Since every one in tropical America called Warrenia Rowland by the
surname of Major Jack Starland and the two were accepted as brother
and sister we will do the same for the present, and thus avoid
possible confusion.
These two had been on the Forked River but a short time, when they
awoke to a most unpleasant fact, in addition to that which has already
been mentioned. While the climate was wholesome enough to those
accustomed to it, it was highly dangerous to visitors. The air was
damp, oppressive and miasmatic, probably because of the rank
vegetation that grew everywhere. Still further, the insect pests were
intolerable at times. Several cases of illness among the crew of the
yacht, though fortunately none was fatal, alarmed Aunt Cynthia and
caused some uneasiness on the part of Major Starland, as well as of
Captain Winton. In the circumstances, the Major felt warranted in
urging the plea of business as a legitimate one for haste in leaving
the detestable country.
It has been intimated that after Miss Starland had been delivered over
to her dearest friend, the yacht dropped down the river to Zalapata,
and left Jack there. Captain Winton, who was a cousin of Aunt Cynthia,
intended to steam some twenty miles farther eastward to the city of
San Luis, where a few needed supplies would be taken aboard. Then the
boat would return to Zalapata for its owner, and continue on to
Atlamalco, there to receive the young woman for the homeward voyage.
Major Jack Starland was considerate enough to decide to remain most of
the time at the capital of General Bambos, knowing the school mates
would wish to devote the all too-brief period to each other.
Consequently he would only be in the way. The Major gave no specific
instructions to Captain Winton, but left much to his discretion. It
was intimated to him that he might return to Atlamalco in the course
of a few days,--an elastic term which might be halved or doubled
without any blame attaching to the skipper.
General Bambos was delighted for the time with the companionship of a
man who had received the thorough military training of his visitor.
Ignorant as most of the prominent South Americans are, the majority
have heard of West Point, and all know something of the courage and
achievements of the greatest nation in all the world. The General
consulted often with his guest and Major Starland never did, or rather
never attempted to do, a more praiseworthy thing than when he strove
to impress upon the bulky Dictator the folly and crime of war.
"It was truthfully characterized by our General Sherman as 'hell'; it
has been the curse of the ages and brought misery and death to
millions, besides turning back the hands on the dial of progress for
centuries. Shun it as you would the pestilence that stalks at
noonday."
Such discourse is thrown away upon the South American leader to whom
revolutions are as the breath of his life. General Bambos blandly
smiled and cordially agreed with the wise sentiments, but laid the
blame eternally on the other fellow. If _he_ would only do that which
is just, wars would cease and blessed peace would brood forever over
all nations and peoples.
Major Starland took another tack. There had been hostilities between
Zalapata and Atlamalco in the past, with no special advantage accruing
to either side. On the whole perhaps the latter Republic had been the
gainer, since the last treaty ceded to General Yozarro a small strip
of territory on which _Castillo Descanso_ stood, the same having been
a bone of contention for a long time.
The purchase of a tugboat by General Yozarro had unquestionably tipped
the scales in his favor. The American did his best to show Bambos this
fact and to warn him that in case of another war between the
republics, Zalapata was sure to be the chief sufferer. Bambos could
not gainsay this and he was now seeking to balance things, by floating
a loan which was to be used in arming his troops with modern weapons.
He made a tempting offer to Major Starland to enter his service,
agreeing to pay him an enormous salary in gold, though one might well
question where he was to obtain a fractional part of it, and to place
him in supreme command of the military forces of the Republic.
While the American was illimitably the superior in mentality to the
gross Dictator, he failed to perceive an important truth, which did
not become clear to him until after his plain talk with Captain
Guzman. The great object of the obese nuisance in warring against
Yozarro was to place Miss Starland under deep obligations to him,
though he was too cunning to intimate anything of that nature. When
Jack Starland kindly but firmly declined his offer, he feared that he
would become an obstacle to his scheme; and although he hid any such
feeling, he would have been glad to have him disappear from the stage
of action. What galled Bambos was the fact that the American lady was
the guest of his rival, who he knew would do his utmost to woo and win
her. To bring to naught anything of that nature, he determined to wage
war against Yozarro and shatter the opportunity that fortune had
placed in the hands of that detested individual. It cannot be said
that the logic of Bambos was of the best, but it must be remembered
that the gentle passion plays the mischief with numskulls as well as
with men of wisdom.
