images of public domain material from the google print project.) [transcriber's note: every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfully as possible, including obsolete and variant spellings and other inconsistencies. text that has been changed to correct an obvious error is noted at the end of this ebook.] a succinct view of the importance and practicability of forming a ship canal across the isthmus of panama. by h. r. hill. _london:_ wm. h. allen, & co., , leadenhall-street. . w. lewis and son, printers, , finch-lane, london. advertisement. the following observations were thrown together as the result of communications with several gentlemen locally acquainted with the isthmus of panama, and who expressed to the writer their astonishment, that amidst the numerous undertakings, of more or less utility, which science has realised in our time, one so important to the whole commercial world, so easy of accomplishment, and so certain to be productive of ample remuneration to the undertakers, as a ship canal through that isthmus, had not been taken up. the idle objection, that if practicable it would not have been left unattempted for the last three hundred years, they considered, would have no weight in an age in which we have seen accomplished works that in our fathers' time, nay, even within our own memory, it would have been considered madness to propose,--witness steam-navigation and railways. it is not twenty years since dr. lardner, the author of a popular work on the steam-engine, then supposed to be a most competent authority, declared in his lectures that the application of steam-navigation to the voyage across the atlantic was a mere chimera. so it has been with railways. would not any man who fifty, or even twenty years ago, had predicted that the journey from london to exeter would be accomplished _in five hours_, have been deemed a fit tenant for bedlam? to contend that because a great undertaking has remained unattempted for a long series of years, _therefore_ it is impracticable, is to put a stop to all improvement. at the suggestion of the friends before referred to, the writer is induced to print the following pages, with the hope of drawing to the subject of which they treat the attention of the mercantile and shipping interests. if they awaken an interest in the subject in those quarters, they will not be thrown away, and he is fully convinced that the more the subject is examined the stronger will be the conviction of the practicability of the undertaking. _ , throgmorton street_, _february, _. a succinct view, &c. from the first discovery of the american continent down to the present time, a shorter passage from the north atlantic to the pacific ocean than the tedious and dangerous voyage round cape horn has been a desideratum in navigation. during the dominion of old spain in the new world the colonial policy and principles of that jealous nation, to which central america belonged, opposed insurmountable obstacles to any proposal for effecting this great object; but the emancipation of the spanish colonies, and the erection of independent states in their stead, has broken down the barrier which spanish jealousy had erected. the rulers of these states are not devoid of discernment to perceive that the exclusion of european nations from the shores of the pacific would be productive of immense injury to themselves, and that by making their own territory the high-road to the countries which are becoming important marts for the commerce of europe, they are bringing wealth to their own doors, and increasing their own political importance. in this, as in most other cases, individual and general benefit go hand in hand; for it cannot be doubted that were such a communication between the two oceans made through central america, it would prove of incalculable utility to all nations engaged in maritime commerce,--and sooner or later it will unquestionably be opened. this would be the shortest route from europe, north america, and the western coast of africa to every part of the western coast of the new world, to australia, new zealand, the numerous islands of the pacific and the eastern coast of asia,[ ] as will be seen by a glance at the outline map of the world on mercator's projection annexed to this pamphlet. the advantage of a canal of sufficient size to allow large vessels to proceed through the isthmus is therefore obvious. but by whom is this work to be undertaken? the question is certainly not a british one alone, although the british trade would derive immense benefit from its solution: it is a question in which the whole commercial world is more or less interested. there must be either a combination of governments formed to defray so much each of the expense, or the work must be accomplished by a joint stock company of individuals, who will indemnify themselves for their outlay by levying tolls upon those who avail themselves of the communication. as to such a combination of governments, the difficulty of procuring a sufficient grant of public money opposes a great obstacle to the realization of any such project. to private enterprize chiefly then it must be committed; yet it may reasonably be expected that such countenance and support as the governments of the principal maritime powers can give, will be readily yielded to any association that will undertake the work. there are several considerations which point out the present as the most auspicious moment for attaining the object in view. the profound peace with which europe and the whole civilized world is now blessed, the abundance of capital in the money market, the present low rate of interest, and the difficulty of finding investments, are all favorable to the raising of the necessary funds; the immense strides which science has made in overcoming natural difficulties, once deemed insuperable, add to the means of accomplishment, while the growing importance of british colonies in and about new zealand, the inevitable impulse that recent events must give to the china trade,[ ] and the efforts of all maritime nations to make establishments in the polynesian islands will render the canal a certain source of profit and honor to those who will aid in its formation. several parts of the isthmus of america have been proposed for the communication between the two seas, such as the province of nicaragua, the isthmus of tehuantepec, &c.; but invincible obstacles occur in all those localities, while on the contrary the isthmus of panama is beyond doubt the most favorable point, according to the opinion of all the scientific and practical men who have visited that part of the new world.[ ] we shall proceed, therefore, to describe that isthmus as far as is necessary for the present purpose. the isthmus of panama[ ] may be considered as extending from the meridian of ° to that of ° w. of greenwich. its breadth at the narrowest point, opposite to the city of panama, is about thirty miles. the general feature of the isthmus on the map is that of an arc, or bow, the chord of which lies nearly east and west. it now forms a province of the republic of new granada. it may appear strange, yet it is now well known to be the fact, that although the small width of the isthmus was ascertained soon after the discovery of america, its natural features remained entirely unknown for three hundred years. robertson, in his history of america, states that the isthmus is traversed in all its length by a range of high mountains, and it was reserved for our scientific countryman, lloyd, who surveyed the isthmus in and , by direction of bolivar, then president of the republic of colombia, to dispel the illusion. from his observations, confirmed by more recent travellers, it is now ascertained that the chain of the andes terminates near porto bello to the east of the bay of limon, otherwise called navy bay, and that the isthmus is, in this part, throughout its whole width, a flat country. it was also long supposed that there was an enormous difference between the rise and fall of the tide in the pacific and atlantic oceans on either side of the isthmus, and that the opening of a communication between the two seas would be productive of danger to a large portion of the american continent. it is now, however, ascertained that the difference of altitude is very trifling, not more than thirteen feet at high water.[ ] the prevalence of these errors may have tended, in combination with spanish jealousy, unhealthiness of climate on the atlantic side, the denseness of the forests, and the unsettled state of the government for some years after the spanish yoke was shaken off, to prevent the undertaking now proposed from being seriously considered. panama is the principal city on the isthmus. its site has been once changed. when the spaniards first visited the isthmus in , the spot on which the old city was afterwards built, was already occupied by an indian population, attracted by the abundance of fish on the coast, and who are said to have named it "panama" from this circumstance, the word signifying much fish. they, however, were speedily dispossessed; and even so early as , the title and privileges of a city were conferred on the spanish town by the emperor, charles the fifth. in the year , it was sacked and reduced to ashes by the buccaneer, morgan, and was subsequently built where it now stands. the position of the present town of panama is in latitude ° ' n.; longitude ° ' w. of greenwich, on a tongue of land, shaped nearly like a spear head, extending a considerable distance out to sea, and gradually swelling towards the middle. its harbour is protected by a number of islands, a short distance from the main land, some of which are of considerable size, and highly cultivated. there is good anchorage at each of these islands, and supplies of ordinary kinds, including excellent water, which may be obtained from several of them.[ ] the city of panama was, in the th century, a place of great importance, but has gradually sunk into comparative insignificance. the policy of the present government of new granada is to restore this city to its pristine importance, and for this reason, one terminus of the intended ship canal should be at, or as near as conveniently may be to, this position. the natural obstacles to be overcome in forming a canal between panama, and the _nearest point_ of the opposite coast, which is the gulph of san blas (likewise called the bay of mandingo), render it expedient to select a position west of that line, and the happy coincidence of two navigable rivers, traversing the low lands to the west of porto bello, the one falling into the atlantic, and the other into the pacific ocean, which may either form part of the navigation, or be used to feed the canal, renders that part of the isthmus the most eligible for this purpose. the rivers alluded to, are the chagres and the rio grande. the town of chagres, at the mouth of the river of the same name, is about thirty-two miles west of porto bello (puerto velo); it is situated on the north bank of the river, which falls into the caribbean sea. the harbour formed by the mouth of the river having been greatly neglected, has been much choked up; but it would be unnecessary to incur the expense of improving it, for navy bay, called also the bay of limon, lying immediately to the eastward of chagres, is a large and spacious harbour, being three miles wide at the mouth, and having sufficient draught of water for the largest ships in the british navy. the river chagres approaches within three miles of the head of this bay; the ground between is a dead level,[ ] and all writers agree that, the difficulties of the harbour being surmounted, there is abundance of water in the chagres. it is, therefore, proposed either to cut a canal from navy bay to the chagres, and then to ascend that river as far as its junction with the river trinidad, and after traversing a part of the latter, to construct a canal which shall connect the trinidad with the river farfan, a branch of the rio grande, and to proceed by that river to panama; or should the bay of chorrera, which is laid down in the plan, be deemed a preferable harbour, to branch off to that bay; or to make the canal across the whole width of the isthmus, from the bay of limon to that of panama, using the rivers trinidad, farfan, and bernardino, and other streams which cross the line, for the supply of the canal. the plan annexed to this pamphlet will exhibit the two lines, and the reader will perceive that a small lake, called the lake of vino tinto, may, if the first proposal is adopted, be made available, and so lessen the extent of the canal. if the rivers are used as a part of the navigation, the distance between that point of the river trinidad at which the canal would commence, as shewn in the plan, and the point where the farfan ceases to be navigable, is only miles, and there is no high land intervening, the chain of the andes terminating several miles to the eastward of the valley of the chagres, as before mentioned. if the other plan be adopted, the length of the canal will be miles. although at first sight it may appear to be a work of supererogation, to carry the canal over that part of the isthmus which is traversed by navigable rivers, it is by many engineers considered preferable in forming a canal, to use the rivers in its vicinity only for the purpose of supplying the canal with water, and not as a continuation of the inland navigation, on account of the variation in the depth of rivers from floods, or other accidents. which of these two courses would be most expedient in the present instance, may be safely left to the determination of the engineer selected to carry out the undertaking;--it is sufficient to know that _either is practicable_, and that the expense of cutting the canal the whole width of the isthmus would meet with a corresponding return to the undertakers. the principal difficulty anticipated in the execution of the work, arises from the unhealthiness of the climate on the atlantic side of the isthmus--a difficulty to which the writer is by no means insensible. it has, however, been exaggerated, and by proper arrangements may be surmounted. the causes of this unhealthiness are chiefly the swampy state of the ground on the atlantic side of the isthmus (which the canal itself, acting as a drain upon the surrounding country, will greatly tend to remove), and the malaria engendered by the closeness of the woods, and by the accumulation of decayed vegetable substances, which the opening of the country, incidental to the formation of the canal now proposed, and the road afterwards adverted to, will tend to alleviate; and after all, those who have visited this part of the isthmus, concur in stating that the mortality in the low lands about chagres is principally owing to the imprudence of the europeans visiting the country, in exposing themselves to the night dews by sleeping in the open air, and indulging in habits of intemperance.[ ] if an association were formed for carrying out the work now projected, one of the first cares of the managers should be to erect huts or barracks for the protection of the workmen against exposure to the weather, and the appointment of a medical officer, who should be entrusted with sufficient powers to ensure obedience to his regulations. if the industry of the native population could be depended upon, there would be no want of labourers inured to the climate, but the inertness of the natives renders it inexpedient to rely upon them alone; although, working in conjunction with europeans, and stimulated by their example, and by the love of gain, their services may, no doubt, be made available. there is, however, no difficulty in collecting from the southern states of north america a sufficient number of irish labourers inured to a tropical climate, as was lately clearly shewn by the formation of a railway at the havanna, which was almost entirely constructed by this class of men. any deficiency of labourers, it is considered, could easily be drawn from the mining districts of cornwall, from ireland itself, or from scotland, or the north of england. the next consideration is the expense of constructing a ship canal across the isthmus, and the probable returns. the estimates which have been made, and of which the result is given below, suppose the canal to be cut through the whole width of the isthmus, from the bay of limon to that of chorrera, and they include a large outlay for improving the harbours formed by the two bays. the first item that would occur in an undertaking of the same nature _in this country_, would be the purchase of the land. here a great advantage presents itself in the present enterprise; for the government of new granada, fully appreciating the permanent advantages to be derived to the state from the execution of a work, which it is unequal to accomplish by its own resources, has repeatedly offered to grant the land required, for , , or years, according to the magnitude of the works, free of rent, or burdens of any kind, and to admit the importation, free of duty, of all materials and provisions necessary for the undertaking. expenses. the expenses of cutting the canal, and of the direction and management of a company constituted for that purpose, up to the period of the opening of the canal have been estimated at[ ] £ , , but if it be deemed expedient to raise two millions, in order to provide for any unforseen casualties, the difference will be , ---------- total outlay £ , , returns. from information derived from official sources in england, france, and the united states of america, it is estimated that the tonnage of vessels belonging to those countries and to holland, trading in countries to which the canal through the isthmus will be the shortest voyage, amount to , tons per annum; and there can be no doubt that the opening of the canal would create a great extension of trade to the south seas, as well as induce the owners of many of the vessels now using the navigation by the cape of good hope to prefer the shorter voyage through the isthmus; and when we add to this consideration, the fact that the above calculations do not include the vessels belonging to spain, sardinia, the hanse towns, and other nations of minor importance as maritime powers, but possessing in the aggregate a trade not altogether inconsiderable, nor the traffic that may be expected to flow to the pacific from the west indies, the british colonies in north america, and the countries on the north east coast of south america, the tonnage of vessels that will be attracted to the canal may be fairly estimated at , tons. a tonnage duty of $ per ton, on , tons will produce $ , , , equal, at s. d., to £ , allowing a deduction for the annual expenses of a sum much larger than will probably be required, say , -------- there will remain a balance of annual profit of £ , this in turn will give upwards of - / per cent. profit on the above outlay of £ , , . the isthmus has recently been surveyed by m. garella, an eminent french engineer, whose opinions will be found in the extract from the _moniteur_, contained in the appendix. he was employed to make the survey by the french government, and his official report has not yet been made public. he differs in several material points from m. morel, another french gentleman, who is stated to have lately surveyed the isthmus;[ ] but if the formation of a canal should be undertaken by an english company, the parties engaged in the enterprize would doubtless be guided by the english engineer whom they would employ, in the selection of the most eligible line, while the labours of his predecessors would greatly aid him in his survey. as subservient to the grand project of a ship canal, an improved road across the isthmus has been projected. the abundance of hard wood to be found on the spot, would furnish a cheap material for converting it into a tram-road. the expense has been estimated by french engineers at £ , sterling, and the returns, even according to the present transit of goods and passengers across the isthmus by the miserable road now existing from cruces to panama, would, at a very moderate toll, be enormous on that outlay. appendix. the following extracts from authors who have treated of the isthmus of panama will tend to illustrate the subject of the foregoing pages. _dampier, ( )._ "panama enjoys a good air, lying open to the sea-wind. there are no woods nor marshes near panama, but a brave dry champaign land, not subject to fogs nor mists." _humboldt, ( )._ "it appears that we find a prolongation of the andes towards the south sea, between cruces and panama. however, lionel wafer assures us that the hills which form the central chain, are separated from one another by valleys, which allow free course for passage of the rivers; if this last assertion be founded, we might believe in the possibility of a canal from cruces to panama, of which the navigation would only be interrupted by a very few locks." _the edinburgh review, for jan. , art. ii. page ._ "in enumerating, however, the advantages of a commercial nature which would assuredly spring from the emancipation of south america, we have not yet noticed the greatest, perhaps, of all,--the mightiest event probably in favor of the peaceful intercourse of nations which the physical circumstances of the globe present to the enterprise of man,--we mean the formation of a navigable passage across the isthmus of panama, the junction of the atlantic and pacific oceans. it is remarkable that this magnificent undertaking, pregnant with consequences so important to mankind, and about which so little is known in this country, is so far from being a romantic or chimerical project, that, it is not only practicable but easy. the river chagres, which falls into the atlantic at the town of the same name, about leagues to the westward of porto bello is navigable as far as cruces, within five leagues of panama; but though the formation of a canal from this place to panama, facilitated by the valleys through which the present road passes, appears to present no very formidable obstacles, there is still a better expedient. at the distance of about five leagues from the mouth of the chagres it receives the river trinidad, which is navigable to embarcadero; and from that place to panama is a distance of about miles, through a level country, with a fine river,[ ] to supply water for the canal, and no difficulty whatever to counteract the noble undertaking. the ground has been surveyed, and not the practicability only, but the facility of the work completely ascertained. in the next place, the important requisite of safe harbours, at the two extremities of a canal, is here supplied to the extent of our utmost wishes. at the mouth of the chagres is a fine bay, which received the british gun-ships in , and at the other extremity is the famous harbour of panama." _j. a. lloyd, f. r. s._ "it is generally supposed in europe that the great chain of mountains, which in south america forms the andes, and in north america the mexican and rocky mountains, continues nearly unbroken through the isthmus. this, however, is not the case: the northern cordillera breaks into detached mountains on the eastern side of the province of veragua. these are of considerable height, extremely abrupt and rugged, and frequently exhibit an almost perpendicular face of bare rock. to these succeed numerous conical mountains rising out of savannahs and plains, and seldom exceeding from to feet in height. finally between chagres on the atlantic side, and chorrera on the pacific side, the conical mountains are not so numerous, having plains of great extent interspersed, with occasional insulated ranges of hills of inconsiderable height and extent. from this description it will be seen that the spot where the continent of america is reduced to nearly its narrowest limits, is also distinguished by a break for a few miles of the great chain of mountains, which otherwise extends, with but few exceptions, to its extreme northern and southern limits. _this combination of circumstances points out the peculiar fitness of the isthmus of panama for the establishment of a communication across._" _philosophical transactions, , part i., p. ._ "should a time arrive when a project of a water communication across the isthmus may be entertained, the river trinidad will probably appear the most favourable route. the river is for some distance both broad and deep. its banks are also well suited for wharfs." _philosophical transactions, ibid, p. ._ "the river, its channel, and the banks, which, in the dry season, embarrass its navigation, are laid down in the manuscript plan with great care and minuteness. it is subject to one great inconvenience, that vessels drawing more than feet water, cannot enter the river, even in perfectly calm weather, on account of a stratum of slaty limestone, which runs at a depth at high water of fifteen feet, from a point on the main land to some rocks in the middle of the entrance of the harbour, and which are just even with the water's edge; which, together with the lee current that sets on the southern shore, particularly in the rainy season, renders the entrance extremely difficult and dangerous.... "the value of the chagres, considered as the port of entrance for all communications, whether by the river chagres, trinidad, or by railroads across the plains, is greatly limited from the above mentioned cause. it would prove in all cases a serious disqualification, _were it not one which admits of a simple and effectual remedy, arising from the proximity of the bay of limon_, otherwise called navy bay, with which the river might easily be connected. the coves of this bay afford excellent and secure anchorage in its present state, and the whole harbour is capable of being rendered, by obvious and not very expensive means, one of the most commodious and safe harbours in the world. * * * * * "by the good offices of h. m. consul in panama,[ ] and the kindness of the commander of h. m. ship victor, i obtained the use of that ship and her boats in making the accompanying plan of this bay.... the soundings were taken by myself, with the assistance of the master. it will be seen from this plan, that the distance from one of the best coves (in respect to anchorage), across the separating country from the chagres, and in the most convenient track, is something less than three miles to a point in the river about three miles from its mouth. i have traversed the intervening land which is particularly level, and in all respects suitable for a canal, which, being required for so short a distance, might well be of sufficient depth to admit vessels of any reasonable draft of water, and would obviate the inconvenience of the shallow water at the entrance of the chagres." _ibid, p. ._ _extract from the moniteur parisien of monday, october , ._ "some of the public papers in announcing the return of m. garella to paris, have asserted that the surveys made by that engineer on the isthmus of panama have led him to conclude that the formation of a canal in that country which should unite the two oceans is impossible. this assertion is completely erroneous. the report that this engineer intends to lay before the ministers is not yet completed; but the principal results of his voyage are already known, and which far from having established the impossibility of the execution of the projected work, prove on the contrary that the soil of this portion of the isthmus is not such as to threaten any serious obstruction to the performance of a work of the kind. "the line which has been explored by m. garella, seems to be about kilometres ( - / miles) in length. its point of termination upon the side of the atlantic is in the bay of limon (puerto de naos) situated a little east of the mouth of the rio chagres, and already indicated five years ago by mr. lloyd, where there is a depth of water of metres ( ft. in.), and where it will be easy to form an excellent port at a small expense. by this means may be avoided the village of chagres, situated at the month of the river of that name, but of which the real unhealthiness has been so much exaggerated, as to create an unfounded alarm among too many travellers. on the pacific ocean the canal should terminate at a little bay named ensenada de voca de monte, situated between panama and the mouth of the caimito, where there is four metres ( ft. in.) depth of water at low tide, which, with metres centimetres ( - / ft.), which represent the difference at high tide, gives a sufficient depth of water for the largest merchant ships. "the rigidly exact levellings which have been taken by m. garella, establish that the mean level of the pacific ocean is two metres centimetres ( ft. in.) higher than that of the atlantic, and that the minimum point of the chain to overcome, which will be the most elevated point of the line of the work, is metres ( yards[ ]) above the height of the sea at panama. the surveys which have been made, prove at the same time that the height may be reduced to metres ( yards and a half) by a trench from four to five kilometres (between two and three miles) in length, which, although considerable, has nothing discouraging, considering the powers which science puts at the disposal of the engineer. this height will render it necessary to form locks at each of the declivities. "m. garella is convinced, as much by his own observations, as by the information that he has been able to obtain upon the spot, that all that has been said of the unhealthiness of the isthmus has been exaggerated. panama is, of all the towns upon the coast of america which are situated between the tropics, the most healthy, and perhaps the only town where the yellow fever has never appeared. the interior of the isthmus, through which water courses find a rapid passage, is equally healthy, and is inhabited by a robust and hospitable population, which, although thinly spread over a large tract of country, as in almost all the countries of central and south america, together with that of the neighbouring countries, may amply supply the labourers necessary for the work, in case of its execution. chagres is the only point where the climate has any degree of unhealthiness, owing to pure local circumstances; but this point will be avoided by the line contemplated by m. garella. then in the unhealthiness of the climate there is nothing to be dreaded for such artizans as masons and carpenters, whom it would be necessary to send out from europe. "on the other hand the soil is of wonderful fertility. the cattle, far from being scarce in that part are, on the contrary, abundant, especially in the canton of chiriqui, on the pacific ocean, a little to the west of panama. there will, therefore, be easily found within the country the means of provisioning a large number of workmen. "the exact estimate of the expense attending the formation of a canal at panama cannot be known until the report of m. garella shall be completed. but the foregoing explanations are of sufficient weight, as a decided result of his surveys, to enable us to see that, against the undeniable utility of a canal that should be of sufficient dimensions to allow the passage of the largest merchants' ships, we can hardly place in the balance the consideration of any expenses whatsoever, nor question the long series and increasing importance of the advantages which must arise from it." * * * * * by way of summary: the opinion of this engineer on the possibility of the formation of the canal in question, is contained in the following lines of a letter addressed by him to the governor of panama, dated the th july, , and a few days before his departure from that country, translated from the "_cartilla popular_," a public paper published at panama, and written in spanish. * * * * * "i am nevertheless partly able to satisfy your just and natural impatience, in announcing to you that a canal across the isthmus between the river chagres, and a point of the coast of the pacific ocean, in the environs of panama, is a work of very possible execution, and even easier than that of many canals which have been formed in europe." _m. morel._ the author has been furnished with the following summary of the opinions of m. morel, who has been a resident for some years at panama. m. morel is stated to have surveyed the whole line of country destined to be appropriated to a road, as well as the ground through which a canal might be opened, and as the result of his surveys and observations, he is reported to state-- . that the width of the isthmus of panama, in _a direct line_, does not exceed miles. . that the chain of mountains which incloses the country terminates precisely between chagres and panama, and forms a valley, which is crossed in all directions by numerous streams. . that besides those streams, four rivers of more importance, the chagres and trinidad, which flow into the atlantic, and the farfan and rio grande, which discharge themselves into the pacific, in the immediate vicinity of panama, can be made available. . that the soundings of the river chagres show its depth to be from - / to feet, to its junction with the river trinidad, the tide being felt for four miles up the last named river. the breadth of the chagres is feet from its mouth to the trinidad. . that it becomes only necessary to unite these rivers by a canal, the length of which would not exceed miles, and which would be abundantly supplied by the numerous streams already mentioned. . that the land through which this canal is to pass, is almost on a level with the sea, the highest point being feet, thus presenting none of those serious difficulties which generally attend a work of this description.[ ] . that the country abounds with the necessary materials for building, such as free-stone, clay, lime, and wood. . that there can exist no fear of a scarcity of labourers and workmen, from the number who have already been enrolled by the government of new granada, which amounts to and upwards. . that the objection which has often been started against the possibility of forming a water communication across the isthmus of panama, founded on the difference supposed to exist between the levels of the two seas, is totally at variance with the natural state of things, the tides rising to different heights at chagres and at panama, thus placing the pacific sometimes above, and sometimes below the atlantic. lastly, m. morel remarks, that baron de humboldt, the celebrated geographer, m. arago, the eminent astronomer, f.r.s., and commander garnier, of the french brig of war, "le laurier," have proved that if there be any inequality of height, the average difference of level cannot exceed one metre (about one yard english). postscript. since the foregoing pamphlet was in print, an article has appeared in the morning chronicle of the th may, , in which it is alleged, upon the authority of an article in the _journal des debats_, that m. garella has given in his report to the french government, and that he reports in favour of the practicability of the scheme, but that he found the lowest elevation between the two oceans to amount to, from to metres, and that this being, as he says, too great an elevation for a ship canal, he proposes an enormous tunnel capable of allowing frigates to pass through--that he thinks from examination of the soil, that a tunnel of feet in height above the surface of the canal will be practicable, and might be made with a reasonable outlay of money; and that the length of the tunnel would be , metres, and the expense of it about millions of francs (£ , , ). it is impossible to read this statement without feeling a strong suspicion that, for some object which does not appear, it is the wish of the french government, or those who have put the statement forth, to deter others from embarking in the formation of a canal across the isthmus of panama; for the recommendation of a tunnel of , metres (about three miles) in length, and feet in height, is not only preposterous in itself, as applied to a ship canal, but is wholly at variance with m. garella's own letter to the governor of panama (ante p. ), and with the statement of his opinions in the article in the _moniteur parisien_ (ante p. ), which article is believed to have been written by himself. it is true that m. garella, being a mining engineer (_ingénieur des mines_) may have a partiality for subterraneous works; and this refection provokes the observation, that it is singular that the french government should have selected, for this very important survey, an engineer of mines (however eminent in his department), rather than one experienced in the formation of canals, when it had so many of the latter at command. it is difficult to conceive that the writer of the letter to the governor of panama, and of the article in the _moniteur parisien_ can be sincere in recommending a tunnel; and the conclusion is irresistible, that if the article in the _debats_ has any foundation in the forthcoming report, it is a stroke of policy on the part of the french government, to discourage an undertaking which its own subjects have not sufficient enterprize to accomplish, and which it would object to see executed by other nations. in the present state of the question, it may not be immaterial to remark, that on a comparison lately made by an english engineer of mr. lloyd's levels, with the survey alleged to have been made by m. morel (the accuracy of which is necessarily impugned by m. garella, if he asserts that an elevation of metres must be overcome), it appears that the levels ascribed to m. morel, very nearly agree with those of mr. lloyd, and are substantially corroborated by his survey. footnotes: [ ] the reader will remember that to discover a more direct passage to india than the voyage round africa, which the portuguese were then exploring, was the object of columbus' voyage which led to the discovery of america, and the present proposal is to realize the project of that great navigator. the name of "indies" was given to his discoveries, under a belief that he had actually reached india, a name still preserved in our "west indies."--_robertson's america_, book ii., vol. i, pp. and - , (edit. of ). it may well excite astonishment that more than three centuries should have been allowed to elapse before the full accomplishment of this great man's undertaking. [ ] the intelligent observer of passing events will not fail to see in the "signs of the times" indications that the day is not far distant when the important empire of japan will follow the example of china, and throw open its harbours to european commerce--a consummation devoutly to be wished--and which the present expedition to those shores, under the command of sir edward belcher, is likely to accelerate. a more immediate development of commercial enterprise cannot fail to result from the opening of a ship canal through the isthmus of panama; viz., _a direct trade_ between the west india islands, english, french, and spanish, and the countries which have been named. from this consideration, the west india proprietors and merchants, whose property in those colonies has been of late years so much depreciated, are deeply interested in the success of this undertaking. [ ] the opinions of writers who have visited the locality, will be found in the appendix. to those of mr. lloyd, who was sent by bolivar to survey the isthmus in , in particular, great weight is due. [ ] it was formerly called the isthmus of darien, but that name has fallen into disuse among all persons who have any intercourse with that part of the globe, though still preserved in some of the atlases. [ ] j. a. lloyd, f. r. s., philosophical transactions of the royal society of london, , part i. pp. , . [ ] j. a. lloyd, f. r. s., geographical society's transactions, vol. i. [ ] j. a. lloyd. see appendix. [ ] the writer has conferred with several gentlemen who have visited the isthmus, and who agree in this opinion. [ ] it may be here stated that the caledonian canal, and the canal from amsterdam to niewdiep, the two most expensive ship canals which have been made in europe (and which approximate in magnitude the canal now projected), were formed at a much less expense per mile than has been allowed in this estimate. [ ] see appendix, page . [ ] probably the farfan. [ ] malcolm macgregor, esq. [ ] the canal of languedoc is at its highest point feet above the level of the sea.--_m'culloch's commercial dict., art. canals._ [ ] it may be possible to reconcile the apparent contradiction between the fact here stated by m. morel, and the report of m. garella, by mentioning that the latter suggests the propriety of carrying the canal over a hill yards high, and thus shortening its length, rather than to adopt m. morel's line of survey along the flat and low lands, which is the longest of the two. the end. w. lewis and son, printers, , finch-lane, london. * * * * * transcriber's notes: the transcriber made these changes to the text to correct obvious errors: . p. , propably --> probably . p. , impunged --> impugned zone policeman a close range study of the panama canal and its workers by harry a. franck author of "a vagabond journey around the world" and "four months afoot in spain" to a host of good fellows the zone police quito, december , chapter i strip by strip there opened out before me, as i climbed the "thousand stairs" to the red-roofed administration building, the broad panorama of panama and her bay; below, the city of closely packed roofs and three-topped plazas compressed in a scallop of the sun-gleaming pacific, with its peaked and wooded islands to far taboga tilting motionless away to the curve of the earth; behind, the low, irregular jungled hills stretching hazily off into south america. on the third-story landing i paused to wipe the light sweat from forehead and hatband, then pushed open the screen door of the passageway that leads to police headquarters. "emm--what military service have you had?" asked "the captain," looking up from the letter i had presented and swinging half round in his swivel-chair to fix his clear eyes upon me. "none." "no?" he said slowly, in a wondering voice; and so long grew the silence, and so plainly did there spread across "the captain's" face the unspoken question, "well, then what the devil are you applying here for?" that i felt all at once the stern necessity of putting in a word for myself or lose the day entirely. "but i speak spanish and--" "ah!" cried "the captain," with the rising inflection of awakened interest, "that puts another face on the matter." slowly his eyes wandered, with the far-away look of inner reflection, to the vacant chair of "the chief" on the opposite side of the broad flat desk, then out the wide-open window and across the shimmering roofs of ancon to the far green ridges of the youthful republic, ablaze with the unbroken tropical sunshine. the whirr of a telephone bell broke in upon his meditation. in sharp, clear-cut phrases he answered the questions that came to him over the wire, hung up the receiver, and pushed the apparatus away from him with a forceful gesture. "inspector:" he called suddenly; but a moment having passed without response, he went on in his sharp-cut tones, "how do you think you would like police work?" "i believe i should." "the captain" shuffled for a moment one of several stacks of unfolded letters on his desk. "well, it's the most thankless damned job in creation," he went on, almost dreamily, "but it certainly gives a man much touch with human nature from all angles, and--well, i suppose we do some good. somebody's got to do it, anyway." "of course i suppose it would depend on what class of police work i got," i put in, recalling the warning of the writer of my letter of introduction that, "you may get assigned to some dinky little station and never see anything of the zone,"--"i'm better at moving around than sitting still. i notice you have policemen on your trains, or perhaps in special duty languages would be--" "yes, i was thinking along that line, too," said "the captain." he rose suddenly from his chair and led the way into an adjoining room, busy with several young americans over desks and typewriters. "inspector," he said, as a tall and slender yet muscular man of indian erectness and noticeably careful grooming rose to his feet, "here's one of those rare people, an american who speaks some foreign languages. have a talk with him. perhaps we can arrange to fix him up both for his good and our own." "ever done police duty?" began the inspector, when "the captain" had returned to the corner office. "no." "military ser--" "nor that either." "well, we usually require it," mused the inspector slowly, flashing his diamond ring, "but with your special qualifications perhaps-- "you'd probably be of most use to us in plain clothes," he continued, after a dozen questions as to my former activities; "we could put you in uniform for the first month or six weeks until you know the isthmus, and then-- "our greatest trouble is burglary," he broke off abruptly, rising to reach a copy of the "canal zone laws"; "if you have nothing else on hand you might run these over; and the 'police rules and regulations,'" he added, handing me a small, flat volume bound in light brown imitation leather. i sat down in an arm-chair against the wall and fell to reading, amid the clickity-click of typewriters, telephone calls even from far-off colon on the atlantic, and the constant going and coming of a negro orderly in shiningly ironed khaki uniform. by and by the inspector drifted into the main office, where his voice blended for some time with that of "the captain," at length he came back bearing a copy of the day's star and herald, turned back to the "estrella de panama" pages so rarely opened in the zone. "just run us off a translation of that, if you don't mind," he said, pointing to a short paragraph in spanish. some two minutes later i handed him the english version of the account of a near-duel between two panamanians, and took once more to reading. it was more than an hour later that i was again interrupted. "you'll want to catch the : back to corozal?" inquired the inspector; "mr. ----, give him transportation to culebra and back, and an order for physical examination. "you might fill out this application blank," he added, handing me a long legal sheet, "then in case you are appointed that much will be done." the document began with the usual, "name----, birthplace----, and so on." there followed the information that the appointee "must be at least five feet eight; weigh one hundred and forty, chest at least thirty-four inches--" then suddenly near the bottom of the back of the sheet my eyes caught the startling words;--"unless you are sure you are a man of physical appearance far above the average do not fill out this application." i was suddenly aware of a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach; the blank all but slipped from my nerveless fingers. then all at once there came back to me the words of some chance acquaintance of some far-off time and place, words which were the only memory that remained to me of the speaker, except that he had lived long and gathered much experience, "bluff, my boy, is what carries a man through the world. act as if you're sure you are and can and you'll generally make the other fellow think so." i sat down at a desk and filled out the application in my most self-confident flourish. "go to culebra to-morrow," said the inspector, as i bade the room good-day and stepped forth with my most military stride and bearing, "and report back here friday morning." i descended to the world below, not by the long perspective of stairs that leads down and across the gully to the heart of ancon, but by a short-cut that took me quickly into a foreign land. the graveled highway at the foot of the hill i might not have guessed was an international boundary had i not chanced to notice the instant change from the trim, screened zone buildings, each in its green lawn, to the featureless architecture of a city where grass is all but unknown; for the formalities of crossing this frontier are the same as those of crossing any village street. it was my first entrance into the land of the panamenos, technically known on the zone as "spigoties," and familiarly, with a tinge of despite, as "spigs"; because the first americans to arrive in the land found a few natives and cabmen who claimed to "speaga dee eng-leesh." to americans direct from the states panama city ranks still as rather a miserable dawdling village. but that is due chiefly to lack of perspective. against the background of central america it seemed almost a great, certainly a flourishing, city. even to-day there are many who complain of its unpleasant odors; to those who have lived in other tropical cities its scent is like the perfumes of araby; and none but those can in any degree realize what "tio sam" has done for the place. toward sunset i passed through a gateway with scores of fellow-countrymen, all as composedly at home as in the heart of their native land. across the platform stood a train distinctively american in every feature, a bilious-yellow train divided by the baggage car into two sections, of which the five second-class coaches behind the engine, with their wooden benches, were densely packed in every available space with workmen and laborer's wives, from spaniards to ebony negroes, with the average color decidedly dark. in the first-class cars at the panama end were americans, all but exclusively white americans, with only here and there a "spigoty" with his long greased hair, his finger rings, and his effeminate gestures, and even a negro or two. for though uncle sam may permit individual states to do so, he may not himself openly abjure before the world his assertion as to the equality of all men by enacting "jim crow" laws. we were soon off. settled back in the ample seat of the first real train i had boarded in months, with the roar of its length over the smooth and solid road-bed, the deep-voiced, masculine whistle instead of the painful, puerile screech that had recently assailed my ear, i all but forgot i was in a foreign land. the fact was recalled by the passing of the train-guard,--an erect and self-possessed young american in "texas" hat, khaki uniform, and leather leggings, striding along the aisle with a jerking, half-arrogant swing of the shoulders. so, perhaps, might i too soon be parading across the isthmus! it was not, to be sure, exactly the role i had planned to play on the zone. i had come rather with the hope of shouldering a shovel and descending into the canal with other workmen, that i might some day solemnly raise my right hand and boast, "i helped dig it." but that was in the callow days before i had arrived and learned the awful gulf that separates the sacred white american from the rest of the canal zone world. besides, had i not always wanted to be a policeman and twirl a club and stalk with heavy, law-compelling tread ever since i had first stared speechless upon one of those noble beings on my first trip out into the world twenty-one years before? it was not without effort that i rose in time next morning to continue on the : from corozal across another bit of the zone. exactly thus should one first see the great work, piece-meal, slowly; unless he will go home with it all in an undigested lump. the train rolled across a stretch of almost uninhabited country, with a vast plain of broken rock on the right, plunged unexpectedly through a short tunnel, and stopped at a station perched on the edge of a ridge above a small zone town backed by some vast structure, above which here and there a huge crane loomed against the sky of dawn. another mile and the collectors were announcing as brazenly as if they challenged the few "spigs" on board to correct them, "peter m'gill! peter m'gill!" we were already moving on again before i had guessed that by this noise they designated none other than the famous pedro miguel. the sun rose suddenly as we swung sharply to the left and rumbled across a girderless bridge. barely had i time to discover that we were crossing the great canal itself and to catch a brief glimpse of the jagged gulf in either direction, before the train had left it behind, as if the sight of the world-famous channel were not worth a pause, and was roaring on through a hilly country of perpetual summer. a peculiarly shaped reservoir sped past on the left, twice or thrice more the green horizon rose and fell, and at : we drew up at the base of culebra, the zone capital. on the screened veranda of a somewhat sooty and dismal building high up near the summit of the town, another and i were pacing anxiously back and forth when, well on in the morning, an abrupt and rather gloomy-faced american dashed into the building and one of the rooms thereof, snapping over his shoulder as he disappeared, "one of you!" the other had precedence. then soon from behind the wooden shutters came a growl of "next!" and two moments later i was standing in the reputed costume of adam on the scales within. at about ten-second intervals a monosyllable fell from the lips of the morose american as he delved into my personal make-up from crown to toe with all the instrumental circumspection known to his secret-discovering profession. then with a gruff "dress!" he sat down at a table to scratch a few fantastic marks on the blank i had brought, and hand it to me as i caught up my last garment and turned to the door. but, alas--tight sealed! and all the day, though carrying the information in my pocket, i must live in complete ignorance of whether i had been found lacking an eye or a lung. for sooner would one have asked his future of the scowling parques than venture to invoke a hint thereof from that furrow-browed being from the land of bruskness. meanwhile, as if it had been thus planned to give me such opportunity, i stood at the very vortex of canal interest and fame, with nearly an entire day before the evening train should carry me back to corozal. i descended to the "observation platform." here at last at my very feet was the famous "cut" known to the world by the name of culebra; a mighty channel a furlong wide plunging sheer through "snake mountain," that rocky range of scrub-wooded hills; severing the continental divide. at first view the scene was bewildering. only gradually did the eye gather details out of the mass. before and beyond were pounding rock drills, belching locomotives, there arose the rattle and bump of long trains of flat-cars on many tracks, the crash of falling boulders, the snort of the straining steam-shovels heaping the cars high with earth and rock, everywhere were groups of little men, some working leisurely, some scrambling down into the rocky bed of the canal or dodging the clanging trains, all far below and stretching endless in either direction, while over all the scene hovered a veritable pittsburg of smoke. all long-heralded sights--such is the nature of the world and man--are at first glimpse disappointing. to this rule the great culebra "cut" was no exception. after all this was merely a hill, a moderate ridge, this backbone of the isthmus the sundering of which had sent its echoes to all corners of the earth. the long-fed imagination had led one to picture a towering mountain, a very andes. but as i looked longer, noting how little by comparison were the trains i knew to be of regulation u. s. size, how literally tiny were the scores upon scores of men far down below who were doing this thing, its significance regained bit by bit its proper proportions. train after train-load of the spoil of the "cut" ground away towards the pacific; and here man had been digging steadily, if not always earnestly, since a year before i was born. the gigantic scene recalled to the mind the "industrial army" of which carlyle was prone to preach, with the same discipline and organization as an army in the field; and every now and then, to bear out the figure, there burst forth the mighty cannonade, not of war, but of peace and progress in the form of earth-upheaving and house-rocking blasts of dynamite, tearing away the solid rock below at the very feet of the town. i took to the railroad and struck on further into the unknown country. almost before i was well started i found myself in another town, yet larger than culebra and with the name "empire" in the station building; and nearly every rod of the way between had been lined with villages of negroes and all breeds and colors of canal workers. so on again along a broad macadamized highway that bent and rose through low bushy ridges, past an army encamped in wood and tin barracks on a hillside, with khaki uniformed soldiers ahorse and afoot enlivening all the roadway and the neighboring fields. never a mile without its town--how different will all this be when the canal is finished and all this community is gone to alaska or has scattered itself again over the face of the earth, and dense tropical solitude has settled down once more over the scene. panama, they had said, is insupportably hot. comparing it with other lands i knew i could not but smile at the notion. again it was the lack of perspective. sweat ran easily, yet so fresh the air and so refreshing the breeze sweeping incessantly across from the atlantic that even the sweating was almost enjoyable. hot! yes, like june on the canadian border--though not like july. it is hot in st. louis on an august sunday, with all the refreshment doors tight closed--to strangers; hot in the cotton-fields of texas, but with these plutonic corners the heat of the zone shows little rivalry. the way led round a cone-shaped hill crowned by another military camp with the stars and stripes flapping far above, until i came at last in sight of the renowned chagres, seven miles above culebra, to all appearances a meek and harmless little stream spanned by a huge new iron bridge and forbidden to come and play in the unfinished canal by a little dam of earth that a steam-shovel will some day eat up in a few hours. here, where it ends and the flat country begins, i descended into the "cut," dry and waterless, with a stone-quarry bottom. a sharp climb out on the opposite side and i plunged into rampant jungle, half expecting snake-bites on my exposed ankles--another pre-conceived notion--and at length falling into a narrow jungle trail that pitched down through a dense-grown gully, came upon a fenced compound with several zone buildings on the banks of the chagres, down to which sloped a broad green lawn. here dwells hale and ruddy "old fritz," for long years keeper of the fluviograph that measures and gives warning of the rampages of the chagres. fritz will talk to you in almost any tongue you may choose, as he can tell you of adventures in almost any land, all with a captivating accent and in the vocabulary of a man who has lived long among men and nature. nor are fritz' opinions those gleaned from other men or the printed page. so we fell to fanning ourselves this january afternoon on the screened and shaded veranda above the chagres, and "old fritz," lighting his pipe, raised his slippered feet to the screen railing and, tossing away the charred remnant of a match, began:-- "vidout var dere iss no brogress. ven all der vorld iss at peace, all der vorld goes to shleep." police headquarters looked all but deserted on friday morning. there had been "something doing" in zone criminal annals the night before, and not only "the captain" but both "the chief" and the inspector were "somewhere out along the line." i sat down in the arm-chair against the wall. a half-hour, perhaps, had i read when "eddie"--i am not entitled, perhaps, to such familiarity, but the solemn title of "chief clerk" is far too stiff and formal for that soul of good-heartedness striving in vain to hide behind a bluff exterior--"eddie," i say, blew a last cloud of smoke from his lungs to the ceiling, tossed aside the butt of his cigarette, and motioned to me to take the chair beside his desk. "it's all off!" said a voice within me. for the expression on "eddie's" face was that of a man with an unpleasant duty to perform, and his opening words were in exactly that tone of voice in which a man begins, "i am sorry, but--" had i not often used it myself? "the captain," is how he really did begin, "called me up from colon last night, and--" "here's where i get my case nol prossed," i found myself whispering. in all probability that sealed document i had sent in the day before announced me as a physical wreck. "--and told me," continued "eddie" in his sad, regretful tone, "to tell you we will take you on the force as a first-class policeman. it happens, however, that the department of civil administration is about to begin a census of the zone, and they are looking for any men that can speak spanish. if we take you on, therefore, the captain would assign you to the census department until that work is done--it will probably take something over a month--and then you would be returned to regular police duty. the chief says he'd rather have you learn the isthmus on census than on police pay. "or," went on "eddie," just as i was about to break in with, "all right, that suits me,"--"or, if you prefer, the census department will enroll you as a regular enumerator and we'll take you on the force as soon as that job is over. the--er--pay," added "eddie," reaching for a cigarette but changing his mind, "of enumerators will be five dollars a day, and--er--five a day beats eighty a month by more than a nose." we descended a story and i was soon in conference with a slender, sharp-faced young man of mobile features and penetrating eyes behind which a smile seemed always to be lurking. on the canal zone, as in british colonies, one is frequently struck by the youthfulness of men in positions of importance. "i'll probably assign you to empire district," the slender young man was saying, "there's everything up there and almost any language will sure be some help to us. this time we are taking a thorough, complete census of all the zone clear back to the zone line. here's a sample card and list of instructions." in other words kind uncle sam was about to give me authority to enter every dwelling in the most cosmopolitan and thickly populated district of his canal zone, and to put questions to every dweller therein, note-book and pencil in hand; authority to ramble around a month or more in sunshine and jungle--and pay me for the privilege. there are really two methods of seeing the canal zone; as an employee or as a guest at the tivoli, both of them at about five dollars a day--but at opposite ends of the thermometer. there remained a week-end between that friday morning and the last day of january, set for the beginning of the census. certainly i should not regret the arrival of the day when i should become an employee, with all the privileges and coupon-books thereunto appertained. for the zone is no easy dwelling-place for the non-employee. our worthy uncle of the chin whiskers makes it quite plain that, while he may tolerate the mere visitor, he does not care to have him hanging around; makes it so plain, in fact, that a few weeks purely of sight-seeing on the zone implies an adamantine financial backing. in his screened and full-provided towns, where the employee lives in such well-furnished comfort, the tourist might beat his knuckles bare and shake yellow gold in the other hand, and be coldly refused even a lodging for the night; and while he may eat a meal in the employees' hotels--at near twice the employee's price--the very attitude in which he is received says openly that he is admitted only on suffrance--permitted to eat only because if he starved to death our uncle would have the bother of burying him and his zone police the arduous toil of making out an accident report. meanwhile i must change my dwelling-place. for the quartermaster of corozal had need of all the rooms within his domain, need so imperative that seventeen bona fide and wrathy employees were even then bunking in the pool-room of corozal hotel. work on the zone was moving steadily pacificward and the accommodations refused to come with it--at least at the same degree of speed. nor was i especially averse to the transfer. the room-mate with whom fate had cast me in house was a pleasant enough fellow, a youth of unobjectionable personal manners even though his "eight-hour graft" was in the sooty seat of a steam-crane high above miraflores locks. but he had one slight idiosyncrasy that might in time have grown annoying. on the night of our first acquaintance, after we had lain exchanging random experiences till the evening heat had begun a retreat before the gentle night breeze, i was awakened from the first doze by my companion sitting suddenly up in his cot across the room. "say, i hope you're not nervous?" he remarked. "not immoderately." "one of my stunts is night-mare," he went on, rising to switch on the electric light, "and when i get 'em i generally imagine my room-mate is a burglar trying to go through my junk and--" he reached under his pillow and brought to light a "colt's" of caliber; then crossing the room he pointed to three large irregular splintered holes in the wall some three or four inches above me, and which i had not already seen simply because i had not chanced to look that way. "there's the last three. but i'm tryin' to break myself of 'em," he concluded, slipping the revolver back under his pillow and turning off the light again. which is among the various reasons why it was without protest that, with "the captain's" telephoned consent on the ground that i was now virtually on the force, i took up my residence in corozal police station. 't is a peaceful little building of the usual zone type on a breezy knoll across the railroad, with a spreading tree and a little well-tended flower plot before it, and the broad world stretching away in all directions behind. here lived policeman t---- and b----. "first-class policemen" perhaps i should take care to specify, for in zone parlance the unqualified noun implies african ancestry. but it seems easier to use an adjective of color when necessary. among their regular duties was that of weighing down the rocking-chairs on the airy front veranda, whence each nook and cranny of corozal was in sight, and of strolling across to greet the train-guard of the seven daily passengers; though the irregular ones that might burst upon them at any moment were not unlikely to resemble a moro expedition in the philippines. b---- and i shared the big main room; for t----, being the haughty station commander, occupied the parlor suite beside the office. that was all, except the black trinidadian boy who sat on the wooden shelf that was his bed behind a huge padlocked door and gazed dreamily out through the bars--when he was not carrying a bundle to the train for his wardens or engaged in the janitor duties that kept corozal station so spick and span. oh! to be sure there were also a couple of negro policemen in the smaller room behind the thin wooden partition of our own, but negro policemen scarcely count in zone police reckonings. "by heck! they must use a lot o' mules t' haul aout all thet dirt," observed an arkansas farmer to his nephew, home from the zone on vacation. he would have thought so indeed could he have spent a day at corozal and watched the unbroken deafening procession of dirt-trains scream by on their way to the pacific,--straining moguls dragging a furlong of "lidgerwood flats," swaying "oliver dumps" with their side chains clanking, a succession as incessant of "empties" grinding back again into the midst of the fray. on the tail of every train lounged an american conductor, dressed more like a miner, though his "front" and "hind" negro brakemen were as apt to be in silk ties and patent-leathers. to say nothing of the train-loads that go atlanticward and to jungle "dumps" and to many an unnoticed "fill." then when he had thus watched the day through it would have been of interest to go and chat with some of the "old timers" who live here beside the track and who have seen, or at least heard, this same endless stream of rock and earth race by six days a week, fifty-two weeks a year for six years, as constant and heavily-laden to-day as in the beginning. he might discover, as not all his fellow-countrymen have as yet, that the little surgical operation on mother earth we are engaged in is no mule job. the week-end gave me time to get back in touch with affairs in the states among the newspaper files at the y. m. c. a. building. uncle sam surely makes life comfortable for his children wherever he takes hold. it is not enough that he shall clean up and set in order these tropical pest-holes; he will have the employee fancy himself completely at home. here i sat in one of the dozen big airy recreation halls, well stocked with man's playthings, which the government has erected on the zone; i, who two weeks before had been thankful for lodging on the earth floor of a honduranean hut. the y. m. c. a. is the chief social center on the isthmus, the rendezvous and leisure-hour headquarters of the thousands that inhabit bachelor quarters--except the few of the purely barroom type. "everybody's association" it might perhaps more properly be called, for ladies find welcome and the laughter of children over the parlor games is rarely lacking. it is not the circumspect place that are many of its type in the states, but a real man's place where he can buy his cigarettes and smoke his pipe in peace, a place for men as men are, not as the fashion plates that mama's fond imagination pictures them. with all its excellences it would be unjust to complain that the zone "y. m." is a trifle "low-brow" in its tastes, that the books on its shelves are apt to be "popular" novels rather than reading matter, that its phonographs are most frequently screeching vaudeville noises while the slezak and homer disks lie tucked away far down near the bottom of the stack. with the new week i moved to empire, the "rules and regulations" in a pocket and the most indispensable of my possessions under an arm. once more we rumbled through miraflores tunnel through a mole-hill, past her concrete light-house among the astonished palms, and her giant hose of water wiping away the rock hills, across the trestleless bridge with its photographic glimpse of the canal before and behind for the limber-necked, and again i found myself in the metropolis of the canal zone. at the quartermaster's office my "application for quarters" was duly filed without a word and a slip assigning me to room , house , as silently returned. i climbed by a stone-faced u. s. road to my new home on the slope of a ridge overlooking the railway and its buildings below. it was the noon-hour. my two room-mates, therefore, were on hand for inspection, sprawlingly engrossed in a--quite innocent and legal--card game on a table littered with tobacco, pipes, matches, dog-eared wads of every species of literature from real estate pamphlets to locomotive journals, and a further mass of indiscriminate matter that none but a professional inventory man would attempt to classify. about the room was the usual clutter of all manner of things in the usual unarranged, "unwomaned" zone way, which the negro janitor feels it neither his duty nor privilege to bring to order; while on and about my cot and bureau were helter-skeltered the sundry possessions of an absent employee, who had left for his six-weeks' vacation without hanging up his shirt--after the fashion of "zoners." so when i had wiped away the dust that had been gathering thereon since the days of de lesseps and chucked my odds and ends into a bureau drawer, i was settled,--a full-fledged zone employee in the quarters to which every man on the "gold roll" is entitled free of charge. just here it may be well to explain that the i. c. c. has very dexterously dodged the necessity of lining the zone with the offensive signs "black" and "white." 't would not be exactly the distinction desired anyway. hence the line has been drawn between "gold" and "silver" employees. the first division, paid in gold coin, is made up, with a few exceptions, of white american citizens. to the second belong any of the darker shade, and all common laborers of whatever color, these receiving their wages in panamanian silver. 't is a deep and sharp-drawn line. the story runs that liza lawsome, not long arrived from jamaica, entering the office of a zone dentist, paused suddenly before the announcement: crownwork. gold and silver fillings. extractions wholly without pain. there was deep disappointment in face and voice as she sat down with a flounce of her starched and snow-white skirt, gasping: "oh, doctah, does i have to have silver fillings?" my room-mates, "mitch" and "tom," sat respectively at the throttle of a locomotive that jerked dirt-trains out of the "cut" and straddled a steam-shovel that ate its way into culebra range. whence, of course, they were covered with the grease and grime incident to those occupations. which did not make them any the less companionable--though it did promise a distinct increase in my laundry bill. when they had descended again to the labor-train and been snatched away to their appointed tasks, i sat a short hour in one of the black "mission" rocking-chairs on the screened veranda puzzling over a serious problem. the quarters of the "gold" employee is as completely furnished as any reasonable man could demand, his iron cot with springs and mattress unimpeachable--but just there the maternal generosity of the government ceases. he must furnish his own sheets and pillow--must because placards on the wall sternly warn him not to sleep on the bare mattress; and the new york sunday edition that had served me thus far i had carelessly left behind at corozal police station. to be sure there were sheets for sale in empire, at the commissary--where money has the purchasing-power of cobble-stones, and coupon-books come only to those who have worked a day or more on the zone. then the jamaican janitor, drifting in to potter about the room, evidently guessed the cause of my perplexity, for he turned to point to the bed of the absent "mitch" and gurgled: "jes' you make lub to dat man what got dat bed. him got plenty ob sheets." which proved a wise suggestion. empire hotel sat a bit down the hill. there the "gold" ranks were again subdivided. the coatless ate and sweltered inside the great dining-room; the formal sat in haughty state in what was virtually a second-story veranda overlooking the railroad yards and a part of the town, where were tables of four, electric fans, and "ben" to serve with butler formality. i found it worth while to climb the hill for my coat thrice a day. as yet i was jangling down a panamanian dollar at each appearance, but the day was not far distant when i should receive the "recruits" hotel-book and soon grow as accustomed as the rest to having a coupon snatched from it by the yellow negro at the door. uncle sam's boarding scale on the zone is widely varied. three meals cost the non-employee $ . , the "gold" employee $. , the white european laborer $. , and negroes in general $. . that afternoon, when the sun had begun to bow its head on the thither side of the canal, i climbed to the newly labeled census office on the knoll behind the police station, from the piazza of which all native empire lies within sweep of the eye. "the boss," a smiling youth only well started on his third decade, whose regular duties were in the sanitary department, had already moved bed, bag, and baggage into the room that had been assigned the census, that he might be "always on the job." not till eight that evening, however, did the force gather to look itself over. there was the commander-in-chief of the census bureau, sent down from washington specifically for the task in hand, under whom as chairmen we settled down into a sort of director's meeting, a wholly informal, coatless, cigarette-smoking meeting in which even the chief himself did not feel it necessary to let his dignity weigh upon him. he had been sent down alone. hence there had been great scrambling to gather together on the zone men enough who spoke spanish--and with no striking success. most noticeable of my fellow-enumerators, being in uniform, were three marines from bas obispo, fluent with the working spanish they had picked up from mindanao to puerto rico, and flush-cheeked with the prospect of a full month on "pass," to say nothing of the $ . a day that would be added to their daily military income of $. . then there were four of darker hue,--panamanians and west indians; and how rare are spanish-speaking, americans on the zone was proved by the admittance of such complexions to the "gold" roll. of native u. s. civilians there were but two of us. of whom barter, speaking only his nasal new jersey, must perforce be assigned to the "gold" quarters, leaving me the native town of empire. at which we were both satisfied, barter because he did not like to sully himself by contact with foreigners, i because one need not travel clear to the canal zone to study the ways of americans. as for the other seven, each was assigned his strip of land something over a mile wide and five long running back to the western boundary of the zone. that region of wilderness known as "beyond the canal" was to be left for special treatment later. the zone had been divided for census purposes into four sections, with headquarters and supervisor in ancon, empire, gorgona, and cristobal respectively. our district, stretching from the trestleless bridge over the canal to a great tree near bas obispo, was easily the fat of the land, the most populous, most cosmopolitan, and embracing within its limits the greatest task on the zone. meanwhile we had fallen to studying the "instructions to enumerators," the very first article of which was such as to give pause and reflection; "when you have once signed on as an enumerator you cannot cease to exercise your functions as such without justifiable cause under penalty of $ fine." which warning was quickly followed by the hair-raising announcement: "if you set down the name of a fictitious person"--what can have given the good census department the notion of such a possibility?--"you will be fined $ , or sentenced to five years' imprisonment, or both." from there on the injunctions grew less nerve-racking: "you must use a medium soft black pencil (which will be furnished)"--law-breaking under such conditions would be absurdity--"use no ditto marks and"--here i could not but shudder as there passed before my eyes memories of college lecture rooms and all the strange marks that have come to mean something to me alone--"take pains to write legibly!" then we arose and swarmed upstairs to an empty court-room, where judge g----, throwing away his cigarette and removing his iowa feet from the bar of justice, caused us each to raise a right hand and swear an oath as solemn as ever president on march fourth. an oath, i repeat, not merely to uphold and defend the constitution against all enemies, armed or armless, but furthermore "not to share with any one any of the information you gather as an enumerator, or show a census card, or keep a copy of same." yet, i trust i can spin this simple yarn of my canal zone days without offense to uncle sam against the day when mayhap i shall have occasion to apply to him again for occupation. for that reason i shall take abundant care to give no information whatsoever in the following pages. chapter ii "the boss" and i initiated the canal zone census that very night. legally it was to begin with the dawning of february, but there were many labor camps in our district and the hours bordering on midnight the only sure time to "catch 'em in." up in house i gathered together the legion paraphernalia of this new occupation,--some two hundred red cards a foot long and half as wide, a surveyor's field notebook for the preservation of miscellaneous information, tags for the tagging of canvassed buildings, tacks for the tacking of the same, the necessary tack-hammer, the medium soft black pencil, above all the awesome legal "commission," impressively signed and sealed, wherein none other than our weighty nation's chief himself did expressly authorize me to search out, enter, and question ad libitum. all this swung over a shoulder in a white canvas sack, that carried memory back through the long years to my newsboy days, i descended to the town. "the boss" was ready. it was nearly eleven when we crossed the silent p. r. r. tracks and, plunging away into the night past great heaps of abandoned locomotives huddled dim and uncertain in the thin moonlight like ghosts of the french fiasco, dashed into a camp of the laborer's village of cunette, pitched on the very edge of the now black and silent void of the canal. eighteen thick-necked negroes in undershirts and trousers gazed up white-eyed from a suspended card game at the long camp table. but we had no time for explanations. "name?" i shouted at the coal-hued hercules nearest at hand. "david providence," he bleated in trembling voice, and the great zone questionnaire was on. we had enrolled the group before a son of wisdom among them surmised that we were not, after all, plain-clothes men in quest of criminals; and his announcement brought visible relief. twice as many blacks were sprawled in the two rows of double-sided, three-story bunks,--mere strips of canvas on gas-pipes that could be hung up like swinging shelves when not in use. mere noise did not even disturb their dreams. we roused them by pencil-jabs in the ribs, and they started up with savage, animal-like grunts and murderous glares which instantly subsided to sheepish grins and voiceless astonishment at sight of a white face bending over them. now and again open-mouthed guffaws of laughter greeted the mumbled admission of some powerful buck that he could not read, or did not know his age. but there was nothing even faintly resembling insolence, for these were all british west indians without a corrupting "states nigger" among them. a half-hour after our arrival we had tagged the barracks and dived into the next camp, blacker and sleepier and more populous than the first. it was february morning before i climbed the steps of silent and stepped under the shower-bath that is always preliminary, on the zone, to a night's repose. a dream of earthquake, holocaust, and general destruction developed gradually into full consciousness at four-thirty. house was in riotous uproar. no, neither conflagration nor foreign invasion was pending; it was merely the houseful of engineers in their customary daily struggle to catch the labor-train and be away to work by daylight. when the hour's rampage had subsided i rose to switch off the light and turned in again. the rays of the impetuous panama sun were spattering from them when i passed again the jumbled rows of invalided locomotives and machinery, reddish with rust and bound, like gulliver, by green jungle strands and tropical creepers. by day the arch-roofed labor-camps were silent and empty, but for a lonely janitor languidly mopping a floor. before the buildings a black gang was dipping the canvas and gas-pipe bunks one by one into a great kettle of scalding water. but there are also "married quarters" at cunette. a row of six government houses tops the ridge, with six families in each house, and--no, i dare not risk nomination to an ever expanding though unpopular club by stating how many in a family. i will venture merely to assert that when noon-time came i was not well started on the second house, yet carried away more than sixty filled-out cards. more than two days that single row of houses endured, varied by nights spent with "the boss" in the labor-camps of lirio, culebra way. then one morning i tramped far out the highway to the old scotchman's farm-house that bounds empire on the north and began the long intricate journey through the private-owned town itself. it was like attending a congress of the nations, a museum exhibition of all the shapes and hues in which the human vegetable grows. tenements and wobbly-kneed shanties swarming with exhibits monopolized the landscape; strange the room that did not yield up at least a man and woman and three or four children. day after blazing day i sat on rickety chairs, wash-tubs, ironing-boards, veranda railings, climbing creaking stairways, now and again descending a treacherous one in unintentional haste and ungraceful posture, burrowing into blind but inhabited cubby-holes, hunting out squatters' nests of tin cans and dry-goods boxes hidden away behind the legitimate buildings, shouting questions into dilapidated ear-drums, delving into the past of every human being who fell in my way. west indian negroes easily kept the lead of all other nationalities combined; negroes blacker than the obsidian cutlery of the aztecs, blonde negroes with yellow hair and blue eyes whose race was betrayed only by eyelids and the dead whiteness of skin, and whom one could not set down as such after enrolling swarthy spaniards as "white" without a smile. they lived chiefly in windowless, six-by-eight rooms, always a cheap, dirty calico curtain dividing the three-foot parlor in front from the five-foot bedroom behind, the former cluttered with a van-load of useless junk, dirty blankets, decrepit furniture, glittering gewgaws, a black baby squirming naked in a basket of rags with an episcopal prayerbook under its pillow--relic of the old demon-scaring superstitions of voodoo worship. every inch of the walls was "decorated," after the artistic temperament of the race, with pages of illustrated magazines or newspapers, half-tones of all things conceivable with no small amount of text in sundry languages, many a page purely of advertising matter, the muscular, imbruted likeness of a certain black champion rarely missing, frequently with a bible laid reverently beneath it. outside, before each room, a tin fireplace for cooking precariously bestrided the veranda rail. often a tumble-down hovel where three would seem a crowd yielded up more than a dozen inmates, many of whom, being at work, must be looked for later--the "back-calls" that is the bete-noire of the census enumerator. west indians, however, are for the most part well acquainted with the affairs of friends and room-mates, and enrolment of the absent was often possible. occasionally i ran into a den of impertinence that must be frowned down, notably a notorious swarming tenement over a lumber-yard. but on the whole the courtesy of british west indians, even among themselves, was noteworthy. of the two great divisions among them, barbadians seemed more well-mannered than jamaicans--or was it merely more subtle hypocrisy? among them all the most unspoiled children of nature appeared to be those from the little island of nevis. "you ain't no american?" "yes, ah is." "why, you de bery furst american ah eber see dat was perlite." which spoke badly indeed for the others, that not being one of the virtues i strive particularly to cultivate. but "perlite" or not, there can be no question of the astounding stupidity of the west indian rank and file, a stupidity amusing if you are in an amusable mood, unendurable if you neglect to pack your patience among your bag of supplies in the morning. tropical patience, too, is at best a frail child. the dry-season sun rarely even veiled his face, and there were those among the enumerators who complained of the taxing labor of all-day marching up and down streets and stairs and zone hills beneath it; but to me, fresh from tramping over the mountains of central america with twenty pounds on my shoulders, this was mere pastime. heat had no terrors for the enumerated, however. often in the hottest hour of the day i came upon negroes sleeping in tightly closed rooms, the sweat running off them in streams, yet apparently vastly enjoying the situation. sunday came and i chose to continue, though virtually all the zone was on holiday and even "the boss," after what i found later to be his invariable custom, had broken away from his card-littered dwelling-place on saturday evening and hurried away to panama, drawn thither and held till monday morning--by some irresistible attraction. sunday turns holiday completely on the zone, even to hours of trains and hotels. the frequent passengers were packed from southern white end to northern black end with all nations in gladsome garb, bound panamaward to see the lottery drawing and buy a ticket for the following sunday, across the isthmus to breezy colon, or to one of a hundred varying spots and pastimes. others in khaki breeches fresh from the government laundry in cristobal and the ubiquitous leather leggings of the "zoner" were off to ride out the day in the jungles; still others set resolutely forth afoot into tropical paths; a dozen or so, gleaned one by one from all the towns along the line were even on their way to church. yet with all this scattering there still remained a respectable percentage lounging on the screened verandas in pajamas and kimonas, "old timers" of four or five or even six years' standing who were convinced they had seen and heard, and smelt and tasted all that the zone or tropical lands have to offer. well on in the morning there was a general gathering of all the ditch-digging clans of empire and vicinity in a broad field close under the eaves of the town, and soon there came drifting across to me at my labor, hoarse, frenzied screams; sounding strangely incongruous beneath the swaying palm-trees; "come on! get down with his arm! aaaaahrrr!" but my time was well chosen. in the spanish camps above the canal, still and silent with sunday, men at no other time to be run to earth were entrapped in their bunks, under their dwelling-places in the shade, shaving, exchanging hair-cuts, washing workaday clothes, reminiscing over far-off homes and pre-migratory days, or merely loafing. the same cheery, friendly, quick-witted fellows they were as in their native land, even the few italians and rare portuguese scattered among them inoculated with their cheerfulness. came sudden changes to camps of martiniques, a sort of wild, untamed creature, who spoke a distressing imitation of french which even he did not for a moment claim to be such, but frankly dubbed patois. restless-eyed black men who answered to their names only at the question "cummun t'appelle?" and give their age only to those who open wide their mouths and cry, "caje-vous?" then on again to the no less strange, sing-song "english" of jamaica, the whining tones of those whose island trees the conquesting spaniards found bearded--"barbados"--now and again a more or less dark costa rican, guatemalteco, venezuelan, stray islanders from st. vincent, trinidad, or guadalupe, individuals defying classification. but the chief reward for denying myself a holiday were the "back-calls" in the town itself which i was able to check out of my field-book. many a long-sought negro i roused from his holiday siesta, dashing past the tawdry calico curtains to pound him awake--mere auricular demonstration having only the effect of lulling him into deeper child-like slumber. the surest and often only effective means was to tickle the slumberer gently on the soles of the bare feet with some airy, delicate instrument such as my tack-hammer, or a convenient broom-handle or flat-iron. frequently i came upon young negro men of the age and type that in white skins would have been loafing on pool-room corners, reading to themselves in loud and solemn voices from the bible, with a far-away look in their eyes; always i was surrounded by a never-broken babble of voices, for the west indian negro can let his face run unceasingly all the day through, and the night, though he have never a word to say. thus my "enumerated" tags spread further and wider over the city of empire. i reached in due time the hodge-podge shops and stores of railroad avenue. chinamen began to drift into the rolls, there appeared such names as carmen wah chang, cooks and waitresses living in darksome back cupboards must be unearthed, negro shoemakers were caught at their stands on the sidewalks, shiny-haired bartenders gave up their biographies in nasal monosyllables amid the slop of "suds" and the scrape of celluloid froth-eradicators. rare was the land that had not sent representatives to this great dirt-shoveling congress. a syrian merchant gasped for breath and fell over his counter in delight to find that i, too, had been in his native zakleh, five punjabis all but died of pleasure when i mispronounced three words of their tongue. occasionally there came startling contrast as i burst unexpectedly into the ancestral home of some educated native family that had withstood all the tides of time and change and still lived in the beloved "emperador" of their forefathers. anger was usually near the surface at my intrusion, but they quickly changed to their ingrown politeness and chatty sociability when addressed in their own tongue and treated in their own extravagant gestures. it was almost sure to return again, however, at the question whether they were panamanians. distinctly not! they were colombians! there is no such country as panama. thus the enrolling of the faithful continued. chinese laundrymen divulged the secrets of their mysterious past between spurts of water at steaming shirt-bosoms; chinese merchants, of whom there are hordes on the zone, cueless, dressed and betailored till you must look at them twice to tell them from "gold" employees, the flag of the new republic flapping above their doors, the new president in their lapels, left off selling crucifixes and breastpin medallions of christ to negro women, to answer my questions. one evening i stumbled into a nest of eleven bengali peddlers with the bare floor of their single room as bed, table, and chairs; in one corner, surmounted by their little embroidered skull-caps, were stacked the bundles with which they pester zone housewives, and in another their god wrapped in a dirty rag against profaning eyes. many days had passed before i landed the first zone resident i could not enroll unassisted. he was a heathen chinee newly arrived, who spoke neither spanish nor english. it was "chinese charlie" who helped me out. "chinese charlie" was a resident of the zone before the days of de lesseps and at our first meeting had insisted on being enrolled under that pseudonym, alleging it his real name. upstairs above his store all was sepulchral silence when i mounted to investigate--and i came quickly and quietly down again; for the door had opened on the gaudy oriental splendor of a joss-house where dwelt only grinning wooden idols not counted as zone residents by the materialistic census officials. on the isthmus as elsewhere "john" is a law-abiding citizen--within limits; never obsequious, nearly always friendly, ready to answer questions quite cheerily so long as he considers the matter any of your business, but closing infinitely tighter than the maltreated bivalve when he fancies you are prying too far. in time i reached the commissary--the government department store--and enrolled it from cash-desk to cold-storage; empire hotel, from steward to scullions, filed by me whispering autobiography; the police station on its knoll fell like the rest. i went to jail--and set down a large score of black men and a pair of european whites, back from a day's sweaty labor of road building, who lived now in unaccustomed cleanliness in the heart of the lower story of a fresh wooden building with light iron bars, easy to break out of were it not that policemen, white and black, sleep on all sides of them. crowded old empire not only faces her streets but even her back yards are filled with shacks and inhabited boxes to be hunted out. on the hem of her tattered outskirts and the jungle edges i ran into heaps of old abandoned junk,--locomotives, cars, dredges, boilers (some with the letters "u. s." painted upon them, which sight gave some three-day investigator material to charge the i. c. c. with untold waste); all now soon to be removed by a chicago wrecking company. then all the town must be done again--"back calls." by this time so wide and varied was my acquaintance in empire that wenches withdrew a dripping hand from their tubs to wave at me with a sympathetic giggle, and piccaninnies ran out to meet me as i returned in quest of one missing inmate in a house of fifty. for the few laborers still uncaught i took to coming after dark. but west indians rarely own lamps, not even the brass tax-numbers above the doors were visible, and as for a negro in the dark-- absurd rumors had begun early to circulate among the darker brethren. in all negrodom the conviction became general that this individual detailed catechising and house-branding was really a government scheme to get lists of persons due for deportation, either for lack of work as the canal neared completion or for looseness of marital relations. hardly a tenement did i enter but laughing voices bandied back and forth and there echoed and reechoed through the building such remarks as: "well, dey gon' sen' us home, penelope," or "yo an' percival better hurry up an' git married, ambrosia." several dusky females regularly ran away whenever i approached; one at least i came a-seeking in vain nine times, and found her the tenth behind a garbage barrel. many fancied the secret marks on the "enumerated" tag--date, and initials of the enumerator--were intimately concerned with their fate. so strong is the fear of the law imbued by the zone police that they dared not tear down the dreaded placard, but would sometimes sit staring at it for hours striving to penetrate its secret or exorcise away its power of evil, and now and then some bolder spirit ventured out--at midnight--with a pencil and put tails and extra flourishes on the penciled letters in the hope of disguising them against the fatal day. except for the chaos of nationalities and types on the zone, enumerating would have become more than monotonous. but the enumerated took care to break the monotony. there was the wealth of nomenclature for instance. what more striking than a shining-black waiter strutting proudly about under the name of levi mccarthy? there was no necessity of asking beresford plantaganet if he were a british subject. naturally the mother of hazarmaneth cumberbath smith, baptized that very week, had to claw out the family bible from among the bed-clothes and look up the name on the fly-leaf. to the enumerator, who must set down concise and exact answers to each of his questions, fifty or sixty daily scenes and replies something like these were delightful; enumerator (sitting down on the edge of a barrel): "how many living in this room?" explosive laughter from the buxom, jet-black woman addressed. enumerator (on a venture): "what's the man's name?" "he name 'rasmus iggleston." "what's his metal-check number?" "lard, mahster, ah don' know he check number." "haven't you a commissary-book with it in?" "lard no, mah love, commissary-book him feeneesh already befo' las' week." "is he a jamaican?" "no, him a mont-rat, mahster." (monsterratian.) "what color is he?" "te! he! wha' fo' yo as' all dem questions, mahster?" "for instance." "oh, him jes' a pitch darker'n me." "how old is he?" (loud laughter) "law', ah don' know how ol' him are!" "well, about how old?" "oh, him a ripe man, mah love, him a prime man." "is he older than you?" "oh, yes, him older 'n me." "and how old are you?" "te! he! 'deed ah don' know how ol' ah is; ah gone los' mah age paper." "is he married?" (quickly and with very grave face) "oh, yes indeed, mahster, ah his sure 'nough wife." "can he read?" (hesitatingly) "er--a leetle, sir, not too much, sir." (which generally means he can spell out a few words of one syllable and make some sort of mark representing his name.) "what kind of work does he do?" (haughtily) "him employed by de i. c. c." "yes, naturally. but what kind of work does he do. is he a laborer?" (quickly and very impressively) "laborer! oh, no, mah sweet mahster, he jes' shovel away de dirt befo' de steam shovel." "all right. that 'll do for 'rasmus. now your name?" "mah name mistress jane iggleston." "how long have you lived on the canal zone?" "oh, not too long, mah love." "since when have you lived in this house?" "oh, we don' come to dis house too long, sah." "can you read and write?" "no, ah don' stay in jamaica. ah come to panama when ah small." "do you do any work besides your own housework?" (evasively) "work? if ah does any work? no, not any." enumerator looks hard from her to washtub. "ah--er--oh, ah washes a couple o' gentlemen's clot'es." "very good. now then, how many children?" "we don' git no children, sah." "what! how did that happen?" loud, house-shaking laughter. enumerator (looking at watch and finding it : ): "well, good afternoon." "good evenin', sah. thank you, sah. te! he!" variations on the above might fill many pages: "how old are you?" self-appointed interpreter of the same shade; "he as' how old is yo?" "how old _i_ are? ah don rightly know mah age, mahster, mah mother never tol' me." st. lucian woman, evidently about forty-five, after deep thought, plainly anxious to be as truthful as possible: "er--ah's twenty, sir." "oh, you're older than that. about sixty, say?" "'bout dat, sah." "are you married?" (pushing the children out of the way.) "n-not as yet, mah sweet mahster, bu-but--but we go 'n' be soon, sah." to a barbadian woman of forty: "just you and your daughter live here?" "dat's all, sir." "doesn't your husband live here?" "oh, ah don't never marry as yet, sah." anent the old saying about the partnership of life and hope. to a dominican woman of fifty-two, toothless and pitted with small-pox: "are you married?" (with simpering smile) "not as yet, mah sweet mahster." to a jamaican youth; "how many people live in this room?" "three persons live here, sir." "i stand grammatically corrected. when did you move here?" "we remove here in april." "again i apologize for my mere american grammar. now, henry, what is your room-mate's name?" "well, we calls him ethel, but i don't know his right title. peradventure he will not work this evening [afternoon] and you can ask him from himself." "do his parents live on the zone?" "oh, yes, sah, he has one father and one mother." an answer: "why himself [emphatic subject pronoun among barbadians] didn't know if he'd get a job." to a six-foot black giant working as night-hostler of steam-shovels: "well, josiah, i suppose you're a jamaican?" "oh, yes, boss, ah work in kingston ten years as a bar-maid." "married?" "no, boss, ah's not 'xactly married. ah's livin' with a person." a colored family: sarah green, very black, has a child named edward white, and is now living with henry brown, a light yellow negro. west indian wit: a shop-sign in empire: "don't ask for credit. he is gone on vacation since january , ." laughter and carefree countenances are legion in the west indian ranks, children seem never to be punished, and to all appearances man and wife live commonly in peace and harmony. dr. o---- tells the following story, however: in his rounds he came upon a negro beating his wife and had him placed under arrest. the negro: "why, boss, can't a man chastize his wife when she desarves and needs it?" dr. o----: "not on the canal zone. it's against the law." negro (in great astonishment): "is dat so, boss. den ah'll never do it again, boss--on de canal zone." one morning in the heart of empire a noise not unlike that of a rocky waterfall began to grow upon my ear. louder and louder it swelled as i worked slowly forward. at last i discovered its source. in a lower room of a tenement an old white-haired jamaican had fitted up a private school, to which the elite among the darker brethren sent their children, rather than patronize the common public schools uncle sam provides free to all zone residents. the old man sat before some twenty wide-eyed children, one of whom stood slouch-shouldered, book in hand, in the center of the room, and at regular intervals of not more than twenty seconds he shouted high above all other noises of the neighborhood: "yo calls dat eng-leesh! how eber yo gon' l'arn talk proper lika dat, yo tell me?" far back in the interior of an empire block i came upon an old, old negro woman, parchment-skinned and doddering, living alone in a stoop-shouldered shanty of boxes and tin cans. "ah don' know how ol' ah is, mahster," was one of her replies, "but ah born six years befo' de cholera diskivered." "when did you come to panama?" "ah don' know, but it a long time ago." "before the americans, perhaps?" "oh, long befo'! de french ain't only jes' begin to dig. ah's ashamed to say how long ah been here" (just why was not evident, unless she fancied she should long ago have made her fortune and left). "is you a american? well, de americans sure have done one thing. dey mak' dis country civilize. why, chil', befo' dey come we have all de time here revolutions. ah couldn't count to how many revolutions we had, an' ebery time dey steal all what we have. dey even steal mah clothes. ah sure glad fo' one de americans come." it was during my empire enumerating that i was startled one morning to burst suddenly from the tawdry, junk-jumbled rooms of negroes into a bare-floored, freshly scrubbed room containing some very clean cots, a small table and a hammock, and a general air of frankness and simplicity, with no attempt to disguise the commonplace. at the table sat a spaniard in worn but newly washed working-clothes, book in hand. i sat down and, falling unconsciously into the "th" pronunciation of the castilian, began blithely to reel off the questions that had grown so automatic. "name?"-;-federico malero. "check number?"--"can you read?" "a little." the barest suggestion of amusement in his voice caused me to look up quickly. "my library," he said, with the ghost of a weird smile, nodding his head slightly toward an unpainted shelf made of pieces of dynamite boxes, "mine and my room-mates." the shelf was filled with four--real barcelona paper editions of hegel, fichte, spencer, huxley, and a half-dozen others accustomed to sit in the same company, all dog-eared with much reading. "some ambitious foreman," i mused, and went on with my queries: "occupation?" "pico y pala," he answered. "pick and shovel!" i exclaimed--"and read those?" "no importa," he answered, again with that elusive shadow of a smile, "it doesn't matter," and as i rose to leave, "buenos dias, senor," and he turned again to his reading. i plunged into the jumble of negroes next door, putting my questions and setting down the answers without even hearing them, my thoughts still back in the clean, bare room behind, wondering whether i should not have been wiser after all to have ignored the sharp-drawn lines and the prejudices of my fellow-countrymen and joined the pick and shovel zone world. there might have been pay dirt there. a few months before, i remembered, a spanish laborer killed in a dynamite explosion in the "cut" had turned out to be one of spain's most celebrated lawyers. i recalled that el unico, the anarchist spanish weekly published in miraflores contains some crystal-clear thinking set forth in a sharp-cut manner that shows a real inside knowledge of the "job" and the canal workers, however little one may agree with its philosophy and methods. then it was due to the law of contrasts, i suppose, that the thought of "tom," my room-mate, suddenly flashed upon me; and i discovered myself chuckling at the picture, "tom, the rough-neck," to whom all such as federico malero with his pick and shovel were mere "silver men," on whom "tom" looked down from his high perch on his steam-shovel as far less worthy of notice than the rock he was clawing out of the hillside. how many a silent chuckle and how many a covert sneer must the maleros on the zone indulge in at the pompous airs of some american ostensibly far above them. chapter iii meanwhile my fellow enumerators were reporting troubles "in the bush." i heard particularly those of two of the marines, "mac" and renson, merry, good-natured, earnest-by-spurts, even modest fellows quite different from what i had hitherto pictured as an enlisted man. "mac" was a half and half of scotch and italian. naturally he was constantly effervescing, both verbally and temperamentally, his snapping black eyes were never still, life played across his excitable, sunny boyish face like cloud shadows on a mountain landscape, whoever would speak to him at any length must catch him in a vice-like grip and hold his attention by main force. he spoke with a funny little almost-foreign accent, was touching on forty, and was the youngest man at that age in the length and breadth of the canal zone. at first sight you would take "mac" for a mere roustabout, like most who go a'soldiering. but before long you'd begin to wonder where he got his rich and fluent vocabulary and his warehouse of information. then you'd run across the fact that he had once finished a course in a middle-western university--and forgotten it. the schools had left little of their blighting mark upon him, yet "pump" "mac" on any subject from rapid-fire guns to grand opera and you'd get at least a reasonable answer. though you wouldn't guess the knowledge was there unless you did pump for it, for "mac" was not of the type of those who overwork the first person pronoun, not because of foolish diffidence but merely because it rarely occurred to him as a subject of conversation. seventeen years in the marine corps--you were sure he was "jollying" when he first said it--had taken "mac" to most places where warships go, from pekin and "the islands" to cape town and buenos ayres, and given him not merely an acquaintance with the world but--what is far more of an acquisition--the gift of getting acquainted in almost any stratum of the world in the briefest possible space of time. "mac" spoke not only his english and italian but a fluent "islands" spanish; he knew enough french to talk even to martiniques, and he could moreover make two distinct sets of noises that were understood by chinese and japanese respectively. he was a man just reckless enough in all things to be generous and alive, yet never foolishly wasteful either of himself or his meager substance. "mac" first rose to fame in the census department by appearing one afternoon at empire police station dragging a "bush" native by the scruff of the neck with one hand, and carrying in the other the machete with which the bushman had tried to prove he was a colombian and not subject to questioning by the agents of other powers. renson--well, renson was in some ways "mac's" exact antithesis and in some his twin brother. he was one of those youths who believe in spending prodigally and in all possible haste what little nature has given them. wherefore, though he was younger than "mac" appeared to be, he already looked older than "mac" was. in zone parlance "he had already laid a good share of the road to hell behind him." yet such a cheery, likable chap was renson, so large-hearted and unassuming--that was just why you felt an itching to seize him by the collar of his olive-drab shirt and shake him till his teeth rattled for tossing himself so wantonly to the infernal bow-wows. renson's "bush" troubles were legion. not only were there the seducing brown "spigoty" women out in the wilderness to help him on his descending trail, but when and wherever fire-water of whatever nationality or degree of voltage showed its neck--and it is to be found even in "the bush"--there was renson sure to give battle--and fall. "it's no use bein' a man unless you're a hell of a man," was renson's "influenced" philosophy. how different this was from his native good sense when the influence was turned off was demonstrated when he returned from cautiously reconnoitering a cottage far back in the wilds one dark night and reported as his reason for postponing the enumerating: "if you'd butt in on one o' them martinique booze festivals they'd crown you with a bottle." already one or two enumerators had gone back to private life--by request. particularly sad was the case of our dainty, blue-blooded panamanian. as with many panamanians, and not a few of the self-exalted elsewhere, he was more burdened with blue corpuscles than with gray matter. at any rate-- on our cards, after the query "color?" was a small space, a very small space in which was to be written quite briefly and unceremoniously "w," "b," or "mx" as the case might be. uncle sam was in a hurry for his census. early one afternoon our panamanian helpmate burst upon one of his numerous aristocratic relatives in his royal thatched domains in the ancestral bush. when he had embraced him the customary fifteen times on the right side and the fifteen accustomed times on the left side, and had performed the eighty-five gestures of greeting required by the social manual of the bush, and asked the three hundred and sixty-five questions de rigueur regarding the honorable health of his honorable horde of offspring, and his eye had fallen again on the red cards in his hand, the fact struck him that the relative was of precisely the same shade of complexion as himself. could he set him down as he had many a mere red-blooded person and thereby perhaps establish a precedent that might result in his own mortification? yet could he stretch a shade--or several shades--and set him down as "white"? no, there was the oath of office, and the government that administered it had been found long-armed and argus-eyed. long he sat in deepest meditation. being a panamanian, he could not of course know that uncle sam was in a hurry for his census. till at length, as the sun was firing the western jungle tree-tops, a scintillating idea rewarded his unwonted cogitation. he caught up the medium soft pencil and wrote in aristocratic hand down across the sheet where other information is supposed to find place: "color;--a very light mixture," and taking his leave with the requisite seventy-five gestures and genuflexions, he drifted empireward with the dozen cards the day had yielded. which is why i was shocked next morning by the disrespectful report of renson that "my friend the boss had tied a can to the spig's tail," and our dainty and lamented comrade went back to the more fitting blue-blood occupation of swinging a cane in the lobbies of panama's famous hostelries. but what mattered such small losses? had not "scotty" been engaged to fill the breach--or all of them, one or two breaches more or less made small difference to "scotty." he was a cozy little barrel of a man, born in "doombahrton," and for some years past had been dispensing good old dumbarton english in panama's proudest educational institution. but panama's school vacation is during her "summer," her dry season from february to april. what more natural then than that "scotty" should have concluded to pass his vacation taking census, for obviously--"a mon must pick up a wee bit o' change wherever he can." i seemed to have been appointed to a purely sight-seeing job. one february noon i reported at the office to find that passes to gatun had been issued to five of us, "scotty," "mac," renson, and barter among the number. the task in the "town by the dam site" it seemed, was proving too heavy for the regular enumerators of that district. we left by the : train. cascadas and bas obispo rolled away behind us, across the canal i caught a glimpse of the wilderness surrounding the abode of "old fritz," then we entered a to me unknown land. i could easily have fancied myself a tourist, especially so at matachin when "mac" solemnly attempted to "spring" on me the old tourist hoax of suicided chinamen as the derivation of the town's name. through gorgona, the pittsburg of the zone with its acres of machine-shops, rumbled the train and plunged beyond into a deep, if not exactly rank, endless jungle. the stations grew small and unimportant. bailamonos and san pablo were withering and wasting away, "'orca l'garto," or the hanged alligator was barely more than a memory, tabernilla a mere heap of lumber being tumbled on flatcars bound for new service further pacificward. of frijoles there remained barely enough to shudder at, with the collector's nasal bawl of "free holys!" and everywhere the irrepressible tropical greenery was already rushing back to engulf the pigmy works of man. it seemed criminally wasteful to have built these entire towns with all the detail and machinery of a well governed and fully furnished city from police station to salt cellars only to tear them down again and utterly wipe them out four or five years after their founding. a forerunner of what, in a few brief years, will have happened to all the zone--nay, is not this the way of life itself? for soon the spillway at gatun is to close its gates and all this vast region will be flooded and come to be gatun lake. villages that were old when pizarro began his swine-herding will be wiped out, even this splendid double-tracked railroad goes the way of the rest, for on february fifteenth, a bare few days away, it was to be abandoned and where we were now racing northwestward through brilliant sunshine and atlantic breezes would soon be the bottom of a lake over which great ocean steamers will glide, while far below will be tall palm-trees and the spreading mangoes, the banana, king of weeds, gigantic ferns and--well, who shall say what will become of the brilliant parrots, the monkeys and the jaguars? for nearly an hour we had not a glimpse of the canal, lost in the jungle to the right. then suddenly we burst out upon the growing lake, now all but licking at the rails beneath us, the zone city of gatun climbing up a hillside on its edge and scattering over several more. to the left i caught my first sight of the world-famous locks and dam, and at : we descended at the stone station, first mile-post of permanency, for being out of reach of the coming flood it is built to stay and shows what canal zone stations will be in the years to come. there remained for me but seven miles of the isthmus still unseen. on the cement platform was a great foregathering of the census clans from all districts, whence we climbed to the broad porch of the administration building above. there before me, for the first time in--well, many months, spread the atlantic, the caribbean perhaps i should say, seeming very near, so near i almost fancied i could have thrown a stone to where it began and stretched away up to the bluish horizon, while the entrance to the canal where soon great ships will enter poked its way inland to the locks beside us. across the tree-tops of the flat jungle, also seeming close at hand though the railroad takes seven miles--and thirty-five cents if you are no employee--to reach it, was colon, the tops of whose low buildings were plainly visible above the vegetation. not many "zoners," i reflected, catch their first view of colon from the veranda of the administration building at gatun. we had arrived with time to spare. fully an hour we loafed and yarned and smoked before a whistle blew and long lines of little figures began to come up out of the depths and zigzag across the landscape until soon a line of laborers of every shade known to humanity began to form, pay-checks in hand; its double head at the pay-windows on the two sides of the veranda, its tail serpentining off down the hillside and away nearly to the edge of the mammoth locks. packs of the yellow cards of cristobal district in hand--a relief to eyes that had been staring for days at the pink ones of empire--we lined up like birds of prey just beyond the windows. as the first laborer passed this, one--nay, several of us pounced upon him, for all plans we had laid to line up and take turns were thus quickly overthrown and wild competition soon reigned. from then on each dived in to snatch his prey and, dragging him to the nearest free space, began in some language or other: "where d'ye live?" that was the overwhelming problem,--in what language to address each victim. barter, speaking only his nasal new jersey, took to picking out negroes, and even then often turned away in disgust when he landed a martinique or a haytian. west indian "english" alternated with a black patois that smelt at times faintly of french, muscular, bullet-headed negroes appeared slowly and laboriously counting their money in their hats, eagle-nosed spaniards under the boina of the pyrenees, spaniards from castile speaking like a gatling-gun in action, now and again even a snappy-eyed andalusian with his s-less slurred speech, slow, laborious gallegos, italians and portuguese in numbers, colombians of nondescript color, a slovak who spoke some german, a man from palestine with a mixture of french and arabic noises i could guess at, and scattered here and there among the others a turk who jabbered the lingua franca of mediterranean ports. i "got" all who fell into my hands. once i dragged forth a hindu, and shuddered with fear of a first failure. but he knew a bit of a strange english and i found i recalled six or seven words of my forgotten hindustanee. then suddenly a flood of greeks broke upon us, growing deeper with every moment. above the pandemonium my companions were howling hoarsely and imploringly for the interpreter, while clutching their trembling victim by the slack of his labor-stained shirt lest he escape un-enrolled. the interpreter, in accordance with a well-known law of physics and the limitations of human nature, could not be in sixteen places at once. i crowded close, caught his words, memorized the few questions, and there was i with my "poomaynes?" "poseeton?" and "padremaynos?" enrolling greeks unassisted, not only that but haughtily acting as interpreter for my fellows--not only without having studied the tongue of achilles but never even having graced a greek letter fraternity. quick tropical twilight descended, and still the labor-smeared line wound away out of sight into the darkness, still workmen of every shade and tongue jingled their brass-checks timidly on the edge of the pay-window, from behind which came roaring noises that the americans within fancied spaniards, or greeks, or roumanians must understand because they were not english noises; still we pounced upon the paid as upon a tackling-dummy in the early days of spring practice. the colossal wonder of it all was how these deep-chested, muscle-knotted fellows endured us, how they refrained from taking us up between a thumb and forefinger and dropping us over the veranda railing. for our attack lacked somewhat in gentle courtesy, notably so that of "the rowdy." he was a chestless youth of the type that has grown so painfully prevalent in our land since the soft-hearted abolishment of the beech-rod of revered memory; of that all too familiar type whose proofs of manhood are cigarettes and impudence and discordant noise, and whose national superiority is demonstrated by the maltreating of all other races. but the enrolled were all, black, white, or mixed, far more gentlemen than we. some, of brief zone experience, were sheepish with fear and the wonder as to what new mandate this incomprehensible u. s. was perpetrating to match its strange sanitary laws that forbade a man even to be uncleanly in his habits, after the good old sacred right of his ancestors to remotest ages. then, too, there was a zone policeman in dressy, new-starched khaki treading with dangling club and the icy-eye of public appearance, waiting all too eagerly for some one to "start something." but the great percentage of the maltreated multitude were "old timers," men of four or five years of digging who had learned to know this strange creature, the american, and the world, too; who smiled indulgently down upon our yelping and yanking like a st. bernard above the snapping puppy he well knows cannot seriously bite him. dense black night had fallen. here and there lanterns were hung, under one of which we dragged each captive. the last passenger back to empire roared away into the jungle night; still we scribbled on, "backed" a yellow card and dived again into the muscular whirlpool to emerge dragging forth by the collar a greek, a pole, or a west indian. it was like business competition, in which i had an unfair advantage, being able to understand any jargon in evidence. when at last the pay-windows came down with a bang and an american curse, and the serpentining tail squirmed for a time in distress and died away, as a snake's tail dies after sundown, i turned in more than a hundred cards. to-morrow the tail would revive to form the nucleus of a new serpent, and we should return by the afternoon train to the lock city, and so on for several days to come. it was after nine of a black pay-day night. we were hungry. "the rowdy," familiar with the lay of the land, volunteered to lead the foraging expedition. we stumbled down the hill and away along the railroad. a faint rumbling that grew to a confused roar fell on our ears. we climbed a bank into a wild conglomeration of wood and tin architecture, nationalities, colors, and noises, and across a dark, bottomless gully from the high street we had reached lights flashed amid a very ocean of uproar. "the rowdy," as if to make the campaign as real as possible, led us racing down into the black abyss, whence we charged up the further slope and came sweating and breathless into the rampant rough and tumble of pay-day night in new gatun, the time and place that is the vortex of trouble on the isthmus. merely a short street of one of the half-dozen zone towns in which liquor licenses are granted, lined with a few saloons and pool-rooms; but such a singing, howling, swarming multitude as is rivaled almost nowhere else, except it be on broadway at the passing of the old year. but this mob, moreover, was fully seventy percent black, and rather largely french--and when black and french and strong drink mix, trouble sprouts like jungle seeds. now and then policeman g---- drifted by through the uproar, holding his "sap" loosely as for ready use and often half consciously hitching the heavy no. "colt" under his khaki jacket a bit nearer the grasp of his right hand. i little knew how familiar every corner of this scene would one day be to me. a chinese grocer sold us bread and cheese. down on the further corner of the hubbub we entered a spanish saloon and spread ourselves over the "white" bar, adding beer to our humble collation. beyond the lattice-work that is the "color line" in zone dispensaries, west indians were dancing wild, crowded "hoe-downs" and "shuffles" amid much howling and more liquidation; on our side a few spanish laborers quietly sipped their liquor. the marines of course were "busted." the rest of us scraped up a few odd "spigoty" dimes. the spanish bar-tender--who is never the "tough" his american counterpart strives to show himself--but merely a cheery good-fellow--drifted into our conversation, and when we found i had slept in his native village he would have it that we accept a round of valdepenas. which must have been potent, for it moved "scotty" to unbutton an inner pocket and set up an entire bottle of amontillado. so midnight was no great space off when we turned out again into the howling night and, having helped renson to reach a sleeping-place, scattered to the bachelor quarters that had been found for us and lay down for the few hours that remained before the : should carry us back to empire. at last i had crossed all the isthmus and heard the wash of the caribbean at my feet. it was the sunday following our gatun days, and nearly a month since my landing on the zone. the morning train from empire left me at the lake-side city for a run over locks and dam which the working days had not allowed, and there being no other train for hours i set off along the railroad to walk the seven miles to colon. on either side lay hot, rampant jungle, low and almost swampy. it was noon when i reached the broad railroad yards and zone storehouses of mt. hope and turned aside to cristobal hotel. cristobal is built on the very fringe of the