Evening Star Newspaper, October 30, 1921, Page 71

4 THE SUNDAY uentes, the Bull Fighter ON MANUELO TUIZ, the gov-, ernor of Castelleno, stared at the official letter which had come by private courier, and ‘which iay upon his desk. “PFifty thousand dollars,” he mut- tered. “The price on Don Q.'s head is rising. A year ago it was twenty thousand. Well, we must have no failures this time. He rang the bell. A manservant entered. “At 8 o'clock a caballero will present himself at the lower door/ said the governor. “Ilis name is Fuentes the Bull Fighter. You will bring him here and you will mention his_visit to no one. To no one, you understand. 1 will let him out my- self.” The manservant retired, and the governor threw himself back in his chair and lit a cigarette. He had seen a good deal of service in the Spanish colonies and had behind him certain episodes which proved that nothing would be permitted to stand in the way of his ambition. This may. or may not, have been the reason that caused the authoritifes to nor nate him to the governorship which so closely abutted upon mountains in which Don Q. the most famous of all brigands, had lurked for S0 many years, setting at naught all the efforts made to cauture or Kkill him. Expedition after expedition had set forth for that purpose, the governor reflected. but had always returned. unsuccessful. each leaving a large percentage of its members to the vultures the barren heights, for Don Q. was a master of guerrilla war- fare and his intelligence department was extruordinarily efficier For many a league round h hidden cave in the black roc very cazador and every charcoal burner owed allegiance. He pald lavishly for the truth, and no man lived to bring him false tidings twice. The result was natural. Nothing happened within the sphere of his influence without his hearing of it at once, and though od out- Manuelo and & Castelleno might be consid side that sphere, vet Don was & man who took no chance: had therefore arranged to r those grim | Fuentes after dark and to have him adinitted by a servant who had been in his empioy for twenty years. * ¥ k ¥ UENTES, the governor considered. was just the man for the task which he was dbout to set him. Nat- urally fierce and morose, he had been mildly popular as a matador because of his courage and skill, but he had had the misfortune to be tossed by a bull at Seville six months previous to this chronicle, and the news had just been published in the Diario that Fu- entes’ thish muacles were so badly torn that ne could uever hope to re- cover the agility to fight agaln. This meant that from bemng a matador earning hundreds of thousands of pe- setas a year Fuentes would now fall back into the aching poverty from which he had emerged. Here surely there was a desperate man and & sharp weapon ready to the governor's hand. At this point the door was thrown open and a powertul man with & pair I of blac crafty eyes, limped into the roon The governor rose and bowed. “Don Ramon Fuentes?” he in- quired. courteously. & “That is my name, excellency.’ The governor picked up a copy of the Diario. “I have read this” he said. “Is it really true that we shall never ad- mire again vour unrivaled skill and courage in the ring?" Fuentes struck his thigh. “That is all over,” said he. “The doctors give me no hope. The ac- {cursed Miura bull has finished me. A thousand pities,” said the gov- ernor. politely. Fuentes bowed and was silent. The sovernor gave him a sidelong glance. “Doubtless you will retire to your | estate of Las Fuernias?” said le. Fuentas' hard mouth tightened. “Las Fuernias is mortgaged and the mortgage foreclosed.” The governor assumed an air of 'mpathy. “You embolden me," he said, at last, “to offer vou employment. A: the moment i* happens that tha govern- | ment desires the services of n brave {ana ready man, and is willing to pay | th The work to be cone i |[EASY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS By Ring W. Lardner. — O THE EDITOR: Well it is get- ting pretty near time for elec- tion day in N. Y. city and a good many other places and they's beginning to be less talk about gin and divorce and more talk about politics and 1 suppose probably my devotees will be interested in know- ing that 1 have withdrew from the mayor election in N. Y. city as 1 found out that they have liquid soap and paper towels in the city hall liere and besides thut the mayor has to bow and smile at ail the trafiic policemen he passes and they's a couple of them who I couldn't act friendly towards them and keep my selt respect after some of the re- marks they have made to me though perhaps in a spirit of fun. So 1 will leave the other boys to fight it out amongst themselfs as to who will be our next mayor but I can’t help from being erested in the election and the issues of the campaign. and _though the result won't have no effect on me personly, still 1 feel like I owe it to my ad- mires to come out in the open and tell my ldears in regards to the dif- ferent problems that faces the next mayor and how 1 would deal with same was I willing to give up pri- vate life at this time and use paper towels for the next 4 yrs. As generally always happens in a big city like N. Y. city. one of the main issues is the traciion issue and the chief squawk seems to be from people that claims they can’t never get seats on the subway and ele- vated trains and etc. a speclally during the 24 rush hours. .