The steamship _Yucatan_ was swinging slowly into a little harbor. Land,
visible for the first time since leaving the Panama Canal, was now close
at hand.
"What place is this?" asked Shirley of Dick, who stood forward gazing
over the rail by her side.
Dick consulted his guide book, remarking: "I can't remember the name of
these outlandish places."
"It's Punta Arenas," he said at last, looking up. "Costa Rica, you
know," he added in explanation.
"And what are we putting in here for?"
"You'll have to ask the captain about that," replied Dick. "It's too
deep for me."
The vessel came to anchor some distance from shore. It was announced
that the ship would lay there for several hours, and the captain gave
notice that those desiring to land would be taken off in the small
boats.
Shirley immediately announced her intention of being one of the landing
party, and loath to let the girl go alone, Mr. Willing and the others
also determined to go ashore.
Half an hour later found them strolling about the dirty looking narrow
streets of the little town.
Poorly-dressed natives, men, women and children, eyed them queerly as
they walked along, the latter following them for blocks begging for
money. Shirley would have given one of the children a piece of silver
but for the first officer of the ship, who stayed her.
"Give money to one of them and the rest will follow you forever," he
explained.
"But they look so dirty and hungry," protested Shirley.
"Perhaps they are," was the officer's reply, "but take no chances with
them."
Shirley followed his advice, as did the others of the party, and the
dirty native children soon let them alone. When the party started back,
however, the children trailed them once more, begging piteously for
money.
At the wharf Shirley, unheeding the advice of the officer, turned and
tossed a silver quarter toward them.
Instantly the place became a scene of wild confusion. There was a
scramble as boys and girls dived headlong for the piece of silver. Loud
cries filled the air.
A little girl raised up with the piece of money clutched tightly in her
hand and started to run. But the others were upon her in an instant, and
threw her to the ground, striking and clawing as they tried to take the
quarter away from her.
Shirley looked at the disorder she had caused in amazement.
"My goodness!" she exclaimed. "I had no idea they were so savage."
She watched the struggle.
Now a boy had secured the quarter and tried to escape with it. But he
fared no better than had the girl, and soon was beneath the pile of
struggling bodies. The children fought savagely, biting, screaming,
kicking and scratching.
The party from the steamship watched with interest.
"See what you did, Shirley," cried Mabel. "Just watch them fight."
"I won't do it again," declared Shirley. "Some of them will be badly
hurt."
At this moment a newcomer appeared upon the scene. He walked slowly, and
plainly was in no particular hurry. Shirley glanced at him curiously.
He was attired in a dark blue uniform. A revolver and sword hung at his
side. He was short but stout, and a black mustache curled fiercely
upward.
He was just what Shirley took him to be, an officer of the Costa Rican
army.
He advanced into the mass of struggling children and pushed the
combatants aside without ceremony. As they looked up and perceived him,
the fighters turned and fled.
The sight was indeed comical and Shirley and all the others laughed long
and loud.
One little boy, before taking to his heels, stooped quickly and picked
up the quarter, which had rolled a short distance away. But even as he
started to run, the native officer reached out a hand and caught him by
the shoulder.
In vain did the boy struggle to free himself, biting and kicking. He was
no match for the man, and at last he dropped the piece of silver. The
officer then released him and looked around.
While the Americans still watched him he stooped, picked up the quarter,
turned it over in his hand once or twice, spun it in the air, caught it
as it came down and thrust it in his pocket. Then, without a glance to
right or left, he turned and stalked away.
"There!" exclaimed the ship's officer, "you can see what has happened to
your quarter. It's what happens to most of those thrown to the children
by tourists."
"It's an outrage!" declared Shirley. "I wouldn't have given him
anything. Isn't there something we can do about it?"
"Not a thing," was the reply. "It is legitimate graft. But watch, now,
you'll see what the little folks do."
As the native officer continued to swagger along, from behind houses and
from down streets a hail of rocks and stones dropped upon him. The
children, divided in the fight for the quarter, had joined forces
against this common enemy and were pelting him vigorously.