ocean with the roll of waves at the very edge of its windows, and a far-reaching view of the caribbean where the ceaseless zone breeze is born. there stands the famous statue of columbus protecting the indian maid, crude humor in bronze; for columbus brought indian maids anything but protection. near at hand in the joyous tropical sunshine lay a great steamer that in another week would be back in new york tying up in sleet and ice. a western bronco and a lariat might perhaps have dragged me on board, with a struggle. there is no more line of demarkation between cristobal and colon than between ancon and panama. a khaki-clad zone policeman patrols one sidewalk, a black one in the sweltering dark blue uniform and heavy wintry helmet of the republic of panama lounges on the other side of a certain street; on one side are the "enumerated" tags of the census, on the other none. cross the street and you feel at once a foreigner. it is distinctly unlawful to sell liquor on sunday or to gamble at any time on the canal zone; it is therefore with something approaching a shock that one finds everything "wide open" and raging just across the street. i wandered out past "highball's" merry-go-round, where huge negro bucks were laughing and playing and riding away their month's pay on the wooden horses like the children they are, and so on to the edge of the sea. unlike panama, colon is flat and square-blocked, as it is considerably darker in complexion with its large mixture of negroes from the caribbean shores and islands. uncle sam seems to have taken the city's fine beach away from her. but then, she probably never took any other advantage of it than to turn it into a garbage heap as bad as once was bottle alley. on one end is a cement swimming pool with the announcement, "only for gold employees of the i. c. c. or p. r. r. and guests of washington hotel." it is merely a softer way of saying, "only white americans with money can bathe here." then beyond are the great hospitals, second only to those of ancon, the "white" wards built out over the sea, and behind them the "black" where the negroes must be content with second-hand breezes. some of the costs of the canal are here,--sturdy black men in a sort of bed-tick pajamas sitting on the verandas or in wheel chairs, some with one leg gone, some with both. one could not but wonder how it feels to be hopelessly ruined in body early in life for helping to dig a ditch for a foreign power that, however well it may treat you materially, cares not a whistle-blast more for you than for its old worn-out locomotives rusting away in the jungle. under the beautiful royal palms beyond, all bent inland in the constant breeze are park benches where one can sit with the atlantic spreading away to infinity before, breaking with its ages-old, mysterious roll on the shore just as it did before the european's white sails first broke the gleaming skyline. out to sea runs the growing breakwater from toro point, the great wireless tower, yet just across the bay on a little jutting, dense-grown tongue of land is the jungle hut of a jungle family as utterly untouched by civilization as was the verdant valley of typee on the day melville and toby came stumbling down into it from the hills above. but meanwhile i was not getting the long hours of unbroken sleep the heavy mental toil of enumeration requires. free government bachelor quarters makes strange bed-fellows--or at least room-fellows. quartermasters, like justice, are hopelessly blind or i might have been assigned quarters upon the financial knoll where habits and hours were a bit more in keeping with my own. but a bachelor is a bachelor on the zone, and though he be clerk to his highness "the colonel" himself he may find himself carelessly tossed into a "rough-neck" brotherhood. house was distinctly an abode of "rough-necks." a "rough-neck," it may be essential to explain to those who never ate at the same table with one, is a bull-necked, whole-hearted, hard-headed, cast-iron fellow who can ride the beam of a snorting, rock-tearing steam-shovel all day, wrestle the night through with various starred hennessey and its rivals, and continue that round indefinitely without once failing to turn up to straddle his beam in the morning. he seems to have been created without the insertion of nerves, though he is never lacking in "nerve." he is a fine fellow in his way, but you sometimes wish his way branched off from yours for a few hours, when bed-time or a mood for quiet musing comes. he is a man you are glad to meet in a saloon--if you are in a mood to be there--or tearing away at the cliffs of culebra; but there are other places where he does not seem exactly to fit into the landscape. house , i say, was a house of "rough-necks." that fact became particularly evident soon after supper, when the seven phonographs were striking up their seven kinds of ragtime on seven sides of us; and it was the small hours before the poker games, carried on in much the same spirit as comanche warfare, broke up through all the house. then, too, many a "rough-neck" is far from silent even after he has fallen asleep; and about the time complete quiet seemed to be settling down it was four-thirty; and a jarring chorus of alarm-clocks wrought new upheaval. then there was each individual annoyance. let me barely mention two or three. of my room-mates, "mitch" had sat at a locomotive throttle fourteen years in the states and mexico, besides the four years he had been hauling dirt out of the "cut." youthful ambition "mitch" had left behind, for though he could still look forward to forty, railroad rules had so changed in the states during his absence that he would have had to learn his trade over again to be able to "run" there. moreover four years on the zone does not make a man look forward with pleasure to a states winter. so "mitch," like many another "zoner," was planning to buy with the savings of his $ a month "when the job is done" a chunk of land on some sunny slope of a southern state and settle down for an easy descent through old age. there was nothing objectionable about "mitch"--except perhaps his preference for late-hour poker. but he had a way of stopping with one leg out of his trousers when at last all the house had calmed down and cots were ceasing to creak, to make some such wholly irrelevant remark as; "by ----, that ---- dispatcher give me to-day and she wouldn't pull a greased string out of a knot-hole"--and thereby always hung a tale that was sure to range over half the track mileage of the states and wander off somewhere into the sandy cactus wilderness of chihuahua at least before "mitch" succeeded in getting out of the other trouser leg. the cot directly across from my own groaned--occasionally--under the coarse-grained bulk of tom. tom was a "rough-neck" par excellence, so much so that even in a houseful of them he was known as "tom the rough-neck," which to tom was high tribute. some preferred to call him "tom the noisy." he was built like a steam caisson, or an oil-barrel, though without fat, with a neck that reminded you of a miura bull with his head down just before the estoque; and when he neglected to button his undershirt--a not infrequent oversight--he displayed the hairy chest of a mammoth gorilla. tom's philosophy of getting through life was exactly the same as his philosophy of getting through a rocky hillside with his steam-shovel. when it came to argument tom was invariably right; not that he was over-supplied with logic, but because he possessed a voice and the bellows to work it that could rise to the roar of his own steam-shovel on those weeks when he chose to enter the shovel competition, and would have utterly overthrown, drowned out, and annihilated james stewart mill himself. tom always should have had money, for your "rough-neck" on the zone has decidedly the advantage over the white-collared college graduate when the pay-car comes around. but of course being a genuine "rough-neck" tom was always deep in debt, except on the three days after pay-day, when he was rolling in wealth. once i fancied the bulk of my troubles was over. tom disappeared, leaving not a trace behind--except his working-clothes tumbled on and about his cot. then it turned out that he was not dead, but in ancon hospital taking the keeley cure; and one summer evening he blew in again, his "cure" effected--with a bottle in his coat pocket and two inside his vest. so the next day there was tom celebrating his recovery all over house and when next morning he did finally go back to his shovel there were scattered about the room six empty quart bottles each labeled "whiskey." luckily tom ran a shovel instead of a passenger train and could claw away at his hillside as savagely as he chose without any danger whatever, beyond that of killing himself or an odd "nigger" or two. we had other treasures on exhibition in . there was "shorty," for instance. "shorty" was a jolly, ugly open-handed, four-eyed little snipe of a roughneck machinist who had lost "in the line of duty" two fingers highly useful in his trade. in consequence he was now, after the generous fashion of the i.c.c., on full pay for a year without work, providing he did not leave the zone. and while "shorty," like the great majority of us, was a very tolerable member of society under the ordinary circumstances of having to earn his "three squares a day," paid leisure hung most ponderously upon him. the amusements in empire are few--and not especially amusing. there is really only one unfailing one. that is slid in glass receptacles across a yellow varnished counter down on railroad avenue opposite empire machine shops. so it happened that "shorty" was gradually winning the title of a thirty-third degree "booze-fighter," and passengers on any afternoon train who took the trouble to glance in at a wide-open door just atlanticward of the station might have beheld him with his back to the track and one foot slightly raised and resting lightly and with the nonchalance of long practice on a gas-pipe that had missed its legitimate mission. in fact "shorty" had come to that point where he would rather be caught in church than found dead without a bottle on him, and arriving home overflowing with joy about midnight slept away most of the day in that he might spend as much of the night as the early closing laws of the zone permitted at the amusement headquarters of empire. with these few hints of the life that raged beneath the roof of it may perhaps be comprehensible, without going into detail, why i came to contemplate a change of quarters. i detest a kicker. i have small use for any but the man who will take his allotted share with the rest of the world without either whining or snarling. yet when an official government census enumerator falls asleep on the edge of a tenement washtub with a question dead on his lips, or solemnly sets down a crow-black jamaican as "white," it is uncle sam who is suffering and time for correction. but it is one thing for a canal zone employee to resolve to move, and quite another to carry out that resolution. nero was a meek, unassertive, submissive, tractable little chap, keenly sensible to the sufferings of his fellows, compared with a zone quartermaster. so the first time i ventured to push open the screen door next to the post office i was grateful to escape unmaimed. but at last, when i had done a whole month's penance in , i resorted to strategy. on march first i entered the dreaded precinct shielded behind "the boss" with his contagious smile, and the musical quartermaster of empire was overthrown and defeated, and i marched forth clutching in one hand a new "assignment to quarters." that night i moved. the new, or more properly the older, room was in house , a one-story building of the old french type, many of which the americans revamped upon taking possession of the isthmian junk-heap, across and a bit down the graveled street. it was a single room, with no roommate to question, which i might decorate and otherwise embellish according to my own personal idiosyncrasies. at the back, with a door between, dwelt the superintendent of the zone telephone system, with a convenient instrument on his table. in short, fortune seemed at last to be grinning broadly upon me. but--the sequel. i hate to mention it. i won't. it's absurdly commonplace. commonplace? not a bit of it. he was a champion, an artist in his specialty. how can i have used that word in connection with his incomparable performance? or attempt to give a hint of life on the canal zone without mentioning the most conspicuous factor in it? he lived in the next room south, a half-inch wooden partition reaching half-way to the ceiling between his pillow and mine. by day he lay on his back in the right hand seat of a locomotive cab with his hand on the throttle and the soles of his shoes on the boiler plate--he was just long enough to fit into that position without wrinkling. during the early evening he lay on his back in a stout mission rocking-chair on the front porch of house , empire, c.z. and about p. m. daily he retired within to lie on his back on a regulation i.c.c. metal cot--they are stoutly built--one pine half-inch from my own. obviously twenty-four hours a day of such onerous occupation had left some slight effects on his figure. his shape was strikingly similar to that of a push-ball. had he fallen down at the top of ancon or balboa hill it would have been an even bet whether he would have rolled down sidewise or endwise--if his general type of build and specifications will permit any such distinction. when i first came upon him, reposing serenely in the porch rocking-chair on the cushion that upholstered his spinal column, i was pleased. clearly he was no "rough-neck"--he couldn't have been and kept his figure. there was no question but that he was perfectly harmless; his stories ought to prove cheerful and laugh-provoking and kindly. his very presence seemed to promise to raise several degrees the merriment in that corner of house . it did. toward eight, as i have hinted, he transferred from rocking-chair to cot. he was not afflicted with troublesome nerves. at times he was an entire minute in falling asleep. usually, however, his time was something under the half; and he slept with the innocent, undisturbed sleep of a babe for at least twelve unbroken hours, unless the necessity of getting across the "cut" to his engine absolutely prohibited. just there was the trouble. his first gentle, slumberous breath sounded like a small boy sliding down the sheet-iron roof of . his second resembled a force of carpenters tearing out the half-grown partitions. his third--but mere words are an absurdity. at times the noises from his gorilla-like throat softened down till one merely fancied himself in the hog-corral of a chicago stockyards; at others we prayed that we might at once be transferred there. a thousand times during the night we were certain he was on the very point of choking to death, and sat up in bed praying he wouldn't, and offering our month's salary to charity if he would; and through all our fatiguing anguish he snorted undisturbedly on. in house he was known as "the sloth." it was a gentle and kindly title. there were a few inexperienced inmates who had not yet utterly given up hope. the long hours of the night were spent in solemn conference. pounding on the walls with hammers, chairs, and shoe-heels was like singing a lullaby. one genius invented a species of foghorn which proved very effective--in waking up all empire east of the tracks, except "the sloth." some took to dropping their heavier and more dispensable possessions over the partition. one memorable night a fellow-sufferer cast over a young dry-goods box which, bouncing from the snorer's figure to the floor, caused him to lose a beat--one; and the feat is still one of the proud memories of . on sundays when all the rest of the world was up and shaved and breakfasted and off on the : of a brilliant, sunny day to panama, "the sloth" would be still imperturbably snorting and choking in the depths of his cot. and in the evening, as the train roamed back through the fresh cool jungle dusk and deposited us at empire station, and we crossed the wooden bridge before the hotel and began to climb the graveled path behind, hoping against hope that we might find crape on that door, from the night ahead would break on our cars a sound as of a hippopotamus struggling wildly against going down for the third and last time. most annoying of all, "the sloth" was not even a bona fide bachelor. he proudly announced that, though he was a model of marital virtue, he had not lived with his wife in many years. i never heard a man who knew him by night ask why. it was close upon criminal negligence on the part of the i.c.c. to overlook its opportunity in this matter. there were so many, many uninhabited hilltops on the zone where a private sloth-dwelling might have been slapped together from the remains of falling towns at gatun end; near it a grandstand might even have been erected and admission charged. or at least the daily climb to it would have helped to reduce a push-ball figure, and thereby have improved the general appearance of the canal zone force. chapter iv one morning early in march "the boss" and i crossed the suspension bridge over the canal. a handcar and six husky negroes awaited us, and we were soon bumping away over temporary spurs through the jungle, to strike at length the "relocation" opposite the giant tree near bas obispo that marked the northern limit of our district. the p.r.r., you will recall, has been operating across the isthmus since . when the united states took over the zone in it built a new double-tracked line of five-foot gauge for nearly the whole forty-seven miles. much of this, however, runs through territory soon to be covered by gatun lake, nearly all the rest of it is on the wrong side of the canal. an almost entirely new line, therefore, is being built through the virgin jungle on the south american side of the canal, which is to be the permanent line and is known in zone parlance as the "relocation." this is forty-nine miles in length from panama to colon, and is single track only, as freight traffic especially is expected, very naturally, to be lighter after the canal is opened. already that portion from the chagres to the atlantic had been put in use--on february fifteenth, to be exact; and the time was not far off when the section within our district--from gamboa to pedro miguel--would also be in operation. that portion runs through the wilderness a mile or more back from the canal, through jungled hills so dense with vegetation one could only make one's way through it with the ubiquitous machete of the native jungle-dweller, except where tiny trails appear that lead to squatters' thatched huts thrown together of tin, dynamite and dry-goods boxes and jungle reeds in little scattered patches of clearing. some of these hills have been cut half away for the new line--great generous "cuts," for to the giant -ton steam-shovels a few hundred cubic yards of earth more or less is of slight importance. all else is virtually impenetrable jungle. travelers by rail across the isthmus, as no doubt many ships' passengers will be in the years to come while their steamer is being slowly raised and lowered to and from the eighty-five-foot lake, will see little of the canal,--a glimpse of the bas obispo "cut" at gamboa and little else from the time they leave gatun till they return to the present line at pedro miguel station. but in compensation they will see some wondrous jungle scenery,--a tangled tropical wilderness with great masses of bush flowers of brilliant hues, gigantic ferns, countless palm and banana trees, wonderfully slender arrow-straight trees rising smooth and branchless more than a hundred feet to end in an immense bouquet of brilliant purplish-hue blossoms. "the boss" barely noticed these things. one quickly grows accustomed to them. why, americans who have been down on the zone for a year don't know there's a palm-tree on the isthmus--or at least they do not remember there were no palm-trees in keokuk, iowa, when they left there. along this new-graveled line, still unused except by work-trains, we rode in our six negro-power car, dropping off in the gravel each time we caught sight of any species of human being. every little way was a gang, averaging some thirty men, distinct in nationality,--antiguans shoveling gravel, martiniques snarling and quarreling as they wallowed thigh-deep in swamps and pools, a company of greeks unloading train-loads of ties, spaniards leisurely but steadily grading and surfacing, track bands of "spigoties" chopping away the aggressive jungle with their machetes--the one task at which the native panamanian (or colombian, as many still call themselves) is worth his brass-check. every here and there we caught labor's odds and ends, diminutive "water-boys," likewise of varying nationality, a negro switch-boy dozing under the bit of shelter he had rigged up of jungle ferns, frightening many a black laborer speechless as we pounced upon him emerging from his "soldiering" in the jungle; occasionally even a native bushman on his way to market from his palm-thatched home generations old back in the bush, who has scarcely noticed yet that the canal is being dug, fell into our hands and was inexorably set down in spite of all protest unless he could prove beyond question that he had already been "taken" or lived beyond the zone line. thus we scribbled incessantly on, even through the noon hour, dragging gangs one by one away from their tasks, shaking laborers out of the brief after-lunch siesta in a patch of shade. "the boss" was hampered by having only two languages where ten were needed. in the early afternoon he went on to paraiso to feed himself and the traction power, while i held the fort. soon after rain fell, a sort of advance agent of the rainy season, a sudden tropical downpour that ran in rivulets down across the pink card-boards and my victims. yet strange to note, the writing of the medium soft pencil remained as clear and unsmudged as in the driest weather, and so clean a rain was it that it did not even soil my white cotton shirt. i continued unheeding, only to note with surprise a few minutes later that the sun was shining on the dense green jungle about me as brilliantly as ever and that i was dry again as when i had set out in the morning. "the boss" returned, and when i had eaten the crackers and the bottle of pink lemonade he brought, we pushed on toward the pacific. till at length in mid-afternoon we came to the top of the descent to pedro miguel and knew that the end of our district was at hand. so powerful was the breeze from the atlantic that our six man-power engine sweated profusely as they toiled against it, even on the downgrade of the return to empire. to "scotty" had been assigned my empire "recalls" and i had been given a new and virgin territory,--namely, the town of paraiso. it lies "somewhat back from the village street," that is, the p.r.r. indeed, trains do not deign to notice its existence except on sundays. but there is the temporary bridge over the canal which few engineers venture to "snake her across" at any great speed, and the enumerator housed in empire need not even be a graduate "hobo" to be able to drop off there a bit after seven in the morning and prance away up the chamois path into the town. wherever on the zone you espy a town of two-story skeleton screened buildings scattered over hills, with winding gravel roads and trees and flowers between there you may be sure live american "gold" employees. yet somehow the canal commission had dodged the monotony you expected, somehow they have broken up the grim lines that make so dismal the best-intentioned factory town. there are hints that the builders have heard somewhere of the science of landscape gardening. at times these same houses are deceiving, for all i. c. c. buildings bear a strong family resemblance, and it is only at the door that you know whether it is bachelors' quarters, a family residence, or the supreme court. from the outside world "p'reeso" scarcely draws a glance of attention; but once in it you find a whole zone town with all the accustomed paraphernalia of i. c. c. hotel and commissary, hospital and police station, all ruled over and held in check by the famous "colonel" in command of the latter. moreover paraiso will some day come again into her own, when the "relocation" opens and brings her back on the main line, while proud culebra and haughty empire, stranded on a railless shore of the canal, will wither and waste away and even their broad macadamed roads will sink beneath a second-growth jungle. renson had come to lend assistance. he set to work among the negro cabins, the upper gallery seats of paraiso's amphitheater of hills, for renson had been a free agent for more than a month now and was not exactly in a condition to interview american housewives. my own task began down at the row of inhabited box-cars, and so on through shacks and tenements with many spanish laborers' wives. then toward noon the labor-train screamed in, with two "gold" coaches and many open cattle-cars with long benches jammed with sweaty workmen, easily six hundred men in the six cars, who swept in upon the town like a flood through a suddenly opened sluiceway as the train barely paused and shrieked away again. renson and i dashed for the laborers' mess-halls, where hundreds of sun-bronzed foreigners, divided only as to color, packed pell-mell around a score of wooden tables heavily stocked with rough and tumble food--yet so different from the old french catch as catch can days when each man owned his black pot and toiled all through the noon-hour to cook himself an unsanitary lunch. we jotted them down at express speed, with changes of tongue so abrupt that our heads were soon reeling, and in the place where our minds should have been sounded only a confused chaotic uproar like a wrangling within the covers of a polyglot dictionary. then suddenly i landed a russian! it was the final straw. i like to speak spanish, i can endure the creaking of turks attempting to talk italian, i can bend an ear to the excruciating "french" of martinique negroes, i have boldly faced sputtering arabs, but i will not run the risk of talking russian. it was the second and last case during my census days when i was forced to call for interpretative assistance. at best we caught only a small percentage at each table before the crowd had wolfed and melted away. an odd half dozen more, perhaps, we found stretched out in the shade under the mess-hall and neighboring quarters before the imperative screech of the labor-train whistle ended a scene that must be several times repeated, and now left us silent and alone, to wander wet and weary to the nearest white bachelor quarters, there to lie on our backs an hour or more till the polyglot jumble of words in the back of our heads had each climbed again to its proper shelf. speaking of white bachelor quarters, therein lay the enumerator's greatest problem. the spaniard or the jamaican is in nine cases out of ten fluently familiar with his companion's antecedents and pedigree. he can generally furnish all the information the census department calls for. but it is quite otherwise with the american bachelor. he may know his room-mate's exact degree of skill at poker, he probably knows his private opinion of "the colonel," he is sure to know his degree of enmity to the prohibition movement; but he is not at all certain to know his name and rarely indeed has he the shadow of a notion when and in what particular corner of the states he began the game of existence. so loose are ties down on the zone that a man's room-mate might go off into the jungle and die and the former not dream of inquiring for him for a week. especially we world-wanderers, as are a large percentage of "zoners," with virtually no fixed roots in any soil, floating wherever the job suggests or the spirit moves, have the facts of our past in our own heads only. no wanderer of experience would dream of asking his fellow where he came from. the answer would be too apt to be, "from the last place." so difficult did this matter become that i gave up rushing for the bus to pedro miguel each evening and the even more distressing necessity of catching that premature : train each morning in empire and, packing a sheet and pillow and tooth-brush, moved down to paraiso that i might spend the first half of the night in quest of these elusive bits of bachelor information. meanwhile the enrolling by day continued unabated. i had my first experience enumerating "gold" married quarters--white american families; just enough for experience and not enough to suffer severely. the enrolling of west indians was pleasanter. the wives of locomotive engineers and steam-shovel cranemen were not infrequently supercilious ladies who resented being disturbed during their "social functions" and lacked the training in politeness of jamaican "mammies." living in paradise now under a paternal all-providing government, they seemed to have forgotten the rolling-pin days of the past. it was here in paraiso that i first encountered that strange, that wondrous strange custom of lying about one's age. negro women never did. what more absurd, uncalled-for piece of dishonesty! does mrs. smith fear that mrs. jones next door will succeed in pumping out of me that capital bit of information? little does she know the long prison sentence at "hard labor" that stares me in the face for any such slip; to say nothing of my naturally incommunicative disposition. or is she ashamed to let me know the truth?--unaware that all such information goes in at my ears and down my pencil to the pink card before me like a message over the wires, leaving no more trace behind. surely she must know that i care not a pencil-point whether she is eighteen or fifty-two, nor remember which one minute after her screen door has slammed behind me--unless she has caused me to glance up in wonder at her silvering temples of thirty-five when she simpers "twenty-two"--and to set her down as forty to be on the safe side. oh now, please, ladies, do not understand me as accusing the american wives of paraiso in general of this weakness. the large majority were quite pleasant, frank, and overflowing with cheery good sense. but the percentage who were not was far larger than i, who am also an american, was pleased to find it. but doubly astonishing were the few cases of lying by proxy. a "clean-cut," college-graduated civil engineer of thirty-two whom one would have cited as an example of the best type of american, gave all data concerning himself in an unimpeachable manner. his wife was absent. when the question of her age arose he gave it, with the slightest catch in his voice, as twenty. now that might be all very well. men of thirty-two are occasionally so fortunate as to marry girls of twenty. but a moment later the gentleman in question finds himself announcing that his wife has been living on the zone with him since ; and that she was born in new england! thus is he tripped over his own clothes-line. for new england girls do not marry at fifteen; mother would not let them even if they would. i, too, had gradually worked my way high up among the nondescript cabins on the upper rim of paraiso that seem on the very verge of pitching headlong into the noisy, smoky canal far below with the jar of the next explosion, when one sunny mid-afternoon i caught sight of renson dejectedly trudging down across what might be called the "maiden" of paraiso, back of the two-story lodge-hall. i took leave of my ebony hostess and descended. renson's troubles were indeed disheartening. back in the jungled fringe of the town he had fallen into a swarm of martiniques, and renson's french being nothing more than an unstudied mixture of english and spanish, he had not gathered much information. moreover negro women from the french isles are enough to frighten any virtuous young marine. "what's the sense o' me tryin' to chew the fat in french?" asked renson, with tears in his voice. "i ain't in no condition to work at this census business any longer anyway. i ain't got to bed before three in the morning this week"--in his air was open suggestion that it was some one else's fault--"some day i'll be gettin' in bad, too. this mornin' a fool nigger woman asked me if i didn't want her black pickaninny i was enumeratin', thinkin' it was a good joke. you know how these bush kids is runnin' around all over the country before a white man's brat could walk on its hind legs. 'yes,' i says, 'if i was goin' alligator huntin' an' needed bait!' i come near catchin' the brat up by the feet an' beatin' its can off. i'm out o' luck any way, an'--" the fact is renson was aching to be "fired." more than thirty days had he been subject only to his own will, and it was high time he returned to the nursery discipline of camp. moreover he was out of cigarettes. i slipped him one and smoothed him down as its fumes grew--for renson was as tractable as a child, rightly treated--and set him to taking jamaican tenements in the center of town, while i struck off into the jungled martinique hills myself. there were signs abroad that the census job was drawing to a close. my first pay-day had already come and gone and i had strolled up the gravel walk one noon-day to the disembursing office with my yellow pay certificate duly initialed by the examiner of accounts, and was handed my first four twenty-dollar gold pieces--for hotel and commissary books sadly reduce a good paycheck. already one evening i had entered the census office to find "the boss" just peeling off his sweat-dripping undershirt and dotted with skin-pricking jungle life after a day mule-back on the thither side of the canal; an utterly fruitless day, for not only had he failed during eight hours of plunging through the wilderness to find a single hut not already decorated with the "enumerated" tag, but not even a banana could he lay hands on when the noon-hour overhauled him far from the ministrations of "ben" and the breeze-swept veranda of empire hotel. it was, i believe, the afternoon following renson's linguistic troubles that "the boss" came jogging into paraiso on his sturdy mule. in his eagerness to "clean up" the territory we fell to corraling negroes everywhere, in the streets, at work, buying their supplies at the commissary, sleeping in the shade of wayside trees, anywhere and everywhere, until at last in his excitement "the boss" let his medium soft pencil slip by the column for color and dashed down the abbreviation for "mixed" after the question, "married or single?" which may have been near enough the truth of the case, but suggested it was time to quit. so we marked paraiso "finished except for recalls" and returned to empire. one by one our fellow-enumerators had dropped by the wayside, some by mutual agreement, some without any agreement whatever. renson was now relieved from census duty, to his great joy, there remained but four of us,--"the boss" and "mac" in the office, "scotty" and i outside. a deep conference ensued and, as if i had not had good luck enough already, it was decided that we two should go through the "cut" itself. it was like offering us a salary to view all the great work in detail, for virtually all the excavation of any importance on the zone lay within the confines of our district. so one day "scotty" and i descended at the girderless railroad bridge and, taking each one side of the canal, set out to canvass its every nook and cranny. the canal as it then stood was about the width of two city blocks, an immense chasm piled and tumbled with broken rock and earth, in the center a ditch already filled with grimy water, on either side several levels of rough rock ledges with sheer rugged stone faces; for the hills were being cut away in layers each far above the other. high above us rose the jagged walls of the "cut" with towns hanging by their fingernails all along its edge, and ahead in the abysmal, smoky distance the great channel gashed through culebra mountain. the different levels varied from ten to twenty feet one above the other, each with a railroad on it, back and forth along which incessantly rumbled and screeched dirt-trains full or empty, halting before the steam-shovels, that shivered and spouted thick black smoke as they ate away the rocky hills and cast them in great giant handsful on the train of one-sided flat-cars that moved forward bit by bit at the flourish of the conductor's yellow flag. steam-shovels that seemed human in all except their mammoth fearless strength tore up the solid rock with snorts of rage and the panting of industry, now and then flinging some troublesome, stubborn boulder angrily upon the cars. yet they could be dainty as human fingers too, could pick up a railroad spike or push a rock gently an inch further across the car. each was run by two white americans, or at least what would prove such when they reached the shower-bath in their quarters--the craneman far out on the shovel arm, the engineer within the machine itself with a labyrinth of levers demanding his unbroken attention. then there was of course a gang of negroes, firemen and the like, attached to each shovel. all the day through i climbed and scrambled back and forth between the different levels, dodging from one track to another and along the rocky floor of the canal, needing eyes and ears both in front and behind, not merely for trains but for a hundred hidden and unknown dangers to keep the nerves taut. now and then a palatial motorcar, like some rail-road breed of taxi, sped by with its musical insistent jingling bells, usually with one of the countless parties of government guests or tourists in spotless white which the dry season brings. dirt-trains kept the right of way, however, for the work always comes first at panama. or it might be the famous "yellow car" itself with members of the commission. once it came all but empty and there dropped off inconspicuously a man in baggy duck trousers, a black alpaca coat of many wrinkles; and an unassuming straw hat, a white-haired man with blue--almost babyish blue-eyes, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he strolled about with restless yet quiet energy. there has been no flash and glitter of military uniforms on the zone since the french sailed for home, but every one knew "the colonel" for all that, the soldier who has never "seen service," who has never heard the shrapnel scream by overhead, yet to whom the world owes more thanks than six conquering generals rolled into one. scores of "trypod" and "star" drills, whole battalions of deafening machines run by compressed air brought from miles away, are pounding and grinding and jamming holes in the living rock. after them will presently come nonchalantly strolling along gangs of the ubiquitous black "powder-men" and carelessly throw down boxes of dynamite and pound the drill-holes full thereof and tamp them down ready to "blow" at : and : when the workmen are out of range,--those mighty explosions that twelve times a week set the porch chairs of every i.c.c. house on the isthmus to rocking, and are heard far out at sea. anywhere near the drills is such a roaring and jangling that i must bellow at the top of my voice to be heard at all. the entire gamut of sound-waves surrounds and enfolds me, and with it all the powerful atlantic breeze sweeps deafeningly through the channel. down in the bottom of the canal if one step behind anything that shuts off the breeze it is tropically hot; yet up on the edge of the chasm above, the trees are always nodding and bowing before the ceaseless wind from off the caribbean. scores of "switcheros" drowse under their sheet-iron wigwams, erected not so much as protection from the sun, for the drowsers are mostly negroes and immune to that, as from young rocks that the dynamite blasts frequently toss a quarter-mile. then over it all hang heavy clouds of soft-coal dust from trains and shovels, shifting down upon the black, white and mixed, and the enumerator alike; a dirty, noisy, perilous, enjoyable job. everywhere are gangs of men, sometimes two or three gangs working together at the same task. shovel gangs, track gangs, surfacing gangs, dynamite gangs, gangs doing everything imaginable with shovel and pick and crowbar, gangs down on the floor of the canal, gangs far up the steep walls of cut rock, gangs stretching away in either direction till those far off look like upright bands of the leaf-cutting ants of panamanian jungles; gangs nearly all, whatever their nationality, in the blue shirts and khaki trousers of the zone commissary, giving a peculiar color scheme to all the scene. now and then the boss is a stony-eyed american with a black cigar clamped between his teeth. more often he is of the same nationality as the workers, quite likely from the same town, who jabbers a little imitation english. which is one of the reasons why a force of "time inspectors" is constantly dodging in and out over the job, time-book and pencil in hand, lest some fellow-townsman of the boss be earning his $ . a day under the shade of a tree back in the jungle. here are basques in their boinas, preferring their native "euscarra" to spanish; french "niggers" and english "niggers" whom it is to the interest of peace and order to keep as far apart as possible; occasionally a few sunburned blond men in a shovel gang, but they prove to be teutons or scandinavians; laborers of every color and degree--except american laborers, more than conspicuous by their absence. for the american negro is an untractable creature in large numbers, and the caste system that forbids white americans from engaging in common labor side by side with negroes is to be expected in an enterprise of which the leaders are not only military men but largely southerners, however many may be shivering in the streets of chicago or roaming hungrily through the byways of st. louis. it is well so, perhaps. none of us who feels an affection for the zone would wish to see its atmosphere lowered from what it is to the brutal depths of our railroad construction camps in the states. the attention of certain state legislatures might advantageously be called to the zone spaniard's drinking-cup. it is really a tin can on the end of a long stick, cover and all. the top is punched sieve-like that the water may enter as it is dipped in the bucket with which the water-boy strains along. in the bottom is a single small hole out of which spurts into the drinker's mouth a little stream of water as he holds it high above his head, as once he drank wine from his leather bota in far-off spain. many a spanish gang comes entirely from the same town, notably salamanca or avila. i set them to staring and chattering by some simple remark about their birthplace: "fine view from the paseo del rastro, eh?" "does the puente romano still cross the river?" but i had soon to cease such personalities, for picks and shovels lay idle as long as i remained in sight and uncle sam was the loser. so many were the gangs that i advanced barely a half-mile during this first day and, lost in my work, forgot the hour until it was suddenly recalled by the insistent, strident tooting of whistles that forewarns the setting-off of the dynamite charges from the little red electric boxes along the edge of the "cut." i turned back toward paraiso and, all but stumbling over little red-wound wires everywhere on the ground, dodging in and out, running forward, halting or suddenly retreating, i worked my way gradually forward, while all the world about me was upheaving and spouting and belching forth to the heavens, as if i had been caught in the crater of a volcano as it suddenly erupted without warning. the history of panama is strewn with "dynamite stories." even the french had theirs in their sixteen per cent, of the excavation of culebra; in american annals there is one for every week. three days before, one of my empire friends set off one afternoon for a stroll through the "cut" he had not seen for a year. in a retired spot he came upon two negroes pounding an irregular bundle. "what you doing, boys?" he inquired with idle curiosity. "jes' a brealdn' up dis yere dynamite, boss," languidly answered one of the blacks. my friend was one of those apprehensive, over-cautious fellows so rare on the zone. without so much as taking his leave he set off at a run. some two car-lengths beyond an explosion pitched him forward and all but lifted him off his feet. when he looked back the negroes had left. indeed neither of them has reported for work since. then there was "mac's" case. in his ambition for census efficiency "mac" was in the habit of stopping workmen wherever he met them. one day he encountered a jamaican carrying a box of dynamite on his head and, according to his custom, shouted: "hey, boy! had your census taken yet?" "what dat, boss?" cried the jamaican with wide-open eyes, as he threw the box at "mac's" feet and stood at respectful attention. somehow "mac" lacked a bit of his old zealousness thereafter. on the second day i pushed past cucaracha, scene of the greatest "slide" in the history of the canal when forty-seven acres went into the "cut," burying under untold tons of earth and rock steam-shovels and railroads, "star" and "trypod" drills, and all else in sight--except the "rough-necks," who are far too fast on their feet to be buried against their will. one by one i dragged shovel gangs away to a distance where my shouting could be heard, one by one i commanded drillmen to shut off their deafening machines, all day i dodged switching, snorting trains, clambered by steep rocky paths, or ladders from one level to another, howling above the roar of the "cut" the time-worn questions, straining my ear to catch the answer. many a negro did not know the meaning of the word "census," and must have it explained to him in words of one syllable. many a time i climbed to some lofty rock ledge lined with drills and, gesticulating like a semaphore in signal practice, caught at last the wandering attention of a negro, to shout sore-throated above the incessant pounding of machines and the roaring of the atlantic breeze: "hello, boy! census taken yet?" a long vacant stare, then at last, perhaps, the answer: "oh, yes sah, boss." "when and where?" "in spanish town, jamaica, three year ago, sah." which was not an attempt to be facetious but an answer in all seriousness. why should not one census, like one baptism, suffice for a life-time? it was fortunate that enumerators were not accustomed to carry deadly weapons. quick changes from negro to spanish gangs demonstrated beyond all future question how much more native intelligence has the white man. rarely did i need to ask a spaniard a question twice, still less ask him to repeat the answer. his replies came back sharp and swift as a pelota from a cesta. west indians not only must hear the question an average of three times but could seldom give the simplest information clearly enough to be intelligible, though ostensibly speaking english. a spanish card one might fill out and be gone in less time than the negro could be roused from his racial torpor. yet of the spaniards on the zone surely seventy per cent, were wholly illiterate, while the negroes from the british weat indies, thanks to their good fortune in being ruled over by the world's best colonist, could almost invariably read and write; many of those shoveling in the "cut" have been trained in trigonometry. few are the "zoners" now who do not consider the spaniard the best workman ever imported in all the sixty-five years from the railroad surveying to the completion of the canal. the stocky, muscle-bound little fellows come no longer to america as conquistadores, but to shovel dirt. and yet more cheery, willing workers, more law-abiding subjects are scarcely to be found. it is unfortunate we could not have imported spaniards for all the canal work; even they have naturally learned some "soldiering" from the example of lazy negroes who, where laborers must be had, are a bit better than no labor--though not much. the third day came, and high above me towered the rock cliffs of culebra's palm-crowned hill, steam-shovels approaching the summit in echelon, here and there an incipient earth and rock "slide" dribbling warningly down. he who still fancies the digging of the canal an ordinary task should have tramped with us through just our section, halting to speak to every man in it, climbing out of this man-made canon twice a day, a strenuous climb even near its ends, while at culebra one looks up at all but unscalable mountain walls on either side. from time to time we hear murmurs from abroad that americans are making light of catastrophies on the isthmus, that they cover up their great disasters by a strict censorship of news. the latter is mere absurdity. as to catastrophies, a great "slide" or a premature dynamite explosion are serious disaster to americans on the job just as they would be to europeans. but whereas the continental european would sit down before the misfortune and weep, the american swears a round oath, spits on his hands, and pitches in to shovel the "slide" out again. he isn't belittling the disasters; it is merely that he knows the canal has got to be dug and goes ahead and digs it. that is the greatest thing on the zone. amid all the childish snarling of "spigoties," the back-biting of europe, the congressional wrangles, the cabinet politics, the man on the job,--"the colonel," the average american, the "rough-neck"--goes right on digging the canal day by day as if he had never heard a rumor of all this outside noise. mighty is the job from one point of view; yet tiny from another. with all his enormous equipment, his peerless ingenuity, and his feverish activity all little man has succeeded in doing is to scratch a little surface wound in mother earth, cutting open a few superficial veins, of water, that trickle down the rocky face of the "cut." by march twelfth we had carried our task past and under empire suspension bridge, and the end of the "cut" was almost in sight. that day i clawed and scrambled a score of times up the face of rock walls. i zigzagged through long rows of negroes pounding holes in rock ledges. i stumbled and splashed my way through gangs of martinique "muckers." i slid down the face of government-made cliffs on the seat of my commissary breeches. i fought my way up again to stalk through long lines of men picking away at the dizzy edge of sheer precipices. i rolled down in the sand and rubble of what threatened to develop into "slides." i crawled under snorting steam-shovels to drag out besooted negroes--negroes so besooted i had to ask them their color--while dodging the gigantic swinging shovel itself, to say nothing of "dhobie" blasts and rocks of the size of drummers' trunks that spilled from it as it swung. i climbed up into the quivering monster itself to interrupt the engineer at his levers, to shout at the craneman on his beam. i sprang aboard every train that was not running at full speed, walking along the running-board into the cab; if not to "get" the engineer at least to gain new life from his private ice-water tank. i scrambled over tenders and quarter-miles of "lidgerwood flats" piled high with broken rock and earth, to scream at the american conductor and his black brakemen, often to find myself, by the time i had set down one of them, carried entirely out of my district, to pedro miguel or beyond the chagres, and have to "hit the grit" in "hobo" fashion and catch something back to the spot where i left off. in short i poked into every corner of the "cut" known to man, bawling in the november-first voice of a presidential candidate to everything in trousers: "eh! 'ad yer census taken yet?" and what was my reward? from the northern edge of empire to where the "cut" sinks away into the chagres and the low, flat country beyond, i enrolled--just thirteen persons. it was then and there, though it still lacked an hour of noon, that i ceased to be a census enumerator. with slow and deliberate step i climbed out of the canal and across a pathed field to bas obispo and, sitting down in the shade of her station, patiently awaited the train that would carry me back to empire. four thousand, six hundred and seventy-seven zone residents had i enrolled during those six weeks. something over half of these were jamaicans. of the states pennsylvania was best represented. martinique negroes, greeks, spaniards, and panamanians were some eighty per cent illiterate; of some three hundred of the first only a half dozen even claimed to read and write; and non-wedlock was virtually universal among them. rumor has it that there are seventy-two separate states and dependencies represented on the isthmus. my own cards showed a few less. most conspicuous absences, besides american negroes, were natives of honduras, of four countries of south america, of most of africa, and of entire australia. that this was largely due to chance was shown by the fact that my fellow-enumerators found persons from all these countries. i had enrolled persons born in the following places: all the united states except three or four states in the far northwest; canada, mexico, guatemala, salvador, nicaragua, costa rica, panama, canal zone, colombia, venezuela, british guiana (demarara), french and dutch guiana, ecuador, peru, bolivia and chile, cuba, hayti and santo domingo, jamaica, barbados, st. vincent, trinidad, saint lucia, montserrat, dominica, nevis, nassau, eleuthera and inagua, martinique, guadalupe, saint thomas (danish west indies), curacao and tobago, england, ireland, scotland, holland, finland, belgium, denmark, sweden, norway, russia, france, spain, andorra, portugal, switzerland, germany, italy, austria, hungary, greece, servia, turkey, canary islands, syria, palestine, arabia, india (from tuticorin to lahore), china, japan, egypt, sierra leone, south africa and--the high seas. "where you born, boy?" i had run across a wrinkled old negro who had worked more than thirty years for the p.r.r. "'deed ah don' know, boss," "oh, come! don't know where you were born?" "fo' gawd, boss, ah's tellin' yo de truff. ah don know, 'cause ah born to sea." "well, what country are you a subject of?" "truly ah cahn't say, boss." "well what nationality was your father?" "ah neveh see him, sah." "well then where the devil did you first land after you were born?" "'deed ah cahn't say, boss. t'ink it were one o' dem islands. reckon ah's a subjec' o' de' worl', boss." weeks afterward the population of uncle sam's ten by fifty-mile strip of tropics was found to have been on february first, , , . no, anxious reader, i am not giving away inside information; the source of my remarks is the public prints. of these about , were british subjects (west indian negroes with very few exceptions). of the entire population , were employed by the u. s. government. of white americans, of the brahmin caste of the "gold" roll, there were employed on the zone but , . chapter v police headquarters presented an unusual air of preoccupation next morning. in the corner office the telephone rang often and imperatively, several times erect figures in khaki and broad "texas" hats flashed by the doorway, the drone of earnest conference sounded a few minutes, and the figures flashed as suddenly out again into the world. in the inner office i glanced once more in review through the "rules and regulations." the zone, too, was now familiar ground, and as for the third requirement for a policeman--to know the zone residents by sight--a strange face brought me a start of surprise, unless it beamed above the garb that shouted "tourist." now all i needed was a few hours of conference and explanation on the duties, rights, and privileges of policemen; and that of course would come as soon as leisure again settled down over headquarters. musing which i was suddenly startled to my feet by "the captain" appearing in the doorway. "catch the next train to balboa;" he said. "you've got four minutes. you'll find lieutenant long on board. here are the people to look out for." he thrust into my hands a slip of paper, from another direction there was tossed at me a new brass-check and "first-class private" police badge no. , and i was racing down through ancon. in the meadow below the tivoli i risked time to glance at the slip of paper. on it were the names of an ex-president and two ministers of a frowsy little south american republic during whose rule a former president and his henchmen had been brutally murdered by a popular uprising in the very capital itself. in the first-class coach i found lieutenant long, towering so far above all his surroundings as to have been easily recognized even had he not been in uniform. beside him sat corporal castillo of the "plain-clothes" squad, a young man of forty, with a high forehead, a stubby black mustache, and a chin that was decisive without being aggressive. "now here's the captain's idea," explained the lieutenant, as the train swung away around ancon hill, "we'll have to take turns mounting guard over them, of course. i'll have to talk spanish, and nobody'd have to look at castillo more than once to know he was born up in some crack in the andes."--which was one of the lieutenant's jokes, for the corporal, though a colombian, was as white, sharp-witted, and energetic as any american on the zone.--"but no one to look at him would suspect that fr--french, is it?" "franck." "oh, yes, that franck could speak spanish. we 'll do our best to inflate that impression, and when it comes your turn at guard-mount you can probably let several little things of interest drift in at your ears." "i left headquarters before the captain had time to explain," i suggested. "oh!" said the lieutenant. "well, here it is in a spectacle-case, as our friend kipling would put it. we're on our way to culebra island. there are now in quarantine there three men who arrived yesterday from south america. they are members of the party of the murdered president. to-day there will arrive and also be put in hock the three gents whose names you have there. now we have a private inside hunch that the three already here have come up particularly and specifically to prepare for the funeral of the three who are arriving. which is no hair off our brows, except it's up to us to see they don't pull off any little stunts of that kind on zone territory." at least this police business was starting well; if this was a sample it would be a real job. the train had stopped and we were climbing the steps of balboa police station; for without the co-operation of the "admiral of the pacific fleet" we could not reach culebra island. "by the way, i suppose you're well armed?" asked the lieutenant in his high querulous voice, as we drank a last round of ice-water preparatory to setting out again. "em--i've got a fountain pen," i replied. "i haven't been a policeman twenty minutes yet, and i was appointed in a hurry." "fine!" cried "the admiral" sarcastically, snatching open the door of a closet beside the desk. "with a warm job like this on hand! you know what these south americans are--" with a wink at the lieutenant that was meant also for castillo, who stood with his felt hat on the back of his head and a far-away look in his eyes. "yah, mighty dangerous--around meal time," said the corporal; though at the same time he drew from a hip pocket a worn leather holster containing a revolver, and examined it intently. meanwhile "the admiral" had handed me a massive no. "colt" with holster, a box of cartridges, and a belt that might easily have served as a horse's saddle-girth. when i had buckled it on under my coat the armament felt like a small boy clinging about my waist. we trooped on down a sort of railroad junction with a score of abandoned wooden houses. it was here i had first landed on the zone one blazing sunday nearly two months before and tramped away for some miles on a rusty sandy track along a canal already filled with water till a short jungle path led me into my first zone town. already that seemed ancient history. the police launch, manned by negro prisoners, with "the admiral" in a cushioned arm-chair at the wheel, was soon scudding away across the sunlit harbor, the breakwater building of the spoil of culebra "cut" on our left, ahead the cluster of small islands being torn to pieces for uncle sam's fortifications. the steamer being not yet sighted, we put in at naos island, where the bulky policeman in charge led us to dinner at the i. c. c. hotel, during which the noonday blasting on the zone came dully across to us. soon after we were landing at the cement sidewalk of the island--where i had been a prisoner for a day in january as my welcome to u. s. territory--and were being greeted by the pocket edition doctor and the bay-windowed german who had been my wardens on that occasion. we found the conspirators at a table in a corridor of the first-class quarantine station. in the words of lieutenant long "they fully looked the part," being of distinctly merciless cut of jib. they were roughly dressed and without collars, convincing proof of some nefarious design, for when the latin-american entitled to wear them leaves off his white collar and his cane he must be desperate indeed. we "braced" them at once, marching down upon them as they were murmuring with heads together over a mass of typewritten sheets. the corporal was delegated to inform them in his most urbane and hidalguezco castilian that we were well acquainted with their errand and that we were come to frustrate by any legitimate means in our power the consummation of any such project on american territory. when the first paralyzed stare of astonishment that plans they had fancied locked in their own breasts were known to others had somewhat subsided, one of them assumed the spokesmanship. in just as courtly and superabundant language he replied that they were only too well aware of the inadvisability of carrying out any act against its sovereignty on u. s. soil; that so long as they were on american territory they would conduct themselves in a most circumspect and caballeroso manner--"but," he concluded, "in the most public street of panama city the first time we meet those three dogs--we shall spit in their faces--that's all, nada mas," and the blazing eyes announced all too plainly what he meant by that figure of speech. that was all very well, was our smiling and urbane reply, but to be on the safe side and merely as a matter of custom we were under the unfortunate necessity of requesting them to submit to the annoyance of having their baggage and persons examined with a view to discovering what weapons-- "como no senores? all the examination you desire." which was exceedingly kind of them. whereupon, when the lieutenant had interpreted to me their permission, we fell upon them and amid countless expressions of mutual esteem gave them and their baggage such a "frisking" as befalls a kaffir leaving a south african diamond mine, and found them armed with--a receipt from the quarantine doctor for "one pearl-handled smill and wilson no. ." either they really intended to postpone their little affair until they reached panama, or they had succeeded in concealing their weapons elsewhere. the doctor and his assistant were already being rowed out to the steamer that was to bring the victims. they were to be lodged in a room across the corridor from the conspirators, which corridor it would be our simple duty to patrol with a view to intercepting any exchange of stray lead. we fell to planning such division of the twenty-four hours as should give me the most talkative period. the lieutenant took the trouble further to convince the trio of my total ignorance of spanish by a distinct and elaborate explanation, in english, of the difference between the words "muchacho" and "muchacha." then we wandered down past the grimy steerage station to the shore end of the little wharf to await the doctor and our proteges. the ocean breeze swept unhampered across the island; on its rocky shore sounded the dull rumble of waves, for the sea was rolling a bit now. the swelling tide covered inch by inch a sandy ridge that connected us with another island, gradually drowning beneath its waters several rusty old hulls. a little rocky wooded isle to the left cut off the future entrance to the canal. some miles away across the bay on the lower slope of a long hill drowsed the city of panama in brilliant sunshine; and beyond, the hazy mountainous country stretched southwestward to be lost in the molten horizon. on a distant hill some indian was burning off a patch of jungle to plant his corn. meanwhile the lieutenant and the corporal had settled some lombroso proposition and fallen to reciting poetry. the former, who was evidently a lover of melancholy, mouth-filling verse, was declaiming "the raven" to the open sea. i listened in wonder. was this then police talk? i had expected rough, untaught fellows whose conversation at best would be pornographic rather than poetic. my astonishment swelled to the bursting point when the colombian not only caught up the poem where the lieutenant left off but topped it off with that peerless translation by bonalde the venezuelan, beginning: una fosca media noche, cuando en tristes reflexiones sobre mas de un raro infolio de olvidados cronicones-- and just then the quarantine launch swung around the neighboring island. i tightened my horse belt and dragged the "colt" around within easy reach; and a moment later the doctor and his bulking understudy stepped ashore--alone. "they didn't come," said the former; "they were not allowed to leave their own country." "hell and damnation," said the lieutenant at length in a calm, conversational tone of voice, with the air of a small boy who has been wantonly robbed of a long-promised holiday but who is determined not to make a scene over it. the corporal seemed indifferent, and stood with the far-away look in his eyes as if he were already busy with some other plans or worries. but then, the corporal was married. as for myself, i had somehow felt from the first that it was too good to be true. adventure has steadily dodged me all my days. a half-hour later we were pitching across the bay toward ancon hill, scaled bare on one end by the work of fortification like a hindu hair-cut. the water came spitting inboard now and then, and dejected silence reigned within the craft. but spirits gradually revived and before we could make out the details of the wharf the corporal's hearty genuine laughter and the lieutenant's rousing carcajada were again drifting across the water. at balboa i unburdened myself of my shooting hardware and, catching the labor-train, was soon mounting the graveled walk to ancon police station. in the second-story squad-room of the bungalow were eight beds. but there were more than enough policemen to go round, and the legal occupant of the bunk i fell asleep in returned from duty at midnight and i transferred to the still warm nest of a man on the "grave-yard" shift. "it's customary to put a man in uniform for a while first before assigning him to plain-clothes duty," the inspector was saying next morning when i finished the oath of office that had been omitted in the haste of my appointment, "but we have waived that in your case because of the knowledge of the zone the census must have given you." thus casually was i robbed of the opportunity to display my manly form in uniform to tourists of trains and the tivoli--tourists, i say, because the "zoners" would never have noticed it. but we must all accept the decrees of fate. that was the full extent of the inspector's remarks; no mention whatever of the sundry little points the recruit is anxious to be enlightened upon. in government jobs one learns those details by experience. for the time being there was nothing for me to do but to descend to the "gum-shoe" desk in ancon station and sit in the swivel-chair opposite lieutenant long "waiting for orders." toward noon a thought struck me. i swung the telephone around and "got" the inspector. "all my junk is up in empire yet," i remarked. "all right, tell the desk-man down there to make you out a pass. or--hold the wire! as long as you're going out, there's a prisoner over in panama that belongs up in empire. go over and tell the chief you want tal fulano." i wormed my way through the fawning, neck-craning, many-shaded mob of political henchmen and obsequious petitioners into the sacred hushed precincts of panama police headquarters. a paunched "spigoty" with a shifty eye behind large bowed glasses, vainly striving to exude dignity and wisdom, received me with the oily smirk of the panamanian office-holder who feels the painful necessity of keeping on outwardly good terms with all americans. i flashed my badge and mentioned a name. a few moments later there was presented to me a sturdy, if somewhat flabby, young spaniard carefully dressed and perfumed. we bowed like life-long acquaintances and, stepping down to the street, entered a cab. the prisoner, which he was now only in name, was a muscular fellow with whom i should have fared badly in personal combat. i was wholly unarmed, and in a foreign land. all those sundry little unexplained points of a policeman's duty were bubbling up within me. when the prisoner turned to remark it was a warm day should i warn him that anything he said would be used against him? when he ordered the driver to halt before the "panazone" that he might speak to some friends should i fiercely countermand the order? what was my duty when the friends handed him some money and a package of cigars? suppose he should start to follow his friends inside to have a drink--but he didn't. we drove languidly on down the avenue and up into ancon, where i heaved a genuine sigh of relief as we crossed the unmarked street that made my badge good again. the prisoner was soon behind padlocks and the money and cigars in the station safe. these and him and the transfer card i took again with me into the foreign republic in time for the evening train. but he seemed even more anxious than i to attract no attention, and once in empire requested that we take the shortest and most inconspicuous route to the police station; and my responsibility was soon over. many were the z.p. facts i picked up during the next few days in the swivel-chair. the zone police force of consisted of a chief of police, an assistant chief, two inspectors, four lieutenants, eight sergeants, twenty corporals, one hundred and seventeen "first-class policemen," and one hundred and sixteen "policemen" (west indian negroes without exception, though none but an american citizen could aspire to any white position); not to mention five clerks at headquarters, who are quite worth the mentioning. "policemen" wore the same uniform as "first-class" officers, with khaki-covered helmet instead of "texas" hat and canvas instead of leather leggings, drew one-half the pay of a white private, were not eligible for advancement, and with some few notable exceptions were noted for what they did know and the facility with which they could not learn. one inspector was in charge of detective work and the other an overseer of the uniformed force. each of the lieutenants was in charge of one-fourth of the zone with headquarters respectively at ancon, empire, gorgona, and cristobal, and the sub-stations within these districts in charge of sergeants, corporals, or experienced privates, according to importance. years ago when things were yet in primeval chaos and the memorable sixth of february of was still well above the western horizon there was gathered together for the protection of the newly-born canal strip a band of "bad men" from our ferocious southwest, warranted to feed on criminals each breakfast time, and in command of a man-eating rough-rider. but somehow the bad men seemed unable to transplant to this new and richer soil the banefulness that had thrived so successfully in the land of sage-brush and cactus. the gourmandizing promised to be chiefly at the criminal tables; and before long it was noted that the noxious gentlemen were gradually drifting back to their native sand dunes, and the rough-riding gave way to a more orderly style of horsemanship. then bit by bit some men--just men without any qualifying adjective whatever--began to get mixed up in the matter; one after another army lieutenants were detailed to help the thing along, until by and by they got the right army lieutenant and the right men and the z. p. grew to what it is to-day,--not the love, perhaps, but the pride of every "zoner" whose name cannot be found on some old "blotter." there are a number of ways of getting on the force. there is the broad and general high-way of being appointed in washington and shipped down like a nice fresh vegetable in the original package and delivered just as it left the garden without the pollution of alien hands. then there's the big, impressive, broad-shouldered fellow with some life and military service behind him, and the papers to prove it, who turns up on the zone and can't help getting on if he takes the trouble to climb to headquarters. or there are the special cases, like marley for instance. marley blew in one summer day from some uncharted point of the compass with nothing but his hat and a winning smile on his brassy features, and naturally soon drifted up the "thousand stairs." but marley wasn't exactly of that manly build that takes "the chief" and "the captain" by storm; and there were suggestions on his young-old face that he had seen perhaps a trifle too much of life. so he wiped the sweat from his brow several times at the third-story landing only to find as often that the expected vacancy was not yet. meanwhile the tropical days slipped idly by and marley's "standin" with the owners of i. c. c. hotel-books began to strain and threaten to break away, and everything sort of gave up the ghost and died. everything, that is, except the winning smile. 'til one afternoon with only that asset left marley met the department head on the grass-bordered path in front of the episcopal chapel, just where the long descent ends and a man begins to regain his tractable mood, and said marley: "say, looka here, chief. it's a question of eats with me. we can't put this thing off much longer or--" which is why that evening's train carried marley, with a police badge and the little flat volume bound in imitation leather in his pocket, out to some substation commander along the line for the corporal in charge to break in and hammer down into that finished product, a zone policeman. incidentally marley also illustrated some months later one of the special ways of getting off the force. it was still simpler. going "on pass" to colon to spend a little evening, marley neglected to leave his no. behind in the squad-room, according to z. p. rules. which was careless of him. for when his spirits reached that stage where he recognized what sport it would be to see the "spigoty" policemen of bottle alley dance a western cancan he bethought him of the no. . which accounts for the fact that the name of marley can no longer be found on the rolls of the z. p. but all this is sadly anticipating. obviously, you will say, a force recruited from such dissimilar sources must be a thing of wide and sundry experience. and obviously you are right. could a man catch up the z. p. by the slack of the khaki riding breeches and shake out their stories as a giant in need of carfare might shake out their loose change, then might he retire to some sunny hillside of his own and build him a sound-proof house with a swimming pool and a revolving bookcase and a stable of riding horses, and cause to be erected on the front lawn a kneeling-place where publishers might come and bow down and beat their foreheads on the pavement. there are men in the z. p. who in former years have played horse with the startled markets of great american cities; men whose voices will boom forth in the pulpit and whisper sage councils in the professional in years to come; men whom doting parents have sent to harvard--on whom it failed to take, except on their clothes--men who have gone down into the valley of the shadow of death and crawled on hands and knees through the brackish red brook that runs at the bottom and come out again smiling on the brink above. careers more varied than mexican sombreros one might hear in any z. p. squad-room--were not the z. p. so much more given to action than to autobiography. they bore little resemblance to what i had expected. my mental picture of an american policeman was that conglomerate average one unconsciously imbibes from a distant view of our city forces, and by comparison with foreign,--a heavy-footed, discourteous, half-fanatical, half-irreligious clubber whose wits are as slow as his judgment is honest. instead of which i found the z. p. composed almost without exception of good-hearted, well set up young americans almost all of military training. i had anticipated, from other experiences, a constant bickering and a general striving to make life unendurable for a new-comer. instead i was constantly surprised at the good fellowship that existed throughout the force. there were of course some healthy rivalries; there were no angels among them--or i should have fled the isthmus much earlier; but for the most part the z. p. resembled nothing so much as a big happy family. above all i had expected early to make the acquaintance of "graft," that shifty-eyed monster which we who have lived in large american cities think of as sitting down to dinner with the force in every mess-hall. graft? why a zone policeman could not ride on a p. r. r. train in full uniform when off duty without paying his fare, though he was expected to make arrests if necessary and stop behind with his prisoner. compared indeed with almost any other spot on the broad earth's surface "graft" eats slim meals on the canal zone. the average zone policeman would arrest his own brother--which is after all about the supreme test of good policehood. he is not a man who likes to keep "blotters," make out accident reports and such things, that can be of interest only to those with clerks' and bookkeepers' souls. he would far rather be battling with sun, man, and vegetation in the jungle. he is of those who genuinely and frankly have no desire to become rich, and "successful," a lack of ambition that formal society cannot understand and fancies a weakness. i had still another police surprise during these swivel-chair days. i discovered there was on the zone a yellow tailor who made beau brummel uniforms at $ . , compared with which the $ ready-made ones were mere clothes. all my life long i had been laboring under the delusion that a uniform is merely a uniform. but one lives and learns. there are few left, i suppose, who have not heard that gray-bearded story of the american in the philippines who called his native servant and commanded: "juan, va fetch the caballo from the prado and--and--oh, saddle and bridle him. damn such a language anyway! i'm sorry i ever learned it." this is capped on the zone by another that is not only true but strikingly typical. an american boss who had been much annoyed by unforeseen absences of his workmen pounced upon one of his spaniards one morning crying: "when you know por la noche that you're not going to trabaja por la manana why in--don't you habla?" "si, senor," replied the spaniard. by which it may be gathered that linguistic ability on the zone is on a par with that in other u. s. possessions. of the seven of us assigned to plain-clothes duty on this strip of seventy-two nationalities there was a colombian, a gentleman of swedish birth, a chinaman from martinique, and a greek, all of whom spoke english, spanish, and at least one other language. of the three native americans two spoke only their mother tongue. in the entire white uniformed force i met only lieutenant long and the corporal in charge of miraflores who could seriously be said to speak spanish, though i am informed there were one or two others. this was not for a moment any fault of the z. p. it comes back to our government and beyond that to the american people. with all our expanding over the surface of the earth in the past fourteen years there still hangs over us that old provincial back-woods bogie, "english is good enough for me." we have only to recall what england does for those of her colonial servants who want seriously to study the language of some portion of her subjects to have something very like the blush of shame creep up the back of our necks. child's task as is the learning of a foreign language, provincial old uncle sam just flat-foots along in the same old way, expecting to govern and judge and lead along the path of civilization his foreign colonies by bellowing at them in his own nasal drawl and treating their tongue as if it were some purely animal sound. he is well personified by corporal ----, late of the z. p. the corporal had served three years in the philippines and five on the zone, and could not ask for bread in the spanish tongue. "why don't you learn it?" some one asked one day. "awe," drawled the corporal, "what's the use o' goin' t' all that trouble? if you have t' have any interpretin' done all you got t' do is t' call in a nigger." uncle sam not merely lends his servants no assistance to learn the tongues of his colonies, but should one of his subjects appear bearing that extraordinary accomplishment he gives him no preference whatever, no better position, not a copper cent more salary; and if things get to a pass where a linguist must be hired he gives the job to the first citizen that comes along who can make a noise that is evidently not english, or more likely still to some foreigner who talks english like a mouthful of hungarian goulash. it is not the least of the reasons why foreign nations do not take us as seriously as they ought, why our colonials do not love us and, what is of far greater importance, do not advance under our rule as they should. meanwhile there had gradually been reaching me "through the proper channels," as everything does on the zone even to our ice-water, the various coupon-books and the like indispensable to zone life and the proper pursuit of plain-clothes duty. distressing as are statistics the full comprehension of what might follow requires the enumeration of the odds and ends i was soon carrying about with me. a brass-check; police badge; i. c. c. hotel coupon-book; commissary coupon-book; " -trip ticket" (a booklet containing blank passes between any stations on the p. r. r., to be filled out by holder) mileage book (purchased by employees at half rates of / cents a mile for use when traveling on personal business) " -trip ticket" (a free courtesy pass to all "gold" employees allowing one monthly round trip excursion over any portion of the line) freight-train pass for the p. r. r.; dirt-train and locomotive pass for the pacific division; ditto for the central division; likewise for the atlantic division; (in short about everything on wheels was free to the "gum-shoe" except the "yellow car") passes admitting to docks and steamers at either end of the zone; note-book; pencil or pen; report cards and envelopes (one of which the plain-clothes man must fill out and forward to headquarters "via train-guard" wherever night may overtake him--"the gum-shoe's day's work," as the idle uniformed man facetiously dubs it). furthermore the man out of uniform is popularly supposed never to venture forth among the populace without: belt, holster, cartridges, and the no. "colt" that reminds you of a drowning man trying to drag you down; handcuffs; police whistle; blackjack (officially he never carries this; theoretically there is not one on the isthmus. but the "gum-shoe" naturally cannot twirl a police club, and it is not always policy to shoot every refractory prisoner). then if he chances to be addicted to the weed there is the cigarette-case and matches; a watch is frequently convenient; and incidentally a few articles of clothing are more or less indispensable even in the dry season. now and again, too, a bit of money does not come amiss. for though the canal zone is a utopia where man lives by work-coupons alone, the detective can never know at what moment his all-embracing duties may carry him away into the foreign land of panama; and even were that possibility not always staring him in the face, in the words of "gorgona red," "you've got t' have money fer yer booze, ain't ye?" which seems also to be uncle sam's view of the matter. far and away more important than any of the plain-clothes equipment thus far mentioned is the "expense account." it is unlike the others in that it is not visible and tangible but a mere condition, a pleasant sensation like the consciousness of a good appetite or a youthful fullness of life. the only reality is a form signed by the czar of the zone himself tucked away among i. c. c. financial archives. that authorizes the man assigned to special duty in plain clothes to be reimbursed money expended in the pursuance of duty up to the sum of $ per month; though it is said that the interpretation of this privilege to the full limit is not unlikely to cause flames of light, thunderous rumblings, and other natural phenomena in the vicinity of empire and culebra. but please note further; these expenditures may be only "for cab or boat hire, meals away from home, and liquor and cigars!" plainly the "gum-shoe" should be a bachelor. fortunately, however, the proprietor of the expense account is not required personally to consume it each month. it is designed rather to win the esteem of bar-tenders, loosen the tongues of suspects, libate the thirsty stool-pigeon, and prime other accepted sources of information. but beware! exceeding care in filling out the account of such expenditures at the month's end. carelessness leads a hunted life on the canal zone. take, for instance, the slight error of my friend--who, having made such expenditure in colon, by a slip of the pen, or to be nice, of the typewriter, sent in among three score and ten items the following: feb. / bots beer; cristobal........ c and in the course of time found said voucher again on his desk with a marginal note of mild-eyed wonder and more than idle curiosity, in the handwriting of a man very high up indeed; where can you buy beer in cristobal? all this and more i learned in the swivel-chair waiting for orders, reading the latest novel that had found its way to ancon station, and receiving frequent assurances that i should be quite busy enough once i got started. opposite sat lieutenant long pouring choice bits of sub-station orders into the 'phone: "don't you believe it. that was no accident. he didn't lose everything he had in every pocket rolling around drunk in the street. he's been systematically frisked. sabe frisked? get on the job and look into it." for the lieutenant was one of those scarce and enviable beings who can live with his subordinates as man to man, yet never find an ounce of his authority missing when authority is needed. now and then a z. p. story whiled away the time. there was the sad case of corporal ---- in charge of ---- station. early one sunday afternoon the corporal saw a spaniard leading a goat along the railroad. naturally the day was hot. the corporal sent a policeman to arrest the inhuman wretch for cruelty to animals. when he had left the culprit weeping behind padlocks he went to inspect the goat, tied in the shade under the police station. "poor little beast," said the sympathetic corporal, as he set before it a generous pan of ice-water fresh from the police station tank. the goat took one long, eager, grateful draught, turned over on its back, curled up like the sensitive-plants of panama jungles when a finger touches them, and departed this vale of tears. but corporal ---- was an artist of the first rank. not only did he "get away with it" under the very frowning battlements of the judge, but sent the spaniard up for ten days on the charge against him. z. p.'s who tell the story assert that the spaniard did not so much mind the sentence as the fact that the corporal got his goat. then there was "the mystery of the knocked-out niggers." day after day there came reports from a spot out along the line that some negro laborer strolling along in a perfectly reasonable manner suddenly lay down, threw a fit, and went into a comatose state from which he recovered only after a day or two in ancon or colon hospitals. the doctors gave it up in despair. as a last resort the case was turned over to a z. p. sleuth. he chose him a hiding-place as near as possible to the locality of the strange manifestation. for half the morning he sweltered and swore without having seen or heard the slightest thing of interest to an old "zoner." a dirt-train rumbled by now and then. he strove to amuse himself by watching the innocent games of two little spanish switch-boys not far away. they were enjoying themselves, as guileless childhood will, between their duties of letting a train in and out of the switch. well on in the second half of the morning another diminutive iberian, a water-boy, brought his compatriots a pail of water and carried off the empty bucket. the boys hung over the edge of the pail a sort of wire hook, the handle of their home-made drinking-can, no doubt, and went on playing. by and by a burly black jamaican in shirt-sleeves loomed up in the distance. now and then as he advanced he sang a snatch of west indian ballad. as he espied the "switcheros" a smile broke out on his features and he hastened forward his eyes fixed on the water-pail. in a working species of spanish he made some request of the boys, the while wiping his ebony brow with his sleeve. the boys protested. evidently they had lived on the zone so long they had developed a color line. the negro pleaded. the boys, sitting in the shade of their wigwam, still shook their heads. one of them was idly tapping the ground with a broom-handle that had lain beside him. the negro glanced up and down the track, snatched up the boys' drinking vessel, of which the wire hooked over the pail was not after all the handle, and stooped to dip up a can of water. the little fellow with the broom-stick, ceasing a useless protest, reached a bit forward and tapped dreamily the rail in front of him. the jamaican suddenly sent the can of water some rods down the track, danced an artistic buck-and-wing shuffle on the thin air above his head, sat down on the back of his neck, and after trying a moment in vain to kick the railroad out by the roots, lay still. by this time the sleuth was examining the broom-handle. from its split end protruded an inch of telegraph wire, which chanced also to be the same wire that hung over the edge of the galvanized bucket. close in front of the innocent little fellows ran a "third rail!" then suddenly this life of anecdote and leisure ended. there was thrust into my hands a typewritten-sheet and i caught the next thing on wheels out to corozal for my first investigation. it was one of the most commonplace cases on the zone. two residents of my first dwelling-place on the isthmus had reported the loss of $ in u. s. gold. easier burglary than this the world does not offer. every bachelor quarters on the isthmus, completely screened in, is entered by two or three screen-doors, none of which is or can be locked. in the building are from twelve to twenty-four wide-open rooms of two or three occupants each, no three of whom know one another's full names or anything else, except that they are white americans and ipso facto (so runs zone philosophy) above dishonesty. the quarters are virtually abandoned during the day. two negro janitors dawdle about the building, but they, too, leave it for two hours at mid-day. moreover each of the forty-eight or more occupants probably has several friends or acquaintances or enemies who may drift in looking for him at any hour of the day or night. no negro janitor would venture to question a white american's errand in a house; panama is below the mason and dixon line. in practice any white american is welcome in any bachelor quarters and even to a bed, if there is one unoccupied, though he be a total stranger to all the community. add to this that the negro tailor's runner often has permission to come while the owner is away for suits in need of pressing, that john chinaman must come and claw the week's washing out from under the bed where the "rough-neck" kicked it on saturday night, that there are a dozen other legitimate errands that bring persons of varying shades into the building, and above all that the bachelors themselves, after the open-hearted old american fashion, have the all but universal habit of tossing gold and silver, railroad watches and real-estate bonds, or anything else of whatever value, indifferently on the first clear corner that presents itself. precaution is troublesome and un-american. it seems a fling at the character of your fellow bachelors--and in the vast majority of zone cases it would be. but it is in no sense surprising that among the many thousands that swarm upon the isthmus there should be some not averse to increasing their income by taking advantage of these guileless habits and bucolic conditions. there are suggestions that a few--not necessarily whites--make a profession of it. no wonder "our chief trouble is burglary" and has been ever since the z. p. can remember. summed up, the pay-day gold that has thus faded away is perhaps no small amount; compared with what it might have been under prevailing conditions it is little. as for detecting such felonies, police officers the world around know that theft of coin of the realm in not too great quantities is virtually as safe a profession as the ministry. the z. p. plain-clothes man, like his fellows elsewhere, must usually be content in such cases with impressing on the victim his sherlockian astuteness, gathering the available facts of the case, and return to typewrite his report thereof to be carefully filed away among headquarters archives. which is exactly what i had to do in the case in question, diving out the door, notebook in hand, to catch the evening train to panama. i was growing accustomed to ancon and even to ancon police-mess when i strolled into headquarters on saturday, the sixteenth, and the inspector flung a casual remark over his shoulder: "better get your stuff together. you're transferred to gatun." i was already stepping into a cab en route for the evening train when the inspector chanced down the hill. "new gatun is pretty bad on saturday nights," he remarked. (all too well i remembered it.) "the first time a nigger starts anything run him in, and take all the witnesses in sight along." "that reminds me; i haven't been issued a gun or handcuffs yet," i hinted. "hell's fire, no?" queried the inspector. "tell the station commander at gatun to fix you up." chapter vi i scribbled myself a ticket and was soon rolling northward, greeting acquaintances at every station. the zone is like egypt; whoever moves must travel by the same route. at pedro miguel and cascadas armies of locomotives--the "mules" of the man from arkansas--stood steaming and panting in the twilight after their day's labor and the wild race homeward under hungry engineers. as far as bas obispo this busy, teeming isthmus seemed a native land; beyond, was like entering into foreign exile. it is a common zone experience that only the locality one lives in during his first weeks ever feels like "home." the route, too, was a new one. from gorgona the train returned crab-wise through matachin and across the sand dyke that still holds the chagres out of the "cut," and halted at gamboa cabin. day was dying as we rumbled on across the iron bridge above the river and away into the fresh jungle night along the rock-ballasted "relocation." the stillness of this less inhabited half of the zone settled down inside the car and out, the evening air of summer caressing almost roughly through the open windows. the train continued its steady way almost uninterruptedly, for though new villages were springing up to take the place of the old sinking into desuetude and the flood along with the abandoned line, there were but two where once were eight. we paused at the new frijoles and the box-car town of monte lirio and, skirting on a higher level with a wide detour on the flanks of thick jungled and forested hills what is some day to be gatun lake, drew up at : at gatun. i wandered and inquired for some time in a black night--for the moon was on the graveyard shift that week--before i found gatun police station on the nose of a breezy knoll. but for "davie," the desk-man, who it turned out was also to be my room-mate, and a few wistful-eyed negroes in the steel-barred room in the center of the building, the station was deserted. "circus," said the desk-man briefly. when i mentioned the matter of weapons he merely repeated the word with the further information that only the station commander could issue them. there was nothing to do therefore but to ramble out armed with a lead pencil into a virtually unknown town riotous with liquor and negroes and the combination of saturday night, circus time, and the aftermath of pay-day, and to strut back and forth in a way to suggest that i was a perambulating arsenal. but though i wandered a long two hours into every hole and corner where trouble might have its breeding-place, nothing but noise took place in my sight and hearing. i turned disgustedly away toward the tents pitched in a grassy valley between the two gatuns. at least there was a faint hope that the equestrienne might assault the ring-master. i approached the tent flap with a slightly quickening pulse. world-wide and centuries old as is the experience, personally i was about to "spring my badge" for the first time. suppose the doortender should refuse to honor it and force me to impress upon him the importance of the z. p.--without a gun? outwardly nonchalant i strolled in between the two ropes. proprietor shipp looked up from counting his winnings and opened his mouth to shout "ticket!" i flung back my coat, and with a nod and a half-wink of wisdom he fell back again to computing his lawful gains. by the way, are not you who read curious to know, even as i for long years wondered, where a detective wears his badge? know then that long and profound investigation among the z. p. seems to prove conclusively that as a general and all but invariable rule he wears it pinned to the lining of his coat, or under his lapel, or on the band of his trousers, or on the breast of his shirt, or in his hip pocket, or up his sleeve, or at home on the piano, or riding around at the end of a string in the baby's nursery; though as in the case of all rules this one too has its exceptions. entertainments come rarely to gatun. the one-ringed circus was packed with every grade of society from gaping spanish laborers to haughty wives of dirt-train conductors, among whom it was not hard to distinguish in a far corner the uniformed sergeant in command of gatun and the long lean corporal tied in a bow-line knot at the alleged wit of the versatile but solitary clown who changed his tongue every other moment from english to spanish. but the end was already near; excitement was rising to the finale of the performance, a wrestling match between a circus man and "andy" of pedro miguel locks. by the time i had found a leaning-place it was on--and the circus man of course was conquered, amid the gleeful howling of "rough-necks," who collected considerable sums of money and went off shouting into the black night, in quest of a place where it might be spent quickly. it would be strange indeed if among all the thousands of men in the prime of life who are digging the canal at least one could not be found who could subjugate any champion a wandering circus could carry among its properties. i took up again the random tramping in the dark unknown night; till it was two o'clock of a sunday morning when at last i dropped my report-card in the train-guard box and climbed upstairs to the cot opposite "davie," sleeping the silent, untroubled sleep of a babe. i was barely settled in gatun when the train-guard handed me one of those frequent typewritten orders calling for the arrest of some straggler or deserter from the marine camp of the tenth infantry. that very morning i had seen "the boss" of census days off on his vacation to the states--from which he might not return--and here i was coldly and peremptorily called upon to go forth and arrest and deliver to camp elliott on its hill "mac," the pride of the census, with a promise of $ reward for the trouble. "mac" desert? it was to laugh. but naturally after six weeks of unceasing repetition of that pink set of questions "mac's" throat was a bit dry and he could scarcely be expected to return at once to the humdrum life of camp without spending a bit of that $ a day in slaking a tropical thirst. indeed i question whether any but the prudish will loudly blame "mac" even because he spent it a bit too freely and brought up in empire dispensary. word of his presence there soon drifted down to the wily plain-clothes man of empire district. but it was a hot noonday, the dispensary lies somewhat up hill, and the uniformless officer of the zone metropolis is rather thickly built. wherefore, stowing away this private bit of information under his hat, he told himself with a yawn, "oh, i'll drag him in later in the day," and drifted down to a wide-open door on railroad avenue to spend a bit of the $ reward in off-setting the heat. meanwhile "mac," feeling somewhat recovered from his financial extravagance, came sauntering out of the dispensary and, seeing his curly-headed friend strolling a beat not far away, naturally cried out, "hello, eck!" and what could eck say, being a reputable zone policeman, but: "why, hello, mac! how they framin' up? consider yourself pinched." which was lucky for "mac." for eck had once worn a marine hat over his own right eye and, he knew from melancholy experience that the $ was no government generosity, but "mac's" own involuntary contribution to his finding and delivery; so managed to slip most of it back into "mac's" hands. long, long after, more than six weeks after in fact, i chanced to be in bas obispo with a half-hour to spare, and climbed to the flowered and many-roaded camp on its far-viewing hilltop that falls sheer away on the east into the canal. in one of the airy barracks i found renson, cards in hand, clear-skinned and "fit" now, thanks to the regular life of this adult nursery, though his lost youth was gone for good. and "mac"? yes, i saw "mac" too--or at least the back of his head and shoulders through the screen of the guard-house where renson pointed him out to me as he was being locked up again after a day of shoveling sand. the first days in gatun called for little else than patrol duty, without fixed hours, interspersed with an occasional loaf on the second-story veranda of the police-station overlooking the giant locks; close at hand was the entrance to the canal, up which came slowly barges loaded with crushed stone from porto bello quarry twenty miles east along the coast or sand from nombre de dios, twice as distant, while further still, spread limon bay from which swept a never-ending breeze one could wipe dry on as on a towel. so long as he has in his pocket no typewritten report with the inspector's scrawl across it, "for investigation and report," the plain-clothes man is virtually his own commander, with few duties beside trying to be in as many parts of his district at once as possible and the ubiquitous duty of "keeping in touch with headquarters." so i wandered and mingled with all the life of the vicinity, exactly as i should have done had i not been paid a salary to do so. by day one could watch the growth of the great locks, the gradual drowning of little green, new-made islands beneath the muddy still waters of gatun lake, tramp out along jungle-flanked country roads, through the mindi hills, or down below the old railroad to where the cayucas that floated down the chagres laden with fruit came to land on the ever advancing edge of the waters. with night things grew more compact. from twilight till after midnight i prowled in and out through new gatun, spilled far and wide over its several hills, watching the antics of negroes, pausing to listen to their guitars and their boisterous merriment, with an eye and ear ever open for the unlawful. when i drifted into a saloon to see who might be spending the evening out, the bar-tender proved he had the advantage of me in acquaintance by crying: "hello, franck! what ye having?" and showing great solicitude that i get it. after which i took up the starlit tramp again, to run perhaps into some such perilous scene as on that third evening. a riot of contending voices rose from a building back in the center of a block, with now and then the sickening thump of a falling body. i approached noiselessly, likewise weaponless, peeped in and found--four negro bakers stripped to the waist industriously kneading to-morrow's bread and discussing in profoundest earnest the object of the lord in creating mosquitoes. beyond the native town, as an escape from all this, there was the back country road that wound for a mile through the fresh night and the droning jungle, yet instead of leading off into the wilderness of the interior swung around to american gatun on its close-cropped hills. i awoke one morning to find my name bulletined among those ordered to report for target test. a fine piece of luck was this for a man who had scarcely fired a shot since, aged ten, he brought down with an air-gun an occasional sparrow at three cents a head. we took the afternoon train to mt. hope on the edge of colon and trooped away to a little plain behind "monkey hill," the last resting-place of many a "zoner." the cristobal lieutenant, father of z. p., was in charge, and here again was that same z. p. absence of false dignity and the genuine good-fellowship that makes the success of your neighbor as pleasing as your own. "shall i borrow a gun, lieutenant?" i asked when i found myself "on deck." "well, you'll have to use your own judgment as to that," replied the lieutenant, busy pasting stickers over holes in the target. the test was really very simple. all you had to do was to cling to one end of a no. horse-pistol, point it at the bull's-eye of a target, hold it in that position until you had put five bullets into said bull's-eye, repeat that twice at growing distances, mortally wound ten times the image of a martinique negro running back and forth across the field, and you had a perfect score. only, simple as it was, none did it, not even old soldiers with two or three "hitches" in the army. so i had to be content with creeping in on the second page of a seven-page list of all the tested force from "the chief" to the latest negro recruit. the next evening i drifted into the police station to find a group of laborers from the adjoining camps awaiting me on the veranda bench, because the desk-man "didn't sabe their lingo." they proved upon examination to be two italians and a turk, and their story short, sad, but by no means unusual. upon returning from work one of the italians had found the lock hinges of his ponderously padlocked tin trunk hanging limp and screwless, and his pay-day roll of some $ missing from the crown of a hat stuffed with a shirt securely packed away in the deepest corner thereof. the turk was similarly unable to account for the absence of his $ savings safely locked the night before inside a pasteboard suitcase; unless the fact that, thanks to some sort of surgical operation, one entire side of the grip now swung open like a barn-door might prove to have something to do with the case. the $ had been, for further safety's sake, in panamanian silver, suggesting a burglar with a wheelbarrow. the mysterious detective work began at once. without so much as putting on a false beard i repaired to the scene of the nefarious crime. it was the usual zone type of laborers' barracks. a screened building of one huge room, it contained two double rows of three-tier "standee" canvas bunks on gas-pipes. around the entire room, close under the sheet-iron roof, ran a wooden platform or shelf reached by a ladder and stacked high with the tin trunks, misshapen bundles, and pressed-paper suitcases containing the worldly possessions of the fifty or more workmen around the rough table below. theoretically not even an inmate thereof may enter a zone labor-camp during working hours. practically the west indian janitors to whom is left the enforcement of this rule are nothing if not fallible. in the course of the second day i unearthed a second turk who, having chanced the morning before to climb to the baggage shelf for his razor and soap preparatory to welcoming a fellow countryman to the isthmus, had been mildly startled to step on the shoulder-blade of a negro of given length and proportions lying prone behind the stacked-up impedimenta. the latter explained both his presence in a white labor-camp and his unconventional posture by asserting that he was the "mosquito man," and shortly thereafter went away from there without leaving either card or address. by all my library training in detective work the next move obviously was to find what color of cigarette ashes the turk smoked. instead i blundered upon the absurdly simple notion of trying to locate the negro of given length and proportions. the real "mosquito man"--one of that dark band that spends its zone years with a wire hook and a screened bucket gathering evidence against the defenseless mosquito for the sanitary department to gloat over--was found not to fit the model even in hue. moreover, "mosquito men" are not accustomed to carry their devotion to duty to the point of crawling under trunks in their quest. for a few days following, the hunt led me through all gatun and vicinity. now i found myself racing across the narrow plank bridges above the yawning gulf of the locks, with far below tiny men and toy trains, now in and out among the cathedral-like flying buttresses, under the giant arches past staring signs of "danger!" on every hand--as if one could not plainly hear its presence without the posting. i descended to the very floor of the locks, far below the earth, and tramped the long half-mile of the three flights between soaring concrete walls. above me rose the great steel gates, standing ajar and giving one the impression of an opening in the great wall of china or of a sky-scraper about to be swung lightly aside. on them resounded the roar of the compressed-air riveters and all the way up the sheer faces, growing smaller and smaller as they neared the sky, were mcclintic-marshall men driving into place red-hot rivets, thrown at them viciously by negroes at the forges and glaring like comets' tails against the twilight void. the chase sent me more than once stumbling away across rock-tumbled gatun dam that squats its vast bulk where for long centuries, eighty-five feet below, was the village of old gatun with its proud church and its checkered history, where morgan and peruvian viceroys and "forty-niners" were wont to pause from their arduous journeyings. they call it a dam. it is rather a range of hills, a part and portion of the highlands that, east and west, enclose the valley of the chagres, its summit resembling the terminal yards of some great city. there was one day when i sought a negro brakeman attached to a given locomotive. i climbed to a yard-master's tower above the spillway and the yard-master, taking up his powerful field-glasses, swept the horizon, or rather the dam, and discovered the engine for me as a mariner discovers an island at sea. "er--would you be kind enough to tell us where we can find this gatun dam we've heard so much about?" asked a party of four tourists, half and half as to sex, who had been wandering about on it for an hour or so with puzzled expressions of countenance. they addressed themselves to a busy civil engineer in leather leggings and rolled up shirt sleeves. "i'm sorry i haven't time to use the instrument," replied the engineer over his shoulder, while he wig-wagged his orders to his negro helpers scattered over the landscape, "but as nearly as i can tell with the naked eye, you are now standing in the exact center of it." the result of all this sweating and sight-seeing was that some days later there was gathered in a young barbadian who had been living for months in and about gatun without any visible source of income whatever--not even a wife. the turk and the camp janitor identified him as the culprit. but the primer lesson the police recruit learns is that it is one thing to believe a man guilty and quite another to convince a judge--the most skeptical being known to zoology--of that perfectly apparent fact. with the suspect behind bars, therefore, i continued my underground activities, with the result that when at length i took the train at new gatun one morning for the court-room in cristobal i loaded into a second-class coach six witnesses aggregating five nationalities, ready to testify among other things to the interesting little point that the defendant had a long prison record in barbados. when the echo of the black policeman's "oye! oye!" had died away and the little white-haired judge had taken his "bench," i made the discovery that i was present not in one, but in four capacities,--as arresting officer, complainant, interpreter, and to a large extent prosecuting attorney. to swear a turk who spoke only turkish through another turk, who mangled a little spanish, for a judge who would not recognize a non-american word from the voice of a steam-shovel, with a solemn "so help me god!" to clinch and strengthen it when the witness was a follower of the prophet of medina--or nobody--was not without its possibilities of humor. the trial proceeded; the witnesses witnessed in their various tongues, the perspiring arresting officer reduced their statements to the common denominator of the judge's single tongue, and the smirking bullet-headed defendant was hopelessly buried under the evidence. wherefore, when the shining black face of his lawyer, retained during the two minutes between the "oye!" and the opening of the case, rose above the scene to purr: "your honor, the prosecution has shown no case. i move the charge against my client be quashed." i choked myself just in time to keep from gasping aloud, "well, of all the nerve!" never will i learn that the lawyer's profession admits lying on the same footing with truth in the defense of a culprit. "cause shown," mumbled the judge without looking up from his writing, "defendant bound over for trial in the circuit court." a week later, therefore, there was a similar scene a story higher in the same building. here on thursdays sits one of the three members of the zone supreme court. jury trial is rare on the isthmus--which makes possibly for surer justice. this time there was all the machinery of court and i appeared only in my legal capacity. the judge, a man still young, with an astonishingly mobile face that changed at least once a minute from a furrowy scowl with great pouting lips to a smile so broad it startled, sat in state in the middle of three judicial arm-chairs, and the case proceeded. within an hour the defendant was standing up, the cheery grin still on his black countenance, to be sentenced to two years and eight months in the zone penitentiary at culebra. a deaf man would have fancied he was being awarded some prize. one of the never-ending surprises on the zone is the apparent indifference of negro prisoners whether they get years or go free. even if they testify in their own behalf it is in a listless, detached way, as if the matter were of no importance anyway. but the glance they throw the innocent arresting officer as they pass out on their way to the barb-wire enclosure on the outskirts of the zone capital tells another story. there are members of the z. p. who sleep with a gun under their pillow because of that look or a muttered word. but even were i nervous i should have been little disturbed at the glare in this case, for it will probably be a long walk from culebra penitentiary to where i am thirty-two months from that morning. a holiday air brooded over all gatun and the country-side. workmen in freshly washed clothing lolled in the shade of labor-camps, black britishers were gathering in flat meadows fitted for the national game of cricket, far and wide sounded the care-free laughter and chattering of negroes, while even within gatun police station leisure and peace seemed almost in full possession. the morning "touch" with headquarters over, therefore, i scrambled away across the silent yawning locks and the trainless and workless dam to the spillway, over which already some overflow from the lake was escaping to the caribbean. my friends "dusty" and h---- had carried their canoe to the chagres below, and before nine we were off down the river. it was a day that all the world north of the tropic of cancer could not equal; just the weather for a perfect "day off." a plain-clothes man, it is true, is not supposed to have days off. some one might run away with the administration building on the edge of the pacific and the telephone wires be buzzing for me--with the sad result that a few days later there would be posted in zone police stations where all who turned the leaves might read: special order no. .... having been found guilty of charges of neglect of duty preferred against him by his commanding officer first-class policeman no. is hereby fined $ . chief of division. but shades of john aspinwall! should even a detective work on such a sunday? surely no criminal would--least of all a black one. moreover these forest-walled banks were also part of my beat. the sun was hot, yet the air of that ozone-rich quality for which panama is famous. for headgear we had caps; and did not wear those, though barely a few puffy, snow-white clouds ventured out into the vast chartless sky all the brilliant day through. then the river; who could describe this lower reach of the chagres as it curves its seven deep and placid miles from where uncle sam releases it from custody, to the ocean. its jungled banks were without a break, for the one or two clusters of thatch and reed huts along the way are but a part of the living vegetation. now and then we had glimpses across the tree-tops of brilliant green jungle hills further inland, everywhere were huge splendid trees, the stack-shaped mango, the soldier-erect palm heavy, yet unburdened, with cocoanuts. some fish resembling the porpoise rose here and there, back and forth above the shadows winged snow-white cranes so slender one wondered the sea breeze did not wreck them. above all the quiet and peace and contentment of a perfect tropical day enfolded the landscape in a silence only occasionally disturbed by the cry of a passing bird. once a gasoline launch deep-laden with sunday-starched americans, snorted by, bound likewise to fort lorenzo at the river's mouth; and we lay back in our soft, rumpled khaki and drowsily smiled our sympathy after them. when they had drawn on out of earshot life began to return to the banks and nature again took possession of the scene. alligators abounded once on this lower chagres, but they have grown scarce now, or shy, and though we sat with h----'s automatic rifle across our knees in turns we saw no more than a carcass or a skeleton on the bank at the foot of the sheer wall of impenetrable verdure. till at length the sea opened on our sight through the alley-way of jungle, and a broad inviting cocoanut grove nodded and beckoned on our left. instead we paddled out across the sandbar to play with the surf of the atlantic, but found it safer to return and glide across the little bay to the drowsy straw and tin village. here--for the mouth of the chagres like its source lies in a foreign land--a solitary panamanian policeman in the familiar arctic uniform enticed us toward the little thatched office, and house, and swinging hammock of the alcalde to register our names, and our business had we had any. so deep-rooted was the serenity of the place that even when "dusty," in all zone innocence, addressed the white-haired little mulatto as "hombre" he lost neither his dignity nor his temper. the policeman and a brown boy of merry breed went with us up the grassy rise to the old fort. in its musty vaulted dungeons were still the massive, rust-corroded irons for feet, waist and neck of prisoners of the old brutal days; blind owls stared upon us; once the boy brought down with his honda, or slung-shot, one of the bats that circled uncannily above our heads. in dank corners were mounds of worthless powder; the bakery that once fed the miserable dungeon dwellers had crumbled in upon itself. outside great trees straddled and split the massive stone walls that once commanded the entrance to the chagres, jungle waved in undisputed possession in its earth-filled moat, even the old cannon and heaped up cannon-balls lay rust-eaten and dejected, like decrepit old men who have long since given up the struggle. we came out on the nose of the fort bluff and had before and below us and underfoot all the old famous scene, for centuries the beginning of all trans-isthmian travel,--the scalloped surf-washed shore with its dwindling palm groves curving away into the west, the chagres pushing off into the jungled land. we descended to the beach of the outer bay and swam in the salt sea, and the policeman, scorning the launch party, squatted a long hour in the shade of a tree above in tropical patience. then with "sour" oranges for thirst and nothing for hunger--for lorenzo has no restaurant--we turned to paddle our way homeward up the chagres, that bears the salt taste of the sea clear to the spillway. whence one verse only of a stanza by the late bard of the isthmus struck a false note on our ears; then go away if you have to, then go away if you will! to again return you will always yearn while the lamp is burning still. you've drunk the chagres water and the mango eaten free, and, strange though it seems, it will haunt your dreams this land of the cocoanut tree. no catastrophe had befallen during my absence. the same peaceful sunny sunday reigned in gatun; new-laundered laborers were still lolling in the shade of the camps, west indians were still batting at interminable balls with their elongated paddles in the faint hope of deciding the national game before darkness settled down. then twilight fell and i set off through the rambling town already boisterous with church services. before the little sub-station a swarm of negroes was pounding tamborines and bawling lustily: oh, yo mus' be a lover of de lard or yo cahn't go t' heaven when yo di-ie. further on a lady who would have made ebony seem light-gray bowed over an organ, while a burly jamaican blacker than the night outside stood in the vestments of the church of england, telling his version of the case in a voice that echoed back from the town across the gully, as if he would drown out all rival sects and arguments by volume of sound. the meeting-house on the next corner was thronged with a singing multitude, tamborines scattered among them and all clapping hands to keep time, even to the pastor, who let the momentum carry on and on into verse after verse as if he had not the self-sacrifice to stop it, while outside in the warm night another crowd was gathered at the edge of the shadows gazing as at a vaudeville performance. how well-fitted are the various brands of christianity to the particular likings of their "flocks." the strongest outward manifestation of the religion of the west indian black is this boisterous singing. all over town were dusky throngs exercising their strong untrained voices "in de lard's sarvice"; though the west indian is not noted as being musical. here a preacher wanting suddenly to emphasize a point or clinch an argument swung an arm like a college cheer leader and the entire congregation roared forth with him some well-known hymn that settled the question for all time. i strolled on into darker high street. suddenly on a veranda above there broke out a wild unearthly screaming. two negroes were engaged in savage, sanguinary combat. around them in the dim light thrown by a cheap tenement lamp i could make out their murderous weapons--machetes or great bars of iron--slashing wildly, while above the din rose screams and curses: yo ---- badgyan, ah kill yo! i sped stealthily yet swiftly up the long steps, drawing my no. (for at last i had been issued one) as i ran and dashed into the heart of the turmoil swallowing my tendency to shout "unhand him, villain!" and crying instead: "here, what the devil is going on here?" whereupon two negroes let fall at once two pine sticks and turned upon me their broad childish grins with: "we only playin', sar. playin' single-sticks which we larn to de army in bahbaydos, sahgeant." thus i wandered on, in and out, till the night lost its youth and the last train from colon had dumped its merry crowd at the station, then wound away along the still and deserted back road through the night-chirping jungle between the two surviving gatuns. there was a spot behind the division engineer's hill that i rarely succeeded in passing without pausing to drink in the scene, a scallop in the hills where several trees stood out singly and alone against the myriad starlit sky, below and beyond the indistinct valleys and ravines from which came up out of the night the chorus of the jungle. further on, in american gatun there was a seat on the steps before a bungalow that offered more than a good view in both directions. a broad, u. s.