« e o \VELL friends. my answer to this squawk is that if a person rides more than one station without get- ting a seat why it Is their own fault and they are a sucker, as they could get 2 seat it they would use their brains and go at it the right way All that is needed is a little cour age and knowledge of human nature, like for inst. I have a scheme that has worked pretty good for me the last couple yrs. namely. when I get into a crowded train the first thing 1 do is study the faces of the boys and gals that is setting down and hy noticing their expression and how they act I can generally always tell which ones Is going to get off at the next stop. Then 1 just stand right In front of 1 s \ . SWAYING “THE GENT KEPT AND KNOCKING AGAINST wasted and he also rubs his shoes vs. pants leg to erase the marks where people has been standing on him. And a good many men folds up their newspaper and puts it in their pocket because if they left it behind them they's no telling who would read it. In the middle of the day as the women folks approach their station, rou can see their lips move like they was rehearsing their opening speech | to whoever they have kept walting all_this time. ing uptown at night, you can tell a gal that is getting close to her home station by the way her face brightens up and just the opposite with & man, as he ‘begins to assume i the sour look which he has made up ihis mind to wear around the house j evenings. Sometimes however, a person gets car or a train that ain’t going stop nowheres for a long wile and then it's often necessary to resort to strategy. Like for inst. I have often made ladies and gentlemen give me their seat by standing right up close to them, stepping on their dogs from time to time, or lurching over on them or even kicking them in the shins in a friendly way. And just the other night I seen a man win his seat by even more extreme measures which took place on a Long Island R. R. train but a person couldn't I hardly employ his methods without getting himself a good load before starting home. I THIS gent stood up beside a seat where they was a man and his wife setting and the wife was on the aisle and the gent kept swaying and knocking' against her and finely fell right in her lap. Both her and her husband got up and went in the next car. The load had a whole double seat to himself, and when he finely got to bed that night he only had to shut one eye as the other had been tended to. So much for the traction problem. Another big question in N. Y. city is the schools, as it seems they ain't enough room in them to take care of all the kids at once and 1 of them has to go in the morning and the the morning and then a person cou get decent size caddies in the after- noon. The way it is now if you get when you miss a approach shot. Another thing that is going to be big thing in N. Y. in the next 4 yrs. is the proposition to build a bridge FINELY FELL RIGHT IN HER LAP.” them and when they get up I flop in their place and I may say that 7 have seldom been beat to a seat that I had picked out for myself a xpecially when the other contestants Wwas women or gents over 45 yrs. old. Golng down town in the A, M. you can spot a gal that is going to dis- mount at the next station because a few minutes before she gets there <he speeds up on her chewing gum so as she will be sure and get all thie good out of it before she has to xive it up, and she also starts look- ing under the seat and different places for the 5 or 6 trinkets she had in her 1ap when she set down. A man that is about to get off gen- erally always gets out a cigarette and a match so they won't be no time acrost the Hudson river to New Jer- sey and 14 the people is for it but the other 14 haven't no itch to see tne west and they don't feel like the city should ought to spend the money such a bridge would cost. I would compromise this question by starting a bridge on the New Jer- sey side of the river and building it 1, acrost and after that it would be women and children first and every man for himself. That is how I feel on some of the I big questions that will confroat our next mayor and whoever it is, he is welcome to my idears and I am sorry 1 can’t see my way clear to run this time but in another 4 yrs. I ma; change my mind or what is left of it. RING W. LARDNER. Great Neck, Oct. 28. a caddy at all he is bigger than you|lin my hot are and you don't dast bawl them out | governor. I dangerous—most dunger- 1 however, ous.” He paused, then continued: “Bu can offer you thirty thousand dolla if you are successful.” At the mention of so large a sum the bullfighter's eyes glowed and ened. juccessful in what' “In killing or capturing Don Q." ce. have gone into ths moun- tains on that errand,” said he, “but 1 ha ‘; not heard that any ever came 'Those others have aot heen men of determination, not men such as you. Listen. You were a great matador, but the Miura bull tossed vou, and your thigh will never let you fght in the arena again. You have no money. Here is the chance to re- trieve all. Thirty thousand dollars! You could live on the interest of it in luxury. You could hold up your head when Pepidillo, Cuarte and your other rivals pass you in the street. And to earn it. what is needed? One stralght stroke or one bullet, and the risk no more than that you havo faced many hundred times."” Fuentes, whose brow had darkened ——————— e “YOU H replied at once: “Have you any plan, excellency, as to how I should carry out the—ah— wishes of the government?” gcThe sovernor shrugged his shoul- e ‘None,” said he, “I only tell you this. The thirty thousand dollars are waiting when you come to claim them. rest is with you.” “I should like it on paper,” sald the bullfighter with his grim smile. “In our profession, excellency, one learns the value of written contracts.” The governor wrote a few sentences land signed his name to them. Fuentes read the agreement through atten- tively, folded the paper, and put it in his pocket. “You have signed the death warrant of Don Q.” he sald gravely. “I am sure of it,” replied the gov- ernor. Fuentes picked up his hat. “This meeting must remain secret. other 1 in the afternoon. I would g feive tiat as It s oniy T would fix it|That is understood.” he said. “One so as the male pupils would all go in | Whisper and it would go ill with me 1d | up there—the bullfighter made a gesture toward the mountains. “Have no fear. There is no vessel use that leaks,” repiied the “I will let you out myself. This way.’ % * % * K OW we must follow Fuentes, leav- ing Don Manuelo, the governor, to lick his lips over the hunt he had set on foot, for the governor was a bit of a gambler, and a bit of a sports- main (of the spectator type) and it amused him to loose so flerce a hound as Fuentes at Don Q., the old wolf of the mountains. To him the thing promised entertainment. Fuentes, however, was in deadly earnest, and all his acts proved this. Well he knew that to approach Don Q. with poor credentials meant fail- ure and death, so after a week of morose dissipation deliberately under- taken, he, during a wine-shop brawl, drove a knife into one of his compan- jons (a man he had never liked) and escaped out of Castelleno. The gov- yrnor, who was fully alive to all that was occurring, raised a formal hue and cry behind him, notices and ad- vertisements offering a reward for his recapture were sown broadcast over the country, while Fuentes, hid- ing by day, was passed on at night from a ci tte seller to an out-of- work picador, who in turn introduced him to one Gaspar, & lowering in- dlvidual, as full of suspicion as a bad egg. This Gaspar, for a fee, most re- luctantly consented to guide Fuentes into the mountains. He sald he was a poor man, and crossed himself when- ever Don Q.’s name was mentioned, but in the end he went. So it came about that one evening Fuentes, on a mule, with Gaspar on foot, found himself entering the dark and forbidding gorges of the Sierra. As they passed upward Fuentes felt the need of speech and turned to Gas- par. “You know thege mountains well, comrade?” “Well enough.” Fuentes laughed. “Perhaps you yourself have been a bandit,” said he, smiling. have been &, bandit for the last thirty years.” said Gaspar, calmly. “One of Don Q.'s men?” “It is true that I serve my Lord of the Mountaina” answered Gaspar. Fuentes shot & quick glance at him. “You denied that in Castelleno, comrade.” Gaspar nodded. Fuentes considered the position. “See you keep faith with me and lead me to Don Q. he said at last. “You wish to see my lord of the mountains, and my Lord of the Moun- tains wishes to see you, so all is well.” “Don Q. wishes to see me?” cried Fuentes. ‘Had it not been so I should not have brought you thus far. Instead I would have given the signal when we passed our first outpost six hours ago. Then I should have ridden the mule,” said Gaspar regretfully. ‘And I?” smiled Fuentes. “Dead men flll no saddles.” Fuent brave man as he was, shudder: “But how did Don Q. know I was coming?’ he questione: “In the mountains many ask ques- at the mention of his fighting rivals, STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., OCTOBER 30, 1921—PART 4. One of the Astound- ing Exploits of Don Q. tions, but only one gives answers,” said- Gaspar. It was in the Boca de Lobo that Fuentes was at length conducted into the presence of Don Q. The brigand chief was sitting, looking exactly llke a _great brooding eagle, beside a fire of wood at which from time to time he warmed his hands, for the thin air struck chill. As Fuentes entered he rose and bowed. “Accept my sympathy, Don Ramon Fuentes,” he said in his soft sibilant voice. “It is sad indeed that you will kill no more bulls.” Fuentes stared. “I thank you for yaur ences,” he said at last. “You wonder perhaps that the news of your misfortune has already reach- ed” our mountains? I can assure you that little ppens in the plains, word of which is not brought to me by my men"—here Don Q. waved his und toward Gaspar and Robledo. “But let us get to business, that word %0 desolating but so necessary. You desired to see m; “Yes. “Why? Because those who take to the hills." condol- fear the law AV ‘And you fear the law? “A week ago I stabbed a man in { Castelleno.” Don Q. nodded. “And then?” he asked. “I wish to take service with yoi escape and demand your protection. “My protection?” “1 wish to tak seervice with you, to join your band.” “So you wish to take service with me es.” Don Q. looked into Fuentes' with a long chilly stare. “You desire to take the oath of ty to me and to your com- face 1o; panions “If you have such an oath. ye “The words of that oath, repeat them. Robledo.” Robledo stretched out his hands. “I swear that I will serve my Lord of the Mountains as a true and faith- His enemies shall be my enemies and my obedience shall be his. If 1 fail in this oath or in loy- alty to my lord or to my comrades in word or deed may I die unshriven.” “That is the oath. Will you swear, Don Ramon?” Fuentes' lips tightened. “Yes,” said he. “Then place your hand here,” Don Q. indicated a box covered with a oth which lay upon a rough table, “and repeat the words.” Fuentes did so. When he had finished Don Q. re- moved the cloth from the box and opened it. Gaspar and Robledo cross- ed themselves. “You have sworn the oath,” said Don Q., “with your hand upon the acred relics of San Pedro of the Vicandor. From now onward you are my man. Go! Robledo wil show you your