dame Indignantly refused,
and when pressed for a reason gave
It with the utmost frankness; "They'll
be tyktn' Sarros, an' when they tyke
'lm they'll back him ag'lu the same
wall be backed my sainted "Enery and
your father against my dear. I've a.
notion that your father's son'U let
Mrs. Col. 'Enery Jenks come to th
party."
(TO BE CONTINUED.)