-tamed ravine sank away in front, across which the atlantic breeze wafted the distance-softened thrum of guitar, the tones of fifes and happy negro voices, while overhead feathery gray clouds as concealing as a dancer's gossamer hurried leisurely by across the brilliant face of the moon; to the right in a free space the southern cross, tilted a bit awry, gleamed as it has these untold centuries while ephemeral humans come and pass their brief way. it was somewhere near here that gatun's dry-season mosquito had his hiding-place. rumor whispers of some such letter as the following received by the colonel--not the blue-eyed czar at culebra this time; for you must know there is another colonel on the zone every whit as indispensable in his sphere: gatun, ... , . dear colonel:-- i am writing to call your attention to a gross violation of sanitary ordinance no. , to an apparent loop-hole in your otherwise excellent department. the circumstances are as follows; on the evening of ... , as i was sitting at the roadside between gatun and new gatun (some paces beyond house no. ) there appeared a mosquito, which buzzed openly and for some time about my ears. it was probably merely a male of the species, as it showed no tendency to bite; but a mosquito nevertheless. i trust you will take fitting measures to punish so bold and insolent a violation of the rules of your department. i am, sir, very truly yours, (mrs.) henry peck. p. s. the mosquito may be easily recognized by a peculiarly triumphant, defiant note in his song, i cannot personally vouch for the above, but if it was received any "zoner" will assure you that prompt action was taken. it is well so. the french failed to dig the canal because they could not down the mosquito. of course there was the champagne and the other things that come with it--later in the night. but after all it was the little songful mosquito that drove them in disgrace back across the atlantic. still further on toward the hotel and a midnight lunch there was one house that was usually worth lingering before, though good music is rare on the zone. then there was the naughty poker game in bachelor quarters number--well, never mind that detail--to keep an ear on in case the pot grew large enough to make a worth-while violation of the law that would warrant the summoning of the mounted patrolman. meanwhile "cases" stacked up about me. now one took me out the hard u. s. highway that, once out of sight of the last negro shanty, rambles erratically off like the reminiscences of an old man through the half-cleared, mostly uninhabited wilderness, rampant green with rooted life and almost noisy with the songs of birds. eventually within a couple of hours it crossed fox river with its little settlement and descended to mt. hope police station, where there is a 'phone with which to "get in touch" again and then a mission rocker on the screened veranda where the breezes of the near-by atlantic will have you well cooled off before you can catch the shuttle-train back to gatun. or another led out across the lake by the old abandoned line that was the main line when first i saw gatun. it drops down beyond the station and charges across the lake by a causeway that steam-shovels were already devouring, toward forsaken bohio. picking its way across the rotting spiles of culverts, it pushed on through the unpeopled jungle, all the old railroad gone, rails, ties, the very spikes torn up and carried away, while already the parrots screamed again in derision as if it were they who had driven out the hated civilization and taken possession again of their own. a few short months and the devouring jungle will have swallowed up even the place where it has been. if it was only the little typewritten slip reporting the disappearance of a half-dozen jacks from the dam, every case called for full investigation. for days to come i might fight my way through the encircling wilderness by tunnels of vegetation to every native hut for miles around to see if by any chance the lost property could have rolled thither. more than once such a hunt brought me out on the water-tank knoll at the far end of the dam, overlooking miles of impenetrable jungle behind and above chanting with invisible life, to the right the filling lake stretching across to low blue ranges dimly outlined against the horizon and crowned by fantastic trees, and all gatun and its immense works and workers below and before me. times were when duty called me into the squalid red-lighted district of colon and kept me there till the last train was gone. then there was nothing left but to pick my way through the night out along the p.r.r. tracks to shout in at the yard-master's window, "how soon y' got anything goin' up the line?" and, according to the answer, return to read an hour or two in cristobal y.m.c.a. or push on at once into the forest of box-cars to hunt out the lighted caboose. night freights do not stop at gatun, nor anywhere merely to let off a "gum-shoe." but just beyond new gatun station is a grade that sets the negro fireman to sweating even at midnight and the big mogul to straining every nerve and sinew, and i did not meet the engineer that could drag his long load by so swiftly but that one could easily swing off on the road that leads to the police station. even on the rare days when "cases" gave out there was generally something to while away the monotony. as, one morning an american widely known in gatun was arrested on a warrant and, chatting merrily with his friend, policeman ----, strolled over to the station. there his friend corporal macey subdued his broad irish smile and ordered the deskman to "book him up." the latter was reaching for the keys to a cell when the american broke off his pleasant flow of conversation to remark; "all right, corporal, i'm going over to the house to get a few things and write a few letters. i'll be back inside of an hour." whereupon corporal macey, being a man of iron self-control, refrained from turning a double back sommersault and mildly called the prisoner's attention to a little point of zone police rules he had overlooked. if every other known form of amusement absolutely failed it was still the dry, or tourist season, and poured down from the states hordes of unconscious comedians, or investigators who rushed two whole days about the isthmus, taking care not to get into any dirty places, and rushed home again to tell an eager public all about it. sometimes the sight-seers came from the opposite end of the earth, a little band of south americans in tongueless awe at the undreamed monster of work about them, yet struggling to keep their fancied despite of the "yanqui," to which the "yanqui" is so serenely indifferent. priests from this southland were especially numerous. the week never passed that a group of them might not be seen peering over the dizzy precipice of gatun locks and crossing themselves ostentatiously as they turned away. one does not, at least in a few months, feel the "sameness" of climate at panama and "long again to see spring grow out of winter." yet there is something, perhaps, in the popular belief that even northern energy evaporates in this tropical land. it is not exactly that; but certainly many a "zoner" wakes up day by day with ambitious plans, and just drifts the day through with the fine weather. he fancies himself as strong and energetic as in the north, yet when the time comes for doing he is apt to say, "oh, i guess i'll loaf here in the shade half an hour longer," and before he knows it another whole day is charged up against his meager credit column with father time. there came the day early in april when the inspector must go north on his forty-two days' vacation. i bade him bon voyage on board the : between the two gatuns and soon afterward was throwing together my belongings and leaving "davie" to enjoy his room alone. for corporal castillo was to be head of the subterranean department ad interim, and how could the digging of the canal continue with no detective in all the wilderness of morals between the pacific and culebra? thus it was that the afternoon train bore me away to the southward. it was a tourist train. a new york steamer had docked that morning, and the first-class cars were packed with venturesome travelers in their stout campaign outfits in which to rough it--in the tivoli and the sight-seeing motors--in their roof-like cork helmets and green veils for the terrible panama heat--which is sometimes as bad as in northern new york. the p.r.r. is one of the few railroads whose passengers may drop off for a stroll, let the train go on without them, and still take it to their destination. they have only to descend, as i did, at gamboa cabin and wander down into the "cut," climb leisurely out to bas obispo, and chat with their acquaintances among the marines lolling about the station until the trains puffs in from its shuttle-back excursion to gorgona. the zone landscape had lost much of its charm. for days past jungle fires had been sweeping over it, doing the larger growths small harm but leaving little of the greenness and rank clinging life of other seasons. everywhere were fires along the way, even in the towns. for quartermasters--to the rage of zone house-wives were sending up in clouds of smoke the grass and bushes that quickly turn to breeding-places of mosquitoes and disease with the first rains. night closed down as we emerged from miraflores tunnel; soon we swung around toward the houses, row upon row and all alight, climbed the lower slope of ancon hill, and at seven i descended in familiar, cab-crowded, bawling panama. chapter vii it might be worth the ink to say a word about socialism on the canal zone. to begin with, there isn't any of course. no man would dream of looking for socialism in an undertaking set in motion by the republican party and kept on the move by the regular army. but there are a number of little points in the management of this private government strip of earth that savors more or less faintly of the socialist's program, and the zone offers perhaps as good a chance as we shall ever have to study some phases of those theories in practice. few of us now deny the socialist's main criticisms of existing society; most of us question his remedies. some of us go so far as to feel a sneaking curiosity to see railroads and similar purely public utilities government-owned, just to find how it would work. down on the canal zone they have a sort of modified socialism where one can watch much of this under a bell jar. there one quickly discovers that a locomotive with the brief and sufficient information "u.s." on her tender flanks--or more properly the flanks of her tender--gives one a swelling of the chest no other combination of letters could inspire. thus far, too, theory seems to work well. the service could hardly be better, and recalling that under the old private system the fare for the forty-seven miles across the isthmus was $ with a charge of ten cents for every pound of baggage, the $ . of today does not seem particularly exorbitant. the official machinery of this private government strip also seems to run like clockwork. to be sure the wheels even of a clock grind a bit with friction at times, but the clock goes on keeping time for all that. the canal zone is the best governed district in the united states. it is worth any american's time and sea-sickness to run down there, if only to assure himself that americans really can govern; until he does he will not have a very clear notion of just what good american government means. but before we go any further be it noted that the socialism of the canal zone is under a benevolent despot, an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent ruler; which is perhaps the one way socialism would work, at least in the present stage of human progress. the three omnis are combined in an inconspicuous, white-haired american popularly known on the zone as "the colonel"--so popularly in fact that an attempt to replace him would probably "start something" among all classes and races of "zoners." that he is omnipotent--on the zone--not many will deny; a few have questioned--and landed in the states a week later much less joyous but far wiser. omniscient--well they have even chinese secret-service men on the isthmus, and soldiers and marines not infrequently go out in civilian clothes under sealed orders; to say nothing of "the colonel's private gum-shoe" and probably a lot of other underground sources of information neither you nor i shall ever hear of. but you must get used to spies under socialism, you know, until we all wear one of saint peter's halos. look at the elaborate system of the incas, even with their docile and uninitiative subjects. in the matter of omnipresence; it would be pretty hard to find a hole on the canal zone where you could pull off a stunt of any length or importance without the i.c.c. having a weather-eye on you. when it comes to the no less indispensable ingredient of benevolence one glimpse of those mild blue eyes would probably reassure you in that point, even without the pleasure of watching the despot sit in judgment on his subjects in his castle office on sunday mornings like old saint louis under his oak--though with a tin of cigarettes beside him that old louis had to worry along without. this all-powerful government insists on and enforces many of the things which americans as a whole stand for,--sunday closing, suppression of resorts, forbidding of gambling. but the zone is no test whether these laws could be genuinely enforced in a whole nation. for down there panama and colon serve as a sort of safety-valve, where a man can run down in an hour or so on mileage or monthly pass and blow off steam; get rid of the bad internal vapors that might cause explosion in a ventless society. this we should not lose sight of when we boast that there are few crimes and no real resorts on the zone. "the colonel" himself will tell you there is no gambling. yet it is curious how many of the weekly prizes of the panama lottery find their way into the pockets of american canal builders, and in any zone gathering of whatever hour--or sex!--you are almost certain to hear flitting back and forth mysterious whispers of "--have a and a this week." the zone system is work-coupons for all; much as the socialist would have it. only the legitimate members of the community--the workers--can live in it--long. you should see the nonchalant way a clerk at the government's tivoli hotel charges a tourist a quarter for a cigar the government sells for six cents in its commissaries. mere money does not rank high in zone society. it's the labor-coupon that counts. they sell cigarettes at the y.m.c.a.; you are in that state where you would give your ticket home for a smoke. yet when you throw down good gold or silver, black sam behind the showcase looks up at you with that pitying cold eye kept in stock for new-comers, and says wearily: "cahn't take no money heah, boss." that surely is a sort of socialism where a slip of paper showing merely that you have done your appointed task gets you the same meal wherever you may drop in, a total stranger, yet without being identified, without a word from any one, but merely thrusting your coupon-book at the yellow west indian at the door as you enter that he may snatch out so many minutes of labor. drop in anywhere there is a vacant bed and you are perfectly at home. there is the shower-bath, the ice-water, the veranda rocker--you knew exactly what was coming to you, just what kind of bed, just what vegetables you would be served at dinner. it reminds one of the inca system of providing a home for every citizen, and tambos along the way if he must travel. but it is the same meal. that is just the point. there is where you begin to furrow your brow and look more closely at this splendid system, and fall to wondering if that public kitchen of socialism would not become in time an awful bore. there are some things in which we want variety and originality and above all personality. a meal is a meal, i suppose, as a cat is a cat; yet there are many subtle little things that make the same things distinctly different. when it comes to dinner you want a rosy fat german or a bulky french madame putting thought and pride and attention into it; which they will do only if they get good coin of the realm or similar material emolument out of it in proportion. no one will ever fancy he has a "mission" to serve good meals--to the public. in the i.c.c. hotels we have a government steward who draws a good salary and wears a nice white collar. but though he is sometimes a bit different, and succeeds in making his hotel so, it is only in degree. he is not a great frequenter of the dining-room; at times one wonders just what his activities are. certainly it is not the planning of meals, for the i.c.c. menu is as fixed and automatic as if it had been taken from a stone slab in the pyramids. a poor meal neither turns his hair white nor cuts down his income. frequently, especially if he is english and certainly if he has been a ship's steward, the negro waiters seem to run his establishment without interference. dinner hours, for example, are from to . but beware the glare of the waiter at whose table you sit down at : . he slams cold rubbish at you from the discard and snatches it away again before you have time to find you can't eat it. you have your choice of enduring this maltreatment or of unostentatiously slipping him a coin and a hint to go cook you the best he can himself. for you know that as the closing hour approaches the cooks will not have their private plans interfered with by accepting your order. here again is where the fat german or the french madame is needed--with an ox-goad. in other words the tip system invented by pharaoh and vitiated by quick-rich americans rages as fiercely in government hotels on the zone as in any "lobster palace" bordering broadway--worse, for here the non-tipper has no living being to advocate his cause. all food is government property. yet i have sat down opposite a man who gave the government at the door a work-coupon identical with mine, but who furthermore dropped into the waiter's hand " cents spig"--which is half as bad as to do it in u.s. currency--and while i was gazing tearfully at a misshapen lump of vacunal gristle there was set before him, steaming hot from the government kitchen, a porterhouse steak which a dollar bill would not have brought him within scenting distance of in new york. do not blame the waiter. if he does not slip an occasional coin to the cook he will invariably draw the gristle, and even occasional coins do not grow on his waist band. it would be as absurd to charge it to the cook. he probably has a large family to support, as he would have under socialism. there runs this story on the zone, vouched for by several: a "zoner" called an i.c.c. steward and complained that his waiter did not serve him reasonably: "well," sneered the steward, "i guess you didn't come across?" "come across! why, damn you, i suppose you're getting your rake-off too?" "i certainly am," replied the steward; "what do you think i'm down here for, me health?" surely we can't blame it all to the steward, or to any other individual. lay it rather to human nature, that stumbling-block of so many varnished and upholstered systems. i hope i am not giving the impression that i.c.c. hotels are unendurable. "stay home"--which on the zone means always eat at the same hotel table--subsidize your waiter and you do moderately well. but to move thither and yon, as any plain-clothes man must, is unfortunate. the only difference then is that the next is worse than the last. whatever their convictions upon arrival, almost all americans have come down to paying their waiter the regular blackmail of a dollar a month and setting it down as one of the unavoidable evils of life. one or two i knew who insisted on sticking to "principles," and they grew leaner and lanker day by day. because of these things many an american employee will be found eating in private restaurants of the ubiquitous chinaman or the occasional spaniard, though here he must often pay in cash instead of in futures on his labor--which are so much cheaper the world over. it is sad enough to dine on the same old identical round for months. but how if you were one of those who blew in on the heels of the last frenchman and have been eating it ever since? by this time even rat-tails would be a welcome change--and with genuine socialism there would not even be that escape. it is said to be this hotel problem as much as the perpetual spring-time of the zone that so frequently reduces--with the open connivance of the government--a building housing forty-eight quiet, harmless bachelors to a four-family residence housing eight and gradually upwards; that wreaks such matrimonious havoc among the white-frocked stenographers who come down to type and remain to cook. besides the hotel there is the p.r.r. commissary, the government department stores. it is likewise laundry, bakery, ice-factory; it makes ice-cream, roasts coffee, sends out refrigerator-cars and a morning supply train to bring your orders right to your door--oh, yes, it strongly resembles what bellamy dreamed years ago. only, as in the case of the hotel, there seems to be a fly or two in the amber. the laundry is tolerable--fancy turning your soiled linen over to a railroad company--all machine done of course, as everything would be under socialism, and no come-back for the garment that is not hardy enough of constitution to stand the system. in the stores is little or no shoddy material; in general the stock is the best available. if a biscuit or a bolt of khaki is better made in england than in the united states the commissary stocks with english goods, which is unexpected broad-mindedness for government management. but while prices are lower than in panama or colon they are every whit as high as in american stores; and most of us know something of the exorbitant profit our private merchants exact, particularly on manufactured goods. the government claims to run the commissary only to cover cost. either that is a crude government joke or there is a colored gentleman esconced in the coal-bin. moreover if the commissary hasn't the stuff you want you had better give up wanting, for it has no object in laying in a supply of it just to oblige customers. its clerks work in the most languid, unexcited manner. they have no object whatever in holding your trade, and you can wait until they are quite ready to serve you, or go home without. true, most of them are merely negroes, and the few americans at the head of departments are chiefly provincial little fellows from small towns whose notions of business are rather those of podunk, mass., than of new york. but lolling about the commissary a half-hour hoping to buy a box of matches, one cannot shake off the conviction that it is the system more than the clerks. poets and novelists and politicians may work for "glory," but no man is going to show calico and fit slippers for such remuneration. nor are all the old evils of the competitive method banished from the zone. in the canal record, the government organ, the government commissary advertised a sale of excellent $ rain-coats at $ each. the "record"! it is like reading it in the bible. witness the rush of bargain hunters, who, it proves, are by no means of one gender. yet those splendid rain-coats, as manager, clerks, and even negro sweepers well knew and could not refrain from snickering to themselves at thought of, were just as rain-proof as a poor grade of cheese-cloth. i do not speak from hear-say for i was numbered among the bargain hunters--"recruits" are the natural victims, and there arrive enough of them each year to get rid of worthless stock. ten minutes after making the purchase i set out to walk to corozal through the first mild shower of the rainy season--and arrived there i went and laid the bargain gently in the waste-basket of corozal police station. thus does the government sink to the petty rascalities of shop-keepers. even a government manager on a fixed salary--in work-coupons--will descend to these tricks of the trade to keep out of the clutches of the auditor, or to make a "good record." the socialist's answer perhaps would be that under their system government factories would make only perfect goods. but won't the factory superintendent also be anxious to make a "record"? and even government stock will deteriorate on the shelves. all small things, to be sure; but it is the sum of small things that make up that great complex thing--life. few of us would object to living in that ideal dream world. but could it ever be? i have anxiously asked this question and hinted at these little weaknesses suggested by zone experiences to several zone socialists--who are not hard to find. they merely answer that these things have nothing to do with the case. but not one of them ever went so far as to demonstrate; and though i was born a long way north of missouri i once passed through a corner of the state. as to the other side of the ledger,--equal pay for all, nowhere is man further from socialism than on the canal zone. caste lines are as sharply drawn as in india, which should not be unexpected in an enterprise largely in charge of graduates of our chief training-school for caste. the brahmins are the "gold" employees, white american citizens with all the advantages and privileges thereto appertaining. but--and herein we out-hindu the hindus--the brahmin caste itself is divided and subdivided into infinitesimal gradations. every rank and shade of man has a different salary, and exactly in accordance with that salary is he housed, furnished, and treated down to the least item,--number of electric lights, candle-power, style of bed, size of bookcase. his brahmin highness, "the colonel," has a palace, relatively, and all that goes with it. the high priests, the members of the isthmian canal commission, have less regal palaces. heads of the big departments have merely palatial residences. bosses live in well-furnished dwellings, conductors are assigned a furnished house--or quarter of a house. policemen, artisans, and the common garden variety of bachelors have a good place to sleep. it is doubtful, to be sure, whether one-fourth of the "zoners" of any class ever lived as well before or since. the shovelman's wife who gives five-o'clock teas and keeps two servants will find life different when the canal is opened and she moves back to the smoky little factory cottage and learns again to do her own washing. at work, "on the job" there is a genuine american freedom of wear-what-you-please and a general habit of going where you choose in working clothes. that is one of the incomprehensible zone things to the little veneered panamanian. he cannot rid himself of his racial conviction that a man in an old khaki jacket who is building a canal must be of inferior clay to a hotel loafer in a frock coat and a tall hat. the real "spig" could never do any real work for fear of soiling his clothes. he cannot get used to the plain, brusk american type without embroidery, who just does things in his blunt, efficient way without wasting time on little exterior courtesies. none of these childish countries is man enough to see through the rough surface. even with seven years of american example about him the panamanian has not yet grasped the divinity of labor. perhaps he will eons hence when he has grown nearer true civilization. but among americans off the job reminiscences of east india flock in again. d, who is a quartermaster at $ , may be on "how-are-you-old-man?" terms with g, who is a station agent and draws $ . but mrs. d never thinks of calling on mrs. g socially. h and j, who are engineer and cranemen respectively on the same steam-shovel, are probably "hank" and "jim" to each other, but mrs. h would be horrified to find herself at the same dance with mrs. j. mrs. x, whose husband is a foreman at $ , and whose dining table is a full six inches longer and whose ice-box will hold one more cold-storage chicken, would not think of sitting in at bridge with mrs. y, whose husband gets $ . as for being black, or any tint but pure "white"! even an englishman, though he may eat in the same hotel if his skin is not too tanned, is accepted on staring suffrance. as for the man whose skin is a bit dull, he might sit on the steps of an i. c. c. hotel with dollars dribbling out of his pockets until he starved to death--and he would be duly buried in the particular grave to which his color entitled him. a real american place is the zone, with outward democracy and inward caste, an unenthusiastic and afraid-to-break-the-conventions place in play, and the opposite at work. yet with it all it is a good place in which to live. there you have always summer, jungled hills to look on by day and moonlight, and to roam in on sunday--unless you are a policeman seven days a week. it is possible that perpetual summer would soon breed quite a different type of american. the isthmus is nearly always in boyish--or girlish--good temper. zone women and girls are noted for plump figures and care-free faces. and there is a contentment that is more than climatic. there are no hard times on the zone, no hurried, worried faces, no famished, wolfish eyes. the "zoner" has his little troubles of course,--the servant problem, for instance, for the jamaican housemaid is a thorn in any side. now and then we hear some one wailing, "oh, it gets so--tiresome! everybody's shoveling dirt or talking about the other fellow." but he knows it isn't strictly true when he says it and that he is kicking chiefly to keep in practice. every one is free from worries as to job, pay, house, provisions, and even hospital fees, and the smoothness of it all, perhaps, gets on his nerves at times. i question whether "the colonel" himself loses much sleep when a chunk of the hill that bears up his residence lets go and pitches into the canal. it sets one to musing at times whether the rock-bound system of the incas was not best after all,--a place for every man and every man in his place, each his allotted work, which he was fully able to do and getting hail columbia if he failed to do it. which brings up the question of results in labor under the pseudo-socialist zone system. most american employees work steadily and take their work seriously. it is as if each were individually proud of being one of the chosen people and builders of the greatest work of modern times. yet the far-famed "american rush" is not especially prevalent. the zone point of view seems to be that no shoveling is so important, even that of digging a ditch half the ships of the world are waiting to cross, that a man should bring upon himself a premature funeral. the common laborers, non-americans, almost dawdle. there are no contractor's irish straw-bosses to keep them on the move. the answer to the socialist's scheme of having the government run all big building enterprises is to go out and watch any city street gang for an hour. the bringing together into close contact of americans from every section of our broad land is tending to make a new amalgamated type. even new englanders grow almost human here among their broader-minded fellow-countrymen. any northerner can say "nigger" as glibly as a carolinian, and growl if one of them steps on his shadow. it is not easy to say just how much effect all this will have when the canal is done and this handful of amalgamated and humanized americans is sprinkled back over all the states as a leaven to the whole. they tell on the zone of a man from maine who sat four high-school years on the same bench with two negro boys, and returning home after three years on the isthmus was so horrified to find one of those boys an alderman that he packed his traps and moved to alabama, "where a nigger is a nigger"--and if there isn't the "makings" of a story in that i 'll leave it to the postmaster of miraflores. chapter viii "there is much in this police business," said "the captain," with his slow, deliberate enunciation, "that must lead to a blank wall. out of ten cases to investigate it is quite possible nine will result in nothing. this percentage could not of course be true of a thousand cases and a man's services still be considered satisfactory. but of ten it is quite possible. as for knowing how to do detective work, all i bring to the department myself is some ordinary common sense and a little knowledge of human nature, and with these i try to work things out as best i can. this peeping-through-the-key-hole police work i know nothing whatever about, and don't want to. nor do i expect a man to." i had been discussing with "the captain" my dissatisfaction at my failure to "get results" in an important case. a few weeks on the force had changed many a preconceived notion of police life. it had gradually become evident, for instance, that the profession of detective is adventurous, absorbing, heart-stopping chiefly between the covers of popular fiction; that real detective work, like almost any other vocation, is made up largely of the little unimportant every-day details, with only a rare assignment bulking above the mass. as "the captain" said, it was just plain every-day work carried on by the application of ordinary common sense. such best-seller artifices as disguise were absurd. not only would disguise in all but the rarest cases be impossible, but useless. the a-b-c of plain-clothes work is to learn to know a man by his face rather than by his clothing--and at the outset one will be astonished to find how much he has hitherto been depending on the latter. it must be the same with criminals, too, unless your criminal is an amateur or a fool, in which event you will "land" him without the trouble of disguising. a detective furthermore should not be a handsome man or a man of striking appearance in any way; the ideal plain-clothes man is the little insignificant snipe whom even the ladies will not notice. since april tenth i had been settled in notorious house , ancon, a sort of frontiersman resort or smugglers' retreat--had there been anything to smuggle--where to have fallen through the veranda screening would have been to fall into a foreign land. as pay-day approached there came the duty of standing a half-hour at the station gate before the departure of each train to watch and discuss with the ponderous, smiling, dark-skinned chief of panama's plain-clothes squad, or with a vigilante the suspicious characters and known crooks of all colors going out along the line. on the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth the i. c. c. pay-car, that bank on wheels guarded by a squad of z. p., sprinkled its half-million a day along the zone. then plain-clothes duty was not merely to scan the embarking passengers but to ride out with each train to one of the busy towns. there scores upon scores of soil-smeared workmen swarmed over all the landscape with long paper-wrapped rolls of panamanian silver in their hands, while flashily dressed touts and crooks of both sexes drifted out from panama with every train to worm their insidious way into wherever the scent of coin promised another month free from labor. to add to those crowded times the chief dissipation of the west indian during the few days following pay-day that his earnings last is to ride aimlessly and joyously back and forth on the trains. there is one advantage, though some policemen call it by quite the opposite name, in being stationed at ancon. when crime takes a holiday and do-nothing threatens tropical dementia, or a man tires of his native land and people a short stroll down the asphalt takes him into the city of panama. barely across the street where his badge becomes mere metal, and he must take care not to arrest absent-mindedly the first violator of zone laws--whom he is sure to come upon within the first block--he notes that the english tongue has suddenly almost disappeared. on every hand, lightly sprinkled with many other dialects, sounds spanish, the slovenly spanish of panama in which bueno is "hueno" and calle is "caye." as he swings languidly to the right into avenida central he grows gradually aware that there has settled down about him a cold indifference, an atmosphere quite different from that on his own side of the line. those he addresses in the tongue of the land reply to his questions with their customary gestures and fixed phrases of courtesy. but no more; and a cold dead silence falls sharply upon the last word, and at times, if the experience be comparatively new, there seems to hover in the air something that reminds him that way back fifty-six years ago there was a "massacre" of americans in panama city. for the panamanian has little love for the united states or its people; which is the customary thanks any man or nation gets for lifting a dirty half-breed gamin from the gutter. off in the vortex of the city lolls panama's public market, where chinamen are the chief sellers and flies the chief consumers. myriads of fruits in every stage of development and disintegration, haggled bits of meat, the hundred sights and sounds and smells one hurries past suggest that panama may even have outdone central america before uncle sam came with his garbage-cans and his switch. further on, down at the old harbor, lingers a hint of the picturesqueness of panama in pre-canal days. clumsy boats, empty, or deep-laden with fruit from, or freight to, the several islands that sprinkle the bay, splash and bump against the little cement wharf. aged wooden "windjammers" doze at their moorings, everywhere are jabbering natives with that shifty half-cast eye and frequent evidence of deep-rooted disease. almost every known race mingles in panama city, even to chinese coolies in their umbrella hats and rolled up cotton trousers, delving in rich market gardens on the edges of the town or dog-trotting through the streets under two baskets dancing on the ends of a bamboo pole, till one fancies oneself at times in singapore or shanghai. the black zone laborer, too, often prefers to live in panama for the greater freedom it affords--there he doesn't have to clean his sink so often, marry his "wife," or banish his chickens from the bedroom. policemen with their clubs swarm everywhere, for no particular reason than that the little republic is forbidden to play at army, and with the presidential election approaching political henchmen must be kept good-humored. not a few of these officers are west indians who speak not a word of spanish--nor any other tongue, strictly speaking. rubber-tired carriages roll constantly by along uncle sam's macadam, amid the jingling of their musical bells. every one takes a carriage in panama. any man can afford ten cents even if he has no expense account; besides he runs no risk of being overcharged, which is a greater advantage than the cost. all this may be different when panama's electric line, all the way from balboa docks to las sabanas, is opened--but that's another year. meanwhile the lolling in carriages comes to be quite second nature. but like any tropical spanish town panama seethes only by night, especially saturday and sunday nights when the paternal zone government allows its children to spend the evening in town. then frequent trains, unknown during the week, begin with the setting of the sun to disgorge americans of all grades and sizes through the clicking turnstiles into the arms of gesticulating hackmen, some to squirm away afoot between the carriages, all to be swallowed up within ten minutes in the great sea of "colored" people. so that, large as may be each train-load, white american faces are so rare on panama streets that one involuntarily glances at each that passes in the throng. it is the "gum-shoe's" duty to know and be unknown in as many places as possible. wherefore on such nights, whatever his choice, he drifts early down by the "normandie" and on into the "pana-zone" to see who is out, and why. in the latter emporium he adds a bottle of beer to his expense account, endures for a few moments the bawling above the scream of the piano of two americans of palestinian antecedents, admires some local hero, like "baldy" for instance, who is credited with doing what napoleon could not do, and floats on, perhaps to screw up his courage and venture into the thinly-clad teatro apolo. he who knows where to look, or was born under a lucky star, may even see on these merry evenings a big marine from bas obispo or a burly soldier of the tenth howling some joyful song with six or seven little "spig" policemen climbing about on his frame. at such times everything but real blood, flows in panama. her history runs that way. on the day she won her independence from spain it is said the general in chief cut his finger on a wine glass. the day she won it from colombia there was a chinaman killed--but every one agrees that was due to the celestial's criminal carelessness. down at the quieter end of the city are "las bovedas," that curving sea-wall phillip of spain tried to make out from his palace walls, as many another, regal and otherwise, has strained his eyes in vain to see where his good coin has gone. but the walls are there all right, though phillip never saw them; crumbling a bit, yet still a sturdy barrier to the sea. a broad cement and grass promenade runs atop, wide as an american street. thirty or forty feet below the low parapet sounds the deep, time-mellowed voice of the pacific, as there rolls higher and higher up the rock ledges that great tide so different from the scarcely noticeable one at colon. the summer breeze never dies down, never grows boisterous. on the landward side panama lies mumbling to itself, down in the hollow between squats chiriqui prison with its american warden, once a zone policeman; while in the round stone watch-towers on the curving parapets lean prison guards with fixed bayonets and incessantly blow the shrill tin whistles that is the universal latin-american artifice for keeping policemen awake. on the way back to the city the elite--or befriended--may drop in at the university club at the end of the wall for a cooling libation. on sunday night comes the band concert in the palm-ringed cathedral plaza. there is one on thursday, too, in plaza santa ana, but that is packed with all colors and considered "rather vulgah." in the square by the cathedral the aggregate color is far lighter. pure african blood hangs chiefly in the outskirts. then the haughty aristocrats of panama, proud of their own individual shade of color, may be seen in the same promenade with american ladies--even a garrison widow or two--from out along the line. panamanian girls gaudily dressed and suggesting to the nostrils perambulating drug-stores shuttle back and forth with their perfumed dandies. above the throng pass the heads and shoulders of unemotional, self-possessed americans, erect and soldierly. sergeant jack of ancon station was sure to be there in his faultless civilian garb, a figure neat but not gaudy; and even busy lieutenant long was known to break away from his stacked-up duties and his black stenographer and come to overtop all else in the square save the palm-trees whispering together in the evening breeze between the numbers. there is no favoritism in zone police work. every crime reported receives full investigation, be it only a greek laborer losing a pair of trousers or-- there was the case that fell to me early in may, for instance. a box billed from new york to peru had been broken open on balboa dock and--one bottle of cognac stolen. unfortunately the matter was turned over to me so long after the perpetration of the dastardly crime that the possible culprits among the dock hands had wholly recovered from the probable consumption of the evidence. but i succeeded in gathering material for a splendid typewritten report of all i had not been able to unearth, to file away among other priceless headquarters' archives. not that the z. p. has not its big jobs. the force to a man distinctly remembers that absorbing two months between the escape of wild black felix paul and the day they dragged him back into the penitentiary. no less fresh in memory are the expeditions against maurice pelote, or francois barduc, the murderer of miraflores. all martinique negroes, be it noted; and of all things on this earth, including greased pigs, the hardest to catch is a martinique criminal. after all, four or five murders on the zone in three years is no startling record in such a swarm of nationalities. cases large and small which it would be neither of interest nor politic to detail poured in during the following weeks. among them was the counterfeit case unearthed by some shylock holmes on the panamanian force, that called for a long perspiring hunt for the "plant" in odd corners of the zone. then there was--, an ex-z. p. who lost his three years' savings on the train, for which reason i shadowed a well-known american--for it is a z. p. rule that no one is above suspicion--about panama afoot and in carriages nearly all night, in true dime-novel fashion. there was the day that i was given a dangerous convict to deliver at culebra penitentiary. the criminal was about three feet long, jet black, his worldly possessions comprising two more or less garments, one reaching as far down as his knees and the other as far up as the base of his neck. he had long been a familiar sight to "zoners" among the swarm of bootblacks that infest the corner near the p. r. r. station. he claimed to be eleven, and looked it. but having already served time for burglary and horse-stealing, his conviction for stealing a gold necklace from a negro washerwoman of san miguel left the chief justice no choice but to send him to meditate a half-year at culebra. there is no reform school on the zone. the few american minors who have been found guilty of misdoing have been banished to their native land. when the deputy warden had sufficiently recovered from the shock brought upon him by the sight of his new charge to give me a receipt for him, i raced for the noon train back to the city. thereon i sat down beside pol--first-class policeman x----, surprised to find him off duty and in civilian clothes. there was a dreamy, far-away look in his eyes, and not until the train was racing past rio grande reservoir did he turn to confide to me the following extraordinary occurrence: "last night i dreamed old judge ---- had my father and my mother up before him. on the stand he asked my mother her age--and the funny part of it is my mother has been dead over ten years. she turned around and wrote on the wall with a piece of chalk ' ,' the year she was born. then my father was called and he wrote ' .' that's all there was to the dream. but take it from me i know what it means. now just add 'em together, and multiply by five--because i could see five people in the court-room--divide by two--father and mother--and i get--," he drew out a crumpled "arrest" form covered with penciled figures, "-- . and there--" his voice dropped low, "--is your winning number for next sunday." so certain was this, that first-class x---- had bribed another policeman to take his eight-hour shift, dressed in his vacation best, bought a ticket to panama and return, with real money at tourist prices, and would spend the blazing afternoon seeking among the scores of vendors in the city for lottery ticket . and if he did not find it there he certainly paid his fare all the way to colon and back to continue his search. i believe he at length found and acquired the whole ticket, for the customary sum of $ . . but there must have been a slip in the arithmetic, or mother's chalk; for the winning number that sunday was . frequent as are these melancholy errors, scores of "zoners" cling faithfully to their arithmetical superstitions. many a man spends his recreation hours working out the winning numbers by some secret recipe of his own. there are men on the z. p. who, if you can get them started on the subject of lottery tickets, will keep it up until you run away, showing you the infallibility of their various systems, believing the drawing to be honest, yet oblivious to the fact that both the one and the other cannot be true. dreams are held in special favor. it is probably safe to assert that one-half the numbers over , and under , that appear in zone dreams are snapped up next day in lottery tickets. many have systems of figuring out the all-important number from the figures on engines and cars. more than one zone housewife has slipped into the kitchen to find the roast burning and her west indian cook hiding hastily behind her ample skirt a long list of the figures on every freight-car that has passed that morning, from which by some antillian miscalculation and the murmuring of certain invocations she was to find the magic number that would bring her cooking days to an end. yet there is sometimes method in their madness. did not "joe" who slept in the next room to me at gatun "hit duque for two pieces"--which is to say he had $ , to sprinkle along with his police salary? yet personally the only really appealing "system" was that of cristobal. upon his arrival on the isthmus four years ago he picked out a number at random, took out a yearly subscription to it, and thought no more about it than one does of a newspaper delivered at the door each morning--until one monday during this month of may, after he had squandered something over $ , on worthless bits of paper, he strolled into the lottery office and was handed an inconspicuous little bag containing $ , in yellow gold. like all z. p. "rookies" (recruits) i had been warned early to beware the "sympathy dodge." but experience is the only real teacher. one afternoon i bestraddled a crazy, stilt-legged jamaican horse to go out into the bush beyond the panama line to fetch and deliver a citizen of that sovereign republic who was wanted on the zone for horse-stealing. at the town of sabanas, where those panamanians who have bagged the most loot since american occupation have their "summer" homes,--giddy, brick-painted monstrosities among the great trees, deep green foliage and brilliant flower-beds (pause a moment and think of brilliant red houses in the tropics; it will make you better acquainted with the "spig") i dropped in at the police station for ice-water and information. i found it in charge of a negro policeman who knew nothing, and had forgotten that. when, therefore, it also chanced that an officer of the society for the prevention of cruelty to animals stopped before the gate with a coachman of panama, it fell upon me to assume command. the horse was the usual emaciated rat of an animal indigenous to panama city. when overhauled, the driver was beating the animal uphill on his way to old panama to bring back a party of tourists visiting the ruins. how he expected the decrepit beast to carry four more persons was a mystery. when the harness was lifted there was disclosed the expected half-dozen large raw sores. we tied the animal in the shade near hay and water and adjourned to the station. the coachman, a weary, unshaven spaniard whose red eyelids showed lack of sleep, was weeping copiously. he claimed to be a madrileno--which was evident; that he had been a coachman in spain and panama all his life without ever before having been arrested--which was possible. he was merely one of many drivers for a livery-stable owner in panama. ordered to go for the tourists, he had called his employer's attention to the danger of crossing zone territory with a horse in that condition; but the owner had ordered him to cover up the sores with pads and harness and drive along. it was a very sad case. here was a poor, honest coachman struggling to support a wife and i don't recall how many children, but any number sounds quite reasonable in panama, who was about to be punished for the fault of another. the paradox of honest and coachman did not strike me until later. he was certainly telling the truth--you come to recognize it readily in all ordinary cases after a few weeks in plain clothes. the real culprit was, of course, the employer. my righteous wrath demanded that he and not his poor serf be punished. i could not release the driver. but i would see that the truth was brought out in court next morning and a warrant sworn out against the owner. with showering tears and rib-shaking sobs the coachman promised to tell the judge the whole story. i went through him, and locking him up with assurances of my deepest sympathy and full assistance, stilted on toward the little village of shacks scattered out of sight among the hills, and valleys across the border. coachman, witnesses, and arresting officer, to say nothing of horse, carriage, and sores were on hand when court opened next morning. as i expected, the judge failed to ask the poor fellow a single question that would bring out the complicity of his employer; did not in fact discover there was an employer. i asked to be sworn, and gave the true version of the case. the judge listened earnestly. when i had ended, he recalled the coachman. the latter expressed his astonishment that i should have made any such statements. he denied them in toto. his employer had nothing whatever to do with the case. the fault was entirely his, and no one else was in the remotest degree connected with the matter. "five dollars!" snapped the judge. the coachman paid, hitched up the rat of a horse, and wabbled away into panama. police business, taking me down into "the grove" that night, i found the driver, clean-shaven and better dressed, waiting for fares before the principal house of that section. "what kind of a game--," i began. "senor," he cried, and tears again seemed on the point of falling, "every word i told you was true. but of course i couldn't testify against the patron. he'd discharge me and blackmail me, and you know i have a wife and innumerable children to support. come on over and have a drink." this justice business, one soon learns, is of the same infallible stuff as the rest of life. after all it is only the personal opinion of the judge between two persons swearing on oath to diametrically opposed statements; and for all the impressiveness of deep furrowed brows i did not find that the average judge had any more power of reading human nature than the average of the rest of us. i well remember the morning when a meek little panamanian was testifying in his own behalf, in spanish of course, when the judge broke in without even asking for a translation of the testimony: "that'll do! because of your gestures i believe you are trying to bunco this court. you are lying--tell him that," this to the negro interpreter; and he therewith sentenced the witness to jail. as if any panamanian could talk earnestly of anything without waving his arms about him. the telephone-bell rang one afternoon. it was always doing that, twenty-four hours a day; but this time it sounded especially sharp and insistent. in the adjoining room, over the "blotter," snapped the brusk stereotyped nasal reply: "ancon! bingham talking!" the instrument buzzed a moment and the deskman looked up to say: "'andy' and a nigger just fell over into pedro miguel locks. they're sending in his body. the nigger lit on his head and hurt his leg." his body! how uncanny it sounded! "andy," that bunch of muscles who had made such short work of the circus wrestler in gatun and whom i had seen not twenty-four hours before bubbling with life was now a "body." things happen quickly on the zone, and he whom the fates have picked to go generally shows no hesitation in his exit. but at least a man who dies for the i. c. c. has the affairs he left behind him attended to in a thorough manner. in ten minutes to a half-hour one of the z. p. is on the ground taking note of every detail of the accident. a special train or engine rushes the body to the morgue in ancon hospital grounds. a coroner's jury is soon meeting under the chairmanship of a policeman, long reports of everything concerning the victim or the accident are soon flowing administration-ward. the police accident report is detailed and in triplicate. there is sure to be in the "personal files" at culebra a history of the deceased and the names of his nearest relative or friend both on the isthmus and in the states; for every employee must make out his biography at the time of his engagement. there are men whose regular duty it is to list and take care of his possessions down to the last lead pencil, and to forward them to the legal heirs. a year's pay goes to his family--were as much required of every employer and his the burden of proving the accident the fault of the employee, how the safety appliances in factories would multiply. there is a man attached to ancon hospital whose unenviable duty it is to write a letter of condolence to the relatives in the states. and so the "kangaroos" or the "red men" or whatever his lodge was filed behind the i. c. c. casket to the church in ancon, and "andy" was laid away under another of the simple white iron crosses that thickly populate many a zone hillside, and he was charged up to the big debit column of the costs of the canal. on the cross is his new number; for officially a "zoner" is always a number; that of the brass-check he wears as a watch-charm alive, that at the head of his grave when his canal-digging is over. late one unoccupied afternoon i picked up the path behind the administration building and, skirting a zone residence, began to climb that famous oblong mound that dominates the pacific end of the landscape from every direction,--ancon hill. for a way a fairly steep and stony path lead through thick undergrowth. then this ceased, and a far steeper trail zigzagged up the face of the bare mountain, covered only with thin dead grass. the setting sun cast its shadow obliquely across the summit when i reached it,--a long ridge, with groves of trees, running off abruptly toward the sea. on the opposite side uncle sam was cutting away a whole side of the hill. but the five o'clock whistle had blown, and whole armies of little workmen swarmed across all the landscape far below, and silence soon settled down save for the dredges at balboa that chug on through the night. but for myself the hill was wholly unpeopled. a sturdy ocean breeze swept steadily across it. the sinking sun set the jungle afire in a spot that would have startled those who do not know that it rises in the pacific at panama, crude, glaring colors glowed, fading to gentler and more delicate tints, then the evening shadow that had climbed the hill with me spread like a great black veil over all the world. but the moon nearing its full followed almost on the heels of the setting sun and, casting its half-day over a scene rich in nature and history, invited the eye to swing clear round the hazy circle. below lay panama dully rumbling with night traffic. silent ancon, still better lighted, cuddled upon the lower skirts of the hill itself. then beyond, the curving bay, half seen, half guessed, with its long promontory dying away into the hazy moonlit distance, lighted up here and there by bush fires in the jungled hills. some way out winked the cluster of lights that marked las sabanas. in front, the placid pacific, the "south sea" of the spaniards, spread dimly away into the void of night, its several islands seen only by the darker darkness that marked where they lay. on the other side of the hill the rumble of cranes and night labor came up from balboa dock. there, began the canal, which the eye could follow away into the dim hilly inland distance--and come upon a great cluster of lights that was corozal, then another group that was miraflores, close followed by those of pedro miguel; and yet further, rising to such height as to be almost indistinguishable from the lower stars the lights of the negro cabins of upper paraiso twinkled dimly above a broad glow that was paraiso itself. there the vista ended. for at paraiso the canal turns to the left for its plunge through culebra hill, and all that follows,--empire, cascadas, and far gatun, was visible only in the imagination. if only the film of time might roll back and there pass again before our eyes all that has come to pass within sight of ancon hilltop. across the bay there, where now are only jungle-tangled ruins, pizarro set out with his handful of vagabonds to conquer south america; there old buccaneer morgan laid his bloody hand. back in the hills there men died by scores trying to carry a ship across the isthmus, the spanish viceroys passed with their rich trains, there on some unknown knoll balboa reached four hundred years ago the climax of a career that began with stowing away in a cask and ended under the headsman's ax--no end of it, down to the "forty-niners" going hopefully out and returning filled with gold or disease, or leaving their bones here in the jungle before they really were "forty-niners"; on down to the railroad days with men wading in swamps with survey kits, and frequently lying down to die. then if a bit of the future, too, could for a moment be unveiled, and one might watch the first ship glide majestically and silently into the canal and away into the jungle like some amphibious monster. it was along in those days that we were looking for a "murderous assaulter." at a saturday night dance in a native shack back in miraflores bush the usual riot had broken out about midnight and a revolver had come into play. as a result there was a peruvian mulatto up in ancon hospital who had been shot through the mouth, the bullet being somewhere in his neck. it became my frequent duty, among other z. p.'s, to take suspects up the hill for possible identification. one morning i strolled into the station and fell to laughing. the early train had brought in on suspicion a spanish laborer of twenty or twenty-two; a pretty, girlish chap with huge blue eyes over which hung long black lashes like those painted on nurnberg dolls. no one with a shadow of faith in human nature left would have believed him capable of any crime; any one at all acquainted with spaniards must have known he could not shoot a hare, would in fact be afraid to fire off a gun. the fear in his big blue eyes struggled with his ingenuous, girlish smile as i marched him through the long hall full of white beds and darker inmates. the peruvian sat bolstered up in his cot, a stoical, revengeful glare on his reddish-brown swollen face. he gazed a long minute at the boy's face, across which flitted the flush of fear and embarrassment, at the big doll's eyes, then shook a raised forefinger slowly back and forth before his nose--the negative of spanish-speaking peoples. then he groaned, spat in a tin-can beside him, and called for paper and pencil. in the note-book i handed him he wrote in atrociously spelled spanish: "the man that came to the dance with this man is the man that shot me with a bullet." the blue-eyed boy promised to point out his companion of that night. we took the : and reached pedro miguel during the noon hour. down in a box-car camp between the railroad and the canal the boy called for "jose" and there presented himself immediately a tall, studious, solemn-faced spaniard of spare frame, about forty, dressed in overalls and working shirt. here was even less a criminal type than the boy. "senor," i asked, "did you go to the dance in miraflores last saturday night with this youth?" "si, senor." "then i place you under arrest. we will take the one o'clock train." he opened his mouth to protest, but closed it again without having uttered a sound. he opened it a second time, then sat suddenly down on the low edge of the box-car porch. a more genuinely astonished man i have never seen. no actor could have approached it. still, whatever my own conviction, it was my business to bring him before his accuser. after a time he recovered sufficiently to ask permission to change his clothes, and disappeared in one of the resident box-cars. the boy was already being fed in another. had my prisoners been of almost any one of the other seventy-one nationalities i should not have thought of letting them out of my sight. but the zone spaniard's respect for law is proverbial. "jose! pinched jose!" cried his american boss, when i explained that he would find himself a man short that afternoon. "you people are sure barking up the wrong tree this time. why, jose has been my engineer for over two years, and the steadiest man on the zone. he writes for some spanish paper and tells 'em the truth over there so straight that the rest of 'em down here, the anarchists and all that bunch, are aching to get him into trouble. but they'll never get anything on jose. have him tell you about it in spanish if you sabe the lingo." but jose was a gallego, whence instead of the voluble flood of protesting words one expects from a spaniard on such an occasion, he wrapped himself in a stoical silence. not until we were on our way to the railroad station did i get him to talk. then he explained in quiet, unflowery, gestureless language. he had come to the canal zone chiefly to gather literary material. not being a man of wealth, however, nor one satisfied with superficial observation, he had sought employment at his trade as stationary engineer. besides laying in a stock for more important writing he hoped to do in the future, he was zone correspondent of "el liberal" of madrid and other spanish cities. in the social life of his fellow-countrymen on the isthmus he had taken no part, whatever. he was too busy. he did not drink. he could not dance; he saw no sense in squandering time in such frivolities. but ever since his arrival he had been promising himself to attend one of these wild saturday-night debauches in the edge of the jungle that he might use a description of it in some later work. so he had coaxed his one personal friend, the boy, to go with him. it was virtually the one thing besides work that he had ever done on the zone. they had stayed two hours, and had left the moment the trouble began. yet here he was arrested. i bade him cheer up, to consider the trip to ancon merely an afternoon excursion on government pass. he remained downcast. "but think of the experience!" i cried. "now you can tell exactly how it feels to be arrested--first-hand literary material." but he was not philosopher enough to look at it from that point of view. to his spanish mind arrest, even in innocence, was a disgrace for which no amount of "material" could compensate. it is a common failing. how many of us set out into the world for experience, yet growl with rage or sit downcast and silent all the way from pedro miguel to panama if one such experience gives us a rough half-hour, or robs us of ten minutes sleep. at the hospital the peruvian gurgled and spat, beckoned for paper and wrote: "this is the man." "what man?" i asked. "the man who came with that man," he scribbled, nodding his heavy face toward the blue-eyed boy. "but is this the man that shot you?" i demanded. "the man who came with that man is the one," he scrawled. "well, then this is the man that shot you?" i cried. but he would not answer definitely to that, but sat a long time glaring out of his swollen, vindictive countenance propped up in his pillows at the tall, solemn correspondent. by and by he motioned again for paper. "i think so. i am not sure," he miswrote. i did not think so, and as the sum total of his descriptions of his assailant during the past several days amounted to "a tall man, rather short, with a face and two eyes"--he was very insistent about the eyes, which is the reason the doll-eyed boy had fallen into the drag-net--i permitted myself to accept my own opinion as evidence. the peruvian was in all likelihood in no condition to recognize a man from a loup-garou by the time the fracas started. much ardent water had flowed that night. i took the suspects down to ancon station and let them cool off in porch rocking-chairs. then i gave them passes back to pedro miguel for the evening train. the doll-eyed boy smiled girlishly upon me as he descended the steps, but the correspondent strode slowly away with the downcast, cheerless countenance of a man who has been hurt beyond recovery. there were strangely contrasted days in the "gum-shoe's" calendar. two examples taken almost at random will give the idea. on may twentieth i lolled all day in a porch rocker at ancon station, reading a novel. along in the afternoon corporal castillo drifted in. for a time he stood leaning against the desk-rail, his felt hat pushed far back on his head, his eyes fixed on some point in the interior of china. then suddenly he snatched up a sheet of i. c. c. stationery, dropped down at a typewriter, and wrote at express speed a letter in spanish. next he grasped a telephone and, in the words of the deskman, "spit spig into the 'phone" for several minutes. that over he caught up an envelope, sealed the letter and addressed it. an instant later the station was in an uproar looking for a stamp. one was found, the corporal stuck it on the letter, fell suddenly motionless and stared for a long time at vacancy. then a new thought struck him. he jerked open a drawer of the "gum-shoe" desk, flung the letter inside--where i found it accidentally one day some weeks afterward--and dropping into the swivel-chair laid his feet on the "gum-shoe" blotter and a moment later seemed to have fallen asleep. by all of which signs those of us who knew him began to suspect that the corporal had something on his mind. not a few considered him the best detective on the force; at least he was different enough from a printer's ink detective to be a real one. but naturally the strain of heading a detective bureau for weeks was beginning to wear upon him. "damn it!" said the corporal suddenly, opening his eyes, "i can't be in six places at once. you'll have to handle these cases," and he drew from a pocket and handed me three typewritten sheets, then drifted away into the dusk. i looked them over and returned to the porch rocker and the last chapters of the novel. a meek touch on the leg awoke me at four next morning. i looked up to see dimly a black face under a khaki helmet bent over me whispering, "it de time, sah," and fade noiselessly away. it was the frontier policeman carrying out his orders of the night before. for once there was not a carriage in sight. i stumbled sleepily down into panama and for some distance along avenida central before i was able to hail an all night hawk chasing a worn little wreck of a horse along the macadam. i spread my lanky form over the worn cushions and we spavined along the graveled boundary line, past the chinese cemetery where john can preserve and burn joss to his ancestors to the end of time, out through east balboa just awakening to life, and reached balboa docks as day was breaking. i was not long there, and the equine caricature ambled the three miles back to town in what seemed reasonable time, considering. as we turned again into avenida central my watch told me there was time and to spare to catch the morning passenger. i was not a little surprised therefore to hear just then two sharp rings on the station gong. i dived headlong into the station and brought up against a locked gate, caught a glimpse of two or three ladies weeping and the tail of the passenger disappearing under the bridge. americans have introduced the untropical idea of starting their trains on time, to the disgust of the "spig" in general and the occasional discomfiture of americans. i dashed wildly out through the station, across panama's main street, down a rugged lane to the first steps descending to the track, and tumbled joyously onto a slowly moving train--to discover that it was the balboa labor-train and that the colon passenger was already half-way to diablo hill. a panama policeman of dusky hue, leaning against a gate-post, eyed me drowsily as i slowly climbed the steps, mopping my brow and staring at my watch. "what time does that : train leave?" i demanded. "yo, senor," he said with ministerial dignity, shifting slowly to the other shoulder, "no tengo conocimiento de esas cosas" (i have no knowledge of those things). he probably did not know there is a railroad from panama to colon. it has only been in operation since . later i found the fault lay with my brass watch. with a perspiration up for all day i set out along the track. hounding diablo hill the realization that i was hungry came upon me simultaneously with the thought that unless i got through the door of corozal hotel by : i was likely to remain so. breakfast over, i caught the morning supply-train to miraflores, there to dash through the locks for a five-minute interview. i walked to pedro miguel and, descending from the embankment of the main line, "nailed" a dirt-train returning empty and stood up for a breezy ride down through the "cut." it was the same old smoky, toilsome place, a perceptible bit lower. as in the case of a small boy only those can see its growth who have been away for a time. the train stopped with a jerk at the foot of culebra. i walked a half-mile and caught a loaded dirt-train to cascadas. the matter there to be investigated required ten minutes. that over, i "got in touch" at the nearest telephone, and the corporal's voice called for my immediate presence at headquarters. there chanced to be passing through cascadas at that moment a panama-bound freight, the caboose of which caught me up on the fly; and forty minutes later i was racing up the long stairs. there i learned among other things that a man i was anxious to have a word with was coming in on the noon train, but would be unavailable after arrival. i sprang into a cab and was soon rolling away again, past the chinese cemetery. at the commissary crossing in east balboa we were held up by an empty dirt-train returning from the dump. i tossed a coin at the cabman and scrambled aboard. the train raced through corozal, down the grade and around the curve at unslacking speed. i dropped off in front of miraflores police station, keeping my feet, thanks to practice and good luck, and dashing up through the village, dragged myself breathlessly aboard the passenger train as its head and shoulders had already disappeared in the tunnel. the ticket-collector pointed out my man to me in the first passenger coach, the "ladies' car"--he is a school-teacher and tobacco smoke distresses him--and by the time we pulled into panama i had the desired information. dinner was not to be thought of; i had barely time to dash through the second-class gate and back along the track to balboa labor-train. from the docks a sand-train carried me to pedro miguel. there was a craneman in bas obispo "cut" whose testimony was wanted. i reached him by two short walks and a ride. his statements suggested the advisability of questioning his room-mate, a towerman in miraflores freight-yards. luck would have it that my chauffeur friend ---- was just then passing with an i. c. c. motor-car and only a photographer for a new york weekly aboard. i found room to squeeze in. the car raced away through the "cut," up the declivity, and dropped me at the foot of the tower. the room-mate referred me to a locomotive engineer and, being a towerman, gave me the exact location of his engine. i found it at the foot of cucaracha slide with a train nearly loaded. by the time the engineer had added his whit of information, we were swinging around toward the pacific dump. i dropped off and, climbing up the flank of ancon hill, descended through the hospital grounds. where the royal palms are finest and there opens out the broadest view of panama, ancon, and the bay, i gave myself five minutes' pause, after which a carriage bore me to a shop near cathedral plaza where second-hand goods are bought--and no questions asked. on the way back to ancon station i visited two similar establishments. i had been lolling in the swivel-chair a full ten minutes, perhaps, when the telephone rang. it was "the captain" calling for me. when i reached the third-story back he handed me extradition papers to the secretary of foreign affairs in panama. a half-hour later, wholly outstripping the manana idea, i had signed a receipt for the jap in question and transferred him from panama to ancon jail. whereupon i descended to the evening passenger and rode to pedro miguel for five minutes' conversation, and caught the labor-train panamaward. at corozal i stepped off for a word with the officer on the platform and the labor-train plunged on again, after the fashion of labor-trains, spilling the last half of its disembarking passengers along the way. ten minutes later the headlight of the last passenger swung around the curve and carried me away to panama. that might have done for the day, but i had gathered a momentum it was hard to check. not long after returning from the police mess to the swivel chair a slight omission in the day's program occurred to me. i called up corozal police station. "what?" said a mashed-potato voice at the other end of the wire. "who's talking?" "policeman green, sah." "station commander there?" "no, sah. station commander he gone just over to de y. m. to play billiards, sah. dey one big match on to-night." of course i could have "got" him there. but on second thoughts it would be better to see him in person and clear up at the same time a little matter in one of the labor camps, and not run the risk of causing the loss of the billiard championship. besides corozal is cooler to sleep in than ancon. in a black starry night i set out along the invisible railroad for the first station. an hour later, everything settled to my satisfaction, i had discovered a vacant bed in corozal bachelor quarters and was pulling off my coat preparatory to the shower-bath and a well-earned night's repose. suddenly i heard a peculiar noise in the adjoining room, much like that of a seal coming to the surface after being long under water. my curiosity awakened, i sauntered a few feet along the veranda. beside one of the cots stood a short, roly-poly little man, the lower third of whom showed rosy pink below his bell-shaped white nightie. as he turned his face toward the light to switch it off i swallowed the roof of my mouth and clawed at the clap-boarding for support. it was "the sloth!" he had been transferred. i slipped hastily into my coat and, turning up the collar, plunged out into the rain and the night and stumbled blindly away on weary legs towards panama. chapter ix there were four of us that sunday. "bish" and i always went for an afternoon swim unless police or mess duties forbade. then there was bridgley, who had also once displayed his svelte form in a z. p. uniform to admiring tourists, but was now a pursuer of "soldiering" hindus on naos island. i wish i could describe bridgley for you. but if you never knew him ten pages would give you no clearer idea, and if you ever did, the mere mention of the name bridgley will be full and ample description. still, if you must have some sort of a lay figure to hang your imaginings on, think of a man who always reminds you of a slender, delicate porcelain vase of great antiquity that you know a strong wind would smash to fragments,--yet when you accidentally swat it off the mantelpiece to the floor it bobs up without a crack. then you grow bolder and more curious and jump on it with both feet in your hob-nailed boots, and to your astonishment it not only does not break but-- well, bridgley was one of us that sunday afternoon; and then there was "the admiral," well-dressed as always, who turned up at the last moment; for which we were glad, as any one would be to have "the admiral" along. so we descended into panama by the train-guard short-cut and across the bridge that humps its back over the p. r. r. like a cat in unsocial mood, and on through caledonia out along the beach sands past the old iron hulls about which panamanian laborers are always tinkering under the impression that they are working. this time we walked. i don't recall now whether it was quarter-cracks, or the lieutenant hadn't slept well--no, it couldn't have been that, for the lieutenant never let his personal mishaps trample on his good nature--or whether "bish" had decided to try to reduce weight. at any rate we were afoot, and thereby hangs the tale--or as much of a tale as there is to tell. we tramped resolutely on along the hard curving beach past the disheveled bath-houses before which ladies from the zone gather in some force of a sunday afternoon. for this time we were really out for a swim rather than to display our figures. on past the light-brown bathers, and the chocolate-colored bathers, and the jet black bathers who seemed to consider that color covering enough, till we came to the big silent saw-mill at the edge of the cocoanut grove that we had been invited long since to make a z. p. dressing-room. before us spread the reposing, powerful, sun-shimmering pacific. across the bay, clear as an etching, lay panama backed by ancon hill. in regular cadence the ocean swept in with a hoarse, resistless roll on the sands. we dived in, keeping an eye out for the sharks we knew never come so far in and probably wouldn't bite if they did. the sun blazed down white hot from a cloudless sky. this time the lieutenant and sergeant jack had not been able to come, but we arranged the races and jumps on the sand for all that, and went into them with a will and-- a rain-drop fell. nor was it long lonesome. before we had finished the hundred-yard dash we were in the midst of ---- it was undeniably raining. half a moment later "bucketsful" would have been a weak simile. all the pent up four months of an extra long rainy season seemed to have been loosed without warning. the blanket of water blotted out panama and ancon hill across the bay, blotted out the distant american bathers, then the light-brown ones, then the chocolate-tinted, then even the jet black ones close at hand. we remained under water for a time to keep dry. but the rain whipped our faces as with thousands of stinging lashes. we crawled out and dashed blindly up the bank toward the saw-mill, the rain beating on our all but bare skins, feeling as it might to stand naked in miraflores locks and let the sand pour down upon us from sixty feet above. when at last we stumbled under cover and up the stairs to where our clothing hung, it was as if a weight of many tons had been lifted from our shoulders. the saw-mill was without side-walls; consisted only of a sheet-iron roof and floors, on the former of which the storm pounded with a roar that made only the sign language feasible. it was now as if we were surrounded on all sides by solid walls of water and forever shut off from the outer world--if indeed that had survived. sheets of water slashed in further and further across the floor. we took to huddling behind beams and under saw-benches--the militant storm hunted us out and wetted us bit by bit. "the admiral" and i tucked ourselves away on the -degree eye-beams up under the roaring roof. the angry water gathered together in columns and swept in and up to soak us. at the end of an hour the downpour had increased some hundred per cent. it was as if an express train going at full speed had gradually doubled its rapidity. that was the day when little harmless streams tore themselves apart into great gorges and left their pathetic little bridges alone and deserted out in the middle of the gulf. that was the famous may twelfth, , when ancon recorded the greatest rainfall in her history,-- . inches, virtually all within three hours. three of us were ready to surrender and swim home through it. but there was "the admiral" to consider. he was dressed clear to his scarf-pin--and panama tailors tear horrible holes in a police salary. so we waited and dodged and squirmed into closer holes for another hour; and grew steadily wetter. then at length dusk began to fall, and instead of slacking with the day the fury of the storm increased. it was then that "the admiral" capitulated, seeing fate plainly in league with his tailor; and wigwagging the decision to us beside him, he led the way down the stairs and dived into the world awash. wet? we had not taken the third step before we were streaming like fire hose. there was nearly an hour of it, splashing knee-deep through what had been when we came out little dry sandy hollows; steering by guess, for the eye could make out nothing fifty yards ahead, even before the cheese-thick darkness fell; bowed like nonogenarians under the burden of water; staggering back and forth as the storm caught us crosswise or the earth gave way under us. "the admiral's" patent-leather shoes--but why go into painful details? those who were in panama on that memorable afternoon can picture it all for themselves, and the others will never know. the wall of water was as thick as ever when we fought our bowed and weary way up over the railroad bridge and, summoning up the last strength, splurged tottering into "angelini's." when our streaming had so far subsided that they recognised us for solvent human beings, encouraging concoctions were set before us. bridgley, fearing the after effects, acquired a further quart bottle of protection, and when we had gathered force for the last dash we plunged out once more toward our several goals. as the door of slammed behind me, the downpour suddenly slackened. as i paused before my room to drain, it stopped raining. i supped on bread, beer, and cheese from over the frontier--we had arrived thirty seconds too late for ancon police mess. then when i had saved what was salvable from the wreckage and reclad in such wardrobe as had luckily remained at home, i strolled over toward the police station to put in a serene and quiet evening. but it has long since been established that troubles flock together. as i crunched up the gravel walk between the hedge-rows, wild riot broke on my ear. ancon police station was in eruption. from the lieutenant to the newest uniformless "rookie" every member of the force was swarming in and out of the building. the zone and panama telephones were ringing in their two opposing dialects, the deskman was shouting his own peculiar brand of spanish into one receiver and bawling english at the other, all hands were diving into old clothes, the most apathetic of the force were girding up their loins with the adventurous fire of the old moro-hunting days in their eyes, and all, some ahorse, more afoot, were dashing one by one out into the night and the jungle. it was several minutes before i could catch the news. at last it was shouted at me over a telephone. murder! a white greek--who ever heard of a colored greek?--with a white shirt on had shot a man at pedro miguel at : . every road and bypath of escape to panama was already blocked, armed men would meet the assassin whatever way he might take. i went down to meet the evening train, resolved after that to strike out into the night in the random hope of having my share in the chase. it had begun to rain again, but only moderately, as if it realized it could never again equal the afternoon record. then suddenly the excitement exploded. it was only a near-murder. two colombians had been shot, but would in all probability recover. the news reached me as i stood at the second-class gate scanning the faces of the great multicolored river of passengers that poured out into the city. for two hours, one by one with crestfallen mien, the manhunters leaked back into ancon station and, the case having dwindled to one of regular daily routine, by eleven we were all abed. in the morning the "greek chase" fell to me. more detailed description of the culprit had come in during the night, including the bit of information that he was a bad man from the isle of crete. the belt-straining no. oiled and loaded, i set off on an assignment that was at least a relief after pursuing stolen necklaces for negro women, or crowbars lost by the i. c. c. by nine i was climbing to pedro miguel police station on its knoll with the young greek who had exchanged hats with the assassin after the crime. that afternoon a volunteer joined me. he was a friend of the wounded men, a peruvian black as jade, but without a suggestion of the negro in anything but his outward appearance. he was of the size and build of a sampson in his prime, spoke a spanish so clear-cut it seemed to belie his african blood, and had the restless vigor acquired in a youth of tramping over the andine ranges. i piled him into a cab and we rolled away to east balboa, to climb upon an empty dirt-train and drop off as it raced through miraflores, the sturdy legs of the peruvian saving him where his practice would not have. up in the bush between pedro miguel and paraiso we found a hut where the greek had stopped for water and gone on up a gully. we set out to follow, mounting partly on hands and knees, partly dragging ourselves by grass and bushes up what had been and would soon be again a torrential mountain stream. for hours we tore through the jungle, up hills steeper than the path of righteousness, following now a few faint foot-prints or trampled bushes, now a hint from some native bush dweller. the rain outside vied with the sweat within as to which would first soak us through. to make things merrier i had not only to wear an arsenal but a coat atop to conceal it from the general public. to mention the holes i crawled into and the clues i followed during the next few days would be more tiresome than a puritan prayer. by day i was dashing back and forth through all ancon district, by night prowling about the grimier sections of panama city. almost daily i got near enough to sniff the prey. now it was a greek confectioner on avenida central who admitted that the fugitive had called on him during the night, now a panamanian pesquisa whose stool-pigeon had seen him out in the bush, then the information that he had stopped to shave and otherwise alter his appearance in some shack half-way across the zone and afterward struck off for panama by an unused route. the clues were pendulum-like. they took me a half-dozen times at least out the winding highway to corozal, on to miraflores and even further. the rainy season and the reign of umbrellas had come. it had been formally opened on that memorable sunday afternoon. there was still sunshine at times, but always a wet season heaviness to the atmosphere; and the rains were already giving the rolling jungle hills a tinge of new green. there was nothing to be gained by hurrying. the fugitive was as likely to crawl forth from one place as another along the rambling road. here i paused to kill a lizard or to watch the clumsy march of one of the huge purple and many-colored land-crabs, there to gaze away across a jungled valley soft and fuzzy in the humid air like some corot painting. i even sailed for san francisco in the quest. for of course each outgoing ship must be searched. one day i had word that a "windjammer" was about to sail; and racing out to balboa i was soon set aboard the fore and aft schooner meteor far out in the bay. when i plunged down into the cabin the peeled-headed german captain was seated at a table before a heap of "spig" dollars, paying off his black shore hands. he solemnly asserted he had no greek aboard, and still more solemnly swore that if he found one stowed away he would turn him over to the police in san francisco--which was kind of him but would not have helped matters. there are several men running gaily about san francisco streets who would be very welcome in certain quarters on the zone and sure of lodging and food for a long time to come. by this time the tug bolivar had us in tow, the captain went racing over his ship like any of his crew, tugging at the ropes, and we were gliding out across panama bay, past the little greening islands, the curving panorama of the city and ancon hill growing smaller and smaller behind--bound for 'frisco. what ho! the merry "windjammer" with her stowed sails and smell of tar awakened within me old memories, hungry and grimy for the most part. but this was no independent, self-respecting member of the wind-wafted sisterhood. far out in the offing lay a steamer of the same line that was to tow the meteor to the golden gate! how is the breed of sailors fallen! the few laborers aboard would take an occasional wheel, pick oakum, and yarn their unadventurous yarns. as we drew near, a boat was lowered to set me aboard the steamer, to the rail-crowding surprise of her passengers, who fancied they had hours since seen the last of zone and "zoners." the captain asserted he had nothing aboard grown nearer greece than three irishmen, any one of whom--facetiousness seemed to be one of the captain's characteristics--i might have and welcome. a few moments later i was back aboard the tug waving farewell to steamer and "windjammer" as they pushed away into the twilight sea, and the bolivar turned shoreward. i received a "straight tip" one evening that the fugitive greek was hiding in a hovel on the cruces trail. what part of the cruces trail, the informant did not hint; but he described the hut in some detail. so next morning as the thick gray dawn of this tropical land was melting into day, i descended at bas obispo, through the canal to gamboa and struck off into the dense dripping jungle. the rainy season had greened things up and gone--temporarily, of course, for in a day or two it would be on us again in all tropical fury. in the few days since the first rain the landscape had changed like a theater decoration, a green not even to be imagined in the temperate zone. it turned out that the ancient village of cruces was a mere two-mile stroll from the canal, a thatch-roofed native town of some thirty dwellings on the rocky shore of an inner curve of the chagres, where travelers from balboa to the last "forty-niner" disembarked from their thirty-six mile ride up the river and struck on along the ten-mile road through the jungle to panama--the famous cruces trail. except for its associations the village was without interest--except some personal greek interest. sour looks were chiefly my portion, for the villagers have never taken kindly to americans. i soon sought out the trail, here a mere path undulating through rank, wet-hot, locust singing jungle. here in the tangled somber mystery of the wilderness grew every tropical thing; countless giant ferns, draping tangles of vines, the mango tree with its rounded dome of leaves like the mosque of omar done in greenery, the humble pineapple with its unproportionate fruit, everywhere the banana, king of vegetables, clothed in its own immense leaves, the frondy zapote, now and then in a hollow a clump of yellowish-green bamboo, though not numerous or nearly so large as in many another tropical land, above all else the symmetrical gothic fronds of the palm nodding in a breeze the more humble vegetation could not know. the constant music of insect life sounded in my ears; everywhere were flowers of brilliant hue, masses of bush blossoms not unlike the lilac in appearance, but like all down on the isthmus, odorless--or rather with a pungent scent, like strong catsup. four months earlier i should have been chary of diving back into the panamanian "bush" alone, above all on a criminal hunt. but it needs only a little time on the zone to make one laugh at the absurd stories of danger from the bush native that are even yet appearing in many u. s. papers. they are not over friendly to whites, it is true. but they were all of that familiar languid central american type, blinking at me apathetically out of the shade of their huts, crowding to one edge of the trail as i passed, eying me silently, a bit morosely, somewhat frightened because their experience of americans is of a discourteous creature who shouts at them in a strange tongue and swears at them because they do not understand it. the moment they heard their own customary greetings they changed to children delighted to do anything to oblige--even to the extent of dragging their indolent forms erect to lead the way a quarter-mile through the bush to some isolated shack. far from contemplating any injury, all these wayward children of the jungle ask is to be let alone to drift through life in their own way. still more absurd is the notion of danger from wild beasts--other than the tiny wild beast that burrows its painful way under the skin. so i pushed on, halting at many huts to make covert inquiries. it was a joyous, brilliant day overhead. down in the dense, rampant, singing jungle i sweated profusely--and enjoyed it. choking for a drink in a hutless section, i took one of the crooked, tunnel-like trails to the left in the direction of the chagres. but it squirmed off through thick jungle, through banana groves and untended pineapple gardens to come out at last at an astonished hut on a knoll, from which was not to be seen a sign of the river. i crawled through another struggling side-trail further on and this time reached the stream, but at a bank too sheer and bush-matted to descend. the third attempt brought me to where the river made a graceful bend at my feet and i descended an abrupt jungle bank to drink and stroll a bit along the stony shore; then plunged in for a swim. it was just the right temperature, with dense jungle banks on either side like great green unscalable walls, the water clear and a bit over waist deep in the middle of the stream. now and then around the one or the other bend came a cayuca, the native dug-out made of the hollowed trunk of a tree, usually the cedro--though to a jungle native any tree is a "cedro" if he does not happen to think of its right name. twenty to thirty feet long, sometimes piled high with vegetables, sometimes with several natives seated indian file in the bottom, the gunwales a bare two or three inches above the water, they needed nice management, especially in the rapids below cruces. the locomotive power, generally naked to the waist, stood up in the craft and climbed his polanca, or long pike pole, hand over hand, every naked brown muscle in play, moving in perfect rhythm and apparent ease even up-stream against the powerful current. soon after chagres and trail parted company, the former to wind on up through the jungle hills to its birthplace in the land of darien and wild indians, the latter to strike for the pacific. over a mildly rough country it led, down into tangled ravines, up over dense forested hillocks where the jungle had been fought back by uncle sam and on the brows of which i halted to drink of the fresh breeze sweeping across from the atlantic. all this time not a suggestion of anything greek, though i managed by some simple strategy to cast a sweeping glance into every hovel along the way. then came the real cruces trail--the rest only follows the general direction. i fell upon it unexpectedly. it is still there as it was when the peruvian viceroys and their glittering trains clattered along it, surprisingly well preserved; a cobbled way some three feet wide of that rough and bumpy variety the spaniard even to-day fancies a real road, broken in places but still well marked, leading away southward through the wilderness. overhead were tall spreading trees laden with blossomless orchids. under some of them was broad grassy shade; but the surrounding wall of vegetation cut off all breeze. the way was intersected by many roads of leaf-cutting ants, as level, wide and well-built in their proportion as the old roman highways, with such an industrious throng going and coming upon them as one could find nowhere equaled, unless it be on the grand trunk road of india. then suddenly there appeared the hut that had been described to me. i surrounded it and, hand upon the butt of my no. , closed in upon the place, then rushed it with all forces. there was not a sign of human life in the vicinity. the door was tied shut with a single strand of old rope, but there was no question that the fugitive might be hiding inside, for the reed walls had holes in them large enough to drive a sheep through, and there was nothing within to hide behind. i thrust an arm through an opening and dragged the large and heavy earthenware water-jar to me for a drink, and pushed on. squatter's cabins were now appearing, as contrasted with the native bushman's peaked hut; sleeping-places thrown together of tin cans, boxes and jungle rubbish, many negro shanties built of i. c. c. scraps--all of which announced the vicinity of the canal. any hut might be a hiding-place. i made ostensibly casual inquiries, interlarded between stories, at several of them, and at length established that the greek had been there not long before, but was elsewhere now. then about four of the afternoon i burst out suddenly in sight of a broad modern highway, and leaving the ancient route as it headed away toward old panama, i turned aside to the modern city. then i was "called off the greek chase"; and a couple of evenings later, along with the evening train and the evening fog, the inspector "blew in" from his forty-two days' vacation in the states, like a breath from far-off broadway. buffalo bill had been duly opened and started on his season's way, the absent returned, and corporal castillo suddenly dwindled again to a mere corporal. as everything must have its flaws, perhaps the chief one that might be charged against the z. p. is "red tape." strictly speaking it is no z. p. fault at all, but a weakness of all government. one example will suffice. during the month of may i was assigned the investigation of certain alleged conditions in panama's restricted district. the then head of the plain-clothes division gave me carte blanche, but suggested that i need not spare my expense account in libating the various establishments until i "got acquainted" sufficiently with the inmates to pick up indirectly the information desired. which general line i followed and, the information having been gathered and the report made up, i proceed to make out my expenditures of $ for the month to forward to empire for reimbursement. now it needs no deep detective experience to know that in such cases you naturally begin with, "well, what you going to drink, girls?" and end by paying the bill in a lump sum--a large lump sum--and go your way in peace. what more then could i do than set down such items as: "may , liquor, investigation, panama--$ . ?" but here i began to feel the tangling strands. was it not stated that all applications for reimbursement required an exact itemized account of each separate expenditure, with the price of each? it did. but in the first place i did not know half the beverages consumed in that investigation by sight, smell, or name. in the second place i came ostensibly as a "rounder"; it would perhaps have been advisable at the close of each evening's entertainment to draw out note-book and pencil and starting the round of the table announce: "now, girls, i'm a dee-tective. no, keep yer places, i ain't going to pinch nobody. anyhow i'm only a zone detective. but i just want to ask you a few questions. now, mamie, what's that you're drinking? ah! a gin ricky. and just how much does that cost--here? and you, flossie? an absinthe frappe? ah! very good. and what is the retail price of that particular drink?"--and so on ad nauseum. "very true," replied authority, "that would of course be impossible. but to be reimbursed you must set down in detail every item of expenditure, and its price." reason and government red tape move in two parallel lines, with the usual meeting-place. nor was that all. while the black peruvian was on my staff i gave him money for food. it was not merely expected, it was definitely so ordered. yet when i set down: "may , to peruvian for food--$. ." authority threw up its hands in horror. did i not know that reimbursements were only for "liquor and cigars, cab or boat hire, and meals away from home?" i did. but i also knew that superiors had ordered me to feed the peruvian. "to be sure!" cried astounded authority. "but you set down such an expenditure as follows: "'may , two bottles of beer, pan., investigation--$. .' "and as you are allowed cab fare only for yourself, when you take the peruvian or any one else out to balboa in a cab you set down the item: "'may , cab, ancon to balboa and return, investigation--$ .'" the upshot of all which was, not feeling able with all my patriotism to "set up" $ worth of mixed drinks for uncle sam, i was forced to open another investigation and gather from all the z. p. authorities on the subject, from naos island to paraiso, the name and price of every known beverage. then when i had fitted together a picture puzzle of these that summed up to the amount i had actually spent, i was called upon to sign a statement thereunder that "this is a true and exact account of expenditures during the month of may. so help me god." but then, as i have said before, these things are not z. p. faults, they are the faults of government since government began. it had become evident soon after the inspector's return that unless crime began to pick up down at the pacific end of the zone, i should find myself again banished to the foreign land of gatun. for there had been a distinct rise in the criminal commodity at that end during the past weeks. the premonition soon fell true. "take the : to gatun," said the inspector one morning, without looking up from his filing case, "corporal macey will tell you about it when you get there." chapter x "why, the fact is," said corporal macey, lighting his meerschaum pipe until the match burned down to his fingers, "several little burglary stunts have been pulling themselves off since the sergeant went on vacation. but the most aggrayvaatin' is this new one of twinty-two quarts of good canadian club bein' maliciously extracted from st. martin's saloon last night." from which important beginning i fell quickly back into the old life again, derelicting about gatun and vicinity by day, wandering the nights away in black, noisy new gatun and along the winding back road under the cloud-scudding sky. yet it was a different life. gatun had changed. even her concrete light-house was winking all night now up among the i. c. c. dwellings. the breeze from off the caribbean was heavy and lifeless. the landscape looked wet and lush and rampant, of a deep-seated green, and instead of the china-blue skies the dull, leaden-gray heavens seemed to hang low and heavy overhead, like a portending fate. on the winding back road the jungle trees still stood out against the night sky, at times, too, there was a moon, but only a pale silver one that peered weakly here and there through the scudding gray clouds. the air grew more thick and sultry day by day, the heat was sticky, the weather dripping, with the sun only an irregular whitish blotch in the sky. through the open windows the heavy, damp night came miasmically floating in, the very cigarettes mildewed in my pockets. earth and air seemed heavy and toil-bowed by comparison with other days. the jungle still hummed busily, yet, it seemed, a bit mournfully as if preparing for production and unhilarious with the task before it, like a woman first learning of her pregnancy. life seemed to hang more heavily even on humanity; "zoners" looked less gay and carefree than in the sunny dry season, though still far more so than in the north. one could not shake off a premonition of impending disaster in i know not what form--like that of teufelsdroeck before he entered the "center of indifference." dr. o---- of the sanitary department had gone up into the interior along the trinidad river to hunt mosquitoes. why he went so far away for them in this season was hard to understand. there he was, however, and the order had come to bring him back to civilization. the execution thereof fell, of course, to my friend b----, who to the world at large is merely policeman no. ----, to the force "admiral of the inland fleet," and in the general scheme of things is a luckier man than vanderchild to have for his task in life the patrolling of gatun lake. b---- invited me to go along. there was nothing particular doing in the criminal line around gatun just then; moreover the doctor was known to be well armed and there was no telling just how much resistance he might offer a single policeman. i accepted. i was at the appointed rendezvous promptly at seven, a pocket filled with commissary cigars. strict truthfulness demands the admission that it was really eight, however, when b---- came wandering down the muddy steps behind the railroad station, followed by a black prisoner with a ten-gallon can of gasoline on his head. when that had been poured into the tank, we were off across the ever-rising waters of gatun lake. for gatun police launch is one of those peculiar motor-boats that starts the same day you had planned to. it was such a day as could not have been bettered had it been made to order, with a week to think out the details,--a dry-season day even to the atlantic breeze that goes with it, a sort of indian summer of the rainy season; though the heavy battalions of gray clouds that hung all around the horizon as if awaiting the order to charge warned the zone to make merry while it might, for to-morrow it would surely rain--in deluges. the lake, much higher now than in my former gatun days, was licking at the -foot level that morning. under the brilliant blue sky it looked like some vast unruffled mirror--which is no figure of speech, but plain fact. "through a forest in a motor-boat" we might have dubbed the trip. we had soon crossed the unbroken expanse of the lake and were moving through a submerged forest. splendid royal palms stood up to their necks in the water, corpulent, century-old giants of the jungle stood on tip-toe with their jagged noses just above the surface, gasping their last. great mango-trees laden with fruit were descending into the flood. the lake was so mirror-like we could see the heads of drowning palm-trees and the blue sky with its wisps of snow-white feathery clouds as plainly below as above, so mirror-like the protruding stump of a palm looked like a piece of just double that length and exactly equal ends floating upright like a water thermometer, so reflective that the broken end of a branch showing above the surface appeared to be an acute angle of wood floating exactly at the angle in impossible equilibrium. our prisoner and crew were from "bahbaydos"--only you can't pronounce it as he did, nor make the "a" broad enough, nor show the inside of your red throat clear back to the soft palate to contrast with the glistening black skin of your carefree, grinning face. theoretically he was being punished for assault and battery. but if this is punishment to be sentenced to cruise around on gatun lake i wonder crime on the zone is so rare and unusual. this much i am sure, if i were in that particular "badgyan's" shoes--no, he had none; but his tracks, say--the day my time ran out i should pick a quarrel with a jamaican and leave his countenance in such a condition that the judge could find no grounds for a reasonable doubt in the matter. we were mounting the river trinidad. river, yes, but we followed it only because it had kept back the jungle and left a way free of tree-tops, not because there was not water enough anywhere, in any direction, to float a boat of many times our draught. turns so sharp we rocked in our own wake; once we passed acres upon acres of big, cod-like fish floating dead upon the water among the branches and the forest rubbish. it seems the lake in rising spread over some poisonous mineral in the soil. but life there was none, except the rampant green dying plant life in every direction to the horizon. there were not even birds, other than now and then a stray snow-white slender one of the heron species that fled majestically away across the face of the nurtureless waters as we steamed--no, gasolined down upon it. soon after leaving gatun we had passed a couple of jungle families on their way to market in their cayucas laden with mounds of produce,--plump mangoes with a maidenly blush on either cheek, fat yellow bananas, grass-green plantains, a duck or a chicken standing tied by one leg on top of it all and gazing complacently around at the scene with the air of an experienced tourist. it was two hours later that we sighted the next human being. he was a solitary old native paddling about at the entrance to the "grass-bird region" in a huge dugout as time-scarred as himself. it was near here that weeks before i had turned with "admiral" b---- up a little stream now forever gone to a knoll on which sat the thatched shelter of a negro who had "taken to the bush" and refused to move even when notified that he was living on u. s. public domain. when we had knocked from the trees a box of mangoes and turkey-red maranones, b---- touched a match to the thatch roof and almost before we could regain the launch the shack was pouring skyward in a column of smoke. even the squatter's old table and chair and a barrel of tumbled odds and ends entirely outside the hut--it had no walls--caught fire, and when, we lost sight of the knoll only the blazing stumps of the four poles that had supported the roof remained. b---- had burned whole villages in this lake territory, after the owners with legal claims had been paid condemnation damages. long ago the natives had been warned to move, and the banks of the lake-to-be specified. but many of these skeptical children of nature had taken this as a vain "yanqui" boast and either refused to move until burned out or had rebuilt their hovels on land that in a few months more would also be flooded. the rescue expedition proceeded. once we got caught in the top-most branches of a tree, released from which we pushed on along the sinuous river that had no banks. it was not hot, even at noonday. we sweated a bit in poling a thirty-foot boat out of a tree-top, but cooled again directly we were off. my kodak was far away at the other end of the zone. but then, on second thought it was better for once to enjoy nature as it was without trying to carry it away. kodaking is a species of covetousness, anyway, an attempt to bear away home with us and hoard for our own the best we come upon in our travels. whereas here, of course, it was impossible. the greatest of artists could not have carried away a tenth of that scene, a scene so fascinating that though we had tossed into the bottom of the boat at the start a bundle of fresh new york papers--and fresh new york papers are not often scorned down on the zone--they still lay in the bottom of the boat when the trip ended. at length little thatched cottages began to appear on knolls along the way, and as we chugged our way around the tree-tops upon them the inhabitants slipped quickly into some clothes that were evidently kept for just such emergencies. then we began nearing higher land, so that the upper and then the lower branches of the forest stood out of water, then only the ends of the lower limbs dipped in the rising flood, downcast, as if they knew the sentence of death was upon them also. for though there was sunk already beneath the flood a forest greater than ten fontainebleaus, the lake was steadily rising a full two inches a day. where it touched that morning the -foot level, in a few months more, says "the colonel," it will reach the -foot level and spread over one hundred and sixty-four square miles of territory--and when "the colonel" makes an assertion wise men hesitate to put their money on the other horse. then will all this vast area with more green than in all the state of missouri disappear forever beneath the flood and man may dive down, down into the forest and see what the world was like in noah's time, and fancy the sunken cities of holland, for many a famous route, and villages older than the days of pizarro will be forever wiped out by the rising waters--a scene to be beheld today nowhere else, and in a few years not even here. at last we were really in a river, an overflowed river, to be sure, where it would have been hard to find a landing-place or a bank among those tree trunks knee-deep in water. we had long since crossed the zone line, but our badges were still valid. for it has pleased the republic of panama, at a whispered word from "tio sam," to cede to the z. p. command over all gatun lake and for three miles around it, as far as ever it may spread. then all at once we were startled by a hearty hail from among the trees and i looked up to see y----, of the smithsonian, fully dressed, standing waist-deep in the water at the edge of the forest, waving an insect trap in one hand. "what the devil are you doing there?" i gasped. "doing? i'm taking a walk along the old gatun-chorrera trail, and i fancy i 'll be about the last man to travel it. come on up to camp." on a mango-shaped knoll thirty miles from gatun that will also soon be lake bottom, we found a native shack transformed into the headquarters of a scientific expedition. we sat down to a frontier lunch which called for none of the excuses made for it by y---- when he appeared in his dripping full-dress and joined us without even bothering to change his water-spurting shoes. in his boxes he had carefully stuck away side by side an untold number of members of the mosquito family. queer vocation; but then, any vocation is good that gives an excuse to live out in this wild tropical world. by one we had dr. o---- aboard and were waving farewell to the camp. the return, of course, was not the equal of the outward trip; even nature cannot duplicate so perfect a thing. but two raging showers gave us views of the drowning jungle under another aspect, and between them we awakened vast rolling echoes across the silent flooded world by shooting at flocks of little birds with an army rifle that would have killed an elephant. it is not hard to realize why the bush native does not love the american. put yourself in his breechclout. suppose a throng of unsympathetic foreigners suddenly appeared resolved to turn all the world you knew into a lake, just because that absurd outside world wanted to float steamers you never knew the use of, from somewhere you never heard of, to somewhere you did not know. suppose a representative of that unsympathetic government came snorting down upon you one day in a wild fearful invention they called a motor-boat, as you were lolling under the thatch roof your grandfather built, and cried: "come on! get out of here! we're going to burn your house and turn this country into a lake." flood the land which was your great-grand-father's, the spot where you used to play leap-frog under the banana trees, the jungle lane where your mother's courtship days were passed and the ceiga tree under which she was wedded--if matters were ever carried to that ceremonious length. what though this foreign nation gave you a bag of peculiar pieces of metal for your trouble, when you had never seen a score of such coins in your life and barely knew the use of them, being acquainted with life only as it is picked from a mango-tree? the foreigners had cried, "take this money and go buy a farm somewhere else," and you looked around you and saw all the world you had ever really known the existence of sinking beneath the rising waters. where would you go, think you, to buy that new farm? even if you fled and found another unknown land high and dry, or a town, what could you do, having not the remotest idea how to live in a town with only pieces of metal to get food out of instead of the mango-tree that had stood behind the house your grandfather built ever since you were born and dropped mangoes whenever you were hungry? to say the least you would be some peeved. it was midafternoon when the white bulk of gatun locks rose on the horizon. then the lake opened out, the great dam, that is rather a connecting link between two ranges of hills, spread across all the landscape, and at four i raced up the muddy steps behind the station to a telephone. five minutes later i was hurrying away across locks and dam to the marshland beyond the spillway to inquire who, and wherefore, had attempted to burn up the i. c. c. launch attached to dredge no. ----. my canal zone days were drawing rapidly to a close. i could have remained longer without regret, but the world is wide and life is short. soon came the day, june seventeenth, when i must go back across the isthmus to clear up the last threads of my existence as a "zoner." chiefly for old times' sake i dropped off at empire. but it was not the same empire of the census. almost all the old crowd was gone; one by one they had "kissed the zone good-by." "the boss" of those days had never returned, "smiling johnny" had been transferred, even ben had "done quit an' gone back to bahbaydos." the zone is like a small section of life; as in other places where generations are short one catches there a hint of what old age will be. it was like wandering over the old campus when those who were freshmen in our day had hawked their gowns and mortarboards and gone their way; i felt like a man in his dotage with only the new, unknown, and indifferent generation about him. i went down to the old suspension bridge. far down below was the same struggling energy, the same gangs of upright human ants, the "cut" with its jangle and jar of steam-shovels and trains still stretching away endless in either direction. here as in the world at large generations of us may come and pass away, but the tearing of the shovels at the rocky earth, the racing of dirt-laden trains for the pacific goes unbrokenly on, as the world and its work will continue without a pause when we are gone indeed. soon the water will be turned in and nine-tenths of all this labor will be submerged and forever hidden from view. the swift growth of the tropics will quickly heal the scars of the steam-shovels, and palm-trees will wave the steamer on its way through what will seem almost a natural channel. then blase travelers lolling in their deck chairs will gaze about them and snort: "huh! is that all we got for nine years' work and half a billion dollars?" they will have forgotten the scrubbing of panama and colon, forgotten the vast hospitals with great surgeons and graduate nurses, the building of hundreds of houses and the furnishing of them down to the last center table, they will not recall the rebuilding of the entire p. r. r., nor scores of little items like $ , a year merely for oil and negroes to pump it on the pestilent mosquito, the thousand and one little things so essential to the success of the enterprise yet that leave not a trace behind. greater perhaps than the building of the canal is the accomplishment of the united states in showing the natives how life can be lived safely and healthily in tropical jungles. yet the lesson will not be learned, and on the heels of the last canal builder will return all the old slovenliness and disease, and the native will sink back into just what he would have been had we never come. i caught a dirt-train to balboa. there the very town at which i had landed on the zone five months before was being razed to give place to the permanent, reenforced-concrete city that is to be the canal headquarters. balboa police station was only a pile of lumber, with a band of negroes drilling away the very rock on which it had stood. i took a last view of the pacific and her islands to far taboga, where uncle sam sends his recuperating children to enjoy the sea baths, hill climbs, and unrivaled pine-apples. it was never my good fortune to get to taboga. with thirty days' sick leave a year and countless ailments of which i might have been cured free of charge and with the best of care, i could not catch a thing. i had not even the luck of my friend--who, by dint of cross-country runs in the jungle at noonday and similar industrious efforts, worked up at last a temperature of degrees and got his week at taboga. i stuck immovable at . degrees. soon after five i had bidden ancon farewell and set off on the last ride across the isthmus. there was a memory tucked away in every corner. corozal hotel was still rattling with dishes, paraiso peeped out from its lap of hills, culebra with its penitentiary where burglarizing negroes go, sunk away into the past. railroad avenue in empire was still lined with my "enumerated" tags; through an open door i caught a glimpse of a familiar short figure, one foot resting lightly and familiarly on a misapplied gas-pipe, the elbow crooked as if something were held between the fingers. at bas obispo i strained my eyes in vain to make out a familiar face in the familiar uniform, there was a glimpse of "old fritz" water-gauge as we rumbled across the chagres, and the train churned away into the heavy green uninhabited night. only once more was i aroused, as the lights of gatun flashed up; then we rolled past the noisy glaring corner of new gatun and on to colon. in cristobal police station i put badge and passes into a heavy envelope and dropped them into the train-guard's box; then turned in for my last night on the zone. for the steamer already had her fires up that would bear me, and him who was the studious corporal of miraflores, away in the morning to south america. my police days were ended. then a last hand to you all, oh, z. p. may you live long and continue to do your duty frankly and unafraid. i found you men when i expected only policemen. i reckon my days among you time well spent and i left you regretting that i could stay no longer with you--and when i leave any place with regret it must be possessed of some exceeding subtle charm. but though the world is large, it is also small. "so i'll meet you later on, in the place where you have gone, where--" well, say at san francisco in , anyway, hasta luego. the end bert wilson at panama by j.w. duffield copyright, , by sully and kleinteich published and printed, by western printing & lithographing company racine, wisconsin printed in u.s.a. contents chapters i. the hold-up ii. the pursuit iii. a gallant comrade iv. the captured sentry v. a fiendish torture vi. the execution of el tigre vii. off for panama viii. the great canal ix. the treacherous bog x. a perilous adventure xi. the deserted city xii. wah lee's boss xiii. marked for destruction xiv. snatched from the sea xv. cutting the wires xvi. the foiling of the plot chapter i the hold-up "hands up! quick!" now, in wild countries, such a command is never disobeyed, except by a fool or a would-be suicide. as dick trent was neither, his hands went up at once. and as he looked into the wicked muzzles of two bulldog revolvers, he inwardly cursed the carelessness that had led him so far afield, unarmed. for that he had been careless there was not the shadow of a doubt. all that morning, as his train wound its way through central mexico, there had been unmistakable evidence on every side of the disturbed state of the nation. from the car windows he had seen a fertile country turned into a desert. the railroad line itself had been fairly well guarded by strong detachments of federal forces; but outside the direct zone of travel there were abundant witnesses of strife and desolation. smoke was rising from the remains of burned villages, the fields were bare of cattle driven off by marauding bands, harvests remained ungathered because the tillers of the soil had either fled for safety to the larger towns or been forced to take up arms with one of the contending factions. there were at least four important leaders, backed by considerable forces, who claimed to represent the people of mexico, while countless bands of guerillas hung on the flanks of the regular armies. these last were murderers, pure and simple. it mattered nothing to them which side won. they robbed and slaughtered impartially, wherever booty or victims awaited them, and their ranks were recruited from the very scum of the earth. only that morning a brisk action had taken place at a small town on the line, and although the guerillas had been driven off they had managed to inflict considerable damage. a desperate attempt to destroy a bridge had been foiled, but one of the trestles had been so weakened that the heavy train did not dare to cross until repairs were made. this caused a delay of an hour or two, and, in the meantime, most of the passengers left the train and strolled about, watching the progress of the work. among these had been bert wilson and tom henderson, dick's inseparable friends and companions. a strong bond of friendship united the three and this had been cemented by many experiences shared in common. they were so thoroughly congenial, had "summered and wintered" each other so long that each almost knew what the others were thinking. together they had faced dangers: together they had come to hand grips with death and narrowly escaped. each knew that the others would back him to the limit and would die rather than desert him in an emergency. by dint of strength and natural capacity bert was the leader, but the others followed close behind. all were tall and muscular, and as they stood beside the train they formed a striking trio--the choicest type of young american manhood. they were on their way to panama to witness the opening of the panama canal. that stupendous triumph of engineering skill had appealed to them strongly while in course of construction, and now that it was to be thrown open to the vessels of the world, their enthusiasm had reached fever heat. all of them had chosen their life work along engineering and scientific lines, and this of course added to the interest they felt simply as patriotic americans. they had devoured with eagerness every scrap of news as the colossal work went on, but had scarcely dared to hope that they might see it in person. a lucky combination of circumstances had made it possible at the last moment to take the trip together; and from the time that trip became a certainty they thought and talked of little else than the great canal. "how shall we go?" asked tom, when they began to plan for the journey. "oh, by boat or train, i suppose," said dick flippantly. "it's a little too far to walk." "yes, socrates," retorted tom, "i had imagined as much. but bring your soaring intellect down to earth and get busy with common things. which shall it be?" "i'd leave it to the toss of a coin," was the answer. "i don't care either way." "i vote for the train," broke in bert. "we've had a good deal of sea travel in our trip to the olympic games and that last voyage to china. besides, i'd like to see mexico and central america. it's the land of flowers and romance, of guitars and senoritas, of cortes and the aztecs----" "yes," interrupted dick grimly, "and of bandits and beggars and greasers and guerillas. perhaps you'll see a good deal more of mexico than you want. still, i'm game, and if tom----" "count me in," said tom promptly. "a spice of danger will make it all the more exciting. if the chinese pirates didn't get us, i guess the mexicans won't." so mexico it was, and up to the time they stopped at the broken bridge no personal danger had threatened, although it was evident that the country was a seething volcano. how near they were to that volcano's rim they little dreamed as they sauntered lazily down to the bridge and watched the men at work. the damage proved greater than at first thought, and it was evident that some time must elapse before it could be thoroughly repaired. bert and tom climbed down the ravine a little way to get a better view of the trestle. dick chatted a while with the engineer as he stood, oil can in hand, near the tender. then the impulse seized him to walk a little way up the road that ran beside the track and get some of the kinks out of his six feet of bone and muscle. it was a perfect day. the sun shone hotly, but there was a cooling breeze that tempered the heat and made it bearable. great trees beside the road afforded a grateful shade and beneath them dick walked on. everything was so different from what he had been accustomed to that at each moment he saw something new. strange, gaily-plumaged birds fluttered in the branches overhead. slender feathery palms rose a hundred feet in the air. here a scorpion ran through the chapparal; there a tarantula scurried away beneath the dusty leaves of a cactus plant. up in the transparent blue a vulture soared, and made dick think of the abundant feasts that were spread for these carrion birds all over mexico. and just then as he rounded a curve in the road, his heart leaped into his throat and his hands went up in response to a quick, sharp word of command. "fool, fool," he groaned to himself. then he rose to the emergency. he took a grip on himself. and his cool gray eyes gave no sign of his inward tumult as he looked steadily at his captor and returned gaze for gaze. and as he gazed, the conviction grew that his life was not worth a moment's purchase. before him, surrounded by his followers, stood a man of medium height, but evidently possessed of great muscular strength. he wore a nondescript costume of buckskin, studded with silver buttons and surmounted by a serape that had once been red, but now was sadly faded by wind and weather. a murderous machete was thrust into a flaunting sash that served as a belt and a black sombrero overshadowed his face. that face! dick had never seen one so hideous except in nightmare. a sword cut had slashed the right cheek from the temple to the chin. the mouth from which several teeth were missing was like a gash. his eyes, narrowed beneath drooping lids, were glinting with ferocity. they were the eyes of a demon and the soul that looked through them was scarred and seamed by every evil passion. so the old pirates might have looked as they forced their victims to walk the plank. so an apache indian might have gloated over a captive at the stake. dick's soul turned sick within him, but outwardly he was as cold as ice and hard as steel, as he stared unflinchingly into the cruel eyes before him. perhaps that level gaze saved his life. the bandit's hand was trembling on the trigger. one dead man more or less made no difference to him and he could rob as easily after shooting as before. something told dick that, had he weakened for a moment, a bullet would have found lodgment in his heart. he braced himself for the strange duel and as he looked, he saw the savage eyes change into a half-resentful admiration. it had been a case of touch and go, but dick, by sheer nerve had won a brief reprieve. without lowering the revolvers, the bandit called to one of the scoundrels, of whom twenty stood near by with carbines ready: "search him, pedro," he commanded. the fellow come forward quickly. every movement showed the awe and fear in which the chief was held. he went through every pocket with a skill born of long experience. dick's watch and money were taken from him, and, at a sign from the leader, his coat and shoes were also added to the loot. "now tie him and put him on one of the horses," said the captain, "and we'll be off. there may be some more of these accursed americanos near by." in a twinkling a lariat was dragged from the saddlehorn of the broncho, and dick's arms were roughly tied behind his back. the rope cut cruelly into his flesh, but, with such an undaunted prisoner, they were determined to take no chances. then he was lifted to the saddle and his feet tied beneath the horse. a bandit leaped up behind him and grasped the reins with one hand, while he held dick with the other. not till he was thus securely trussed and unable to move hand or foot, did the chief lower the revolvers with which he had kept the prisoner covered. a sharp command, a quick vaulting into the saddles, and the guerilla band was off to its eyrie in the mountains. events had passed so rapidly that dick's brain was in a whirl. it seemed as though he were in a frightful dream from which he must presently awake. scarcely ten minutes had wrought this fearful change in his fortunes. a quarter of an hour ago he was free, serene, apparently master of himself and his fate. now he was a captive, stripped of money and goods, tied hand and foot, in the power of a desperate scoundrel, while every step was carrying him further away from happiness and friends and life. for he did not disguise to himself that death probably yawned for him at the journey's end. whatever the whim that had saved his life so far, it was unlikely to continue. he tried to figure out why the revolver had not barked when it had him so surely at its mercy. it was absurd to think that this human tiger had been deterred by any scruple. he was of the type that revelled in blood, who like a wild beast lusted for the kill. perhaps he had not wanted to leave the evidence of his crime so close to the victim's friends, whose fury might prompt to bloody revenge. the noise of the shooting might have brought them like hornets about his ears. or did some idea of ransom, if it could be managed, appeal to his avarice? or, possibly, he might be held as a hostage to be exchanged for some precious rascal now held by the enemy. in these last suppositions there were some glimmerings of hope and dick drew from them such comfort as he might; but underneath them all was the grim probability that would not down that he was probably bound on his last journey. his tortured thoughts turned back to bert and tom. he could see them now in his mind's eye, chatting and laughing on the edge of the ravine, while the men shored up the tottering trestle. presently they would turn back and idly wonder what had become of dick. a little longer and their wonder would change into a certain uneasiness. still they would not permit themselves to think for a moment that anything could have happened to him. they would guess that he might be in the smoker or the buffet and would saunter leisurely through the various cars. only then when they failed to find him would they become seriously alarmed. and he could see the look of fierce determination and deadly resolution that would leap to their eyes when they realized that he must have met with disaster. for they would come after him. he had no doubt of that. some time, some way, they would come upon him, dead or alive, unless their own lives were lost in the effort. he knew that they would stick to the trail like bloodhounds and never falter for an instant. they had faced too many perils together to quail at this supreme test when his life was at stake. dear old bert! good old tom! his heart warmed at the thought of them and a mist came over his eyes. but what chance did they have of finding him? they were in a strange land where even the language was unknown to them, and where the natives looked with suspicion on everything american. the country through which they were passing was of the wildest kind, and the hard sunbaked trail left little trace. the woods were thick and at times his captors had to use their machetes to cut a way through the dense under growth. in places where streams were met, they walked their horses through the water to confuse the trail still further. they were evidently familiar with every foot of ground, and no doubt their camp had been located in some place where it would be practically impossible for pursuers ta come upon them without abundant warning. the chances of success were so remote as to be well nigh hopeless. there was no use in deluding himself, and dick pulled himself together and resolutely faced the probability of death. he did not want to die. every fibre in him flamed out in fierce revolt against the thought. why, he had scarcely begun to live. he stood at the very threshold of life. some lines he had read only a few days before, curiously enough came back to him: _"'tis life, of which our nerves are scant, o life, not death, for which we pant, more life and fuller that we want."