place beside the fires."” * k kX DURlnz the next week Fuentes and's life. learned the routine of a brig- When first he had gone into the mountains he had hoped that Don Q. would give him some posi- tion as an officer or lieutenant, but he soon realized that in the Boca de Lobo there never was, nor ever would be, any delegation of authority. There were the bandits Roubledo, Gaspar, himself, and three-score of others, and there was Don Q., thelr chief. No military camp was ever under such scipline. Men ran upon Don Q's glomnp\lnds at the double—a single word from him cut the smile from their lips. He was fantastic in his punishments and his rewards. A bandit's life, Fuentes found, was a lazy one, that is, except when some tive work was afoot, such as the gpl\x"re of a prisoner. At other times, its daily curriculum was made up of sentry-go below the pine trees at the north end of the Boca, and the usual duties ‘of the camp, its cleanliness, etc., about which Don Q. was very meticulous. For the rest, the band lay about their fires and played be- neath sun and stars for such s akes as they could afford. 1t is but natural, seeing how many attempts had been made upon him, that Don Q. should be suspicious of those who attempted to join his band, and from the first, Fuentes had aroused his doubts. Nor had the epi- Sode of the oath, which he had taken with such obvious unwillingness, les- | Soned’ the misgiving of the brigand chief. So it came about that Don Q. gave his orders to Robledo and Gas- {y children” said he, “you will wor¥ his Fuentes very caretully. It imay be that there is guile in his heart. When you discover anything you will come to me again. %> Robledo and Gaspar, who had spent many years of their lives in ahubting the motives of men, kept an Seommonly sharp eve upon Fuentes. But the ex-matador was a man well able to keep his own counsel, and in the“end it wuhonly chance that fa- the watchers. Y hat through the It so happened tl southern e:d of the Boca de Lobo a mountain torrent fell from pool to pool down the rocks. Here, one day, Robledo, Gaspar, and Fuentes were washing themselves when the hat of Fuentes fell from his head and was whirled away upon the current Fuentes rushed down the bank and threw himself into the stream. Ro- bledo and Gaspar followed him, and it needed all their efforts to save him from being darried over the fall But Fuentes saved his hat. At the time, neither Robledo nor Gaspar said anything, but that night, while the bullfighter slept, Robledo gained possession of the hat. Then he went away, and by the light of a fire examined it. It did not take hfm long to find, sewn inside the lining, the paper which the governor ot Cas- telleno, Don Manuelo, had signed. The hat he replaced beside the sleeping Fuentes, and the paper he carried immediately to Don Q. The brigand chlef was sitting over his fire, and at first hetook no notice of the entrance of Robledo. Five minutes passed, and then: I am waiting, Robledo,” sald he. Robledo told his tale, and handed over the paper. Don Q. read it, and having done so, remained sunk in ab- straction for many minutes. At length he spoke, and gave cer- tain orders. * K x % was in the dusk of that same evening that two things happened to Fuentes. The first was that as he passed by a lentisen shrub a voice gave the peculiar warning hiss of the mountains, and & hand belonging to a face ar body which he never saw, thrust a revolver into his own. Fuentes stood for a moment star- ing at the revolver, opened It, saw by the starlight that it was loaded, then slipped it into the folds of his loose clothes. A couple hours later, “Fuentes,” said Robledo, “you are wanted at once above there.” “Above there meant the cave of Don Q. So Fuentes climbed the narrow path and walked 1n, to find the chlef seated in front of a table and work- ing_at some papers. “You will relate to me,” he said, T AT A S WORN THE OATH.” SAID DON Q. “exactly what passed between you and the civil governor of Casteleno, Don Manuelo Tuiz, on the evening | of the 19th of June last.” Fuentes started. “I have never seen Don Manuelo,” he said. “Think again,” replied Don Q. “At 8 o'clock you entered the house of the governor. You were ‘admitted by old Urcano, the servant. You did not emerge until an hour and a half later, when the governor himself opened the door for you.” “It is not true’ =said Fuentes. “Some one has been lying to my lord.” “Yes, Fuentes, some one has in- deed been lying to my lord; but what happened during that hour and a half? Shall 1 tell you? The gov- ernor spoke to you of many things. He told you that there was a price of $30,000 upon my head. He told you that you were the man to earn it. He told you that if you did not do =0, you, who had been a matador, a great bullfighter, would sink to the misery of those whose rivals triumph over them. Now, Fuentes, did you sign that paper?” Fuentes' predicament was terrible, and he was dealing with one who seemed to hold all the cards and who played them with the certainty of a master. “I signed no paper, last. Don Q. laughed. “That is the first word of truth that you have spoken,” said he. “It was not you who signed the paper, but Don Manuelo, and when he had signed the paper he gae {t to you. Where did you put e I “There was no paper,” said Fu- entes. . “Give ‘me your hat Fuentes started back “Ah!” said Don Q. “You see the game is up. You will be well ad- vised to obey me, and swiftly. I have already wasted many precious mo- ments upon you." Fuentes was a brave man, and he placed his hat upon the table. Don Q., with one slit of his knife exposed the document. “It is