"Good!" exclaimed Mabel. "I am glad of it. I hope they hurt him, the big
coward."
The native officer stopped and glared around angrily at his small
assailants for a moment, while the rocks and stones fell on him faster
than before. One struck him in the face. This was too much for his
courage. He took to his heels, and with the mob of children in close
pursuit, was soon lost to sight.
"I hope they get him," declared Shirley vehemently.
"They won't, though," replied the officer of the _Yucatan_. "If he were
to turn on them they'd stop and, from a safe place, continue their
bombardment. He'll find shelter some place."
Before they could return to the launch which would take them back to the
ship, the swarm of children again came into view, rushing for them.
"Quick!" cried the officer, "into the boat. They'll run right over us.
They've caught a sight of silver and they won't let us alone until we
give them some, or until we are out of reach."
He hustled the others toward the small boat at a run, and succeeded in
getting them in before the native children reached the water's edge.
Then the boat put off for the ship.
A cry of anger went up from the shore.
"Duck!" cried the officer, himself taking his place in the stern and
grasping the rudder.
His warning came not a moment too soon.
A shower of missiles, hurled with unerring aim, fell upon the little
craft. Disappointed in their quest, the native children were now bent on
revenge.
As fast as they could pick them up and throw, rocks went skimming across
the water, falling on both sides, and in front and behind the boat.
Several dropped aboard.
One, in falling, just skimmed the back of Shirley's head as she stooped
over in the boat. Dick immediately squeezed in behind her, and another,
thrown with unerring aim, carried away his hat. Fortunately however,
this broke the force of the stone, and it fell to the bottom of the boat
without doing any further damage.
The boat was drawing out of danger now, and the occupants sat up again
and drew breaths of relief. Only the stronger of the tots could now
reach them with their missiles, and the distance was too great for
accurate throwing, so those in the boats felt perfectly safe.
Upon the shore the crowd of native boys and girls gave vent to cries of
rage at thus being deprived of their revenge. They danced about
excitedly and waved their hands in angry gestures.
At this juncture another native officer hove in sight, and the crowd
turned on him. Again rocks, stones and other weapons came into play as
the children turned upon him to vent their wrath. For a moment the
officer seemed on the point of charging into the crowd, then changed his
mind, wheeled on his heel and took to flight. The young ones gave chase,
their shouts and cries carrying across the water to the occupants of the
boat.
"Well!" exclaimed Shirley, now that they were out of harm's way at last,
"they are vicious little things, aren't they?"
"Rather," replied the officer dryly. "If a person fell into their hands
it would go hard with him."
"But what makes them so fierce?" asked Mabel, greatly interested.
"That's hard to say. However, it probably is because they are half
starved and look upon the whole world as a common foe. More than one
tourist has received rough treatment at their hands."
"And will they attack any one like that?" asked Dick.
"Not unless he shows money," was the reply. "That is the remarkable part
about it. No matter how much a man may have in his pocket they will not
attack him unless they catch sight of silver or gold. One glimpse of it,
however, seems to drive them wild."
The officer gave his attention to the boat for a moment, and then
continued:
"Another thing, as you have just observed. They will fight each other,
but let a third party interfere and they will all jump on him."
"Just like a quarrel between a man and his wife, eh?" asked Mr. Willing
with a smile.
"Exactly. They're a queer lot, and you will find them about the same in
all Central and South American countries."
The small boat now rubbed gently against the side of the _Yucatan_ and
the passengers scrambled up the ladder to the deck.
"We were lucky to get out of that with whole skins," declared Shirley,
when all once more stood on deck.
"I should say we were," agreed Mabel.
"Perhaps this experience will teach you to heed the advice of others,
daughter," said Mr. Willing dryly.
"I won't try and play the good Samaritan to native children any more,
Dad," said Shirley smiling.
A long blast from the ship's whistle, followed by the clanking of chains
as the anchor was drawn in, the vibrations of the engines became
noticeable, and, with her nose pointed to the open sea, the steamship
_Yucatan_ resumed her journey.