_ yes, that was it. he wanted life, wanted it eagerly, wanted it thirstily, wanted it desperately. never before had it seemed so sweet. an hour earlier it had stretched before him, full of promise. the blood ran warm and riotous through every vein. he had everything to live for--health, strength, home and friends. and now the ending of all his dreams and hopes and plans was--what? a shadow fell across him. he looked up. it was the vulture, circling lower now, as though its instinct told it of a coming feast. dick shuddered. the air seemed suddenly to have grown deadly chill. chapter ii the pursuit down at the ravine, stretched out at full length beneath the shade of a great tree, bert and tom were watching the progress of the work, as it slowly neared completion. there was more to do than was at first thought, but after making allowance for this, it seemed to drag on endlessly. "not much genius in that crowd, i imagine," said bert. "what do you mean?" asked tom, looking up in surprise. "why," returned bert, "i forget what philosopher it was--carlyle, i think--who says in one of his books that 'genius is only an infinite capacity for hard work.' you don't see much of it straying around loose here, do you?" "well no," laughed tom, "not so that you would notice it. i've just been looking at that fellow over there with a hammer. i'll bet i could take a nap in the time it takes him to drive a nail." "they ought to have as foreman one of those husky, bull-necked fellows i've seen in some of the section gangs laying out a railroad in the northwest," went on bert. "those fellows are 'steam engines in breeches.' there isn't much loafing or lying down on the job when they're around. when they speak, the men jump as though they were shot." "yes," answered tom, "or perhaps a mate on a mississippi steamboat would fill the bill. those colored roustabouts certainly get a move on when they feel his gimlet eye boring through them." "after all, i suppose the climate is a good deal to blame," mused bert. "it's hard to show much ginger when you feel as though you were working in a turkish bath." "right you are," responded tom. "we fellows born and bred in a cold climate don't realize how lucky we are. it's the fight with old mother nature that brings out all that's strong and tough in a man. i guess if the old pilgrim fathers had landed at vera cruz instead of on the 'stern and rock-bound coast' of new england they'd have become lotus eaters too." "well, that's what we're getting to be already," said bert with a yawn, "and if i lie here much longer i'll strike my roots into the bank." "sure enough," assented tom, "here we are talking about the laziness of these fellows, but i don't see that we're wearing any medals for energy." "energy," drawled bert. "where have i heard that word before. it sounds familiar, but i wouldn't recognize it if i saw it. i don't believe there is any such thing south of the rio grande." "come, wake up," retorted tom. "get out of your trance. i'll tell you what i'll do. do you see that tree up there? i'll race you to it. that is, if you give me a handicap." "done," said bert, who could never resist a challenge. "how much do you want?" "how about a hundred feet? that oughtn't to be too much for a marathon winner to give a dub like me." "you don't want much, do you?" laughed bert. "your nerve hasn't suffered from the heat. but get your lead and i'll start from scratch." tom, quick as a cat, was not to be despised. on more than one occasion he had circled the bases in fifteen seconds. but he was no match for the fellow who at the olympic games had won the marathon race from the greatest runners of the world. for a little he seemed to hold his own, but when bert once got into his stride--that space-devouring lope that fairly burned up the ground--it was "all over but the shouting." he collared tom fifty feet from the tree and cantered in an easy winner. tom had "bellows to mend" and was perspiring profusely, but to bert it had simply been an "exercise gallop" and he had never turned a hair. "well, you got me all right," admitted tom disgustedly. "i've got no license to run with you under any conditions. but at any rate the run has waked me up. i've lost some of my wind, but i've got back my self-respect. but now let's go and hunt dick up. i wonder where he is anyway." "probably stretched out on a couple of seats and taking a snooze," guessed bert. "i'll bet he's lazier even than we are, and that's saying a good deal." "well, let's rout him out," said tom. "come along." but when they reached their section of the car, dick was nowhere to be seen. "taking a snack in the buffet, perhaps," suggested bert. "there's something uncanny about that appetite of his. i'd hate to have him as a steady boarder." but here their search was equally unavailing. the attendant at the buffet did not remember having seen any one of his description lately. "great scott," ejaculated tom. "where is the old rascal anyway?" bert bent his brows in a puzzled frown. it certainly did seem a little queer. "he must be close by somewhere," he said slowly. "he can't have vanished into the thin air. perhaps the porters or the train men have seen something of him." with a growing sense of uneasiness they went from car to car, but the mystery remained unsolved until they reached the engineer. "sure," replied that worthy, "i know who you mean. he was talking to me alongside the engine here." "how long ago?" asked bert, anxiously. "o, it must be all of two hours," was the reply. "i remember it was just a little while after the train stopped. when he left me he started up that road," pointing to the path beside the track. "said he was going to stretch his legs a little." "two hours ago!" exclaimed bert. "and not back yet!" cried tom. the boys looked at each other and in their eyes a great fear was dawning. "o, i guess he's all right," said the engineer, "though he certainly was taking chances if he went very far. things are rather risky around here just now, and it's good dope not to get too far away from the train unless you're pretty well 'heeled' and have got some friends along." but his last words fell upon unheeding ears. with a bound, bert was back in the car, closely followed by tom. they rummaged hastily in their bags until they found their colt revolvers--the good old . s that had done them such good service in their fight with the pirates off the chinese coast. not a word was spoken. there was no time for talk and each knew what was passing in the mind of the other. dick was gone--dear old dick--and at this very moment was perhaps in deadly peril. there were only two things to be done. if he were alive, they would find him. if he were dead, they would avenge him. that they were taking their own lives in their hands in the effort to aid their comrade did not even occur to them. it seemed the simplest thing in the world. it was not even a problem. not for a moment did they weigh the cost. were they hucksters to split hairs, to measure chances, when their comrade's life hung in the balance? as for the risks--well, let them come. they had faced death before and won out. perhaps they would again. if not--there were worse things than death. at least they could die like men. they thrust their weapons in their belt, threw a handful of cartridges in either pocket, leaped from the car and started on a run up the road. as they ran, they gathered speed. the road fell away like a white ribbon behind them. the wind whistled in their ears. the canter they had already indulged in had put them in form and their anxiety gave wings to their feet. no time to spare themselves when every minute was precious--fraught with the chances of life or death. more than once they had run for glory--now perhaps they were running for a life. and at the thought they quickened their pace until they were fairly flying. their keen eyes scanned each side of the path for some sign of dick's presence, but not until they came to the turn in the road was their search rewarded. then they stopped abruptly. something had happened here. there were no signs of a struggle, but the ground was torn up as though by the pawing of horses. the upturned earth was fresh at the edges and the prints of hoofs could be clearly seen. a bit of cloth fluttered on a tree and a broken strap lay on the ground. an ace of spades near by made it look as though a card game had been suddenly interrupted and this impression gathered force from the presence of an empty bottle that still smelled strongly of mescal, the villainous whisky of the mexicans. like hounds on the scent the boys circled round the spot, trying to get the meaning of the signs. their experience in camping had made them the keenest kind of woodmen and they could read the forest like an open book. bert's sharp eyes caught sight of the bark of a sapling freshly gnawed. by its height from the ground he knew at once that this had been made by the teeth of a broncho. the mark of a strap a little lower down showed that the beast had been tethered there. all around the clearing he went, until he had satisfied himself that at least twenty horses had been standing there a little while before. tom in the meantime had been studying the hoofprints. one of them especially arrested his attention. he followed the trail some hundred feet and came running back to bert. "one of those horses has carried double," he panted. "see how much deeper and sharper his prints are than the others. and though he started off among the first he soon came back to the rear. the others with a lighter load got on faster." bert hastily confirmed this conclusion. there was no longer any room for doubt. they saw the whole scene now as clearly as though they had been on the spot when it happened. dick had come unexpectedly and unarmed upon this band of guerillas. they had at least been twenty to one, and he had had not the ghost of a chance. they had carried him off into the mountains. for what purpose? god only knew. but at least they had spared his life. there was still a chance. while there was life there was hope. and they would never leave the trail until that last spark of hope had gone out in utter darkness. now that they had fully settled in their own minds just what had happened, the next thing in order was to plan the rescue. and this promised to be a tremendous task. the chances were all against them. they had no delusions on that score. the odds of twenty to two were enormous. mere courage was not enough to settle the problem. with a heart of a lion they must have the cunning of a fox. the boys sat down on the grassy bank and cudgeled their brains. the fierce excitement of the last few minutes had gone down, to be replaced by a steady flame of resolution. bert's mental processes were quick as lightning. he could not only do, but plan. it was this instant perception and clear insight, as well as his pluck and muscle, that had made him a natural leader and won him the unquestioned position he held among his friends and comrades. like a flash he reviewed in his mind the various plans that occurred to him, dismissing this, amending that, until out of the turmoil of his thoughts he had reached a definite conclusion. he lifted his head from his hands and in short crisp sentences sketched out his purpose. "now, tom," he said, "we've got to work harder and quicker than we ever did before. here's the game. make tracks for the train. it must be pretty nearly ready to move now. go through dick's bag and get his revolver. it may come in handy later on. grab another big bunch of cartridges. get the pocket compass out of my valise. go into the buffet and cram your pockets full of bread and meat. we might shoot small game enough to keep us alive, but shooting makes a noise. "do these things first of all, and then hunt up melton. you know whom i mean--that cattleman from montana that we were talking to yesterday. he's a good fellow and a game sport. he told me he was going to montillo on business connected with his ranch. that's the first station on the other side of the bridge. the train will be there in an hour. tell melton the fix we're in. he's chased outlaws himself and he'll understand. ask him to go to the american consul the minute he gets to montillo and put it up to him that american citizens need help and need it quick. it's an important town and we'll probably have a consul there. if not, ask melton to put the facts before the mexican authorities. they don't love americans very much, but they're a little afraid that the washington people may mix in here, and they may not want to get in bad with them. besides they hate the guerillas just about as much as we do. anyway we'll have to take the chance." "how about following the trail?" suggested tom. "there are plenty of bloodhounds around. they use them to chase the peons and yaquis. shall i ask melton to send some along if he can?" "no," replied bert. "i thought of that, but their baying might give us away. if they suspect pursuit, they might kill dick and scatter before we could get to them. you and i are woodmen enough to follow a trail made by twenty horses. if there were only one they might get away with it, but not when there are so many. now get a move on, old man. i'll wait for you here studying the signs, and we'll start as soon as you get back. if reinforcements catch up to us, all right. if we can get dick without them so much the better. if not, they'll help us later on." without another word tom leaped to his feet and was off down the road like the flight of an arrow. chapter iii a gallant comrade as he flew on, he heard the shrill whistle of the engine and the ringing of its bell. the train was getting ready to move. groups of workmen, tools in hand, were coming from the ravine, and the passengers, glad that the wearisome wait was over, were getting on the platform, ready to climb into the cars. he let out a link and reached the train just as the engineer was getting into his cab. tom blurted out the facts of dick's capture, and the conductor, coming up just then, willingly consented to hold the train a few minutes longer. to carry out bert's instructions was with tom the work of a moment, and then, with pockets crammed to bursting, he sought out melton, the cattleman. that individual, a grizzled weather beaten veteran of the plains, listened with the liveliest sympathy and indignation. his eyes, beneath his shaggy brows fairly blazed as tom panted out the story. "the dogs! the whelps!" he cried, as he brought down his gnarled fist with a tremendous thump. "if i were only twenty years younger or a hundred pounds lighter, i'd come with you myself. but i'd only hold you back if i went on foot. but you'll see me yet," he went on savagely; "i'll fix up things at montillo as you ask, and then i'll get a horse and come after you. i thought my fighting days were over, but i've still got one good fight under my belt. go ahead, my boy. you're the real stuff and i wish i had a son like you. you make me proud of being an american. i'll do my best to be in at the death, and god help those greasers if i get them under my guns." his warmth and eagerness proved that bert had made no mistake in enlisting him as their ally at this time of deadly need. with a fervent word of thanks and a crushing hand grip, tom leaped from the train and sped back to the comrade who was impatiently awaiting him. a hurried report of his mission and they were off on the trail. what was at the end of that trail? dick, alive or dead? rescue or defeat? a joyful reunion or graves for three? all they knew was that, whatever awaited them, it was not disgrace. and they grimly pulled their belts tighter and pressed forward. as they climbed upward they came to an open space from which they had a wide view of the surrounding country. as they looked back to the south, they heard the faint whistle of the departing train and saw the thin veil of smoke that it left behind. not until that moment did they realize how utterly alone they were. it was the snapping of the last link that bound them to civilization. with the swiftness of a kaleidoscope their whole life had changed. that morning, without the slightest idea of what fate had in store for them, they had been together, exchanging jest and banter; now one of their comrades was a captive in the power of desperate brigands and they were on their way to save him or die with him. it was a forlorn hope; but forlorn hopes have a way of winning out in this world, where grit is at a premium, and although they were sobered at the awful odds against them, they were not dismayed. if they should be too late! this was the terrible fear that haunted them. already the afternoon had advanced and their shadows were growing longer behind them. bert consulted his watch. night comes on suddenly in those latitudes and there were only a few hours of the precious daylight left. whatever they did that day would have to be done before darkness set in. it was difficult enough to follow the trail by daylight, but at night it would be utterly impossible. since they had not killed dick at once the probability was that his life would be safe during the flight. but at night they would be resting, with nothing to do but drink and gamble and indulge in every vice of their depraved natures. what deviltry might come to the surface, what thirst for blood and death that could only be slaked in the torture of their captive! nine-tenths of the world's crime is committed under cover of the night, and it is not without reason that satan has been called the "prince of darkness." such thoughts as these gave an added quickness to their steps. the way led steadily uphill. the path was rough and they tripped often over the tangled undergrowth. long creepers reached down like snakes to grasp them from the branches overhead. once they narrowly escaped a treacherous bog that got a firm grip on tom's feet, and from which bert only pulled him out by the utmost exertion of his strength. at times they lost the trail altogether, and fumed for nearly an hour before they took up the thread again. at the brook through which dick's captors had walked their horses, they had almost begun to despair, when an exclamation of tom's showed that he had found the spot where they had left the water. but through all these vexations, they stuck to the work with dogged tenacity. then suddenly, almost without warning, night came down on them like a blanket. there was nothing of the long dusk and waning light common to northern climes. five minutes earlier there was light enough for them to read by. five minutes later and they could not see their hand before their face. "well, tom, old scout," said bert, "it's no go for to-day. we've got to go into camp." "yes," agreed tom, bitterly, "we've done our best, but our best isn't good enough. poor dick----" "brace up, old fellow," replied bert, feigning a cheerfulness he did not feel, "we'll get there yet. to-morrow's a new day. and remember that this same darkness is holding up the guerillas too. they've got to go into camp and they're not getting any further ahead of us. likely enough they'll feel pretty secure now and they won't be stirring so early to-morrow, while we'll be afoot at the first streak of daylight. what we've got to do now is to figure out the best and safest way to spend the night." near the spot where they were when darkness had overtaken them, was a grassy knoll, at the edge of which uprose a giant rock. at the foot of this they drew together enough of branches and shrubs to make a rude bed, and prepared to settle down and spend as best they could the hours before the coming of the dawn. they did not dare to make a fire, lest some prying eyes might discover their location. they had nothing to cook anyway, but the fire would have served to keep up their spirits and the smoke would have kept off the mosquitoes that hovered over them in swarms. it would have helped also to drive the chill from their bones, brought on by the heavy mists that rose from the lush vegetation and set their teeth to chattering. they drew close together for the companionship, and munched their bread and meat in silence. they were feeling the reaction that follows sustained effort and great excitement, and their hearts were too sick and sore for speech. then suddenly while they brooded--as suddenly as the sun had set--the moon arose and flooded the world with glory. it put new life into the boys. they took heart of hope. their mental barometer began to climb. "i say, bert," exclaimed tom, eagerly voicing the thought that struck them both at once, "couldn't we follow the trail by moonlight?" "i don't know," answered bert, quite as excitedly. "perhaps we can. let's make a try at it." they started to their feet and hurried to the spot where they had left the trail. bathed in that soft luminous splendor, it certainly seemed as though they should have no difficulty in following it as easily as by day. but they soon found their mistake. it was an unreal light, a fairy light that fled from details and concealed rather than revealed them. it lay on the ground like a shimmering, silken mesh, but through its tremulous beauty they could not detect the signs they sought. they needed the merciless, penetrating light of day. their hopes were dashed, but they had to yield to the inevitable. they were turning back dejectedly to their improvised camp, when bert stopped short in his tracks. "what was that?" he whispered, as he grasped tom's arm. "i don't hear anything," returned tom. "i did. listen." they stood like stones, scarcely venturing to breathe. then tom, too, caught the sound. it was the faint, far-off tramp of horses. bert threw himself down with his ear to the ground. a moment later he jumped to his feet. "three horses at least," he said quickly. "get in the shadow of the rock and have your gun ready." they crouched down where it was blackest and strained their eyes along the road up which they had come. nearer and nearer came the cautious tread, and their fingers fidgeted on the trigger. then a faint blur appeared on the moonlit path. another moment and it resolved itself into a burly figure riding a wiry broncho and leading two others. the moonlight fell full on his rugged face and the boys gave a simultaneous gasp. "melton!" they cried, as they rushed toward him. at the first sound, the newcomer had grasped a carbine that lay across his saddle, and in a flash the boys were covered. then, as he recognized them, he lowered the weapon and grinned delightedly. in another second he was on the ground and his hands were almost wrung off in frantic welcome. "guessed it right the first time," he chuckled. "melton sure enough. you didn't think i was bluffing, did you, when i said i'd come? if i'd left you two young fellows to make this fight alone, i could never have looked a white man in the face again. we americans have got to stick together in this god-forsaken country. it's a long time since i've ridden the range and taken pot-shots at the greasers, but i guess i haven't forgotten how. but now let me get these bronchos hobbled and then we'll have a gabfest." with the deftness of an' old frontiersman, he staked out the horses where the grazing was good, and then the three sought the shelter of the rock. the boys were jubilant at this notable addition to their forces. his skill and courage and long experience made him invaluable. and their hearts warmed toward this comparative stranger who had made their quarrel his, because they were his countrymen and because he saw in them a spirit kindred to his own. not one in a thousand would have left his business and risked his life with such a fine disregard of the odds against him. up to this time they had had only a fighting chance; now they were beginning to feel that it might be a winning chance. the old cattleman settled his huge bulk on the pile of boughs and drew his pipe from his pocket. not until it was filled and lighted and drawing well, would he "unlimber his jaw," to use his own phrase, and tell of the day's experience. "i figured it all out on the trail," he began, as he leaned back comfortably against the rock, "and the minute we got to montillo, i made a bee line to the american consul. a fellow in brass buttons at the door wanted my card and told me i would have to wait in the anteroom. but i'm a rough and ready sort of fellow--always believe in taking the bull by the horns and cutting out the red tape--and i pushed him out of the way and streaked right into the consul's private office. i guessed the old man was kind o' shocked by my manners--or my lack of them--but he's a good sort all right, and when i gave him straight talk and told him i wanted him to mix war medicine right away, pronto, he got busy on the jump. he sent out one of his men to get me three of the best horses that could be had and then he scurried round with me to the big mogul of the town--sort of mayor and chief of police rolled into one. i ain't much on the lingo, but i could see that the old boy was handing out a pretty stiff line of talk, and that the mayor was balky and backing up in the shafts. not ugly, you know--anything but that. he was a slick proposition--that mayor. smooth as oil and spreading on the salve a foot thick. shrugging his shoulders and fairly wringing his hands. so sorry that anything had happened to these good americanos whom he loved as though they were his brothers. he was desolated, broken-hearted--but what could he do? and every other word was manana--meaning tomorrow. that word is the curse of this country. everything is manana--and then when to-morrow comes, it's manana again." "well, the old man stood this for a while, and then a sort of steely look came into his eyes that meant trouble and he sailed into him. say, it did my heart good. told him there wasn't going to be any manana in this. if there was, mexico city would hear of it and washington would hear of it, and before he knew it he'd be wishing he were dead. those boys had to be helped mighty quick. he must call out his guards, get a troop of cavalry and send them off on the run. i backed up his play by looking fierce and rolling my eyes and resting my hand kind o' careless like on my hip pocket. i guess the mayor had visions of sudden death at the hands of a wild and woolly westerner--one of those 'dear americanos whom he loved as a brother--and he came down like davy crockett's coon. he started ringing all sorts of bells on his desk and sending this one here and the other one there, and promised by all the saints that he'd have them on the trail within an hour or two. to make it surer i asked the consul as a special favor to say that if they didn't come, i'd be back in a day or two--drop in kind o' casual as it were--to know the reason why." he chuckled, as he refilled his pipe and went on: "of course, i couldn't wait around there on any such chance as that. we went straight back to the consul's office and these three horses were waiting for me. they ain't much to brag of and i've got some on my ranch that could lay all over them. but they're gritty little beasts and the best that could be got on such short notice. the consul lent me his rifle which seems to be a pretty good one, and i've got the pair of revolvers that i always carry with me. "then i struck the spurs pretty sharply into the broncho and lighted out. i knew there wasn't much daylight left and we certainly did some traveling. i wanted to get up to you before dark if i could, but you had too big a start. i had no trouble in following the trail--i've tracked sioux indians before now, and these mexicans are babies compared to them, when it comes to covering up--and when the dark came on i knew i wasn't very far behind. then as the horses were still full of go, i just dropped the reins on their neck and let them meander along. so many horses have passed this way that i felt sure they would get the scent and keep on in the right direction. and as you see i wasn't very far out. "well," he ruminated, "i guess that's about all." "all!" exclaimed bert, warmly. "as if that wasn't enough. i never knew a finer or more generous thing. you've put us in your debt for life." "yes," broke in tom, "for sheer pluck and goodness of heart----" "come, come," laughed melton, "that's nothing at all. it's i who owe you a lot for the chance to get into such a lively scrap as this promises to be. i was getting rusty and beginning to feel that i was out of it. but now i feel as though twenty years had dropped away since this morning, and i'm just aching to hear the bark of a gun. it takes me back to the wild old days, when a man's life depended upon his quickness with the trigger. my blood is shooting through my veins once more, and, by thunder, i'm just as young at this moment as either of you fellows." "did you get any idea at montillo who this guerilla chief might be?" asked bert. "why, yes," replied melton, slowly and almost reluctantly. "of course they're only guessing, and they may not have the right dope. but while the consul was spelling with that mayor fellow, i caught every once in a while the word 'el tigre.' that means 'the tiger' in our language, and on our way back to the office he told me enough to show how well the name fits him. some of the stories--but there," he broke off, checking himself abruptly, "it's getting late, and we've got to be stirring at the first streak of daylight. now you fellows turn in and i'll sit here and figure things out a little." bert and tom vigorously protested that they would take turns in watching, but he waved them off with a good humor that still had in it a touch of finality. "not a bit of it," he said. "more than once i've gone days and nights together without a wink of sleep, and felt none the worse for it. i'm a tough old knot, but you young fellows have got to have your sleep. besides, i've got a lot of things i want to think out before morning." under his kindly but forceful persistence, there was nothing else to be done without offending him, and he had done too much for them not to have his way in this. so, under protest, they stretched their weary bodies on the rude couch they had prepared. at first their minds were so full of anxious thoughts about dick that it seemed as though they couldn't sleep. but old nature had her way with them and before long they were lost in the sleep of utter exhaustion. "mighty lucky i stopped that fool tongue of mine in time," mused melton, as he looked at their tired faces, "or there would have been no sleep for them this night." for it was a gruesome story that the consul had told him that afternoon. a fearful reckoning would be demanded of the "tiger" at the day of judgment. a more villainous character could not be found in the length and breadth of mexico. awful tales were told of him and others more horrible _could_ not be told. that he was a robber and murderer went without saying. every bandit chief was that. those were mere everyday incidents of the "profession." but the evil preeminence of the tiger lay in his love of torture for its own sake. he reveled in blood and tears. he was a master of devilish ingenuity. the shrieks of the victims were his sweetest music. he was, morally, a cross between an apache indian and a chinese executioner. there were whispers of babies roasted in ovens, of children tortured before the eyes of bound and helpless parents until the latter became raving maniacs, of eyes gouged out and noses cut off and faces carved until they were only a frightful caricature of humanity. his band was composed of scoundrels almost as hardened as himself and with them he held all the nearby country in terror. rewards were out for his capture dead or alive, but he laughed at pursuers and so far had thwarted all the plans of the government troops. and this was the man into whose hands dick had fallen. the boys had wondered why the bandit, if he meant to kill dick at all had not done so at once. melton shook with rage as he thought that perhaps he knew the reason. perhaps at this very moment---- but such thoughts unmanned one, and, hoping that providence would prove kinder than his fears, he resolutely turned his mind in other channels. and there was plenty to think about. he had been engaged in many dare-devil adventures in his varied life, but, as he admitted to himself with a smile half grave, half whimsical, there were few that he remembered so desperate as this. he did not underrate the enemy. like most western men, he had a contempt for "greasers," but he knew that it was not safe to carry that contempt too far. an american, to be sure, might tackle two or three mexicans and have a fair chance of coming out winner, but when the odds were greater than that his chances were poor. but in this case the odds would probably be ten to one or more. then, too, these were men whose lives were forfeit to the law--double-dyed murderers who could look for nothing but a "short shrift and a long rope" if they were captured. they would fight with the fierceness of cornered rats. moreover, they would be on the defensive and in a country where they knew every foot of ground and could seize every advantage. altogether the outlook was grave, and it speaks volumes for the character of the man that his spirits rose with danger and he would have been bitterly disappointed if he were cheated of the promised fight. absorbed in his thoughts, the night passed quickly, and as the first ray of light shot across the eastern sky, he roused the boys from slumber. "time to get a move on," he announced cheerily. "a bite of grub and we'll be off. the horses can make better time in the cool of the morning, and if we have any luck we may strike those fellows before they've had time to get the sleep out of their eyes." his energy found an echo in that of the boys, and in a few minutes their meagre breakfast had been despatched, the horses saddled and they had hit the trail. the path wound steadily upward. it was too narrow for them to ride abreast, and melton rode in advance, scanning the road with the eye of a hawk. three hours passed, and just as they were nearing the top of the plateau, the leader suddenly stopped. with uplifted hand to enjoin silence, he turned into the dense forest at the side of the path and dismounted. bert and tom followed suit. "i smell smoke," melton whispered. "there's a campfire not far off." and as a vagrant breeze strayed toward them, the boys, too, sniffed the unmistakable odor of smoke. "of course," went on melton in a low tone, "it's no sure thing that this comes from the camp of the fellows we're after. but all the chances lie that way. we'll tie our horses here and go ahead on foot. see that your guns are handy and don't step on any loose twigs." a moment later and the bronchos were securely tied, and, silent as ghosts, they crept up the woodland path. chapter iv the captured sentry they had wormed their way through the thick undergrowth for perhaps three hundred feet, when melton, who was in the van, paused abruptly and gave a sign of caution. then he beckoned the boys to come nearer. "they've got a sentry posted here," he whispered, "i'd hoped they'd be too careless or too drunk to do it. look over there a little to the right." they peered through the bushes and saw, sitting on a tree stump, a mexican, carrying a carbine, slung in the hollow of his arm. his back was toward them at the moment, but even while they gazed, he lazily rose and turned around, so that they caught a full view of his face. it was a rascally face that left no doubt in their minds that he was one of the bandit crew. a long knife was thrust in his belt, and he looked like an ugly customer to tackle in a fight. his small, piglike eyes looked listlessly about, and then, seeing no sign of danger, he reseated himself, and taking a flask from his pocket, applied it to his lips. at a glance from melton, they retreated as noiselessly as they had advanced, and not until they had gotten beyond earshot, did they stop for consultation as to their next move. bert and tom felt their hearts beating high with excitement, but melton was as cool and impassive as though he were seated on the veranda of his ranch. while they waited for him to speak, he drew from its sheath a long double-edged bowie knife and fingered it thoughtfully. "it's a long time since i've done it," he mused. "i wonder if i can do it now. i'll try it out first." rising, he went over to a tree about fifty feet away. at a height of six feet from the ground, he cut out a circle of bark, about the size of a saucer. the white patch stood out in strong contrast to the rest of the tree. returning to the boys, who had looked on puzzled at his action, he planted himself solidly and took the bowie by the blade. a moment he stood thus, measuring the distance. then he raised the weapon and hurled it at the bark. it whizzed through the air in a gleam of light, and struck two inches inside the circle, where it hung quivering. it was a marvelous bit of knife play, and bert and tom could hardly repress an exclamation. "that's all i wanted to know," muttered melton, as he came back, after pulling the knife from the tree and restoring it to its sheath. "it's a little trick that has saved my life once or twice before on the plains, and i wanted to make sure that i hadn't forgotten. i guess if i could hit that circle, i could do for the mexican. "for as you boys may imagine," he went on, "i wasn't doing this thing for pastime. we've got to get that sentinel out of the way. of course, it would be an easy thing to wing him with a bullet. but that makes a noise and probably the camp is not far off. our only chance lies in taking them by surprise. if they once get wind of our coming we'll have as much chance as a celluloid dog chasing an asbestos cat through hades. i'd rather take this fellow alive if we could, for we might be able to get some valuable information from him. but i'm afraid he'd let out a yell or shoot off his gun before we could get to him. i guess we'll have to depend on this little persuader," he concluded, as he put his hand on the shaft of the knife. bert had been thinking rapidly. "couldn't we save that as a last resort?" he ventured. "i think that perhaps i might creep up on that fellow without his seeing me." "but how?" asked melton in surprise. "you'd have to be as quick as a coyote and as light as a cat to do it. what's your idea?" "why," replied bert, "i figure that we might go back to the place where we first saw him. you can see from the listless way he looked around that he isn't really on the alert. then too, he's drinking. if we find that he's facing our way, i'll make a circuit and get back of him. then at the right second i'll make my dash. he probably won't hear me until i get close to him, and then he'll be so paralyzed, what with the surprise and the drink, that i'll have my hands on his throat before he can make a sound. in the meantime, you keep him covered with your knife, and if he sees me too soon you can let fly." melton, a man used to quick decisions, spent only a moment weighing the pros and cons, looking keenly at bert the while. what he saw seemed to satisfy him. "it's a plucky stunt," he said, "but you're the lad to do it if any one can. i'd sure like to make that fellow talk before he goes over the great divide. come along." noiselessly, they reached their former point of observation. the sentinel still sat there facing their way. the flask was in his hand and they could see from the way he tilted it that it was nearly empty. his carbine stood with its butt on the ground and the muzzle resting against the stump. crouching low in the thicket, melton drew his knife from its sheath, his eye gauging the distance. bert, who had shed his coat and shoes, with a parting pat from tom, made a wide circuit to the left, creeping along with his body close to the ground and scarcely daring to breathe. once a twig cracked beneath his hand and his heart seemed to stop beating. but no sound came from the unsuspecting sentry, and after a moment's pause he went on. soon he reached a point about a hundred feet in the rear of the mexican, and behind the shelter of a huge tree rose slowly to his feet. for forty feet the undergrowth was thick enough to conceal him. but then came the little clearing where for sixty feet no concealment was possible. he did not dare to tiptoe over it, because, if he were seen he could not get under way fast enough to reach his quarry. it must be a lightning dash. once he had run a hundred yards--three hundred feet--in ten seconds flat. that would give him three seconds or less to cross the clearing. but a bullet could travel faster still. he drew a long breath and then, as lightly and swiftly as a panther, he leaped over the intervening space. he had covered half the distance when the sentry heard him and sprang to his feet. for the fraction of a second he stood, petrified with surprise and fright. then he reached for his carbine, but as though realizing that he could not level it in time, he abandoned that idea and snatched at his knife. and just then bert launched himself on him like a thunderbolt. down they went fighting like wildcats. they rolled over and over. bert's hands were on the rascal's throat and he could not utter a cry. but his knife was out and upraised to strike, when tom, who with melton had rushed from the bushes the moment the clash had come, grasped the uplifted hand and wrenched it until the knife fell to the ground. another instant, and the scoundrel, bound with his own belt and gagged with a portion of the serape torn from his shoulders, was sitting huddled up on the ground, with his back against the stump, while baffled rage and hate glowed from his wicked eyes. "good work, my boy, good work," said melton, as he grasped bert's hand warmly. "you tackled that fellow like a ton of brick. i never saw a prettier rough house than that was for a minute. now get your breath back while i try to get this fellow to listen to reason. i know this breed of cattle pretty well and i have a hunch that it won't be long before we understand each other." he drew out his bowie knife and felt its edge, while the prisoner looked on with a growing terror in his eyes. melton reached down and grabbing the fellow by the collar jerked him to his feet. "now, listen," he said, in the mongrel blending of english and mexican that is understood on both sides of the border. "you're going to be a dead man in one minute if you don't tell me the truth. sabe?" melton's eyes were like two lambent flames, and as the fellow looked into them, he wilted like a rag. he nodded his head eagerly as a sign that he would tell all he knew. "i guessed as much," said melton, grimly, as he turned to the boys. "these dogs would betray their own brother to save their miserable carcass. untie that gag, and i'll turn him inside out until i get from him all he knows." he placed the point of his bowie at the brigand's throat, and held it there while the boys removed the gag. "one yip from you, and this knife goes in up to the hilt," said melton. "now tell me how far away your camp is from here." "about a mile," replied the man, sullenly. "what is the name of your captain?" "el tigre," was the answer, and the fellow shivered as he mentioned that redoubtable flame. "how many men has he with him?" was the next question. the bandit did not know exactly. there had been fifty or more, but a dozen or so had been sent on an expedition late last night. maybe there were thirty or forty there now. he could not tell for sure. the knife pricked sharply, and the fellow went down on his knees in an agony of terror, and swore by all his saints that he was telling all he knew. why should he lie to the senor? the senor might kill him, but what he was saying was the truth. "get up," said melton, disgustedly, for the cowardice of the cringing creature sickened him. "now tell me what captives were in the camp and what your chief intends to do with them." there were two captives there just now. one of them was a chinaman, who had been taken in a raid on a hacienda, down in the valley. the other was an americano, who had been surprised yesterday, when he came upon the band, just as they were getting ready to go away into the mountains. three days ago there had been seven prisoners, but now--. the rascal made an expressive gesture that told only too clearly what had become of the miserable seven, and melton had need of all his self-control not to end his prisoner's worthless life then and there, while bert and tom grew pale as they thought of dick. by an effort they restrained themselves, and the questioning went on. the bandit did not know what his chief intended to do. he rather thought that very morning the chinaman would be put out of the way. but the young americano, so cool, so brave--he did not know. el tigre had seemed to be puzzled about him. the chief had been drinking hard and was very ugly. yes, that was all he knew, and if the senor were to kill him, he swore on the head of his father that he had told nothing but the truth. at a sign from melton, the boys replaced the gag. they had drained him dry of information, and now they knew the work that was cut out for them. they dragged him into the thick underbrush and tied him to a tree. then with a parting prick from the bowie, and a threat of instant death, if he sought to release himself before their return, they braced themselves for the task before them. "it's up to us, my lads," said melton, as he carefully examined his weapons to see that they were in prime condition, while bert and tom followed his example. "the next half hour will probably tell the story. we're in for a lovely scrap, and we'll have that friend of yours with us when we come back, or we'll never come back at all." a keen sense of elation thrilled bert and tom, as they fell in behind the old frontiersman, and followed him in indian file up the path. the sickening suspense was over. the storm was about to break. waiting was to be replaced by action. a few minutes more and they were to be battling for dick's life and their own. the primeval man had broken through the veneer of civilization, and their nerves were tingling with longing for the fight. for ten minutes they went on at a rapid pace. then the sounds of the camp fell upon their ears, and they crept on with caution. they could hear oaths, interspersed with drunken laughter, and the stamping of horses. abandoning the path, they vanished into, the thick undergrowth, and now on hands and knees drew near the clearing. reaching its edge, they peered through the bushes, and saw a sight that froze the blood in their veins. chapter v a fiendish torture it was long after dark on the day of dick's capture, when the guerillas reached their camp. familiar as they were with every inch of the way, they had gone on as rapidly after sunset as before, and only drew rein when they had reached the clearing. dick was lifted from the broncho, and the bonds removed from his hands and feet. he suffered torments as the blood rushed back into his cramped members, but at least he was comparatively free to move about, and before long he had recovered from the physical effects of his long and exhausting ride. his mind also had regained its serenity and poise. he was cool and calm to a degree that surprised even himself. the first shock was over. he had already tasted of the bitterness of death. in those long hours, he had fought the battle in his own heart and conquered. now he was ready for whatever might befall. from this time on, no chance either of life or death could disturb him. he was prepared for either. but his keen eyes and trained senses were on the alert to take advantage of any slip on the part of his captors, and he was determined to sell his life dearly. if they took it, they should at least pay for it. pedro, who seemed to be the captain's righthand man, led the way to a ragged tent, of which there were perhaps a dozen in the clearing. inside was a rude bed of boughs covered by an old saddle blanket. a wooden bench was the only other item of furniture, while a smoky pine torch, thrust into the cleft of a stump, gave a dismal light. three of the bandits were stationed as a guard at the door of the tent, while two others were placed at the back. it was evident that the chief was taking no chances. they left his hands unbound, while he ate the meal of frijoles and tortillas that was presently brought to him, but when he had finished, his hands were again tied, though not so tightly as before, while his feet were secured to a stake, driven into the ground at the foot of the bed. thus fastened, he could sit or lie on the bed, but could not move about. this done, they left him for a while to his reflections. outside, the camp was given up to boisterous hilarity. the bandits had ridden hard and far that day, and they were enjoying the sense of rest and relaxation that comes after a day in the saddle. their horses were picketed in rows on the edge of the clearing, while their masters sat around a huge fire and sought diversion after the manner of their kind. games of cards and dice were in progress, and bottles of mescal passed from hand to hand. the growing drunkenness led rapidly to quarrels, and, in one of the groups, a stabbing affray was only averted by the coming of el tigre on the scene. the noise ceased like magic and the knives were replaced in their sheaths, while the revelers tried to slink out of the sight of their dreaded master. he glared at the brawlers for a moment, but his mind was on something else just then, and, lifting the flap of dick's tent, he stepped inside. he had expected to find an anxious, excited, agonized prisoner. he stopped, nonplussed. stretched out on his bed, dick was sleeping as peacefully as a baby. not a trace of fear or worry was visible on the strong, handsome face. it was a novel experience--this sort of disdainful defiance--to the monster whose name was a synonym of terror over all that district. "these cursed americanos," he muttered. "where do they get their courage? and those eyes--the first that ever looked into mine without falling. i swore to myself this morning that i'd pluck them out of his head. but i've thought of something better since," he mused, while a devilish grin spread over his face, "and i'll let him keep them until he sees what i'll have ready for him in the morning." he was about to rouse the sleeper with a vicious kick, but thought better of it. "no," he growled, "let him sleep. he'll be in better condition in the morning, and it will make his dying harder and longer." and with a last venomous look, he left the tent and its sleeping occupant, and went to his own quarters. the camp wore a festal air the next morning. there was a general atmosphere of eager expectation. it was evident that something unusual was afoot. the fellow that brought in dick's breakfast looked at him with a covert interest, as though he were to be an important actor in a drama for which the stage was being set. had dick known as much as melton had learned of the hideous fame of his captor, he might have divined sooner the nature of these preparations. he had slept soundly, and the freshness and brightness of the morning had given him new hopes. the food served him was very good and abundant, and he did not know why, just as he was finishing it, the thought came to him of the especially good breakfast served to condemned men on the morning of their execution. he brushed the thought away from him, and just then pedro appeared at the door of the ten, accompanied by a half dozen of his mates. he untied the prisoner's feet, and dick arose and stretched himself. "come," growled pedro, and they went out into the open space between the tents. the fresh air fanned his forehead gratefully and he breathed it in in great draughts. on a morning like this, it was good just to be alive. he cast a glance around, and saw at once that something out of the ordinary was about to take place. the entire population of the camp was on the scene. instead of sprawling in haphazard fashion on the ground, the bandits were in an attitude of alert attention. the dreaded leader sat in the center of the clearing, his eyes alight with an unholy flame. he rose, as dick approached, with a guard holding his arm on either side, and made him a sweeping bow of mock politeness. "it is good of the senor to honor us with his presence, this morning," he said in fairly good english--in his early years he had been a cattle rustler in arizona--"but i fear we can offer little for his amusement. in fact, we shall have to depend on the senor himself to entertain us. is the senor, by any chance, a snake charmer?" "look here," said dick, fiercely, "what's your game, anyway? you've got my money and watch and clothes. now, what more do you want?" "what more?" echoed el tigre, softly. "why, only a very little thing. i want your life." the last words were fairly hissed. all the mock courtesy dropped away, and he stood revealed in his true character as a gloating fiend, his hideous features working with hate. that face maddened dick. with a sudden movement, he threw off the guard on either side, took one leap forward, and his fist shot out like a catapult. it caught the sneering face square between the eyes, and the chief went down with a crash. in an instant, dick's sinewy hands were on his throat and choking out his life. but now the bandit crew, roused from their stupefaction, rushed forward, and overpowered him by sheer force of numbers. they dragged him from the prostrate form of the guerilla, and tied him to a tree close to the bushes, on the very edge of the clearing. the tiger's face was bleeding from the smashing blow, when his followers raised him to his feet, and his rage was fearful to behold. he drew his knife and was about to rush on dick, when the sight of two of his men, coming into the clearing with a bag between them, reminded him of his original purpose. by a mighty effort he restrained himself, but the ferocity of his face was appalling. dick, too, looked at the bag, as the men laid it on the ground. it was moving. moving not sharply or briskly, as it might, had it held fowls or rabbits, but with a horrid, crawling, sinuous motion. a cold sweat broke out all over him. now he knew what the tiger had meant, when he asked him if he were by any chance a snake charmer. a word from the chief, and two men came forward, holding forked sticks. a third slit the bag with his knife from top to bottom. from the gaping rent, two monster rattlesnakes rolled out. but before they could coil to strike, each was pinned to the ground by the forked stick, pressed down close behind the head. they writhed and twisted frantically, but to no purpose. then another man bent down and drove his knife through the tail of each, just above the rattles. through the wound he passed a thong of buckskin and looped it on the under side. then, in each case, the other end of the thong was fastened securely to a stake, driven into the ground. when the work was done, a distance of ten yards separated the two stakes, and before each was a twisting reptile, wild with rage and pain. a man stood in front at a safe distance and held out a stick, teasingly. the snake flung itself to its full length, and the distance it could reach was carefully measured. then, some inches beyond this furthest point, other stakes were drawn in rude outline of the form of a man. near the buckskin thongs, men were stationed, with gourds full of water. and now the stage was fully set for the tragedy. the audience was waiting. it was time for the actors to appear and the play begin. el tigre looked curiously at dick. the latter's heart was beating tumultuously, but he met the scoundrel's gaze with calm defiance. he even smiled scornfully, as he stared at the battered lace, bleeding yet from his blow of a few minutes before. the significance of that smile lashed the bandit's soul into fury. "i'll break him yet," he swore to himself. "he shall beg for mercy before he dies." then he said, aloud: "i was going to let the senor go first, but i have changed my mind. he is smiling now, and he shall have a longer time to enjoy himself." he turned and spoke to some of his followers, and they went to a nearby tent, from which they emerged a moment later, bringing with them a chinaman, whose yellow face was ghastly with fear. as the poor wretch looked around at the awful preparations, and realized that he was doomed, he threw himself down before the chief and tried to embrace his knees. el tigre spurned him with his foot. "tie him down," he commanded, briefly. they bore the unhappy man to the stakes, threw him down and bound him so tightly to them that he could not move. he was fastened in such a way that his face lay on one side, looking toward the snake a few feet away. the reptile coiled and sprang for the face, missing it by a few inches. several times this was repeated. the horror of that wicked head and those dripping fangs darting towards one's face was insupportable, and shriek followed shriek from the tortured victim. still, the snake could not actually reach him, and if the thong held--but now the man with the gourd poured a little water on the thong. _and the thong began to stretch._ the whole hideous deviltry of it struck dick like a blow. already he could see that the snake's head went a trifle nearer with every spring. and still the water kept dripping. in a few minutes more, the fangs would meet in the victim's face. and it was his turn next. he, too, must face that grisly horror. death in its most loathsome form was beckoning. his brain reeled, but, by a tremendous effort, he steeled himself to meet his fate. he would-- "dick!" what was that? "dick!" was that bert's voice, or was he going insane? "don't move, old man," came a whisper from behind the tree. "it's bert. i've cut the rope that holds you until it hangs by a thread. the least movement will snap it. let your hand hang down, and i'll slip you a revolver. jump, when you get the word. we're going to rush the camp." the reaction from despair to hope was so violent, that dick could scarcely hold the weapon that was thrust into his hand. but as he felt the cold steel, his grip tightened on the stock, and he was himself again. now at least he had a chance to fight for his life. the snake was getting nearer to its victim's face. the last spring had all but grazed it. all eyes were fixed upon it, as it coiled again. its waving head stood high above its folds, as it prepared to launch itself. and just then a bowie knife whizzed through the air and sliced its head from its body. the next instant, a rain of bullets swept the clearing, and melton, bert, and tom burst from the woods, firing as they came. chapter vi the execution of el tigre with a quick jerk, dick snapped the rope that held him and rushed toward his comrades. he ranged himself alongside, and his revolver barked in unison with theirs. the surprise had been complete. at the first shot, the bandits had leaped to their feet, and with wild yells scattered in every direction. most of them had left their arms in their tents, and had nothing but their knives to defend them from attack. and these were wholly insufficient weapons, with which to meet the little band that flung themselves so recklessly upon them. for all they knew, they might be the vanguard of a force many times stronger, and they fled in wild confusion. the guerilla chief was the only one who kept his head. he drew a revolver from his belt and returned shot for shot. he backed up slowly in the direction of his hut. with his eyes on the enemy in front, he had forgotten that the second snake was right behind him. he slipped on the slimy folds, and, the next instant, the enraged reptile struck at one of his hands as he attempted to rise. a burning pain shot through his index finger. he shook off the clinging snake, and, jumping upon it, stamped its head into pulp. then he drew his knife and slashed his finger to the bone. the next instant he had reached his hut and slammed the door behind him. the whole thing had happened in the twinkling of an eye. a dozen of the guerillas lay dead or wounded on the ground. the odds had been reduced with a vengeance, but they were still heavy. the attackers had played their trump card--that of the surprise. it had taken a trick, but the game was not yet over. no one knew this better than the old frontiersman. they had emptied their revolvers. "back to the woods," he shouted, "and reload." waiting only to recover his bowie and slash the bonds of the chinaman, who lay there more dead than alive, he led the way. soon they were under cover, and not till then did dick throw his arms around bert and tom, in a hug that almost made their bones crack. then he shook hands with melton, with a fervor that made that hardy hero wince. "i can never tell you," began dick, and then he choked. "you don't have to," returned melton, gruffly, to conceal his own deep feeling, while bert and tom, in the grip of strong emotion, could only pat dick's arms, without speaking; "it's nothing that any white man wouldn't do for another. besides, we're not yet out of the woods. those fellows will get their nerve back in a minute or two, and then look out for trouble. they've probably guessed by this time how few we are, and they'll be wild to get back at us. that leader of theirs is a beast all right, but he's no coward. the way he cut that poison out of his flesh shows that. load your guns quick, and each get behind a big tree. have your knives ready too, if it comes to close quarters." "but you're wounded," cried dick, as he saw a little trickle of blood from melton's left shoulder. "only a scratch," laughed melton; "the chief winged me there with his last shot. that's one i owe him and i always pay my debts. just twist your handkerchief about it, and then we'll forget it." it proved to be, as he said, only a graze, and they returned to their attitude of strained attention. in the meantime, the chinaman had come hobbling out to them, and in his hollow eyes there was a speechless gratitude that made them know that he was their slave for life. he was of no value as a reinforcement, and after having settled him in the shelter of a huge tree, they peered from behind their cover for some sign of the expected foe. five--ten--twenty minutes passed, and nothing happened. the waiting was more nerve racking than the actual combat. the only sound that broke the stillness was the groans of the wounded, as they crawled into and behind their tents. it would have been an easy thing to finish the work, but none of them could fire on a helpless man, even though a murderer and an outlaw. they had put them out of the running, and that was enough. then suddenly, just as they began to think that after all the bandits had decamped, came a volley of bullets that pattered among the leaves and thudded into the trees. "i was sure of it," muttered melton. "keep close under cover," he commanded, "and make every shot tell." even as he spoke, his rifle cracked, and a crouching figure rose with a yell, and lurched heavily forward on his face. "one less," he grunted, "but there's still a mighty lot of them left." the shots that had been more or less scattered now grew into a fusillade. it was evident that the fighting was being intelligently directed, and that the bandits were regaining confidence. melton and the boys shot coolly and carefully whenever they saw a head or an arm exposed, and the yells that followed the shot told that the bullet had found its mark. but there seemed no let up in the enemy's volleys, and what made melton more uneasy than anything else was that the zone of fire was steadily widening. his long experience told him unerringly that the foe was trying to surround them. if his little band had to face four ways at once, it would go hard with them. suddenly he felt a touch on his arm. he looked up and saw the chinaman. the latter pointed down the road. "men coming," he said. "blig lots of men. horses too." melton sprang to his feet. sure enough, there were horsemen coming up the road. was it a detachment of the guerilla band returning? were they to be taken by fresh forces in the rear? he grabbed bert by the shoulder. "here," he said, "face around with me. you other fellows stay as you are." they crouched low with their eyes on the road. the tramp of hoofs became louder and the jingle of spurs and accoutrements fell upon their ears. then their hearts leaped, as round the curve, riding hard, swept a squad of mexican cavalry, fully a hundred in number, their brilliant uniforms glittering in the sunlight. with a wild hurrah and waving their hands, they rushed forward to meet them. there was a hasty movement among the front ranks, as though to repel an assault, but as they saw how few they were and realized the absence of hostile intentions, their carbines were lowered and the captain in command swung himself to the ground. he was a young, well set up, soldierly looking man, and it took only a moment for him to grasp the situation, as it was rapidly sketched out by melton. he had been educated in the mexican military school and spoke english fluently. "how large a force have you?" he asked. "here they are," replied melton, with a wave of his hand. "what!" the officer gasped in amazement. "you don't mean to say that with only four men, you attacked el tigre and his band. it was suicide." "well," laughed melton, "it hasn't come to that yet, but i'm not denying that things are getting too warm for comfort. the rascals would have had us surrounded in a little while, and i'm mighty glad you've come." "you've done wonders," rejoined the captain, "but now you can rest on your arms, while i clear out this nest of hornets." "not a bit of it," replied melton. "we're going to be in at the death." "you stubborn americanos," laughed the captain. "so be it then. you've certainly earned the right to have your way in this." his dispositions were quickly taken. at the word of command, his troopers dismounted and tethered their horses. then they deployed in a long line across the woods. a bugle blew the charge, and with a rousing cheer they rushed up the slope and across the clearing. a volley of bullets met them and several of them went down, but the rest kept on without a pause. their carbines cracked without cessation, and one outlaw after the other fell, until not more than fifteen were left. these last were gathered in a corner of the camp, where under the leadership of el tigre, who fought with a fury worthy of his name, they made their last despairing stand. but their hour had come. the blood of their victims was at last to be avenged. one final charge, and the troops swept over them. the guerilla chief, seeing that all was lost, lifted his revolver with the last bullet left, and put it to his head to blow out his brains. he had always boasted that he would never be taken alive. but just as his finger was on the trigger, dick, who, with his friends, had been in the forefront of the fight, knocked his hand aside and bore him to the ground. in another second, he was tightly bound and the fight was over. with four of his band, the only survivors, he was put under guard, and left to await the pleasure of his captors. then at last, they drew breath. the work was done and well done. dick was with them, safe and sound, and none the worse for his terrible experience. the band which had been the scourge of that distracted country had been practically wiped out, and the leader, who for so long had defied god and man, was a prisoner, awaiting his fate. what that fate would be no one could doubt, who knew how richly he merited death. "i suppose," said dick, as they sat a little apart from the others taking lunch with the captain of the troop, at his invitation, "that he'll be taken to montillo for trial." "guess again," chuckled melton, who knew something of the methods of the mexican government in dealing with guerillas. "my orders were to take no prisoners," smiled the captain, and there was a meaning in his smile that boded ill for the remnant of the bandit crew. "and, of course, i must obey my orders," he added drily. "the more readily," he went on, as his face grew dark, "because there is a private score that i have to settle with this scoundrel. the blood of my younger brother is on his hands. you can guess then, senors, whether i was glad, when i was trusted on this mission." "are they to be shot, then?" ventured bert. "all but the leader," answered the captain. "he must hang. and yet he shall not die by hanging." before they could ask an explanation, he rose and excused himself, as he had to give some orders to the soldiers, and they were left to ponder in vain for his meaning. the next two hours were spent in clearing up the camp and burying the dead. the bodies of the guerillas were thrown hastily into a narrow trench, but those of the soldiers received full military honors, the bugler playing taps, and a salvo of musketry being fired over the graves. in the meantime the boys had wandered over the camp, now shorn of the terror that had so long been connected with it. on the upper end, it terminated at the very brink of a precipice. all of mexico seemed to be stretched out before them. the abyss fell sheer down for a thousand feet to the rocks below. they shuddered as they stood on the edge and looked through the empty space. on the brink stood a mighty oak tree, with one of its limbs overhanging the chasm. a sudden recollection struck melton. "this must be the place the consul told me about, in one of his stories," he ejaculated. "he told me that one of the tiger's favorite amusements was to bring a prisoner here and prod him with bayonets over the brink. i guess," he scowled, "we don't need to waste much sympathy on that fellow, no matter what the captain does to him." and the boys, with a lively recollection of the snake and the buckskin thong, agreed with him. but now the bugle blew and they hurried back to the clearing. the troop stood at attention. routine work connected with the raid had been despatched, and the time had come for the military execution. martial law is brief and stern, and, under his instructions, the captain had the power of life or death without appeal. his face was set and solemn, as befitted one on whom weighed so heavy a responsibility, but there was no relenting in his voice, as he bade a sergeant to bring out the prisoners. the four came out, sullen and apathetic. he looked them over for a moment, and then gave a sign. a trench was hastily dug and the prisoners placed with their backs to it. their eyes were bandaged. a firing squad of a dozen men advanced to within ten feet and leveled their rifles. a moment's pause, then a sharp word of command, and death leaped from the guns. when the smoke cleared away, four motionless forms lay in the trench, and justice had been done. "don't bury them yet," commanded the captain. "bring out el tigre." there was a stir among the soldiers, as the dreaded chief, whose evil fame was known all over mexico, was brought before the captain. he was harmless enough now. all his power had been stripped away, and all that remained to him was his one redeeming quality of courage. he had heard the firing, and, as he came from the tent, he passed close by the bodies of his former followers. doubtless the same fate awaited him, but he did not waver, and his hideous face expressed only the bitterest venom and malignity. if hate could kill, it would have blasted dick, as for a moment the bandit caught sight of him, in passing. then he faced his judge, who was also to be his executioner. "do you know me, el tigre?" asked the captain. the outlaw glared at him. "no," he snarled. "do you remember the boy you captured on that raid in the san joaquin valley, three months ago?" "what of him?" "he was my brother." the guerilla shot a swift glance at him. "carramba," he muttered. then after an instant's silence. "yes, i remember. he was great sport. he died hard. it was very amusing. yes, he died hard." if his object was to provoke instant death, he almost succeeded. the captain's eyes flamed and he snatched a revolver from his belt. but he saw the stratagem in time and by a great effort held himself in check. the flush faded from his face, to be succeeded by a deadly pallor. "el tigre," he said slowly, "the earth is weary of you and the devil is waiting for you. i shall not keep him waiting long. take him up to the oak," he commanded, pointing to the great tree on the edge of the precipice. the soldiers fell into line and the procession started. when they halted under its branches, the hands and feet of the outlaw were securely tied. then a soldier climbed into the tree, and far out on the branch that overhung the chasm. at a distance of twenty feet, he fastened a stout rope. then he crept back, and, making a noose in the other end, took his stand beside the prisoner and waited for orders. the ghastly preparations were telling on the nerve of the guerilla, and he broke into a string of the wildest blasphemies. without paying any attention to his ravings, the soldier at a signal, slipped the noose over his head. but instead of tightening it about the neck, as most of the lookers on, as well as the prisoner himself, expected, he adroitly drew it down to the waist, and thence up under the outlaw's arms. then he pulled it tight. four men took hold of el tigre's arms and legs, bore him to the edge of the precipice, and pushed him off into space. like a giant pendulum, he swung out in a great arc, and then, returning, almost reached the brink. gradually the arc grew shorter, until he swayed perpendicularly from the branch. below, he could see the rocks at the foot of the cliff. the bones of many of his victims already reposed there. how long before he would join them? was he to be left hanging there as a feast for the carrion birds? wherever he looked was torture. below, the rocks. above, the vultures. in front, the enemies whom he hated with all the passion of his soul. ah! a firing squad was coming forward. they were going to shoot him then, after all. good! death would be welcome. he heard the roar of the guns, and still he was alive. could they have missed him? then another volley rang out. still he lived. he could not understand. his glance went aloft. the rope was sagging. he could feel it give. a broken strand brushed against his face. and then he understood. they were firing at the rope! a panic terror seized him. he had reached the limit of human endurance. again the shots, and a trembling that told him that the rope was hit. he tried to struggle upward. if he could only ease his weight. he stretched his bound hands aloft in a hopeless effort to climb up to the branch. he no longer dared to look below. another volley and a sound of tearing. he drew in a long breath as though it would buoy him up. his feet felt about for something to rest on and relieve the strain. and still he could hear the crackling and feel the yielding and once more the guns rang out and the rope broke. with curses on his lips and delirium in his heart, he fell. once he turned over in his awful flight. then, a mere atom in that immensity of space, he shot like a plummet to the rocks below. chapter vii off for panama it had been a day of tremendous strain from start to finish, and there was a general sigh of relief, as they gathered up their traps and prepared to leave the camp. not since their fight with the pirates, had the boys had a closer "shave." it had been a case of touch and go, and they had barely escaped with their lives. but they had won out, after all, and, as tom said, "a miss was as good as a mile." and their hearts warmed at the sense of comradeship, that had once again been tested to the limit and proved equal to the emergency. they had risked their lives for each other, and the "fortune that favors the brave" had not deserted them. for melton, their feeling was too deep for words. his was a heart of gold. without the slightest personal end to be served, and prompted solely by his great, big, generous soul, he had come to their aid in the moment of deepest need, and fought shoulder to shoulder, in their effort to save their friend. again and again they sought to voice their thanks, but the hardy old frontiersman would have none of it. "cut it out, boys," he laughed. "i didn't do a thing that you wouldn't have done for me, if you knew that an american was in trouble. some day perhaps, you can pay me back, if you insist on considering it a debt. i only hope, if i ever do get in a scrape, i'll have some young fellows of your brand behind me." as none of them could read the future, they did not know that there was a touch of prophecy in his words, and that the time was coming, when, in his own native rockies, the boys would pay the debt with interest. from the loot found in the hut of the bandit chief, dick had recovered his watch and money and clothes, and declared that he felt like a human being again for the first time since he had been trapped by the guerilla band on the morning before. they shuddered, as, on their way through the camp, they passed the bodies of the snakes, still tethered to the posts. they lay, quiet enough now, like the human fiend whose venom had been as dangerous as their own. "the snakes and the tiger," mused bert. "they both lost out." but now the cavalry were mounted and ready for the start. the horses of the guerillas had been released from their hobbles, and were led by ropes behind a number of the soldiers. one was assigned to dick, while melton and the boys mounted three, that they were to use temporarily, until they had recovered their own that had been left further down the trail. as they were gathering up the reins, bert felt a touch on his leg. he looked down and saw the chinaman, who in the hurry of preparation had been overlooked. "great scott!" he exclaimed. "the chink! we forgot all about him." the poor fellow's eyes were full of dread at the thought of being left alone in the wilderness. "of course we'll take you along, john," bert continued, "though i don't know what on earth we'll do with you. but we'll settle that later on." dismounting, he gave the chinaman a leg up on one of the led horses. the oriental had never been on a horse in his life, and he made a comical figure, as he bobbed up and down. after threatening to fall off at any moment, he finally abandoned all effort to sit upright, and, leaning forward, threw he arms around the horse's neck and held on for his life. "it's rather hard lines," laughed dick. "but when he thinks of what he's getting away from, i guess he won't worry much about getting shaken up a little." soon they reached their own horses, and were proceeding to make the exchange, when they remembered the sentry who had been captured on that spot. they looked at each other with a little touch of perplexity. "we can't leave him there to starve," said tom. "on the other hand, if we remind the captain, he'll simply send one of his troopers to put a bullet in him." "he's our captive," said bert, "and i guess we'd better tend to this on our own account. we didn't actually promise him his life, and no doubt he's deserved death many times over. we got some valuable information out of him, though, even if it was at the point of a bowie, and i think we ought to untie him and let him go." as there was no dissent from this, they went to the tree where they had left the sentry. they found him nearly dead from terror. he had heard the sounds of the fight and the cheers of the soldiers, and knew pretty well how the struggle had ended. now, as the boys approached, he tried to read their purpose in their eyes. he knew how he would have acted, had the case been reversed, and he did not dare to hope for mercy. but, to his astonishment, they took the gag from his mouth, untied his hands and told him he was free. he shook himself and then staggered away in the underbrush, trying to get out of sight before his deliverers should change their minds. they watched him till he vanished, and then retraced their steps to where melton was waiting. "you did right, boys," he said. "although," he added, "a good many might think it was a case of misplaced sympathy. while i was waiting, i was reminded of the story of the little girl, looking at a picture of the early christians attacked by lions in the arena. her mother saw that she was crying, and was pleased to see that she was so tender-hearted. 'it is sad, isn't it?' she asked. 'yes,' sobbed the child, 'look at this poor thin little lion, that hasn't any christian.'" the boys laughed, as they sprang into the saddle. "of course," concluded melton, "it's rough on any lion to compare him to a fellow like this. perhaps we'd better say a hyena, and let it go at that." with hearts light as air, they cantered down the trail. once more, life was smiling. they passed in quick succession the various land marks they had such good reason to remember. here was the place where they had passed the night, and where melton had come upon them, bringing cheer and hope. there was the stream, in which the outlaws had walked their horses. most memorable of all was the curve in the road, where dick had come upon the guerillas. nothing in nature had changed since yesterday. but what a gulf lay between their tortured sensations of the day before and the joyous elation of the present! it was long after dark, when they rode into montillo--too late to see the consul and the mayor that night. they bade a cordial good night to the captain, and, with a gay wave of the hand to the troopers, went to the leading hotel of the place. here they found their baggage, which, thanks again to the thoughtfulness of melton, had been taken from the train and sent there to await their coming--that coming which had been so doubtful a little while before. they saw to it that the chinaman had food and drink and a place to sleep. then a good supper, a hot bath, and they piled between sheets, to await the coming of the morrow. it was long after sunrise the next morning, when they awoke. they had slept soundly, and, if any haunting recollection of their experience had taken form in a dream, there was no trace of anything but jubilation, as they dressed and breakfasted to an accompaniment of jest and laughter. melton, who had risen earlier and was smoking on the veranda, rose and threw away his cigar, and after a hearty handshake, went with them to the office of the consul. "thank god, you're back," he cried fervently, as he shook hands with melton. "and these, i suppose," he went on, as he turned toward the boys and greeted them warmly, "are the young rascals who have given me so many anxious moments lately. by jove, i can't tell you how glad i am to know that you got out of that scrape all right. there aren't many who have fallen into the hands of el tigre that ever came back to tell the story. sit down now and tell me all about it." he was a fine example of uncle sam's representatives abroad, keen, strong, determined, and the boys warmed toward him at once. he listened intently, while melton told all that had happened, and his eyes lighted up, as he learned how they had rushed the camp. "it was splendid," he exclaimed. "it's almost a miracle and i wonder that you pulled through alive." "it was a narrow squeak," admitted melton, "and, at that, i'm afraid we wouldn't have got away with it, if the troopers hadn't come up just when they did. the bandits had got over their surprise and were surrounding us. i tell you, that squad of soldiers looked mighty good to me." "so i imagine," rejoined the consul. "and that reminds me that we ought to go round and see the mayor. you can thank your friend here," he went on, turning to the boys, "that the mayor got busy at all in this matter. it was that 'hand on the hip pocket' idea that did the trick. it scared him stiff. he thinks a good deal of that precious skin of his, and he didn't like the idea of having it shot full of holes. i don't believe he ever hustled so much before in his life. no doubt by this time he has had a report of the affair from the captain of the squad, and he'll be strutting around like a turkey-cock." the consul's prediction was confirmed, when, a few minutes later, they were ushered into the mayor's office. he was fairly bursting with self importance. he greeted them with ineffable politeness, strongly dashed with condescension. he was delighted beyond measure to see his dear americano friends again. but there--it was a foregone conclusion. nothing could withstand his soldiers. he had already telegraphed to mexico city, of the rescue, and of the complete destruction of the band of el tigre. what no other mayor had been able to accomplish, _he_ had done in one fell swoop. it would probably mean--ahem--a decoration, possibly--ahem--political promotion. he trusted that his good americano friends would report the matter at washington. it would show how sternly the mexican government protected the lives of foreigners in its borders. and so he went on, in a steady stream of self laudation, that so strongly stirred the risibles of the boys that they did not dare to look at each other, for fear that they would laugh outright. but they were, after all, deeply indebted to him, no matter what his motives, and they maintained their gravity and thanked him heartily for the aid he had rendered. only after they had reached the street, did their features relax. "hates himself, doesn't he?" laughed tom. "he sure does," responded bert. "he ought to be nothing less than president, if you should ask him." "he's certainly throwing himself away to stay here as mayor," added dick. "but, considering all that's happened, i don't mind if he does pat himself on the back. but here comes the man to whom we owe an awful lot, too. i like him clear down to the ground." it was the young captain who approached, and they greeted him heartily. he also had reason for elation, both in having avenged his brother and in having accomplished a military feat that would surely add to his reputation. but he was modest, and stoutly disclaimed that the boys owed him anything. he had simply done his duty and it was all in the day's work. "he's the right stuff," said tom, as they separated, after mutual expressions of esteem. "he ought to be an american." which from patriotic, if somewhat prejudiced tom, was the highest praise. and now, after warmest farewells had been taken of the consul, there was nothing to keep them in montillo. yes, there was one thing, as dick suddenly remembered. "the chink," he said. "what about him?" "oh, give him a little money and let him stay here," suggested tom. "he can easily get something to do." the matter thus disposed of, they sauntered on, but as they neared the hotel, they saw the celestial evidently waiting for them. "hello, john," said bert, pleasantly. "hello, slelf," was the smiling answer. then he went on calmly: "me glo with you." "what's that?" cried bert, startled. "but we're going to panama." "me glo too. me glot flends, panama." "but have you got any money to take you there?" "no. you glot money. me play back," and he beamed on them blandly. the boys looked helplessly at each other. "how nice," murmured tom. "well, of all the nerve," exclaimed dick. "me glo with you," reiterated the chinaman, kindly but firmly; and the benevolence of his smile was beautiful to see. the bewilderment in bert's face was too much for the others, and they burst into a roar of laughter. "no use, bert," said dick, as soon as he could speak. "he's got the indian sign on us, and we might as well give in." "no," echoed tom, "there's no getting away from that smile. if i had it, i could borrow money from the bank of england." "i throw up my hands," responded bert. "he's adopted us, and that's all there is about it. we'll take him along as handy man, till he gets to his 'flends in panama.'" they put him to work at once, getting ready the baggage, and when this was completed, they sought out melton to say good-bye. they wrung his hand until he laughingly protested that they wanted to cripple him. "we'll never forget you, never," they declared with fervent sincerity. "same here," he replied with equal warmth, "and some day i hope to see you on my ranch. i'd like to show you what is meant by a western welcome." "will we? you bet. just watch us," came in chorus, and then they reluctantly tore themselves away from the great hearted specimen of nature's noblemen, whose place in their hearts was secure for all time. "panama, after all," exulted dick, as they stood on the station platform. "yes," chimed in tom, "they couldn't cheat us out of it." "the quickest route to the coast for us," added bert, "and then the rest of the way by boat. i'm wild to set my feet once more beneath the stars and stripes." chapter viii the great canal on a glorious afternoon, a few days later, the boys sat on the upper deck of the liner, as it drew near the city of colon, on the atlantic side of the isthmus of panama. with the quick rebound of youth, they had wholly recovered from the strain of the preceding days, and were looking forward with the keenest zest, to the opening of the great canal, now only two weeks distant. they gazed with interest at the toro lighthouse, as the steamer left the gleaming waters of the caribbean sea, and threaded its way up the bay of limon to cristobal, the port of colon. "and to think," dick was saying, "that it's four hundred years almost to a day, since the isthmus was discovered, and in all that time they never cut it through. to cover that distance of forty-nine miles from the atlantic to the pacific, ships have sailed ten thousand, five hundred miles. it almost seems like a reflection on the intelligence of the world, doesn't it?" "it surely does," asserted bert, "and yet it wasn't altogether a matter of intelligence, but of ways and means. in every century since then, lots of people have seen the advantages of a canal, but they've been staggered, when they came to count the cost. it's easy enough to talk of cutting through mountains and building giant dams and changing the course of rivers. but it's a long jump from theory to performance, and they've all wilted until your uncle samuel took up the job. even france, the most scientific nation in europe, gave it up after she'd spent two hundred million dollars." "it's a big feather in our cap," said tom--"the very biggest thing that has happened in the way of engineering, since this old earth began. it's the eighth wonder of the world. the building of the pyramids was child's play, compared to the problems our people have had to meet. but we've met them--health problems, labor problems, political problems, mechanical problems--met and solved them all. the american eagle has certainly got a right to scream." and their enthusiasm for the american eagle grew with every hour that passed, after they drew up to the docks and went ashore. everywhere there were evidences of thrift and progress and law and order, to be seen nowhere else in central or south america. after the slovenly towns and cities of mexico, it was refreshing to note the contrast. for five miles on either side of the canal--the canal zone--it was united states territory. from being the abode of fever and pestilence, it had been transformed into one of the healthiest places in the world. mosquitoes had been exterminated and the dreaded scourge of "yellow jack" wiped out completely. it was a cosmopolitan district, where all the nations of the world met together and all classes were to be found, from the highest to the lowest. but over this mixed and often turbulent population, the civil and military arms of the united states, ruled with such strength and wisdom, as to make it a model for the world's imitation. the city was bright, clean, animated, abounding in amusements and diversions; but lawlessness and disorder were unsparingly repressed. the boys were delighted at the novelty of what they saw and heard, and it was late when they went to their rooms, with an eager anticipation of all that awaited them on their trip across the isthmus. for this trip from end to end of the canal was one of the most cherished features of their general plan. they wanted to study it at their leisure--the dams, the locks, the gates, the lakes, the feeders, the spillways, the attractions--the thousand and one things that made it the marvel of the twentieth century. and they vowed to themselves that what their eyes did not take in would not be worth seeing. colon, itself, held them for two more days, and during that time they lost one of their party. wah lee--for that they had discovered to be their chinaman's name--had justified his statement that he had "flends in panama." they had rather suspected that these alleged friends resembled the mythical mrs. harris, whose chief claim to fame was that "there wasn't no such person." they were agreeably surprised, therefore, when, before they had been twenty-four hours in the city, he told them that, through one of his "flends," he had found employment in the household of a wealthy japanese residing in the suburbs. he would have gladly stayed with the boys, to whom he had become greatly attached. but although they were fond of him, and got a good deal of amusement from his quaint ways, they had really no need of him, and he was a clog on their freedom of movement. they wanted to be footloose--to go where they pleased and when they pleased--and they were glad to learn that he was so well provided for. "me clome and slee you melly times," he assured them, benignantly. "sure thing, old boy," answered tom. "we're always glad to see you." "me play you back," said wab lee. "pay back nothing," responded bert. "you don't owe us anything. you've worked your passage, all right." "me play you back," he repeated, as calmly as though they had not protested, and pattered off, after including them all in his irresistible smile. "and he will," affirmed dick, despairingly. "we're just clay in the hands of the potter, when we come up against that old heathen. if he says he'll pay you back, paid back you'll be, as surely as my name is dick trent." which proved to be true enough, although the payment was made in different coin and in an other fashion than they dreamed of at the moment. two days later, bright and early they took the train on the little railroad that runs from colon to panama. their first stop was to be at the gatun dam and locks, the mightiest structure of its kind in the world. as they came in sight of it, the boys gasped in amazement and admiration. what they had read about it in cold type, had utterly failed to give them an adequate idea of the reality. here was a work that might have been hammered out by thor. there were the mighty gates, weighing each, from three hundred to six hundred tons. the locks each had four gates, seven feet thick and from forty-seven to seventy-nine feet high. the gates were operated by electricity and open or shut in less than two minutes, and absolutely without noise. in these locks were three chambers, lower, middle and upper. each was a thousand feet long, one hundred and ten feet wide and eighty-one feet deep. as the vessel enters the lower chamber, it finds there a depth of over forty feet. the gate is closed and the water pours in, lifting the vessel as it rises. in fifteen minutes, the water rises over twenty-eight feet. now the ship has reached the middle chamber, and again the gates are closed and the process repeated. the upper chamber is the last stage, and then the vessel reaches the artificial lake of gatum. it has climbed eighty-five feet in about ninety minutes. "just like climbing a flight of stairs," exclaimed dick. "precisely," said bert. "where a train climbs a mountain by a steady grade, the vessel leaps up to the top in three jumps." "think of trying to lift one of those enormous vessels with a derrick or a crane," murmured tom; "and yet how gently and easily the water does it by pushing up from underneath." "look at the width of those concrete walls," pointed bert. "fifty-two feet thick! "well, twenty-five million dollars will do a lot, and i've read that it cost that much for these locks alone. and that's only a fraction of the entire work." at every turn, they came across something that evoked their wonder and admiration. most of the figures and statistics connected with the colossal work they were already familiar with, but the information thus gained was, in a certain sense, hazy and unreal. it was seen through the mirage of distance, and not until their eyes actually saw the work in course of construction, did the knowledge lying in their minds, take a sharp and clearly cut outline. as they moved about the dam, they came in contact with many of the engineers connected with the work. these were picked men, americans like themselves, and of the very highest class of skilled engineers. they were glad to meet the young fellows from the states--"god's country," as they named it to themselves, in moments of homesickness--and the intelligent interest of the boys, in marked contrast to many of the "fool questions" put to them by the general run of tourists, made them eager to impart to them all they wanted to know. they grew "chummy" at once, and by the time the boys had spent a half a day in their inspection, they knew more about it than they would have gained in a month of reading. among other things, they learned that the locks were the greatest reinforced concrete structure in the world. they had been built in sections, thirty-six feet long, and these had been joined together so as to make one gigantic rock, thirty-five hundred feet long and three hundred and eighty-four feet wide. this reached down fifty feet under tide, and towered one hundred and fifteen feet above the level of the sea. the concrete necessary was brought in barges that if strung along in one tow would have stretched from colon to the southern coast of the united states, a distance of fifteen hundred miles. great masses of steel were first erected, and then the concrete was poured into these by giant mixers. the wall at the west wing held back the waters of the chagres river. this was allowed to spread out into a lake, covering nearly two hundred square miles, at a level of eighty-seven feet. from this the water was drawn to feed the locks, and even in the dryest season would prove sufficient for that purpose. then there was the great spillway, in the hill that forms part of gatun dam. here one hundred and forty thousand cubic feet of water can be discharged every second. the waters made a magnificent picture as they poured through the gates. as dick remarked, it was "an abridged edition of niagara falls." at the east of the spillway, was the power plant, where the water, dropping seventy-five feet, developed enough electric power and light to operate the canal from end to end. at bohio, the southern end of gatun lake, they came to the place where the canal enters the foothills of the mountain range. up to this point, there had been but little digging, but here the real work of excavation had begun. the earth and rock that had to be removed here was equal to that involved in cutting a ditch across the united states, ten feet deep and fifty-five feet wide. the dirt would load a train that reached four times around the earth. "only a little matter of a hundred thousand miles," exclaimed tom. "gee, these figures are enough to make your head ache. everything is in thousands and hundreds of thousands and millions." "yes," said bert, "it's simply inconceivable. we mention figures, but we can't really grasp what they mean. it seems like the work of giants, rather than men." "right you are," assented dick. "why, even the blast holes drilled for the dynamite, if put together, would stretch from new york to philadelphia." at the great culebra cut, where at one point the depth was over four hundred feet, the wonder grew. twenty million pounds of dynamite had been used in this cut and the cost of the excavation was over eighty millions of dollars. yet with such care and skill had this been managed that very few men had lost their lives; not as many as are killed in the erection of an ordinary office building in new york. and here, at culebra, the problem had been harder to solve than anywhere else. there had been enormous landslides, that made it necessary to do the work over and over again. twenty-one million cubic yards of earth had fallen from the mountain side, in many cases covering the engines and shovels engaged in the work of excavation. one slide involved sixty-three acres. at another place, forty-seven acres moved entirely across the canal at the rate of fourteen feet a day, and rose at one point to a height of thirty feet. over twenty times, these avalanches came down the sides of the cut. it seemed as though nature were angered at the attempts of man to change what she had ordained, and were determined to drive him to despair. but the attempts were renewed with dogged persistence, and now the course of the canal had been fully protected, and baffled nature could rage in vain. it was heart-breaking work, but when uncle sam puts his hand to the plough, he doesn't turn back. science and pluck, working hand in hand with splendid audacity, had come out triumphant. part of the excavation had been made by hydraulic action. where the ground was soft, tremendous streams of water played upon the banks, washing the dirt away. in other sections, there were enormous steam shovels, some of them weighing ninety-five tons, and scooping up the earth, a carload at a time. "nice little toys," remarked dick, as he gazed into the maw of one of them. "right you are," responded bert, "but they're toys that only giants can play with." on the third day of their trip, they reached the pedro miguel locks, forty miles from the atlantic. in its general features, it was patterned after those at gatun. here, the vessel, which had been sailing along at a height of eighty-five feet above sea level after it left gatun, would begin to drop toward the pacific. it would descend thirty feet, then sail across an artificial lake for a mile and a half, until it reached the miraflores locks, the last place where it would be halted on its trip to the western ocean. here there were two chambers, each lowering the ship twenty-seven and a half feet, making a drop of fifty-five feet in all. from there, for a distance of eight miles, it would pass through a channel, five hundred feet wide and forty-five deep, until at last it reached the sea. and now the whole stupendous plan lay before them as clear as crystal. as in a panorama, they saw the vessel, as it left the atlantic and prepared to climb the backbone of the continent. it would come up the bay of limon to the entrance of the canal, and there the sailing craft would fold its wings, the liner would shut off steam. on the wide expanse of gatun lake they would again proceed under their own power. through the canal proper they would be drawn by electric traction engines, running upon the walls. at gatun, they would climb, by three successive steps, to a point eighty-five feet above sea level. crossing gatun lake, they would pass through the culebra cut to the pedro miguel locks. a downward jump of thirty feet here, another of fifty-five feet at the mirafiores locks, a level sail for eight miles more, and they would emerge on the broad bosom of the pacific. then the sails would be broken out, the engines begin to throb, and away to the western coast or manila, or australia, or china and japan. the dream of four hundred years would have become a glorious reality. in ten hours, the largest steamship could ride in safety from ocean to ocean. the distance from new york to san francisco by sea would be shortened by over nine thousand miles. liverpool would be brought seven thousand miles nearer the pacific slope. from new york to manila, five thousand miles were saved. the commercial supremacy of the sea would be taken from the maritime nations of europe and put in the hands of the united states. that shining strip of water, fifty miles in length, would prove the "path of empire," and mark a peaceful revolution in the history of the world. "and it's time that we came into our own again," declared bert, as, their trip finished, they sat on the veranda of the hotel at colon. "eighty years ago, our flag was to be found on every sea. but we've been so busy with our internal development that we've let the control of the ocean pass into the hands of others, especially england. it's a burning shame that most of our commerce is carried in english ships. i hope that, now the canal is ready for use, there'll be a big upbuilding of our merchant marine, and that it'll be no longer true that 'britannia rules the waves.'" "i think that the british already see the handwriting on the wall," remarked dick. "perhaps that explains their unwillingness to take part in the san francisco exposition. they've made a big fuss because we don't make our coastwise vessels pay any tolls for going through the canal. but i think the real reason lies deeper than that." "germany and russia are none too cordial, either, i notice," said tom. "when you come to think of it, we haven't many friends in europe, anyway." "no," mused bert. "about the only real friend that we have over there is france. as a rule, she's been on pretty good terms with us, ever since she helped us in our revolutionary war. we had a little scrap with her on the sea, once, and we had to warn her to get out of mexico, when she tried to back up maximilian there. but our republican form of government appeals to her, and, on the whole, she likes us. "but russia feels a little sore, because she thinks we sympathized with japan in her recent war. and germany has always kicked like a steer about our monroe doctrine. if she felt strong enough, she'd knock that doctrine into a cocked hat. she wants to expand, to establish colonies for her surplus population. she's especially keen on getting into brazil. but wherever she turns, she finds the monroe doctrine blocking her way. she says it isn't fair: it isn't reasonable; it isn't based on international law." "well, isn't she right?" asked tom. "it's always seemed rather nervy to me, for us to say that no other power shall acquire territory in north or south america. by what right do we say so?" "by no right at all," admitted bert. "we fall back on the law of self-preservation. we've simply figured out that we want to keep the ocean between us and the nations of europe. otherwise, we'd have to keep an enormous standing army. if they had territory near by, where they could drill and recruit and establish food and coal depots, so as to be ready to attack us suddenly, we'd be on edge all the time. as it is, we can go to sleep nights, without any fear of finding the enemy in our backyard the next morning when we look out of the window." "well," remarked a californian, named allison, whose acquaintance they had recently made, and who now drew his chair nearer and joined in the conversation; "we don't need to worry about europe. the real enemy lies in another direction." and he pointed toward asia. "you mean japan?" queried bert. "exactly," was the answer. "aren't you california people a little daffy on the japanese question?" chaffed dick. "not a bit of it," replied allison, with marked emphasis. "as sure as you're alive, there's going to be a tremendous fight between japan and the united states. just when it's coming, i don't know. but that it is coming, i haven't the slightest shadow of a doubt. i'd stake my life upon it." his deep earnestness impressed the boys in spite of themselves. "but why?" asked tom. "there doesn't seem any real reason for bad blood between us, as far as i can see." "then, too, we opened up japan to modern civilization in , and brought her into the family of nations," added dick. "she's always professed the greatest friendship for us." "'professed,' yes," answered allison, "but, for some time past, those professions have sounded hollow. there's the immigration problem. there's the magdalena bay concession. there's the california school question and the alien land bill. have you read of the mass meetings at tokio, and the passionate harangues against america? wasn't that pretty near an ultimatum that the viscount chenda put before the washington government a little while ago? i tell you, gentlemen, that many a nation has been plunged into bloody war for reasons less than these." "but, after all," objected tom, "if anything of the kind threatens, we'll have time enough to see it coming, and get ready to meet it." "will we?" cried allison. "did the russians have any warning, before the japanese smashed their fleet at port arthur? do you know that for two years past, her arsenals have been working night and day? with what object? when japan is ready, she will strike as the lightning strikes. she may be ready now. perhaps at this very moment, her fleet may be on the way to san francisco." in his excitement, he half rose from his chair, and his voice rang out like a clarion. chapter ix the treacherous bog two days after their trip over the course of the canal the three chums decided to spend a long day on an exploring expedition after their own heart. they resolved to go off early some fine morning on "their own hook" and see and do what pleased them best. accordingly, they made all their plans, and, the night before the eventful day, laid in provisions for a "bang up" lunch for three. they procured an old alarm clock and set it to go off at four o'clock in the morning. this done, they finished discussing every detail of the trip, and as soon as their excitement would let them, fell into a sound sleep. it seemed to them that they had hardly laid their heads on the pillows when they were awakened by the strident whirring of the little sleep-killer, and sat up in bed yawning and rubbing their eyes. "good-night!" exclaimed bert. "it isn't possible that it's really time to get up. it seems to me that i haven't been asleep more than ten minutes." "same here," yawned dick. "i guess there must be something sleepy in this air. no wonder the natives are lazy, if they feel every morning the way i do now." "oh, what's the matter with you two lemons, anyway?" laughed tom. "my private opinion, publicly expressed, is that you're both just plumb lazy. but there's nothing like that about me. just see how lively i feel," and to prove his assertion he grasp ed a pillow in each hand and landed them with fatal aim on the respective heads of the other two. "gee," exclaimed dick, as he and bert rose in righteous wrath preliminary to smothering tom under an avalanche of bedclothes, "it's a lucky thing you don't feel any better than you do. in that case you'd probably be landing us with a couple of pieces of furniture." "i'd like to do that, anyway," came tom's muffled voice from beneath the pile of pillows and blankets. "for heaven's sake, let me up and quit stepping on my head." thus adjured, bert and dick released their victim, and after what looked like a miniature earthquake among the pile of things on the floor tom emerged, very red in the face. "that's a swell way to start the day, isn't it?" he protested in an injured tone. "two minutes more of that and i'd have smothered, sure. if you want to murder me, why don't you do it in a less painful manner?" "hush, my son," said dick. "who started it? never start anything you can't finish, my boy." with this piece of good advice dick started dressing, and the others followed suit. after this they made up the lunch, eating a sandwich now and then by way of breakfast. there was nothing fancy in the way in which the sandwiches were thrown together, and the mothers of the three boys would no doubt have been horrified could they have seen it. however, "everything went," as bert expressed it, and in a very short time they had their packing done and were ready to start. they slipped as silently as possible through the corridors, and in less time than it takes to tell were in the outer air. it was still very early, and the hot sun was not yet high enough to dissipate the heavy mist that hung close over the ground. they knew this would not last long, however, so started out on their expedition at a round gait. they had resolved beforehand to strike into the wild country bordering the path of the big ditch, and see it "at first hand," as dick phrased it. each had a rifle with him, and they expected to bag some small game if opportunity should offer, with which to supplement their lunch. the country immediately bordering the canal at this point was rather barren and rocky, but at no great distance a thick tropical jungle sprang up, and it was into this that the boys resolved to go. accordingly they picked their way over the rough flat, perhaps two miles in width, which lay between them and the line of green jungle. the going was very rough, and it took them almost an hour to reach the trees. everything has an end, however, and in due time they found themselves at the edge of the fringe of trees that stood out a little way from the main forest. these were soon passed, and the comrades entered the green gloom of the big tropic trees. their trunks shot up thirty or forty feet before the branches sprang out, and were thinly encircled by clinging vines and plants. the leaves in many places met overhead, and caused a perpetual twilight in the forest aisles. as the boys penetrated deeper and deeper toward the heart of the woods the underbrush and vines grew continually thicker, and in many places they found their progress stopped by some tangled growth and were forced to cut it away before they could proceed. it grew hotter and hotter, too, with a damp, clammy heat that at last became almost unbearable. "great scott!" burst out dick, at last, while they were cutting through a particularly tough growth of vines and creepers. "i think this is about the hardest work i ever did in my life. what you need to make a path in this blooming jungle is a carload of dynamite--not merely a few little toad-stickers like these we're using." "well, as we haven't the dynamite handy, i suppose we'll have to make the best of the 'toadstickers,'" laughed bert, amused by his companion's rueful countenance. "you didn't expect to find a macadamized road running through this little strip of woodland, did you?" "no, but i didn't expect to find vines made of cast iron, either," replied dick. "never mind, old scout," said bert, "this can't last long. we're certain to hit on a game trail sooner or later, and then we'll be in clover. and the harder we work now, the sooner we'll find it." "oh, well, here goes," responded dick, and fell to with renewed vigor. before very long it turned out as bert had predicted. after cutting through a particularly dense thicket, they had not gone far when they stumbled on a narrow but clearly defined trail that ran in a southeasterly direction. "eureka!" exclaimed tom, as this welcome sight met their eyes, "it will be plain sailing from now on, and we ought to be able to get somewhere." "we don't know where we're going, but we're on the way," sang bert. "forward, march, fellows. christopher columbus had nothing on us as discoverers." "righto," agreed his companions, and they set forth along the narrow path at a brisk pace. there were traces of game in plenty, but they were unable to catch a glimpse of anything that might give them a chance to exercise their marksmanship. of course, the trees were full of monkeys and parrots, but they had no wish to kill merely for the sake of killing, and were resolved to shoot nothing that they could not use as food. no game made its appearance, and the boys were looking around for a site on which they could pitch camp, when they were suddenly startled by a distant shout. "help, help!" came the cry, evidently at some distance from them. in spite of this, the three adventurers had no difficulty in recognizing the note of terror in it, and after one look at each other started off at a dead run in the direction of the cries. running, tripping, stumbling, picking themselves up and racing on again harder than ever, it was not long before the shouts for help were appreciably nearer, and bert, with what breath was left him, shouted back. tom and dick followed suit, and it became evident the person in distress, whoever it might be, had heard them, for his shouts ceased. suddenly bert, who was a little in advance of the others, pulled himself up abruptly, and glanced down at the ground. "easy there, fellows," he cautioned, between gasps for breath. "it looks as though we'd struck the edge of a bog, and now we'd better make haste slowly." "you're right," exclaimed dick, after they had taken a few cautious steps forward. "it keeps getting softer and softer, and i think we'd better look around for some path. we'll be bogged in another hundred feet." "well, we might as well let whoever it is we're going after know we're still on the job," said tom, and forthwith he gave vent to a whoop that sent a cloud of wild birds soaring up from the reeds by which they were now surrounded. his shout was answered by another from the unknown, and tom yelled, "don't give up, we'll get to you as soon as we can. what's the matter, are you stuck in the swamp?" "yes," called the other, "and i'm getting deeper every minute. follow the edge of the swamp a few hundred yards toward the west, and you'll find the path that i wandered from. but hurry up, or i'm a goner." "all right," sang out bert, and the three hurriedly skirted the bog in the direction which its unfortunate victim had indicated. sure enough, in a few minutes they reached a spot where the reeds thinned out considerably, and they could see the stranger. he was almost up to his shoulders in the soft, sticky mud, but when he caught sight of his would-be rescuers, he waved a hand to them feebly. "step lively, boys," he implored, "i'm almost done for. i won't be able to last long. the further i sink the faster, and this muck will soon be over my head." the three comrades held a hurried consultation as to the best means they could employ to effect the man's release. "let's buckle our belts together," suggested bert, hastily divesting himself of his. "maybe we can pull him out that way." this was no sooner said than done, and in a twinkling the three stout belts were fastened together. then, following the captive's direction, they ventured gingerly out on the narrow path, composed of quaking tufts of soft earth that led into and presumably across the swamp. soon they were within ten feet or so of the unfortunate, who proved to be a well built man of middle age. they threw him the end of the improvised rope, which he grasped desperately. then they bent their united efforts to pulling him out of the clinging mire. pull as they might, however, they were hardly able to move him, as they could get no purchase on the soft ground, and only began to sink in themselves. it was with difficulty that, after giving over this attempt as hopeless, they managed to scramble back to solid