agreed that Fuentes, the bullfighter, shall receive a reward of $30,000 should he succeed In produc- ing the body of the brigand, com- monly called Don Q. Signed, Tuiz, clvil governor.” Don Q. burst into a long, low laugh. “So there,” said he, “we have the reason why our excellent Fuentes has paid_us this visit in the mountains! At the one end, a cowardly governor and a few thousand dollars, at the other, our happy little meeting of to- night.” During. this conversation Fuentes' hand had_crept to that revolver by which he had come so strangely. One shot—one shot—into that sneering high-bred face, and what mattered anything that might come after? But hard on this came another thought— his oath—the bones of the saint! Ah, he thought, if that oath had only never been sworn. “Well,” said Don Q, “you die to- morrow, and the manner of your death is this: You know the great precipice which overhangs the east- ern gorge? There is & plateau there You must know it well, for you have watched from it as an outpost. There you will be taken at dawn. Your eyes will be bandaged. Your com- rades, Robledo, Gaspar and the rest, who will know of your infamy, wili prick you forward with their knives said he at By H. Hesketh Pricha in the direction of the precipice, nnd' then—farewell, Fuentes.” Now truly once more temptation came upon Fuentes, for his hatred of Don Q. was great in that hour. The brigand watched him with a kind of grim amusement. At length he spoke: “Have you anything to say, for T grow weary of your com “Yes,” cried Fuentes. “I have a few short words to say. The truth is not as you tell it. It is true that the governor signed these papers. It is true that I came here to kill you, it 1s true that ere now I would have done so or attenipted to do so had it not been for my oath, my oath upon the bones of San Pedro of the Moun- tains. See, all this time death has been staring you in the face, and what has held it back? My oath— the fact that I am a true man. all this time I have held in my hand this"—and he flung the revolver upon the table. Don Q. looked up and clapped his hands. Robledo and Gaspar came running up from the fires. “This man is a traito said the chiet coldly. “Tomorrow morning, as seon as the sun rises, come for me ' ' and we will take him to the precipice above the eastern gorge. There he will learn how traitors die.” Then, turning and pointing to the revolver: “As to that toy, it was I who ordered Robledo to give it to you in the shadow of the lentisc: shrub, you fool. Remove the prisone * % k% DAWN ‘was just beginning to rise lemon-colored over the rims of the mountains when Don Q.s men bandaged the eyes of Fuentes. Before that they had taken him forward to look down the vast precipice, where he was to find his death. Don Q. gave an order and the bandits led Fuentes away and blind- folded him. His knees they tled together so that he must hop forward, and presently he began to hop. He never knew how many hops he took, though he strove to count them, but he thinks it was at the eleventh that he left the earth. A moment later he found himself lying upon a bank with all the brigands grinning around him, and even Dpn Q.’s face was less grim than he had ever seen it. ‘'What has happened?” he cried. “Have done and torture me no more! But Don Q. laughed. *“No, no, Fuentes,” sald he. “You have proved yourself & good Catholic, and so I have shortened the length of your drop by some hundreds of feet. “See, they pressed you over this little bank, not that great precipice. Now,|{ Fuentes, I lay a choice before you. You stay here, or you go from among us, but if you stay here it must be as my true man. After all, you will not change the nature of your em- ployment, for when Manuelo Tuiz signed that paper he knew that the reward upon my head had been iIn- creased to $50,000. He is one kind of brigand; I am another. That is all. There iles the path to the plains here the path to our fires. Choos Without a word Fuentes turned back to the brigands’ camp. Don Q. laughed again. “I foresee” said he, “that it will be interesting when you go down into the plains to report my death, for I myself will accompany you, and together we will draw the 350,000 reward from his excellency Don Manuelo. A Dangerous Cargo. WILD animals shipped across the sea sometimes get loose on the voyage. An English dealer who came over from India to England with $10,000 worth of animals aboard a sailing ship had such an experience. An Indian badger was loose for two weeks and a specimen of the sacred monkey of northern India was out of its cage for nearly the whole voyage. Where the badger concealed itself during the day nobody knew, but the meat and boiled rice that were put out for it at night always disappeared before morping. The monkey lived up in the rig- gIng comfortably enough, notwith- standing five feet of chain hanging 10 its neck. Food was put out for it every night, and by day it satisfied its hunger by catching and eating the potatoes thst the saflors amused themselves by throwing um to it. A more dangerous experience was one in which a hyenu broke loose on board a ship going to London from the Persizn gulf. The captain order- ed the shooting of the animal, but when it came to executing the order the hyena could noc be found. Naturally, everybody on board was more or less nervous, especially at night. It was decided to keep the hyena well fed, and to this end food in pleaty was left in dark corners of the vessel. When the ship arrived in dock the stevedores, hearing that a wild ani- mal was at large upon her, hesitated about beginning to unload. In this emergency, a