Argosy, Vol. 85, No. 3 — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

408 “An act!” rasped Mr. Hemmett. “ An act to expel from the navy of Guanama and from the army of Guanama every officer and enlisted. man who has served less than two years, and every other of- ficer and enlisted man, whatever his period of service, who shall be unable to prove his absolute loyalty at all times past and present to Guanama!”’ The clerk read it—and it was sweeping and impressive. It was indeed astonish- ingly impressive when one remembered that it was Marado’s composition, and when it had been read a vote was taken, and the act became a law, ready for Ferrata’s signature! » And again Mr. Hemmett had risen and brought down his gavel. ‘* Another act!” said he. ‘‘ An act, this time, to declare the National Engine Works confiscated by the government of Guanama, for its own private purposes hereafter and forever, and providing that the nominal incorporators of the said engine works shall receive as indemnity the official valuation they have put on the plant—one million dollars, United States. It’s worth about thirty,” he added infor- mally, ‘‘ and there’s no real reason for giving up that one million, but it looks better.” The act was read. The vote was taken. Guanama had another new law! ‘Another act!” continued the speaker pro tem. “ An act granting immunity to any resident of Guanama, upon the fur- hishing of a permanent bond of ten thousand dollars, who may confess vol- untarily and in detail to his participation in the scheme by which Guanama was to have been the naval base of a foreign power; and further providing a penalty of life imprisonment for any such resident who may not have confessed and who may be found within the boundaries of Guanama forty-eight hours after the Signing of this act!” There was a hush after the reading of this act, and much shifting about. Sev- eral decidedly pallid faces appeared, too —yet the act became a law. THE ARGOSY. “‘ And still another one,’’ Hemmett in- toned. ‘“‘ This act provides that, to the last vessel, Guanama hereby sells to the United States of America every vessel of ‘the Guanaman. navy, as it stands to-day in every particular, and at the price named in the records of the Gua- naman navy as the purchase price. ‘For example, your Almiranta’s down as having cost seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars as second-hand junk, and that’s what the United States pays for her. The fact that she’s worth about six million does not figure here at all. That’s somebody else’s loss, but it isn’t Guanama’s. Get in your vote on that, Mr. Clerk!” | It came more slowly this time. There was much waving of hands and much undertone discussion—but the gavel came down, thrice and hard, in the thick of it, and they looked at Mr. Hemmett and felt the power of a great republic behind him. The Guanaman navy, as_ such, ceased to be! ‘““There’s a rather sweeping bill re- garding the character of men who shall be assigned to duty at the coast forts and the general cleaning up of European men and things in the army and _ political circles, but that ll have to be put into better shape before we take action on it,” continued the speaker pro tem. “So I think we can come to the most important piece of work of the morning, gentlemen. It is this: ‘‘ Guanama is about to have a new, and a new kind of, treaty with the United States! With the help of the American minister, we’ll have it drafted and signed before night, but the general import of it is this: The government of Guanama agrees to deposit within one month the sum of one hundred million dollars with the government at Washington! Yes, I thought that would start you yelling!” smiled the speaker as he hammered his gavel. | ‘* Suitable interest will be paid, and the money ’ll be safer there than here. Should the government of Guanama, at DOOK AMUC C©