ground. "don't give up, boys," pleaded the unhappy man. "you're not going to let me die here, are you?" "don't worry about our deserting you," said bert. "we're going to get you out of this, but we've got to figure out how. can you think of anything?" "you might run back to where the underbrush starts and bring back a lot of it," suggested he. "i might be able to support myself that way while you went for help." "that's a good idea," exclaimed bert, and in accordance with the suggestion they raced back to the jungle and soon returned, each bearing a large bundle of underbrush. this they threw into the swamp in such a way that the man could rest his arms on it. then they waited expectantly to see if this would "turn the trick." at first it seemed that the plan would prove successful, but before long it became apparent that the man was still sinking, although more slowly than before. the brush only served to defer his fate. "hang it all!" exclaimed bert, as he realized this fact, "there's nothing we can do here alone. what we need is planks, and ropes, and tools. the only thing i can see is for us to hustle back to camp and get help." "the sooner the better, i guess," agreed dick, soberly, and accordingly they explained their intentions to the man in the bog. "how far have you got to go?" inquired the latter, and when they told him he groaned. "you'll never get back in time," he said, "but i guess it's the only thing left to do. only, one of you please stay here with me. if i've got to die, i'd rather not die alone." "oh, quit that talk about dying," exclaimed bert, although in his heart he had little hope. but the three comrades were resolved to employ every means, however desperate, for the stranger's release. they held a brief consultation. "you and tom had better go, dick," said bert. "i'll stay here and do all i can to keep this poor fellow alive, but it's a long trip and i'm afraid there's not much chance for him." so tom and dick set off at a brisk trot, and bert began to talk with the unfortunate man with the idea of getting his mind as much as possible off his predicament. it developed that he was an engineer connected with the canal, who had gone for a day's hunting in the jungle. he had lost his way, and had been forced to make camp over night. early the next morning he had set out, and when he had reached the swamp had attempted to cross it by way of a path that a native guide had pointed out to him as being a short cut, on a previous trip. he had taken two or three steps off the path before he realized it, and then, when he had attempted to return, had found himself held fast in the treacherous mire. all his efforts to escape had only resulted in his sinking deeper and deeper, and finally he had ceased struggling. then he began to shout at intervals, in the faint hope of someone being within earshot, and, as we have seen, brought the three boys to his aid. while the man had been talking, bert's mind had been busy with a hundred plans for helping him, which, however, he was forced to abandon one after the other. it wrung his heart to see the poor wretch slowly sinking in the filthy mud, and to feel his own absolute inability to help him. by this time, the stranger was in the mire up to his chin, the underbrush which the boys had cut for him having gradually been pulled under. almost imperceptibly, but none the less surely, he sank, and bert tore his hair and paced wildly up and down the bank, wrung by pity for the doomed man. at last the latter smiled weakly, and said, "well, good-bye, my boy. you and your pals did your best, but i'm done for now. hartley's my name, and tell the boys back at the camp that i died game, anyway. tell them----" but at this point bert dashed madly away, pulling his sharp hunting knife from its sheath as he ran. he plunged into a thick clump of reeds on the edge of the swamp, and hastily cut an unusually long and tough one. he put it to his lips and blew through it, assuring himself that it was hollow. then he rushed madly back to the place where the engineer was immersed. nor was he a minute too soon. the man had sunk until the mud was at his very lips, and in another few moments it would inevitably close over his mouth and nostrils. bert dashed out on the quaking path, careless of his own danger, and in a few words explained his plan to the engineer. the latter's eyes lighted up with hope, and expressed the thanks he had no time to utter. bert got as near him as he could, and thrust one end of the reed into hartley's mouth. his teeth and lips closed tightly about it. "there you are." exclaimed bert, exultantly. "now you can breathe through that reed until help comes from camp, and then we'll get you out if we have to drain the swamp to do it. i'll stay right here till they come, and the reed will mark your position. keep up hope and you'll be all right yet." his eloquent eyes told bert that he understood, and now there was nothing to do but sit down and wait for the expected help to arrive from camp. he knew that this would not be for some time yet, and his only hope was that the man in the swamp would not sink deeper than the length of the reed. he sank very slowly now, but none the less surely, and gradually the mud covered his mouth--his nostrils--his eyes--and at length his head sank beneath the surface. the smooth mire closed over the place where he had been, and the slender reed was all that remained to connect him with the living, pulsing world about. at the thought of the horrible death the engineer would now have suffered without the aid of that frail thing bert shuddered, and thanked heaven for the inspiration. the seething tropic life went on without interruption, as bert sat on the edge of the swamp with his eyes fastened on the reed. from the jungle back of him came the myriad cries of the wild things: the chatter of monkeys, the screams of the gaily colored parrots, and, once, the distant yell of a mountain lion. the tropic sun beat down with ever-increasing intensity as it neared the zenith, and bert felt an awful oppression stealing over him. after the first flush of triumph over cheating the bog, at least temporarily, of its victim, a rush of doubts and fears came over him. could the engineer retain consciousness, immersed as he was in the vile, sticky mud? would he not give up, and release his hold on the precious reed? these and a thousand other misgivings tortured bert as he watched the reed and waited for the expected reinforcements. the minutes seemed hours, and when he looked at his watch he was astonished to find it was not yet noon. at length his weary vigil was broken by a distant shout, which he recognized as tom's. all his fears vanished at the prospect of immediate action, and he raised a great shout in return. in a few moments he could hear the noise occasioned by the passage of a considerable body of men, and soon the rescuing party hove in sight. this consisted of several of the camp engineers and foremen, together with eight or ten husky laborers. everybody, including tom and dick, carried shovels and ropes, and some of the laborers bore long, wide planks on their shoulders. dick and tom rushed forward, followed by the others, but stopped short when they looked at the treacherous swamp and saw no sign of the engineer. their faces paled, and dick exclaimed, "too late, are we? we did our best, but we've got here too late." grief was written on every face, but this was soon dispelled when bert exclaimed, briskly, "too late nothing. he's under the swamp, to be sure, but he's breathing through the reed you see sticking up there," and he pointed out to them this slender barrier between life and death. "well, i'll be hanged," muttered one of the rescuing party, "how in the world did he ever come to think of that, i wonder?" "never mind how i came to think of it!" exclaimed bert, "the thing is now to get him out. i've been watching that reed, and i don't believe he's more than ten inches or a foot below the surface. i feared he'd be a good deal deeper by this time." accordingly the rescuing party fell to with feverish haste, and began constructing a sort of boxed-in raft about eight feet square. this would support several people on the shaky surface of the bog, and it would give them a place to work on while attempting to extract hartley. in the meantime, what had been the sensations of the unfortunate engineer? as the thick mud slowly closed over his head he held the reed tightly between his lips, and had little difficulty in breathing through it. the mud was warm, and strange to say, he had a feeling almost of comfort as he sank beneath it. soon he felt an almost overpowering desire to sleep. he knew, however, that if he yielded to this he would lose his hold on the reed, and so fought off the perilous drowsiness. before very long he felt something hard under his feet, and was conscious that he was no longer sinking. at first he was at a loss to know what had stopped his downward progress, but at last decided he must have come to rest on a sunken stump. this theory was confirmed when he felt around, first with one foot and then with the other, and found that on all sides of him there was only soft mud. but the stump beneath him renewed his hope. above ground the rescuing party was plying its saws and hammers to good effect, and in an incredibly short time had finished the rough raft. this done they spread the remaining planks along the so-called path leading into the swamp, and prepared to launch their "mud boat," as tom styled it. the rude affair was hoisted up on the brawny shoulders of the laborers, and they carried it into the swamp, treading very gingerly on the narrow, quaking pathway. they "launched" it at a spot as near as possible to the reed, and it was evident that it would give them an ample base from which to conduct their operations. stout ropes were then brought, and one of the engineers reached down into the soft mud directly under the spot where the reed disappeared. quickly drawing his hand up, he exclaimed, "i touched him easily that time! give me the rope, and i think i can reach down far enough to get it under his arms." the rope was given him, and, reaching far over the side of the raft, he plunged his arms into the mud up to his shoulders. he manipulated the rope deftly, and soon jumped to his feet, waving his muddy arms. "i've got it tied, all right," he exclaimed. "now, men, we'll see if we can't pull the poor fellow out." three of the laborers took hold of the rope, and exerted all their strength on it. slowly, very slowly, inch by inch, they pulled it up, until at last, amid a roar of cheers from them all, hartley's head appeared above the surface of the swamp, the reed still held between his lips. the men leaned over and grasped his arms, and at last succeeded in pulling him into the boat. he was a strange figure, and would hardly have been recognized as being a man. the thick mud clung to him, and made his features unrecognizable. "here," exclaimed bert, "let's get the mud off him," and accordingly the contents of several water bottles was dashed over his face. at last he was able to open his eyes and to speak. "there's no use my trying to thank you," he said, addressing the little group. "nothing i can say can express my thankfulness to everybody here, and especially these three lads, who have certainly done wonders for me." "oh, that's all right," said bert, "maybe you'll have a chance to do something for us one day, and then we'll be quits." "well, that doesn't alter matters at present," replied hartley, "and you and your friends certainly did everything that could be done. i had just about given up hope when you happened along." "it's a lucky thing for you they did, hartley," broke in one of the engineers, who had accompanied the rescuing party. "why, when these two lads dashed into camp and told us of your fix, we gave you up for lost. that reed business was certainly a great stunt." "no doubt about it," agreed another, and the three boys were deluged with a flood of like congratulations. then the party started back. hartley pluckily declared that he could walk, but they overruled him, and took turns in carrying him on a rude litter that they had hastily knocked together. "that fellow certainly has got wonderful nerve," said tom to bert and dick, and they heartily agreed with him. chapter x a perilous adventure the party reached the camp without further adventure, and mr. hartley was put under the care of the camp physician. the latter pronounced him all right with the exception of the shock, and the only prescription he gave was "two or three days of thorough rest." "well, that's easy medicine to take," said hartley, with a faint smile, when he heard this verdict, "but i hope you lads will come and visit me and help me kill time. i'm used to a pretty strenuous life, and time will hang awfully heavy on my hands if you don't. besides, i want to have a chance to express my appreciation of your brave conduct better than i have been able to so far." "well, we'll come to see you, all right, with pleasure," said bert, "only first we want to make one condition." "and what is that?" inquired the engineer. "why, that you'll cut out saying anything about our 'brave conduct,'" said bert. "we're naturally modest, you see," he added jokingly, "and anything like that bothers us." "well, all right. i suppose in that case i'll have to agree to your condition," assented the other, reluctantly, "but you can't keep me from thinking it, anyway." "all right, then, that's agreed, and we'll let it go at that," said bert, with a smile, "we'll be up to see you as soon as the doctor will let us, won't we, fellows?" turning to dick and tom. of course they were willing, so it was agreed that they should visit the engineer's tent, the next day but one. this matter settled, the three comrades took a cordial leave of mr. hartley, and made their way back to their own quarters. until now they had not realized how tired they were, but before they had gotten to their room they all felt as though they could scarcely keep awake. they managed to defer their sleep long enough to eat a hearty supper, however, but then "made a dash for the hay," as tom expressed it. it did not take them long to get to sleep that night, and they were too tired even to discuss the exciting happenings of this eventful day. with the characteristic recuperative power of youth, however, they were up bright and early the next day, and all three expressed themselves as feeling "as fit as a fiddle." "but just the same," remarked dick, "i feel like loafing around to-day and taking things easy. let's go up to the stone crushing works and watch them. that's my idea of the most restful thing in the world--to watch somebody else working." "it certainly is," agreed bert, with a laugh, "but i'm afraid the 'somebody else' might not appreciate your philosophy." "oh, that's all right," said dick. "some time when i'm working, the other fellow is welcome to watch me, and then he'll be getting his rest." "huh," remarked tom. "i'd hate to have to wait for my rest until you started laboring. i'm afraid i'd surely die from overwork before that happened." "oh, don't worry about your dying from overwork," retorted dick, "that's my idea of the last thing in the world to be afraid of. what do you think, bert?" "oh, i don't imagine any of us will get heart failure very soon from that cause," laughed bert, "but here we are at the workings already, so let's proceed to take your 'rest cure,' dick." it seems hardly probable, however, that any invalid, suffering from "nerves" or some kindred disorder, would have selected this as an ideal place to recuperate. everywhere the greatest activity was apparent, and the combined din of the different machines was a thing to be remembered. a steam shovel rattled and puffed, cement mixers crashed, and compressed air drills hammered perseveringly at the living rock. every once in a while, work would cease at some point, and the laborers would stand around expectantly. then there would come a muffled roar from some exploded blast, and a cloud of rocks, dirt, and smoke would shoot upwards. then the men would fall to again with renewed energy, the giant steam shovel would be set to work, and a few more yards of rock would be carried away. thus the work proceeded without intermission, and the boys, although now somewhat used to the sights, looked on fascinated. there was something very wonderful and awe-inspiring about the whole process that held the boys spellbound. "just think of it," said bert, after a long silence. "imagine us standing maybe half a mile away from this canal and seeing some big ocean liner going through it. why, it will look as though the ship were going over the solid ground." "that's what it will, all right," replied dick. "it's certainly the biggest thing ever." "i should think it was," said tom. "i can't think of anything else that even compares with it.". "no, neither can i," said bert, thoughtfully. "that is, no practicable project. of course wild schemes come up now and then to change the earth's course, or some other crazy idea like that. i remember reading of a plan like that somewhere. it seems its originator, whoever he was, planned to build a great ring of iron all around the earth at the equator, and then charge it with electricity. he figures that the immense magnetic attraction generated in that way would change the earth's course by acting on neighboring planets. i haven't much confidence in the plan, though," and, as bert said this, he looked at tom, slyly. "confidence!" exclaimed tom, with a contemptuous snort. "why, of all the fool schemes i ever heard of that's the limit. i shouldn't think you'd even----" but here he caught the twinkle in bert's eye, and stopped abruptly. "ha, ha!" roared dick, "my, but you had tom going that time, bert, he thought you were in earnest about that." "well, why shouldn't i think he was in earnest?" growled tom. "he's pretty near foolish enough even to believe in a demented idea like that. i wouldn't have been surprised if he had." "well, never mind, old timer," said bert, "i put one over on you that time, though, i guess. you'll have to admit it." "yes, i guess you did," said tom, "but i'll get even for that sometime. don't be surprised if you find a little rat poison in your soup some day. that's the only punishment i can think of that would fit the crime." "oh, that's all right," laughed bert. "if it's like most rat poisons, all it will do is to make me fat and strong. i remember a friend of mine whose father was a farmer. he was telling me how his father scattered poison all around his barn in the hope of killing off a few of the pests, but he said that all the effect it seemed to have was to make them hungry, so that they ate more grain and feed than before. maybe that's the way it will work with me, only the comparison isn't very flattering." "it isn't, for a fact," said dick, "but i hope in this case tom isn't as blood thirsty as he sounds." "well, i might be persuaded to postpone the execution," admitted tom, with a grin. "i'm always open to an offer, and a little matter of a five dollar bill or so would buy me off." "all right, consider yourself paid," said bert. "i'd rather owe it to you all my life than cheat you out of it." "much obliged, i'm sure," replied tom, sarcastically. "as soon as i get the five spot i'll blow you both to a swell dinner." "good night," exclaimed dick. "i hope i don't have to go hungry until that happens. i have a feeling that i'd lose considerable weight." "you'll have a _long_ wait, that's certain," replied tom, and prepared to take to his heels. the only indication bert and dick gave that they heard this atrocious pun was a couple of hollow groans and melancholy head shakes. "poor old tom," mourned dick at length, "poor old tom. i've feared for some time he was going off his head and now i know it. that's proof beyond question." "don't let it turn your hair gray," retorted tom. "as long as i don't worry about my condition you don't need to. but i'll promise to be good and not do it again, anyway. that was a pretty rotten joke, i'll have to admit." "that's all right," said bert, "we forgive you. i'm glad to see that you realize what a crime it was." after this they fell to discussing the events of the day before, and became so interested that they could hardly believe it was lunch time, when the whistles blew and the men threw down their tools and prepared to take a well earned rest for a brief hour. "well," said bert, glancing at his watch, "i guess it's about time we hit the trail toward the nearest eats emporium. now that its called to my attention, i begin to realize that i'm hungry." the others also discovered symptoms of a healthy appetite, so without further loss of time they hurried back to their 'base of supplies' as tom put it. "if we're as hungry as this without having done much all the morning, what would we be if we had been working since eight o'clock?" queried dick, and the others were unable to give him a satisfactory answer. "i guess they'd have to stop work, owing to a shortage in the food supply," said bert, and his companions laughingly agreed with him. they made a hearty lunch, and then returned to the scene of the excavations. there were a thousand interesting things to watch, and the afternoon passed very quickly. their attention was specially attracted by one giant steam shovel that rattled and puffed like some untiring monster. the engineer guiding it directed its every motion with a touch of one of the levers close to his hand, and it seemed as though the machine were a living creature and he its brain. the great scoop would drop with a roar of chains passing through pulleys, and then, as the main engine began to puff, would rise slowly but with irresistible force.. then a pair of auxiliary cylinders mounted on the beam of the shovel would begin to work, and the big scoop with its load of dirt and rocks would swing around and stop over one of the dirt cars. the engineer's assistant would pull a rope attached to the scoop, a catch would be released, and the bottom of the scoop would swing open, letting the load fall into the waiting car. this process would be repeated again and again, and then, when the shovel had scooped up all the dirt around it, it would be moved forward a few feet, under its own power, to a new base of operations. it seemed that its power was almost limitless, but at last there came a time when the boys thought it would meet an insurmountable obstacle. close to where they sat, a big stump projected from the ground. part of its gnarled and twisted roots was exposed, but a good deal of it was firmly imbedded in the earth. the steam shovel had worked its way along, until now it had reached a spot directly in front of this stump. the boys thought that some laborers would be sent to uproot it, so that the shovel could proceed, but there was no sign of this being done. "say!" exclaimed dick. "i'll bet any money they mean to uproot that stump with the shovel, but i don't believe it can be done. why, it would take a charge of dynamite to get that up." "it certainly looks pretty solid," said bert, "but they must know what they're doing. we won't have to wait long, though, to find out. look! they're bringing the scoop up under it now!" the three comrades watched intently as the big scoop dug in under the stump. as it came fairly up against the obstacle it slowed and almost stopped, and the boys caught their breaths. but the engineer opened the throttle a trifle more, and the stump moved! slowly it gave way, one root after another snapping off with a loud report, and at last was lifted clear of the ground. "well, what do you know about that!" exclaimed tom. "i thought the old steam shovel was up against it for fair, that time." "so did i," said bert, "but it fooled us good and proper." "it's such things as that steam shovel that make the canal possible," said dick, "just imagine the time it would take to dig that stuff out by the old method of shoveling. why, it would take so long that we'd never live to see it finished." "yes, i guess you're right," said bert, "and look at those compressed air drills working over there. think how long it would take to bore out those holes by the old method of hammering a drill into the rock. there's no doubt, that, as you say, modern machinery is the only thing responsible for this work. it's a wonderful thing, any way you look at it." it was indeed a subject admitting of much speculation, and the boys never tired of talking about it. in this way the afternoon passed very quickly, and when work was stopped they returned to their quarters. on the way back, bert said, "we might as well make arrangements now as later, fellows, for going to see mr. hartley. you know we promised to call on him to-morrow. what time shall we get there?" "oh, i should think right after lunch would be about the best time, don't you?" said dick, and as there seemed to be no objection to this plan, they adopted it unanimously. they arose early the next morning, and had ample time to take a long walk before breakfast. "not that it's at all necessary," remarked bert, "i don't very well see how any of us could have much better appetites than we have already." "yes, but if we didn't get all the exercise that we do, the appetites might not last very long," replied bert. they did not prolong their ramble long enough to interfere with breakfast, and got back to their quarters just in the nick of time. "another ten minutes," exclaimed tom, "and we would have missed some of the eats. we certainly do have close escapes from disaster at times." "it would certainly have been an awful calamity," grinned bert, "but i think we must have some sixth sense that leads us back here in time for meals. i don't remember that we have ever been late to one yet." "no, and we're not going to be, if i can help it," said dick, and they all fell to in earnest. breakfast over, they selected a level spot not far from their quarters and had a "catch." bert found his arm somewhat rusty, as he had not done any pitching to speak of for quite a while, but soon limbered up, and began "shooting them over" in his old time form. the morning passed quickly in the pursuit of this and other athletic exercises, and after a light luncheon the three comrades set out to visit mr. hartley in accordance with the plan they had formed the day before. it was not a long walk to the engineer's tent, and they made short work of it. needless to say, mr. hartley was more than glad to see them, and expressed himself cordially. "sit down, sit down!" he said heartily, after he had shaken hands with them. "i've been looking forward to this visit with great pleasure. i'm used to a pretty active life, and i hate to be laid up even for a day. the doctor tells me i've got to have a complete rest for a few days, though, and i suppose he knows best." "well, the doctor isn't always right in these cases," said bert, with a smile, "although he probably is in this. i remember a good joke i heard about that once." "go ahead and tell it to us," urged mr. hartley. "oh, it's about an irishman, mike we'll call him, who had been sick for a long time. at last the day came, when, to all appearances, he had finally given up the ghost, and the family physician was as called in more as a matter of form than anything else. he made the customary tests, and at last pronounced poor mike dead. but just then mike suddenly sat up in bed. 'you're a liar, docther!' he said. 'oi'm not dead at all, at all.' but at this point his wife stepped up. 'there, there, mike,' she said, soothingly, 'lie down again. the `doctor knows best.'" there was a roar at this. "ha, ha!" laughed mr. hartley, "that's a pretty good one. that man must have held a large life insurance policy, i should say, judging by his wife's conduct." "very likely," grinned bert. "but i can't vouch for that." mr. hartley then related one or two of his pet stories, and soon they were all on the best of terms. after a while the conversation drifted around to local topics, and the boys were much interested in mr. hartley's description of places and happenings in the country bordering the "big ditch." "yes, there are more curious and unheard of places in this little strip of country than in any other place i know of, comparable to it in size," he said. "why, if a quarter of the stories the natives tell are true, it is a veritable wonderland. and i think some of them are true. with my own eyes i have seen some of the things they talk about." "tell us of some of them, won't you?" requested bert, and the engineer seemed nothing loath. "there is one experience in particular that comes to my mind," he said, "that i have always meant to follow up at the first opportunity. it was while quite a party of us were out hunting, with three of the natives as guides. it was along toward the beginning of operations on the canal, and we were held up by a delay in delivering some of the machinery, so had plenty of time on our hands. well, as i say, we started out bright and early one morning, led by the three guides, who had brought a strange story into camp. they told us of a ruined city they had discovered in the heart of the jungle. according to them, this old town covered miles of territory, and was presided over by some demon who claimed the lives of all who penetrated within its boundaries. and we were led to give some credence to their story by the fact that while they agreed to guide us to the city, they expressly stipulated that we should not require them to guide us further than its boundaries. they would stay outside, they said, and take the news of our death back to camp. they seemed to have no doubt that the demon would 'get us,' and you may be sure our curiosity was greatly excited. "i and four others of the corps of construction engineers resolved to run this mysterious devil to the ground, and so, as soon as we could make the necessary arrangements, started out. we soon entered the jungle, and made steady progress. as far as we could judge we went almost due south. we traveled with hardly a stop other than long enough to eat, that first day, and only stopped when darkness made further progress impossible. "we were up bright and early the next morning, and about noon caught our first glimpse of the ruined city. way down a clearing in the jungle, we could see tall white pillars, many of them partly hidden by creeping vines. "we all broke into a run, and in an hour or so were on the outskirts of the old city. and believe me, my lads, at one time that had been a city with a capital c! it had evidently been laid out in well ordered streets and squares, and everywhere houses were bordered by the remains of what had been great temples and buildings. most of them were on the ground, mere heaps of ruins, but a few were still standing, at least in part, and we could get a faint idea of what the old city must have been in those far off days of its prime. at present, though, it seemed to be the abode only of wild things. "we gazed in wonder at this sight for some time, and then held a pow-wow. we had a long discussion as to whether we should start exploring at once, or wait till the next morning. "we finally decided on the latter plan, as, in spite of our blastings about wanting to shake hands with the presiding devil, we really had no great hankering to meet him after dark. of course, we none of us believed in that 'devil' business, but still we had no doubt that some secret menace hung over the old city. the guides were positive on this point, and as they had been right so far, we were inclined to give their opinions some consideration." here mr. hartley paused as though to gather his thoughts, and the three boys, who had been listening intently to his narrative, drew a deep breath. "my!" exclaimed tom, "make out we wouldn't like to have been with you then." "yes, i daresay you would," said mr. hartley, with a smile, as he noted the eager longing in the eyes of his listeners. "i think it would have been an adventure after your own heart. but wait till you hear the rest, and you may be glad you were not along." "i doubt it," said bert, "but go on with the story, if you please, mr. hartley." chapter xi the deserted city "well," resumed mr. hartley, "we made camp, as that appeared to be the desire of the majority, and turned in, as soon as we had eaten supper. we were all dead tired after the long journey, and i guess none of us were troubled in our sleep by thoughts of the strange spirit of evil that ruled the city, according to the natives. it's a lucky thing, sometimes, that you can't see into the future. if we could have done so that night, our sleep might have been less sound. "we were awakened by the guides, who had already prepared a good breakfast for us, and you may be sure we all ate heartily, both because it tasted good and because we wanted to start out on our exploration in good trim. "the meal despatched, we entered the ruins by what had apparently at one time been a great gate, but which now was nothing but a twisted heap of stone. evidently the city had been encircled by a wall, but this had crumbled away and was overgrown by the tropical vegetation. "of course, we had to leave the guides behind us, as they positively refused to pass the boundaries. this didn't cause us much worry, however, for we knew from experience that, when it came to trouble, they were of little use. "the ruins lay before us apparently devoid of any human inhabitants. at first we didn't know which way to go, but finally decided to make straight for what looked to have been the center of the town. as well as we could make out, all the streets seemed to converge toward that point, which had no doubt been the public square. "we followed this plan, but as we went along were often tempted to alter it. more than once we passed some building that seemed in better repair than the others, and of course we wanted to explore it. but we thought it would be no use examining lesser ruins, when greater ones were at hand. for, as we got nearer the center of the town, we could see that the square was occupied by a building much more pretentious than any we had seen so far. from a distance it had looked merely like a jumbled mass of ruins, but when we at last stood before it we could see that such was far from being the case. "to be sure, the building was in a ruinous condition, but, probably owing to its having originally been built in a more solid fashion even than its neighbors, it was in comparatively good preservation. even the roof appeared intact in places, and we marveled as we gazed at it. great columns rose tier after tier, interspersed with solid walls of granite, until they supported a roof at least eighty or a hundred feet from the ground. the facade was ornamented profusely with carvings of men and animals, some of them very well done, indeed. "we realized that this building and its fellows must have been the production of some highly developed form of civilization, and many were the speculations as to who the ancient people could have been. "but we soon got tired of looking at the outside, and were all seized with a desire to explore the wonderful place. its main entrance was little obstructed, and there was nothing to prevent our going in. it was as black as pitch inside, although the sun was shining brightly, and we cast about for same means of lighting the interior. we secured some resinous fagots from a great tree that had sprung up near by, and found that they burned brightly and would serve our purpose perfectly. "each one of us armed himself with one of these, then, and took another along in reserve. in this fashion we invaded the ancient temple, for such we believed it to be, not without, it must be confessed, a rather chilly feeling in the neighborhood of the spine. at least, i felt that way, and i have no doubt the others did, too. however, we all carried revolvers, and felt confident that if the mysterious 'demon' attacked us, we would be able to give him a sharp argument. "nevertheless we kept closely together, and were inclined to believe firmly in the old adage that 'in numbers there is strength.' we had no difficulty in climbing over the fallen blocks encumbering the entrance, and soon found ourselves fairly on the inside. the place had a damp, earthy smell, and the air was very close and oppressive. it was black as pitch, too, and the light from our improvised torches did little to dispel the gloom. "however, it would never do to back out now, so we advanced cautiously, stumbling every once in a while over some fallen piece of masonry. our footsteps rang and echoed under the great vault that we could hardly see, so lofty it was. it seemed almost sacrilege to disturb the silence of this building, that had probably not echoed to human footsteps for centuries. "we kept on, nevertheless, until we were halted suddenly by an exclamation from one of the men in front. "look, look!" he exclaimed, pointing with a trembling finger. we followed its direction, and i distinctly felt my hair rise on my head. for there, high up near the roof, two green eyes glared down at us with a baleful sparkle! they glinted and glowed, and a gasp went up from our little party. "'by all that's holy, what is it?' whispered tom bradhurst, my special friend. "no one answered, but we all got a tight grip on our revolver butts. we gazed, fascinated, at those two lambent points of light, fully expecting to come to hand grips with the 'demon' then and there. as nothing happened, however, we plucked up courage enough to advance cautiously, and were soon near enough to make out the cause of our fright. the eyes were two great emeralds set in the head of a colossal idol carved out of a great block of solid granite! the image must have been at least thirty feet high, and the emeralds were each as large as a robin's egg. "'great scott!" ejaculated bob winters, another of our party, "that thing has scared me out of ten years of life, and i'm going to have my revenge. i'm going to climb up there and get those emeralds, if it takes a leg. why, there'll be a fortune in them for all of us." "we tried to dissuade him, for our nerves had been shaken, and we didn't want to monkey with the confounded things. bob was always a dare-devil chap, though, and set on having his own way. so he went at it, climbing nimbly up the front of the image, until he was in a position to touch the great emeralds. then he drew his hunting knife and commenced prying away at the stones to dislodge them. "suddenly he gave the most unearthly shriek it has ever been my lot to hear, threw his hands up over his head, and started sliding down the steep front of the statue. while the shriek yet rang in our ears, a great section of what had appeared to be solid rock flooring at the base of the idol opened inward, and our comrade's body hurtled through the aperture and disappeared from our sight. his hunting knife rattled on the stones at our feet, and then all was silence. "if we had been standing a yard nearer the base of the image the whole party would have been dropped through the hole." at this point mr. hartley paused in his narrative, and passed his hand over his eyes. the boys saw that great beads of perspiration covered his forehead, but they had been so absorbed in the story that they had not noticed this before. they waited breathlessly for him to resume, which he did after a few seconds. "well," he continued, "for a few seconds we were stricken motionless by the suddenness and horror of the thing. then we gathered ourselves together, and rushed to the edge of the gaping opening. we shouted and called, and at last were answered by a faint moan. then we looked into each other's eyes, and knew that there was only one thing to do. we must go down into that black hole and do what we could to rescue our friend. "but how were we to accomplish this? we had no ropes, and the feeble light of our torches when we thrust them into the black opening failed to reveal any bottom. for this reason we dared not risk a drop, with almost the certainty of not being able to get back again." "it looked as though we were 'up against it,' but finally we made a makeshift rope by tearing up part of our clothing into strips and tying them together. this made a fairly serviceable rope, and, after tying knots in it at intervals to facilitate our descent, we lowered it into the opening. when we had let it out almost to the end it stopped swinging, so we knew it had touched bottom. i volunteered to go down first, and did so." "it was ticklish business, and more than once i almost lost my hold. finally, however, my feet touched a hard floor, and i let go." "all right!" i shouted to those above. "come on down." "coming, old man," replied 'brad,' and the sound of his cheery voice was a great comfort to me. i knew he would soon be with me, and so gave my attention to finding and helping bob. i had not gone more than a few steps when i discovered him stretched out on the cold rock floor, either unconscious or dead. i soon found the former to be the case, to my great relief, and forced a few drops of whiskey from my flask between his teeth. "by the time bradhurst had reached my side i could see some signs of returning consciousness in bob's face, and before long he struggled to a sitting posture." "wh--what happened, anyway?" he asked. "that's what we'd like to know," said brad. "what made you fall that way. what struck you?" "something darted out of that cursed thing's mouth and pierced my hand," replied bob, as he began to regain his memory. "look at that!" and he held his left hand out for us to see. "it had been neatly punctured by some sharp instrument, which left a small wound not more than an eighth of an inch across. the hand was puffed and swollen, though, and the thought flashed across my mind that this scratch was probably not as trivial as it looked. i had little doubt that the instrument, whatever it was, had been poisoned, and as i stole a swift glance at brad i could see that the same thought was in his mind. "bob never seemed to think of this possibility, though, and you may be sure we were careful not to give him an inkling of our anxiety. that would do no good, and our fears might be unfounded. "while we were examining the hand, our companions had descended, and of course bob had to repeat the cause of the accident to them. "but how do you feel now, old man?" queried brad, when he had finished. "oh, nothing extra," replied bob. "i seem to feel rather dizzy, but i suppose that's the result of the fall. i'm lucky not to have broken my neck." "well, anyway, it's up to us to get out of this hoodooed place as soon as possible," i told them. "come along. i'll go up first, then you fellows come, and we'll haul bob out." "accordingly i started up our improvised rope hand over hand. i had not ascended more than five or six feet, however, when with a slight r-r-ip the rope parted above my head, and i fell back to the stones below. fortunately i landed on my feet, and so escaped with nothing worse than a severe shaking up. "but i had small reason to be thankful, nevertheless, for the desperate nature of our position was soon borne in upon me. how to get out--that was the question, and, when i put it up to my companions, they had no answer. "the place in which we were now imprisoned seemed to be a sort of tunnel. it was not more than fifteen feet wide, but we had no means of telling how long it might be. to get out the way we had come was evidently out of the question, as the roof of the tunnel was at least twenty-five feet above our heads. "well, boys," said bradhurst, at last, "the only thing we can do is to follow the course of this hole one way or the other, and try to find an outlet. and the sooner we start the better, as our torches aren't going to last much longer." "here was another horror added to our situation, which had seemed bad enough before. without light, our chances of escape from the horrible place would be slight indeed, so we acted on our comrade's advice without delay. "there was apparently little choice of direction. our torches burned steadily, and so we knew there was no breeze coming from either direction that might point to an outlet. our sense of locality was rather twisted by this time, but after a consultation we set out through the tunnel in what we believed to be the direction of our camp. before we had gone far, bob complained of wanting to sleep, and it was all we could do to keep him moving. i walked on one side of him, holding his arm, while wryburn, another of the party, supported him on the other side. brad walked in front, carefully scanning the walls of the tunnel for signs of an opening. "after we had gone a considerable distance in this manner, we heard a faint roaring sound, that grew constantly louder as we pushed forward. "it sounds like water," said wryburn. "we must be coming to a subterranean river." "we had little doubt that this theory was correct, and pressed forward with renewed hope. at any rate, we had the assurance that the tunnel would not end in a blank wall, as we had feared, and so force us to retrace our footsteps. "we were held back badly by bob, though, who, by now, had become almost helpless. we were forced practically to carry him, and he seemed to have lost consciousness. "all things have an end, however, and at last we stood on the bank of the underground river. it was two or three hundred feet wide, and raced along with a very powerful current. by this time you may be sure we were very thirsty, as well as hungry, and the cold water satisfied one craving if not the other. after we had drunk our fill we set to work dressing bob's wounded hand as well as we could, which is not saying much. he seemed to be in a sort of coma, from which we were unable to arouse him." "after we had made him as comfortable as possible we discussed plans of escape. i was of the opinion that our best course would be to follow the river in the hope of its emerging into the open at some point. there seemed to be no objection to this from my companions, so after a short rest we started out. first, we improvised a rude stretcher for bob, and took turns carrying it." "at the spot where we had first come upon it, the river was edged with a little strip of coarse gravel, but, as we progressed, this became narrower and narrower, and the river seemed to be running with even greater velocity than before. at last the strip of beach disappeared altogether, and we had no choice but to enter the water. we splashed along wearily, and hope burned lower and lower in our breasts. to add to our troubles, our stock of torches was almost exhausted, and we were forced to burn only one at a time, to make them last longer. "the walls between which the stream now ran got closer and closer together, with the result that the water became deeper and rushed along with greater force. the sound of its roaring in the confined place was deafening, and communication with each other was out of the question. "we had traveled perhaps three miles in this manner, when we suddenly noticed that the water seemed to be rising! within a few minutes after we had observed this, it crept up to above our knees, and its roaring grew perceptibly louder. we looked desperately about us for some place of refuge, but there was none. the stream now ran in a cavern not more than eighty feet wide and ten feet high, and its smooth, water-worn walls stretched on into the darkness ahead without a break. "we looked at each other in dismay, as the water crept up, deeper and deeper. pieces of wood and branches of trees were now floating on it, and bradhurst said, 'boys, there must be a heavy rain outside, and this stream is feeling its effects. if we don't get to some place where it widens out very soon, we might as well write each other's epitaphs. we've got to hurry like--listen! what was that?'" "from the blackness in back of us came a sudden loud, menacing roar, growing in volume every second." "come on, boys, quick!" yelled bradhurst, setting us the example by forging ahead faster than before. "there's a big wave coming that'll fill this place up to the roof, and the lord help us if it overtakes us here." "we stumbled along as fast as we could, but could make but slow progress, burdened as we were by the helpless form of our comrade. the water was almost to our waists, and the awful wave back of us approached with horrible rapidity. we were about ready to give up, when bradhurst, who was a little in the lead, came ploughing back to us. "come along for your lives, boys," he shouted above the noise of the water. "this infernal hole widens out a little further on, and if--here, you fellows are tired out. hustle along, and i'll carry bob." "we tried to stop him, but he paid no attention to us, and, stooping over, lifted the unconscious form of our companion on his broad back. thus relieved, we put all our ebbing strength in one last mad dash, pulling brad and his burden along with us. at last we reached a place where the cavern widened, and struggled up on a strip of sandy beach. but we were not out of the water's power yet, by any means. we knew that our only salvation lay in finding some refuge above the highest level the stream would be likely to reach, and so began a frantic hunt along the walls of the cavern. "by the greatest good fortune, my eye caught sight of a rocky projection, quite a way up the side of the cave, and i yelled to my companions. they hurried over, and we climbed desperately up the rocky wall. i was the first to reach the platform, and i helped the others over its edge. bradhurst waited until we were all up, and then hoisted bob up over his head. i leaned over as far as i could, and was just able to get a grip on the unconscious man. assisted by the others, i pulled him up, and then in a twinkling we had brad up, too. "and not a second too soon, either. even as we hauled our friend over the edge, a great foaming wall of water leaped out of the tunnel from which we had emerged not three minutes before, and boiled out over the floor of the cave in which we were. it washed against the walls, and we thought for a few seconds that it would even reach our place of refuge. it did lap up to within a foot of us, but then spread out more and subsided a little. "we would have been as helpless as so many chips of wood if it had caught us while in the narrow tunnel, and we shuddered as we thought of our narrow escape. "the ledge on which we found ourselves was amply supplied with driftwood, probably left there at the time of some former flood that had been even fiercer than this one. we made a fire, and waited for the water to subside with as much patience as we could muster. we knew that bob would probably die unless we could get him to a doctor soon, and this made the waiting all the harder. at times he would rave in delirium, and at others lie so quiet that more than once we thought him dead. "but the water did go down after what seemed to us an age, but was in all probability not more than a few hours. we resumed our journey down its channel, and by great good fortune came at last to the place where it emerged into the open air. the sun was shining brightly, and words are inadequate to describe our joy at seeing it once more. we took deep breaths of the warm tropical air, so grateful after the damp, confined atmosphere in which we had been so long, and thanked a kind providence for our escape. "we made our way back to our camp, and arrived just in the nick of time. our guides had given us up as lost, and were much astonished at seeing us. after their first astonishment had worn off, they seemed to regard us with the greatest respect, which we were at a loss to account for at the time. we later found out that it was because we had been able to cheat the inexorable 'devil,' supposed to rule the old city, of his prey. "we returned to camp by forced marches, and turned bob over to the camp physician. he recovered at last, all but his hand, which never regained its power. the natives said it was the 'demon's curse,' and possibly they were right. "at the time nothing could have hired us to go back to the old ruins, but lately i've had a sneaking desire to go back and finish exploring that old temple. perhaps i shall, some day, and likely as not the devil will get me, this time. who knows?" mr. hartley ended his strange narrative with a smile, half serious, half comical, and his listeners drew a long breath. they voted it one of the most exciting tales they had ever heard, and besieged the engineer with questions as to the location of the ruined city. but mr. hartley only shook his head. "no, no," he said, and, although he smiled, his tone was serious. "it would be just like you madcaps to undertake a journey there, and i don't want to be the cause of your death. if you don't mind, i'd rather not tell you." although disappointed, the boys did not press the matter, and after a little further discussion of the engineer's story, took their departure. "just the same," declared bert, on their way home, "i'd like nothing better than for us three to tackle that 'devil.' i have an idea we could stand him on his head." "i'd like to try it, anyway," declared tom, and dick declared himself as feeling the same way. they talked about little else that evening, and if, after they were asleep, they were troubled by nightmares, the cause was not hard to determine. chapter xii wah lee's boss the next few days were crowded with incident. the city was filling up with visitors, to be present at the ceremonies attending the opening of the canal. many of these were celebrities known all over the world. soldiers, admirals, diplomats, men of affairs, brushed shoulders with thousands less famous, but quite as interested in the great event so soon to take place. the boys were constantly meeting someone whom they had known in the "states"; and, in the renewal of old friendships and the making of new ones, the time flew by as though on wings. but, underneath all the hubbub and excitement, bert was conscious of an uneasy premonition. he tried to analyze it, and, when unsuccessful in this, attempted to throw it off. despite all his efforts, however, it persisted. call it clairvoyance, call it telepathy, he felt aware of impending danger. some "coming event" was casting "its shadow before." again and again the words of allison recurred to him. not that he believed in them. although they had stirred him at the time with a sense of vague foreboding, he had dismissed them as the utterance of an enthusiast, who felt a deep antipathy toward the japanese, and magnified the danger to be feared from them. of course, it was absurd--that last remark of his that at that very moment a japanese fleet might be on its way to attack the pacific slope. he laughed as he thought of it, but, somehow, the laugh did not ring true. wah lee had kept his word, and frequently called to see his friends. but his serenity seemed to be disturbed. he appeared troubled and distrait. at times, he acted as though he were about to tell them something, but was himself in doubt as to the value of his information, and restrained himself. his all-embracing smile was conspicuous by its absence. "what's bothering the old chap, i wonder," ruminated tom. "search me," laughed dick. "something on his conscience, maybe. perhaps he hasn't burned as many joss sticks before his particular idol as he feels he ought, and the failure worries him." "i'm going to get right down to brass tacks, the next time he comes," said bert, "and get it out of him." but the wily celestial baffled all efforts to "pump" him, and the matter passed from their minds. two days later, however, wah lee shuffled past bert, as the latter was sauntering down the main street of colon, and, apparently by accident, touched his arm in passing. bert looked up, and, recognizing the chinaman, started to speak to him. but the latter only gave him a swift glance from his almond eyes, and kept on, his face as stolid and inscrutable as that of a graven image. in that fleeting look, however, bert's quick perception recognized that wah lee had some object in view, and wanted to talk with him. with a heightened pulse, but still retaining an indifferent air, he followed. at the first turning, the chinaman passed into a side street, bert keeping a little way in the rear. the houses grew more infrequent and soon they came to the suburbs. still on they went, until, at last, they were in the open country, and free from observation. then, in a remote spot, where they could see for a long distance on every side, wah lee stood still, and bert ranged alongside. "well, wah lee," he asked, curiously, "what's the game?" in answer, the chinaman drew from his pocket a crumpled sheet of paper, and handed it to bert. he took it and smoothed it out. at first, it failed to convey any impression. the drawing was a rough one, and seemed to consist of a series of lines, punctured with dots. but gradually, as bert gazed, his training in mechanics told him that it was a plan of some large structure. there were two rectangular outlines, that were perfectly similar, like two leaves of a table. no, they were gates. and then, like a flash, it came across him. they were the gates of the gatun locks! there was the wavy line, to indicate the water level, and, down below these, were the ominous dots. they seemed to be meant for holes, but his knowledge of the locks told him that they had no place in its structure. what did those holes mean? a little shaken, he looked at wah lee for the key to the enigma. "where did you get this?" he asked. "found it," answered the chinaman. "man drop it. man come to see my bloss. my bloss kill clanal," wah lee repeated. for a moment, bert's head swam, and a thousand bells seemed to ring in his ears. then he steadied himself, and plied the chinaman with eager questions that sought to pluck the heart out of the mystery. wah lee's knowledge of english was very limited, and it took a long time and infinite patience to get from him what he knew. gradually, he pieced the bits together, until the whole thing became clear and coherent in his mind. by the merest accident, wah lee had heard enough to know that the japanese who employed him was engaged in a plot to destroy the canal. how or when it was to be done, he did not know. it was doubtful if he could have grasped the details, even if he had heard them, so full they were of technical matters that conveyed to him no meaning. but he knew that the plot existed, and dimly understood that this would bring pain and suffering to bert. as far as he himself was concerned, a dozen canals might be destroyed, without affecting him in the least. but he held the boys in strong affection for having saved his life, and he knew that he could pay his debt, at least in part, by letting them know what was brewing. as regarded the paper, wah lee knew nothing, except that a white man, who spoke english, was a frequent visitor to his master, with whom he held long conferences. only yesterday, on leaving the house after dark, he had accidentally dropped the plan, and wah lee, hovering near, had picked it up. a vague idea that it might be of value to bert and prompted him to bring it to him. this was the sum of the chinaman's knowledge. he simply knew that his "bloss" was engaged in some kind of a plan to kill the canal. but bert must know more than this--the nature of the plan, the people involved in it, the methods employed for it, the time set for its execution. then, only, could the proper steps be taken to thwart it. how could this knowledge be obtained? not by wah lee. he had accidentally stumbled upon it, and while this, of course, was an inestimable service, abler minds than his must unravel the details. whatever was to be done must be done quickly. time was a factor of prime importance. bert looked up at the sky. the sun was near its setting. night would come on suddenly. with the rapid resolution that was one of his chief characteristics, bert made up his mind. "make tracks for home, wah lee," he said. "i'm coming with you." the chinaman made no demur and expressed no surprise. he led the way and bert followed, racking his brain for the best thing to do. his plans took shape quickly. by the time they drew near the grounds, darkness had enveloped them like a blanket. he halted the chinaman and talked to him in whispers. he must get into the house, without being seen. where did the talks with the white man take place? in the library. very well. was there any place where he, bert, could be concealed and hear what went on? but here the oriental departed from his wonted calm. there was too much risk. bert would be killed. his master had men in the house who obeyed him absolutely. if he merely lifted his finger, they would kill one man or twenty men. but bert was not to be deterred from his purpose. he had embarked on this venture, and, live or die, he would see it through to a finish. he cut short the protestations of the frightened celestial and commanded him to show him the nearest way to the library. there was no way, wah lee averred. the house swarmed with servants, and detection would be certain. every window and every room in the mansion was ablaze with light. unless he could make himself invisible, the attempt was hopeless. circling about the house, in the shadow of the shrubbery, bert studied the location of the room that the chinaman had pointed out as the library. it was on the second floor, and a broad veranda surrounded the house, about two feet beneath the window. near by, a giant tree upreared its branches. with a parting word of caution, bert shied up the tree with the agility of a cat. he ensconced himself firmly on a projecting branch, and peered through the heavy foliage. the room into which he looked was a spacious one and furnished with all the sumptuousness of eastern luxury. exquisite tapestries draped the walls, and priceless jades and porcelains bespoke the taste as well as the wealth of the owner. quaint weapons and suits of armor, doubtless worn at some time by a shogun or samurai ancestor gave a touch of grimness to a beauty and delicacy of ornament that might otherwise have been excessive. at a magnificent library table of ebony, inlaid with pearl, a man was seated with his head on his hand, in an attitude of profound thought. his left hand, playing with the ivory handle of a dagger that lay on the desk, betrayed a certain restlessness, as though he were waiting for someone. from time to time he raised his head, as if listening. at last he threw himself back in his chair with a gesture of impatience, and, with unseeing eyes, looked out of the window. and now, bert, from his leafy covert, could study his face at leisure. it was a typical japanese face, with the high cheekbones and slanting eyes that marked his race. but nothing could hide the proofs of breeding and culture that were revealed in every feature. it was the face of a statesman, a scholar, a warrior, a prince. the habit of command was stamped upon it, and in his eyes glowed a spirit of resolution that almost reached fanaticism. bert felt instinctively that here was a foeman worthy of any man's steel, a formidable enemy who would sweep away like chaff anything that stood between him and the accomplishment of his purpose. once or twice, bert had seen him in colon, a notable figure even in a town at that time filled with notables. no one seemed to know much about him. three years ago, he had appeared in panama and purchased a large landed estate. he had spent enormous sums in developing it, until it had become famous throughout the isthmus for its extent and beauty. that the owner was fabulously wealthy could not be doubted. but beyond this, all was conjecture. he had no official position or diplomatic mission. no breath of suspicion had ever been attached to him of being in any sense hostile to american interests. his suavity, his courtesy, his unquestioned wealth and standing had won for him universal respect. and yet, if bert's suspicions proved true, the accomplished japanese gentleman into whose eyes he was looking, was the most dangerous foe that america had in the whole wide world. a door opened and another japanese entered the room. he was older than the man seated at the desk, and his face was creased with the deep lines of wisdom and long experience. he might have been, and probably was, one of the "elder statesmen"--that august body, that, at home and abroad, guided the destinies of the nation. he saluted ceremoniously the owner of the house, and they were soon engaged in an animated conversation. then a man of a different type was ushered in by an obsequious servant. he was dressed in american fashion, but his face indicated a spanish origin. he was a cuban who had been educated as a civil engineer in one of the scientific schools of the united states. his features were alert and intelligent, but there was a certain shiftiness in his eyes, and something about him gave an indefinable air of dissipation. he had been employed for a time in harbor work at vera cruz, but had killed a man in a brawl and been forced to flee the country. on the canal, there were eighty-seven distinct nationalities engaged in the work, and, in view of the great demand for labor, he had no difficulty in securing employment, the more easily as he was an expert in his profession. he had been assigned to the gatun section of the work, with his quarters in the city of colon. the japanese secret service, in its search for a suitable tool, had become possessed of the facts regarding the murder for which the man, ofirio, by name, was wanted by the mexican authorities. with infinite caution and by slow degrees, they had approached and sounded him. they appealed to his fears and his avarice. as regards the first, they could betray him to his pursuers. for the second, they promised him an amount of money greater than he could expect to earn in the course of his natural life, and a safe refuge in japan. under the stress of these two primal emotions, he had yielded, and, for a year past, had been in the power and the pay of namoto, the japanese, in whose library he was at that moment standing. he it was who had dropped the paper that wah lee had so fortunately retrieved and which had given bert the first hint of the appalling disaster that threatened his country. bert noticed the subtle something in the air of namoto--a mixture of power, disdain, and condescension--as he motioned the engineer to a seat. from a stray word or two that came to him, he noted that they were talking in english, which both understood, while neither could speak the native language of the other. and now it became imperative that bert should hear the conference that concerned him so tremendously. from where he was, he could see perfectly, but could hear nothing but an occasional disconnected word. he must leave his safe retreat, take his life in his hands and reach the veranda that ran beneath the open window. silently, he removed his shoes, and, tying them together by the laces, hung them over the branch. then he crept out on the heavy bough that reached within three feet of the porch. holding on by his hands, he let himself down, swung back and forth once or twice to get the proper momentum, and then letting himself go, landed as lightly as a lynx upon the veranda. a moment he swayed trying to keep his nearly lost balance, while he looked anxiously to see if the conspirators had heard. they showed no sign of disturbance, however, and, with a muttered prayer of thankfulness, bert dropped on his hands and knees and crept beneath the sill. and there, safe for the instant, with every faculty strained to its utmost, he became a fourth, if unseen, member of the group. chapter xiii marked for destruction ofirio was speaking. "i am sure that nothing has been overlooked," he was saying, evidently in answer to a question. "the charges of dynamite have been tamped into the holes, and there are enough of them, fired at the same moment, to wreck the eastern gate. in any event, it will so injure the delicate machinery that works them, that they cannot be moved. portions of it, no doubt, will be blown into the canal and block it so effectually that no ship can pass through. but, leaving that out of the question, if the gate cannot work, the canal is put out of commission. it would be a matter of weeks, perhaps of months, to repair the damage." "the longer the better, of course," said namoto, "but we do not ask even that much of fate. give us ten days of confusion and panic, with the atlantic fleet on this side of the canal and unable to get through to the pacific, and our victory is sure." "how about the tunnel?" asked togi, the oldest of the three. "are you sure there is no suspicion that it exists?" "not the slightest," answered ofirio. "i came through it myself, last night, entering it at the masked exit near the locks, and leaving it by the secret opening in your cellar. nothing has been disturbed, and the divers' helmets were in their accustomed place. if the americans had any knowledge of it, their soldiers would already be in possession." "provided that we can keep the secret until the day of the grand opening," muttered togi, uneasily. "you are sure," he went on, "that the connections are perfect?" "the wires have been so strung that not one of the charges has been overlooked," asserted ofirio, confidently. "there will be no interval between the explosions. when your finger presses that button, there will be a roar that will deafen the city and shake the whole isthmus." there was a brief pause, and bert's heart beat so hard that it almost seemed as though it must be heard. the hideous plot had been revealed in all its blackness. his face was blanched as he thought of the possibilities, but he exulted in the fact that, at last, he had definite knowledge. he knew what was to be done--the destruction of the canal gate. he knew how it was to be done--by an electric current sent through the wires to the concealed explosives. he knew when it was to be done--on the opening day of the canal. in his mind's eye, he could see the progress of the plan that had been conceived and carried on with such infernal cunning. with the patience of moles, they had dug an underground tunnel, extending from namoto's mansion to within a short distance of the locks. the mention of the divers' helmets gave him a clue to the way in which the holes had been made and the dynamite inserted. no doubt they had taken advantage of stormy nights, lowering themselves into the water at a distance from the locks and then slowly groping their way toward them. the wires had found a conduit in the tunnel, and ran directly to the library of namoto. his index finger was indeed the finger of fate, that expected to write a record of disaster to the united states. one pressure on a button would send the electric current surging through the wires, and the great canal would, for a time at least, be put completely out of commission. but, after all, this was not an end in itself. it was only the means to an end. it would be mere vandalism to cripple the canal, simply for the sake of inflicting damage. besides, the injury could be repaired, and, in a short time, all traces of it would have vanished. there must be an object for all this enormous toil and risk. what was it? namoto had spoken of the atlantic fleet not being able to get through to the pacific. "ten days of panic and confusion." why was it so imperative to prevent the warships on this side from joining their comrades on the other? naturally, to keep the pacific squadron weak and less able to resist attack. then, an attack was planned. by whom? who could attack us from the pacific side but japan? and when? within ten days. and again allison's words sounded in bert's ears like the knell of doom: "perhaps at this very moment a japanese fleet is on its way to the pacific slope." with a sinking of the heart, bert reflected on the vast number of american warships now at colon or hastening there. the government had planned to make a great demonstration of naval strength, in order to impress the nations of the world. for this purpose, many had been called home from european stations. some of the most formidable dreadnoughts building at the navy yards had been rushed along in construction, so as to be manned and launched for the great review. others, which naturally belonged to the pacific squadron, but had been in the drydocks for repairs, would in the ordinary course of things, have been despatched before this around the horn, to join their brethren in the pacific. but since the opening of the canal was so near at hand, it seemed unwise to steam ten thousand miles, when, in a little while, the same result could be attained by traveling fifty. thus, from various causes, at least three-fourths of the american navy was on the atlantic side. if it could be kept there, the japanese could attack the remnant in the pacific in overwhelming force. then, with these captured or destroyed, the japanese vessels could bombard san francisco and seattle, land their troops from the crowded transports, and gain control of the whole western coast of the united states. it was an imperial idea--boldly conceived, broadly planned, patiently developed, but--and bert thanked god--not yet executed. these thoughts had passed through his mind with lightning rapidity. but now, the plotters had resumed their talk. this time, it was togi who spoke. "i would that the time were set for to-night," he said. "the present is in our hands. the future is uncertain. fortune is fickle. fate has its whims, its bitter jests. all is ready. one pressure on that button, and before ten seconds have passed, the work is done. is it wise to wait, namoto?" bert scarcely dared to breathe, while he waited for the answer. it was long in coming. namoto seemed wavering. togi had spoken truly. the present moment was his. the future was on the "lap of the gods." perhaps, in obedience to the mysterious laws of mind, the very presence, though unknown, of bert, just outside the window, made him sense dimly some crouching danger. but the moment of indecision passed, and he answered, slowly: "it cannot be, togi. we must wait. we have waited nearly three years. surely the gods of japan will not desert us in the next two days. there are many reasons for waiting, but here are two: "the shock must come at just the right moment. it will be tenfold more paralyzing, more panic-breeding. when bells are ringing, when crowds are cheering, when america is exulting, when the world is watching--at just that instant the blow must fall. the power of the unexpected is irresistible. the enemy's fall will be more crushing, and japan will loom up, a sinister image of dread, that will fill the whole horizon. "then, too, with every hour that passes, our fleet is drawing nearer. from all quarters of the compass they are converging. of course, they will not form a compact squadron, until the news is flashed to them that the gate has been destroyed. then they will unite for the last great rush upon the coast." "i should think," ventured ofirio, "that so many japanese warships in one part of the pacific would be noted by merchant ships and reported to their governments. do you not fear that suspicion may be aroused before you are ready?" "not so," answered namoto. "our naval department has shown the utmost care and caution. for a year past the vessels have been sent to various ports along the coast of japan. in every harbor they have lurked, one here, another there, at nakodate, miyako, nagasaki, noshiro, ohama, and others. some have been reported in the naval bulletins as drydocked. others have been sent, in ones and twos, on missions of courtesy or diplomacy to china, australia, and other countries bordering on the pacific. so adroitly and innocently has this been done, that not even a rumor is current in any foreign cabinet that anything is afoot, and even the masses of the japanese themselves do not know what their government is doing. but all the commanders have had definite orders so to time their departure from the various ports as to meet at a given parallel within a day or two of the time set for the opening of the canal. that parallel is between hawaii and san francisco, barely two days distant from the latter. steam is up, the magazines filled, the guns shotted, the plan of campaign worked out to the last detail. like hawks, they are hovering within easy reach of each other, ready for the signal. the moment i press this button, the wireless will flash the news across all the continents and all the seas. then the captains who smashed the russians at port arthur and in the sea of japan will turn their vessels' prows toward arrogant america, and within forty-eight hours our guns will be thundering at her western doors." a dull glow crept into his sallow cheeks and his eyes blazed, as he saw in vision the victory of his beloved nippon. "but there," he said, as though repenting his outburst of enthusiasm, so foreign to his habitual reticence and self-control, "they will do their part. it only remains for us to do ours. i will not keep you longer to-night, ofirio," he went on, by way of dismissal. "report to me to-morrow at the same hour for final instructions." he pressed a bell, and a servant, bending low, ushered the cuban out into the night. but togi still lingered. the lines in his face had deepened. his long experience had taught him how often the cup is dashed from the lips as one makes ready to drink. the reaction and depression that come to one when, after tremendous toil and strain, his plans await fruition, held him in their grip. it is true, those plans seemed faultless. nothing had failed in their calculations. the mechanism was working without a jar. but this very perfection was in itself ominous. perhaps, even then, fate was preparing to spring upon them and lay their hopes in ruins. and again his eyes turned longingly toward the button, the lightest touch on which would shock the world to its center. namoto noticed the direction of his glance and smiled. "be not impatient, togi," he said. "soon now the hour will strike that marks the beginning of a glorious era for our loved nippon." "glorious, yes," answered togi. "whether we win or lose, it will be glorious. our soldiers will know how to fight and die for their country, as they have always done, and even if defeated they will not be dishonored." "dream not of defeat," protested namoto. "let not that word of evil omen pass your lips. to doubt may draw down on us the frown of the gods." "but america is a great country, and her people, too, are brave. besides, they are as the sands of the seashore for number." "so was russia great, and yet we beat her to her knees. we hurled back her armies and we crushed her fleets. so will we do to this haughty country, that sneers at us as an inferior race. america has had no real war for fifty years. she has no veterans left. we have hundreds of thousands who have had their baptism of fire on the field of battle. can their raw volunteers face the seasoned warriors of japan? their regular troops are but a handful and are scattered all over the country. before any real force can be brought against us, we will have subdued all the country west of the rocky mountains. then will come negotiations. as the price of peace, we will wrest from her hawaii and the philippines, and japan will be the unquestioned mistress of the pacific." "but before this can be done," objected togi, "will not the canal be repaired, so that the rest of the american fleet can pass through and attack us?" "no," replied namoto. "our first care will be to seize the canal at the pacific end and blockade it. the ships can only come out one by one, and they would be an easy prey to our vessels awaiting them in overwhelming force. we would be like cats waiting at the door of a mouse trap. if, on the other hand, they abandoned this and sailed around the horn, it would be a matter of many weeks before they would reach us, and then they would be strained and weather tossed and uncoaled. then, too, the pacific squadron will have been destroyed, and we will have the advantage in ships and guns. if, on the way, they attacked japan in retaliation, our fortifications, backed by our land forces, would hold them off." "they could land no troops and would have to content themselves with a harrying of the coast that would amount to nothing." "our plan is perfect," he went on; "everything has been provided for. but all depends on the blocking of the canal. if, by any chance, it should fail, the campaign would be abandoned. our navy is not yet large enough to match itself against the combined naval strength of america. we can only win by dividing the enemy, and beating his squadrons, one at a time. if the atlantic fleet gets through to the pacific, at the opening of the canal, our labor of years will vanish into nothingness. the ships will return quietly to japan by various, routes, and the government will be ready to deny that any such plot ever existed. if you and i are charged with the plot, our country will calmly disown us and leave us to our fate. "and we would gladly meet that fate for nippon's sake, would we not, togi? we would go to our death with banzais on our lips. it is sweet and glorious to die for one's country." "we are prepared in any event," said togi. "if we succeed, your yacht is waiting in the harbor ready to carry us home more swiftly than any can hope to follow. if we fail--" he made across his breast the sign of hari-kari--the japanese form of suicide. "if we fail," agreed namoto, solemnly, "our home will be with the immortal gods." he reached out his hand, and togi grasped it firmly. for a moment they looked into each other's eyes. then with a murmured word of farewell, the elder man turned and glided from the room. left alone, namoto rose and strolled restlessly about. then he approached the window, beneath which bert lay hidden. for a while he stood there motionless. then he leaned out to catch the refreshing breeze. bert tried to make himself as small as possible, and pressed close against the house. namoto's eyes, glancing carelessly about, suddenly fell on the crouching figure. startled, he drew back, a cry shrilling from his lips. like a flash, bert straightened up, leaped through the open window, and the next instant his hands had closed about namoto's throat. down to the floor they went with a crash. but the mischief had been done. the cry of namoto had carried beyond the room. the door burst open and a horde of retainers rushed in. there was a stunning blow on the head, a shower of sparks streamed before his eyes, his grasp relaxed, and bert felt himself sinking, sinking into a fathomless abyss. chapter xiv snatched from the sea when he came back to consciousness, he found himself tightly bound and gagged. his head swam, and objects danced giddily before him. gradually he accustomed himself to the light and looked about him. a score of men stood leaning against the walls, while namoto and togi, seated at the desk, were conversing in low tones. they spoke in japanese, but he had no doubt that they were deciding for him the issues of life and death. he had no delusions as to what probably awaited him. he had learned too much to be allowed to live. but the conspirators seemed perplexed. to kill him, then and there, would be awkward. there is nothing in the world harder to dispose of than a dead body. burial, burning, destruction by acids--all left traces. and this was not japanese but american soil. there might be a hue and cry, a search, exposure, arrest. still, he must vanish from the land of the living. at last, togi seemed to have an inspiration. he bent over eagerly and disclosed his idea. namoto pondered and found it good. he beckoned to an officer in a naval uniform, and gave him his instructions. at a signal, four men advanced, and, taking bert by the legs and shoulders, carried him through a secret passage into the grounds. as silently as so many ghosts, they followed a road that led through the estate to the river's brink. there lay the swift sea-going yacht that togi had mentioned. bert was carried on board, the vessel slipped its moorings, and like a wraith passed down the bay of limon and out to sea. it was with a sinking heart that bert saw the lights of colon grow more and more indistinct, until they looked to be little more than a nebulous haze rising above the water. his first thought had been that the japanese were taking him to japan, for some reason of their own, and as they steamed on mile after mile this idea gained strength. after his capture he had expected nothing better than instant death, and when he found that his captors had other plans he had a gleam of hope. perhaps, after all, he could make his escape in some way, or get a message to the authorities. but when he was taken to the yacht hope died within him, and he almost wished he had been killed at the moment of capture. knowing what he did, the possibility of his own life being spared brought him but little comfort. once fairly at sea, and he felt that nothing could stop the awful catastrophe hanging over his country. filled with these melancholy reflections, he hardly noticed what was going on around him, and only looked up when two sturdy japanese seamen approached him. they untied his bonds, removed the gag, and motioned him to follow them. bert, seeing no sense in useless resistance, did as directed. as he approached the port rail, he saw that a group of sailors gathered there were lowering some object over the side. as he reached the rail and looked down, he saw that it was a large, flat bottomed rowboat, with nothing in it except a wooden bailer shaped like an ordinary shovel. this boat was quickly lowered until it touched the water, and then bert saw what had previously escaped his notice--namely, that several holes, each about as large as a five-cent piece, had been bored in the bottom of the boat, and through these the water was rushing in a dozen little fountains. then he realized what were the intentions of his captors, and his heart, which at sight of the boat had begun to beat hopefully, seemed to turn to lead. this, then, was to be his end! with fiendish ingenuity, the japs had prepared this death-trap for him, knowing that he would fight up to the last moment from the instinct of self preservation. the enemy of japan should not die too easily. his agony must be prolonged. according to their calculations, the water would continue coming in faster than bert could possibly bail it out, and eventually he would sink, and his perilous knowledge with him. well, at any rate, he resolved to make his enemies sorry that they had ever seen him. as the sailors came toward him with the evident intention of forcing him into the boat, he grasped a camp chair that was standing near the rail, and swinging it in a mighty circle about his head, brought it crashing down on the head of the foremost seaman. the man dropped as though struck by lightning, and for a second his comrades hesitated, looking about them for weapons. at a crisp command from an officer, who was standing a little to one side, they came on again with a rush. bert felled the first of his antagonists with the stout chair, and then, as they were too close upon him for further use of this weapon, dropped it and resorted to his fists. he struck out right and left with all the strength of his powerful muscles, and for a few seconds actually held his swarming assailants at bay. three men dropped before his hammer-like blows, before he was finally forced over the railing by sheer force of numbers and hurled into the rowboat. as he struck it, the water spurted through the holes in the boat, and a shrill cackling laugh came from the row of slant-eyed faces peering down over the rail. the little craft was by now a quarter full of water, and as the japanese yacht took on speed and swung away on its course bert started bailing desperately. he realized that there was hardly one chance in a thousand of his being picked up before, in spite of all he could do, the little boat would fill with water and sink. however, he resolved to keep afloat as long as he could on the bare chance of some vessel passing in his neighborhood. accordingly he set to work with the wooden scoop, sending sheet after sheet over the side. he worked desperately, and at first almost thought that he was gaining on the incoming water. his exertions were excessive, and before long he was forced to bail more slowly. he kept watching a deep scratch in the side of the boat to see if the water was gaining. with a sinking heart he realized that it was. in spite of all he could do, it crept up and up until finally it was over the scratch and the boat was nearly half full. luckily for him, the sea was unusually calm, or he must soon have been swamped. at the thought of all that it would mean to his country if he drowned with his secret, bert fell to with the scoop with furious energy, but was not able to hold his terrible pace long, and finally flung down the bailer in despair. "perhaps i can plug up the holes," he thought, and ripped off his coat. he tore great pieces from it and tried to stuff up the holes, but to no effect. such crude plugs as he could make were inadequate to stay the inrush of water, and he would hardly have time to insert one in one opening before that in another gave way. so he was forced to give up this plan, and had recourse once more to the bailer. his only hope now was to keep afloat until he might be seen and picked up by a passing boat. he strained his eyes over the surrounding sea, but there was no sign of help in sight. slowly but surely the water crept up the sides of the boat until it was only a few inches from the gunwales. as the boat sank deeper, the water rushed in with ever-increasing force, and finally the conviction was forced in upon bert that he had really come to the end of his resources. of course, even after the boat sank, he could swim a little while, but after his fierce fight on the deck of the japanese yacht and his terrific exertions afterward, he knew he would have little strength left. nevertheless he stripped off his outer clothing and resolved to do the best he could. suddenly he was startled by a splashing, gurgling noise behind him, and, looking around, was surprised and puzzled to see what looked like the back of a huge whale floating within fifty feet of the stern of his little craft. in a second he understood, and a great wave of joy surged over him. "it's a submarine," he thought, "and an american one at that," as he recognized the design. even as he looked, a hatch was thrown open in the deck of the submarine, and the head and shoulders of a man emerged from the aperture. almost at the same instant bert's rowboat gave a gentle lurch and disappeared beneath the surface. as he felt it sinking, bert gave a great shout, and the man on the submarine whirled around in his direction, surprise written large on his countenance. "by thunder!" he exclaimed, "what in the name of--" but here he dived below and in a few seconds reappeared with a life preserver attached to a long cord. this he cast toward bert, who in the meantime had been swimming steadily toward the submarine. bert grasped the preserver and was rapidly drawn on board by the first man who had appeared, and by two others who by now had joined him. bert was soon safe on the sloping deck, and was besieged by a thousand questions. the man who had first espied bert was evidently an officer, and he soon quitted the others and took the cross-examination in his own hands. it was some time before bert was able to answer, and probably at no time in his strenuous career had he come nearer complete exhaustion. finally, however, his strength began to return, and he staggered to his feet. "for heaven's sake!" he exclaimed, "take me to the captain and let me give him a message i have for him. never mind anything else just now--i can tell you all about that after we get started." the officer saw that he was in deadly earnest, and although he was rather inclined to think this young fellow's experiences had unbalanced his mind, he led him below without further loss of time. they descended a steep ladder, and presently entered the room in which were kept the machinery controls, gauges, and other apparatus relating to the operation of the submarine. there was a solidly built table in the center of this room, and at this, carefully examining a chart spread out in front of him, sat a sturdy, thick-set man of perhaps fifty years of age. as the officer entered, followed by bert, the captain rose and waited for the officer's report. he gave bert only one glance, but it was such a keen, searching one, that our hero felt there was little in his appearance that the other had overlooked. then the captain turned his eyes back to the officer, and returned the latter's salute. "well, mr. warren, what have you to report?" he asked. "why, sir," replied the officer, "i don't exactly know myself. when we ascended to the surface and i went up on deck, the first thing i saw was a foundering rowboat with this young man in it. a few seconds later it sank, and he swam toward the ship. i threw him a life preserver, and we hauled him aboard. he wouldn't answer any questions, though, and insisted on speaking with you personally, so i thought it best to bring him along." "very good," responded the captain, and turned slightly toward bert. "now, young man," he said, "you wished to speak to me, and here i am. what is it you wanted to tell me?" thereupon bert poured out the whole story of the japanese plot as fast as he could speak, and the captain and his officer listened attentively, once in a while asking a terse question. the commander's eyes were riveted on bert during his whole speech, and when he had finished he sat a few moments immersed in deep thought. then he sprang to his feet and gave crisp orders to get the submarine under way. "see that the lad is clothed and well taken care of, mr. warren," he ordered, as his commands were being carried out. "he's evidently had some rather strenuous experiences, during the last few hours, and a little food and rest will do him a lot of good. we can wake him up when we need him." lieut. warren saluted, and motioned to bert to follow him. he led him through a long passage to the officers' dining room, and when a place was set for him at the table bert fell to with a good appetite. the officers were naturally very much interested in his adventures, and he told them as much of his recent experiences as he thought fit, of course not mentioning details of the plot. before very long they asked him his name, and when they learned that he was actually the man who had won the marathon race at the last olympic games, they would gladly have made him a present of the ship had they been able. it was with the greatest difficulty that he finally broke away and made an attempt to get a little sleep. he was so excited that he found this impossible, however, and soon returned to the company of the officers. the electric motors driving the ship were humming at top speed, and the registering apparatus indicated a rate of fifteen knots an hour. this was good speed for a submarine, but bert figured that, as the yacht on which he had been carried out was unusually swift, it must have traveled at least one hundred and fifty miles from the colon harbor. at the rate of fifteen knots an hour, then, it would take them a little over ten hours to get back into the harbor, and he did not know how much longer to get up the canal to the mined gate of the lock. there was always the chance of accidents or delay, and he must reach the city before the morrow dawned. chapter xv cutting the wires it seemed as though the time would never pass, and he tried to divert his mind by looking out of the glass windows or portholes, set in near the bow of the submarine. the boat was equipped with a powerful searchlight, which threw its brilliant rays far ahead, and lit up the ocean for a considerable distance all around. even in his agitated state of mind, he found time to wonder at the dense and active life of the sea. fishes, large and small and of every conceivable shape and coloring, swam close up to the porthole and seemed to be trying to look in. some, attracted by the beams of light, followed the course of the submarine, never seeming to tire or fall back. every once in a while, some larger fish, engaged on a foraging expedition, would cross the path of light, and there would be a general scattering of the smaller fry, as they darted hither and thither in a frenzied search for safety. some, indeed, the majority, were beautifully striped and spotted, and most of them bert had never seen before. as he watched this teeming life, he grew more and more interested, and almost forgot his present surroundings. he was recalled to them by a light tap on the shoulder, and, turning around, he saw the officer, lieutenant warren, who had thrown him the life preserver. "quite an interesting study, isn't it, mr. wilson?" he asked, with a pleasant smile. "i should say it was," exclaimed bert, enthusiastically. "i never dreamed of being able to see a sight like this. it's almost worth having lived a lifetime just to have had this experience." the other smiled at his earnestness. "yes," he said, "we all felt the same way you do, when we took our first few trips. there used to be hot arguments as to whose turn it was at the port hole, and we had to arrange regular times between us. the novelty soon wore off, though, and now, as you see, there isn't much competition." "well, it's new to me, yet, and i certainly find it very interesting," replied bert. "these fishes seem to be every color of the rainbow, and the way they keep darting in and out reminds me of a kaleidoscope on a large scale. "it does, rather," the lieutenant assented, "and, believe me, we see lots of things besides fishes, too. why, i've come across all kinds of wrecked ships, from rowboats to big four-mast-ers. in tropic waters, we've seen many a ship that i'm sure was an old spanish galleon, and i'll wager there's many a fortune in gold and silver pieces that we've had to pass over in the performance of duty. there are uncounted riches lying at the bottom of this old ocean, my boy." "i don't doubt it in the least," answered bert, and then mr. warren went on to tell him various yarns of strange adventures he had undergone and marvelous things that he had seen. bert listened, fascinated, for the officer was a man who had not only been all over the world, but knew how to tell a story. the time passed more quickly than he had dared to hope, and just before dawn, he was told that they were almost at the entrance of the canal. the little submarine flew into the great new waterway, and hesitated no more than the brave hearts guiding its course. its powerful searchlight illuminated the canal from side to side, and they were able to get an idea of the immensity of the completed enterprise. mile after mile, the smooth concrete wall slipped away back of them, thick, ponderous, designed to last as long as civilization lasted, and perhaps longer. as bert gazed, his heart thrilled with a great pride at what his country had accomplished, and this feeling was succeeded by a fierce hatred of those who were plotting to set the great work at naught. but now, the submarine had almost reached the mined gate of the lock, and its speed was gradually reduced three-fourths. it nosed cautiously along, until the searchlight revealed a vast structure directly ahead. instantly the motors were reversed, and by the time the boat's speed had been checked, it was not more than thirty feet from the gate. in the meantime one of the crew had been encased in a diver's suit and now made ready to leave. he was conducted into an air-tight room near the bottom of the submarine, and, after the door had been securely fastened, water was admitted. when the room was full, the diver opened a door in the hull and stepped out of the boat, which had previously been lowered until it rested on the canal bottom. from the porthole in the submarine's bow he could be seen slowly making his way, following the luminous path made by the searchlight. in a short time he reached the gate of the lock, and began to follow its course toward the bank. he was soon out of the range of vision of those at the porthole, but, in a few minutes, returned; and it could be seen, by the way in which he still scanned the walls, that he had not yet found the wires leading to the explosives. he had traversed perhaps half the distance from the center to the other bank, when he was seen to stop suddenly and carefully examine something near the lock. "i'll bet he's found the wires," exclaimed bert, excitedly. "very likely he has," replied mr. warren. "i was beginning to be afraid that the plotters had buried the wires so cunningly that it would be almost impossible to get at them." but here, all doubts on the subject were set at rest, as they saw the sailor draw a pair of wire cutters from his belt and ply them on something near the wall. immediately afterward he straightened up and waved his hand, as a signal that everything was all right. "by jove," cried the lieutenant, drawing a long breath, "i guess now we've spoiled those fellows' plans for good. but, believe me, that was rather ticklish work. i expected almost every minute to be wafted heavenward by a charge of dynamite. none of us would have had the slightest chance in the world, if that explosion had taken place." "i rather think you're right," agreed bert. "but why doesn't the man come back? he seems to be continuing his search along the lock gate." "oh, that's because the captain gave him orders before he went out to examine the wall from end to end for traces of a second set of wires. but i guess that the japs had such confidence in their handiwork that they had no doubt of the success of their one set. i must confess that i haven't much doubt regarding them, either, if we hadn't happened along to spoil the whole show for them." "yes, the whole country owes mr. wilson a debt of gratitude it can never repay," broke in captain clendenin, who had come up and overheard the lieutenant's last remark. "it would have been a heavy blow, and one that would have required the expenditure of thousands of lives to recover from. the value of your services cannot be rated too highly, sir." "i'm grateful for your high opinion of me, i'm sure," replied bert, much confused by such high praise, "but it was as much by luck as anything else that i first got wind of the plan, and after that, of course, there was only one thing for me to do." "that's all very well," responded the captain, "but nevertheless not many men i know would have done it, and i abide by my statement. it is no light thing for a young man to attempt, singlehanded, to thwart the plans of a great and powerful nation." the diver had by this time completed a very thorough inspection of every inch of the gate, and in a short time returned to the submarine. he entered the water-filled room from which he had stepped forth, and, after he had closed the door in the vessel's hull, pulled a signal rope, and in a very few minutes the powerful pumps had emptied the room of water. then the man was admitted to the body of the boat and relieved of his cumbersome suit. this done, he immediately reported to the captain, and gave him a detailed account of what he had found. "there were two sets of wires, sir," he said, "so that if one had not worked, the other would. i looked very carefully along the walls for other wires, but didn't find any." the captain dismissed him, with a word of approbation, and then gave orders for the submarine to get under way. this was done, but captain clendenin had no intention of rising directly to the surface. the water chambers were pumped out very slowly, and, as the boat gradually rose, it was steered slowly back and forth across the face of the gates, and men were stationed at the portholes to look for any indication of other wires. they found none, but were able to see where the dynamite charges had been placed. evidently the walls had been charged with enough of high explosives not only to derange the machinery but possibly to blow it into fragments. the men in the submarine shuddered as they thought of the awful catastrophe that would have occurred, and thanked the providence that had enabled them to avert it. bert became a veritable hero to all on board. of course, by this time, the crew had gained a pretty good idea of how matters stood, and had as strong an admiration for him as had the officers. they were all picked men, chosen for their intelligence and bravery, and were therefore well fitted to appreciate these qualities when found in others. and bert's exploit was after their own heart. he had free run of the ship, and had learned the uses of most of the ingenious devices that were scattered everywhere about the boat. accordingly, as he now stepped into the control room, he saw at a glance that they were nearing the surface of the water, being at this moment only twenty feet beneath it. the gauge indicated less and less depth, and suddenly a burst of sunshine entering the porthole told bert that they were at the surface. the hatchway was thrown open and he ascended to the deck. the pure, sweet air was very grateful after the somewhat confined atmosphere of the submarine, and bert drew in great breaths of it. pretty soon lieutenant warren joined him on the little platform and shared with him the beauty of the morning. "it certainly gets pretty close in here at times," he remarked. "once we got stuck on the bottom and had all sorts of a time getting off. our reserve supply of air was used up and we all thought we'd suffocate, sure. but we managed to get loose from the wreck we were mixed up with, just in time, and i don't believe that i ever enjoyed the sight of the blue sky as i did then. it was a narrow squeak, and no mistake." "i should say it was," answered bert, and then, after a pause, he asked: "but where are we bound for, now, lieutenant? what's the next move in the game?" "why, we'll get news of this plot to the canal authorities and the war department, as soon as possible, and then it will be up to them to act as they see fit. you've done your part and we've done ours, and they in their wisdom can decide the future policy of the nation." "but what do you think that will be?" queried bert. "they'll declare war, now, won't they?" "that's a hard question to answer," mused the other, "but it's my private opinion that the whole matter will be hushed up. you may be sure that those engaged in this affair have covered their tracks very skillfully, and it would be practically impossible to prove that they were accredited agents of the japanese government. and in a case of that kind, the world requires more than mere suspicion, you know." "yes, i guess you're right," said bert, thoughtfully. "come to think of it, i'm the only one who overheard the plotters, and my evidence probably wouldn't be sufficient to prove a connection between them and the japanese government. i hadn't thought of that before." "well, i rather think that is the way it will work out," said the lieutenant. "however, you never can tell which way the cat will jump at washington, and this may be the first move in a great war. we won't have many days to wait to find out, anyway." the submarine made all haste to the nearest cable station at colon, and from there ciphers in the navy code were sent to the authorities, narrating all the events connected with the plot. bert was put ashore, as soon as the submarine reached harbor, and parted from her officers with warm expressions of mutual esteem. the morning was well advanced, as he hurried toward his hotel. there was a hum of preparation apparent, the streets were crowded with throngs hastening to secure a point of vantage for the coming spectacle, and flags and bunting floated everywhere. and just then, as he turned a corner, dick and tom, with a wild yell pounced upon him. the anxiety and fear written on their haggard faces were replaced by a look of inexpressible delight. they grabbed his hands and pounded him on the back and otherwise acted as though suddenly deranged. "you old rascal," shouted tom. "where on earth have you been?" "glory, hallelujah," cried dick. "we've searched high and low and have nearly gone crazy." their queries rained on him without stint, but not till they had reached the hotel and he had bathed and dressed did he pour out the details of the astounding plot. the boys were thunderstruck at the peril, missed only by a hair's breadth, and their pride in bert's achievement and joy at his return were beyond all words. they were sitting on the upper veranda, as they talked, and the huge american flag that flew over the hotel, floated past them, just brushing them, as though in a caress. "old glory," murmured bert. "the flag still waves," added tom. "yes," exulted dick, "and not at half-mast, either." chapter xvi the foiling of the plot it was noon, and namoto sat in his library, waiting. he was alone. all preparations had been made for instant flight. his household treasures, his heirlooms, his followers, with togi in charge, had been sent to the yacht, that, with steam up, was lying at its moorings. the captain had reported the disposition of the prisoner, and had received his master's commendation. and now, after measureless toil and risk and scheming, namoto prepared to taste the sweets of victory. how near that victory was! the ceremonies were to begin at twelve. he saw in imagination the crowded wharves and banks, the shouting throngs, the stately ships, as, decked with flags, they moved slowly up the bay to the entrance of the canal. as the first one entered the locks there was to be a salvo of artillery from all the vessels of the fleet. and then, his turn would come. a slight pressure on that button, and there would be a crash, a roar that would echo around the world. japan would hear and rejoice; america would hear and tremble. to the one, it would be the signal of glorious triumph; to the other, the crack of doom. there it was, now! through the window came the boom of guns. he waited till the echoes died away. then, smiling, he forced the button down, and listened for the thunder of the explosion. silence! wonderingly, he pressed again. and again, the silence of the grave! wildly, desperately, frantically, he pushed down with all his strength. then, pale as ashes, he rose to his feet. he had failed. how or why, he did not know. but, he had failed. he had gambled for great stakes and lost. he could still escape. his yacht was waiting. he walked with a firm step over to the wall, and took down a dagger that had belonged to his ancestors. and when togi and the captain, alarmed at his non-appearance, burst into the room an hour later, they found him there. his home in japan, his beloved nippon, would never see him again. his soul had gone in search of that other home, promised by his creed to those who die for their country--the home of the immortal gods. * * * * * * * and all through that day and many days succeeding, the great atlantic fleet climbed over the ridges of the continent and dropped into the pacific. and out on that vast expanse, other ships, under another flag, melted away on the horizon, like the passing of an evil dream. the threat of invasion was over. in tokio, they writhed in secret over the miscarriage of their plans, while in the inner circles of washington there was unfeigned relief and rejoicing. and all america, unknowing of the peril so narrowly escaped, gloried over the successful opening to the world of the great panama canal. for, as had been predicted, the matter was hushed up and buried in the official archives--that graveyard of so many tragedies, actual and impending. those who knew were pledged to secrecy. some day, perhaps, when the time was ripe, america would demand with interest the debt due from japan. but while there could be no public recognition of bert's services, he cherished as one of his choicest treasures a personal letter from the president thanking him for his splendid achievement in behalf of the nation. and now they were on their way home, their hearts aglow with patriotism, after the stupendous proof of their country's genius and destiny, as shown in the great canal. wah lee, who had been under the close watch kept on all the household, after bert was discovered, had escaped from the yacht, in the confusion following the death of namoto, and sought refuge with the boys. his delight at finding bert safe and sound was only second to that of dick and tom. at his earnest entreaties, they had agreed to take him to "amelika" and look after his future fortunes. he was hobnobbing now with some of his yellow-skinned compatriots in the steerage, while the boys sat on the upper deck of the liner, as it drew away from colon. "it's a burning shame," tom was saying, hotly. "you saved the country from disaster, and scarcely anyone knows it." "yes," asserted dick, emphatically, "your name ought to be a household word all over the united states." "easy there, fellows," said bert. "anyone else could have done it. i simply had the chance and took it. it was sheer luck." "no," cried dick. "it was sheer pluck." he had struck the keynote of his comrade's character. and, in bert's later career, that quality of pluck persisted. in the field of sport it was soon to be as prominent as in the dashing adventure through which he had just come triumphant. how brilliantly it came to the fore in the exciting struggle that awaited him will be seen in "_bert wilson's twin-cylinder racer._" the end the panama canal conflict between great britain and the united states of america cambridge university press london: fetter lane, e. c. c. f. clay, manager edinburgh: , princes street london: stevens and sons, ltd., and , chancery lane berlin: a. asher and co. leipzig: f. a. brockhaus new york: g. p. putnam's sons bombay and calcutta: macmillan and co., ltd. _all rights reserved_ the panama canal conflict between great britain and the united states of america a study by l. oppenheim, m. a., ll. d. whewell professor of international law in the university of cambridge honorary member of the royal academy of jurisprudence at madrid member of the institute of international law second edition cambridge: at the university press cambridge: printed by john clay, m. a. at the university press preface to the second edition to my great surprise, the publishers inform me that the first edition of my modest study on the panama canal conflict between great britain and the united states is already out of print and that a second edition is at once required. as this study had been written before the diplomatic correspondence in the matter was available, the idea is tempting now to re-write the essay taking into account the arguments proffered in sir edward grey's despatch to the british ambassador at washington of november , --see parliamentary paper cd. --and, in answer thereto, in mr knox's despatch to the american chargé d'affaires in london of january , --see parliamentary paper cd. . but apart from the fact that the immediate need of a second edition does not permit me time to re-write the work, it seemed advisable to reprint the study in its original form, correcting only some misprints and leaving out the footnote on page . it had been written _sine ira et studio_ and without further information than that which could be gathered from the clayton-bulwer treaty, the hay-pauncefote treaty, the hay-varilla treaty, the panama canal act, and the memorandum which president taft left when signing that act. hence, the reader is presented with a study which is absolutely independent of the diplomatic correspondence, and he can exercise his own judgment in comparing my arguments with those set forth _pro et contra_ the british interpretation of the hay-pauncefote treaty in the despatches of sir edward grey and mr knox. l. o. cambridge, _february , _. contents i. article iii, no. of the hay-pauncefote treaty of and section of the american panama canal act of , pp. - --the memorandum of president taft, pp. - --the interpretation of article iii of the hay-pauncefote treaty preferred by the united states, pp. - . ii. the claim of the united states that she has granted the use of the panama canal under a conditional most-favoured-nation clause, pp. - --the united states has never possessed the power of refusing to grant the use of the panama canal to vessels of foreign nations on terms of entire equality, p. --such use is the condition under which great britain consented to the substitution of the hay-pauncefote treaty for the clayton-bulwer treaty, p. . iii. if the use of the panama canal by vessels of foreign nations were derived from most-favoured-nation treatment, the united states would not be bound to submit to the rules of article iii, nos. - , of the hay-pauncefote treaty, p. --the panama canal would then lose its neutral character and would be in danger of eventually being made the theatre of war, p. --but it is the intention of the hay-pauncefote treaty permanently to neutralise the panama canal, p. --the three objects of the neutralisation of an inter oceanic canal, pp. - --is the united states, under the hay-pauncefote treaty, subjected to more onerous conditions than turkey and egypt are under the suez canal treaty?, pp. - . iv. six reasons for the untenability of the american interpretation of article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty, p. --the stipulation of article viii of the clayton-bulwer treaty, p. --the motive for, and the condition of, the substitution of the hay-pauncefote treaty for the clayton-bulwer treaty, p. --the rules of the suez canal treaty which serve as the basis of the neutralisation of the panama canal, p. --literal meaning of the words "all nations," p. --importance of article iv of the hay-pauncefote treaty, p. --the various contingencies contemplated by article ii of the same treaty, p. . v. the american contention that the exemption of american coasting trade vessels from the payment of canal tolls does not discriminate against foreign vessels, p. --every vessel shall bear a proportionate part of the cost of the panama canal, p. --meaning of the term "coasting trade" as upheld by the united states, pp. - --coasting trade vessels of the united states can trade with mexican and south american ports, p. --any special favour to a particular nation involves discrimination against other nations, p. . vi. is the united states prevented from refunding to her vessels the tolls levied upon them for use in the panama canal?, pp. - --difference of such refunding from exempting the vessels concerned from the payment of tolls, p. . vii. prominent members of the senate and many american newspapers condemn the special privileges granted to american vessels by the panama canal act, p. --the defeated bard amendment of , p. . viii. two schools of thought concerning the relations between international and municipal law, p. --the maxim that international law overrules municipal law, p. --the doctrine that international and municipal law are two essentially different bodies of law, p. --the two maxims of the practice of the american courts, pp. - --president taft's message to congress suggesting a resolution which would have empowered the american courts to decide the question as to whether section of the panama canal act violates article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty, pp. - . ix. the panama canal conflict and the british-american arbitration treaty, pp. - --does the term "interests" mean "advantages" or "rights"?, p. --_pacta tertiis nec nocent nec prosunt_, p. --the exemption of the vessels of the republic of panama from payment of tolls, pp. - . x. why it must be expected that the panama canal conflict will be settled by arbitration, pp. - --mr thomas willing balch's letter to the _new york sun_, pp. - . i. the panama canal conflict is due to the fact that the governments of great britain and the united states do not agree upon the interpretation of article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty of september , , which stipulates as follows:-- "the canal shall be free and open to the vessels of commerce and of war of all nations..., on terms of entire equality, so that there shall be no discrimination against any such nation, or its citizens or subjects, in respect of the conditions and charges of traffic, or otherwise. such conditions and charges of traffic shall be just and equitable." by section of the panama canal act of august , , the president of the united states is authorised to prescribe, and from time to time to change, the tolls to be levied upon vessels using the panama canal, but the section orders that _no tolls whatever shall be levied upon vessels engaged in the coasting trade of the united states_, and also that, if the tolls to be charged should be based upon net registered tonnage for ships of commerce, the tolls shall not exceed one dollar and twenty-five cents per net registered ton nor be less, _for other vessels than those of the united states or her citizens_, than the estimated proportionate cost of the actual maintenance and operation of the canal[ ]. [ ] as regards the enactment of section of the panama canal act that the vessels of the republic of panama shall be entirely exempt from the payment of tolls, see below ix, p. . now great britain asserts that since these enactments set forth in section of the panama canal act are in favour of vessels of the united states, they comprise a violation of article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty which stipulates that the vessels of all nations shall be treated on terms of entire equality. this assertion made by great britain is met by the memorandum which, when signing the panama canal act, president taft left to accompany the act. the president contends that, in view of the fact that the panama canal has been constructed by the united states wholly at her own cost, upon territory ceded to her by the republic of panama, the united states possesses the power to allow her own vessels to use the canal upon _such terms as she sees fit_, and that she may, therefore, permit her vessels to pass through the canal either without the payment of any tolls, or on payment of lower tolls than those levied upon foreign vessels, and that she may remit to her own vessels any tolls which may have been levied upon them for the use of the canal. the president denies that article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty can be invoked against such power of the united states, and he contends that this article iii was adopted by the united states for a specific purpose, namely, as a basis of the neutralisation of the canal, and for no other purpose. this article, the president says, is a declaration of policy by the united states that the canal shall be neutral; that the attitude of the government of the united states is that all nations will be treated alike and no discrimination is to be made against any one of them observing the five conditions enumerated in article iii, nos. - . the right to the use of the canal and to equality of treatment in the use depends upon the observance of the conditions by the nations to whom the united states has extended that privilege. the privileges of all nations to which the use of the canal has been granted subject to the observance of the conditions for its use, are to be equal to the privileges granted to any one of them which observes those conditions. in other words--so the president continues--the privilege to use the canal is a conditional most-favoured-nation treatment, the measure of which, in the absence of an express stipulation to that effect, is not what the united states gives to her own subjects, but the treatment to which she submits other nations. from these arguments of the president it becomes apparent that the united states interprets article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty as stipulating no discrimination against _foreign_ nations, but as leaving it open to her to grant any privilege she likes to her own vessels. according to this interpretation, the rules for the use of the canal are merely a basis of the neutrality which the united states was willing should be characteristic of the canal, and are not intended to limit or hamper the united states in the exercise of her sovereign power in dealing with her own commerce or in using her own canal in whatever manner she sees fit. the president specifically claims the right of the united states eventually to allow her own vessels to use the canal without the payment of any tolls whatever, for the reason that foreign states could not be prevented from refunding to their vessels tolls levied upon them for the use of the canal. if foreign states, but not the united states, had a right to do this--so the president argues--the irresistible conclusion would be that the united states, although she owns, controls, and has paid for the construction of the canal, is restricted by the hay-pauncefote treaty from aiding her own commerce in a way open to all other nations. since the rules of the hay-pauncefote treaty did not provide, as a condition for the privilege of the use of the canal upon equal terms with other nations, that other nations desiring to build up a particular trade, involving the use of the canal, should neither directly agree to pay the tolls nor refund to their vessels tolls levied, it is evident that the hay-pauncefote treaty does not affect the right of the united states to refund tolls to her vessels, unless it is claimed that rules ensuring all nations against discrimination would authorise the united states to require that no foreign nation should grant to its shipping larger subsidies or more liberal inducements to use the canal than were granted by any other nation. ii. it cannot be denied that at the first glance the arguments of the united states appear to be somewhat convincing. on further consideration, however, one is struck by the fact that the whole argumentation starts from, and is based upon, an absolutely wrong presupposition, namely, that the united states is not in any way restricted by the hay-pauncefote treaty with regard to the panama canal, but has granted to foreign nations the use of the canal under a conditional most-favoured-nation clause. this presupposition in no way agrees with the historical facts. when the conclusion of the hay-pauncefote treaty was under consideration, in , the united states had not made the canal, indeed did not own the territory through which the canal has now been made; nor was the united states at that time absolutely unfettered with regard to the projected canal, for she was bound by the stipulations of the clayton-bulwer treaty of . under this treaty she was bound by more onerous conditions with regard to a future panama canal than she is now under the hay-pauncefote treaty. since she did not own the canal territory and had not made the canal at the time when she agreed with great britain upon the hay-pauncefote treaty, she ought not to maintain that she granted to foreign nations the privilege of using _her_ canal under a conditional most-favoured-nation clause, she herself remaining unfettered with regard to the conditions under which she could allow her own vessels the use of the canal. the historical facts are five in number:-- firstly, in , great britain and the united states, by the clayton-bulwer treaty, agreed that neither of them would ever obtain or maintain for herself any exclusive control over a future panama canal, or fortify it, or occupy or colonise any part of central america; that the canal should be neutralised, should be open to the vessels of all nations under conditions of equality; and so forth. secondly, in , the two parties to the clayton-bulwer treaty agreed to substitute for it the hay-pauncefote treaty, article ii of which expressly stipulates _inter alia_ that the canal may be constructed under the auspices of the government of the united states and that the said government, _subject to the provisions of articles iii and iv_, shall have the exclusive right of providing for the regulation and management of the canal. thirdly, the parties agreed--see the preamble of the hay-pauncefote treaty--that the general principle of the neutralisation of the canal as established by the clayton-bulwer treaty should not be impaired, and that, therefore, the united states--see article iii of the hay-pauncefote treaty--agrees to adopt as the basis of the neutralisation of the canal certain rules, substantially the same as those embodied in the suez canal convention of , and amongst these a rule concerning the use of the canal by vessels of all nations on terms of entire equality without discrimination against any such nation, or their citizens or subjects, in respect of the conditions or charges of traffic, or otherwise, such conditions and charges to be just and equitable. fourthly, the parties agreed--see article iv of the hay-pauncefote treaty--that no change of the territorial sovereignty or of the international relations of the country or countries traversed by the future canal should affect the general principle of the neutralisation or the obligation of the parties under the hay-pauncefote treaty. fifthly, when, in , the united states by the hay-varilla treaty, acquired from the republic of panama the strip of territory necessary for the construction, administration, and protection of the canal, she acquired sovereign rights over this territory and the future canal _subject to the antecedent restrictions imposed upon her by the hay-pauncefote treaty_, for article iv of the latter stipulates expressly that _no_ change of territorial sovereignty over the territory concerned shall affect the neutralisation or obligation of the parties _under the treaty_. these are the unshakable historical facts. the united states did not _first_ become the sovereign of the canal territory and make the canal, and _afterwards_ grant to foreign nations the privilege of using the canal under certain conditions. no, she has never possessed the power of refusing to grant the use of the canal to vessels of foreign nations on terms of entire equality, should she ever make the canal. free navigation through the canal for vessels of all nations on terms of entire equality, provided these nations were ready to recognise the neutrality of the canal, was stipulated by the clayton-bulwer treaty, and this stipulation was essentially upheld by the hay-pauncefote treaty, and it was not until two years after the conclusion of the hay-pauncefote treaty that the united states acquired sovereign rights over the canal territory and made preparations for the construction of the canal. for this reason the contention of the united states that she has granted to foreign nations the use of the canal under certain conditions and that such grant includes a conditional most-favoured-nation treatment, is absolutely baseless and out of place. she has not granted anything, the free use of the canal by vessels of all nations having been the condition under which great britain consented to the abrogation of the clayton-bulwer treaty and to the stipulation of article ii of the hay-pauncefote treaty according to which--in contradistinction to article i of the clayton-bulwer treaty--the united states is allowed to have a canal constructed under her auspices. iii. if the assertion of the united states that she herself is entirely unfettered in the use of the canal, and that the conditions imposed upon foreign vessels in return for the privilege of using the canal involve a most-favoured-nation treatment, were correct, the united states would not be bound to submit to the rules laid down by article iii, nos. - , of the hay-pauncefote treaty. she could, therefore, if she were a belligerent, commit acts of hostility in the canal against vessels of her opponent; could let her own men-of-war revictual or take in stores within the canal even if there were no strict necessity for doing so; could embark and disembark troops, munitions of war, or warlike materials in the canal, although all these were destined to be made use of during the war generally, and not only for the defence of the canal against a possible attack. there ought, however, to be no doubt that the united states is as much bound to obey the rules of article iii of the hay-pauncefote treaty as great britain or any other foreign state. these rules are intended to invest the canal with the character of neutrality. if the united states were not bound to obey them, the canal would lose its neutral character, and, in case she were a belligerent, her opponent would be justified in considering the canal a part of the region of war and could, therefore, make it the theatre of war. the mere fact that article iii of the hay-pauncefote treaty refers to the rules in existence concerning the neutralisation of the suez canal, and that article iv of the suez canal treaty of expressly stipulates the neutralisation of the canal even should turkey be a belligerent, ought to be sufficient to prove that the neutralisation of the panama canal is stipulated by the hay-pauncefote treaty even should the united states be a belligerent. furthermore, one must come to the same conclusion if one takes into consideration the objects, which are three in number, of the neutralisation of an inter-oceanic canal. the first object is that a canal shall be open in time of war as well as in time of peace, so that navigation through the canal may be unhampered by the fact that war is being waged. if the canal were not neutralised, the territorial sovereign would be compelled, if he were neutral in a war, to prevent the passing through the canal of men-of-war of either belligerent, because such passage would be equivalent to the passage of belligerent troops through neutral land territory. the second object is that the territorial sovereign shall be prevented from closing a canal or interfering with the free use of it by vessels of all nations in case he himself is a party to a war. if the canal were not neutralised, the belligerent territorial sovereign could, during the war, close the canal or interfere with its free use by neutral vessels. the third object is that a canal shall not be damaged, nor navigation thereon be prevented or hampered by the opponent in case the territorial sovereign is himself a belligerent. if the canal were not neutralised, it could be blockaded, militarily occupied, and hostilities could be committed there. with these points in mind one may well ask whether it was worth while to agree at all upon the five rules of article iii, nos. - , of the hay-pauncefote treaty if the united states were not to be considered bound by these rules. that two years after the conclusion of the hay-pauncefote treaty the united states acquired sovereign rights over the canal territory and that she is at present the owner of the canal has not, essentially at any rate, altered the case, for article iv of the hay-pauncefote treaty stipulates that a change of territorial sovereignty over the canal territory should not affect the obligation of the contracting parties under that treaty. if this is correct, it might be maintained that the united states is, under the hay-pauncefote treaty, subjected to more onerous conditions than turkey and egypt are under the suez canal treaty, for article x of the latter stipulates that egypt and turkey shall not by the injunctions of articles iv, v, vii, and viii of the same treaty be considered to be prevented from taking such measures as might be necessary to ensure the defence of egypt and turkey by their own armed forces. but this opinion would not be justified because in this respect the case of the panama canal is entirely different from that of the suez canal. whereas the panama canal is an outlying part of the united states, and no attack on the main territory of the united states is possible from the panama canal, an attack on egypt as well as on turkey is quite possible from the suez canal. there is, therefore, no occasion for the united states to take such measures in the panama canal as might be necessary to ensure the defence of her main territory. indeed there might be occasion for her to take such measures in the canal as are necessary to ensure the defence of the canal and the surrounding territory, if a belligerent threatened to attack it. although this case is not directly provided for by the hay-pauncefote treaty--in contradistinction to article xxiii of the hay-varilla treaty--there is no doubt that, since, according to article ii of the hay-pauncefote treaty, the united states shall have and enjoy all the rights incident to the construction of the canal as well as the exclusive right of providing for the regulation and management of the canal there is thereby indirectly recognised the power of the united states to take all such measures as might become necessary for the defence of the canal against a threatening attack. apart from this case, the united states, even if she herself were a belligerent, has no more rights in the use of the canal than her opponent or a neutral power; on the contrary, she is as much bound as these powers to submit to the rules of article iii, nos. - , of the hay-pauncefote treaty. iv. however this may be, the question as to whether the stipulation of article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty that vessels of all nations shall be treated on the basis of entire equality is meant to apply to vessels of all nations without exception, or only to the vessels of _foreign_ nations and not to those of the united states, can only be decided by an interpretation of article iii which takes the whole of the hay-pauncefote treaty as well as the clayton-bulwer treaty into consideration. ( ) there is no doubt that according to the clayton-bulwer treaty the future canal was to be open on like terms to the citizens of all nations including those of the united states, for article viii expressly stipulates "that the same canals or railways, being open to the subjects and citizens of great britain and the united states on equal terms, shall also be open on like terms to the subjects and citizens of every other state which...." ( ) the clayton-bulwer treaty has indeed been superseded by the hay-pauncefote treaty, but it is of importance to notice the two facts, expressed in the preamble of the latter:--(_a_) that the only motive for the substitution of the latter for the former treaty was to remove any objection which might arise under the clayton-bulwer treaty to the construction of the canal under the auspices of the government of the united states; (_b_) that it was agreed that the general principle of neutralisation as established by article viii of the clayton-bulwer treaty should not be considered to be impaired by the new treaty. now the equal treatment of american, british, and any other nation's vessels which use the canal is part and parcel of the general principle of neutralisation as established by article viii of the clayton-bulwer treaty, and such equal treatment must, therefore, be considered not to have been impaired by article iii of the hay-pauncefote treaty. ( ) article iii of the hay-pauncefote treaty stipulates--as a consequence of the fact, expressed in the preamble of the treaty, that the general principle of neutralisation of the canal as established by article viii of the clayton-bulwer treaty shall not be impaired by the hay-pauncefote treaty--that the united states adopts, as the basis of the neutralisation of the canal, six rules _substantially as embodied in the suez canal treaty of constantinople of _. now although the suez canal treaty nowhere directly lays down a rule which is identical with the rule of article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty, it nevertheless insists upon equal treatment of the vessels of all nations by stating in article xii:--"the high contracting parties, _in application of the principle of equality concerning the free use of the canal, a principle which forms one of the bases of the present treaty_, agree that...." that this principle of equality of all nations concerning the free use of the suez canal means equality of vessels of all nations with the exception of the vessels of egypt or even of turkey, has never been contended; such a contention would, i am sure, have been objected to by the parties to the suez canal treaty. for this reason the term "all nations" in the hay-pauncefote treaty can likewise only mean _all_ nations, including the united states. ( ) the literal meaning of the words "all nations" leads to the same conclusion. if something is stipulated with regard to "all" nations, every nation is meant without exception. if an exception had been contemplated, the words "all nations" could not have been used, and if all foreign nations only were contemplated, the words "all foreign nations" would have been made use of. ( ) there is also an argument from article iv of the hay-pauncefote treaty which states that no change of territorial sovereignty or of the international relations of the country or countries traversed by the canal should affect the general principle of neutralisation or the obligation of the high contracting parties under the treaty. the general principle of neutralisation is, as laid down in the preamble of the hay-pauncefote treaty, the general principle of neutralisation as established by article viii of the clayton-bulwer treaty, and it has already been shown--see above iv, no. , p. --that equal treatment of british, american, and any other nation's vessels using the canal is part and parcel of that general principle of neutralisation. ( ) lastly, article iv of the hay-pauncefote treaty must be read in conjunction with article ii. the latter does not exclusively contemplate the construction of the canal by the united states, it contemplates rather the construction _under the auspices of the united states, either_ directly at her cost, _or_ by gift or loan of money to individuals or corporations, _or_ through subscription to or purchase of stocks and shares. the question may well be asked whether, in case the united states had not acquired the canal territory and had not herself made the canal, but had enabled a company to construct it by the grant of a loan, or by taking shares, and the like, she would then also have interpreted the words "all nations" to mean "all foreign nations," and would, therefore, have claimed the right to insist upon her own vessels enjoying such privileges in the use of the canal as need not be granted to vessels of other nations. can there be any doubt that she would _not_ have done it? and if we can reasonably presume that she would not have done it under those conditions, she cannot do it now after having acquired the canal territory and having herself made the canal, for article iv declares that a change in the territorial sovereignty of the canal territory shall neither affect the general principle of neutralisation nor the obligation of the parties under the treaty. v. i have hitherto only argued against the contention of president taft that the words "all nations" mean all foreign nations, and that, therefore, the united states could grant to her vessels privileges which need not be granted to vessels of other states using the panama canal. for the present the united states does not intend to do this, although section of the panama canal act--see above i, p. --empowers the president to do it within certain limits. for the present the panama canal act exempts only vessels engaged in the american coasting trade from the payment of tolls, and the memorandum of president taft maintains that this exemption does not discriminate against foreign vessels since these, according to american municipal law, are entirely excluded from the american coasting trade and, therefore, cannot be in any way put to a disadvantage through the exemption from the payment of the canal tolls of american vessels engaged in the american coasting trade. at the first glance this assertion is plausible, but on further consideration it is seen not to be correct, for the following reasons: ( ) according to article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty the charges for the use of the canal shall be just and equitable. this can only mean that they shall not be higher than the cost of construction, maintenance, and administration of the canal requires, and that every vessel which uses the canal shall bear a proportionate part of such cost. now if all the american vessels engaged in the american coasting trade were exempt from the payment of tolls, the proportionate part of the cost to be borne by other vessels will be higher, and, therefore, the exemption of american coasting trade vessels is a discrimination against other vessels. ( ) the united states gives the term "coasting trade" a meaning of unheard-of extent which entirely does away with the distinction between the meaning of coasting trade and colonial trade hitherto kept up by all other nations. i have shown in former publications--see the _law quarterly review_, vol. xxiv ( ), p. , and my treatise on international law, nd edition ( ), vol. i, § --that this attitude of the united states is not admissible. but no one denies that any state can exclude foreign vessels not only from its coasting trade, but also from its colonial trade, as, for instance, france, by a law of april , , excluded foreign vessels from the trade between french and algerian ports. i will not, therefore, argue the subject again here, but will only take into consideration the possibility that great britain, and some other states, might follow the lead of america and declare all the trade between the mother countries and ports of their colonies to be coasting trade, and exclude foreign vessels therefrom. would the united states be ready then to exempt coasting trade vessels of foreign states from the payment of panama tolls in the same way that she has exempted her own coasting trade vessels? if she would not--and who doubts that she would not?