telegram was sent to another dealer in wild beasts, ask- ing him to send additional men to capture the hyena. This dealer was away and the telegram lay unopened until the next day. In the mean- time, the stevedores summoned suf- ficient courage to begin work and soon found and captured the hyena. It was in the hold and was in splen- ia_condition. How it came into its hiding place could never be ex- plained. Another unexplained mystery was the loss of a python. The dealer had occasion to send nine pythons across the continent. They are usually sent by threes in a sack, the sacks being put in a large box and the lid nailed down. This time, however, they were sent loose in a box. The dealer himself saw nine put in, but only eight were there at the end of the journey. The box was perfectly tight, and the python could not, it figured. have got out. It was never known what happened, whether one swallowed another—and pythons are not known to do this—or whether the box had been tampered with. Anyhow, the snake was gone. Marine Oddities. N OORE than 'three-quarters of a M Century ago a queer marine in- stitution made its appearance in Nan- tucket, and bore the name of “camel.” These camels were really huge float- ing dry docks for carrying ships over the bar, where the depth of water had been gradually decreasing since 1830. Being flat-bottomed, the camels could float in water very much shal- lower than a loaded ship required. They were like two long, large boxes floating side by side and held to- gether at the ends by large iron chains. The outer sides were almost straight-up-and-down, but the inner sides were curved, making, when the two sections were drawn together, an interior basin just the size of the bottom of a ship. The plan was for the camels to be separated far enough to allow the ships to be hauled into the basin between the two sections, then to be drawn and held fastened together by the chains, holding the ship between them, so that the camels and the ship could then be towed over the shallow places in the channel to the wharf. The use of camels for transporting ships was no new experiment, for they were used in Holland as early as 1688. They were first built by the Dutch at Amsterdam for the pur- pose of taking large ships over the Pampas, a passage between two sand- banks in the Zuyder Zee. The Russians also used ca; taking large ships over tHE shoais that were formed at Neva. Camels were also employed at Venice, and at each of these places they were han- dled successfully and with profit. ls for Birds’ Tongues. CIOME curious data have been gath- O ered with respect to the tongues of birds. It is pofnted out that many persons suppose that woodpeckers use their sharp-pointed tongues as| darts with which to transfix their prey. It is true that the woodpecker, like the hummingbird, can dart out its tongue with the greatest rapidity, and that its mouth is furnished with 1an elaborate mechanism for this pur- pose, yet investigation shows that the object of their swift motion Is only to catch the prey, not to pierce it. For the purpose of holding the captured victim, the woodpecker's tongue is furnished with a sticky secretion. Inasmuch as it possesses the power of imitating speech, it is not sur- prising to learn that the parrot's tongue resembles that of man more closely than any other bird’s tongue. It is not because the parrot is more intelligent than many other birds, but because its tongue is better suited for articulation than theirs that ‘it is able to amuse us with its mimicry. In some respects the humming- bird's tongue is the most remarkable of all. It is double nearly from end to end, so that the little creature is able to grasp its insect prey very much as if its mouth were furnished with a pair of fingers. driven levery one tells you such cro E left Pari There were six of us in the party. A large @uple, Americans, Dr. and Mrs. A (Mrs. A confided to me later that her husband was the finest aurist and throat specialist in the U. 8. A.), and a small couple, Scotch, Dr. and Mrs. B——, and my daughter and myself. Incidentally, Dr. B's wife admitted that her husband was the most fa- mous throat specialist in the United Kingdom and doctor extraordinary to the queen. Both doctors discovered that they had gone to Edinburgh Uni- versity and had much to discuss from their different points of view. I should have said we started to leave Paris at 9 o'clock. Leaving Paris is a long and almost endless cecupation, at one time we almost decided to take it with us; It seemed s0 hard to get rid of it. But all things come to an end eventually, even Parls so we finally reached the Gare de L'East and passed through the Barriers on to the famous black road which was built by Napoleon. It is still all there, and I will say it was not intended for automobiles. The French roads have one grea advantage, they are well shaded. Trees planted at regular intervals make the roads a succession of sha avenues which we missed greatl Rheims. the war area, where only blackened |, v 9 Tn such places the 4" early start heat was terrible, the dust at alliyiotl, BU0 0T stumps remain. times dreadful and the glare of the sun almost unbearable, us the chaf- feur resisted our most urgent re- quests to put up the top of the ma- chine, giving the incontestible reason that they never raised the top except for rain. 8o we muffled ourselves in vails or pulled down caps as the case might be and resigned ourselves to suffering a la Francaise. The fest little village we came to, shortly after leaving Paris behind was called Claye-Souilly, famous for the fact that there Joffre signed