Such in brief was the situation, when Major Jack Starland yielded to
his growing unrest over the visit of his sister to her friend. He had
learned that General Yozarro was a widower--though as in the case of
Bambos that would have made little difference in his wayward
promptings--and he decided that it would be well to shorten the visit
of Miss Starland or to bear her company, so long as she stayed in
Atlamalco. He would be welcomed by the young women themselves, and,
although Yozarro might wish him to the uttermost parts of the earth,
he, too, would be gracious. So the sail of the American and Captain
Guzman up the forked river becomes clear to the reader.
Never was mortal man more infatuated with woman than was General
Yozarro, from the moment he first laid eyes on the "Flower of the
North," as he poetically named her. His passion was too absorbing to
be concealed, and in the sanctity of their apartments the niece
rallied her friend on the conquest she had made.
"But it is the very one I do not wish to make," protested the annoyed
American; "I like General Yozarro, chiefly because he is your
relative, but absolutely my feeling can never go beyond that."
"I thought your heart had not wandered elsewhere."
"It has not, and it can never pass to him, my dear Manuela."
"May I not say that you might go farther and fare worse? He is one of
the kindest-hearted of men, is wealthy and would always be your
slave."
"You name the very quality I cannot tolerate in the one whom I love; I
care nothing for wealth, for I do not need it; I want no man to be my
slave, and I shall never marry any one who is not an American like
myself."
"But many of your young women marry titles abroad."
"And too often hate themselves afterward for doing so. Misery and
wretchedness generally follow, for there is something unnatural in
such a union, with nothing of love on either side. Then, too, your
uncle is double my age, and it is impossible--utterly impossible for
me to return any affection on his part, if it really exists."
"There can be no doubt of _that_," replied the impulsive Atlamalcan,
throwing her arms around her friend and affectionately kissing her.
"Be assured I shall never urge you to do anything contrary to your own
pure nature. More than that, I shall take the first opportunity to
impress upon General Yozarro the hopelessness of any love he may feel
toward you."
"That is just like your true self!" exclaimed the American, returning
the ardent caresses of her friend; "my stay with you is to be too
brief to allow any such cloud to come between us. Much as I hate to
cause you distress, Manuela, I shall not stay another day if he
persists in forcing his attentions upon me."
"Have no fear of that. He is too good, too considerate, too honorable
to bring pain to any one. He will be grieved when I tell him the
truth, as I shall lose no time in doing, and will hasten to repair the
injustice. So let us kiss again, and say and think no more about it."
True to her promise, Senorita Estacardo took the first occasion to
explain frankly the situation to her uncle. He listened thoughtfully,
admitted his grief that his new-born hope should be crushed, but
declared he would accept the facts like an honorable man and take
every pains that their visitor should not be annoyed in any way by
him.
Nothing could have been more delightful than the few days that
followed. General Yozarro took his niece and her friend on several
voyages down the Rio Rubio, and far enough westward to give her
glimpses of the magnificent fauna and flora of that interesting
region. There were times when the exuberance of vegetation and
foliage, the sweep of the mighty waters, and the superabundance of
animal life filled her with awe and a certain fear, but her wonder
never abated. The guns on the craft were fired several times for her
entertainment, but the General prudently refrained from pointing out
the target until he had made sure where the missile had struck, when
he found no difficulty in doing so.
No knight of the Crusades could have been more attentive to her
slightest wish. Indeed he was so gracious and thoughtful that she felt
at times a certain compunction. She wished she could give her
affection to one who possessed so many admirable qualities, but
compressing her lips, she shook her head and said again and again:
"It can never be."
Now and then spots showed on the sun. She caught glimpses of the
volcano-like nature of the man, when some of the crew or his people
displeased him. She was horrified to overhear some words which made
known the shooting of the brother of Martella for a trifling fault,
and she learned, too, of Yozarro's ferocious cruelties to others,
including some who had been taken prisoners in honorable warfare.
Underneath that suave, smiling exterior lurked Satan himself.