--she would certainly discriminate in favour of her own vessels against foreign vessels. could not the foreign states concerned make the same assertion that is now made by the united states, viz. that, foreign vessels being excluded from their coasting trade, the exemption of their own coasting trade vessels from tolls did not comprise a discrimination against the vessels of other nations? the coasting trade of russia offers a practical example. by a ukase of russia enacted that trade between any of her ports is to be considered coasting trade, and the trade between st petersburg and vladivostock is, therefore, coasting trade from which foreign vessels are excluded. will the united states, since the panama canal act exempts all american coasting trade vessels from the panama canal tolls be ready to exempt russian coasting trade vessels likewise? surely the refusal of such exemption would be a discrimination against russian in favour of american coasting trade vessels! ( ) the unheard-of extension by the united states of the meaning of the term coasting trade would allow an american vessel sailing from new york to the hawaiian islands, but touching at the ports of mexico or of a south american state, after having passed the panama canal, to be considered as engaged in the coasting trade of the united states. being exempt from paying the canal tolls she could carry goods from new york to the mexican and south american ports concerned at cheaper rates than foreign vessels plying between new york and these mexican and south american ports. there is, therefore, no doubt that in such cases the exemption of american coasting trade vessels from the tolls would involve a discrimination against foreign vessels in favour of vessels of the united states. ( ) it has been asserted that the wording of article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty only prohibits discrimination _against_ some particular nation, and does not prohibit a _special favour_ to a particular nation, and that, therefore, special favours to the coasting trade vessels of the united states are not prohibited. but this assertion is unfounded, although the bad drafting of article iii, no. , lends some slight assistance to it. the fact that in this article the words "so that there shall be no discrimination against any such nation" are preceded by the words "the canal shall be free and open to the vessels of commerce and of war of all nations observing these rules, _on terms of entire equality_," proves absolutely that any favour to any particular nation is prohibited because it must be considered to involve a discrimination against other nations. vi. there is one more contention in the memorandum of president taft in favour of the assertion that the united states is empowered to exempt all her vessels from the panama canal tolls. it is thefollowing:--since the rules of the hay-pauncefote treaty do not provide, as a condition for the privilege of using the canal upon equal terms with other nations, that other nations desiring to build up a particular trade which involves the use of the canal shall not either directly pay the tolls for their vessels or refund to them the tolls levied upon them, the united states could not be prevented from doing the same. i have no doubt that this contention is correct, but paying the tolls direct for vessels using the canal or refunding to them the tolls levied is not the same as exempting them from the payment of tolls. since, as i have shown above in v ( ), p. , every vessel using the canal shall, according to article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty, bear a proportionate part of the cost of construction, maintenance, and administration of the canal, the proportionate part of such cost to be borne by foreign vessels would be higher in case the vessels of the united states were exempt from the payment of tolls. for this reason the exemption of american vessels would involve such a discrimination against foreign vessels as is not admissible according to article iii, no. . vii. with regard to the whole question of the interpretation of article iii of the hay-pauncefote treaty, the fact is of interest that prominent members of the american senate as well as a great part of the more influential american press, at the time the panama canal act was under the consideration of the senate, emphatically asserted that any special privileges to be granted to american vessels would violate this article. president taft, his advisers, and the majority of the senate were of a different opinion, and for this reason the panama canal act has become american municipal law. it is likewise of interest to state the fact that the majority of the senate as constituted thirteen years ago took a different view from the majority of the present senate, a fact which becomes apparent from an incident in the senate in december , during the deliberations on the hay-pauncefote treaty of february , , the unratified precursor of the hay-pauncefote treaty of november , . senator bard moved an amendment, namely, that the united states reserves the right in the regulation and management of the canal to discriminate in respect of the charges of the traffic in favour of vessels of her own citizens engaged in the american coasting trade, but this amendment was rejected by to votes. as article ii, no. , of the unratified hay-pauncefote treaty of comprises a stipulation almost identical with that of article iii, no. , of the present hay-pauncefote treaty, there can be no doubt that the bard amendment endeavoured to secure such a privilege to american coasting trade vessels as the united states now by the panama canal act grants to these vessels. but the bard amendment was defeated because the majority of the senate was, in , convinced that it involved a violation of the principle of equality for vessels of all nations pronounced by article ii, no. , of the unratified hay-pauncefote treaty of . viii. the conflict concerning the interpretation of the hay-pauncefote treaty throws a flood of light on the practice of the united states respecting the relations between international law and her municipal law. two schools may be said to be opposing one another in the science of international law with regard to the relations between international and municipal law. there are, firstly, a number of publicists who assert that international law is above municipal law and that, therefore, the rules of the former are stronger than the rules of the latter. accordingly, a municipal court would have to apply the rules of international law whether they are expressly or implicitly recognised by the municipal law of the state concerned or not, and even in a case where there is a decided conflict between a rule of municipal law and a rule of international law. "_international law overrules municipal law_" must be said to be the maxim of this school of thought. there are, secondly, other publicists who maintain that _international law and municipal law are two essentially different bodies of law_ which have nothing in common but that they are both branches--but separate branches!--of the tree of law. the rules of international law are never, therefore, _per se_ part and parcel of the municipal law of a state, and a municipal court cannot apply the rules of international law unless they have been adopted, either expressly or implicitly, by the municipal law of the state concerned. should there be a conflict between a rule of international law and a rule of municipal law, a municipal court can only apply the rule of municipal law, leaving it to the legislature of its state to do away with the conflict by altering the municipal law. i believe that the teaching of the latter school of thought is correct[ ] since international and municipal law differ as regards their sources, the relations they regulate, and the substance of their law. rules of international law can, therefore, only be applied by municipal courts in their administration of the law in case and in so far as such rules have been adopted into municipal law either by a special act of the legislature, or by custom, or implicitly. [ ] see my treatise on international law, nd edition ( ), vol. i, §§ - . now the practice of the courts[ ] of the united states neither agrees with the doctrine of the former nor with the doctrine of the latter school of publicists, but takes a middle line between them. indeed it considers international law to be part and parcel of the municipal law of the united states. it is, however, far from accepting the maxim that international law overrules municipal law, it accepts rather two maxims, namely, first, that _international law overrules previous municipal law_, and, secondly, that _municipal law overrules previous international law_. in the administration of the law american courts hold themselves bound to apply the acts of their legislature even in the case in which the rules of these enactments are not in conformity with rules of previous international law. it is true that, according to article vi of the american constitution, all international treaties of the united states shall be the supreme law of the land, but in case an act of congress contains rules not in agreement with stipulations of a previous international treaty, the american courts consider themselves bound by the act of congress, and not by the stipulations of the previous treaty. it is obvious that, according to the practice of the courts of the united states, international law and municipal law are of _equal_ force, so that on the one hand new rules of international law supersede rules of previous municipal law, and, on the other hand, new rules of municipal law supersede rules of previous international law. for this reason, the american courts cannot be resorted to in order to have the question decided whether or no the enactments of section of the panama canal act are in conformity with article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty. [ ] see the account of the practice of the american court in scott's learned article in the _american journal of international law_, vol. i ( ), pp. - . it is a proof of the _bona fides_ of president taft that he desired that the american courts might be enabled to decide this question. in a message to congress, dated august , , in which the president stated his conviction that the panama canal act under consideration did not violate the hay-pauncefote treaty, he _inter alia_ suggested that congress should pass the following resolution:-- "that nothing contained in the act, entitled 'an act to provide for the opening, maintenance, protection, and operation of the panama canal, and the sanitation and government of the canal zone,' shall be deemed to repeal any provision of the hay-pauncefote treaty or to affect the judicial construction thereof, and in any wise to impair any rights or privileges which have been or may be acquired by any foreign nation under the treaties of the united states relative to tolls or other charges for the passage of vessels through the panama canal, and that when any alien ... considers that the charging of tolls ... pursuant to the provisions of this act violates in any way such treaty rights or privileges such alien shall have the right to bring an action against the united states for redress of the injury which he considers himself to have suffered; and the district courts of the united states are hereby given jurisdiction to hear and determine such cases, to decree their appropriate relief, and from decision of such district courts there shall be an appeal by either party to the action of the supreme court of the united states." congress, however, has not given effect to the suggestion of the president, and the american courts have not, therefore, the opportunity of giving a judicial interpretation to the hay-pauncefote treaty and of deciding the question whether or no through the panama canal act has arisen a conflict between american municipal law and international law as emanating from the hay-pauncefote treaty. ix. it has been asserted that the united states is bound by her general arbitration treaty of april , , with great britain to have the dispute concerning the interpretation of the hay-pauncefote treaty decided by an award of the permanent court of arbitration at the hague. it is, however, not at all certain that this dispute falls under the british-american arbitration treaty. article i of this treaty stipulates:-- "differences which may arise of a legal nature or relating to the interpretation of treaties existing between the two contracting parties and which it may not have been possible to settle by diplomacy, shall be referred to the permanent court of arbitration established at the hague by the convention of the th of july , provided, nevertheless, that they do not affect the vital interests, the independence, or the honour of the two contracting states, _and do not concern the interests of third parties_." since this stipulation exempts from obligatory arbitration such differences between the contracting parties as concern the interests of third parties, the question requires an answer whether in the controversial interpretation of the hay-pauncefote treaty other states than great britain and the united states are interested. the term _interest_ is, however, a very wide one and so vague that it is very difficult to decide this question. does "interest" mean "rights"? or does it mean "advantages"? if it means "advantages," there is no doubt that in the panama canal conflict the interests of third parties are concerned, for the free use of the canal by their vessels on terms of entire equality is secured to them by the hay-pauncefote treaty. on the other hand, if "interests" means "rights," it can hardly be said that the interests of third parties are concerned in the dispute, for the hay-pauncefote treaty is one to which only great britain and the united states are contracting parties, and according to the principle _pacta tertiis nec nocent nec prosunt_ no rights can accrue to third parties from a treaty. great britain has the right to demand from the united states, which owns and controls the canal, that she shall keep the canal open for the use of the vessels of all nations on terms of entire equality, but other states have no right to make the same claim. the case will be different when the canal has been opened, and has been in use for such length of time as to call into existence--under the influence and working of the hay-pauncefote treaty--a customary rule of international law according to which the canal is permanently neutralised and open to vessels of all nations, or when all maritime states, through formal accession to the hay-pauncefote treaty, have entered into it with all rights and duties of the two contracting parties. so long as neither of these events has taken place great britain and the united states can at any moment, without the consent of third states, abrogate the hay-pauncefote treaty and do away with the stipulation that the canal shall be open to vessels of all nations on terms of entire equality. in this connection it is of interest to draw attention to the fact that, in compliance with article xix of the hay-varilla treaty of november , , section of the panama canal act entirely exempts vessels of the republic of panama from payment of the panama canal tolls. it would seem that this exemption in favour of the vessels of the republic of panama violates article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty, although it is in conformity with article xix of the hay-varilla treaty which stipulates that:-- "the government of the republic of panama shall have the right to transport over the canal its vessels and its troops and munitions of war in such vessels at all times without paying charges of any kind." a treaty between two states can never invalidate a stipulation of a previous treaty between one of the contracting parties and a third state. bearing this point in mind, it must be maintained that the united states, being bound by article iii, no. , of the hay-pauncefote treaty, had not the power to enter into the stipulation of article xix of the hay-varilla treaty by which she granted exemption from payment of tolls to vessels of the republic of panama, and that great britain is justified in protesting against the enactment of section of the panama canal act in so far as it exempts vessels of panama from the payment of tolls. the fact that the right of panama to demand exemption from payment of tolls for her vessels is one of the conditions under which the republic of panama ceded to the united states the strip of territory necessary for the construction, administration, and protection of the canal, cannot invalidate the previously acquired right of great britain to demand equal treatment of the vessels of all nations without any exception whatever. it must be left to the united states and the republic of panama to come to an agreement concerning article xix of the hay-varilla treaty. although the united states promised an exemption from tolls which she had no power to grant, the republic of panama need not drop her claim to this exemption. since, however, the grant of the exemption would violate previous treaty rights of great britain, the republic of panama is at any rate entitled to a claim to an equivalent of the exemption, namely, the refunding, on the part of the united states, of tolls paid by vessels of the republic of panama for the use of the canal. whether these vessels are exempt from the payment of tolls or can demand to have them refunded, makes very little difference to the republic of panama, although article xix of the hay-varilla treaty stipulates exemption from, and not the refunding of, tolls. but the case of the vessels of panama is quite unique, for their exemption from tolls was one of the conditions under which the republic of panama ceded to the united states the canal territory. great britain and the united states being the only contracting parties to the hay-pauncefote treaty, and third states not having as yet either by formal accession become parties to this treaty or acquired, by custom, a claim to equal treatment of their vessels, there would seem to be nothing to prevent great britain from consenting to the exemption of the vessels of panama, should she be disposed to do so. x. however this may be, the question as to whether the united states is by the british-american arbitration treaty compelled to consent to have the dispute concerning the interpretation of the hay-pauncefote treaty brought before the permanent court of arbitration is of minor importance. for, even if she be not compelled to do so, it must nevertheless be expected that she will do so. if any dispute is, by its very character, fit and destined to be settled by arbitration, it is this dispute, which is clearly of a legal nature and at the same time one which concerns the interpretation of treaties. neither the independence, nor the honour, nor any vital interest of the parties can be said to be involved in the dispute. indeed it may be maintained that much more important than the dispute itself is the question whether it will or will not be settled by arbitration. great britain has already declared that if the dispute cannot be settled by means of diplomacy, she will request arbitration. the eyes of the whole world are directed upon the united states in order to find out her resolution. throughout her history, the united states has been a champion of arbitration, and no other state has so frequently offered to go, or consented to submit, to arbitration. it was the united states who at the first, as well as the second, hague peace conference led the party which desired that arbitration should be made obligatory for a number of differences, and she will, i am sure, renew her efforts at the approaching third peace conference. should she refuse to go to arbitration in her present dispute with great britain, the whole movement for arbitration would, for a generation at least, be discredited and come to a standstill. for if the leader of the movement is false to all his declarations and aspirations in the past, the movement itself must be damaged and its opponents must be victorious. prominent americans are alive to this indubitable fact, and it would seem to be appropriate to conclude this study with the text of the letter of mr thomas willing balch of philadelphia--the worthy son of his father who was the first to demand the settlement of the alabama dispute by arbitration--which the _new york sun_, an influential american paper, published on september , , on its editorial page. "to the editor of the _sun_. sir:-- a half century ago, americans believed firmly that we had a good cause of grievance against great britain for having allowed, during our great civil war, the use of her ports for the fitting out of a fleet of confederate cruisers, which caused our maritime flag to disappear almost entirely from the high seas. we pressed great britain long and persistently to agree that our claims, known under the generic name of the alabama claims, should be submitted for settlement to an impartial arbitration. finally, with reluctance, great britain acceded to our demands. and as a result the two nations appeared as litigants before the bar of the international court of justice, popularly known as the geneva tribunal. the result was a triumph for the united states, but also it was a greater triumph for the cause of civilization. to-day our government and that of great britain have once more come to an _impasse_, this time over the interpretation of the hay-pauncefote panama treaty. our government has definitely granted free passage through the panama canal to our vessels engaged in the coastwise trade. and as a consequence great britain has entered a protest and given notice that she will request that the hay-pauncefote international contract shall be submitted for interpretation to a judicial decision by the hague tribunal. though so short a time has elapsed since the panama canal bill became a law, mutterings have been heard of the possibility that the united states would refuse this request of great britain to refer the point in dispute to the hague court. but such a policy would be most unwise for the united states to pursue. no better means to injure our foreign trade and relations could be devised. apart, however, from the material aspect of the question, our national honor and credit would suffer if we refused to refer the matter for judicial settlement at the bar of the hague international court, especially as we have a treaty agreement with great britain to refer many forms of possible international dispute to that very tribunal in case ordinary means fail to settle them. in acceding to such a solution of the point of difference between the two powers, the honor of the united states and great britain surely will be as safe in the hands of their respective counsel as the honor of a private individual is in those of his lawyer in a suit before a municipal tribunal. the alabama arbitration which involved a large and important part of the rights and duties of neutrals and belligerents towards one another, was a notable advance in strengthening the power and majesty of international law among the nations of the world. the present dispute will turn on the correct interpretation of a treaty concerning whose meaning various parties and persons have offered different views. it seems to be clearly a case for a judicial decision. at the proper time, let the question be argued before the hague court, and whatever the decision may be, which both parties will be pledged in advance to accept, another triumph will have been won for the law of the nations. another step forward--and international law and justice can only advance a step at a time--towards the distant goal of universal peace through the expansion of the law of nations will be accomplished to the substantial gain and credit of civilization and humanity. and new honor and glory will accrue to the united states, which ever since the signing of jay's treaty in have done so much, probably more than any other power, to promote the cause of justice among the nations." cambridge: printed by john clay, m. a. at the university press joseph pennell's pictures of the panama canal fourth edition joseph pennell's pictures of the panama canal reproductions of a series of lithographs made by him on the isthmus of panama, january--march, , together with impressions and notes by the artist [illustration: ++ decorative image.] philadelphia and london j. b. lippincott company copyright, , by joseph pennell published, september, printed by j. b. lippincott company at the washington square press philadelphia, u.s.a. to j. b. bishop secretary of the isthmian canal commission who made it possible for me to draw these lithographs and who was also good enough to accede to my request and read and correct the proofs for me introduction--my lithographs of the panama canal the idea of going to panama to make lithographs of the canal was mine. i suggested it, and the _century magazine_ and _illustrated london news_ offered to print some of the drawings i might make. though i suggested the scheme a couple of years ago, it was not until january, , that i was able to go--and then i was afraid it was too late--afraid the work was finished and that there would be nothing to see, for photographs taken a year or eighteen months before, showed some of the locks built and their gates partly in place. still i started, and after nearly three weeks of voyaging found, one january morning, the isthmus of panama ahead of the steamer, a mountainous country, showing deep valleys filled with mist, like snow fields, as i have often seen them from montepulciano looking over lake thrasymene, in italy. beyond were higher peaks, strange yet familiar, japanese prints, and as we came into the harbor the near hills and distant mountains were silhouetted with japanese trees and even the houses were japanese, and when we at length landed, the town was full of character reminiscent of spain, yet the local character came out in the cathedral, the tower of which--a pyramid--was covered with a shimmering, glittering mosaic of pearl oyster shells. the people, not americans, were primitive, and the children, mostly as in spain, were not bothered with clothes. i followed my instinct, which took me at once to the great swamp near the town of mount hope, where so many of de lesseps' plans lie buried. here are locomotives, dredges, lock-gates, huge bulks of iron, great wheels, nameless, shapeless masses--half under water, half covered with vines--the end of a great work. i came back to colon by the side of the french canal, completed and working up to, i believe, gatun lock and dam, and spent the afternoon in the american town, every house japanese in feeling, french or american in construction, screened with black wire gauze, divided by white wood lines--most decorative--and all shaded by a forest of palms. through these wandered well-made roads, and on them were walking and driving well-made americans. there were no mosquitoes, no flies, no smells, none of the usual adjuncts of a tropical town. at the end of the town was a monument, a nondescript columbus, facing nowhere, at his feet an indian; but it seemed to me, if any monument was wanted at colon, it should be a great light-house or a great statue towering aloft in the harbor, a memorial to the men who, french and american, have made the canal. next day i started across the continent to panama, for i learned the government headquarters were there, and, until i had seen the officials, i did not know if i should be allowed to work or even stay on the isthmus. but at gatun i got off the train, determining to do all i could before i was stopped--as i was quite sure i should be. i saw the tops of the locks only a few hundred yards away, and, turning my back on the stunning town piled up on the hillside, walked over to them; from a bridge bearing a sign that all who used it did so at their own risk i looked down into a yawning gulf stretching to right and left, the bottom filled with crowds of tiny men and tiny trains--all in a maze of work; to the right the gulf reached to a lake, to the left to mighty gates which mounted from the bottom to my feet. overhead, huge iron buckets flew to and fro, great cranes raised or lowered huge masses of material. as i looked, a bell rang, the men dropped their tools, and lines of little figures marched away, or climbed wooden stairs and iron ladders to the surface. the engines whistled, the buckets paused, everything stopped instantly, save that from the depths a long chain came quickly up, and clinging to the end of it, as cellini would have grouped them, were a dozen men--a living design--the most decorative motive i have ever seen in the wonder of work. i could not have imagined it, and in all the time i was on the isthmus i never saw it but once again. for a second only they were posed, and then the huge crane swung the group to ground and the design fell to pieces as they dropped off. across the bridge was a telephone station and beyond and below it the great approaches to the locks along which electric locomotives will draw the ships that pass through. there was a subject, and i tackled it at once. in the distance the already filling lake--among islands, but the highland still above the water, dotting it, crowned with palms and strange trees; dredgers slowly moved, native canoes paddled rapidly, over all hovered great birds. to the right was the long line of the french canal, almost submerged, stretching to the distance, against which, blue and misty and flat, were strange-shaped mountains, outlined with strange-shaped trees. bridges like those of hiroshigi connected island with island or with the mainland. it was perfect, the apotheosis of the wonder of work, and as i looked the whole rocked as with an earthquake--and then another. i was dragged into the hut as showers of stones rattled on the roof as blast after blast went off near by. soon people in authority came up--i supposed to stop me; instead it was only to show pleasure that i found their work worth drawing. these men were all americans, all so proud of their part in the canal, and so strong and healthy--most of them trained and educated, i knew as soon as they opened their mouths--the greatest contrast to the crowd on the steamer, who now were all tamely following a guide and listening to what they could neither understand nor see during their only day ashore. these engineers and workmen are the sort of americans worth knowing, and yet i did not see any golf links at gatun. the day was spent in that telephone box and on the spillway of the dam--a semicircle of cyclopean concrete, backed by a bridge finer than hokusai ever imagined, yet built to carry the huge engines that drag the long trains of dirt and rock across it, to make the dam. the dam, to me, was too big and too vague to draw. and all this is the work of my countrymen, and they are so proud of their work. yet the men who have done this great work will tell you that we owe much to the french, and that if the engineers and the commission at panama had not the government, with unlimited men and money, behind them, and the discoveries in sanitary science of which the french were ignorant, we, too, would have failed. they tell you, and show you how, the french worked on the canal right across the isthmus, and we are carrying out the great project they were unable to complete. and we have won the admiration of the world. the sanitary problem is solved, but they tell you under the french, fever carried off a man for every tie that was laid on the panama railroad. this is a legend, but a true story is, that the french cared so little for their lives that with every shipload of machinery came boxes of champagne, and those who received them asked their friends to dinner--finished the bottles--and were buried in the empty box in the morning. now there is no fever in the canal zone, but there is plenty of drink in and outside of it, but, i am told, "indulged in with wonderful moderation." i certainly never saw an american under the influence of it. in the evening a ride of two hours took me over the thirty miles to panama--one of the last passengers over the old line of the panama railway, now buried under the waters of the growing lake. from the railroad i saw for the first time the primeval forest, the tropical jungle, which i had never believed in, never believed that it could not be penetrated save with an axe or a machete; but it is so, and the richness of it, the riot of it, the variety of it, is incredible and endless. the train puffed along, in that time-taking fashion of the tropics i should soon be familiar with, passing points of view i made notes of, for first impressions are for me always the best, and one trip like this gives me more ideas than days of personal pointing out. finally panama was reached in the dark; all i saw was a great hill lit up with rows of lights, one above the other, in the night. the day had not been hot, the sky was not blue or black--it was white, and filled with white clouds, though they were dark against it. there was no glare--and i had forgotten my sketching umbrella; but i never needed it. so far as i know, there is always a breeze--it is never really hot in the day--and as soon as the sun sets the trade wind rises--if it has not been blowing all day--and i could always sleep at night. it is all so unlike other hot countries--but, then, panama is unlike other places: the sun rises and sets in the pacific, and the city of panama, though on the pacific, is east of colon, on the atlantic. there was not a smell, or a mosquito, or a fly on ancon hill, but over it all was the odor of petroleum, with which the streams and marshes of the whole zone are sprayed almost daily; and this has made the canal and saved the workers. next morning i went to the administration building and presented my letters, though i did not know if i should be allowed to draw. but it seemed that everything had been arranged for me by the commission, who, it also seemed, had been doing nothing for weeks but waiting my coming. i was clothed, fed, taken about in motor cars and steam launches, given passes on the railroad, and finally turned loose to go where i wanted and draw what i liked--and if anything happened or did not happen i was just to telephone to headquarters. the following day, donning my khaki, which i wore only once, and pocketing my pass and some oranges, i started for the locks at pedro miguel--pronounced, in american, peter megil, just as miraflores is called millflowers. we were all down, had breakfast, and off in the train--a jim-crow one--before the sun was up, and at pedro miguel station i found myself one of a horde of niggers, greeks, hindoos, slovaks, spaniards, americans and engineers, bound for the lock, half a mile away. here i went down to the bottom to get a drawing of the great walls that lead up to the great gates, now nearly finished. i had come at exactly the right time. these walls are surmounted with great arches and buttresses--the most decorative subject, the most stupendous motive i have ever seen--almost too great to draw. unlike my experiences of a lifetime at other government works, i was asked for no permit. i was allowed to go where i wanted, draw what i liked; when any attention was paid to me, it was to ask what i was working for--give me a glass of ice water--precious, out of the breeze at the bottom of a lock--offer to get me a photograph or make one, to suggest points of view, or tell me to clear out when a blast was to be fired. and the interest of these americans in my work and in their work was something i had never seen before. a man in huge boots, overalls and ragged shirt, an apology for a hat, his sleeves up to his shoulders, proved himself in a minute a graduate of a great school of engineering, and proved as well his understanding of the importance of the work i was trying to do, and his regret that most painters could not see the splendid motives all about; and the greatest compliment i ever received came from one of these men, who told me my drawings "would work." day after day it was the same--everything, including government hotels and labor trains, open to me. the only things to look out for were the blasts, the slips of dirt in the cut, and the trains, which rushed and switched about without any reference to those who might get in front of them. if one got run over, as was not usual; or blown up, which was unusual; or malaria, which few escaped among the workmen, there were plenty of hospitals, lots of nurses and sufficient doctors. each railroad switch was attended by a little darkey with a big flag; of one of whom it was said he was seen to be asleep, with his head on the rails one day. the engineer of an approaching dirt train actually pulled up, and he was kicked awake and asked why he was taking a nap there. the boy replied he was "'termined no train go by, boss, widout me knowin' it"; and of another who, awaking suddenly and seeing half a train past his switch, pulled it open and wrecked all the trains, tracks and switches within a quarter of a mile; or the third, a jamaican, a new hand, who, being told he was not to let a train go by, promptly signalled a locomotive to come on, and when he was hauled up, smilingly said: "dat wan't no train wat yer tole me to stop; dat's a enjine." drawing had other interesting episodes connected with it, as when i sat at work in culebra cut the leading man of a file of niggers, carrying on his head a wooden box, would approach, stop beside me and look at the drawing. as i happened to look up i would notice the box was labelled, _explosives, highly dangerous_. then, with his hands in his pockets, he and the rest of the gang would stumble along over the half-laid ties, slippery boulders and through the mud, trying to avoid the endless trains and balance the boxes on their heads at the same time. i must say, when i read the legend on the box the sensation was peculiar. they tell you, too, that when president taft came down to the cut all dynamiting gangs were ordered out; but one gang of blacks was forgotten, and as the train with the president and colonel goethals in it passed, the leader cheered so hard that he dropped his box, which somehow didn't go off. it was interesting, too, when one had been working steadily for some time, to find oneself surrounded, on getting up, by little flags, to announce that the whole place had been mined and should not be approached; or to find oneself entangled in a network of live wires ready to touch off the blasts from hundreds of yards away, and to remember that i was behind a boulder about to be blown to pieces, and might be overlooked; or to be told i had better get out, as they were ready to blast, after a white man had got done chucking from one rock, to a black man on another, sticks of melanite, as the easiest way of getting them to him; or ramming in, with long poles, charges so big that trains, steam shovels and tracks had to be moved to keep them from being "shot up." i always kept out of the way as far as possible after the day at bas obispo when, standing some hundreds of yards from a blast watching the effect of showers of rocks falling like shells in the river, i heard wild yells, and, looking up, saw a rock as big as a foot-ball sailing toward me. i have heard one can see shells coming and dodge them. i know now that this is so, though i had to drop everything and roll to do it. but i don't like it; and accidents do happen, and there are hospitals all across the isthmus with men, to whom accidents have happened, in them. but nothing happened to me. i did not get malaria or fever, or bitten or run over. i was very well all the time--and i walked in the sun and worked in the sun, and sat in the swamps and the bottoms of locks and at the edge of the dam, and nothing but drawings happened; but i should not advise others to try these things, nor to get too near steam shovels, which "pick up anything, from an elephant to a red-bug," but sometimes drop a ton rock; nor play around near track-lifters and dirt-train emptiers--for the things are small respecters of persons. but most people do not get hurt, and i never met anyone who wanted to leave; and i believe the threat to send the men home broke the only strike on the canal. i did not go to panama to study engineering--which i know nothing about; or social problems--which i had not time to master; or central american politics--which we are in for; but to draw the canal as it is, and the drawings are done. i was there at the psychological moment, and am glad i went. it is not my business to answer the question: when will the canal be opened?--though they say it will be open within a year. will the dam stand? those who have built it say so. which is better, a sea level or a lock? the lock canal is built. i did not bother myself about these things, nor about lengths and breadths and heights and depths. i went to see and draw the canal, and during all the time i was there i was afforded every facility for seeing the construction of the panama canal, and from my point of view it is the most wonderful thing in the world; and i have tried to express this in my drawings at the moment before it was opened, for when it is opened, and the water turned in, half the amazing masses of masonry will be beneath the waters on one side and filled in with earth on the other, and the picturesqueness will have vanished. the culebra cut will be finer, and from great steamers passing through the gorge, worth going , miles, as i have done, to see. but i saw it at the right time, and have tried to show what i saw. and it is american--the work of my countrymen. joseph pennell list of illustrations the illustrations begin with colon and proceed in regular sequence across the isthmus to panama. i colon: the american quarter ii mount hope iii gatun: dinner time iv at the bottom of gatun lock v the guard gate, gatun vi approaches to gatun lock vii end of the day: gatun lock viii the jungle: the old railroad from the new ix the native village x the american village xi the cut at bas obispo xii in the cut at las cascadas xiii the cut from culebra xiv steam shovel at work in the culebra cut xv the cut: looking toward culebra xvi the cut at paraiso xvii the cut looking toward ancon hill xviii laying the floor of pedro miguel lock xix the gates of pedro miguel xx the walls of pedro miguel xxi building miraflores lock xxii cranes: miraflores lock xxiii walls of miraflores lock xxiv official ancon xxv from ancon hill xxvi the cathedral, panama xxvii the city of panama from the tivoli hotel, ancon xxviii the mouth of the canal from the sea i colon: the american quarter the city of colon is divided into two quarters--the native, or panamanian, and the american. the former is picturesque, but has nothing to do with the canal and is some distance from it. the canal cannot be seen from the city. the american quarter, in which the canal employees live, stands on the sea shore, and is made up of bungalows, shops, hotels, hospitals--all that goes to make up a city--save saloons. all are built of wood, painted white, and completely screened with wire gauze, rusted black by the dampness, a protection from mosquitoes and other beasts, bugs and vermin. raised on concrete supports mostly with long, gently sloping roofs, and buried in a forest of palms, the town, the first the visitor will see, seems absolutely japanese, is very pictorial and full of character. the design, i believe, of the houses was made by the american engineers or architects. very few of the higher canal officers live at colon, which is the atlantic seaport of the isthmus, the eastern mouth of the canal, though colon is west of panama--such is the geography of the country. the mouth of the canal will be fortified; breakwaters and light-houses are being built. for authorities on fortification it may be interesting to state that the forts will be so situated that the locks will be completely out of range of an enemy's guns. personally i am not a believer in wars or navies. if my theories were practised there would be no need for fortifications. [illustration] ii mount hope near mount hope, which--for the french--should be called the slough of despond, or the lake of despair, is a huge swamp about a mile or so from colon, on the left bank of the french canal, seen on the right of the lithograph. this swamp is now filled with all sorts of abandoned french machinery. dredges, locomotives, and even what seem to be lock gates, show amid the palms in the distance. huge american cranes for raising this french material--which the american engineers have made use of--and discharging cargo from the ships in the french canal--which is here finished and in use--loom over the swamp, the banks of which are lined with piers and workshops full of life--a curious contrast to the dead swamp in which not a mosquito lives, nor a smell breathes. [illustration] iii gatun: dinner time between mount hope and gatun is much more of the swamp and much more abandoned machinery, but the canal is not to be seen from the railroad, or any evidence of it, till the train stops at the station of old gatun, with its workmen's dwellings crowning the hillside. i regret i made no drawing of these, so picturesquely perched. at the station of gatun--the first time i stopped--i saw the workmen--in decorative fashion--coming to the surface for dinner. the lithograph was made from a temporary bridge spanning the locks and looking toward colon. the great machines on each side of the locks are for mixing and carrying to their place, in huge buckets, the cement and concrete, of which the locks are built. the french canal is in the extreme distance, now used by our engineers. [illustration] iv at the bottom of gatun lock there is a flight of three double locks at gatun by which ships will be raised eighty-five feet to the level of gatun lake. from the gates of the upper lock--the nearest to the pacific--they will sail across the now-forming lake some miles (about twenty, i believe) to the culebra cut; through this, nine miles long, they will pass, and then descend by three other flights of locks, at pedro miguel and miraflores, to the pacific, which is twenty feet higher, i believe, than the atlantic. the great height, eighty-five feet, was agreed upon so as to save excavation in the cut and time in completion--one of those magnificent labor-saving devices of the moment--which i, not being an engineer, see no necessity for--having waited four hundred years for the canal, we might, as an outsider, it seems to me, have waited four more years and got rid of a number of the locks, even if it cost more money. the lithograph made in the middle lock shows the gates towering on either side. these gates were covered, when i made the drawing, with their armor plates. the lower parts, i was told, are to be filled with air, and the gates, worked by electricity, will virtually float. the scaffolding is only temporary, and so is the opening at the bottom and the railroad tracks, which were filled up and discarded while i was there. so huge are the locks--the three, i think, a mile long, each one thousand feet between the gates, and about ninety feet deep--that, until the men knock off, there scarce seems anyone around. [illustration] v the guard gate, gatun there is a safety gate in each lock, to protect, in case of accident, the main lock gate, just suggested, with the figures working at the armor-plate facing, on the extreme right. beyond are the outer walls and approaches of the upper lock, and beyond these, but unseen, the lake. at the bottom is the railroad and the temporary opening shown in the previous drawing. the scale, the immensity of the whole may be judged by the size of the engines and figures. i have never seen such a magnificent arrangement of line, light and mass, and yet those were the last things the engineers thought of. but great work is great art, and always was and will be. this is the wonder of work. [illustration] vi approaches to gatun lock these huge arches, only made as arches to save concrete and to break the waves of the lake, are mightier than any roman aqueduct, and more pictorial, yet soon they will be hidden almost to the top by the waters of the lake. electric locomotives will run out to the farthest point, and from it, tow the ships into the lock. beyond is gatun lake, and to the right the lines of the french canal and chagres river stretch to the horizon. even while i was on the isthmus the river and canal disappeared forever before the waters of the rapidly rising flood. all evidence of the french work beyond gatun has vanished under water. i did not draw the dam or the spillway simply because i could not find a subject to draw, or could not draw it. [illustration] vii end of the day--gatun lock this was another subject i saw as the men stopped work in the evening. on the left is the stairway which most of them use, and on both sides are iron ladders which a few climb. the semicircular openings are for mooring the ships. [illustration] viii the jungle the old railroad from the new while i was on the isthmus the old line from gatun to the culebra cut at bas obispo was abandoned, owing to the rising waters of the lake, which will soon cover towns, and swamps, and hills, and forests. this drawing was made looking across the lake near gatun, with the dam in the distance, and i have tried to show the rich riot of the jungle. below, on the old road, is a steam shovel digging dirt. the little islands, charming in line, are little hills still showing above the waters of the forming lake. [illustration] ix the native village this lithograph was made on the new line, which discovered to the visitor primitive panama, its swamps, jungles and native villages; but, owing to colonel gorgas, native no longer, as they are odorless and clean; but the natives, with their transformation, seem to prefer to the palm-leaf roof, corrugated iron and tin, and abandoned freight cars to live in. the huts are mostly built on piles near the rivers. in the background can be seen the strange-shaped mountains and strange-shaped trees. the white tree--i don't know its name--with the bushy top has no bark, and is not dead, but puts out leaves, mrs. colonel gaillard tells me, in summer; and she also tells me the jungle is full of the most wonderful orchids, birds, snakes, monkeys and natives, and offered to take me to see them. i saw her splendid collection of orchids at culebra, through the luxuriance of which colonel gaillard says he has to hew his way with a machete every morning to breakfast, so fast do plants grow on the isthmus. advantage of this rapidity of jungle growth has been taken to bind together the completed parts of the surface of the dam, which are covered with so much vegetation that i could not tell nature's work from that of the engineers. [illustration] x the american village these are scattered all across the continent, hemmed in by the tropical jungle or placed on the high, cool hill. in all there is, first, the news-stand at the station; then, the hotel--really restaurants--where on one side the americans "gold employees" dine for thirty cents, better than they could for a dollar at home--and more decently; men, women and children. on the other, in a separate building, usually, the "silver employees" foreigners; and there are separate dining and sleeping places and cars for negroes, even on workmen's trains. the indian has the sense and pride to live his own life down there, apart, as at home in india. there are many in the zone. the head men in each of these towns have their own houses; the lesser lights share double ones; and i believe the least of all, bunks; but these matters didn't interest me, nor did sanitary conditions or social evils or advantages. there are also clubs, i believe, social centres, mothers' meetings, churches, art galleries and museums on the isthmus, but i never saw them. i was after picturesqueness. still, it is no wonder, under present conditions, that i never found a man who wanted to "go home"--and some hadn't been home for seven years, and dreaded going--and rightly. the canal zone is the best governed section of the united states. [illustration] xi the cut at bas obispo the culebra cut commences near bas obispo--from this place--where the chagres river enters gatun lake, the cut extends for nine miles, to pedro miguel. all between here and gatun will be under water. the drawing was made at the bottom of the cut, and the various levels on which the excavations are made may be seen. the dirt trains, one above the other, are loading up from the steam shovels on each side of the old river bed in the centre. the machinery for shifting tracks and unloading trains is wonderful, but not very picturesque. [illustration] xii in the cut at las cascadas this drawing shows the cut and gives from above some idea of the different levels on which the work is carried out. it is on some of these levels that slides have occurred and wrecked the work. the slides move slowly, not like avalanches, but have caused endless complications; but colonel gaillard, the engineer in charge, believes he will triumph over all his difficulties--which include even a small volcano--there is a newspaper story--but no earthquakes. [illustration] xiii the cut from culebra at this point the cut is far the deepest at the continental divide, and here the french did their greatest work, and here this is recorded by the united states on a placque high up on the left-hand bare mountain face of gold hill. the drawing was made looking towards pedro miguel. [illustration] xiv steam shovel at work in the culebra cut this beast, as they say down there, "can pick up anything from an elephant to a red-bug"--the smallest thing on the isthmus. they also say the shovel "would look just like teddy if it only had glasses." it does the work of digging the canal and filling the trains, and does it amazingly--under the amazing direction of its amazing crews. [illustration] xv the cut--looking toward culebra this is the most pictorial as well as the most profound part of the cut. culebra, the town, is high above--some of it has fallen in--on the edge in the distance--on the left. the white tower is an observatory from near which the lithograph no. xiii of the cut was made. the drawing is looking toward the atlantic. the engineer of the dirt train--the smoke of which is so black because the engines burn oil--climbed up to see what i was at, and incidentally told me he was paid $ , a year, had a house free and two months' holiday. it is scarcely wonderful he has little interest in home, but the greatest pride in "our canal," and his only hope was to be "kept on the job" and run an electric locomotive for the rest of his life. [illustration] xvi the cut at paraiso at this point the old railroad crosses the canal bed, and there is a splendid view in both directions. this is looking toward the same mountains as in the previous drawing, early in the morning. the mountains are covered with long lines of mist, under which nestles the american-japanese town of paraiso. the new line of railroad never crosses the canal, but passes behind the mountain on the right. the scheme of having it follow the canal through culebra cut has been abandoned, owing to the slides. [illustration] xvii the cut looking toward ancon hill this is the view toward the pacific from the same spot in the full stress of work. the pedro miguel locks are in the distance, beyond is ancon hill, dominating panama, miles farther on; and to the right, between the hills, but miles still farther, beyond miraflores lock, the pacific. [illustration] xviii laying the floor of pedro miguel lock this is the most monumental piece of work on the canal, and the most pictorial. the huge approaches, quite different in form from gatun--for all the locks have character, and the character of their builders--are only arches to save concrete. here were men enough laying the concrete floor--others swarming over the gates not yet covered with their armor plate. beyond is the lock just shown between the gates. [illustration] xix the gates of pedro miguel this is the same lock nearer the gates, and shows the great length of it from gate to gate and something of its building and construction, from my point of view. [illustration] xx the walls of pedro miguel this was drawn from the opposite end of the lock and the great side walls topped with their concrete-making crenellations and cranes are seen. in the foreground, on the left, is one of the side openings for emptying the water from one lock to another--for all the locks are double, side by side, and ships will not have to wait until a lock is empty, as is usual, before they can enter, but, as one empties, the same water partly fills the one beside it, and so steamers will pass without waiting. two or three small vessels can go through at the same time, as well as the largest with room to spare. [illustration] xxi building miraflores lock this lock, the nearest the pacific, is again quite different and is the work of a civil engineer, mr. williamson, and not of army officers, like the rest. between the two forces, i believe, the most fierce harmony exists. the drawing shows the two locks side by side, the great cranes--they are different, too--towering above. all the ground here will be filled by a small lake between this lock and pedro miguel. [illustration] xxii cranes--miraflores lock these great cranes travel to and fro, and as i drew the nearest i found the lines changing, but thought there was something wrong with me. so huge were they, and so silently and solemnly did they move, that i could not believe they were moving. this is the pacific end of the lock--the last on the canal. [illustration] xxiii walls of miraflores lock the only wall in march of the approach to miraflores may be contrasted with the similar subject no. xx--pedro miguel. much as there was to be done in march, the engineer, mr. williamson, had no doubt it would be finished this fall; for as fast as the other locks were completed, men and machines were to be put on this. [illustration] xxiv official ancon amid these royal palm groves work and live many of the members of the isthmian canal commission--the rest are on the high hill at culebra. to the secretary, mr. j. b. bishop, and to his family, i am endlessly indebted for endless help while on the zone. ancon is a perfect japanese town--built by americans--and the interiors of the houses here and at culebra are as delightful as their owners are charming--and i know of what i speak. the large building against the ocean is the administration office of the isthmian canal commission. [illustration] xxv from ancon hill a road winds up ancon hill, passing the official residences and the hospitals, finally reaching a terrace bordered with royal palms. below to the left is the tivoli hotel, and still lower and farther away, the city, while the pacific fills the distance. this is the most beautiful spot i saw on the isthmus. [illustration] xxvi the cathedral, panama the cathedral, one of a number of churches in the city of panama, stands in a large square. the feeling of all these, with their richly decorated façades and long, unbroken side walls, is absolutely spanish--but the interiors are far more bare--much more like italian churches. [illustration] xxvii the city of panama from the tivoli hotel, ancon from the wing of the government hotel in which i stayed i looked out over the city of panama to the pacific. if this city were in spain, or if even a decent description of it were in a european guide-book, the hordes of americans who go to the canal would rave over it. as it is, not many of them (not being told) ever see it, though there are few towns in europe with more character. but i regret to say my countrymen don't know what they are looking at, or what to look at, till they have a guide-book, courier or tout to tell them. the government provides, i am told, a harvard graduate to perform the latter function, and sends out daily an observation car across the continent. the two strange, flat-topped mountains, miles out at sea, are to be fortified, and they are so far from shore, and the locks so far inland, as to be out of range--as well as out of sight--of modern guns and gunners. [illustration] xxviii the mouth of the canal from the sea this drawing was made from the channel which leads out to the pacific ocean. the mouth of the canal is on the left in the flat space between the mountains; on the right of this, the dark mass on the edge of the water is the docks and harbors; then comes the great, towering ancon hill, one side all dug out in terraces for dirt, much of which goes to fill in the outside of locks, which, however, will work before they are filled in. and for what other purposes the war department are going to use this gibraltar they alone know. the other side, a mass of palms shelters the houses of the officials, and at the foot of the hill, to the right, panama--as beautiful as naples or tangier, yet hardly a tourist knows it; and--well, the government is not running a tourist agency. the breakwater, which will connect the fortified islands miles away with the mainland, is just started in the centre. this is the first and last view of panama--and of the greatest work of modern times, the work of the greatest engineers of all time. joseph pennell [illustration] life of james mcneill whistler by elizabeth r. and joseph pennell the pennells have thoroughly revised the material in their authorized life and added much new matter, which for lack of space they were unable to incorporate in the elaborate two-volume edition now out of print. fully illustrated with plates reproduced from whistler's works, more than half reproduced for first time. crown vo., fifth and revised edition. whistler binding, deckle edge. $ . net. three quarters grain levant, $ . net. +----------------------------------------------------------------- + | transcriber's note: | | | | minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. | | | | duplicated section headings have been omitted. | | | | italicized words are surrounded by underline characters, | | _like this_. | | | | [++] indicates a caption added by the transcriber. | +------------------------------------------------------------------+ [illustration: with a grinding crash the earth on which joe stood went out from under him.] the moving picture boys at panama or stirring adventures along the great canal by victor appleton contents chapter i to the rescue ii on the brink iii a surprise iv a delayed letter v another surprise vi something queer vii in new york viii off for panama ix the little box x the secret conference xi along the canal xii almost an accident xiii in the jungle xiv in dire peril xv in culebra cut xvi the collision xvii the emergency dam xviii the big slide xix joe's plight xx at gatun dam xxi mr. alcando's absence xxii a warning xxiii the flashlight xxiv the tick-tick xxv mr. alcando disappears the moving picture boys at panama chapter i to the rescue with a series of puffs and chugs a big, shiny motor cycle turned from the road into the graveled drive at the side of a white farmhouse. two boys sat on the creaking saddles. the one at the front handle bars threw forward the clutch lever, and then turned on the power sharply to drive the last of the gases out of the twin cylinders. the motor cycle came to a stop near a shed, and the two lads, swinging off, looked at each other for a moment. "some ride, that!" observed one. "you had her going then, blake!" "just a little, joe--yes. it was a nice level stretch, and i wanted to see what she could do." "you didn't let her out to the full at that; did you?" "i should say not!" answered the one who had ridden in front, and guided the steed of steel and gasoline. "she'll do better than ninety miles an hour on the level; but i don't want to ride on her when she's doing it." "nor i. well, it was a nice little run, all right. funny, though, that we didn't get any mail; wasn't it?" "it sure was. i think somebody must be robbing the post-office, for we ought to have had a letter from mr. hadley before this," and he laughed at his own joke. "yes," agreed joe, "and i ought to have had one from--" he stopped suddenly, and a blush suffused the tan of his cheeks. "might as well say it as think it," broke in blake with another laugh that showed his white, even teeth. "hasn't mabel written to you this week?" "what if she hasn't?" fired back joe. "oh, nothing. only--" "only i suppose you are put out because you haven't had a postcard from birdie lee!" challenged joe. "oh, well, have it your own way," and blake, with a shrug of his broad shoulders, began to wheel the motor cycle into the shed. "no, but it is queer; isn't it?" went on joe. "here we've been back from the flood district over two weeks now, and we haven't had a line from mr. hadley. he promised to write, too, and let us know what sort of moving pictures he might be in line for next. our vacation will soon be over, and we don't want to be idle." "that's right," agreed his chum. "there's no money in sitting around, when the film isn't running. oh, well, i suppose mr. hadley has been so busy that he hasn't had time to make his plans. "besides," blake went on, "you know there was a lot of trouble over the mississippi flood pictures--reels of film getting lost, and all that--to say nothing of the dangers our friends ran. birdie lee said she'd never forget what they suffered." "i don't blame her. well, maybe they haven't got straightened out enough yet to feel like writing. but it sure is nice here, and i don't mind if we stay another week or so," and he looked up the pleasant valley, on one side of which was perched the farmhouse where the two moving picture boys had been spending their vacation. "it sure is nice," agreed blake. "and it's lots more fun since we got this motor cycle," for they had lately invested in the powerful vehicle on which they had made many trips about the surrounding country. as blake went to put the machine in the shed, which their farmer-landlord had allowed them to use, joe turned to glance back along the road they had come. the farmhouse was set up on a little hill, above the road, and a glimpse of the highway could be had for a long distance. it was the sight of something coming along this thoroughfare that attracted joe's attention. "what are you looking at?" asked blake, returning after having put away the motor cycle. "that horse and buggy. looks to me as though that horse was feeling his oats, and that the fellow driving him didn't know any more about handling the reins than the law allows." "that's right, joe. if he doesn't look out he'll have an upset, or a runaway." the vehicle in question was a light buggy; drawn by a particularly large and spirited horse. seated in the carriage, as the boys could see from their point of vantage, were two men. who they were could not be distinguished at that distance, but the carriage was rapidly coming nearer. "there he goes!" suddenly cried joe. as his chum spoke blake saw that one of the reins had parted, probably because the driver pulled on it too hard in trying to bring the restive steed down to a walk. once the spirited horse felt that he was no longer under control, save by one line, which was worse than none, he sprang forward, and at once began to gallop, pulling after him the light carriage, which swayed from side to side, threatening every moment to collapse, overturn, or at least be torn loose from the horse. "there he goes!" yelled joe again. "i should say so!" agreed blake. "there are going to be some doings soon!" this was evident, for the horse was running away, a fact not only apparent in itself, but heralded by the looks on the faces of the two occupants of the carriage, and by their frightened cries, which the wind easily carried to the watching joe duncan and blake stewart. on the road below them, and past the boys, swept the swaying carriage in a cloud of dust. as it was momentarily lost to sight behind a grassy knoll, blake cried: "the broken bridge, joe! the broken bridge! they're headed right for it!" "that's right!" exclaimed his chum. "how can we stop them?" once having recognized the danger, the next thought that came to the minds of blake and joe, trained for emergencies, was how to avert it. they looked at each other for a second, not to gain a delay, but to decide on the best possible plan of saving the imperiled men. "the broken bridge," murmured blake again. "that horse will never be able to make the turn into the temporary road, going at the speed he is!" "no, and he's probably so frightened that he'll not try it," agreed joe. "he'll crash right through the barrier fence, and--" he did not finish his sentence, but blake knew what his chum meant. about half a mile beyond the farmhouse the road ran over a bridge that spanned a deep and rocky ravine. about a week before there had been an accident. weakened by the passing of a heavy traction threshing engine, it had been broken, and was ruled unsafe by the county authorities. accordingly the bridge had been condemned and partially torn down, a new structure being planned to replace it. but this new bridge was not yet in place, though a frail, temporary span, open only to foot passengers and very light vehicles, had been thrown across the ravine. the danger, though, was not so much in the temporary bridge, as in the fact that the temporary road, connecting with it, left the main and permanent highway at a sharp curve. persons knowing of the broken bridge made allowances for this curve, and approached along the main road carefully, to make the turn safely into the temporary highway. but a maddened horse could not be expected to do this. he would dash along the main road, and would not make the turn. or, if he did, going at the speed of this one, he would most certainly overturn the carriage. the main highway was fenced off a short distance on either side of the broken bridge, but this barrier was of so frail a nature that it could not be expected to stop a runaway. "he'll crash right through it, run out on the end of the broken bridge and----" once more joe did not finish. "we've got to do something!" cried blake. "yes, but what?" asked joe. "we've got to save them!" cried blake again, as he thought of the two men in the carriage. he had had a glimpse of their faces as the vehicle, drawn by the frenzied horse, swept past him on the road below. one of the men he knew to be employed in the only livery stable of central falls, on the outskirts of which he and joe were spending their holiday. the other man was a stranger. blake had only seen that he was a young man, rather good-looking, and of a foreign cast of countenance. blake had momentarily put him down for an italian. "the motor cycle!" suddenly cried joe. "what?" asked blake, only half comprehending. "we might overtake them on the motor cycle!" repeated his chum. a look of understanding came into blake's eyes. "that's right!" he cried. "why didn't i think of that before, instead of standing here mooning? i wonder if we've got time?" "we'll make time!" cried joe grimly. "get her out, and we'll ride for all we're worth. it'll be a race, blake!" "yes. a race to save a life! lucky she's got plenty of gas and oil in her." "yes, and she hasn't had a chance to cool down. run her out." blake fairly leaped toward the shed where he had wheeled the motor cycle. in another instant he and joe were trundling it down the gravel walk to the road. as they reached the highway they could hear, growing fainter and fainter, the "thump-thud," of the hoofs of the runaway horse. joe held the machine upright while blake vaulted to the forward saddle and began to work the pedals to start the motor. the cylinders were still hot from the recent run, and at the first revolution the staccato explosions began. "jump up!" yelled blake in his chum's ear--shouting above the rattle and bang of the exhaust, for the muffler was open. joe sprang to leather, but before he was in his seat blake was letting in the friction clutch, and a moment later, at ever gathering speed, the shining motor cycle was speeding down the road to the rescue. would joe and blake be in time? chapter ii on the brink "what--what's your plan, blake?" yelled joe into his chum's ear, as he sat behind him on the jolting second saddle of the swaying motor cycle. "what do you mean?" demanded blake, half turning his head. "i mean how are you going to stop that runaway, or rescue those fellows?" "i haven't thought, yet, but if we can get ahead of the horse we may be able to stop him before he gets to the road-barrier or to the dangerous turn." "that's right!" panted joe, the words being fairly jolted out of him. "head him off--i see!" "hold fast!" exclaimed blake, as the conductor does when a trolley car goes around a curve. "hold fast!" there was need of the advice, for a little turn in the road was just ahead of them and blake intended to take it at almost top speed. bumping, swaying, jolting, spitting fire and smoke, with a rattle, clatter and bang, on rushed the motor cycle on its errand of rescue. "hark!" cried joe, close to blake's ear, "listen!" "can't, with all this racket!" yelled back blake, for he had opened the throttle to gain a little increase of power. "what's the matter?" "i thought i heard the horse." "hearing him won't do any good," observed blake grimly. "we've got to see him and get ahead!" and he turned on a little more gasoline. while blake and joe are thus speeding to the rescue of the men in the runaway, we will take a few moments to tell our new readers something about the boys who are to figure prominently in this story. joe duncan and blake stewart were called the "moving picture boys," for an obvious reason. they took moving pictures. with their curious box-like cameras, equipped with the thousand feet of sensitive celluloid film, and the operating handle, they had risen from the ranks of mere helpers to be expert operators. and now they were qualified to take moving pictures of anything from a crowd, shuffling along the street, to a more complicated scene, such as a flood, earthquake or volcanic eruption. and, incidentally, i might mention that they had been in all three of these last situations. the first volume of this series is called "the moving picture boys," and in that i introduced to you blake and joe. they worked on adjoining farms, and one day they saw a company of moving picture actors and actresses come to a stream, near where they were, to take a "movie drama." naturally blake and joe were interested at once, and making the acquaintance of mr. calvert hadley, who was in charge of the taking of the play, or "filming it," as the technical term has it, the two boys were given an opportunity to get into the business. they went to new york, and began the study of how moving pictures are taken, developed from the films, the positives printed and then, through the projecting machine, thrown on the screen more than life size. the process is an intricate one, and rather complicated, involving much explanation. as i have already gone into it in detail in my first book of this series, i will not repeat it here. those of you who wish to know more about the "movies" than you can gain by looking at the interesting pictures in some theater, are respectfully referred to the initial volume. joe and blake were much interested in the film theatrical company. my former readers will well remember some members of that organization--c.c. piper, or "gloomy," as he was called when not referred to as just "c.c."; birdie lee, a pretty, vivacious girl; mabel pierce, a new member of the company; henry robertson, who played juvenile "leads"; miss shay, and others in whom you are more or less interested. after various adventures in new york city, taking films of all sorts of perilous scenes, joe and blake went out west, their adventures there being told in the volume of that name. they had their fill of cowboys and indians, and, incidentally, were in no little danger. afterward they went to the pacific coast, thence to the jungle, where many stirring wild animal scenes were obtained, and afterward they had many adventures in earthquake land. there they were in great danger from tremors of the earth, and from volcanoes, but good luck, no less than good management, brought them home with whole skins, and with their cases filled with rare films. having finished in the land of uncertainty, the work assigned to them by mr. hadley and his associates, joe and blake had gone for their vacation to the farm of mr. hiram baker, near central falls. but their intention of enjoying a quiet stay was rudely interrupted. for not long after they had arrived, and were resting quietly under a cherry tree in the shade, mr. ringold, with whom they were also associated in moving picture work, called them up on the long distance telephone to offer them a most curious assignment. this was to go to the flooded mississippi valley, and get moving pictures of the "father of waters" on one of "his" annual rampages. of course blake and joe went, and their adventures in the flood fill the volume immediately preceding this one. and now they had returned, anticipating a second session of their vacation. they had brought a motor cycle with which to go about the pretty country surrounding central falls. "for," reasoned blake, "we haven't much time left this summer, and if we want to enjoy ourselves we'll have to hustle. a motor cycle is the most hustling thing i know of this side of an automobile, and we can't afford that yet." "i'm with you for a motor cycle," joe had said. so one was purchased, jointly. it was on returning from a pleasant ride that our heroes had seen the runaway with which we are immediately concerned. they were now speeding after the maddened horse dragging the frail carriage, hoping to get ahead of and stop the animal before it either crashed into the frail barrier, and leaped into the ravine, or upset the vehicle in trying to make the turn into the temporary road. "there he is!" suddenly cried blake. the motor cycle, bearing the two chums, had made the curve in the road successfully and was now straightened up on a long, level stretch. and yet not so long, either, for not more than a quarter of a mile ahead was another turn, and then came the bridge. "i see him!" answered joe. "can you make it?" "i'm going to!" declared blake, closing his lips firmly. every little bump and stone in the road seemed magnified because of the speed at which they were moving. but blake held the long handles firmly, and, once the curve was passed, he turned the rubber grip that let a little more gasoline flow into the carbureter to be vaporized and sprayed into the cylinders, where the electric spark exploded it with a bang. "we--are--going--some!" panted joe. "got--to!" assented blake, grimly. on swayed the thundering, rattling motor cycle. the carriage top had either been let down, or some of the supports had broken, and it had fallen, and the boys could now plainly see the two men on the seat. they had not jumped, but they had evidently given up trying to make the horse stop by pulling on the one rein, for the animal was speeding straight down the center of the road. "we aren't catching up to him very fast!" howled joe into blake's ear, and he had to howl louder than usual, for they were then passing along a portion of the road densely shaded by trees. in fact the branches of the trees met overhead in a thick arch, and it was like going through a leafy tunnel. this top bower of twigs and branches threw back the noise of the explosions of the motor cycle, and made an echo, above which it was almost impossible to make one's voice heard. "look out!" suddenly cried blake. "hold fast!" at first joe imagined that his chum was going to make another curve in the road, but none was at hand. then, as blake watched his chum's right hand, he saw him slowly turn the movable rubber handle that controls the gasoline supply. blake was turning on more power, though now the machine was running at a higher rate than joe or blake had ever traveled before. with a jump like that of a dog released from the leash, the motor cycle seemed to spring forward. indeed joe must needs hold on, and as he was not so favorably seated as was his chum, it became a matter of no little trouble to maintain a grip with his legs and hands. "we--sure--are--going--some!" muttered joe. but he did not open his mouth any more. it was too dangerous at the speed they had attained. a jolt over a stone, or a bit of wood, might send his teeth through his tongue if he parted his jaws. so he kept quiet. ahead of them the carriage swayed and swerved. the horse was a speedy one, but no creature of bone, blood, muscles and sinews can distance a fire-spitting and smoke-eating machine like a motor cycle. the distance was gradually being cut down. but now, just ahead of them, was the curve, immediately beyond which was the broken bridge, and also the temporary one, shunting off at a sharp angle from the main highway. "look out! hold on!" once more cried blake, speaking in quick tones. for a moment joe wondered at the added caution, and then he sensed what blake was about to do. to one side of them stretched a level field. the road made a slight detour about it, just before meeting the ravine, and by crossing this field it was possible for the boys to reach the bridge ahead of the swaying carriage. but at the speed they were now running it was dangerous, and risky in the extreme, to run across the uneven meadow. blake, however, evidently was going to chance it. "hold fast!" he cried once more, and joe had no more than time to take a firmer grip on the bar in front of him, and to cling with his legs to the foot supports and saddle, than they were off the road, and into the green field. the fence had been taken down to allow for the storage of bridge-building material in the meadow. "now we'll get him!" cried blake, but he spoke too soon. for the motor cycle had not gone ten feet into the uneven field, jolting, swaying and all but throwing off the moving picture boys, than the sound of the explosions suddenly ceased, and the machine began to slacken speed. with a quickness that was added to by the rough nature of the ground, the motor cycle slowed up and stopped. "what's the matter?" cried joe, putting down his feet to support the machine. "something's busted--gasoline pipe, i guess!" cried blake. "come on! we've got to run for it!" the accident had occurred only a short distance from the road. together the two chums, leaping clear of the motor cycle, made for it on the run. but they were too late. they had a glimpse of the runaway horse dashing straight at the fence barrier. the next moment there was a splintering crash, and he was through it. "oh!" cried blake. the thunder of the horse's hoofs on what was left of the wooden approach to the broken bridge drowned his words. then the animal, with a leap, disappeared over the jagged edges of the planks. the boys expected to see the carriage and the two occupants follow, but to their intense surprise, the vehicle swayed to one side, caught somehow on one of the king beams of the bridge and hung there. "come on!" cried blake, increasing his speed; "we've got a chance of saving them yet!" chapter iii a surprise they reached--only just in time--the broken and collapsed carriage with its two front wheels mere twisted and splintered spokes. the moving picture boys reached it, and with strong and capable hands pulled it back from the brink of the ravine, over which it hung. in the depths below the horse lay, very still and quiet. "pull back!" directed blake, but joe needed no urging. a slight difference--inches only--meant safety or death--terrible injury at best, for the ravine was a hundred feet deep. but those few inches were on the side of safety. so evenly was the carriage poised, that only a little strength was needed to send it either way. but joe and blake pulled it back on the unwrecked portion of the bridge approach. the two men were still on the seat, but it had broken in the middle, pitching them toward the center, and they were wedged fast. hank duryee, the town livery driver, did not seem to be hurt, though there was an anxious look on his face, and he was very pale, which was unusual for him. as for the other man he seemed to have fainted. his eyes were closed, but his swarthy complexion permitted little diminution in his color. there was a slight cut on his head, from which had trickled a little blood that ran down to his white collar. "easy, boys!" cautioned hank, and his voice rasped out in the quiet that succeeded the staccato noise from the motor cycle. "go easy now! a touch'll send us down," and he gazed shudderingly into the depths below. "we've got you," blake assured him, as he and joe drew still farther back on the platform of the bridge what was left of the carriage. as they did so one of the rear wheels collapsed, letting the seat down with a jerk. "oh!" gasped hank, and a tremor seemed to go through the insensible frame of the other. "it's all right," blake assured the livery stable driver. "you can't fall far." "not as far as down--there," and hank pointed a trembling finger into the depths of the ravine. "can you get out--can you walk?" asked joe. "yes. i'm more scared than hurt," hank made answer. "how about him?" asked blake, motioning to the other occupant of the carriage. "only a little cut on the head, where he banged, up against the top irons, i guess. a little water will fetch him around. my! but that was a close shave!" he staggered out on the broken bridge. his legs were unsteady, through weakness and fear, but not from any injury. "how did it happen?" asked joe. "horse got scared at something--i don't know what--and bolted. i didn't want to take him out--he's an old spitfire anyhow, and hasn't been driven in a week. but this feller was in a hurry," and he nodded toward the unconscious man, "and i had to bring him out with rex--the only horse in the stable just then. "i said i was afraid we'd have a smash-up, and we did. the line busted near baker's place, and--well, here we are." "better here than--down there," observed joe in a low voice. "that's right," agreed hank. "now let's see what we can do for him. hope he isn't much hurt, though i don't see how he could be." "who is he?" asked blake, but the livery stable driver did not answer. he was bending back the bent frame of the dashboard to more easily get out the swarthy man. joe and blake, seeing what he was trying to do, helped him. soon they were able to lift out the stranger, but there was no need of carrying him, for he suddenly opened his eyes, straightened up and stood on his feet, retaining a supporting hand on hank's shoulder. "where--where are we?" he asked, in a dazed way. "did we fall?" he spoke with an accent that at once told blake and joe his nationality--spanish, either from mexico or south america. "we're all right," put in hank. "these young fellows saved us from going over into the gulch. it was a narrow squeak, though." "ah!" the man uttered the exclamation, with a long sigh of satisfaction and relief. then he put his hand to his forehead, and brought it away with a little blood on it. "it is nothing. it is a mere scratch and does not distress me in the least," he went on, speaking very correct english, in his curiously accented voice. he appeared to hesitate a little to pick out the words and expressions he wanted, and, often, in such cases, the wrong words, though correct enough in themselves, were selected. "i am at ease--all right, that is to say," he went on, with a rather pale smile. "and so these young men saved us--saved our lives? is that what you mean, señor--i should say, sir?" and he quickly corrected his slip. "i should say they did!" exclaimed hank with an air of satisfaction. "old rex took matters into his own hands, or, rather legs, and we were just about headed for kingdom come when these fellows pulled us back from the brink. as for rex himself, i guess he's gone where he won't run away any more," and leaning over the jagged edge of the bridge the stableman looked down on the motionless form of the horse. rex had, indeed, run his last. "it is all so--so surprising to me," went on the stranger. "it all occurred with such unexpected suddenness. one moment we are driving along as quietly as you please, only perhaps a trifle accentuated, and then--presto! we begin to go too fast, and the leather thong breaks. then indeed there are things doing, as you say up here." he smiled, trying, perhaps, to show himself at his ease. he was rapidly recovering, not only from the fright, but from the effects of the blow on the head which had caused the cut, and rendered him unconscious for a moment. "it sure was a narrow squeak," declared hank again. "i don't want any closer call. i couldn't move to save myself, i was so dumbfounded, and the carriage would have toppled down in another, second if you boys hadn't come along and hauled it back." "we saw you pass mr. baker's house," explained blake, "and we came after you on the motor cycle. tried to get ahead of you, but the old machine laid down on us." "but we got here in time," added joe. "you did indeed! i can not thank you enough," put in the spaniard, as joe and blake both classed him. "you have saved my life, and some day i hope not only to repay the favor, but to show how grateful i am in other ways. i am a stranger in this part of your fine country, but i expect to be better acquainted soon. but where is our horse?" he asked quickly, not seeming to understand what had happened. "how are we to continue our journey?" and he looked at his driver. "we're at the end of it now, in more ways than one," hank answered, with a smile. "you're just where you wanted to go, though not in the style i calculated on taking you." "but i do not comprehend, sir," said the spaniard, in rather puzzled accents. "i have engaged you to take me to a certain place. there is an accident. we go through a fence with a resounding crash--ah! i can hear that smash yet!" and he put his hands to his ears in a somewhat dramatic manner. "then everything is black. our horse disappears, and--" "he's down there, if you want to know _where_ he disappeared to," broke in hank, practically. "it is no matter--if he is gone," went on the spaniard. "but i do not comprehend--assimilate--no, comprehend--that is it. i do not comprehend what you mean when you say we are at our journey's end." "i'll tell you," exclaimed hank, as he glanced at joe and blake in a manner that caused them to wonder. "you said you wanted to find--" "pardon me--my card, gentlemen!" and the stranger extended a rectangle of white on which was engraved the name _vigues alcando_. blake took it, and, as he did so, from the pocket whence the spaniard had extracted the card, there fell a letter. joe picked it up, but, to his surprise it was addressed to himself and blake jointly, and, in the upper left hand corner was the imprint of the film theatrical company. "why--why," began joe. "this is for us! look, blake!" "for you! that letter for you?" cried mr. alcando. "are you the moving picture boys?" "that's what they call us," answered joe. "this is blake stewart, and i'm his chum, joe duncan." "is it possible--is it possible!" cried mr. alcando. "and you have saved my life! why--i--i--er--i--oh! to think of this happening so! you are--you are--!" he put his hands to his head and seemed to sway. "look out! he's going to fall!" warned blake, springing forward to catch the spaniard. chapter iv a delayed letter but mr. alcando, to americanize his name, did not faint. after reeling uncertainly for a moment, he obtained command of his muscles, straightened up, and stood rigid. "i--i beg your pardons," he said, faintly, as though he had committed some blunder. "i--i fear i am not altogether myself." "shouldn't wonder but what you were a bit played out," put in hank. "what we've just gone through with was enough to knock anyone out, to say nothing of the crack you got on the head. maybe we'd better get a doctor?" and his voice framed a question, as he looked at joe and blake. "no, no!" hastily exclaimed the spaniard, for he was of that nationality, though born in south america, as the boys learned later. "i do not require the services of a physician," went on mr. alcando, speaking rapidly. "i am perfectly all right now--or, i shall be in a few moments. if i had a drink of water--" his voice trailed off feebly, and he looked about rather helplessly. "there used to be a spring hereabouts," said hank, "but i haven't been this way in some time, and--" "i know where it is!" interrupted blake. he and joe, with a training that had made it necessary for them to "size up," and know intimately their surroundings, for use in taking moving pictures, had sensed the location of a bubbling spring of pure water along the road on their first visit to it. "it's right over here; i'll get some," blake went on. "if you will be so kind," spoke the spaniard, and he extended a collapsible drinking cup. blake lost little time in filling it, and soon after drinking mr. alcando appeared much better. "i am sorry to give all this trouble," the spaniard went on, "but i have seemed to meet with considerable number of shocks to-day. first there was the runaway, which i certainly did not expect, and then came the sudden stop--a stop most fortunate for us, i take it," and he glanced, not without a shudder, in the direction of the gulch where the dead horse lay. "and then you pulled us back from the brink--the brink of death," he went on, and his voice had in it a tone of awe, as well as thankfulness. "i can not thank you now--i shall not try," he went on. "but some time, i hope to prove-- "oh, what am i saying!" he broke in upon himself. "i never dreamed of this. it is incomprehensible. that i should meet you so, you whom i--" once more his hands went to his head with a tragic gesture, and yet it did not seem that he was in physical pain. the cut on his head had stopped bleeding. "it is too bad! too bad! and yet fate would have it so!" he murmured after a pause. "but that it should turn in such a queer circle. well, it is fate--i must accept!" joe and blake looked at each other, blake with slightly raised eyebrows, which might mean an implied question as to the man's sanity. then the moving picture boys looked at hank, who had driven them about on several excursions before they bought the motor cycle. hank, who stood a little behind the spaniard, shrugged his shoulders, and tapped his head significantly. "but i must again beg your pardon," said mr. alcando quickly. "i most certainly am not myself this day. but it is the surprise of meeting you whom i came to seek. now, if you will pardon me," and he looked at the letter, addressed to blake and joe jointly--which epistle had been handed to him after it had been picked up from the ground. "and were you really looking for us?" asked joe, much puzzled. "i was--for both of you young gentlemen. my friend the driver here can testify to that." "that's right," said hank. "this gentleman came in on the new york express, and went to our livery stable. he said he wanted to come out to baker's farm and meet you boys. "i happened to be the only one around at the time," hank went on, "and as i knew the road, and knew you boys, i offered to bring him out. but i wish i'd had some other horse. i sure didn't count on rex running away. "and when i found i couldn't stop him, and knew we were headed for the broken bridge--well, i wanted to jump out, but i didn't dare. and i guess you felt the same way," he said to mr. alcando. "somewhat, i must confess," spoke the spaniard, who, as i have said, used very good english, though with an odd accent, which i shall not attempt to reproduce. "and then came the smash," went on hank, "and i didn't expect, any more than he did, that you fellows would come to our rescue. but you did, and now, mr. alcando, you can deliver your letter." "and these really are the young gentlemen whom i seek?" asked the spaniard. "pardon me, i do not in the least doubt your word," he added with a formal bow, "but it seems so strange." "we are the moving picture boys," answered blake with a smile, wondering what the letter could contain, and, wondering more than ever, why a missive from the film theatrical company should be brought by this unusual stranger. "then this is for you," went on mr. alcando. "and to think that they saved my life!" he murmured. "shall i read it, joe?" asked blake, for the spaniard extended the letter to him. "sure. go ahead. i'll listen." blake took the folded sheet from the envelope, and his first glance was at the signature. "it's from mr. hadley!" he exclaimed. "what's up?" asked joe, quickly. blake was reading in a mumbling tone, hardly distinguishable. "dear boys. this will introduce--um--um--um--who is desirous of learning the business of taking moving pictures. he comes to me well recommended--um--um" (more mumbles). "i wish you would do all you can for him--um--and when you go to panama--" that was as far as blake read. then he cried out: "i say, joe, look here! i can't make head nor tail of this!" "what is it?" asked his chum, looking over; his shoulder at the letter the spaniard had so strangely brought to them. "why, mr. hadley speaks of us going to panama. that's the first we've had an inkling to that effect. what in the world does he mean?" "i hope i have not brought you bad news in a prospective trip to where the great canal will unite the two oceans," spoke the spaniard in his formal manner. "well, i don't know as you'd call it _bad_ news," said blake, slowly. "we've gotten sort of used to being sent to the ends of the earth on short notice, but what gets me--excuse me for putting it that way--what surprises me is that this is the first mr. hadley has mentioned panama to us." "is that so?" asked mr. alcando. "why, i understood that you knew all about his plans." "no one knows _all_ about hadley's plans," said joe in a low voice. "he makes plans as he goes along and changes them in his sleep. but this one about panama is sure a new one to us." "that's right," chimed in blake. "we were speaking of the big ditch shortly before the runaway came past," went on blake, "but that was only a coincidence, of course. we had no idea of going there, and i can't yet understand what mr. hadley refers to when he says we may take you there with us, to show you some of the inside workings of making moving pictures." "did you read the letter all the way through?" joe asked. "no, but--" "perhaps i can explain," interrupted the spaniard. "if you will kindly allow me. i came to new york with an express purpose in view. that purpose has now suffered--but no matter. i must not speak of that!" and there seemed to be a return of his queer, tragic manner. "i am connected with the equatorial railroad company," he resumed, after a momentary pause, during which he seemed to regain control of himself. "our company has recently decided to have a series of moving pictures made, showing life in our section of the south american jungle, and also what we have done in the matter of railroad transportation, to redeem the jungle, and make it more fit for habitation. "as one of the means of interesting the public, and, i may say, in interesting capitalists, moving pictures were suggested. the idea was my own, and was adopted, and i was appointed to arrange the matter. but in order that the right kind of moving pictures might be obtained, so that they would help the work of our railroad, i decided i must know something of the details--how the pictures are made, how the cameras are constructed, how the pictures are projected--in short all i could learn about the business i desired to learn. "my company sent me to new york, and there, on inquiry, i learned of the film theatrical company. i had letters of introduction, and i soon met mr. hadley. he seems to be in charge of this branch of the work--i mean outdoor pictures." "yes, that's his line," said joe. "mr. ringold attends to the dramatic end of it. we have done work for both branches." "so i was told," went on mr. alcando. "i asked to be assigned a teacher, and offered to pay well for it. and mr. hadley at once suggested that you two boys would be the very ones who could best give me what i desired. "he told me that you had just returned from the dangers of the mississippi flood section, and were up here resting. but i made so bold upon myself to come here to entreat you to let me accompany you to panama." mr. alcando came to a stop after his rather lengthy and excited explanation. "but great scott!" exclaimed blake. "we don't know anything about going to _panama_. we haven't the least idea of going there, and the first we've heard of it is the mention in this letter you bring from mr. hadley." "it sure is queer," said joe. "i wonder if any of our mail--" he was interrupted by the sound of rapid footsteps, and a freckle-faced and red-haired boy, with a ragged straw hat, and no shoes came running up. "say--say!" panted the urchin. "i'm glad i found you. here's a letter for you. pa--pa--he's been carryin' it around in his pocket, and when he changed his coat just now it dropped out. he sent me down with it, lickity-split," and the boy held out an envelope bearing a special delivery stamp. blake took the missive mechanically. chapter v another surprise while blake was tearing off the end of the envelope, preparatory to taking out the enclosure, joe looked sharply at the red-haired lad who had so unexpectedly delivered it. "how'd your father come to get our letter, sam?" asked joe, for the lad was the son of a farmer, who lived neighbor to mr. baker. "sim rolinson, the postmaster, give it to him, i guess," volunteered sam. "sim generally takes around the special delivery letters himself, but he must have been busy when this one come in, and he give it to pa. anyhow, pa says he asked him to deliver it." "only he didn't do it," put in joe. "i thought something was the matter with our mail that we hadn't heard from new york lately. your father was carrying the letter around in his pocket." "but he didn't mean to!" spoke sam quickly. "he forgot all about it until to-day, when he was changing his coat, and it fell out. then he made me scoot over here with it as fast as i could. he said he was sorry, and hoped he hadn't done any damage." "well, i guess not much," joe responded, for, after all, it was an accommodation to have the letters brought out from the post-office by the neighbors, as often happened. that one should be forgotten, and carried in a pocket, was not so very surprising. "then you won't make any fuss?" the barefoot lad went on, eagerly. "no--why should we?" inquired joe with a smile. "we won't inform the postal authorities. i guess it wasn't so very important," and he looked at blake, who was reading the delayed letter. "whew!" finally whistled joe's chum. "this is going some!" "what's up now?" "another surprise," answered blake. "this day seems to be filled with 'em." "is it about panama?" "you've guessed it. mr. hadley wants us to go there and get a series of moving pictures. incidentally he mentions that he is sending to us a gentleman who wants to go with us, if we decide to go. i presume he refers to you," and blake nodded in the direction of mr. alcando. "then you have confirmatory evidence of what my letter says?" asked the spaniard, bowing politely. "that's what it amounts to," blake made answer. "though, of course, seeing that this is the first we've had panama brought up to us, we don't really know what to say about going there." "hardly," agreed joe, at a look from his chum. "and yet you may go; shall you not?" asked the spaniard, quickly. he seemed very eager for an answer. "oh, yes, we may--it's not altogether out of the question," said blake. "we'll have to think about it, though." "and if you do go, may i have the honor of accompanying you to the isthmus?" again he seemed very anxious. "well, of course, if mr. hadley wants you to go with us we'll take you," answered joe slowly. "we are employed by mr. hadley, as one of the owners of the film theatrical company, and what he says generally goes." "ah, but, gentlemen, i should not want you to take me under compulsion!" exclaimed the spaniard, quickly. "i would like to go--as your friend!" and he threw out his hands in an impulsive, appealing gesture. "as a friend!" he repeated. "well, i guess that could be arranged," returned blake with a smile, for he had taken a liking to the young man, though he did not altogether understand him. "we'll have to think it over." "oh, of course. i should not ask for a decision now," said mr. alcando quickly. "i shall return to my hotel in the village, and come out to see you when i may--when you have made your decision. i feel the need of a little rest--after my narrow escape. and that it should be you who saved my life--you of all!" again the boys noted his peculiar manner. "i guess we had better be getting back," suggested hank. "have to foot it to town, though," he added regretfully, as he looked at the smashed carriage. "i hope the boss doesn't blame me for this," and his voice was rueful. "i shall take it upon myself to testify in your favor," said the spaniard with courtly grace. "it was an unavoidable accident--the breaking of the rein, and the maddened dash of the horse off the bridge. that we did not follow was a miracle. i shall certainly tell your employer--as you say your boss," and he smiled--"i shall tell him you could not help it." "i'd take it kindly if you would," added hank, "for rex, though he had a terrible temper, was a valuable horse. well, he won't run away any more, that's one sure thing. i guess that carriage can be patched up." "why don't you ask mr. baker to lend you a rig?" suggested blake. "i'm sure he would. i'll tell him how it happened." "that is kind of you, sir. you place me more than ever in your debt," spoke the spaniard, bowing again. "how did you know we were here?" asked joe of the boy who had brought the delayed special delivery letter. "i stopped at mr. baker's house," sam explained, "and mrs. baker said she saw you come down this way on your motor cycle. she said you'd just been on a ride, and probably wouldn't go far, so i ran on, thinking i'd meet you coming back. i didn't know anything about the accident," he concluded, his eyes big with wonder as he looked at the smashed carriage. "are you able to walk back to the farmhouse where we are boarding?" asked blake of mr. alcando. "if not we could get mr. baker to drive down here." "oh, thank you, i am perfectly able to walk, thanks to your quickness in preventing the carriage and ourselves from toppling into the chasm," replied the spaniard. hank, with mr. alcando and sam, walked back along the road, while blake and joe went to where they had dropped their motor cycle. they repaired the disconnected gasoline pipe, and rode on ahead to tell mr. baker of the coming of the others. the farmer readily agreed to lend his horse and carriage so that the unfortunate ones would not have to walk into town, a matter of three miles. "i shall remain at the central falls hotel for a week or more, or until you have fully made up your mind about the panama trip," said mr. alcando on leaving the boys, "and i shall come out, whenever you send me word, to learn of your decision. that it may be a favorable one i need hardly say i hope," he added with a low bow. "we'll let you know as soon as we can," promised blake. "but my chum and i will have to think it over. we have hardly become rested from taking flood pictures." "i can well believe that, from what i have heard of your strenuous activities." "well, what do you think about it all?" asked joe, as he and his chum sat on the shady porch an hour or so after the exciting incidents i have just narrated. "i hardly know," answered blake. "i guess i'll have another go at mr. hadley's letter. i didn't half read it." he took the missive from his pocket, and again perused it. it contained references to other matters besides the projected panama trip, and there was also enclosed a check for some work the moving picture boys had done. but as it is with the reference to the big canal that we are interested we shall confine ourselves to that part of mr. hadley's letter. "no doubt you will be surprised," he wrote, "to learn what i have in prospect for you. i know you deserve a longer vacation than you have had this summer, but i think, too, that you would not wish to miss this chance. "of course if you do not want to go to panama i can get some other operators to work the moving picture cameras, but i would rather have you than anyone i know of. so i hope you will accept. "the idea is this: the big canal is nearing completion, and the work is now at a stage when it will make most interesting films. then, too, there is another matter--the big slides. there have been several small ones, doing considerable damage, but no more than has been counted on. "i have information, however, to the effect that there is impending in culebra cut a monstrous big slide, one that will beat anything that ever before took place there. if it does happen i want to get moving pictures, not only of the slide, but of scenes afterward, and also pictures showing the clearing away of the débris. "whether this slide will occur i do not know. no one knows for a certainty, but a man who has lived in panama almost since the french started the big ditch, claims to know a great deal about the slides and the causes of them. he tells me that certain small slides, such as have been experienced, are followed--almost always after the same lapse of time--by a much larger one. the larger one is due soon, and i want you there when it comes. "now another matter. some time after you get this you will be visited by a spanish gentleman named vigues alcando. he will have a letter of introduction from me. he wants to learn the moving