Argosy, Vol. 85, No. 3 — page 64: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

406 THE For one thing, it appeared that Altara, alleged President of Guanama, had fled at dawn, after an insane hour of bar- gaining with Marado, late secretary of state. The upshot of the interview had been that, Marado agreeing dazedly that the recent president should not be pur- sued, Altara had left a signed confession in his hands, to be put to whatever use Marado or any one else elected! As a document it was a _ wonder. Hastily written, even ungrammatical in spots, .it breathed one _panic-stricken Guanaman’s desire to save himself by exposing all his accomplices; nor did it. lack in the definite quality, for it gave names and dates and amounts of bribes at such length that Hemmett at least all but forgot the substantial meal before him. News travels fast in Guanama. An hour after daylight, Alvarez stated, there had been something very like a proces- sion of laden motor-cars making for the northern border. Puerto Carlo’s three morning papers were wallowing helplessly in the trough of events, without editors or visible owners; five of the big gray army automobiles had fought for the right of way on the first hill north of the city, packed with uniforms, trunks, and gesticulating men. Not less than eleven senators had re- signed and disappeared, and it was related by Alvarez that the cruiser Almiranta had started out of the harbor, had been halted by some saner souls aboard, had transferred her cargo of Guanamans to the huge yacht that had followed William Jones to Puerto Carlo —and it was gone, leaving the navy shorter of officers as such and decidedly longer of good ones! A thousand miles nearer the north pole the whole thing would have been = gro- tesque and impossible; in Guanama it was only a little more than might have been expected, for when panic and fear strike into Guanaman circles they strike hard and spread more rapidly than any wildfire. ARGOSY. And now, because the senate had no speaker, and Barton had collapsed com- pletely when his wife returned, because there had been a certain strong demand this morning in influential circles that he grip the situation instantly, Hemmett was sitting up here and looking at Gua- nama’s senate while Stephen Girton at his side assorted documents, pushed this one forward and then that, grunted, and occasionally chuckled to himself. Perhaps the most cheering document of all of them was the long official message from Washington, D. C., decoded now and ready to be fired broadside into the choice little collection of legislators! The clerk was calling the roll in a smal], hushed voice. Senators from the north, the south, the west, and the east answered, also in rather small, hushed voices, although here and there a con- sciously righteous man spoke vigorously in response to his name, and even cleared his throat impressively afterward. The clerk turned toward Mr. Hemmett and murmured: “There are nineteen more than we require for a quorum, senor!” ; ‘Then we'll open the day’s business! ”’ Hemmett smiled grimly as he arose. ““ Gentlemen!” | Absolute attention was his in one second! . “The senate of Guanama has no speaker this morning,” Mr. Hemmett went on. ‘“ He is in the federal prison awaiting trial on a charge of high treason. ‘He will be shot. I have taken the chair, because there are things to be said which I, perhaps better than any one else, am qualified to say. Has any mem- ber an objection to offer, on parliamentary grounds or any other grounds?” Absolute silence rewarded him. Mr. Hemmett looked significantly at one Ramon Matora, from the Las Almas district, who rose promptly and faced his brother legislators. ‘“T move that the most excellent and highly esteemed Sefior Hemmett be ap- DOOK AMUC C©