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It was a degraded, horrible, inglorious end to be caught by the heels after the real battle was lost; to die of fever in a cell; to be stabbed with bayonets on the wharf, and thrown to the carrion harbor- sharks. I swung around upon the Captain, and fought for my life as desperately as though I had a rope around my neck. "That man is a liar," I cried. "I was not in Amapala last night.
Inside, in English, was the following letter in Aiken's handwriting: "DEAR OLD MAN We had to drop you here, as we were too sick to carry you any farther. They jumped us at San Lorenzo, and when we found we couldn't get to Amapala from here, we decided to scatter, and let each man take care of himself. Von Ritter and I, and two of the boys, are taking Laguerre with us.
There would be salutes and visits of ceremony, speeches, banquets, reviews. But in these rejoicings Amapala would have no part. For, so Everett was informed by cable, unless, previous to the visit of the Secretary, Amapala fell into line with her sister republics and signed a treaty of extradition, from the itinerary of the great man Amapala would find herself pointedly excluded.
I was at work there on the railroad." "Did you come here from Colon?" "No; I worked up the Pacific side. I was clerking with Rossner Brothers at Amapala for a while, because I speak a little German, and then I footed it over to Puerto Cortez and got a job with the lottery people.
When I again awoke the sun was well up, and when I raised my head the boatman pointed to a fringe of palms that hung above the water, and which he told me rose from the Island of Amapala.
Indeed, so important were these gentlemen that Everett was made to understand that, until they approved, his recognition as the American minister was in a manner temporary. Chester Ward, or "Chet," as the exiles referred to him, was one of the richest men in Amapala, and was engaged in exploring the ruins of the lost city of Cobre, which was a one-hour ride from the capital.
When I heard that, I gave a cheer all by myself, and I felt so much better for the news that I at once began to plot for my own departure. The day was Wednesday, the day before the steamer left Amapala, and I determined to start for the island the following evening.
When giving him his farewell instructions, the Secretary of State had not attempted to deceive him. "Of all the smaller republics of Central America," he frankly told him, "Amapala is the least desirable, least civilized, least acceptable. It offers an ambitious young diplomat no chance. But once a minister, always a minister. Having lifted you out of the secretary class we can't demote you.
After they had spoken of many things, Laguerre said: "Would it be fair for me to ask you, Mr. Lowell, what instructions the United States has given your commanding officer in regard to our government?" To this Lowell answered: "All I know, sir, is that when we arrived at Amapala, Captain Miller telegraphed the late president, Doctor Alvarez, that we were here to protect American interests.
"What's he doing down here?" asked the minister. "Never the same thing two months together," the consul told him; "railroads, mines, rubber. He says all Amapala needs is developing." As men who can see a joke even when it is against themselves, the two exiles smiled ruefully. "That's all it needs," said Everett. For a moment the consul regarded him thoughtfully.
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