picture business, and as he comes well recommended, and as both mr. ringold and i are under obligations to people he represents, we feel that we must grant his request. "of course if you feel that you can't stand him, after you see him, and if you don't want to take him with you--yes, even if you don't want to go to panama at all, don't hesitate to say so. but i would like very much to have you. someone must go, for the films from down there will be particularly valuable at this time, in view of the coming opening of the canal for the passage of vessels. so if you don't want to go, someone else representing us will have to make the trip. "now think the matter over well before you decide. i think you will find mr. alcando a pleasant companion. he struck me as being a gentleman, though his views on some things are the views of a foreigner. but that does not matter. "of course, as usual, we will pay you boys well, and meet all expenses. it is too bad to break in on your vacation again, as we did to get the flood pictures, but the expected big slide, like the flood, won't wait, and won't last very long. you have to be 'johnnie on the spot' to get the views. i will await your answer." chapter vi something queer for a little while, after he had read to joe the letter from mr. hadley, blake remained silent. nor did his chum speak. when he did open his lips it was to ask: "well, what do you think of it, blake?" blake drew a long breath, and replied, questioningly: "what do you think of it?" "i asked you first!" laughed joe. "no, but seriously, what do you make of it all?" "make of it? you mean going to panama?" "yes, and this chap alcando. what do you think of him?" blake did not answer at once. "well?" asked joe, rather impatiently. "did anything--that is, anything that fellow said--or did--strike you as being--well, let's say--queer?" and blake looked his chum squarely in the face. "queer? yes, i guess there did! of course he was excited about the runaway, and he did have a narrow escape, if i do say it myself. only for us he and hank would have toppled down into that ravine." "that's right," assented blake. "but what struck me as queer," resumed joe, "was that he seemed put out because it was we who saved him. he acted--i mean the spaniard did--as though he would have been glad if someone else had saved his life." "just how it struck me!" cried blake. "i wondered if you felt the same. but perhaps it was only because he was unduly excited. we might have misjudged him." "possibly," admitted joe. "but, even if we didn't, and he really is sorry it was we who saved him, i don't see that it need matter. he is probably so polite that the reason he objects is because he didn't want to put us to so much trouble." "perhaps," agreed blake. "as you say, it doesn't much matter. i rather like him." "so do i," assented joe. "but he sure is queer, in some ways. quite dramatic. why, you'd think he was on the stage the way he went on after he learned that we two, who had saved him, were the moving picture boys to whom he had a letter of introduction." "yes. i wonder what it all meant?" observed blake. the time was to come when he and joe were to learn, in a most sensational manner, the reason for the decidedly queer actions of mr. alcando. for some time longer the chums sat and talked. but as the day waned, and the supper hour approached, they were no nearer a decision than before. "let's let it go until morning," suggested blake. "i'm with you," agreed joe. "we can think better after we have 'slept on it.'" joe was later than blake getting up next morning, and when he saw his chum sitting out in a hammock under a tree in the farmyard, joe noticed that blake was reading a book. "you're the regular early worm this morning; aren't you?" called joe. "it's a wonder some bird hasn't flown off with you." "i'm too tough a morsel," blake answered with a laugh. "besides, i've been on the jump too much to allow an ordinary bird the chance. what's the matter with you--oversleep?" "no, i did it on purpose. i was tired. but what's that you're reading; and what do you mean about being on the jump?" "oh, i just took a little run into the village after breakfast, on the motor cycle." "you did! to tell that spaniard he could, or could not, go with us?" "oh, i didn't see him. i just went into the town library. you know they've got a fairly decent one at central falls." "yes, so i heard; but i didn't suppose they'd be open so early in the morning." "they weren't. i had to wait, and i was the first customer, if you can call it that." "you _are_ getting studious!" laughed joe. "great scott! look at what he's reading!" he went on as he caught a glimpse of the title of the book. "'history of the panama canal' whew!" "it's a mighty interesting book!" declared blake. "you'll like it." "perhaps--if i read it," said joe, drily. "oh, i fancy you'll want to read it," went on blake, significantly. "say!" cried joe, struck with a sudden idea. "you've made up your mind to go to panama; haven't you?" "well," began his chum slowly, "i haven't fully decided--" "oh, piffle!" cried joe with a laugh. "excuse my slang, but i know just how it is," he proceeded. "you've made up your mind to go, and you're getting all the advance information you can, to spring it on me. i know your tricks. well, you won't go without me; will you?" "you know i'd never do that," was the answer, spoken rather more solemnly than joe's laughing words deserved. "you know we promised to stick together when we came away from the farms and started in this moving picture business, and we have stuck. i don't want to break the combination; do you?" "i should say not! and if you go to panama i go too!" "i haven't actually made up my mind," went on blake, who was, perhaps, a little more serious, and probably a deeper thinker than his chum. "but i went over it in my mind last night, and i didn't just see how we could refuse mr. hadley's request. "you know he started us in this business, and, only for him we might never have amounted to much. so if he wants us to go to panama, and get views of the giant slides, volcanic eruptions, and so on, i, for one, think we ought to go." "so do i--for two!" chimed in joe. "but are there really volcanic eruptions down there?" "well, there have been, in times past, and there might be again. anyhow, the slides are always more or less likely to occur. i was just reading about them in this book. "culebra cut! that's where the really stupendous work of the panama canal came in. think of it, joe! nine miles long, with an average depth of feet, and at some places the sides go up feet above the bed of the channel. why the suez canal is a farm ditch alongside of it!" "whew!" whistled joe. "you're there with the facts already, blake." "they're so interesting i couldn't help but remember them," said blake with a smile. "this book has a lot in it about the big landslides. at first they were terribly discouraging to the workers. they practically put the french engineers, who started the canal, out of the running, and even when the united states engineers started figuring they didn't allow enough leeway for the culebra slides. "at first they decided that a ditch about eight hundred feet wide would be enough to keep the top soil from slipping down. but they finally had to make it nearly three times that width, or eighteen hundred feet at the top, so as to make the sides slope gently enough." "and yet slides occur even now," remarked joe, dubiously. "yes, because the work isn't quite finished." "and we're going to get one of those slides on our films?" "if we go, yes; and i don't see but what we'd better go." "then i'm with you, blake, old man!" cried joe, affectionately slapping his chum on the back with such energy that the book flew out of the other's hands. "look out what you're doing or you'll get the librarian after you!" cried blake, as he picked up the volume. "well, then, we'll consider it settled--we'll go to panama?" he looked questioningly at his chum. "yes, i guess so. have you told that spaniard?" "no, not yet, of course. i haven't seen him since you did. but i fancy we'd better write to mr. hadley first, and let him know we will go. he'll wonder why we haven't written before. we can explain about the delayed letter." "all right, and when we hear from him, and learn more of his plans, we can let mr. alcando hear from us. i guess we can mosey along with him all right." "yes, and we'll need a helper with the cameras and things. he can be a sort of assistant while he's learning the ropes." a letter was written to the moving picture man in new york, and while waiting for an answer blake and joe spent two days visiting places of interest about central falls. "if this is to be another break in our vacation we want to make the most of it," suggested joe. "that's right," agreed blake. they had not yet given the spaniard a definite answer regarding his joining them. "it does not matter--the haste, young gentlemen," mr. alcando had said with a smile that showed his white teeth, in strong contrast to his dark complexion. "i am not in so much of a haste. as we say, in my country, there is always mañana--to-morrow." blake and joe, while they found the spaniard very pleasant, could not truthfully say that they felt for him the comradeship they might have manifested toward one of their own nationality. he was polite and considerate toward them--almost too polite at times, but that came natural to him, perhaps. he was a little older than joe and blake, but he did not take advantage of that. he seemed to have fully recovered from the accident, though there was a nervousness in his actions at times that set the boys to wondering. and, occasionally, blake or joe would catch him surreptitiously looking at them in a strange manner. "i wonder what's up?" said blake to joe, after one of those occasions. "he sure does act queer." "that's what i say," agreed joe. "it's just as though he were sorry he had to be under obligations to us, if you can call it that, for saving his life." "that's how it impresses me. but perhaps we only imagine it. hello, here comes mr. baker with the mail! we ought to hear from new york." "hasn't birdie lee written yet?" asked joe. "oh, drop that!" warned blake, his eyes flashing. there was a letter from mr. hadley, in which he conveyed news and information that made blake and joe definitely decide to make the trip to panama. "and take alcando with us?" asked joe. "i suppose so," said blake, though it could not be said that his assent was any too cordial. "then we'd better tell him, so he'll know it is settled." "all right. we can ride over on the motor cycle." a little later, after a quick trip on the "gasoline bicycle," the moving picture boys were at the only hotel of which central falls boasted. mr. alcando was in his room, the clerk informed the boys, and they were shown up. "enter!" called the voice of the spaniard, as they knocked. "ah, it is you, my young friends!" he cried, as he saw them, and getting up hastily from a table on which were many papers, he began hastily piling books on top of them. "for all the world," said joe, later, "as though he were afraid we'd see something." "i am delighted that you have called," the spaniard said, "and i hope you bring me good news." "yes," said blake, "we are going--" as he spoke there came in through the window a puff of air, that scattered the papers on the table. one, seemingly part of a letter, was blown to blake's feet. he picked it up, and, as he handed it back to mr. alcando, the lad could not help seeing part of a sentence. it read: "... go to panama, get all the pictures you can, especially the big guns...." blake felt himself staring eagerly at the last words. chapter vii in new york "ah, my letters have taken unto themselves wings," laughed the spaniard, as he stooped to pick up the scattered papers. "and you have assisted me in saving them," he went on, as he took the part of the epistle blake held out to him. as he did so mr. alcando himself had a glimpse of the words blake had thought so strange. the foreigner must have, in a manner, sensed blake's suspicions, for he said, quickly: "that is what it is not to know your wonderful american language. i, myself, have much struggles with it, and so do my friends. i had written to one of them, saying i expected to go to panama, and he writes in his poor english, that he hopes i do go, and that i get all the pictures i can, especially big ones." he paused for a moment, looking at blake sharply, the boy thought. then the spaniard went on: "only, unfortunately for him, he does not yet know the difference between 'guns' and 'ones.' what he meant to say was that he hoped i would get big pictures--big ones, you know. and i hope i do. i suppose you do take big moving pictures--i mean pictures of big scenes, do you not?" and he included joe in the question he asked. "oh, yes, we've taken some pretty big ones," blake's chum admitted, as he thought of the time when they had so recently been in the flooded mississippi valley, and when they had risked danger and death in the jungle, and in earthquake land. "though, i suppose," went on mr. alcando, as he folded the part of a letter blake had picked up, "i suppose there are big guns at panama--if one could get pictures of them--eh?" and again he looked sharply at blake--for what reason our hero could not determine. "oh, yes, there are big guns down there," said joe. "i forget their size, and how far they can hurl a projectile. but we're not likely to get a chance to take any pictures, moving or otherwise, of the defenses. i fancy they are a sort of government secret." "i should think so," spoke blake, and there was a curious restraint in his manner, at which joe wondered. "yes, we probably won't get much chance to see the big guns," went on the spaniard. "but i am content if i learn how to become a moving picture operator. i shall write to my friend and tell him the difference between the word 'one' and 'gun.' he will laugh when he finds out his mistake; will he not?" and he glanced at blake. "probably," was the answer. blake was doing some hard thinking just then. "but so you have decided to go to the canal?" asked the spaniard, when he had collected his scattered papers. "yes, we are going down there," answered blake, "and as mr. hadley wishes you to go along, of course we'll take you with us, and teach you all we know." "i hope i shall not be a burden to you, or cause you any trouble," responded the spaniard, politely, with a frank and engaging smile. "oh, no, not at all!" returned joe, cordially. he had taken quite a liking to the chap, and anticipated pleasure in his company. usually when he and blake went off on moving picture excursions they had some members of the film theatrical company with them, or they met friends on the way, or at their destination. but neither c.c. piper, nor any of the other actors were going to the canal, so blake and joe would have had to go alone had it not been for the advent of mr. alcando. "we're very glad to have you with us," added blake. "how soon can you be ready to go?" "whenever you are. i can leave to-day, if necessary." "there isn't any necessity for such a rush as that," blake said, with a laugh. "we'll finish out our week's vacation, and then go to new york. our cameras will need overhauling after the hard service they got in the flood, and we'll have to stay in new york about a week to get things in shape. so we'll probably start for the canal in about two weeks." "that will suit me excellently. i shall be all ready for you," said the spaniard. "then i'll write to mr. hadley to expect us," blake added. the boys left mr. alcando straightening out his papers, and started back through the town to the farm. "what made you act so funny, blake, when you picked up that piece of paper?" asked joe, when they had alighted from their motor cycle at the baker homestead a little later. "well, to tell you the truth, joe, i was a bit suspicious." "what about; that gun business?" "yes," and blake's voice was serious. "buttermilk and corn cakes!" cried joe with a laugh. "you don't mean to say you think this fellow is an international spy; do you? trying to get secrets of the united states fortifications at the canal?" "well, i don't know as i exactly believe _that_, joe, and yet it was strange someone should be writing to him about the big guns." "yes, maybe; but then he explained it all right." "you mean he _tried_ to explain it." "oh, well, if you look at it that way, of course you'll be suspicious. but i don't believe anything of the sort. it was just a blunder of someone who didn't know how, trying to write the english language. "it's all nonsense to think he's a spy. he came to mr. hadley well recommended, and you can make up your mind mr. hadley wouldn't have anything to do with him if there was something wrong." "oh, well, i don't exactly say he's a _spy_," returned blake, almost wavering. "let it go. maybe i am wrong." "yes, i think you are," said joe. "i like that chap, and i think we'll have fine times together." "we'll have hard work, that's one thing sure," blake declared. "it isn't going to be easy to get good pictures of the big ditch. and waiting for one of those culebra cut slides is going to be like camping on the trail of a volcano, i think. you can't tell when it's going to happen." "that's right," agreed joe with a laugh. "well, we'll do the best we can, old man. and now let's go on a picnic, or something, to finish out our vacation. we won't get another this year, perhaps." "let's go down and see how they're coming on with the new bridge, where the horse tried to jump over the ravine," suggested blake, and, a little later they were speeding in that direction. the final week of their stay in the country went by quickly enough, and though the boys appreciated their vacation in the quiet precincts of central falls, they were not altogether sorry when the time came to leave. for, truth to tell, they were very enthusiastic about their moving picture work, and though they were no fonder of a "grind" than any real boys are, they were always ready to go back to the clicking cranks that unwound the strips of celluloid film, which caught on its sensitive surface the impressions of so many wonderful scenes. they called at the hotel one evening to tell mr. alcando that they were going to new york the following day, and that he could, if he wished, accompany them. but they found he had already left. he had written them a note, however, in which he said he would meet them in the metropolis at the offices of the moving picture concern, and there complete plans for the trip to panama. "queer he didn't want to go in to new york with us," said blake. "there you go again!" laughed joe. "getting suspicious again. take it easy, blake." "well, maybe i am a bit too fussy," admitted his chum. their trip to, and arrival in, new york was unattended by any incidents worth chronicling, and, taking a car at the grand central terminal, they were soon on their way to the film studios. "well, well! if it isn't blake and joe!" cried c.c. piper, the grouchy actor, as he saw them come in. "my, but i am glad to see you!" and he shook their hands warmly. "glad something pleases you," said miss shay, with a shrug of her shoulders. "you've done nothing but growl ever since this rehearsal started." blake and joe had arrived during an intermission in the taking of the studio scenes of a new drama. "is he as bad as ever?" asked joe of mabel pierce, the new member of the company. "well, i don't know him very well," she said, with a little blush. "he's worse!" declared nettie shay. "i wish you'd take him out somewhere, boys, and find him a good nature. he's a positive bear!" "oh, come now, not as bad as that!" cried mr. piper. "i am glad to see you boys, though," and really he seemed quite delighted. "what's on?" he asked. "are you going with us to california? we're going to do a series of stunts there, i hear." "sorry, but we're not booked to go," said blake. "i guess it's panama and the canal for us." mr. piper seemed to undergo a quick and curious change. his face, that had been lighted by a genial smile, became dull and careworn. his manner lost its joyousness. "that's too bad!" he exclaimed. "panama! you're almost sure to be buried alive under one of the big culebra slides, and we'll never see you again!" chapter viii off for panama there was a moment of silence following mr. piper's gloomy prediction, and then miss shay, with a laugh, cried out: "oh, what a shame! i'd keep still if i couldn't say anything nicer than _that_." "not very cheerful; is he?" spoke joe. "about the same as usual," commented blake, drily. "well, it's true, just the same!" declared c.c. piper, with an air of conviction. "'the truth is not to be spoken--at all times,'" quoted miss pierce. "good for you!" whispered joe. c.c. seemed a little put out at all the criticism leveled at him. "ahem!" he exclaimed. "of course i don't mean that i want to see you boys caught in a landslide--far from it, but--" "but, if we _are_ going to be caught that way, you hope there will be moving pictures of it; don't you, c.c.?" laughed blake. "now, there's no use trying to get out of it!" he added, as the gloomy actor stuttered and stammered. "we know what you mean. but where is mr. ringold; or mr. hadley?" "they're around somewhere," explained miss shay, when the other members of the company, with whom they had spent so many happy and exciting days, had offered their greetings. "are you in such a hurry to see them?" she asked of blake. "oh, not in such an _awful_ hurry," he answered with a laugh, as birdie lee came out of a dressing room, smiling rosily at him. "i guess not!" laughed miss shay. soon the interval between the scenes of the drama then being "filmed," or photographed, came to an end. the actors and actresses took their places in a "ball room," that was built on one section of the studio floor. "ready!" called the manager to the camera operator, and as the music of an unseen orchestra played, so that the dancing might be in perfect time, the camera began clicking and the action of the play, which included an exciting episode in the midst of the dance, went on. it was a gay scene, for the ladies and gentlemen were dressed in the "height of fashion." it was necessary to have every detail faithfully reproduced, for the eye of the moving picture camera is more searching, and far-seeing, than any human eye, and records every defect, no matter how small. and when it is recalled that the picture thrown on the screen is magnified many hundred times, a small defect, as can readily be understood, becomes a very large one. so great care is taken to have everything as nearly perfect as possible. blake and joe watched the filming of the drama, recalling the time when they used to turn the handle of the camera at the same work, before they were chosen to go out after bigger pictures--scenes from real life. the operator, a young fellow; whom both blake and joe knew, looked around and nodded at them, when he had to stop grinding out the film a moment, to allow the director to correct something that had unexpectedly gone wrong. "don't you wish you had this easy job?" the operator asked. "we may, before we come back from panama," answered blake. a little later mr. ringold and mr. hadley came in, greeting the two boys, and then began a talk which lasted for some time, and in which all the details of the projected work, as far as they could be arranged in advance, were gone over. "what we want," said mr. hadley, "is a series of pictures about the canal. it will soon be open for regular traffic, you know, and, in fact some vessels have already gone through it. but the work is not yet finished, and we want you to film the final touches. "then, too, there may be accidents--there have been several small ones of late, and, as i wrote you, a man who claims to have made a study of the natural forces in panama declares a big slide is due soon. "of course we won't wish the canal any bad luck, and we don't for a moment want that slide to happen. only--" "if it does come you want it filmed!" interrupted blake, with a laugh. "that's it, exactly!" exclaimed mr. ringold. "you'll find plenty down there to take pictures of," said mr. hadley. "we want scenes along the canal. hire a vessel and take moving pictures as you go along in her. go through the gatun locks, of course. scenes as your boat goes in them, and the waters rise, and then go down again, ought to make a corking picture!" mr. hadley was growing enthusiastic. "get some jungle scenes to work in also," he directed. "in short, get scenes you think a visitor to the panama canal would be interested in seeing. some of the films will be a feature at the panama exposition in california, and we expect to make big money from them, so do your best." "we will!" promised joe, and blake nodded in acquiescence. "you met the young spaniard who had a letter of introduction to you; did you not?" asked mr. hadley, after a pause. "yes," answered blake. "met him under rather queer circumstances, too. i guess we hinted at them in our letter." "a mere mention," responded mr. hadley. "i should be glad to hear the details." so blake and joe, in turn, told of the runaway. "what do you think of him--i mean mr. alcando?" asked the moving picture man. "why, he seems all right," spoke joe slowly, looking at blake to give him a chance to say anything if he wanted to. "i like him." "glad to hear it!" exclaimed mr. hadley heartily. "he came to us well recommended and, as i think i explained, our company is under obligations to concerns he and his friends are interested in, so we were glad to do him a favor. he explained, did he not, that his company wished to show scenes along the line of their railroad, to attract prospective customers?" "yes, he told us that," observed joe. "what's the matter, blake, haven't you anything to say?" asked mr. hadley in a curious voice, turning to joe's chum. "how does the spaniard strike you?" "well, he seems all right," was blake's slow answer. "only i think--" "blake thinks he's an international spy, i guess!" broke in joe with a laugh. "tell him about the 'big guns,' blake." "what's that?" asked mr. hadley, quickly. whereupon blake told of the wind-blown letter and his first suspicions. "oh, that's all nonsense!" laughed mr. hadley. "we have investigated his credentials, and find them all right. besides, what object would a south american spy have in finding out details of the defenses at panama. south america would work to preserve the canal; not to destroy it. if it were some european nation now, that would be a different story. you don't need to worry, blake." "no, i suppose it is foolish. but i'm glad to know you think mr. alcando all right. if we've got to live in close companionship with him for several months, it's a comfort to know he is all right. now when are we to start, how do we go, where shall we make our headquarters and so on?" "yes, you will want some detailed information, i expect," agreed the moving picture man. "well, i'm ready to give it to you. i have already made some arrangements for you. you will take a steamer to colon, make your headquarters at the washington hotel, and from there start out, when you are ready, to get pictures of the canal and surrounding country. i'll give you letters of introduction, so you will have no trouble in chartering a tug to go through the canal, and i already have the necessary government permits." "then joe and i had better be packing up for the trip," suggested blake. "yes, the sooner the better. you might call on mr. alcando, and ask him when he will be ready. here is his address in new york," and mr. hadley handed blake a card, naming a certain uptown hotel. a little later, having seen to their baggage, and handed their particular and favorite cameras over to one of the men of the film company, so that he might give them a thorough overhauling, blake and joe went to call on their spanish friend. "aren't you glad to know he isn't a spy, or anything like that?" asked joe of his chum. "yes, of course i am, and yet--" "still suspicious i see," laughed joe. "better drop it." blake did not answer. inquiry of the hotel clerk gave blake and joe the information that mr. alcando was in his room, and, being shown to the apartment by a bell-boy, blake knocked on the door. "who's there? wait a moment!" came in rather sharp accents from a voice the moving picture boys recognized as that of mr. alcando. "it is blake stewart and joe duncan," said the former lad. "we have called--" "i beg your pardon--in one moment i shall be with you--i will let you in!" exclaimed the spaniard. the boys could hear him moving about in his apartment, they could hear the rattle of papers, and then the door was opened. there was no one in the room except the young south american railroad man, but there was the odor of a strong cigar in the apartment, and blake noticed this with surprise for, some time before, mr. alcando had said he did not smoke. the inference was, then, that he had had a visitor, who was smoking when the boys knocked, but there was no sign of the caller then, except in the aroma of the cigar. he might have gone into one of the other rooms that opened from the one into which the boys looked, for mr. alcando had a suite in the hotel. and, after all, it was none of the affair of blake or joe, if their new friend had had a caller. "only," said blake to joe afterward, "why was he in such a hurry to get rid of him, and afraid that we might meet him?" "i don't know," joe answered. "it doesn't worry me. you are too suspicious." "i suppose i am." mr. alcando welcomed the boys, but said nothing about the delay in opening his door, or about the visitor who must have slipped out hastily. the spaniard was glad to see blake and joe, and glad to learn that they would soon start for panama. "i have much to do, though, in what little time is left," he said, rapidly arranging some papers on his table. as he did so, blake caught sight of a small box, with some peculiar metal projections on it, sticking out from amid a pile of papers. "yes, much to do," went on mr. alcando. and then, either by accident or design, he shoved some papers in such a way that the small box was completely hidden. "we have just come from mr. hadley," explained joe, and then he and blake plunged into a mass of details regarding their trip, with which i need not weary you. sufficient to say that mr. alcando promised to be on hand at the time of the sailing of the steamer for colon. in due time, though a day or so later than originally planned, blake and joe, with their new spanish friend, were on hand at the pier. mr. alcando had considerable baggage, and he was to be allowed the use of an old moving picture camera with which to "get his hand in." blake and joe, of course had their own machines, which had been put in perfect order. there were several of them for different classes of work. final instructions were given by mr. hadley, good-bys were said, and the boys and mr. alcando went aboard. "i hope you have good luck!" called birdie lee to blake, as she waved her hand to him. "and so do i," added mabel pierce to joe. "thanks!" they made answer in a chorus. "and--look--out--for--the--big slides!" called mr. piper after them, as the steamer swung away from the pier. "gloomy to the last!" laughed blake. so they were off for panama, little dreaming of the sensational adventures that awaited them there. chapter ix the little box blake and joe were too well-seasoned travelers to care to witness many of the scenes attendant upon the departure of their vessel. though young in years, they had already crowded into their lives so many thrilling adventures that it took something out of the ordinary to arouse their interest. it was not that they were blasé, or indifferent to novel sights, but travel was now, with them, an old story. they had been out west, to the pacific coast, and in far-off jungle lands, to say nothing of their trip to the place of the earthquakes, and the more recent trip to the flooded mississippi valley. so, once they had waved good-by to their friends and fellow-workers on the pier, they went to their stateroom to look after their luggage. the two boys and mr. alcando had a room ample for their needs, and, though it would accommodate four, they were assured that the fourth berth would not be occupied, so no stranger would intrude. when blake and joe went below mr. alcando did not follow. either he liked the open air to be found on deck, or he was not such a veteran traveler as to care to miss the sights and sounds of departure. his baggage was piled in one corner, and that of the boys in other parts of the stateroom, with the exception of the trunks and cameras, which were stowed in the hold, as not being wanted on the voyage. "well, what do you think of him now?" asked joe, as he sat down, for both he and blake were tired, there having been much to do that day. "why, he seems all right," was the slowly-given answer. "nothing more suspicious; eh?" "no, i can't say that i've seen anything. of course it was queer for him to have someone in his room that time, and to get rid of whoever it was so quickly before we came in. but i suppose we all have our secrets." "yes," agreed joe. "and he certainly can't do enough for us. he is very grateful." this was shown in every way possible by the spaniard. more than once he referred to the saving of his life in the runaway accident, and he never tired of telling those whom he met what the boys had done for him. it was truly grateful praise, too, and he was sincere in all that he said. as joe had remarked, the spaniard could not do enough for the boys. he helped in numberless ways in getting ready for the trip, and offered to do errands that could better be attended to by a messenger boy. he was well supplied with cash, and it was all joe and blake could do to prevent him from buying them all sorts of articles for use on their trip. passing a sporting goods store that made a specialty of fitting out travelers who hunted in the wilds, mr. alcando wanted to purchase for blake and joe complete camping outfits, portable stoves, guns, knives, patent acetylene lamps, portable tents, automatic revolvers and all sorts of things. "but we don't need them, thank you!" blake insisted. "we're not going to do any hunting, and we won't camp out if we can help it." "oh, but we might have to!" said mr. alcando, "then think how useful these outfits would be." "but we'd have to cart them around with us for months, maybe," said joe, "on the slim chance of using part of the things one night. we don't need 'em." "but i want to do something for you boys!" the spaniard insisted. "i am so grateful to you--" "we know that, by this time," declared blake. "please don't get anything more," for their friend had already bought them some things for their steamer trip. "ah, well then, if you insist," agreed the generous one, "but if ever you come to my country, all that i own is yours. i am ever in your debt." "oh, you mustn't feel that way about it," blake assured him. "after all, you might have saved yourself." "hardly," returned the spaniard, and he shuddered as he recalled how near he had been to death on the bridge. but now he and blake and joe were safely on a steamer on their way to panama. the weather was getting rather cool, for though it was only early november the chill of winter was beginning to make itself felt. "but we'll soon be where it's warm enough all the year around," said joe to blake, as they arranged their things in the stateroom. "that's right," said his chum. "it will be a new experience for us. not quite so much jungle, i hope, as the dose we had of it when we went after the wild animals." "no, and i'm glad of it," responded joe. "that was a little too much at times. yet there is plenty of jungle in panama." "i suppose so. well, suppose we go up on deck for a breath of air." they had taken a steamer that went directly to colon, making but one stop, at san juan, porto rico. a number of tourists were aboard, and there were one or two "personally conducted" parties, so the vessel was rather lively, with so many young people. in the days that followed joe and blake made the acquaintance of a number of persons, in whom they were more or less interested. when it became known that the boys were moving picture operators the interest in them increased, and one lively young lady wanted blake to get out his camera and take some moving pictures of the ship's company. but he explained, that, though he might take the pictures on board the steamer, he had no facilities for developing or printing the positives, or projecting them after they were made. in the previous books of this series is described in detail the mechanical process of how moving pictures are made, and to those volumes curious readers are referred. the process is an intricate one, though much simplified from what it was at first, and it is well worth studying. on and on swept the _gatun_, carrying our friends to the wonderland of that great "ditch" which has become one of the marvels of the world. occasionally there were storms to interrupt the otherwise placid voyage, but there was only short discomfort. mr. alcando was eager to reach the scene of operations, and after his first enthusiasm concerning the voyage had worn off he insisted on talking about the detailed and technical parts of moving picture work to joe and blake, who were glad to give him the benefit of their information. "well, you haven't seen anything more suspicious about him; have you?" asked joe of his chum when they were together in the stateroom one evening, the spaniard being on deck. "no, i can't say that i have. i guess i did let my imagination run away with me. but say, joe, what sort of a watch have you that ticks so loudly?" "watch! that isn't my watch!" exclaimed his chum. "listen!" ordered blake. "don't you hear a ticking?" they both stood at attention. "i do hear something like a clock," admitted joe. "but i don't see any. i didn't know there was one in this stateroom." "there isn't, either," said joe, with a glance about. "but i surely do hear something." "maybe it's your own watch working overtime." "mine doesn't tick as loud as that," and blake pulled out his timepiece. even with it out of his pocket the beat of the balance wheel could not be heard until one held it to his ear. "but what is it?" asked joe, curiously. "it seems to come from mr. alcando's baggage," blake said. "yes, it's in his berth," he went on, moving toward that side of the stateroom. the nearer he advanced toward the sleeping place of the spaniard the louder became the ticking. "he's got some sort of a clock in his bed," blake went on. "he may have one of those cheap watches, though it isn't like him to buy that kind. maybe he put it under his pillow and forgot to take it out. perhaps i'd better move it or he may not think it's there, and toss it out on the floor." but when he lifted the pillow no watch was to be seen. "that's funny," said blake, musingly. "i surely hear that ticking in this berth; don't you?" "yes," assented joe. "maybe it's mixed up in the bedclothes." before blake could interfere joe had turned back the coverings, and there, near the foot of the berth, between the sheets, was a small brass-bound box, containing a number of metal projections. it was from this box the ticking sound came. "why--why!" gasped blake. "that--that box--" "what about it?" asked joe, wonderingly. "that's the same box that was on his table the time we came in his room at the hotel--when we smelled the cigar smoke. i wonder what it is, and why he has it in his bed?" chapter x the secret conference blake was silent a moment after making this portentous announcement. then he leaned forward, with the evident intention of picking up the curious, ticking box. "look out!" cried joe, grasping his chum's hand. "what for?" blake wanted to know. "it might be loaded--go off, you know!" "nonsense!" exclaimed blake. "it's probably only some sort of foreign alarm clock, and he stuffed it in there so the ticking wouldn't keep him awake. i've done the same thing when i didn't want to get up. i used to chuck mine under the bed, or stuff it in an old shoe. what's the matter with you, anyhow? you act scared," for joe's face was actually white--that is as white as it could be under the tan caused by his outdoor life. "well, i--i thought," stammered joe. "perhaps that was a--" "who's getting suspicious now?" demanded blake with a laugh. "talk about me! why, you're way ahead!" "oh, well, i guess i did imagine too much," admitted joe with a little laugh. "it probably is an alarm clock, as you say. i wonder what we'd better do with it? if we leave it there--" he was interrupted by the opening of the stateroom door and as both boys turned they saw their spanish friend standing on the threshold staring at them. "well!" he exclaimed, and there was an angry note in his voice--a note the boys had never before noticed, for mr. alcando was of a sunny and happy disposition, and not nearly as quick tempered as persons of his nationality are supposed to be. "i suppose it does look; as though we were rummaging in your things," said blake, deciding instantly that it was best to be frank. "but we heard a curious ticking noise when we came down here, and we traced it to your bunk. we didn't know what it might be, and thought perhaps you had put your watch in the bed, and might have forgotten to take it out. we looked, and found this--" "ah, my new alarm clock!" exclaimed mr. alcando, and what seemed to be a look of relief passed over his face. he reached in among the bed clothes and picked up the curious brass-bound ticking box, with its many little metallic projections. "i perhaps did not tell you that i am a sort of inventor," the spaniard went on. "i have not had much success, but i think my new alarm clock is going to bring me in some money. it works on a new principle, but i am giving it a good test, privately, before i try to put it on the market." he took the brass-bound, ticking box from the bed, and must have adjusted the mechanism in a way blake or joe did not notice, for the "click-click" stopped at once, and the room seemed curiously still after it. "some day i will show you how it works," the young spaniard went on. "i think, myself, it is quite what you call--clever." and with that he put the box in a trunk, and closed the lid with a snap that threw the lock. "and now, boys, we will soon be there!" he cried with a gay laugh. "soon we will be in the beautiful land of panama, and will see the marvels of that great canal. are you not glad? and i shall begin to learn more about making moving pictures! that will please me, though i hope i shall not be so stupid a pupil as to make trouble for you, my friends, to whom i owe so much." he looked eagerly at the boys. "we'll teach you all we know, which isn't such an awful lot," said joe. "and i don't believe you'll be slow." "you have picked up some of it already," went on blake, for while delaying over making their arrangements in new york the boys and their pupil had gone into the rudiments of moving picture work. "i am glad you think so," returned the other. "i shall be glad when we are at work, and more glad still, when i can, with my own camera, penetrate into the fastness of the jungle, along the lines of our railroad, and show what we have done to bring civilization there. the film will be the eyes of the world, watching our progress," he added, poetically. "why don't you come up on deck," he proceeded. "it is warm down here." "we just came down," said joe, "but it is hot," for they were approaching nearer to the equator each hour. while the boys were following the young spaniard up on deck, joe found a chance to whisper to blake: "i notice he was not at all anxious to show us how his brass-box alarm clock worked." "no," agreed blake in a low voice, "and yet his invention might be in such a shape that he didn't want to exhibit it yet." "so you think that's the reason, eh?" "surely. don't you?" "i do not!" "what then?" "well, i think he's trying to--" "hush, here he comes!" cautioned blake, for their friend at that moment came back from a stroll along the forward deck. but if joe was really suspicious of the young spaniard nothing that occurred in the next few days served to develop that suspicion. no reference was made to the odd alarm clock, which was not heard to tick again, nor was it in evidence either in mr. alcando's bed, or elsewhere. "what were you going to say it was that time when i stopped you?" asked blake of his chum one day. "i was going to say i thought it might be some sort of an improvement on a moving picture camera," joe answered. "this may be only a bluff of his--wanting to learn how to take moving pictures. he may know how all along, and only be working on a certain improvement that he can't perfect until he gets just the right conditions. that's what i think." "well, you think wrong," declared blake. "as for him knowing something about the pictures now, why he doesn't even know how to thread the film into the camera." "oh, well, maybe i'm wrong," admitted joe. day succeeded day, until, in due time, after their stop at san juan, where the boys went ashore for a brief visit, the steamer dropped anchor in the excellent harbor of colon, at the atlantic end of the great panama canal. a storm was impending as the ship made her way up the harbor, but as the boys and the other passengers looked at the great break-water, constructed to be one of the protections to the canal, they realized what a stupendous undertaking the work was, and they knew that no storm could affect them, now they were within the colon harbor. "well, we're here at last!" exclaimed joe, as he looked over the side and noticed many vessels lying about, most of them connected in some manner with the canal construction. "yes, and now for some moving pictures--at least within a day or so," went on blake. "i'm tired of doing nothing. at last we are at panama!" "and i shall soon be with you, taking pictures!" cried the spaniard. "how long do you think it will be before i can take some views myself?" he asked eagerly. "oh, within a week or so we'll trust you with a camera," said blake. "that is, if you can spare time from your alarm clock invention," added joe, with a curious glance at his chum. but if mr. alcando felt any suspicions at the words he did not betray himself. he smiled genially, made some of his rapid latin gestures and exclaimed: "oh, the clock. he is safe asleep, and will be while i am here. i work only on moving pictures now!" in due season blake, joe and mr. alcando found themselves quartered in the pleasant washington hotel, built by the panama railroad for the government, where they found, transported to a southern clime, most of the luxuries demanded by people of the north. "well, this is something like living!" exclaimed blake as their baggage and moving picture cameras and accessories having been put away, they sat on the veranda and watched breaker after breaker sweep in from the caribbean sea. "the only trouble is we won't be here long enough," complained joe, as he sipped a cooling lime drink, for the weather was quite warm. "we'll have to leave it and take to the canal or the jungle, to say nothing of standing up to our knees in dirt taking slides." "do you--er--really have to get very close to get pictures of the big slides?" asked mr. alcando, rather nervously, blake thought. "the nearer the better," joe replied. "remember that time, blake, when we were filming the volcano, and the ground opened right at your feet?" "i should say i did remember it," said blake. "some picture that!" "where was this?" asked the spaniard. "in earthquake land. there were _some_ times there!" "ha! do not think to scare me!" cried their pupil with a frank laugh. "i said i was going to learn moving pictures and i am--slides or no slides." "oh, we're not trying to 'josh' you," declared blake. "we'll all have to run some chances. but it's all in the day's work, and, after all, it's no more risky than going to war." "no, i suppose not," laughed their pupil. "well, when do we start?" "as soon as we can arrange for the government tug to take us along the canal," answered blake. "we'll have to go in one of the united states vessels, as the canal isn't officially opened yet. we'll have to make some inquiries, and present our letters of introduction. if we get started with the films inside of a week we'll be doing well." the week they had to wait until their plans were completed was a pleasant one. they lived well at the hotel, and mr. alcando met some spaniards and other persons whom he knew, and to whom he introduced the boys. finally the use of the tug was secured, cameras were loaded with the reels of sensitive film, other reels in their light-tight metal boxes were packed for transportation, and shipping cases, so that the exposed reels could be sent to the film company in new york for developing and printing, were taken along. not only were blake and joe without facilities for developing the films they took, but it is very hard to make negatives in hot countries. if you have ever tried to develop pictures on a hot day, without an ice water bath, you can understand this. and there was just then little ice to be had for such work as photography though some might have been obtained for an emergency. blake and joe were only to make the exposures; the developing and printing could better be done in new york. "well, we'll start up the canal to-morrow," said blake to joe on the evening of their last day in colon. "yes, and i'll be glad of it," remarked joe. "it's nice enough here at this hotel, but i want to get busy." "so do i," confessed his chum. they were to make the entire trip through the canal as guests of uncle sam, the government having acceded to mr. hadley's request, as the completed films were to form part of the official exhibit at the exposition in california later on. "whew, but it _is_ hot!" exclaimed joe, after he and blake had looked over their possessions, to make sure they were forgetting nothing for their trip next day. "yes," agreed blake. "let's go out on the balcony for a breath of air." their room opened on a small balcony which faced the beach. mr. alcando had a room two or three apartments farther along the corridor, and his, too, had a small balcony attached. as blake and joe went out on theirs they saw, in the faint light of a crescent and much-clouded moon, two figures on the balcony opening from the spaniard's room. "he has company," said joe, in a low voice. "yes," agreed blake. "i wonder who it is? he said all of his friends had left the hotel. he must have met some new ones." it was very still that night, the only sounds being the low boom and hiss of the surf as it rushed up the beach. and gradually, to joe and blake, came the murmur of voices from the spaniard's balcony. at first they were low, and it seemed to the boys, though neither expressed the thought, that the conference was a secret one. then, clearly across the intervening space, came the words: "are you sure the machine works right?" "perfectly," was the answer, in mr. alcando's tones. "i have given it every test." then the voices again sunk to a low murmur. chapter xi along the canal "blake, did you hear that?" asked joe, after a pause, during which he and his chum could hear the low buzz of conversation from the other balcony. "yes, i heard it. what of it?" "well, nothing that i know of, and yet--" "yet you're more suspicious than i was," broke in blake. "i don't see why." "i hardly know myself," admitted joe. "yet, somehow, that ticking box, and what you saw in that letter--" "oh, nonsense!" interrupted blake. "don't imagine too much. you think that curious box is some attachment for a moving picture camera; do you?" "well, it might be, and--" "and you're afraid he will get ahead of you in your invention of a focus tube; aren't you?" continued blake, not giving his companion a chance to finish what he started to say. for joe had recently happened to hit on a new idea of a focusing tube for a moving picture camera, and had applied for a patent on it. but there was some complication and his papers had not yet been granted. he was in fear lest someone would be granted a similar patent before he received his. "oh, i don't know as i'm afraid of that," joe answered slowly. "well, it must be that--or something," insisted blake. "you hear alcando and someone else talking about a machine, and you at once jump to the conclusion that it's a camera." "no, i don't!" exclaimed joe. he did not continue the conversation along that line, but he was doing some hard thinking. later that evening, when mr. alcando called at the room of the two chums to bid them goodnight, he made no mention of his visitor on the balcony. nor did blake or joe question him. "and we start up the canal in the morning?" asked the spaniard. "yes, and we'll make the first pictures going through the gatun locks," decided blake. "good! i am anxious to try my hand!" said their "pupil." with their baggage, valises, trunks, cameras, boxes of undeveloped film, other boxes to hold the exposed reels of sensitive celluloid, and many other things, the moving picture boys and mr. alcando went aboard the government tug _nama_ the next morning. with the exception of some army engineers making a trip of inspection, they were the only passengers. "well, are you all ready, boys?" asked the captain, for he had been instructed by his superiors to show every courtesy and attention to our heroes. in a sense they were working for uncle sam. "all ready," answered blake. "then we'll start," was the reply. "i guess--" "oh, one moment, i beg of you!" cried mr. alcando. "i see a friend coming with a message to me," and he pointed along the pier, where the tug was tied. coming on the run was a man who bore every appearance of being a spaniard. "you are late," complained mr. alcando, as the runner handed him a letter. "you almost delayed my good friend, the captain of this tug." "i could not help it," was the answer. "i did not receive it myself until a few minutes ago. it came by cable. so you are off?" "we are off!" answered mr. alcando. then the other spoke in spanish, and later on blake, who undertook the study of that language so as to make himself understood in a few simple phrases knew what it was that the two men said. for the runner asked: "you will not fail us?" "i will not fail--if i have to sacrifice myself," was the answer of mr. alcando, and then with a wave of his hand the other went back up the pier. "all right?" again asked captain watson. "all right, my dear sir, i am sorry to have delayed you," answered mr. alcando with more than his usual politeness. "a little delay doesn't matter. i am at your service," the commander said. "well, now we'll start." if either blake or joe felt any surprise over the hurried visit, at the last minute, of mr. alcando's friend, they said nothing to each other about it. besides, they had other matters to think of just then, since now their real moving picture work was about to begin. in a short time they were moving away from the pier, up the harbor and toward the wonderful locks and dam that form the amazing features (aside from the culebra cut) of the great canal. "better get our cameras ready; hadn't we, blake?" suggested joe. "i think so," agreed his chum. "now, mr. alcando, if you want to pick up any points, you can watch us. a little later we'll let you grind the crank yourself." i might explain, briefly, that moving pictures are taken not by pressing a switch, or a rubber bulb, such as that which works a camera shutter, but by the continuous action of a crank, or handle, attached to the camera. pressing a bulb does well enough for taking a single picture, but when a series, on a long celluloid strip, are needed, as in the case for the "movies," an entirely different arrangement becomes absolutely necessary. the sensitive celluloid film must move continuously, in a somewhat jerky fashion, inside the dark light-tight camera, and behind the lens. as each picture, showing some particular motion, is taken, the film halts for the briefest space of time, and then goes on, to be wound up in the box, and a new portion brought before the lens for exposure. all this the crank does automatically, opening and closing the shutter, moving the film and all that is necessary. i wish i had space, not only to tell you more of how moving pictures are made, but much about the panama canal. as to the former--the pictures--in other books of this series i have done my best to give you a brief account of that wonderful industry. now as to the canal--it is such a vast undertaking and subject that only in a great volume could i hope to do it justice. and in a story (such as this is intended to be), i am afraid you would think i was trying to give you pretty dry reading if i gave you too many facts and figures. of course many of you have read of the canal in the newspapers--the controversy over the choice of the route, the discussion as to whether a sea level or a lock canal was best, and many other points, especially whether the gatun dam would be able to hold back the waters of the chagres river. with all that i have nothing to do in this book, but i hope you will pardon just a little reference to the canal, especially the lock features, since joe and blake had a part in at least filming those wonderful structures. you know there are two kinds of canals, those on the level, which are merely big over-grown ditches, and those which have to go over hills and through low valleys. there are two ways of getting a canal over a hill. one is to build it and let the water in to the foot of the hill, and then to raise vessels over, the crest of the hill, and down the other side to where the canal again starts, by means of inclined planes, or marine railways. the other method is by "locks," as they are called. that is, there are built a series of basins with powerful, water-tight gates dividing them. boys who live along canals well know how locks work. a boat comes along until it reaches the place where the lock is. it is floated into a basin, or section, of the waterway, and a gate is closed behind it. then, from that part of the canal which is higher than that part where the boat then is, water is admitted into the basin, until the boat rises to the level of the higher part of the canal. then the higher gate is opened, and the vessel floats out on the higher level. it goes "up hill," so to speak. by reversing the process it can also go "down hill." of course there must be heavy gates to prevent the higher level waters from rushing into those of the lower level. some parts of the panama canal are eighty-five feet higher than other parts. in other words, a vessel entering the canal at colon, on the atlantic side of the isthmus, must rise eighty-five feet to get to the level of gatun lake, which forms a large part of the canal. then, when the pacific end is approached, the vessel must go down eighty-five feet again, first in one step of thirty and a third feet, and then in two steps, or locks, aggregating fifty-four and two-thirds feet. so you see the series of locks at either end of the great canal exactly balance one another, the distance at each end being eighty-five feet. it is just like going up stairs at one end of a long board walk and down again at the other end, only the steps are of water, and not wood. the tug bearing blake, joe and mr. alcando was now steaming over toward toro point break-water, which i have before alluded to. this was built to make a good harbor at colon, where violent storms often occur. "i want to get some pictures of the breakwater," blake had said, since he and his chum were to present, in reels, a story of a complete trip through the canal, and the breakwater was really the starting point. it extends out into the caribbean sea eleven thousand feet. "and you are taking pictures now?" asked mr. alcando, as blake and joe set up a camera in the bow of the boat. "that's what we're doing. come here and we'll give you lesson number one," invited blake, clicking away at the handle. "i will gladly come!" exclaimed the spaniard, and soon he was deep in the mysteries of the business. there was not much delay at the breakwater, as the boys were anxious to get to the canal proper, and into the big locks. a little later their tug was steaming along the great ditch, five hundred feet wide, and over forty feet deep, which leads directly to the locks. this ditch, or start of the canal proper, is about seven miles long, and at various points of interest along the way a series of moving pictures was taken. "and so at last we are really on the panama canal!" cried joe as he helped blake put in a fresh reel of unexposed film, mr. alcando looking on and learning "points." "that's what you are," the captain informed them, "and, just ahead of you are the locks. now you'll see something worth 'filming,' as you call it." chapter xii almost an accident "what's that big, long affair, jutting out so far from the locks?" asked blake, when the tug had approached nearer. "that's the central pier," the captain informed him. "it's a sort of guide wall, to protect the locks. you know there are three locks at this end; or, rather, six, two series of three each. and each lock has several gates. one great danger will be that powerful vessels may ram these gates and damage them, and, to prevent this, very elaborate precautions are observed. you'll soon see. we'll have to tie up to this wall, or we'll run into the first protection, which is a big steel chain. you can see it just ahead there." joe and blake, who had gotten all the pictures they wanted of the approach to the lock, stopped grinding away at the handle of the camera long enough to look at the chain. these chains, for there are several of them, each designed to protect some lock gate, consist of links made of steel three inches thick. they stretch across the locks, and any vessel that does not stop at the moment it should, before reaching this chain, will ram its prow into it. "but i'm not taking any such chances," captain watson informed the boys. "i don't want to be censured, which might happen, and i don't want to injure my boat." "what would happen if you did hit the chain?" asked blake. they had started off again, after the necessary permission to enter the locks had been signaled to them. once more blake and joe were taking pictures, showing the chain in position. "well, if i happened to be in command of a big vessel, say the size of the _olympic_, and i hit the chain at a speed of a mile and a half an hour, and i had a full load on, the chain would stop me within about seventy feet and prevent me from ramming the lock gate." "but how does it do it?" asked joe. "by means of machinery," the captain informed him. "each end of the chain fender goes about a drum, which winds and unwinds by hydraulic power. once a ship hits the chain its speed will gradually slacken, but it takes a pressure of one hundred tons to make the chain begin to yield. then it will stand a pressure up to over two hundred and fifty tons before it will break. but before that happens the vessel will have stopped." "but we are not going to strike the chain, i take it," put in mr. alcando. "indeed we are not," the captain assured him. "there, it is being lowered now." as he spoke the boys saw the immense steel-linked fender sink down below the surface of the water. "where does it go?" asked blake. "it sinks down in a groove in the bottom of the lock," the captain explained. "it takes about one minute to lower the chain, and as long to raise it." "well, i've got that!" blake exclaimed as the handle of his camera ceased clicking. he had sufficient views of the giant fender. as the tug went on captain watson explained to the boys that even though a vessel should manage to break the chain, which was almost beyond the bounds of possibility, there was the first, or safety gate of the lock. and though a vessel might crash through the chain, and also the first gate, owing to failure to stop in the lock, there would be a second gate, which would almost certainly bring the craft to a stop. but even the most remote possibility has been thought of by the makers of the great canal, and, should all the lock-gates be torn away, and the impounded waters of gatun lake start to rush out, there are emergency dams that can be put into place to stop the flood. these emergency dams can be swung into place in two minutes by means of electrical machinery, but should that fail, they can be put into place by hand in about thirty minutes. "so you see the canal is pretty well protected," remarked captain watson, as he prepared to send his tug across the place where the chain had been, and so into the first of the three lock basins. "say! this is great!" cried blake, as he looked at the concrete walls, towering above him. they were moist, for a vessel had recently come through. now the tug no longer moved under her own steam, nor had it been since coming alongside the wall of the central pier. for all vessels must be towed through the lock basins, and towed not by other craft, but by electric locomotives that run alongside, on the top of the concrete walls. two of these locomotives were attached to the bow of the tug, and two to the stern. but those at the stern were not for pulling, as joe at first supposed, for he said: "why, those locomotives in back are making fast to us with wire hawsers. i don't see how they can push with those." "they're not going to," explained captain watson. "those in the stern are for holding back, to provide for an emergency in case those in front pull us too fast." "those who built the canal seem to have thought of everything," spoke blake with much enthusiasm. "you'll think so, after you've seen some more of the wonders," the tug captain went on with a smile. "better get your cameras ready," he advised, "they'll be opening and closing the gates for us now, and that ought to make good pictures, especially when we are closed in the lock, and water begins to enter." "how does it come in?" asked joe. "over the top?" "no, indeed. they don't use the waterfall effect," answered blake, who had been reading a book about the canal. "it comes in from the bottom; doesn't it, captain watson?" "yes, through valves that are opened and closed by electricity. in fact everything about the lock is done by electricity, though in case of emergency hand power can be used. the water fills the lock through openings in the floor, and the water itself comes from gatun lake. there, the gate is opening!" the boys saw what seemed to be two solid walls of steel slowly separated, by an unseen power, as the leaves of a book might open. in fact the gates of the locks are called "leaves." slowly they swung back out of the way, into depressions in the side walls of the locks, made to receive them. "here we go!" cried the captain, the tug began to move slowly under the pull of the electric locomotives on the concrete wall above them. "start your cameras, boys!" blake and joe needed no urging. already the handles were clicking, and thousands of pictures, showing a boat actually going through the locks of the panama canal, were being taken on the long strip of sensitive film. "oh, it is wonderful!" exclaimed mr. alcando. "do you think--i mean, would it be possible for me to--" "to take some pictures? of course!" exclaimed blake, generously. "here, grind this crank a while, i'm tired." the spaniard had been given some practice in using a moving picture camera, and he knew about at what speed to turn the handle. for the moving pictures must be taken at just a certain speed, and reproduced on the screen at the same rate, or the vision produced is grotesque. persons and animals seem to run instead of walk. but the new pupil, with a little coaching from blake, did very well. "now the gates will be closed," said the tug captain, "and the water will come in to raise us to the level of the next higher lock. we have to go through this process three times at this end of the canal, and three times at the other. watch them let in the water." the big gates were not yet fully closed when something happened that nearly put an end to the trip of the moving picture boys to panama. for suddenly their tug, instead of moving forward toward the front end of the lock, began going backward, toward the slowly-closing lock gates. "what's up?" cried blake. "we're going backward!" shouted joe. "yes, the stern locomotives are pulling us back, and the front ones seem to have let go!" captain watson said. "we'll be between the lock gates in another minute. hello, up there!" he yelled, looking toward the top of the lock wall. "what's the matter?" slowly the tug approached the closing lock gates. if she once got between them, moving as they were, she would be crushed like an eggshell. and it seemed that no power on earth could stop the movement of those great, steel leaves. "this is terrible!" cried mr. alcando. "i did not count on this in learning to make moving pictures." "you'll be in tighter places than this," said blake, as he thought in a flash of the dangers he and joe had run. "what'll we do?" asked joe, with a glance at his chum. "looks as though we'd have to swim for it if the boat is smashed," said blake, who remained calm. "it won't be hard to do that. this is like a big swimming tank, anyhow, but if they let the other water in--" he did not finish, but they knew what he meant. slowly and irresistibly the great lock gates were closing and now the tug had almost been pulled back between them. she seemed likely to be crushed to splinters. chapter xiii in the jungle "what will we do with the cameras, blake? the films, too, they will all be spoiled--we haven't enough waterproof cases!" cried joe to his chum, as the boat, through some accident or failure, backed nearer and nearer to the closing steel gates. "will we really have to jump overboard?" asked the spaniard. "i am not a very excellent swimmer." but blake, at whom these questions seemed directed, did not have to answer them. for, after a series of confused shouts on the top of the concrete wall above them the movement of the boat, as well as the slow motion of the lock gates, ceased. it was just in time, for the rudder of the tug was not more than a few feet away from the jaws of steel. "you're all right now," a man called down to those on the tug, from the wall over their heads. "something went wrong with the towing locomotives. there's no more danger." "well, i'm glad to know that," answered captain watson gruffly. "you might just as well kill a man as scare him to death. what was the matter, anyhow?" "well, all of our machinery isn't working as smoothly as we'll have it later," the canal engineer explained. "some of our signals went wrong as you were being towed through, and you went backward instead of forward. then it took a minute or so to stop the lock gates. but you're all right now, and you'll go on through." blake and joe looked at each other and smiled in relief, and mr. alcando appeared to breathe easier. a little later the tug was again urged forward toward the front lock gates. then the closing of those at her stern went on, until the vessel was in a square steel and concrete basin--or, rather, a rectangular one, for it was longer than it was wide, to lend itself to the shape of the vessels. as blake had said, it was like a big swimming tank. "now we'll go up," captain watson said. "you can't get any pictures in here, i suppose?" he added. "we can show the water bubbling up as it fills the lock," said blake. "water always makes a pretty scene in moving pictures, as it seems to move at just the right rate of speed. we'll take a short strip of film, joe, i guess." the tug did not occupy a whole section of the lock, for they are built to accommodate vessels a thousand feet long. to economize time in filling up such a great tank as that would be the locks are subdivided by gates into small tanks for small vessels. "it takes just forty-six gates for all the locks," explained captain watson, while blake and joe were getting their camera in position, and the men at the locks were closing certain water valves and opening others. "each lock has two leaves, or gates, and their weight runs anywhere from three hundred to six hundred tons, according to its position. some of the gates are forty-seven feet high, and others nearly twice that, and each leaf is sixty-five feet wide, and seven feet thick." "think of being crushed between two steel gates, of six hundred tons each, eighty feet high, sixty-five feet wide and seven feet thick," observed joe. "i don't want to think of it!" laughed blake. "we are well out of that," and he glanced back toward the closed and water-tight lock gates which had so nearly nipped the tug. "here comes the water!" cried the captain. there was a hissing and gurgling sound, and millions of bubbles began to show on the surface of the limpid fluid in which floated the _nama_. the water came in from below, through the seventy openings in the floor of each lock, being admitted by means of pipes and culverts from the upper level. as the water hissed, boiled and bubbled while it flowed in blake took moving pictures of it. slowly the _nama_ rose. higher and higher she went until finally she was raised as high as that section of the lock would lift her. she went up at the rate of two feet a minute, though captain watson explained that when there was need of hurry the rate could be three feet a minute. "and we have two more locks to go through?" asked joe. "yes, two more here at gatun, and three at miraflores; or, rather, there is one lock at pedro miguel, where we go down thirty and a third feet, and then we go a mile to reach the locks at miraflores. "there we shall have to go through two locks, with a total drop of fifty-four and two-thirds feet," captain watson explained. "the system is the same at each place." the tug was now resting easily in the basin, but some feet above the sea level. blake and joe had taken enough moving pictures of this phase of the canal, since the next scenes would be but a repetition of the process in the following two locks that would lift the _nama_ to the level of gatun lake. "but i tell you what we could do," blake said to his chum. "what's that--swim the rest of the way," asked joe, "and have mr. alcando make pictures of us?" "no, we've had enough of water lately. but we could get out on top of the lock walls, and take pictures of the tug going through the lock. that would be different." "so it would!" cried joe. "we'll do it!" they easily obtained permission to do this, and soon, with their cameras, and accompanied by mr. alcando, they were on the concrete wall. from that vantage point they watched the opening of the lock gates, which admitted the _nama_ into the next basin. there she was shut up, by the closing of the gates behind her, and raised to the second level. the boys succeeded in getting some good pictures at this point and others, also, when the tug was released from the third or final lock, and steamed out into gatun lake. there was now before her thirty-two miles of clear water before reaching miraflores. "better come aboard, boys," advised captain watson, "and i'll take you around to gatun dam. you'll want views of that." "we sure will!" cried blake. "isn't it all wonderful!" exclaimed joe, who was deeply impressed by all he saw. "it is, indeed!" agreed the spaniard. "your nation is a powerful and great one. it is a tremendous achievement." aboard the tug they went around toward the great dam that is really the key to the panama canal. for without this dam there would be no gatun lake, which holds back the waters of the chagres river, making a big lake eighty-five feet above the level of the ocean. it is this lake that makes possible the operation of a lock canal. otherwise there would have to be a sea-level one, and probably you boys remember what a discussion there was, in congress and elsewhere, about the advantages and disadvantages of a sea-level route across the isthmus. but the lock canal was decided on, and, had it not been, it is probable that the canal would be in process of making for many years yet to come, instead of being finished now. "whew!" whistled joe, as they came in sight of the dam. "that sure is going some!" "that's what it is!" cried captain watson, proudly, for he had had a small part in the work. "it's a mile and a half long, half a mile thick at the base, three hundred feet through at the waterline, and on top a third of that." "how high is it?" asked joe, who always liked to know just how big or how little an object was. he had a great head for figures. "it's one hundred and five feet high," the captain informed him, "and it contains enough concrete so that if it were loaded into two-horse wagons it would make a procession over three times around the earth." "catch me! i'm going to faint!" cried blake, staggered at the immensity of the figure. "that dam is indeed the key to the whole lock," murmured mr. alcando, as he looked at the wonderful piece of engineering. "if it were to break--the canal would be ruined." "yes, ruined, or at least destroyed for many years," said captain watson solemnly. "but it is impossible for the dam to break of itself. no waters that could come into the lake could tear it away, for every provision has been made for floods. they would be harmless." "what about an earthquake?" asked joe. "i've read that the engineers feared them." "they don't now," said the captain. "there was some talk, at first, of an earthquake, or a volcanic eruption, destroying the dam, but panama has not been visited by a destructive earthquake in so long that the danger need not be considered. and there are no volcanoes near enough to do any harm. it is true, there might be a slight earthquake shock, but the dam would stand that. the only thing that might endanger it would be a blast of dynamite." "dynamite!" quickly exclaimed mr. alcando. "and who would dare to explode dynamite at the dam?" "i don't know who would do it, but some of the enemies of the united states might. or someone who fancied the canal had damaged him," the captain went on. "and who would that be?" asked blake in a low tone. "oh, someone, or some firm, who might fancy that the canal took business away from them. it will greatly shorten certain traffic and trade routes, you know." "hardly enough to cause anyone to commit such a crime as that, do you think?" asked the spaniard. "that is hard to answer," went on the tug commander. "i know that we are taking great precautions, though, to prevent the dam, or the locks, from being damaged. uncle sam is taking no chances. well, have you pictures enough?" "i think so," answered blake. "when we come back we'll stop off here and get some views from below the dam, showing the spillway." "yes, that ought to be interesting," the captain agreed. the tug now steamed on her way out into gatun lake, and there a series of excellent views were obtained for the moving picture cameras. mr. alcando was allowed to do his part. he was rapidly learning what the boys could teach him. "of course it could never happen," the spaniard said, when the cameras had been put away, for the views to be obtained then were of too much sameness to attract joe or blake, "it would never happen, and i hope it never does; but if it did it would make a wonderful picture; would it not?" he asked. "what are you talking about?" asked blake. "the gatun dam," was the answer. "if ever it was blown up by dynamite it would make a wonderful scene." "too wonderful," said joe grimly. "it would be a terrible crime against civilization to destroy this great canal." "yes, it would be a great crime," agreed the spaniard in a low voice. a little later he went to his stateroom on the tug, and blake and joe remained on deck. "queer sort of a chap; isn't he?" said joe. "he sure is--rather deep," agreed his chum. "are you boys going into the jungle?" asked the tug captain that afternoon. "yes, we want to get a few views showing life in the woods," answered blake. "why?" "well, the reason i asked is that i can take you to the mouth of the chagres river and from there you won't have so much trouble penetrating into the interior. so if you're going--" "i think we had better go; don't you?" asked blake of his chum. "surely, yes. we might get some fine pictures. they'll go well with the canal, anyhow; really a sort of part of the series we're taking." "all right, then, i'll leave you in the jungle," the captain said. a day or so later, stops having been made to permit the boys to film certain scenes they wanted, the tug reached gamboa, where they stopped, to plan a trip into the interior. then, one morning, with their cameras loaded with film, they started off for a brief trip into the jungle. chapter xiv in dire peril a small launch had been provided for the use of blake and joe in going into the jungle, the first part of their trip being along the chagres river. the tug on which they had come thus far was not suitable. accordingly they had transferred what baggage they needed to the launch, and with their moving picture cameras, with shelter tents, food, supplies and some west indian negroes as helpers, they were prepared to enjoy life as much as possible in the jungle of the isthmus. "you boys don't seem to mind what you do to get pictures," commented mr. alcando, as they sat in the launch, going up the stream, the existence of which made possible gatun lake. "no, you get so you'll do almost anything to get a good film," agreed blake. "this is easy compared to some of the things we've done," joe remarked. "you'll become just as fascinated with it as we are, mr. alcando." "i hope so," he admitted, "for i will have to penetrate into a much wilder jungle than this if i take the views our company wants. perhaps i can induce you to come to south america and make films for us in case i can't do it," he concluded. "well, we're in the business," remarked blake with a smile. "but you'll get so you can take for yourself just as good pictures as we can." "do you really think so?" asked the spaniard, eagerly. "i'm sure of it," blake said. the little suspicions both he and joe had entertained of their companion seemed to have vanished. certainly he neither did nor said anything that could be construed as dangerous. he was a polished gentleman, and seemed to regard the boys as his great friends. he often referred to the runaway accident. as for the odd, ticking box, it seemed to have been put carefully away, for neither blake nor joe saw it, nor had they heard the click of it when they went near mr. alcando's possessions. the first night in the jungle was spent aboard the boat. it was pleasant enough, mosquito canopies keeping away the pests that are said to cause malaria and yellow fever, among other things. but, thanks to the activities of the american sanitary engineers the mosquitoes are greatly lessened in the canal zone. "and now for some real jungle life!" cried blake the next day, as the little party set off into the forest, a group of laborers with machetes going ahead to clear the way. for several miles nothing worth "filming" was seen, and blake and joe were beginning to feel that perhaps they had had their trouble for nothing. now and then they came to little clearings in the thick jungle, where a native had chopped down the brush and trees to make a place for his palm-thatched and mud-floored hut. a few of them clustered about formed a village. life was very simple in the jungle of panama. "oh, blake, look!" suddenly cried joe, as they were walking along a native path. "what queer insects. they are like leaves." the boys and mr. alcando saw what seemed to be a procession of green leaves making its way through the jungle. "those are real leaves the ants carry," explained the guide, who spoke very good english. "they are called leaf-cutting ants, and each one of them is really carrying a leaf he has cut from some tree." on closer inspection the boys saw that this was so. each ant carried on its back a triangular leaf, and the odd part, or, rather, one of the odd features, was that the leaf was carried with the thin edge forward, so it would not blow in the wind. "what do they do with 'em?" asked joe. "eat 'em, or make houses of 'em?" "neither," replied the guide. "the ants put the leaves away until they are covered with a fungus growth. it is this fungus that the ants eat, and when it has all been taken from the leaves they are brought out of the ant homes, and a fresh lot of leaves are brought in. these ants are bringing in a fresh lot now, you see." "how odd!" exclaimed blake. "we must get a picture of this, joe." "we sure must!" agreed his chum. "but how can you take moving pictures of such small things as ants?" asked mr. alcando. "we'll put on an enlarging lens, and get the camera close to them," explained blake, who had had experience in taking several films of this sort for the use of schools and colleges. a halt was called while the camera was made ready, and then, as the ants went on in their queer procession, carrying the leaves which looked like green sails over their backs, the film clicked on in its indelible impression of them, for the delight of audiences who might see them on the screen, in moving picture theaters from maine to california. "well, that was worth getting," said blake, as they put away the camera, and went on again. "i wonder what we'll see next?" "have you any wild beasts in these jungles?" asked mr. alcando of the indian guide. "well, not many. we have some deer, though this is not the best time to see them. and once in a while you'll see a--" "what's that?" suddenly interrupted blake, pointing through the thick growth of trees. "i saw some animal moving then. maybe it was a deer. i'd like to get a picture of it." there was a movement in the underbrush, and a shouting among the native carriers. "come on!" cried joe, dashing ahead with a camera. "better wait," advised mr. alcando. "it might be something dangerous." "it's only some tapirs, i think," the guide said. "they are harmless." "then we'll film them," decided blake, though the mere fact of harm or danger being absent did not influence him. both he and joe had taken pictures of dangerous wild animals in africa, and had stood at the camera, calmly turning the handle, when it seemed as though death was on its way toward them in horrible form. had occasion demanded it now they would have gone on and obtained the pictures. but there could be no danger from the tapirs. the pictures obtained, however, were not very satisfactory. the light was poor, for the jungle was dense there, and the tapirs took fright almost at first, so the resultant film, as blake and joe learned later, when it was developed, was hardly worth the trouble they took. still, it showed one feature of the panama jungle. all about the boys was a wonderful and dense forest. there were many beautiful orchids to be seen, hanging from trees as though they really grew, as their name indicates, in the air. blake and joe took views of some of the most beautiful. there was one, known as the "holy ghost" which only blooms twice a year, and when the petals slowly open there is seen inside them something which resembles a dove. "let's get some pictures of the next native village we come to," suggested blake, as they went on after photographing the orchids and the tapirs. "all right, that ought to go good as showing a type of life here," joe agreed. and they made a stop in the next settlement, or "clearing," as it more properly should be called. at first the native indians were timid about posing for their pictures, but the guide of the boys' party explained, and soon they were as eager as children to be snapped and filmed. "this is the simple life, all right," remarked blake, as they looked at the collection of huts. "gourds and cocoanut shells for kitchen utensils." that was all, really, the black housekeeper had. but she did not seem to feel the need of more. the panama indians are very lazy. if one has sufficient land to raise a few beans, plantains and yams, and can catch a few fish, his wants are supplied. he burns some charcoal for fuel, and rests the remainder of the time. "that is, when he doesn't go out to get some fresh meat for the table," explained the guide. "meat? where can he get meat in the jungle, unless he spears a tapir?" asked blake. "there's the iguana," the guide said, with a laugh. "do they eat them?" cried joe, for several times in the trip through the jungles he had jumped aside at a sight of the big lizards, which are almost as large as cats. they are probably the ugliest creatures in existence, if we except the horned toad and the rhinoceros. "eat them! i should say they did!" cried the guide. "come over here." he led the way toward a hut and there the boys saw a most repulsive, and, to them, cruel sight. there were several of the big iguanas, or lizards, with their short legs twisted and crossed over their backs. and, to keep the legs in this position the sharp claw of one foot was thrust through the fleshy part of another foot. the tail of each iguana had been cut off. "what in the world do they do that for?" asked blake. "that's how they fatten the iguanas," the guide said. "the natives catch them alive, and to keep them from crawling off they fasten their legs in that manner. and, as the tail isn't good to eat, they chop that off." "it's cruel!" cried joe. "yes, but the indians don't mean it so," the guide went on. "they are really too lazy to do anything else. if some one told them it was work to keep the lizards as they do, instead of just shutting them up in a box to stay until they were needed to be killed for food, they'd stop this practice. they'd do anything to get out of work; but this plan seems to them to be the easiest, so they keep it up." "is iguana really good eating?" asked joe. "yes, it tastes like chicken," the guide informed them. "but few white persons can bring themselves to eat it." "i'd rather have the fruits," said mr. alcando. the boys had eaten two of the jungle variety. one was the _mamaei_, which was about as large as a peach, and the other the _sapodilla_, fruit of the color of a plum. the seeds are in a jelly-like mass. "you eat them and don't have to be afraid of appendicitis," said the spaniard with a laugh. several views were taken in the jungle "village," as joe called it, and then they went farther on into the deep woods. "whew! it's hot!" exclaimed joe, as they stopped to pitch a camp for dinner. "i'm going to have a swim." they were near a good-sized stream. "i'm with you," said blake, and the boys were soon splashing away in the water, which was cool and pleasant. "aren't you coming in?" called blake to mr. alcando, who was on shore. "yes, i think i will join you," he replied. he had begun to undress, when blake, who had swum half-way across the stream, gave a sudden cry. "joe! joe!" he shouted. "i'm taken with a cramp, and there is an alligator after me. help!" chapter xv in culebra cut joe sprang to his feet at the sound of his chum's voice. he had come ashore, after splashing around in the water, and, for the moment, blake was alone in the river. as joe looked he saw a black, ugly snout, and back of it a glistening, black and knobby body, moving along after blake, who was making frantic efforts to get out of the way. "i'm coming, blake! i'm coming!" cried joe, as he ran to the edge of the stream, with the intention of plunging in. "you will be too late," declared mr. alcando. "the alligator will have him before you reach him. oh, that i was a good swimmer, or that i had a weapon." but joe did not stay to hear what he said. but one idea was in his mind, that of rescuing his chum from peril. that he might not be in time never occurred to him. blake gave a gurgling cry, threw up his hands, and disappeared from sight as joe plunged in to go to his rescue. "it's got him--the beast has him!" cried the spaniard, excitedly. "no, not yet. i guess maybe he sank: to fool the alligator," said the guide, an educated indian named ramo. "i wonder if i can stop him with one shot?" he went on, taking up a powerful rifle that had been brought with the camp equipment. joe was swimming out with all his power, blake was nowhere to be seen, and the alligator was in plain sight, heading for the spot where blake had last been observed. "it's my only chance!" muttered ramo. "i hope the boy stays under water." as he spoke the guide raised the rifle, took quick but careful aim, and fired. there was no puff of smoke, for the new high-powered, smokeless powder was used. following the shot, there was a commotion in the water. amid a smother of foam, bright red showed. "you hit him, ramo!" cried the spaniard. "you hit him!" "i guess i did," the indian answered. "but where is blake?" that was what joe was asking himself as he plunged on through the stream, using the australian crawl stroke, which takes one through the water at such speed. just what joe could do when he reached his chum he did not stop to think. certainly the two would have been no match for the big alligator. but the monster had met his match in the steel-jacketed mushrooming bullet. it had struck true and after a death struggle the horrid creature sank beneath the surface just as blake shot up, having stayed under as long as he could. "all right, blake! here you are! i'm with you!" cried joe, changing his course to bring himself to his chum. "are you all right?" "yes, except for this cramp. the alligator didn't get near enough to do any damage. but where is he?" "ramo shot him," answered joe, for he had seen the creature sink to its death. "you're all right now. put your hand on my shoulder, and i'll tow you in." "guess you'll have to. i can't seem to swim. i dived down when i saw how near the beast was getting, thinking i might fool him. i hated to come up, but i had to," blake panted. "well, you're all right now," joe assured him, "but it was a close call. how did it happen?" "i'm sure i don't know," said blake, still out of breath from trying to swim under water. "if i'd known there were alligators in this river i'd never have gone so far from shore." "that's right," agreed joe, looking around as though to make sure no more of the creatures were in sight. he saw none. on the shore stood ramo, the guide, with ready rifle. "feel better now?" asked joe. "yes, the cramp seems to be leaving me. i think i went in swimming too soon after eating those plantains," for they had been given some of the yellow bananas by a native when they stopped at his hut for some water. "they upset me," blake explained. "i was swimming about, waiting for you to come back and join me, when i saw what i thought was a log in the water. when it headed for me i thought it was funny, and then, when i saw what it was, i realized i'd better be getting back to shore. i tried, but was taken with a fierce cramp. you heard me just in time." "yes," responded joe, as he and blake reached water shallow enough to wade in, "but if it hadn't been for ramo's gun--well, there might be a different story to tell." "and one that wouldn't look nice in moving pictures," blake went on with a laugh. "you did me a good turn," he said to ramo a little later, as he shook hands with the dusky guide. "i shan't forget it." "oh, it wasn't anything to pop over an alligator that way," ramo returned. "i've often done it for sport. though i will admit i was a bit nervous this time, for fear of hitting you." "i wish i had been the one to shoot it," said the spaniard. "why?" asked joe, as he sat down on the warm sandy bank of the stream to rest. "why, then i should have repaid, in a small measure, the debt i am under to you boys for saving my life. i shall never forget that." "it wasn't anything," declared blake quickly. "i mean, what we did for you." "it meant a great deal--to me," returned the spaniard quietly, but with considerable meaning in his tone. "perhaps i shall soon be able to--but no matter. are there many alligators in this stream?" he asked of ramo. "oh, yes, more or less, just as there are in most of the panaman rivers. but i never knew one to be so bold as to attack any one in daylight. mostly they take dogs, pigs, or something like that. this must have been a big, hungry one." "you'd have thought so if you were as close to him as i was," spoke blake with a little shudder. no one else felt like going in swimming just then, and the two boys dressed. blake had fully recovered from the cramp that had so nearly been his undoing. for a week longer they lived in the jungle, moving from place to place, camping in different locations and enjoying as much as they could the life in the wild. blake and joe made some good moving picture films, mr. alcando helping them, for he was rapidly learning how to work the cameras. but the views, of course, were not as good as those the boys had obtained when in the african jungle. these of the panama wilds, however, were useful as showing the kind of country through which the canal ran, and, as such, they were of value in the series of films. "well, we'll soon be afloat again," remarked blake, one night, when they had started back for gamboa. "i've had about enough jungle." "and so have i," agreed joe, for the last two days it had rained, and they were wet and miserable. they could get no pictures. their tug was waiting for them as arranged and, once more on board, they resumed their trip through the canal. soon after leaving gamboa the vessel entered a part of the waterway, on either side of which towered a high hill through which had been dug a great gash. "culebra cut!" cried blake, as he saw, in the distance gold hill, the highest point. "we must get some pictures of this, joe." "that's right, so we must. whew! it is a big cut all right!" he went on. "no wonder they said it was harder work here than at the gatun dam. and it's here where those big slides have been?" "yes, and there may be again," said blake. "i hope not!" exclaimed captain watson. "they are not only dangerous, but they do terrible damage to the canal and the machinery. we want no more slides." "but some are predicted," blake remarked. "yes, i know they say they come every so often. but now it would take a pretty big one to do much damage. we have nearly tamed culebra." "if there came a big slide here it would block the canal," observed mr. alcando, speculatively. "yes, but what would cause a slide?" asked the captain. "dynamite could do it," was the low-voiced answer. "dynamite? yes, but that is guarded against," the commander said. "we are taking no chances. now, boys, you get a good view of culebra," and he pointed ahead. blake and joe were soon busy with their cameras, making different sets of views. "hand me that other roll of film; will you, please?" asked blake of the spaniard, who was helping them. "mine is used up." as mr. alcando passed over the box he muttered, though possibly he was unaware of it: "yes, dynamite here, or at the dam, would do the work." "what--what's that?" cried blake, in surprise. chapter xvi the collision judging by mr. alcando's manner no one would have thought he had said anything out of the ordinary. but both blake and joe had heard his low-voiced words, and both stared aghast at him. "what's that you said?" asked blake, wondering whether he had caught the words aright. "dynamite!" exclaimed joe, and then blake knew he had made no mistake. somewhat to the surprise of himself and his chum the spaniard smiled. "i was speaking in the abstract, of course," he said. "i have a habit of speaking aloud when i think. i merely remarked that a charge of dynamite, here in culebra cut, or at gatun dam, would so damage the canal that it might be out of business for years." "you don't mean to say that you know of any one who would do such a thing!" cried blake, holding the box of unexposed film that the spaniard had given him. "of course not, my dear fellow. i was speaking in the abstract, i tell you. it occurred to me how easy it would be for some enemy to so place a charge of explosive. i don't see why the canal is not better guarded. you americans are too trusting!" "what's that?" asked captain watson, coming up at this juncture. "i was merely speaking to the boys about how easy it would be to put a charge of dynamite here in the cut, or at the dam, and damage the canal," explained mr. alcando. "i believe they thought i meant to do it," he added with a laugh, as he glanced at the serious faces of the two moving picture boys. "well,--i--er,--i--," stammered blake. somewhat to his own surprise he did find himself harboring new suspicions against mr. alcando, but they had never before taken this form. as for joe, he blushed to recall that he had, in the past, also been somewhat suspicious of the spaniard. but now the man's frank manner of speaking had disarmed all that. "dynamite, eh!" exclaimed the captain. "i'd just like to see any one try it. this canal is better guarded than you think, my friend," and he looked meaningly at the other. "oh, i have no doubt that is so," was the quick response. "but it seems such a simple matter for one to do a great damage to it. possibly the indifference to guarding it is but seeming only." "that's what it is!" went on captain watson. "dynamite! huh! i'd like to see someone try it!" he meant, of course, that he would not like to see this done, but that was his sarcastic manner of speaking. "what do you think of him, anyhow?" asked joe of blake a little later when they were putting away their cameras, having taken all the views they wanted. "i don't know what to say, joe," was the slow answer. "i did think there was something queer about alcando, but i guess i was wrong. it gave me a shock, though, to hear him speak so about the canal." "the same here. but he's a nice chap just the same, and he certainly shows an interest in moving pictures." "that's right. we're getting some good ones, too." the work in culebra cut, though nearly finished, was still in such a state of progress that many interesting films could be made of it, and this the boys proposed to do, arranging to stay a week or more at the place which, more than any other, had made trouble for the canal builders. "well, it surely is a great piece of work!" exclaimed blake, as he and joe, with mr. alcando and captain watson, went to the top of gold hill one day. they were on the highest point of the small mountain through which the cut had to be dug. "it is a wonderful piece of work," the captain said, as blake and joe packed up the cameras they had been using. "think of it--a cut nine miles long, with an average depth of one hundred and twenty feet, and in some places the sides are five hundred feet above the bottom, which is, at no point, less than three hundred feet in width. a big pile of dirt had to be taken out of here, boys." "yes, and more dirt will have to be," said mr. alcando. "what do you mean?" asked the tug commander quickly, and rather sharply. "i mean that more slides are likely to occur; are they not?" "yes, worse luck!" growled the captain. "there have been two or three small ones in the past few weeks, and the worst of it is that they generally herald larger ones." "yes, that's what i meant," the spaniard went on. "and it's what we heard," spoke blake. "we expect to get some moving pictures of a big slide if one occurs." "not that we want it to," explained joe quickly. "i understand," the captain went on with a smile. "but if it _is_ going to happen you want to be here." "exactly," blake said. "we want to show the people what a slide in culebra looks like, and what it means, in hard work, to get rid of it." "well, it's hard work all right," the captain admitted, "though now that the water is in, and we can use scows and dredges, instead of railroad cars, we can get rid of the dirt easier. you boys should have been here when the cut was being dug, before the water was let in." "i wish we had been," blake said. "we could have gotten some dandy pictures." "that's what you could," went on the captain. "it was like looking at a lot of ants through a magnifying glass. big mouthfuls of dirt were being bitten out of the hill by steam shovels, loaded on to cars and the trains of cars were pulled twelve miles away to the dumping ground. there the earth was disposed of, and back came the trains for more. and with thousands of men working, blasts being sent off every minute or so, the puffing of engines, the tooting of whistles, the creaking of derricks and steam shovels--why it was something worth seeing!" "sorry we missed it," joe said. "but maybe we'll get some pictures just as good." "it won't be anything like that--not even if there's a big slide," the captain said, shaking his head doubtfully. though the canal was practically finished, and open to some vessels, there was much that yet remained to be done upon it, and this work blake and joe, with mr. alcando to help them at the cameras, filmed each day. reel after reel of the sensitive celluloid was exposed, packed in light-tight boxes and sent north for development and printing. at times when they remained in culebra cut, which they did for two weeks, instead of one, fresh unexposed films were received from new york, being brought along the canal by government boats, for, as i have explained, the boys were semi-official characters now. mr. alcando was rapidly becoming expert in handling a moving picture camera, and often he went out alone to film some simple scene. "i wonder how our films are coming out?" asked blake one day, after a fresh supply of reels had been received. "we haven't heard whether mr. hadley likes our work or not?" "hard to tell," joe responded. but they knew a few days later, for a letter came praising most highly the work of the boys and, incidentally, that of mr. alcando. "you are doing fine!" mr. hadley wrote. "keep it up. the pictures will make a sensation. don't forget to film the slide if one occurs." "of course we'll get that," joe said, as he looked up at the frowning sides of culebra cut. "only it doesn't seem as if one was going to happen while we're here." "i hope it never does," declared captain watson, solemnly. as the boys wanted to make pictures along the whole length of the canal, they decided to go on through the pedro miguel and miraflores locks, to the pacific ocean, thus making a complete trip and then come back to culebra. of course no one could tell when a slide would occur, and they had to take chances of filming it. their trip to pedro miguel was devoid of incident. at those locks, instead of "going up stairs" they went down, the level gradually falling so their boat came nearer to the surface of the pacific. a mile and a half farther on they would reach miraflores. the tug had approached the central pier, to which it was tied, awaiting the services of the electrical locomotives, when back of them came a steamer, one of the first foreign vessels to apply to make the trip through the isthmus. "that fellow is coming a little too close to me for comfort," captain watson observed as he watched the approaching vessel. blake and joe, who were standing near the commander at the pilot house, saw mr. alcando come up the companionway and stand on deck, staring at the big steamer. a little breeze, succeeding a dead calm, ruffled a flag at the stern of the steamer, and the boys saw the brazilian colors flutter in the wind. at the same moment mr. alcando waved his hand, seemingly to someone on the steamer's deck. "look out where you're going!" suddenly yelled captain watson. hardly had he shouted than the steamer veered quickly to one side, and then came a crash as the tug heeled over, grinding against the concrete side of the central pier. "we're being crushed!" yelled blake. chapter xvii the emergency dam the crashing and splintering of wood, the grinding of one vessel against the other at the concrete pier, the shrill tooting of the whistles, and the confused shouts of the respective captains of the craft made a din out of which it seemed order would never come. "if i could only get this on a film!" said joe to himself during a calm moment. but the cameras were below in the cabin, and the tug was now careened at such an angle that it was risky to cross the decks. besides joe must think of saving himself, for it looked as though the tug would be crushed and sunk. "pull us out of here!" yelled captain watson to the man on the lock wall in charge of the electrical towing locomotives. "pull us out!" that seemed one way out of the trouble, for the _nama_ was being crushed between the brazilian steamer and the wall. but the order had come too late, for now the tug was wedged in, and no power could move her without tearing her to pieces, until the pressure of the big steamer was removed. so, wisely, the men in charge of the towing machines did not follow captain watson's orders. "over this way!" cried blake to his chum, and to mr. alcando, who were standing amid-ships. joe was at the bow, and because that was narrower than the main portion of the tug, it had not yet been subjected to the awful pressure. but there was no need of joe or the others, including captain watson, changing their positions. the brazilian ship now began drawing away, aided by her own engines, and by the tow ropes extending from the other side of the lock wall. the _nama_, which had been partly lifted up in the air, as a vessel in the arctic ocean is lifted when two ice floes begin to squeeze her, now dropped down again, and began settling slowly in the water. "she's sinking!" cried blake. "our cameras--our films, joe!" "yes, we must save them!" his chum shouted. "i'll help!" offered the spaniard. "are we really sinking?" "of course!" shouted captain watson. "how could anything else happen after being squeezed in that kind of a cider press? we'll go to the bottom sure!" "leave the boat!" yelled one of the men on top of the lock wall. "we're going to tow you out of the way, so when you sink you won't block the lock!" "let's get out our stuff!" blake cried again, and realizing, but hardly understanding, what was happening, the boys rushed below to save what they could. fortunately it was the opening of many seams, caused by the crushing process, rather than any great hole stove in her, that had brought about the end of the _nama_. she began to sink slowly at the pier, and there was time for the removal of most of the articles of value belonging to the boys and mr. alcando. hastily the cameras, the boxes of exposed and unexposed film, were hoisted out, and then when all had been saved that could be quickly put ashore, the tug was slowly towed out of the way, where it could sink and not be a menace to navigation, and without blocking the locks. "poor _nama_" murmured captain watson. "to go down like that, and not your own fault, either," and he looked over with no very friendly eyes toward the brazilian steamer, which had suffered no damage more than to her paint. "you can raise her again," suggested one of the lock men. "yes, but she'll never be the same," sorrowfully complained her commander. "never the same!" "how did it happen?" asked blake. "was there a misunderstanding in signals?" "must have been something like that," captain watson answered. "that vessel ought to have stayed tied up on her own side of the lock. instead she came over here under her own steam and crashed into me. i'm going to demand an investigation. do you know anyone on board her?" he asked quickly of the spaniard. "i saw you waving to someone." "why, yes, the captain is a distant relative of mine," was the somewhat unexpected answer. "i did not know he was going to take his vessel through the canal, though. i was surprised to see him. but i am sure you will find that captain martail will give you every explanation." "i don't want explanations--i want satisfaction!" growled the tug captain. "there goes the _nama_," called blake, pointing to the tug. as he spoke she began to settle more rapidly in the water, but she did not sink altogether from sight, as she was towed toward the shore, and went down in rather shallow water, where she could be more easily reached for repairs. "it was a narrow escape," joe said. "what are we to do now, blake? too bad we didn't get some moving pictures of that accident." "well, maybe it's a good thing we didn't," returned his chum. "the canal is supposed to be so safe, and free from the chance of accidents, that it might injure its reputation if a picture of a collision like that were shown. maybe it's just as well." "better," agreed captain watson. "as you say, the canal is supposed to be free from accidents. and, when everything gets working smoothly, there will be none to speak of. some of the electrical controlling devices are not yet in place. if they had been that vessel never could have collided with us." "i should think her captain would know better than to signal for her to proceed under her own power in the canal lock," spoke joe. "possibly there was some error in transmitting signals on board," suggested mr. alcando. and later they learned that this was, indeed, the case; or at least that was the reason assigned by the brazilian commander for the accident. his vessel got beyond control. "well, it's lucky she didn't ram the gates, and let out a flood of water," said joe to blake a little after the occurrence. "yes, if that had happened we'd have had to make pictures whether we wanted to or not. but i wonder what we are going to do for a boat now?" however, that question was easily settled, for there were other government vessels to be had, and blake, joe and mr. alcando, with their cameras, films and other possessions, were soon transferred, to continue their trip, in the _bohio_, which was the name of the new vessel. the _nama_ was left for the wrecking crew. "well, this isn't exactly the quiet life we looked for in the canal zone; is it, blake?" asked joe that night as he and his chum were putting their new stateroom to rights. "hardly. things have begun to happen, and i've noticed, joe, that, once they begin, they keep up. i think we are in for something." "do you mean a big slide in culebra cut?" "well, that may be only part of it. i have a feeling in my bones, somehow or other, that we're on the eve of something big." "say, for instance--" "i can't," answered blake, as joe paused. "but i'm sure something is going to happen." "no more collisions, i hope," his chum ventured. "do you know, blake, i've wondered several times whether that one to-day was not done on purpose." blake stared at his chum, and then, to joe's surprise replied: "and i've been thinking the same thing." "you have?" joe exclaimed. "now i say--" "hush!" cautioned blake quickly, "he's coming!" the door of their stateroom opened, and mr. alcando entered. he had a room across the corridor. "am i intruding?" he asked. "if i am--" "not at all. come in," answered blake, with a meaning look at his chum. "i wanted to ask you something about making double exposures on the same film," the spaniard went on. "you know what i mean; when a picture is shown of a person sitting by a fireside, say, and above him or her appears a vision of other days." "oh, yes, we can tell you how that is done," joe said, and the rest of the evening was spent in technical talk. "well, what were you going to say about that collision?" asked joe of blake when mr. alcando had left them, at nearly midnight. "i don't think it's exactly safe to say what i think," was blake's response. "i think he is--suspicious of us," he finished in a whisper. "let's watch and await developments." "but what object could he--" "never mind--now," rejoined blake, with a gesture of caution. several busy days followed the sinking of the _nama_. the moving picture boys went through the miraflores locks, making some fine films, and then proceeded on to the pacific ocean breakwater, thus making a complete trip through the canal, obtaining a series of pictures showing scenes all along the way. they also took several views in the city of panama itself. of course theirs was not the first vessel to make the complete trip, so that feature lost something of its novelty. but the boys were well satisfied with their labors. "we're not through, though, by any means," said blake. "we have to get some pictures of gatun dam from the lower side. i think a few more jungle scenes, and some along the panama railroad, wouldn't go bad." "that's right," agreed joe. so they prepared to make the trip back again to colon. once more they were headed for the locks, this time to be lifted up at miraflores, instead of being let down. they approached the central pier, were taken in charge by the electrical locomotives, and the big chain was lowered so they could proceed. just as the lower gate was being swung open to admit them to the lock, there was a cry of warning from above. "what's that?" cried joe. "i don't know," blake answered, "but it sounds as though something were going to happen. i didn't have all those feelings for nothing!" then came a cry: "the upper gate! the upper gate is open! the water is coming down! put the emergency dam in place! quick!" joe and blake looked ahead to see the upper gates, which were supposed to remain closed until the boat had risen to the upper level, swing open, and an immense quantity of foamy water rush out. it seemed about to overwhelm them. chapter xviii the big slide for a short space there was a calm that seemed more thrilling than the wildest confusion. it took a few seconds for the rush of water to reach the _bohio_, and when it did the tug began to sway and tug at the mooring cables, for they had not yet been cast off to enable it to be towed. blake rushed toward the lower cabin. "where are you going?" cried joe. "to get the cameras," replied his chum, not pausing. "this is a chance we mustn't miss." "but we must escape! we must look to ourselves!" shouted mr. alcando. "this is not time for making moving pictures." "we've got to make it this time!" joe said, falling in with blake. "you'll find you've got to make moving pictures when you _can_, not when you _want_ to!" to do justice to mr. alcando he was not a coward, but this was very unusual for him, to make pictures in the face of a great danger--to stand calmly with a camera, turning the crank and getting view after view on the strip of celluloid film, while a flood of water rushed down on you. it was something he never dreamed of. but he was not a "quitter," which word, though objectionable as slang, is most satisfactorily descriptive. "i'll help!" the young spaniard cried, as he followed blake and joe down to where the cameras and films were kept. on came the rush of water, released by the accidental opening of the upper lock gates before the lower ones were closed. the waters of gatun lake were rushing to regain the freedom denied them by the building of the locks. but they were not to have their own way for long. even this emergency, great as it was, unlikely as it was to happen, had been foreseen by those who built the canal. "the dam! swing over the emergency dam!" came the cry. the _bohio_ was now straining and pulling at her cables. fortunately they were long enough to enable her to rise on the flood of the rushing water, or she might have been held down, and so overwhelmed. but she rose like a cork, though she plunged and swayed under the influence of the terrible current, which was like a mill race. "use both cameras!" cried blake, as he and joe each came on deck bearing one, while mr. alcando followed with spare reels of film. "we'll both take pictures," blake went on. "one set may be spoiled!" then he and his chum, setting up their cameras on the tripods, aimed the lenses at the advancing flood, at the swung-back gates and at the men on top of the concrete walls, endeavoring to bring into place the emergency dam. it was a risky thing to do, but then blake and joe were used to doing risky things, and this was no more dangerous than the chances they had taken in the jungle, or in earthquake land. on rushed the water. the tug rose and fell on the bosom of the flood, unconfined as it was by the restraining gates. and as the sturdy vessel swayed this way and that, rolling at her moorings and threatening every moment to break and rush down the canal, blake and joe stood at their posts, turning the cranks. and beside them stood mr. alcando, if not as calm as the boys, at least as indifferent to impending fate. captain wiltsey of the _bohio_ had given orders to run the engine at full speed, hoping by the use of the propeller to offset somewhat the powerful current. but the rush of water was too great to allow of much relief. "there goes the emergency dam!" suddenly cried blake. "gone out, you mean?" yelled joe above the roar of waters. "no, it's being swung into place. it'll be all over in a few minutes. good thing we got the pictures when we did." across the lock, about two hundred feet above the upper gate, was being swung into place the steel emergency dam, designed to meet and overcome just such an accident as had occurred. these dams were worked by electricity, and could be put in place in two minutes; or, if the machinery failed, they could be worked by hand, though taking nearly half an hour, during which time much damage might be done. but in this case the electrical machinery worked perfectly, and the dam, which when not in use rested against the side of the lock wall, and parallel with it, was swung across. almost at once the rush of water stopped, gradually subsiding until the tug swung easily at her mooring cables. "whew!" whistled blake in relief, as he ceased grinding at the crank of his moving picture camera. "that was going some!" "that's what!" agreed joe. "but i guess we got some good films." "you certainly deserved to!" exclaimed mr. alcando, with shining eyes. "you are very brave!" "oh, it's all in the day's work," spoke blake. "now i wonder how that happened?" "that's what i'd like to know," said captain wiltsey. "i must look into this." an inquiry developed the fact that a misplaced switch in some newly installed electrical machinery that controlled the upper lock gate was to blame. the lock machinery was designed to be automatic, and as nearly "error proof" as anything controlled by human beings can be. that is to say it was planned that no vessel could proceed into a lock until the fender chain was lowered, and that an upper gate could not be opened until a lower one was closed. but in this case something went wrong, and the two gates were opened at once, letting out the flood. this, however, had been foreseen, and the emergency dam provided, and it was this solid steel wall that had saved the lock from serious damage, and the _bohio_ from being overwhelmed. as it was no harm had been done and, when the excitement had calmed down, and an inspection made to ascertain that the gates would now work perfectly, the tug was allowed to proceed. "well, what are your plans now, boys?" asked mr. alcando on the day after the lock accident. "back to culebra cut," answered blake. "we have orders to get a picture of a big slide there, and we're going to do it." "even if you have to make the slide yourself?" asked the spaniard with a short laugh. "not much!" exclaimed blake. "i'd do a good deal to get the kind of moving pictures they want, but nothing like that. there have been some rains of late, however, and if things happen as they often have before in the cut there may be a slide." "yes, they do follow rains, so i am told," went on the spaniard. "well, i do not wish your canal any bad luck, but if a slide does occur i hope it will come when you can get views of it." "in the daytime, and not at night," suggested joe. for several days nothing of interest occurred. blake and joe sent back to new york the films of the mad rush of waters through the lock, and also dispatched other views they had taken. they had gone to culebra cut and there tied up, waiting for a slide that might come at any time, and yet which might never occur. naturally if the canal engineers could have had their way they would have preferred never to see another avalanche of earth descend. mr. alcando had by this time proved that he could take moving pictures almost as well as could the boys. of course this filming of nature was not all there was to the business. it was quite another matter to make views of theatrical scenes, or to film the scene of an indoor and outdoor drama. "but i do not need any of that for my purpose," explained mr. alcando. "i just want to know how to get pictures that will help develope our railroad business." "you know that pretty well now," said blake. "i suppose you will soon be leaving the canal--and us." "not until i see you film the big slide," he replied. "i wish you all success." "to say nothing of the canal," put in joe. "to say nothing of the canal," repeated the spaniard, and he looked at the boys in what blake said afterward he thought was a strange manner. "then you haven't altogether gotten over your suspicions of him?" asked joe. "no, and yet i don't know why either of us should hold any against him," went on joe's chum. "certainly he has been a good friend and companion to us, and he has learned quickly." "oh, yes, he's smart enough. well, we haven't much more to do here. a slide, if we can get one, and some pictures below gatun dam, and we can go back north." "yes," agreed blake. "seen anything of alcando's alarm clock model lately?" asked joe, after a pause. "not a thing, and i haven't heard it tick. either he has given up working on it, or he's so interested in the pictures that he has forgotten it." several more days passed, gloomy, unpleasant days, for it rained nearly all the time. then one morning, sitting in the cabin of the tug anchored near gold hill, there came an alarm. "a land slide! a big slide in culebra cut! emergency orders!" "that means us!" cried blake, springing to his feet, and getting out a camera. "it's our chance, joe." "yes! too bad, but it had to be, i suppose," agreed his chum, as he slipped into a mackintosh, for it was raining hard. chapter xix joe's plight from outside the cabin of the tug came a confused series of sounds. first there was the swish and pelt of the rain, varied as the wind blew the sheets of water across the deck. but, above it all, was a deep, ominous note--a grinding, crushing noise, as of giant rocks piling one on top of the other, smashing to powder between them the lighter stones. "what will happen?" asked mr. alcando, as he watched joe and blake making ready. they seemed to work mechanically--slipping into rubber boots and rain coats, and, all the while, seeing that the cameras and films were in readiness. they had brought some waterproof boxes to be used in case of rain--some they had found of service during the flood on the mississippi. "no one knows what will happen," said blake grimly. "but we're going to get some pictures before too much happens." "out there?" asked the spaniard, with a motion of his hand toward the side of the big hill through which the canal had been cut. "out there--of course!" cried joe. "we can't get moving pictures of the slide in here." he did not intend to speak shortly, but it sounded so in the stress of his hurry. "then i'm coming!" said mr. alcando quietly. "if i'm to do this sort of work in the jungle, along our railroad, i'll need to have my nerve stiffened." "this will stiffen it all right," returned blake, sternly, as a louder sound from without told of a larger mass of the earth sliding into the waters of the canal, whence the drift had been excavated with so much labor. it was a bad slide--the worst in the history of the undertaking--and the limit of it was not reached when joe and blake, with their cameras and spare boxes of film, went out on deck. the brown-red earth, the great rocks and the little stones, masses of gravel, shale, schist, cobbles, fine sand--all in one intermingled mass was slipping, sliding, rolling, tumbling, falling and fairly leaping down the side of gold hill. "come on!" cried blake to joe. "i'm with you," was the reply. "and i, also," said mr. alcando with set teeth. fortunately for them the tug was tied to a temporary dock on the side of the hill where the slide had started, so