the arder for the first battle of the Marne, and there we took in gas and bought cards. Then onward again between flelds of waving grain, acre after acre of golden wheat, followed by emerald clover flelds or fields of silver rye and oats, and everywhere the poppies made splashes of scarlet in the grain | and alang the roadside. This region had seen little fighting. The Germans had indeed advanced at one time as far as Meaux, but had been quickly back, and only a ruined house here and there or a blac ened tree stump was left to tell the tale. All was serene and beau- tiful, a land of peace and plenty. Soon we came in sight of the river Marne, and our road led along the valley of the Marne until we approached Chateau Thierry where he had lunchieon. We passed Belleau Wood, which we could not enter, as it is said to be still full of explgsives. Of course, Chateau Thierry was of great interest tc us, because that was where our boys first met the foe, and we visited what is left of the old chateau and tried to visualize the past. * * ¥ % W E stopped and made a pilgrimage on foot to the side of the hill where Quentin Roosevelt's simple grave lies, amid flowers and gentle breezes, looking out over the valley. A bronze tablet marks the spot where his plane came down, and the grave is just a few feet further along to bring it to the brow of the hill. From_ there graveyards began to appear by the roadside, thoss pathetic rows of white crosses; with the black crosses which mark the German graves, at one side. First French, then Americans and later Italians. The Italian cemeteries are the most ornate and are beautifully cared for. They have high white gateways with the Italian coat-of-arms over them and urns of flowers on each side. They made our own look rather for- lorn by comparison, especially now when so many of them are being dug up to remove bodies to bring home. ‘We arrived at Rheims after § o'clock and drove directly to the cathedral, as it is closed to the pub- lic at 6 o'clock. At first sight the damage done does not seem so dread- ful, but on closer inspection one sees that hardly a figure of the many saints around the beautiful doorway has escaped mutiliation, one of the graceful towers is being supported by a scaffolding, all the wonderrul colored glass of the famous rose window, and, indeed of every window in the church, is gone and all the interior is a place of desolation. Our hotel was one of the seventeen houses which escaped destruction although it too showed bullet holes in the shutters and on the plaster of the walls. After ourdinnerwewent out to walk around the cit: Seen in the gray light of early twilight, i was weird and ghostly; skeleton walls on all sides rose dark against the evening sky, street after street with nothing left except the crum- bling walls of what was once a beau- tiful city of nearly 125,000 inhabit- ants. On one side the gaping walls showed the interior of what was once the opera house, over another door- way was a sign which read. “Res- taurant Cafe de la Place Royale”; another said that here one could pur. chase anything. Only these doorways are standing and where the houses had been are only heaps of stones and plaster. It seems impossible to realize that people are still living there; that in cellars and holes in the ground the inhabitants of this mur- dered city are still existing, waiting for such time as Germany shall pay her debts and they will have money to rebuild their homes. Of course. such a situation in America would be im- possible. None of us would live in such discomfort and wait for some one else to remedy it as long as we could lift a hand, but the French are different and they seem to have re- signed themselves to their condition. Of course they have performed won- ders to transform that war-devas- tated land into fields so fergile that have never been seen before: “le bon Dieu” again has helped them here and re- warded their labors—for it must have taken heart-breaking labor—by send- ing such plenty for the coming year. These flelds were, of course, barren of all except the harvest of war. Shell holes had to be filled in, corre- sponding hills had to be leveled, many explosives, still dangerous, had to be removed and barbed wire entangle- ments carted away before they could even begin to till the soil. “After the long years of war this seems to have been their final effort, and now they are done, worn out, and waiting for that help which is still so uncertain. When I expressed surprise that there had been nothing done toward Teconstruction in the two years since the armistice, I was told, “Germany will not pay,” and when getting a lit- tle impatient, I exclaimed: “But why don't you go to work at it your- Selves?’ With the inevitable French shrug they replied: “We have not the ney.” mgney: * % ¥ % TEE beautiful equestrienne statue of Joan of Arc, which stood in gront of the Cathedral, and which. through all the rain of shells escaped untouched — miraculously preserved, it is belisved—had been removed when we were there and has only re- -4 |Washington Woman Wri Of Recent Trip to Rh at 9 o'clock In:Cathedral where, the morning to motor toithe 17th of Jul ¢| hands toward heaven in silel | 1 cently been returned to its former place. Although it came through four years of the war safely, just at the iast there was fear of the Germans returning, and the people of Rheims declded not to risk the treasured statue again, so it was removed to a place of safety. But a short time after this the armistice was signed, | i | . by her hi y, 1429, seventh, rightful hieir to the crowned king of France. Next to the