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The swinging lamp was lighted overhead, and the bottles, glasses and fragments of cigarettes showed how the Dictator and his friends had spent most of the time in coming from Atlamalco. Miss Starland was flustered and nervous, but the cool self possession of her brother greatly reassured her. "That was a clever trick we played upon the scamp," said he with a smile.
Several others with a similar ambition do the same, and there you have the normal republic in this part of the world. Atlamalco, Zalapata and most of your governments are simply world's nuisances." "Your statements, sir, are not only false but insulting; I have more faith in my patriotic countrymen than you, for I know them better; they are brave, unselfish, long suffering "
The Captain, well aware of the ferocious temper of the Dictator, stood in as abject awe of him as did every other citizen of Atlamalco. But as the two conversed, the wits of the officer gradually returned to him. "Where is the escort of the Señorita?" "Standing before you." "You do not come alone?" "I do " "But how is it the General himself does not come?"
"You seem to be concerned for the brother with whom, only a day or two ago, you were eager to go to war. I don't want that old tub which he calls a gunboat; he is welcome to it; Atlamalco holds a single solitary gentleman, Captain Ramon Ortega, who is up there at the wheel, and he is at liberty to take the boat back to his chief with my compliments, and that chief may go hang."
"General Yozarro has not a braver or more honorable officer in his army. Three years ago, when we were at war with Atlamalco, and neither republic owned a fleet, we had a fight with three hundred Atlamalcans in the mountains. Each force was about the same and it was one of the hottest fights I ever saw, for the respective forces were commanded by Generals Bambos and Yozarro."
He glanced from side to side, like one who was familiar with the scenery and he figured out that if the breeze held, they would reach Atlamalco early on the morrow, for he did not mean to continue the voyage after darkness had set in. No one, however, can sail for a mile over the tropical waters of South America without a striking experience with its myriad animal life.
"Which is likely to be bad for you, Captain, unless Bambos is anxious after all to go to war, as he pretended the other day." "I think," said Martella, "he means to get more men and attack the boat." "But where will he get the men from? He is a long way from Atlamalco." "Yet not very far from Castillo Descanso, where he has quite a force as you know."
"That depends upon its size; if it isn't more than a few hundred dollars I am quite ready to give you a lift." "I must decline to permit any more quibbling." "Will you consent that I shall close the incident by paying this claim against President Yozarro of the Republic of Atlamalco?" "I do if you will agree to enforce the other conditions." "What are they?"
The southern bank was similar, but far to the westward, the rugged outline of the Rubio Mountains rose in the sky and wore the soft blue tint of the sea of clear atmosphere. Beyond the mountains, snuggled the Republic of Atlamalco which was the destination of the American.
Major Starland understood the delicate tensity of the relations between Zalapata and Atlamalco. They had been at war before, with the advantage at times on one side and then on the other, the final result being no decisive change in their mutual strength or in their combative propensities. The addition of a "gunboat" to the power of Atlamalco naturally made her more aggressive and demonstrative.
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