Cathedral left of the bishop's palace. T0OmSs at one side are occup former housekeeper and he! {wo old old people who n showin Of thelr homes® Gure i the room in which they wei was carried away and aj Dot in which their {nuzv-r‘:} r was cooking was blown to a [jpousand pleces and only the care off“le bun Dieu.” who sent them out offige room at the moment, had prese el lives. This worthy couple the cave, a mere hole in t under one part of the house. the good bishop slept dur bombardment. He refused the city, and every day his duties and at night reth cave to slecp. What slcep have been for the people doomed city! The feargul of the bursting shells, the falling walls and the eve! thought that the next mom! be their last. How could lived through it? The next day we pasge able villages and small pletely destroyed, some jus rubbish, but none made pression on me as this ci less ruin, holding up it rible accusation against its| and in supplication for relief We left Rheims after breakfast, as we had a 10; fore us and it beb and lov nodded to us as we passed more sped awa n the ful fields of waving grain. At Soissons we stopped for and there we saw some boys who had come to the and stood outside ist Y glimpse of gome American were over there with recon work, but s=aid they had b over a month and had had to do. We found the same everywhere, very few place: showed any active work to} habilitation, and even the th) to help the country in its W to be impotent N their letharg: 200 tractors, : to us as half the numper “the children of America.” the other half is at Verdun of them have ever been put have stood exposed to the nearly a year. They did say be next year they would™ drove along the Chemin 3 and followed the Hindenburg miles. We saw old trenches outs and Germann 11 bg barbed-wire entanglements b; Those pill boxes are wonder look like enormous cariri on end, and were used by thé for observation. They are bullet-proof and have a littl through which the observer Some were even fastened h trees and still hang there, tl trees are mu ly blackened o through th region, and great shell holes on all sidej One of our most interesg was to the famous Hill No| Rheims, where the Germans ally blown to atoms by t forces who tunneled under t placed their mines. All the acres around is nothing white and glaring, with no in it now or ever. It is dea and in the three vast crat the explosions took place a thousands of bodies of hum who passed from life to ded space of a sigh. Near the Hindenburg. lind ited the famous caves whis one time 60,000 Germans, & were said to have been fittedfup with every convenfence and lu: to moving pictures. It w impossible tusk to driv 15 out, as the caverns extend for under ground of solid rock and ! in an almost endless chain from on¢ to another. Many lives would have been lost in gaining possession of the caves had not the idea occu 10 the French to use poison gus. done with such good resul enemy were obliged to com surrender. From the caves but a i of the devastated region visited, and we soon found on the road to Paris ag: dusty and dirty beyond di and with a thir; The san; ditions in all t area ar and we did not dare touch water, so that when we re Paris, after two days of o and beer, prohibition didn't dreadful after all. ROSALIE BRADFORD MATTHEW The Oddest of N GREAT colony oi osf fishhawks, built their one time upon the propert: ous owners of land on an is| New York, a fact that ornithologists to gather sol esting data with respect to g ing habits of this bir: One osprey’s nest was pile of old fence rails, or eight fect from the groi been added to annually unj of sticks, sods, decaved weed and the like amou thing like three cartloa other nests were built in ce| These, too, had been oceu year for many seasons, and, increased by the addition ‘whole islund e larg- e wood material until they filled upper parts of the trees. In the wooded parts of the nests were numerous. est trees in the interior of were all occupied, and on of the wood cvery tree, lar, had at least one mnest, and| them two or three. On ¢ plain beyond the woods a h more nests were built on thi and on the north shore, beach was strewn with bo most every one of the large a nest on it. When men approached so; nests, the older birds fle away and did not return was quiet. In other cases, were noisy and even sho darting down at the visit and striking out with th The birds, however, Woi to their eggs when the mained quiet, though they| only fifty feet away. ©One nest was seen to con broken ax, a bootjack an hat. Of the variety of wrought into the different the following is a list: barrel heads and hoops, th 2 boat, a small rudder life preservers, brooms, an a feather duster, a blackl parts of a hay rake, a several pairs of shoes, a paj| sers, a long fish line w board with hooks and sinke tin cans, a doormat and a In the interstices of ma larger structures, small built their nests, well pre the weather. The grackleg cially given to doing thi very bold in collectings from the fishhawks' ta Prehistoric Tin ECENT investigation * problem of the diffi R over eastern Europe and Agia Minor in prehistoric times, leadaitathe con- clusion that about & th S I betore Christ the tin o British |Isles was carried over ito the Aegean sea. The inventiodiof the anchor led, about 2,700 e the opening of & mari o tween England and the i i of the Mediterranean, s Phrygians controlled t i with their ships. The sHOEN summer nights of morth Britain ey and the Germans never came again to Rheims, and now fair Joan looks out upon the square in front of the!the days of Homer. the wonders_that Greeks of in