they did not have to take a boat across, but could at once start for the scene of the disaster. "we may not be here when you come back!" called captain wiltsey after the boys. "why not?" asked joe. "i may have to go above or below. i don't want to take any chances of being caught by a blockade." "all right. we'll find you wherever you are," said blake. as yet the mass of slipping and sliding earth was falling into the waters of the canal some distance from the moored tug. but there was no telling when the slide might take in a larger area, and extend both east and west. up a rude trail ran blake and joe, making their way toward where the movement of earth was most pronounced. the light was not very good on account of the rain, but they slipped into the cameras the most sensitive film, to insure good pictures even when light conditions were most unsatisfactory. the moving picture boys paused for only a glance behind them. they had heard the emergency orders being given. soon they would be flashed along the whole length of the canal, bringing to the scene the scows, the dredges, the centrifugal pumps--the men and the machinery that would tear out the earth that had no right to be where it had slid. then, seeing that the work of remedying the accident was under way, almost as soon as the accident had occurred, blake and joe, followed by mr. alcando, hurried on through the rain, up to their ankles in red mud, for the rain was heavy. it was this same rain that had so loosened the earth that the slide was caused. "here's a good place!" cried blake, as he came to a little eminence that gave a good view of the slipping, sliding earth and stones. "i'll go on a little farther," said joe. "we'll get views from two different places." "what can i do?" asked the spaniard, anxious not only to help his friends, but to learn as much as he could of how moving pictures are taken under adverse circumstances. "you stay with blake," suggested joe. "i've got the little camera and i can handle that, and my extra films, alone and with ease. stay with blake." it was well the spaniard did. with a rush and roar, a grinding, crashing sound a large mass of earth, greater in extent than any that had preceded, slipped from the side of the hill. "oh, what a picture this will make!" cried blake, enthusiastically. he had his camera in place, and was grinding away at the crank, mr. alcando standing ready to assist when necessary. "take her a while," suggested blake, who was "winded" from his run, and carrying the heavy apparatus. the big portion of the slide seemed to have subsided, at least momentarily. blake gave a look toward where joe had gone. at that moment, with a roar like a blast of dynamite a whole section of the hill seemed to slip away and then, with a grinding crash the slanting earth on which joe stood, and where he had planted the tripod of his camera, went out from under him. joe and his camera disappeared from sight. chapter xx at gatun dam "look!" cried mr. alcando. he would have said more--have uttered some of the expressions of fear and terror that raced through his mind, but he could not speak the words. he could only look and point. but blake, as well as the spaniard, had seen what had happened, and with blake to see was to act. "quick!" he cried. "we've got to get him out before he smothers! pack up this stuff!" as he spoke he folded the tripod legs of his camera, and laid it on top of a big rock, that seemed firmly enough imbedded in the soil not to slip from its place. then, placing beside it the spare boxes of film, and throwing over them a rubber covering he had brought, blake began to run across the side of the hill toward the place where joe had last been seen. "come on!" cried blake to mr. alcando, but the spaniard needed no urging. he had laid with blake's the boxes of film he carried, and the two were now speeding to the rescue. "go get help!" cried joe to an indian worker from the tug, who had followed to help carry things if needed. "go quick! bring men--shovels! we may have to dig him out," he added to mr. alcando. "if--if we can find him," replied the other in low tones. "go on--run!" cried joe, for the indian did not seem to understand. then the meaning and need of haste occurred to him. "_si, señor_, i go--_pronto_!" he exclaimed, and he was off on a run. fortunately for blake and mr. alcando, the worst of the slide seemed to be over. a big mass of the hill below them, and off to their right, had slid down into the canal. it was the outer edge of this that had engulfed joe and his camera. had he been directly in the path of the avalanche, nothing could have saved him. as it was, blake felt a deadly fear gripping at his heart that, after all, it might be impossible to rescue his chum. "but i'll get him! i'll get him!" he said fiercely to himself, over and over again. "i'll get him!" slipping, sliding, now being buried up to their knees in the soft mud and sand, again finding some harder ground, or shelf of shale, that offered good footing, blake and the spaniard struggled on through the rain. it was still coming down, but not as hard as before. "here's the place!" cried blake, coming to a halt in front of where several stones formed a rough circle. "he's under here." "no, farther on, i think," said the spaniard. blake looked about him. his mind was in a turmoil. he could not be certain as to the exact spot where joe had been engulfed in the slide, and yet he must know to a certainty. there was no time to dig in many places, one after the other, to find his chum. every second was vital. "don't you think it's here?" blake asked, "try to think!" "i am!" the spaniard replied. "and it seems to me that it was farther on. if there was only some way we could tell--" the sentence trailed off into nothingness. there was really no way of telling. all about them was a dreary waste of mud, sand, boulders, smaller stones, gravel and more mud--mud was over everything. and more mud was constantly being made, for the rain had not ceased. "i'm going to dig here!" decided blake in desperation, as with his bare hands he began throwing aside the dirt and stones. mr. alcando watched him for a moment, and then, as though giving up his idea as to where joe lay beneath the dirt, he, too, started throwing on either side the clay and soil. blake glanced down the hill. the indian messenger had disappeared, and, presumably, had reached the tug, and was giving the message for help. then blake bent to his herculean task again. when next he looked up, having scooped a slight hole in the side of the hill, he saw a procession of men running up--men with picks and shovels over their shoulders. he saw, too, a big slice of the hill in the canal. the wonderful waterway was blocked at culebra cut. blake thought little of that then. his one idea and frantic desire was to get joe out. "they'll never get here in time," said mr. alcando in a low voice. "we'll never get him out in time." "we--we must!" cried blake, as again he began digging. mr. alcando had spoken the truth. the men could not get there in time--joe could not be dug out in time--if it had depended on human agencies. for not only was blake unaware of the exact spot where his chum lay buried, but, at least so it seemed, there had been such a mass of earth precipitated over him that it would mean hours before he could be gotten out. however, fate, luck, providence, or whatever you choose to call it, had not altogether deserted the moving picture boys. the very nature of the slide, and the hill on which it had occurred, was in joe's favor. for as blake, after a despairing glance at the approaching column of men, bent again to his hopeless task, there was a movement of the earth. "look out!" cried mr. alcando. he would have spoken too late had what happened been of greater magnitude. as it was blake felt the earth slipping from beneath his feet, and jumped back instinctively. but there was no need. beyond him another big slide had occurred, and between him and mr. alcando, and this last shift of the soil, was a ridge of rocks that held them to their places. down in a mass of mud went another portion of the hill, and when it had ceased moving blake gave a cry of joy. for there, lying in a mass of red sand, was joe himself, and beside him was the camera, the tripod legs sticking out at grotesque angles. "joe! joe!" yelled blake, preparing to leap toward his chum. "be careful!" warned mr. alcando. "there may be danger--" but no known danger could have held blake back. "he is there!" blake cried. "we were digging in the wrong place." "i thought so," said the spaniard. but blake did not stay to listen to him. now he was at joe's side. the slide had laid bare a ledge of rock which seemed firm enough to remain solid for some time. "joe! joe!" cried blake, bending over his chum. and then he saw what it was that had probably saved joe's life. the boy's big rubber coat had been turned up and wound around his head and face in such a manner as to keep the sand and dirt out of his eyes, nose and mouth. and, also wrapped up in the folds of the garment, was the camera. rapidly blake pulled the coat aside. joe's pale face looked up at him. there was a little blood on the forehead, from a small cut. the boy was unconscious. "joe! joe!" begged blake. "speak to me! are you all right?" he bared his chum's face to the pelting rain--the best thing he could have done, for it brought joe back to consciousness--slowly at first, but with the returning tide of blood the fainting spell passed. "we must get him to the boat," said mr. alcando, coming up now. "are you hurt? can you walk?" asked blake. joe found his voice--though a faint voice it was. "yes--yes," he said, slowly. "i--i guess i'm all right." there seemed to be no broken bones. mr. alcando took charge of the camera. it was not damaged except as to the tripod. "what happened?" asked joe, his voice stronger now. "you were caught in the slide," blake informed him. "don't think about it now. we'll have you taken care of." "i--i guess i'm all right," joe said, standing upright. "that coat got wound around my face, and kept the dirt away. i got a bad whack on the head, though, and then i seemed to go to sleep. did i get any pictures?" "i don't know. don't worry about them now." "we--we missed the best part of the slide, i guess," joe went on. "too bad." "it's all right!" his chum insisted. "i was filming away up to the time you went under. now, let's get back." by this time the crowd of men, including captain wiltsey, had arrived. but there was nothing for them to do. the slide had buried joe, and another slide had uncovered him, leaving him little the worse, save for a much-muddied suit of clothes, and a bad headache, to say nothing of several minor cuts and bruises. it was a lucky escape. back to the tug they went, taking the cameras with them. joe was given such rough and ready surgery and medical treatment as was available, and captain wiltsey said he would leave at once for gatun, where a doctor could be obtained. fortunately the blockading of the canal by the slide did not stop the _bohio_ from continuing her journey. the slide was north of her position. "i do hope we got some good films," said joe, when he had been made as comfortable as possible in his berth. "i think we did," blake said. "your camera was protected by the rubber coat, and mine wasn't hurt at all." later the boys learned that though they had missed the very best, or rather the biggest, part of the slide, still they had on their films enough of it to make a most interesting series of views. late that afternoon joe was in the care of a physician, who ordered him to stay in bed a couple of days. which joe was very willing to do. for, after the first excitement wore off, he found himself much more sore and stiff than he had realized. they were at gatun now, and there blake planned to get some views of the big dam from the lower, or spillway side. "but first i'm going back to the slide," he said. "i want to get some views of the dredgers getting rid of the dirt." chapter xxi mr. alcando's absence blake spent a week at culebra cut, making pictures of the removal of the great mass of earth that had slid into the water. the chief engineer, general george w. goethals, had ordered every available man and machine to the work, for though the canal had not been formally opened, many vessels had started to make trips through it, and some of them had been blocked by the slide. it was necessary to get the dirt away so they could pass on their voyage. so with dredges, with steam shovels, and hydraulic pumps, that sucked through big flexible pipes mud and water, spraying it off to one side, the work went on. blake had mr. alcando to help him, and the spaniard was now expert enough to render valuable assistance. while blake was at one scene, getting views of the relief work, his pupil could be at another interesting point. blake had telegraphed to new york that the one picture above all others desired had been obtained--that of a big slide in the culebra cut. he did not tell how joe had nearly lost his life in helping get the films, for blake was modest, as was his chum, and, as he said, it was "all in the day's work." joe was left to recover from the shock and slight injuries at gatun, while blake and mr. alcando were at culebra. for the shock to the young moving picture operator had been greater than at first supposed, though his bodily injuries were comparatively slight. "well, what's next on the programme?" asked joe of blake, about two weeks after the accident, when blake had returned from culebra. most of the work there was done, and the canal was again open, save to vessels of extreme draught. "i guess we'll go on making pictures of gatun dam now; that is, if you're well enough," spoke blake. "how do you feel?" "pretty fair. how did alcando make out?" "all right. he's learning fast. we can trust him with a camera now, out alone." "that's good. i say, blake," and joe's voice took on a confidential tone, "you haven't noticed anything strange about him, have you?" "strange? what do you mean?" "i mean while he was off there with you. anything more about that alarm clock of his? and did anything more develop about his knowing the captain of that vessel that sunk the _nama_?" "no, that was only coincidence, i think. why, i can't say that i've noticed anything suspicious about him, joe, if that's what you mean," and blake's voice had a questioning tone. "that's what i do mean," spoke joe. "and if you haven't i have." "have what?" "i've been watching alcando since you and he came back, and i think he's decidedly queer." "suspicious, you mean?" "i mean he acts as though something were going to happen." "another landslide?" asked blake with a laugh. "no chance of that here at gatun dam." "no, but something else could happen, i think." "you mean the--dam itself?" asked blake, suddenly serious. "well, i don't exactly know what i do mean," joe said, and his voice was troubled. "i'll tell you what i noticed and heard, and you can make your own guess." "go on," invited blake. "i'm all ears, as the donkey said." "it's no laughing matter," retorted his chum. "haven't you noticed since you and alcando came back," he went on, "that he seems different, in a way. he goes about by himself, and, several times i've caught him looking at the dam as though he'd never seen it before. he is wonderfully impressed by it." "well, anybody would be," spoke blake. "it's a wonderful piece of engineering. but go on." "not only that," resumed joe, "but i've heard him talking to himself a lot." "well, that's either a bad sign, or a good one," laughed his chum. "they say when a fellow talks to himself he either has money in the bank, or he's in love. you can take your choice." "not when it's the kind of talk i overheard alcando having with himself," joe resumed. "i went out on the dam yesterday, and i saw him looking at it. he didn't see me, but i heard him muttering to himself." "what did he say?" blake wanted to know. "i didn't hear it all," was joe's answer, "but i caught two sentences that made me do a lot of thinking. they were these: 'i just hate to do it, though i'll have to, i suppose. but i'll not put the blame on'--" and joe came to a pause. "well, go on," urged blake. "that's all there was," joe continued. "i couldn't hear any more. what do you suppose he meant?" "he might have meant nothing--or anything," blake remarked slowly. "it sounds to me as though he meant that he had made a failure of the moving picture business, and was going to quit. that must be it. he meant that he had to give it up, though he hated to, and that he wouldn't blame us for not giving him better instruction." "could he have meant that?" "he could," blake replied, "for, to tell you the truth, he'll never be a good operator. he hasn't a correct eye for details, and he can't focus worth a cent, though that might be overcome in time. he does well enough for ordinary work, but when it comes to fine details he isn't in it. i found that out back there at culebra when he was working with me. of course he was a lot of help, and all that, but he's a failure as a moving picture operator." "i'm sorry to hear that," said joe, with genuine sympathy. "so am i to have to come to that conclusion," blake went on. "i guess he knows it, too, for he said as much to me. so i guess that's what his talking to himself meant." "perhaps it did. well, we did our best for him." "we surely did, and i guess he appreciates that. he said so, anyhow." "and so you're going to get some gatun pictures and then quit--eh?" "that's it, joe, and the sooner we get them the sooner we can get back home. i've had all i want of panama. not that it isn't a nice place, but we've seen all there is to see." "we might try a little more of the jungle." "we got enough of those pictures before," blake declared. "no, the dam will wind it up, as far as we're concerned." if mr. alcando felt any sorrow over his failure as a moving picture operator he did not show it when next he met the boys. he was quite cheerful. "are you fully recovered, joe?" he asked. "oh, sure! i'm all right again." "i only wish i could have had a hand in rescuing you," the spaniard went on. "it would have been a manner of paying, in a slight degree, the debt i owe you boys. but fate took that out of my hands, and you were saved by the same sort of slide that covered you up." "yes, i guess i was born lucky," laughed joe. preparations for taking several views of the big gatun dam from the lower, or spillway side, were made. one afternoon mr. alcando asked if he would be needed in making any views, and when blake told him he would not, the spaniard went off by himself, taking a small camera with him. "i'm going to try my luck on my own hook," he said. "that's right," encouraged blake. "go it on your own responsibility. good luck!" "he's trying hard, at all events," said joe, when their acquaintance had left them. "yes," agreed joe. "he wants to make good." several times after this mr. alcando went off, by himself for more or less prolonged absences. each time he took a camera with him. it was a small machine, made more for amateurs than for professionals, but it gave good practice. "how are you coming on?" asked blake one day, when mr. alcando returned after a trip which, he said, had taken him to gatun dam. "oh, pretty well, i think," was the answer, as the spaniard set down his camera and carrying case. "i got some good scenes, i believe. when are you going to make the last of the spillway views?" blake did not answer. he was listening to a curious sound. it was a ticking, like that of an alarm clock, and it came from the interior of the carrying case that held extra reels of film for the little camera mr. alcando had. blake felt himself staring at the black box. chapter xxii a warning "what is the matter?" asked mr. alcando, as he noted blake's intent look. "is something--?" he did not finish. "that sound--in the film-case--" began blake. "oh, my alarm clock--yes!" exclaimed the spaniard. "i take it out with me on my trips. often, when i have finished taking pictures, i try to do a little work on it. there is one feature i can't seem to perfect, and i hope some day to stumble on it. without it the clock is a failure. i had it with me to-day, but i could make no progress--none at all. i think i shall put it away again," and taking with him the case, from which came that curious ticking noise, he went to his stateroom. blake shook his head. he did not know what to think. "he'll never make a good moving picture operator," he said to himself. "you've got to give your whole mind to it, and not be monkeying with inventions when you set out to get views. an alarm clock! "suppose he does perfect it? there are enough on the market now, and i don't believe there's a fortune in any of 'em. he might much better stick to what he set out to learn. well, it isn't any of my business, i suppose. joe and i have done all we can." several times after this the spaniard went off by himself, to make simple moving picture views with the little camera. but, whether or not he took along the curious brass-bound box, with the metal projections, which he said was an alarm clock, was something blake or joe could not discover. for blake had told joe of alcando's confession. certainly if alcando did take his model with him, he did not wind it up until leaving the boys, for no ticking sound came from the case. the canal was now as it had been before the big slide. vessels were passing to and fro, though in some parts of the waterway much finishing work remained to be done. blake and joe took some views of this, and also "filmed" the passage of the various ships to make their pictures of wider appeal when they would be shown at the panama exposition. mr. alcando did his share, and, for a time seemed to show a great interest in his work, so that blake had hopes the spaniard would really become a good operator. but something was always lacking, and it was not altogether effort on the part of the pupil. the time was approaching when blake and joe must bring their work to an end. they had accomplished what they set out to do, and word came back from new york, where their films had been sent for development, that they were among the best the boys had ever taken. "well, i will soon be leaving you," said mr. alcando to the chums, one day. "i have heard from my railroad firm, and they are anxious for me to come back and begin making pictures there." "his friends are going to be sadly disappointed in him," thought blake. "it's too bad. he'll make a failure of those views. well, if he does they may send for joe and me, and that will be so much more business for us, though i'm sorry to see him make a fizzle of it." but mr. alcando appeared to have no fears on his own account. he was cheerfully optimistic. "i shall want several cameras, of different kinds," he said to the boys. "perhaps you can recommend to me where to get some." "yes," spoke joe. "we'll help you pick them out if you are going back to new york." "i am not so sure of that," the spaniard said. "i will know in a few days when i hear from my railroad friends. i expect a letter shortly." there was some little delay in getting the pictures blake wanted of the gatun dam. certain work had to be done, and blake wanted to show the complete and finished structure. so he decided to wait. about a week after the above conversation with mr. alcando, the spaniard came to the boys, waving an open letter in his hand. the mail had just come in, bringing missives to blake and joe. some were of a business nature, but for each boy there was an envelope, square and of delicate tint--such stationery as no business man uses. but we need not concern ourselves with that. we all have our secrets. "i have my marching orders," laughed the spaniard. "i leave you this week, for my own particular jungle. now i must arrange to get my cameras." "we'll help you," offered joe, and then, with the catalogue of a moving picture supply house before them, the boys sat down to plan what sort of an outfit would best be suited to the needs of mr. alcando. he was not limited as to money, it was evident, for he picked out the most expensive cameras possible to buy. "i wish you boys would come and see me, when i get to work taking views along our railroad line," he said. "it isn't altogether a selfish invitation," he added with a laugh, "for i expect you could give me good advice, and correct some of my mistakes." "i'm afraid we won't get a chance to go to south america," blake answered. with a tentative list of what he needed, mr. alcando went to write a letter to his railroad officials, asking them to order his outfit for him. as blake pushed back his chair, intending to leave the cabin to seek his own stateroom, he saw, on the floor, a piece of paper. idly he picked it up, and, as he saw it was part of a letter to the spaniard he folded it, to hand to him. but, as he did so he caught sight of a few words on it. and those words made him stare in wonder. for blake read: "stuff is all ready for you. you had better do the job and get away. there is some fine scenery in europe." saying nothing to his chum about it, blake went with the letter toward the spaniard's stateroom. he was not in, but blake put the paper on a desk, with some others, and came out hastily. "i wonder what that meant?" he thought to himself. "that must have been his orders to come back to brazil and make the pictures. but if he goes at it that way--just to do the job and get away, he won't have much success. and to think of going to make films of european scenery when he isn't really capable of it." "well, some of these foreigners think they know it all when they have only a smattering of it," mused blake. "though alcando isn't as bad that way as lots of others. well, we've done our best with him. and how unjust all our suspicions were--joe's and mine. i wonder what he really did think he was up to, anyhow?" the next day blake and joe were busy making many important views of the big dam, which held back the waters of the chagres river, creating gatun lake. the spaniard, too, was busy with his preparations for leaving. he was away from the boys nearly all day, coming back to the boat, which they made their headquarters, in the evening. "get any pictures?" asked blake. "if you have we'll pack up your reel and send it to new york with ours. where's the little camera and case?" mr. alcando stopped short, as though struck. "by jove!" he cried. "i left it out at the dam. i was making some views there, and used up all the film. then i got to working on my alarm clock, and forgot all about the camera and film case. i left them out there, and my clock, too. i'll go right back and get them!" he turned to leave the cabin, but, as he did so, captain wiltsey entered. he paid no attention to the spaniard, but, addressing blake and joe said: "boys, i have a little task for you. have you any flash-light powder?" "flash-light powder? yes, we have some," blake said. "but we can't use it for moving pictures. it doesn't last long enough." "perhaps it will last long enough for what i want," the captain said. "if you'll excuse me, i'll go back and get the camera i was so careless as to leave out," spoke mr. alcando. "i'm glad he's gone," captain wiltsey said, as the cabin door closed. "i'd rather tell this to just you boys. i've just had a queer warning," he said. "a warning?" repeated joe. "yes, about gatun dam. there's a rumor that it is going to be destroyed!" chapter xxiii the flashlight for an instant the moving picture boys could hardly grasp the meaning of the fateful words spoken by captain wiltsey. but it needed only a look at his face to tell that he was laboring under great excitement. "the gatun dam to be destroyed," repeated joe. "then we'd better get--" "do you mean by an earthquake?" asked blake, breaking in on his chum's words. "no, i don't take any stock in their earthquake theories," the captain answered. "that's all bosh! it's dynamite." "dynamite!" cried joe and blake in a breath. "yes, there are rumors, so persistent that they cannot be denied, to the effect that the dam is to be blown up some night." "blown up!" cried blake and joe again. "that's the rumor," continued captain wiltsey. "i don't wonder you are astonished. i was myself when i heard it. but i've come to get you boys to help us out." "how can we help?" asked blake. "not that we won't do all we can," he added hastily, "but i should think you'd need secret service men, detectives, and all that sort of help." "we'll have enough of that help," went on the tug boat commander, who was also an employee of the commission that built the canal. "but we need the peculiar help you boys can give us with your cameras." "you mean to take moving pictures of the blowing up of the dam?" asked joe. "well, there won't be any blowing up, if we can help it," spoke the captain, grimly. "but we want to photograph the attempt if it goes that far. have you any flashlight powder?" "yes," blake answered. "or, if not, we can make some with materials we can easily get. but you can't make more than a picture or two by flashlight." "couldn't you if you had a very big flashlight that would last for several minutes?" "yes, i suppose so." "well, then, figure on that." "but i don't understand it all," objected blake, and joe, too, looked his wonder. both were seeking a reason why the captain had said he was glad mr. alcando had gone out to get the camera he had forgotten. "i'll explain," said mr. wiltsey. "you have no doubt heard, as we all have down here, the stories of fear of an earthquake shock. as i said, i think they're all bosh. but of late there have been persistent rumors that a more serious menace is at hand. and that is dynamite. "in fact the rumors have gotten down to a definite date, and it is said to-night is the time picked out for the destruction of the dam. the water of the chagres river is exceptionally high, owing to the rains, and if a breach were blown in the dam now it would mean the letting loose of a destructive flood." "but who would want to blow up the dam?" asked blake. "enemies of the united states," was the captain's answer. "i don't know who they are, nor why they should be our enemies, but you know several nations are jealous of uncle sam, that he possesses such a vitally strategic waterway as the panama canal. "but we don't need to discuss all that now. the point is that we are going to try to prevent this thing and we want you boys to help." "with a flashlight?" asked blake, wondering whether the captain depended on scaring those who would dare to plant a charge of dynamite near the great dam. "with a flashlight, or, rather, with a series of them, and your moving picture cameras," the captain went on. "we want you boys to get photographic views of those who will try to destroy the dam, so that we will have indisputable evidence against them. will you do it?" "of course we will!" cried blake. "only how can it be done? we don't know where the attempt will be made, nor when, and flashlight powder doesn't burn very long, you know." "yes, i know all that," the captain answered. "and we have made a plan. we have a pretty good idea where the attempt will be made--near the spillway, and as to the time, we can only guess at that. "but it will be some time to-night, almost certainly, and we will have a sufficient guard to prevent it. some one of this guard can give you boys warning, and you can do the rest--with your cameras." "yes, i suppose so," agreed blake. "it will be something like taking the pictures of the wild animals in the jungle," joe said. "we did some of them by flashlight, you remember, blake." "yes, so we did. and i brought the apparatus with us, though we haven't used it this trip. now let's get down to business. but we'll need help in this, joe. i wonder where alcando--?" "you don't need him," declared the captain. "why not?" asked joe. "he knows enough about the cameras now, and--" "he's a foreigner--a spaniard," objected the captain. "i see," spoke blake. "you don't want it to go any farther than can be helped." "no," agreed the captain. "but how did you and the other officials hear all this?" joe wanted to know. "in a dozen different ways," was the answer. "rumors came to us, we traced them, and got--more rumors. there has been some disaffection among the foreign laborers. men with fancied, but not real grievances, have talked and muttered against the united states. then, in a manner i cannot disclose, word came to us that the discontent had culminated in a well-plotted plan to destroy the dam, and to-night is the time set. "just who they are who will try the desperate work i do not know. i fancy no one does. but we may soon know if you boys can successfully work the cameras and flashlights." "and we'll do our part!" exclaimed blake. "tell us where to set the cameras." "we can use that automatic camera, too; can't we?" asked joe. "yes, that will be the very thing!" cried blake. they had found, when making views of wild animals in the jungle, as i have explained in the book of that title, that to be successful in some cases required them to be absent from the drinking holes, where the beasts came nightly to slake their thirst. so they had developed a combined automatic flashlight and camera, that would, when set, take pictures of the animals as they came to the watering-place. the beasts themselves would, by breaking a thread, set the mechanism in motion. "the flashlight powder--i wonder if we can get enough of that?" spoke joe. "it'll take quite a lot." "we must get it--somehow," declared the captain. "i fancy we have some on hand, and perhaps you can make more. there is quite a chemical laboratory here at the dam. but we've got to hustle. the attempt is to be made some time after midnight." "hustle it is!" cried blake. "come on, joe." chapter xxiv the tick-tick "put one camera here, joe." "all right, blake. and where will you have the other?" "take that with you. easy now. don't make a noise, and don't speak above a whisper!" cautioned blake stewart. "you'll work one machine, and i'll attend to the other. we'll put the automatic between us and trust to luck that one of the three gets something when the flash goes off." the two boys, with captain wiltsey, had made their way to a position near the spillway, below the great gatun dam. it was an intensely dark night, though off to the west were distant flashes of lightning now and then, telling of an approaching storm. in the darkness the boys moved cautiously about, planting their cameras and flashlight batteries to give the best results. they had had to work quickly to get matters in shape before midnight. fortunately they were not delayed by lack of magnesium powder, a large quantity having been found in one of the laboratories. this was quickly made up into flashlight cartridges, to be exploded at once, or in a series, by means of a high voltage storage battery. the moving picture cameras had been put in place, blake to work one and joe the other, while the automatic, which was operated by clockwork, once the trigger-string was broken, also setting off the continuous flashlight, was set between the two boys, to command a good view of the dam, and of whoever should approach to blow it up. it now lacked an hour of midnight when, so the rumors said, the attempt was to be made. of the nature of these rumors, and of how much truth there was in them, the boys could only guess. they did not ask too much, knowing that there might be government secrets it would not be wise for them to know. but that certain level-headed men did "take stock" in those rumors was evident, for elaborate preparations had been made to protect the dam. the preparations were conducted with as much secrecy as possible in order that the conspirators might not become aware of them. "we don't want to scare them off," explained captain wiltsey. "that may seem a strange thing to say," he went on, "but it is the truth. of course we don't want the dam blown up, or even slightly damaged, but it will be better to let them make the attempt, and catch them red-handed, than just to scare them off before they make a try. because, if we do that they may only come back again, later, when we're not ready for them. but if we let them see we are prepared and can catch some of them at work, it will end the conspiracy." "that's right!" agreed blake. "well, we'll do all we can to help make the capture. we'll capture their likenesses on the films, anyhow, and you'll know who they are." "which will be something," the captain said. "we haven't been able as yet to discover the identity of any of them. they have kept very secret, and worked very much in the dark." it had been arranged, among captain wiltsey and his helpers, that they were to give a certain signal when they discovered the dynamiters at work, and then the boys would set off their flashlights and begin to work their hand cameras. the automatic one, of course, would need no attention, provided the miscreants went near enough the net-work of strings to break one and so set the mechanism in motion. but that was problematical, and, as joe said, they would have to "trust to luck." and so the preparations for receiving the midnight callers went on. joe and blake worked in silence, making ready for their part in it. all about the boys, though they could neither see nor hear them, were uncle sam's men--soldiers, some of them--stationed near where, so rumor said, the attempt was to be made to explode the dynamite. "we really ought to have another helper," said blake, thoughtfully. "there is one place we can't get in focus no matter how we try, with the three machines we have. if we had another automatic it would be all right, but we have only the one. another hand camera would do, but we'd have to get someone to work it. i would suggest we get mr. alcando, but you don't seem to want him. he could easily take charge of one." "it is better to have no foreigners," replied the captain. "not that mr. alcando might not be all right, for he seems a nice chap. but he is a spaniard, or, rather a south american, and some of the south americans haven't any too much love for us; especially since the canal was built." "why?" asked blake. "oh, for various reasons. some of them have lost trade because it shortens routes. but there, i must go and see if all the men are in place." captain wiltsey left him, and once more the moving picture boy resumed his vigil. all about him was silence and darkness. as well as he could he looked to see that his camera was pointing in the right direction, and that it set firmly on the tripod, the legs of which were driven into the ground. "i'll just step over and see how joe is," thought blake. he judged it lacked half an hour yet of midnight. he found joe busy mending a broken wire that ran from the battery to the flashlight powder chamber. "just discovered it," joe whispered. "lucky i did, too, or it would have failed me just when i needed it." "is it fixed?" asked blake, as his chum straightened up in the darkness. "yes, it'll do for a while, though it's only twisted together. say, but isn't it dark?" "it sure is," agreed blake. together they stood there near the great dam. there came to their ears the splashing of water over the spillway, for the lake was high, and much was running to waste. "well, i guess i'll be getting back," said blake in a low voice. "no telling when things will happen now." as he started to go away joe remarked: "where are you wearing your watch? i can hear it over here." "watch! i haven't mine on," blake answered. "you can't see it in the dark, so i left it on the boat." "well, something is ticking pretty loud, and it isn't mine," joe said, "for i did the same as you, and left it in my cabin. but don't you hear that noise?" they both listened. clearly to them, through the silence of the night, came a steady and monotonous tick--tick-tick-- "it's the clockwork of the automatic camera," blake whispered. "it can't be," answered joe. "that's too far off. besides, it's a different sound." they both listened intently. "tick! tick! tick!" came to them through the dark silence. chapter xxv mr. alcando disappears for several seconds blake and joe stood there--without moving--only listening. and that strange noise they heard kept up its monotonous note. "hear it!" whispered joe. "yes," answered blake. "the brass box--the box--he had!" "yes," whispered joe. all the suspicions he had had--all those he had laughed at blake for harboring, came back to him in a rush. the brass-bound box contained clockwork. was it an alarm after all? certainly it had given an alarm now--a most portentous alarm! "we've got to find it!" said blake. "sure," joe assented. "it may go off any minute now. we've got to find it. seems to be near here." they began looking about on the ground, as though they could see anything in that blackness. but they were trying to trace it by the sound of the ticks. and it is no easy matter, if you have ever tried to locate the clock in a dark room. "we ought to give the alarm," said blake. "before it is too late," assented joe. "where can it be? it seems near here, and yet we can't locate it." "get down on your hands and knees and crawl around," advised blake. in this fashion they searched for the elusive tick-tick. they could hear it, now plainly, and now faintly, but they never lost it altogether. and each of them recognized the peculiar clicking sound as the same they had heard coming from the brass-bound box mr. alcando had said was his new alarm clock. "hark!" suddenly exclaimed blake. off to the left, where was planted the automatic camera, came a faint noise. it sounded like a suppressed exclamation. then came an echo as if someone had fallen heavily. an instant later the whole scene was lit up by a brilliant flash--a flash that rivaled the sun in brightness, and made blake and joe stare like owls thrust suddenly into the glare of day. "the dynamite!" gasped joe, unconsciously holding himself in readiness for a shock. "the flashlight--the automatic camera!" cried blake. there was no need for silence now. the whole scene was brilliantly lighted, and remained so for many seconds. and in the glare of the magnesium powder the moving picture boys saw a curious sight. advancing toward the dam was a solitary figure, which had come to halt when the camera went off with the flashlight. it was the figure of a man who had evidently just arisen after a fall. "mr. alcando!" gasped joe. "the spaniard!" fairly shouted blake. then, as the two chums looked on the brilliantly lighted scene, knowing that the camera was faithfully taking pictures of every move of their recent pupil, the boys saw, rushing toward alcando, a number of the men and soldiers who had been in hiding. "he's surrounded--as good as caught," blake cried. "so he's the guilty one." "unless there's a mistake," spoke joe. "mistake! never!" shouted his chum. "look--the brass box!" the glare of the distant flashlight illuminated the ground at their feet, and there, directly in front of them, was the ticking box. from it trailed two wires, and, as blake looked at them he gave a start. the next moment he had knelt down, and with a pair of pliers he carried for adjusting the mechanism of his camera severed the wires with a quick snap. the ticking in the box still went on, but the affair was harmless now. it could not make the electrical current to discharge the deadly dynamite. "boys! boys! where are you?" cried captain wiltsey. "here!" cried blake. "we've stopped the infernal machine!" "and we've got the dynamiter. he's your friend--" the rest of the words died away as the light burned itself out. intense blackness succeeded. "come on!" cried joe. "they've got him. we won't have to work the hand cameras. the automatic did it!" they stumbled on through the darkness. lanterns were brought and they saw mr. alcando a prisoner in the midst of the canal guards. the spaniard looked at the boys, and smiled sadly. "well, it--it's all over," he said. "but it isn't as bad as it seems." "it's bad enough, as you'll find," said captain wiltsey grimly. "are you sure the wires are disconnected, boys?" he asked. "sure," replied blake, holding out the brass box. "oh, so you found it," said the spaniard. "well, even if it had gone off there wouldn't have been much of an explosion." "it's easy enough to say that--now," declared the captain. but later, when they followed up the wires which blake had severed, which had run from the brass-bound box to a point near the spillway of the dam, it was found that only a small charge of dynamite had been buried there--a charge so small that it could not possibly have done more than very slight damage to the structure. "i can't understand it," said captain wiltsey. "they could just as well have put a ton there, and blown the place to atoms, and yet they didn't use enough to blow a boulder to bits. i don't understand it." "but why should mr. alcando try to blow up the dam at all?" asked blake, "that's what i can't understand." but a little later they did, for the spaniard confessed. he had to admit his part in the plot, for the moving pictures, made by the automatic camera, were proof positive that he was the guilty one. "yes, it was i who tried to blow up the dam," alcando admitted, "but, as you have seen, it was only to be an attempt to damage it. it was never intended to really destroy it. it was an apparent attempt, only." "but what for?" he was asked. "to cause a lack of confidence in the canal," was the unexpected answer. "those i represent would like to see it unused. it is going to ruin our railroad interests." then he told of the plot in detail. alcando was connected, as i have told you, with a brazilian railroad. the road depended for its profits on carrying goods across south america. once the canal was established goods could be transported much more cheaply and quickly by the water route. the railroad owners knew this and saw ruin ahead of them if the canal were to be successful. consequently they welcomed every delay, every accident, every slide in culebra cut that would put off the opening of the great waterway. but the time finally came when it was finished, and a success. then one of the largest stockholders of the railroad, an unprincipled man, planned a plot. at first his fellow stockholders would not agree to it, but he persuaded them, painting the ruin of their railroad, and saying only slight damage would be done to the canal. his plan was to make a slight explosion, or two or more of them, near culebra cut or at the great dam. this, he anticipated, would cause shippers to regard the canal with fear, and refuse to send their goods through it. in that way the railroad would still hold its trade. alcando was picked for the work. he did not want to undertake it, but he was promised a large sum, and threats were made against him, for the originator of the plot had a certain hold over him. "but i was to throw the blame on innocent parties if i could," the spaniard went on, in his confession. "also i was to select a means of causing the explosion that would not easily be detected. i selected moving pictures as the simplest means. i knew that some were to be made of the canal for government use, and i thought if i got in with the moving picture operators i would have a good chance, and good excuse, for approaching the dam without being suspected. after i had accomplished what i set out to do i could, i thought, let suspicion rest on the camera men. "so i laid my plans. i learned that mr. hadley's firm had received the contract to make the views, and, by inquiries, through spies, i learned who their principal operators were. it was then i came to you boys," he said. "ashamed as i am to confess it, it was my plan to have the blame fall on you." blake and joe gasped. "but when you saved my life at the broken bridge that time, of course i would not dream of such a dastardly trick," the spaniard resumed. "i had to make other plans. i tried to get out of it altogether, but that man would not let me. so i decided to sacrifice myself. i would myself blow up the dam, or, rather, make a little explosion that would scare prospective shippers. i did not care what became of me as long as i did not implicate you. i could not do that. "so i changed my plans. confederates supplied the dynamite, and i got this clock-work, in the brass-bound box, to set it off by means of electrical wires. i planned to be far away when it happened, but i would have left a written confession that would have put the blame where it belonged. "i kept the battery box connections and clockwork inside the small camera i carried. tonight all was in readiness. the dynamite was planted, and i set the mechanism. but something went wrong with it. there was too much of a delay. i came back to change the timer. i broke the string connections you made, and--i was caught by the camera. the news had, somehow, leaked out, and i was caught. well, perhaps it is better so," and he shrugged his shoulders with seeming indifference. "but please believe me when i say that no harm would have come to you boys," he went on earnestly, "nor would the dam have been greatly damaged. "it was all a terrible plot in which i became involved, not all through my own fault," went on the spaniard, dramatically. "as soon as i met you boys, after you had saved my life, i repented of my part, but i could not withdraw. the plans of this scoundrel --yes, i must call him so, though perhaps i am as great--his plans called for finding out something about the big guns that protect the canal. only i was not able to do that, though he ordered me to in a letter i think you saw." blake nodded. he and joe were beginning to understand many strange things. "one of the secret agents brought me the box containing the mechanism that was to set off the dynamite," the spaniard resumed. "you nearly caught him," he added, and blake recalled the episode of the cigar smoke. "i had secret conferences with the men engaged with me in the plot," the conspirator confessed. "at times i talked freely about dynamiting the dam, in order to throw off the suspicions i saw you entertained regarding me. but i must explain one thing. the collision, in which the tug was sunk, had nothing to do with the plot. that was a simple accident, though i did know the captain of that unlucky steamer. "finally, after i had absented myself from here several times, to see that all the details of the plot were arranged, i received a letter telling me the dynamite had been placed, and that, after i had set it off, i had better flee to europe." blake had accidentally seen that letter. "i received instructions, the time we were starting off on the tug," went on alcando, "that the original plot was to be changed, and that a big charge of dynamite was to be used instead of a small one. "but i refused to agree to it," he declared. "i felt that, in spite of what i might do to implicate myself, you boys would be blamed, and i could not have that if the canal were to suffer great damage. i would have done anything to protect you, after what you did in saving my worthless life," he said bitterly. "so i would not agree to all the plans of that scoundrel, though he urged me most hotly. "but it is all over, now!" he exclaimed with a tragic gesture. "i am caught, and it serves me right. only i can be blamed. my good friends, you will not be," and he smiled at blake and joe. "i am glad all the suspense is at an end. i deserve my punishment. i did not know the plot had been discovered, and that the stage was set to make so brilliant a capture of me. but i am glad you boys had the honor. "but please believe me in one thing. i really did want to learn how to take moving pictures, though it was to be a blind as to my real purpose. and, as i say, the railroad company did not want to really destroy the dam. after we had put the canal out of business long enough for us to have amassed a fortune we would have been content to see it operated. we simply wanted to destroy public confidence in it for a time." "the worst kind of destruction," murmured captain wiltsey. "take him away, and guard him well," he ordered the soldiers. "we will look further into this plot to-morrow." but when to-morrow came there was no mr. alcando. he had managed to escape in the night from his frail prison, and whither he had gone no one knew. but that he had spoken the truth was evident. a further investigation showed that it would have been impossible to have seriously damaged the dam by the amount of dynamite hidden. but, as captain wiltsey said, the destruction of public confidence would have been a serious matter. "and so it was alcando, all along," observed blake, a few days later, following an unsuccessful search for the spaniard. "yes, our suspicions of him were justified," remarked blake. "it's a lucky thing for us that we did save his life, mean as he was. it wouldn't have been any joke to be suspected of trying to blow up the dam." "no, indeed," agreed blake. "and suspicion might easily have fallen on us. it was a clever trick. once we had the government permission to go all over with our cameras, and alcando, as a pupil, could go with us, he could have done almost anything he wanted. but the plot failed." "lucky it did," remarked joe. "i guess they'll get after that railroad man next." but the stockholder who was instrumental in forming the plot, like alcando, disappeared. that they did not suffer for their parts in the affair, as they should have, was rumored later, when both of them were seen in a european capital, well supplied with money. how they got it no one knew. the brazilian railroad, however, repudiated the attempt to damage the canal, even apparently, laying all the blame on the two men who had disappeared. but from then on more stringent regulations were adopted about admitting strangers to vital parts of the canal. "but we're through," commented blake one day, when he and joe had filmed the last views of the big waterway. "that alcando was a 'slick' one, though." "indeed he was," agreed joe. "the idea of calling that a new alarm clock!" and he looked at the brass-bound box. inside was a most complicated electrical timing apparatus, for setting off charges of explosive. it could be adjusted to cause the detonation at any set minute, giving the plotter time to be a long way from the scene. and, only because of a slight defect, alcando would have been far from the scene when the little explosion occurred at gatun dam. once more the great canal was open to traffic. the last of the slide in culebra cut had been taken out, and boats could pass freely. "let's make a trip through now, just for fun," suggested blake to joe one day, when they had packed up their cameras. permission was readily granted them to make a pleasure trip through to panama, and it was greatly enjoyed by both of them. "just think!" exclaimed blake, as they sat under an awning on the deck of their boat, and looked at the blue water, "not a thing to do." "until the next time," suggested joe. "that's right--we never do seem to be idle long," agreed blake. "i wonder what the 'next time' will be?" and what it was, and what adventures followed you may learn by reading the next volume of this series, to be called "the moving picture boys under the sea; or, the treasure on the lost ship." "here you go, blake!" cried joe, a few days later. "letter for you!" "thanks. get any yourself?" "yes, one." "huh! how many do you want?" asked blake, as he began reading his epistle. "well, i'll soon be back," he added in a low voice, as he finished. "back where?" asked joe. "to new york." and so, with these pleasant thoughts, we will take leave of the moving picture boys. the end transcriber's note: minor typographic errors corrected. some place names have out-of-date spellings. photographic plates are presented on facing pages within the book and have been placed at the nearest paragraph break in this document. chapters are preceded by a page with the chapter title printed on it; since this is repeated on the following page, such pages are omitted. the panama canal and its makers * * * * * the rise and progress of the south american republics by george w. crichfield illustrated. two vols. royal vo, cloth, _s._ the south american series edited by martin hume each volume demy vo, cloth, _s._ _d._ net. vol. i. chile its history and development, natural features, products, commerce and present conditions. by g. f. scott elliott, m.a., f.r.g.s., author of "a naturalist in mid africa." with an introduction by martin hume, a map, and many illustrations. "an exhaustive and interesting account, not only of the turbulent history of this country but of her present conditions and seeming prospects."--_westminster gazette._ "will be found attractive and useful reading by the student of history, the geographer, the naturalist, and last, but assuredly not least, the british merchant."--_scotsman._ vol. ii. peru its former and present civilisation, topography and natural resources, history and political conditions, commerce and general development. by c. reginald enock, f.r.g.s., author of "the andes and the amazon." with an introduction by martin hume, a map, and numerous illustrations. "an important work.... the writer possesses a quick eye and a keen intelligence; is many-sided in his interests, and on certain subjects speaks as an expert. the volume deals fully with the development of the country, and is written in the same facile and graphic style as before. illustrated by a large number of excellent photographs."--_the times._ "a magnificent collection of information on this interesting country. the author's vivid and eloquent description invests it for us with some of the glamour it possessed for the conquistadores of the sixteenth century; and on closing the book the reader feels tempted to set out at once for peru."--_yorkshire observer._ in preparation vol. iii. mexico by c. reginald enock london: t. fisher unwin [illustration: makers of the canal.] the panama canal and its makers. _by_ vaughan cornish _doctor of science (manchester univ.), fellow of the royal geographical, geological, and chemical societies of london, member of the japan society_ with map, plans, and photographs taken by the author t. fisher unwin london: adelphi terrace leipsic: inselstrasse (_all rights reserved._) this book is dedicated to the reverend charles john cornish, m.a. (oxon), of fleet, hants, and salcombe regis, devon, by his affectionate son, the author. preface i am indebted to many persons for advice and information in connection with my study of the panama canal, and wish to thank particularly his excellency the rt. hon. james bryce, the rt. hon. lord avebury, mr. claude mallet, c.m.g., colonel george e. church, colonel george w. goethals, chairman of the isthmian canal commission, and his colleagues, colonel w.c. gorgas, m.d., major d.d. gaillard, major william l. sibert, mr. jackson smith, and mr. bucklin bishop. also major chester harding, mr. arango, mr. g.r. shanton, chief of police, mr. william gerig (formerly in charge of the gatun dam), mr. mason w. mitchell, and mr. tracy robinson. vaughan cornish. _november_, . contents page introduction chapter i historical review chapter ii on the canal as it is to be chapter iii on the present condition of the culebra cut, and on the methods employed for excavation and disposal of the spoil chapter iv the men on the isthmus chapter v health on the isthmus and the future of the white race in the tropics chapter vi on the shortening of distances by sea, and on the steamships available for canal transit chapter vii the cost of the canal index illustrations makers of the canal _frontispiece_ to face page statue of columbus, christobal, colon christchurch, colon lock and dam site, gatun (the house is on the crest-line of the dam, which will extend to the hills on the right) excavating for the double flight of three locks at gatun (in fine-grained argillaceous sandstone rock) re-location of railway above gatun dam (the trestle embankment will run as a causeway across a bay of the lake) motor trolley for inspection of works (in the background are screened houses of employees) tropical forest, with heavy growth of parasitic plants jungle with pipe through which oil is conveyed by gravitation across the isthmus chagres river near barbacoes (in the dry season--looking down stream) chagres river near obispo (in the dry season) french dredger laid up (several of these have recently been put in use again) french trucks partly covered with forest growth (many of these were used at first by the americans, but are now replaced by larger ones) excavation near tavernilla river chagres and railway near gorgona lidgerwood unloader, winding apparatus _anopheles_ brigade oiling a ditch -ton wrecking crane, gorgona interior of machine shop, gorgona machine shops, gorgona club house for employees, gorgona (managed by the y.m.c.a.) excavation in the cut pipe for diversion of a river, near empire in the cut, width feet in the cut, looking south towards culebra (the gorge between golden and silver hills just visible) rock drill (these machines bore a hole feet deep in eight hours) rock drills at work in the cut the cut, looking north from culebra the cut, looking south from culebra from culebra, looking east to distant hills from culebra, looking east across the cut (terraces formed by landslip are just visible behind the smoke of a distant steam shovel) from culebra, looking east to golden hill (showing excavation in steps and ledges. each ledge has carried a railway track) the cut at culebra, looking north (the scarped face of golden hill on the right. taken april, , in the then bottom of the cut, feet above canal bottom) gang of west indian labourers (unloading spoil-train at gatun) gang of spanish labourers at culebra (working in the sun in april, which is one of the hottest months, less than degrees from the equator. the men are wearing european kit) steam shovel excavating soil at culebra steam shovel unloading into a dirt car steam shovel near end of stroke (the marks of the teeth made in a former stroke are visible on the right. golden hill, with the highest berm, or ledge, in the distance) steam shovel, stroke finished, loaded with soil steam shovel at culebra shovel-men at culebra screened bungalow, christobal, colon screened quarters of employees, culebra reading room, employees' club, culebra hall of employees' club, culebra cut south of culebra, landslip on left looking north, the scarped face of golden hill on the right looking north from railway bridge at paraiso abandoned french machinery gang of european labourers (in ) a former hot-bed of malaria, now drained near the site of milaflores locks looking north to culebra divide from ancon hill rio grande, near la boca rio grande, from ancon hill (country north of that shown in the last photograph) la boca, from ancon hill ancon cemetery commission's hotel at ancon administration building, ancon view from spanish fort, panama cathedral square, panama palace of president of the republic of panama old flat arch at panama (adduced as evidence of comparative freedom of panama from destructive earthquakes) map of canal zone _at end of volume_ (showing also profile of canal, cross section of culebra cut, the borings below gatun dam, and the cross section of gatun dam as designed in april, . the design of this dam, however, is still undergoing modifications) introduction at the present moment the canal zone of the isthmus of panama is the most interesting place in the world. here is gathered an army of , men engaged in the epoch-making work of uniting the atlantic and pacific oceans, and here is the greatest collection of machinery ever massed for the accomplishment of one undertaking. if the present rate of progress continue unchecked, the canal, it is calculated, will be opened in . then will that isthmus, which has hitherto been a barrier between two oceans but has failed to act as a bridge between two continents, be pierced by a waterway capable of floating the largest ships now built or building. then will the pacific coasts of the americas be accessible from ports on both sides of the atlantic without the necessity of a voyage by the straits of magellan. then will the distance from new york to san francisco be shortened by , and that from liverpool by , miles; the distance from new york to south american ports will be shortened by an average of , and that from liverpool to these ports by an average of , miles: then for the first time yokohama on the north and sydney on the south will be brought nearer to new york than to liverpool or antwerp, and then will new orleans and the ports on the mexican gulf be brought nearer than new york, by sea, to san francisco, south america beyond pernambuco, australia, and japan. [illustration: statue of columbus, christobal, colon.] [illustration: christchurch, colon.] no one who cares to know the greater things which are shaping the world can now afford to be ignorant of what is happening on the isthmus of panama. in the former days of unstable companies the student of affairs might decline to occupy himself in the study of an undertaking of which the fruition was doubtful. now, however, that the government of a great nation have put their hands to the plough the furrow will be driven through. the united states have acquired complete ownership and control of the canal and of a strip of land five miles wide on either side, called the canal zone. the small state of panama, in which this zone is situate, has placed itself under the protection of the united states. the government of great britain has by a treaty ratified in waived the treaty right which it formerly enjoyed to share with the united states the control of any trans-isthmian canal. the isthmus has been freed from those pestilences which were the greatest obstacles to human effort, and the engineering difficulties are no longer beyond the scope of modern science. * * * * * having first visited the canal works at the beginning of , i decided to make upon the spot a careful examination of the whole undertaking. for this purpose i visited washington and made application through the proper channel to the department of state, which kindly consented to further the inquiry. a set of the published documents was supplied to me, and i proceeded from new york to the isthmus by the r.m.s.p. _magdalena_, arriving at colon april , . here colonel goethals, chairman of the isthmian canal commission, provided me with a letter to those concerned to furnish all information, and proposed that i should make my way about unattended and pursue my inquiries independently. i was thus enabled to converse with perfect freedom with the rank and file, while drawing freely on the special information possessed only by the heads of departments. for the benefit of readers in england i may explain that these circumstances were to me of especial importance on account of the doubts thrown by american writers, and also by americans of repute in conversation, upon the reliability of official and other information supplied to the american public on the burning topic of the isthmus. as an englishman, and therefore standing outside american party politics, and as a scientific student not engaged in commerce or political life, i came to the study of the subject without prepossessions. this at least was my happy state when i arrived in washington in march last. when i left for the canal zone a month later i was filled with gloomy forebodings that i might after all find a rotten state of affairs on the isthmus. it was with intense relief that i found that i had what is called in america "an honest proposition" to deal with. as my doubts hitherto had been due to the patriotic anxiety of their compatriots, i am sure colonel goethals and his colleagues will forgive me for this frank statement of my difficulties and their solution. any englishman, accustomed to see the work of our own soldiers and civil servants in the crown colonies or in egypt, would recognise in the officers of the corps of engineers and of the army medical corps who are in charge of the canal zone men of a like high standard of duty. as this account is written not only for my own countrymen but also for readers on the other side of the atlantic, i should be glad, if it be possible, to convince of my own _bona-fides_ those anxious patriots who find it difficult to believe any good report from panama. it may tend in this direction to state that i travelled and sojourned at my own charges, and that i went out on an independent inquiry. that i had promised to give an account of the canal works to my brother geographers in london was my only undertaking, and the acceptance of a free pass on the panama railway my only financial obligation either in washington or on the isthmus. in order properly to understand the present and future of the canal undertaking, it is necessary to give a short account of the history of isthmian communication, for the conditions which now face the american government and the commission are not solely due to present physical causes, but also to previous events. chapter i historical review the conquest of constantinople by the ottoman turks in completed their capture of the trade routes between western europe and the east indies. the east indian trade had long been a source of great enrichment to european merchants. it was especially suited to the restricted carrying power of those times, the products (such as pepper) being small in bulk and high in price. the maritime nations therefore sought sea routes to the indies in pursuit of this trade, and it was columbus himself, in his efforts to open up a western route to the indies and china, who discovered the bay of limon in . he and his successors sought for a strait or channel which should open the way to the east indies. cortes sought for the strait in mexico. others sought as far north as the st. lawrence, which was supposed to afford a route to china. no opening could, however, be found nearer to the equator than the straits of magellan ( ), and the hopes of a short route westward to the indies were disappointed. an isthmian canal was talked of even in the days of charles v. of spain to open the route to the east indies. in those days of small vessels, the river channels would have served for a great part of the traverse, so that the scheme was not so wild as it may seem. [illustration: lock and dam site, gatun.] [illustration: excavation for locks, gatun.] the purpose, therefore, of the first proposal for piercing the isthmus was for shortening the distance to the indies and china. the discovery of the nearer riches of peru, however, illustrated the fact that the isthmian barrier has its uses as well as its inconveniences. porto bello and panama were fortified, ships were launched from the latter port for the peruvian traffic, the treasure was carried across the isthmus under escort and shipped to spain. the treasure-ships, indeed, were liable to attack on the caribbean, but the isthmian barrier proved an important safeguard to the peruvian possessions of spain. in the next century, the seventeenth, the importance of the isthmian land route declined, owing to the fact that spain was no longer able to secure even moderate safety for her ships on the caribbean. in the present days, when the importance of naval power is so well understood, it is hardly necessary to enlarge upon the significance of this fact, and its bearing upon the problems presented by the panama route to-day. the project of an isthmian canal for the purpose of trade between europe and asia continued to be agitated, but the inducements were inadequate to overcome the obstacles. in the middle of the nineteenth century, for the second time, it was the need of improved communication between the east and west of the american continent which provided a sufficient inducement to improve the isthmian route. at this time the government of the united states were much occupied with projects of trans-isthmian communication, particularly by canal, not with a view to transpacific commerce, but with the object of improved communication between the east and west of their own territory. in a treaty was made with the state of new grenada (afterwards colombia) with a view to providing facilities for transport in the war between the united states and mexico. in its most important provision it is similar to the present treaty between the united states and the new republic of panama, viz., the united states guarantee the sovereignty of the state in question over the isthmian territory. hence the isthmus was thus early constituted a protectorate of the united states. but at this time it was generally thought that lake nicaragua provided the best route for a trans-isthmian canal. the pacific seaboard having recently acquired importance to the united states, the government desired to further the canal project on that account. the only practicable atlantic terminal of a nicaraguan canal lay within territory over which great britain had long exercised control. further, the pacific coast of canada had recently acquired importance to the eastern provinces and to the home country, and access thereto was extremely difficult. the outcome of these circumstances was the conclusion in of the celebrated clayton-bulwer treaty between the united states and great britain, which was duly ratified by congress. by this instrument it was agreed that neither government should ever obtain or maintain for itself any exclusive control of any canal connecting the atlantic and pacific oceans, nor erect fortifications commanding the same. this treaty remained in force until , and i shall have to refer to it again. meanwhile the great rush of gold-seekers to california had supplied the needful stimulus to a scheme, already mooted, of an isthmian railway terminating at panama. in spite of the enormous difficulties entailed by the pestilential climate, the undertaking was completed in . this achievement, originating in new york, was the work of w.h. aspinwall, henry chauncey, and john l. stephens. [illustration: re-location of railway above gatun.] [illustration: motor trolley for inspection of works.] it was undertaken independently of any canal scheme, but it exercised a profound effect upon the fate of subsequent schemes. the facilities which the railway afforded determined de lesseps's choice of route, and de lesseps ploughed so deeply that those who came after him have found themselves constrained to follow his furrow. the "new world" is in fact no longer new, and its statesmen now have to solve problems presenting historical as well as physical factors. the american civil war interrupted the prosecution of canal schemes, but the examination of routes was recommenced by the united states government in , a commission finally reporting in [ ] in favour of the nicaraguan route. [ ] the report, however, was not published until . in the suez canal was opened for traffic. immediately, the route by panama ceased to be the shortest from europe to any part of the east indies. the importance of that route to asia was thus greatly reduced as far as europe was concerned, but, relatively, its importance to the united states was increased, for the suez canal does not shorten the asiatic voyage from new york, boston, or new orleans to the same extent as it does for european ports. the old world had been severed into halves by the enterprise of one man, and that man no potentate, but merely one possessing the gift of persuasion. by his achievement, which was immediately crowned by financial success, ferdinand de lesseps suddenly became possessed of powers such as are not always at the disposal of the governments even of great countries. he decided himself to sever the barrier between the atlantic and pacific oceans, convened a "congress" at paris in , and inaugurated in the _compagnie universelle du canal inter-océanique de panama_. he had decided to adopt the panama route on account of the facilities afforded by the railway. the money was mainly subscribed in france. the american railway company was bought out at the enormous price of $ , , , and in the course of the next eight years a large part of the work required for a tide-level canal was well executed on sound lines by the genius of the french, who are excelled by none in the arts of the civil engineer. the exact proportion which the french work bears to that since accomplished by the american government will be shown later. the engineers now on the isthmus are full of praise for the work of the french engineers, and their wonder daily grows both at its quantity and its ingenuity. it is only those at a distance, or ill-informed, who have belittled these achievements. unfortunately, the french engineers were not properly supported. de lesseps, if he were ever a practical man, had certainly ceased to be so since his first great success. a practical man is one who counts the cost of everything he is about to do. de lesseps no longer counted cost. he had become as one believing in his star. his actions remind us of those of some of the great conquerors whose early successes have led them to undertake impossible campaigns. the question has been discussed if any human character can stand more than a certain share of success and yet retain a sound judgment. certainly the character of de lesseps was not equal to the strain. the expenditure was awful--$ , , in eight years, _i.e._, more than three times the sum for which the suez canal was constructed. the company went into liquidation in . much had been embezzled. much, it is said, had been spent in purchasing the silence of voices which would otherwise have been raised against a europeanised canal. the affairs of the company were taken over by the new panama canal company, who continued to administer the railway, and, with small means, did excellent work for the next twelve years in keeping the machinery and the works from deterioration, in excavations at the summit, and above all in extending the scientific examination of the country so as to obtain much-needed data for the construction of the high-level canal which was now proposed in place of de lesseps's project of a tide-level waterway. in president grant, in a message to congress, had recommended the construction of an isthmian canal under the sole control of the united states, and popular opinion since that time, if not before, has always strongly held that if a canal be made it should be exclusively under that control. it was not the least of de lesseps's imprudences that he proceeded with his project in spite of warnings on this matter. in an event occurred which made the american nation feel that an isthmian canal was necessary, and that it must be under their exclusive control. at the outset of the war with spain, the _oregon_, one of the best of america's small fleet of battleships (we write of ten years since), was lying in the pacific. she had to steam more than , miles to reach key west, and the whole nation was in a state of nervous tension for many weeks pending her junction with the main fleet. it seemed at the time that the panama route could hardly be obtained for a canal under purely american control, and a further investigation of the nicaraguan route was ordered--that route which had been preferred by the american experts before de lesseps intervened. the new panama canal company had by this time brought their labours to the point where it seemed practicable to appeal to the investing public of the world for funds to construct a high-level panama canal. to do this in the face of a nicaraguan canal, undertaken as a national affair by the united states, would have been hopeless: they therefore laid their detailed plans before president mckinley. a commission was accordingly appointed by congress to inquire into the best route for an isthmian canal "under the control, management, and ownership of the united states."[ ] the report was presented to congress on december , , rather more than two years later, and is a document of great historical and scientific interest. the quarto volume of pages is accompanied by a portfolio of maps, plans, and panoramic views. the last of these, showing the mountainous skyline of the isthmus east of colon, with altitudes marked, illustrates in a striking manner the conclusion of the commission that the san blas route, or any route east of colon, would involve a ship tunnel. these routes are dismissed as impracticable on account of the altitude of the divide. the nicaraguan and panamanian are found to be the only practicable routes, and the details of both are fully discussed. the high-level canal was preferred by the commission to the sea-level at panama, and on the nicaraguan route only a high-level canal is possible, so that in this respect the two routes were considered to be on a par. [ ] act of congress approved by president, march , , commission appointed june . [illustration: tropical forest with parasitic growths.] [illustration: pipe conveying oil across the isthmus.] the relative advantages of the two routes are carefully set out in the report, the general tenor of which is favourable to that by panama. nevertheless, the commission recommend that the nicaraguan route be adopted, on account of the excessive valuation which, they state, was placed by the new panama canal company on their works and property. the value of these, including the panama railway, was estimated by the commission at $ , , . the new panama canal company, learning that the commission had thus reported, cabled an offer to sell at this price, and the commission accordingly sent in a supplementary report in favour of the panama route. by june , , the "spooner" act had been passed and ratified, authorising the president to purchase the canal works at this price, and to acquire from the republic of colombia the necessary rights for the control of a panama canal, then to be constructed; but in the event of his not being able to acquire such control, then to proceed with the nicaraguan project. meanwhile, by the hay-pauncefote treaty, ratified by the senate december , , great britain had waived the right of joint control of any isthmian canal which she had held since the ratification of the clayton-bulwer treaty in . it remained therefore only to negotiate a treaty with colombia. the treaty of with new grenada afforded a precedent as far as the question of control was concerned, and the negotiations appear to have been related mainly to the question of price. a treaty was negotiated by officials of the two republics, by which the united states was to pay a sum of $ , , to colombia, and after nine years an annual sum of $ , . this was confirmed by congress but rejected by the colombian senate, and negotiations came to an end with the adjournment of that body, october , . three days later the province of panama renounced its allegiance to colombia. another three days, and the independence of the new republic was recognised and guaranteed by the united states. in less than a fortnight afterwards a treaty was signed at washington by which the united states acquired complete ownership and control of the proposed canal for the sum of $ , , and an annual payment of $ , , to commence nine years afterwards. this treaty was ratified at panama december , , and by the united states senate february , . one significant point must be mentioned with reference to the panamanian revolution. the inability of colombia to make an effective effort to assert its power on the isthmus was due to naval weakness in the absence of communication by land. no army could march through the tropical forests which still isolate the canal zone from south america, and control at colon and panama still depends upon sea power. thus, at last, the united states owns and controls its canal zone. we will now state precisely the position in which that nation stands in reference to this matter, and then we may leave the work of the diplomats to consider the task of the engineers. _the national status of the canal._ the position which will be held by the united states in relation to other powers is foreshown in the hay-pauncefote treaty with great britain and in article xxiii. of the treaty with panama. the hay-pauncefote treaty is in supersession of the clayton-bulwer treaty. the latter stipulated that no fortifications should be erected controlling the canal. in the hay-pauncefote treaty this clause is omitted. on the other hand, it is stated in article iii., § , that "the canal shall never be blockaded, nor shall any right of war be exercised nor any act of hostility be committed within it." hence, the reader may have remained in doubt whether the united states government had intended to reserve to themselves the right to fortify. however, the terms of the subsequent treaty with the republic of panama answer this question, for after stating in article xviii. that the canal shall be opened in accordance with all the stipulations of the treaty of with great britain, article xxiii. states that "the united states shall have the right to establish fortifications." as a matter of fact, such fortifications are to be constructed, and the plan of the canal has been adjusted to the requirements of military defence. there have been, among public men in the united states, two schools of thought on the vital question of the defence of the canal. one school has held that the best safeguard was to be obtained by leaving the canal unfortified (as is the case with the suez canal), and by the establishment of a general convention, by which all the powers, including the united states, should bind themselves to respect the neutrality of the canal and leave it inviolate. other public men preferred forts, guardships, and a garrison. the general public in the united states, on the other hand, appears to have unanimously held that an international guarantee would be ineffectual and, moreover, derogatory. as we have seen, the popular view has prevailed, but traces of the antagonistic and incompatible notion of internationalisation remain in the language of the treaties. this is not surprising when we recollect that the first draft of the hay-pauncefote treaty was drawn up with a view to neutralisation, according to the precedents afforded by the suez canal. thus we find that article iii. commences with the words: "the united states adopts as the basis of the neutralisation of the canal ..."; and in article xviii. of the treaty with panama we find: "the canal when constructed, and the entrances thereto, shall be neutral in perpetuity...." [illustration: chagres river near babacoes.] [illustration: chagres river near obispo.] what then are we to understand by the term "neutral" as applied to the panama canal in war time? i suppose the meaning to be that if there be a war to which the united states is not a party, the canal will be used by belligerents in exactly the same way as was the suez canal, _e.g._, in the russo-japanese war, and that the government of the united states has pledged itself to see that such neutrality is preserved. but if there be a war in which the united states is a party, the circumstances of fortification and operation by the united states in fact render it impossible for the other belligerent to use the canal, and are intended[ ] to have that effect. this being so, the united states is preparing to defend the canal from attack. thus it is important to the proper understanding of the undertaking on which the united states government has embarked that we should clearly realise that the canal is only neutral in a restricted sense. the commercial status of the canal, however, is similar to that of suez, in that by article iii., § , of the hay-pauncefote treaty, "the canal shall be free and open[ ] to the vessels ... of all nations ... on terms of entire equality, so that there shall be no discrimination against any such nation, or its citizens or subjects, in respect of the conditions or charges of traffic, or otherwise." [ ] see report of canal commission, , p. . [ ] in article xviii. of the treaty with panama this clause is cited, with the addition "and the entrances to the canal." chapter ii on the canal as it is to be between colon and panama the american isthmus is about miles across as the crow flies, and is therefore nearly, though not quite, at its narrowest. in this portion of its sinuous course both coasts trend north of east and panama lies nearly south-east of colon. the isthmus in general is a very confused mass of hills and mountains. it is crossed by no transverse trench (such as sometimes occurs in mountainous regions), neither by the trough provided by down-folded strata, nor the rift valley produced by fracture and foundering of rock. a low-level transverse can only be found by following up the course of a river, crossing the divide, and following the course of another river downwards to the other ocean. from the vicinity of colon, by following up the valley of the river chagres, we are led in precisely the required direction, _i.e._, directly towards the pacific, for nearly two-thirds of the way. the distance from the head of limon bay, following the curves of the valley, is miles to this place, obispo, and for the greater part of the distance the river flows in a broad valley of deep alluvial deposits. [illustration: french dredger laid up.] [illustration: french trucks partly covered with forest growth] at the point mentioned, the chagres abruptly changes its course, and, if followed towards its source, will be found to be flowing from north-east to south-west. moreover, it is now confined to a narrow valley, with steep hills of rocky substance on either side, and its gradient becomes much greater than hitherto. the course of the canal cannot therefore follow the chagres valley further. fortunately, the valley has led us not only a long distance towards the pacific, but to a place where the dividing ridge only attains an elevation of about feet above sea-level. striking from obispo straight for the bay of panama, we come in miles to the low alluvial plain of the rio grande, which leads straight to the sea in another miles. thus, from shore to shore, the course of the canal along this route is miles; but to reach deep water - / miles must be dredged beneath the sea at either end, so that the total length of the artificial waterway is miles. of the land-course less than a quarter, or about miles, is hill country, and most of this is less than feet above the sea. the united states has been committed to this route by the long chain of circumstances already narrated. whatever type of canal was to be constructed along this route, there were certain excavations which must necessarily be done. these were, firstly, dredging the sea channels, and secondly, making a cut through the solid rocks of the divide. thus, although de lesseps started operations upon inadequate data, yet most of the work done by the first panama canal company is available, either for the tide-level canal proposed by de lesseps or for the -foot-level canal now being made by the united states. similarly, the new panama canal company, although hampered by many uncertainties, continued to work at the culebra cut, as it is called, that is to say, the trench through the rocky hills which separate the alluvial valleys of the chagres and the rio grande. thus the works taken over by the united states in were available for any type of canal, and the decision to adopt the -foot-level was not taken until . even now, or in april, , at the time of my visit, when so much work has been done upon the locks, many of the rank and file of the employees still cherish the hope of a tide-level canal, and there are not wanting well-informed people, both on the isthmus and in the states, who, while accepting the high-level scheme as inevitable, regard a tide-level canal as essentially a better thing. let us resume our description of the isthmus, in order that we may be in a position to understand the conditions with which the engineers have to deal. the practicability of the panama route is due to the fact that rivers have already done a great part of the excavation, and if desert conditions had supervened--if there were, as at suez, practically no rainfall--the construction of a tide-level canal would be simply the excavation of a trench in dry material, which would be filled by the inflowing waters of the sea. a tidal lock being added to regulate the ebb and flow at panama (for the atlantic side is tideless), the canal would be complete. but as things actually are, the rainfall on the isthmus is very heavy, particularly on the atlantic side, where it reaches inches[ ] per annum, and the rivers have at all times considerable bodies of water, and during the rainy season (commencing in may) are subject to sudden and violent freshets. the chagres at gamboa has been known to rise - / feet in hours.[ ] suppose then that a tide-level trench were suddenly formed across the isthmus, as by a convulsion of nature. we should then see the rivers pouring into this fjord in a number of cascades of various height. of these the greatest would be the chagres cascade, entering from the east near gamboa and obispo. the height of the waterfall would be feet in the driest season and as much as feet in occasional floods.[ ] [ ] abbot, "problems of the panama canal," p. . [ ] _loc. cit._, p. . [ ] abbot, _loc. cit._, p. . [illustration: excavation near tavernilla.] [illustration: river chagres and railway near gorgona.] in order therefore to make a tide-level canal, some means must be found for disposing of the waters of the chagres and other rivers. de lesseps's tide-level project was rather an aspiration than a plan. he proposed to conduct the waters of the chagres to the sea by other channels. the magnitude of this task would be scarcely less than that of cutting the canal itself. the other rivers on both sides of the canal would likewise require diversion channels, so that the final result would be roughly the formation of three channels, of which the centre one would be for navigation. the board of consulting engineers summoned by president roosevelt in to advise the isthmian canal commission recommended, in a majority report, a tide-level canal as practicable and best fulfilling the national requirements, defined by the spooner act of . but whereas they had detailed schemes for high-level canals before them, they were in the matter of the sea-level project at the disadvantage of having to act in a constructive capacity and elaborate the details of a scheme before they could criticise it. moreover, five of the eight who constituted the majority were european engineers, who returned to their duties as soon as the report was drafted. the report of the minority in favour of the -foot-level scheme having been adopted by congress in , all available engineering talent has for the last two years been devoted to improving the details of this scheme. the tide-level project of the majority of the board has had no such advantage, and the difficulty of estimating the relative advantages of the two schemes is therefore all the greater. both schemes depend for their success upon the security of dams. the tide-level scheme has a dam at gamboa, near obispo, thus making a lake of the upper waters of the chagres, whose surface would be feet above sea-level.[ ] the floodwater would partly be accommodated in the lake by reason of the great height of the dam above low-water stage, and partly by running the excess into the canal, by which it would escape to the sea, generating currents which the board calculated would not attain an injurious velocity. [ ] report, board of consulting engineers, p. . streams entering the chagres in its lower reaches would be dammed back or diverted--a considerable, but not momentous, undertaking. the three great objections to the scheme appeared to be:-- . the extra cost, and above all the extra time, required to complete the immensely greater quantity of excavation required for the last feet; . the fact that the artificial lake was to be above the canal, so that, if the dam burst, the canal might be ruined; and, . that the velocity of currents in the canal due to discharge of the surplus waters might perhaps be a serious drawback to navigation in a narrow channel. it will be seen presently that the second disadvantage is offset by corresponding disadvantages in the dam required for the high-level canal. as for the cost, that has always been an unknown quantity, and, i think, has always been a secondary consideration. the fear of undue delay seems to have been the principal deciding factor in favour of the high-level scheme. rival expert opinions that the majority of the board of engineers had under-estimated the time required for the tide-level canal were adopted by those in authority, and mainly on this account, i think, the high-level scheme became law. since visiting the isthmus a second time, and inspecting the work in the great cut between empire and paraiso, it has seemed to me that there is an objection to the tide-level project which did not fully appear in the early stages of the work, viz., that the behaviour of the rock might involve the engineers in ever-increasing difficulties as the depths increased. the opinion which had been held by many that the difficulties would diminish with the depth did not seem to me to be justified up to that time. [illustration: lidgerwood unloader, winding apparatus.] [illustration: _anopheles_ brigade oiling a ditch.] next let us see what are the special difficulties of the high-level project. this also depends for its success mainly on the efficacy of one dam, which is now being made at gatun. it will hold up the waters not only of the chagres but of its tributaries, to a level of feet above mean tide, and the area of the lake thus to be formed is shown on the map. the chagres will be ponded back far above the point where it enters the canal, and thus will be effectually tamed. the flood-waters will be spread over an area of about square miles--for lake gatun will be twice the size of lago maggiore and about four-fifths that of the lake of geneva,[ ] and ships, in the ample waterway, will not be troubled by currents. [ ] the size, in fact, will not differ greatly from that of the principal basin of the lake of geneva, all above the _petit lac_, or narrow part at the geneva end. a good idea of this area is obtained by recalling the well-known view over the waters of this lake from the _quai_ at ouchy. a flight of three locks at gatun will raise ships to the level of this lake in coming from the atlantic, and one lock at pedro miguel and two at milaflores will lower them to the level of the pacific. it has been claimed that if the gatun dam burst the consequences would be less disastrous than if the gamboa dam burst, but there is in reality little to choose between the two catastrophes. the great blot on the high-level scheme is that the great gatun dam is not founded on solid rock. the gamboa dam of the tide-level project would have been founded throughout on hard rock, from which it could have been built up of masonry so that the structure should be part and parcel of the rocky framework of the globe itself. the gatun dam as recommended in the minority report, on the other hand, was designed to consist essentially of a mass of earth dumped upon an alluvial plain so as to fill up a gap of , yards between two ranges of hills, the gap through which the chagres escapes to the atlantic. thus the gatun lake was to be held up as a glacier lake is held by a moraine blocking a valley. we shall presently describe the high-level canal as it is to be, from which it will be seen that it will provide a magnificent waterway, but before concluding the present section i must mention the special point in which it will be inferior to a tide-level canal. this is for purposes of defence. a fortress has to be preserved from capture, but not from damage. the locks, however, must be preserved from serious damage, which demands far more elaborate protection. such protection, moreover, has to be provided at two positions (gatun and milaflores) about miles apart. _the high-level canal as it is to be._ the spooner act, the law under which the canal is being constructed, enacts that it shall be "of sufficient capacity and depth as shall afford convenient passage for vessels of the largest tonnage and greatest draft now in use, and such as may reasonably be expected." accordingly the following dimensions have been selected:-- . a minimum depth of feet. the suez canal has a depth of feet[ ] admitting of the passage of ships with a draft of feet.[ ] the channel of this canal is now being deepened, so that by it is hoped that a depth of feet[ ] will be obtained. the kiel canal has a depth of feet. the average draft of the cunard s.s. _mauretania_, the largest ship now afloat, is about feet, but she is stated to draw, when fully laden, about feet, and there are comparatively few harbours in the world which she could enter fully loaded. [ ] report, board of consulting engineers, p. . [ ] "four centuries of the panama canal," p. . [ ] _daily telegraph_, june , . . a minimum bottom width of feet in the culebra cut. the minimum bottom width, or width at a depth of feet, in the suez canal is feet. the bottom width of the kiel canal is feet.[ ] [ ] report, board of consulting engineers, p. . . each lock will have a usable length of , feet and a width of feet. the locks of the kiel canal have an available length of feet and width of feet. the _mauretania_ has a length of feet and beam of feet. . the minimum radius of the curves is , feet ( , metres).[ ] this curve, however, does not come in the culebra cut, where the bottom width is to be feet, but north of bas obispo, where the bottom width is feet. most of the curves have a radius of , feet ( , metres). [ ] _vide_ p. of general abbot's "problems of the panama canal" ( ). slight changes in the projected course are made from time to time, so that this figure is subject to slight modification. in the suez canal,[ ] outside lake timsah, there are five curves with a radius of , metres, or a little more, which are being enlarged to , metres ( , feet). the usual bottom width in these curves was feet, but this is being increased to about feet. the kiel canal has four curves with a radius of , metres ( , feet). [ ] report, board of consulting engineers, p. . a reference to the accompanying plan (_vide_ map, end of volume) of the panama canal will show that most of the curves are situate in gatun lake, where the width of the canal proper is large, and where the spread of shallower waters secures better steerage. thus the high-level canal is not only deep and wide, but also much freer from troublesome curves than might be supposed from a casual inspection of its course. the details of the bottom width of the high-level canal in its different parts are as follows:-- feet. from the atlantic entrance to juan grande ( miles) , juan grande to bas obispo bas obispo to a point about half-way between empire and culebra culebra cut nearly to pedro miguel lock (about miles) pedro miguel to pacific entrance [illustration: -ton wrecking crane, gorgona.] [illustration: interior of machine shop, gorgona.] limon bay being shallow, the deep water where a battleship can freely navigate or manoeuvre lies outside a line joining colon lighthouse with toro point, and at a distance of - / miles from gatun locks. from this distance the lock-excavation can now be plainly discerned from the deck of a ship without the aid of a glass. here, when the canal is complete, a ship will enter the buoyed channel of the submarine portion of the canal, but this part of the channel does not lead directly towards the locks, which are not visible upon the face of the water. moreover, they are presently hidden altogether by the land. not until mile , near mindi, is reached does the course of the canal, by a slight bend, open up the locks to uninterrupted view, and at this point the ship is already confined between banks. when the foot of the flight of three locks is reached a vessel will no longer proceed under her own steam, but be warped through. the length and width of the locks has already been stated. the maximum lift will be feet, or about feet more than in any other locks at present in use. as the width ( feet) is much greater than that of existing locks, it follows that the lock gates will be far larger than any now in use. the vessel has to pass through a flight of three succeeding locks. parallel with this is a second flight of three locks, so that two ships could be simultaneously put through either flight in the same, or in opposite, directions. each lock through which the vessel passes on her upward course is provided with two pairs of mitre gates, _i.e._, double-swinging doors, but the uppermost lock has in addition a rolling gate near the lower end. this is a precaution against the breaking through of the upper folding doors by a ship coming down, _i.e._, from the pacific side. an emergency gate is also being designed, a sort of swing bridge, to close the upper entrance to the flight of locks, for gatun, pedro miguel, and milaflores. it is hoped that a vessel will be put through all three locks at gatun in minutes, to which must be added some delay in approaching. coming from the atlantic the water of the canal will be smooth, and the vessel somewhat sheltered, so that there should be no difficulty. approaching from the lake there may be some roughness, but anything more than a fresh breeze is rare, and the lake will be practically free from currents, so that the approach should present little difficulty. the pacific side is always calm, so that no difficulty of approach or exit is to be anticipated there on account of either winds, waves, or currents. our vessel, having been locked up to the broad surface of lake gatun, proceeds under her own steam and at a fair rate of speed across that lake, slowing down to about - / miles per hour for the miles of culebra cut, which will thus occupy two of the or hours in which it is hoped to accomplish the whole transit. on this basis it is calculated that ships could be put through in hours from the atlantic to the pacific, or two fleets of ships if passing simultaneously in opposite directions. a -hour transit of the -mile channel is about the same rate of progress as that in the suez canal, where, though there are no locks, the speed has to be kept low on account of the friable nature of the banks. it is evident that the time of transit cannot yet be certainly known to an hour or two, but a considerable margin beyond the above estimate would enable the passage to be made between dawn and dusk of the tropical day. at pedro miguel our vessel passes through one lock on her way down to the pacific, and at milaflores through two locks. each of these three locks has, of course, a duplicate alongside, permitting, as at gatun, the simultaneous passage of a companion vessel, or of one passing in the opposite direction. in case of repairs to one set of locks the parallel set would maintain the waterway. the lift of the lower lock at milaflores is variable, depending upon the level of the tidal water in the last reach of the canal. the extreme range of the tide at la boca, the pacific entrance to the canal, is feet; that is to say, low water during "spring" tides is feet below the average sea-level. during low tide on the pacific side, therefore, the water in the canal stands , instead of , feet above that sea. hence the maximum lift of feet already stated, for � = . [illustration: machine shops, gorgona.] [illustration: club house for employees, gorgona.] beyond the milaflores locks our vessel enters a reach of the canal which is exposed to the ebb and flow of the tide and _which will be confined within banks or levees as far as la boca_. in this respect the plan and the section are both, unfortunately, misleading. the la boca lock and dam have been abandoned, and no sosa lake will therefore come into existence, the lowest lock being, as i have said, at milaflores. i have thought it better to reproduce the existing maps as they stand rather than to attempt a re-draught which would necessarily be imperfect. our vessel, then, below milaflores is in a tidal channel and will be subject to some tidal current. by designing this channel so as to avoid a bottle neck, and by giving it a width of feet, the calculated current will, however, not exceed foot per second. the la boca site for locks was found to be much too exposed to gun fire and other modes of attack from the sea, whereas the milaflores site is not only distant about miles from the shore, but is well sheltered both by hills near it and by the position of the hilly eminences of the shore line. it will be seen from the map that the dredged sea channel by which our vessel will reach deep water on the pacific passes to the west of the isle of naos instead of to the east, as was proposed in the earlier plans. * * * * * returning now to the gatun locks. the mitre sill of the top lock is feet above mean sea-level, _i.e._, feet below the surface of the lake, which is feet above mean sea-level. but the bottom of the lake here is only about feet above sea-level, the total depth of water immediately above the locks and dam being feet. it follows that, in the extreme case of both gates of one of the top locks (as well as the roller gate) being wrecked, the level of the water in the lake can only fall to the level of + , which would leave a depth of feet immediately above the dam. ships of large draft could therefore lie there without being stranded. moreover, the lake is so large that the outflow through the broken locks would only lower the level feet _per diem_, so that more than three weeks would elapse before the water sank to the level of the mitre sill. again, the channel provided by the broken lock would be so small that in the canal below the calculated current which would result from the outflow would have a velocity of only - / miles per hour. above the pedro miguel and milaflores locks there is not the same surplus depth of water, so that vessels might be grounded if the locks were broken. moreover, as there is no wide-spreading lake above pedro miguel, the outflow of water would generate a somewhat swift current above the lock, which might be a source of danger to ships. this circumstance serves to enforce the apparent paradox that the great area of lake gatun is in several respects an element of safety, not, as the layman might suppose, of danger. the hydrostatic pressure upon the dam depends, of course, solely upon the depth of water, not upon the area of the lake, while the greater the contents of the reservoir the more nearly stagnant are its waters. as there is to be no lock at la boca, the dams shown there on the plan and profile will not have to be constructed, so that it is not necessary to deal with the questions to which they formerly gave rise. in the vicinity of the locks at pedro miguel and milaflores, however, dams have to be constructed to hold up the water. at both places the dams will be short, and will be founded upon hard rock,[ ] and in each case the head of water to be held up will only be about feet, instead of , as at gatun. the construction of the dams at pedro miguel and milaflores is not, therefore, regarded with anxiety. [ ] "canal zone pilot," pp. - . the great gatun dam remains the one important experiment in the whole scheme of the high-level canal, and much attention is being devoted to the planning of this work. the alluvial foundation is a disadvantage shared by the bohio site formerly chosen, and all other sites in the lower chagres valley; so that, having decided upon the panama route, and a high-level canal, there appears to be no alternative to the construction of a dam upon this kind of bottom. the details of the proposed structure, as elaborated in april, , were as follows:-- the length of the great earthen dam at gatun is , feet, its breadth no less than , feet. the weight of the dam per linear foot is more than times the horizontal pressure of the water in the lake, so that the pressure could not move the whole mass; and the weight of the dam is spread over such a great width that it is not thought that the ground will sink beneath it. the form of the plan and section is shown on the map, and an idea of the topography may be obtained from the photographs, which i took in april, . the south-eastern end of the dam abuts on the hill of hard, fine-grained, argillaceous sandstone in which the lock-site is being excavated. the dam, according to these plans, is not to be merely superposed upon the surface, as originally proposed in . embedded in its earthy mass there is to be a puddled core, and a trench will be excavated to a level of feet below the sea (- feet) for the lower part of this core. nor is this all that is to be done to check seepage beneath the earthen dam. from the bottom of the trench excavated for the puddled core, sheet piling, made of -inch timbers, is to be driven down for another feet, so that sheet piling and puddled core together will form an impervious barrier to - feet; that is to say, feet below the surface-level of the sea, or about feet below the lowest natural surface of the ground. the puddled core is carried up through the earthen dam to the level of + , that is to say, feet above the level of the lake, which is to be feet above sea. the crest of the dam will be + feet, _i.e._, feet above the level of the lake; this excess of height being to provide top weight for increased stability of the whole structure, and also for the purpose of compacting the underlying material. the underwater slopes of the earthy materials have been reduced from the : of to : . on the other hand, it has been decided that the width of , feet given in was in excess of utility, and that a reduction of between and feet can be made without loss of strength or efficiency. [illustration: excavation in the cut.] [illustration: pipe for diversion of a river, near empire.] about half way across the valley occurs a low hill, on which a house is shown in the photograph. this hill is on the crest-line of the dam, and is useful as giving support to the sides of the regulating channel which will be excavated in it. the material of the hill, however, is not the hard argillaceous sandstone of the lock site, but merely alluvial. the regulating works themselves will be built of concrete: a solid mass built up to + feet, and on this piers will be constructed feet in thickness, between which will be the sluice-gates. by their means the level of the lake will be prevented from rising unduly in flood time. the capability of the dam to maintain the waters of the lake at a sufficient level in the dry season depends upon their not finding a ready way either through the dam itself or below it. the construction of the dam is believed to guarantee its own practical impermeability. not only is there a puddled core, but the mud, sand, and rocks of which the principal mass will be composed will be laid down in the manner best calculated to secure compactness. with regard to underground flow, there is an underlying bed of indurated clay which is regarded as sufficiently impervious, and wherever the puddled core and piling are imbedded in that clay it may, i think, be assumed with some confidence that the leakage will be unimportant. on referring to the section (map), however, it will be seen that there are in the valley two old river gorges, which to a depth of and feet are filled only with gravel, sand; sand, shells, and wood; clayey sand, and so forth. these gorges, measured on the section shown in the figure, have widths of about , and feet respectively at the depth to which the sheet piling goes, and extend about and feet below. how much water may escape by these gorges it is difficult to say. this leads us to the next division of our subject. _on the supply of water available for the needs of the high-level canal._ the construction of the suez canal was a work of excavation pure and simple. the construction of any kind of canal across the isthmus of panama involves another task, second only in importance to the primary work of excavation, viz., that of regulating the rivers. in the case of a sea-level canal the problem would have been how to get rid of their waters, particularly in the rainy season. in the actual case of an -foot-level canal, the regulation of the rivers, particularly of the chagres, presents two aspects, viz.:-- ( ) in the wet season, disposing of the surplus waters. ( ) in the dry season, conserving water supplied by the rains so as to meet the waste caused (_a_) by locking, (_b_) by evaporation, (_c_) by percolation. the arrangements for taming the torrents of the chagres and its tributaries have already been described. they are, briefly, the construction of the gatun dam and its spillway. turning to the other aspect of the problem, i have to answer the question, what is the guarantee that there will be sufficient water in the dry season? [illustration: in the cut, width feet.] [illustration: in the cut, looking south towards culebra.] probably there is no problem of the panama canal which has received more prolonged and careful study than this. from the outset the french engineers commenced collecting data relating to the hydrology of the isthmus, and when funds grew low, and the proposed level of the canal began to rise, the matter received ever-increasing attention. the _comité technique_ of the new panama canal company commenced in elaborate investigations to determine the catchment area, the amount of rainfall, and the discharge of rivers. brigadier-general henry l. abbot (late corps of engineers, u.s.a.), whose investigations upon the mississippi are known the world over, was a member of this committee of the new panama company until the work was taken over by the government of the united states, for whom he continued to act; and he was a member of the board of consulting engineers, signing the minority report in favour of an -foot-level canal in january, . a continuous study for seven years is an advantage enjoyed by few of the american engineers, and the book on "problems of the panama canal" published by general abbot in (new edition ) deals very fully and ably with the hydrology and meteorology of the isthmus. the observations were continued under the direction of don ricardo m. arango, who has also a long experience on the isthmus. i shall not attempt to summarise the mass of data upon which the authorities rely in their calculation that there is a sufficient water supply for the needs of the canal during the dry season, contenting myself with showing, as above, that in this department of study, which more than all others connected with the canal demands long experience, this requisite has in fact been secured. yet whatever depends upon climate is liable to unexpected accidents, and personally i regard as an important safeguard the fact that at alhajuela, on the chagres, or miles above obispo, there is an excellent site for a dam, which would form a reservoir where some of the surplus water of the wet season could be stored, and supplied to the canal as required. the details for such a dam were elaborated in connection with one of the earlier plans of the canal, so that the necessary data would be immediately available in case its construction should become necessary in the future. _harbours and fortifications._ there are no storms in the bay of panama, and but little additional protection from weather is needed there for shipping. the entrance to the canal being at la boca, a new city will grow up there. this will be the second westward migration of the terminal port, the present city of panama lying between old panama and la boca. colon is exposed to northers, and protection against the heavy sea which then rolls in will have to be provided. whether this will be done by breakwaters or by forming an interior basin is not yet decided, and the cost of this part of the canal works is therefore not yet known. the canal, as already stated, is to be fortified; but i made no inquiries as to the location or character of the proposed fortifications, a matter which i regarded as outside my province. the cost of fortifications is included in the provision made by congress for the canal. chapter iii on the present condition of the culebra cut, and on the methods employed for excavation and disposal of the spoil reference once more to the plan and profile on the map will show at a glance the length and position of the rocky divide, the whole of which is termed the culebra cut, from the name of the town near the highest point. the proposed form and dimensions of this cut, throughout the miles of the greatest height, is also shown (the section adopted at the commencement of ), and the stage reached in april, , is shown by the photographs. the line drawn across the above section at a level of feet above bottom ( feet above sea), shows the general level of the bottom of the workings at culebra itself at the time the photographs were taken. a narrow pilot cut, only, was then feet lower. [illustration: rock drill.] [illustration: rock drills at work in the cut.] all that part of the section below this line (+ ) remained to be excavated. most of the rock above this line has been removed, but not all, for the final width is not, of course, reached at any level until the central portion has been excavated below that level. the level of the original rock line shown in this section was + , _i.e._, above canal bottom, so that the photographs show excavation of feet of rock. there was, however, soil above the hard basaltic rock, of varying thickness--removed to the slope : as shown on the section. the highest original surface of the soil on the centre line of the canal (between golden hill and silver hill at culebra) was + feet,[ ] so that the photographs in which golden hill appears show a total excavation of feet along the centre line. as this line passed along a saddle between the two hills, the original surface at the sides was considerably higher, so that the total height shown in the photographs from the bottom of the cut to the highest berm, or ledge, on golden hill is considerably more than feet. [ ] the profile at end of volume shows the stage of excavation when the height here had been reduced to + . the bottom of the canal will be feet below the original saddle, and its depth below this berm, which is seen on the photograph, is considerably more. thus will the gorge appear when the excavation is finished and before the water is allowed to flow in. when full, the surface of the water will be feet below the original saddle, and the passenger on a vessel will gaze upon the scarped banks of a somewhat greater height than this. for a tide-level canal, not only would the depth be feet greater, but, as the slope could not be made steeper, the width of the whole cutting would be correspondingly increased. with reference to the slope of the sides, it is important to note that it has not been found practicable to adhere always to the proposed section, which has to be made flatter, thus considerably increasing the amount of excavation required. the behaviour of living rock is not susceptible of the precise specification which can be applied to quarried stone on the one hand or loose gravel on the other. mechanically it is complex, both on account of its structure and of the _rôle_ which water plays in its economy. in the case of the culebra rock, the volcanic dykes by which it is traversed have altered the nature of the rock in their vicinity, and the part played by water is considerable, owing to the wetness of the climate. moreover, the rock does not remain wholly unchanged when exposed to air, but deteriorates by "weathering," a chemical and physical process which proceeds much faster in an equatorial climate than in the temperate zones. the climate, however, has a compensating action, in so far as the rapid growth of vegetation soon clothes and protects the scarped slopes, thus acting as a "revetment." * * * * * alighting at culebra station on the panama railway, and proceeding to the western side of the cut, one obtains the most impressive view of the canal works, and this is the spot usually visited by travellers and tourists. i first stood there in january, , and returned in april, . the impressions obtained were very different on these two occasions. in january, , after two and a half years of american occupation, what struck me most was the enormous mass of material which had been removed by the french companies, and the comparatively insignificant appearance of the american excavations, which could readily be distinguished from the older work, already coated with vegetation. it was then that i began to appreciate the heroic labours of the french engineers, whose achievements under circumstances of great difficulty are being daily more and more appreciated and praised by their successors. turning to study the progress of work, i watched with delight the operations of the -ton steam shovels, which at a distance, when the human hands are not seen, appear endowed with volition, and remind the spectator of elephants at work. the cars were loaded with surprising celerity, and the dirt-train was hauled off to the distant dump by an old belgian locomotive, part of the machinery taken over from the new company. but then the hitch came--there were no cars to take the place of those already filled, and the steam shovel was idle. looking round, i found that many other steam shovels and their crews were idle from the same cause, the machinery for transportation not having been provided in proper proportion to the machinery of excavation. that the time required for the completion of the rock-cut was limited by the possible rate of transportation of spoil, and not by that of excavation, had long been known, and the report of the board of consulting engineers contains elaborate diagrams of space available for shovels and for tracks. it was apparent, therefore, that the organisation of the work was not yet perfected. in like manner, as far as i could judge during my first short visit, the west indian labour was not yielding the best results, owing to white foremen and coloured labourers not being in perfect harmony. [illustration: the cut, looking north from culebra.] [illustration: the cut, looking south from culebra.] while, however, the fighting force, so to speak, of the isthmian army was obviously imperfect in many respects, great results had evidently been achieved by the auxiliary services. the department of sanitation had already made the isthmus healthier than most equatorial countries, food and quarters were excellent, law and order were well maintained. on the first day of my second and prolonged visit, april, , fifteen months later, i went at once to the same spot on the culebra cut opposite to golden hill and again surveyed the scene of operations. the change was enormous. the gorge below me was greatly enlarged, the shape of the hills altered, the face of the landscape changed. as i gazed into the deep trench below, the thought flashed across my mind, "if my life be spared a few years longer, i will sail through this on a ship." the reason of the great change was readily apparent: organisation had now been perfected. in the first place, the whole width of the cut was laid down in railway tracks, tier above tier at the different levels, so that the view was like the approach to the metropolitan terminus of one of the world's great railways. up and down these tracks there came and went without ceasing the spoil-trains, now composed of larger trucks than formerly, with new and ingenious devices for rapid unloading. the number of steam shovels visible was much larger than in , yet they were kept constantly busy, and all the time the drilling machines were at work boring holes for charges of dynamite, and gangs of men were completing the preparations for explosions in other holes already made.[ ] yet if the eyes were raised for a moment from the busy scene below, they rested on a silent wilderness of tropical forest, stretching unbroken to the horizon. i stayed until, at the approach of sunset, the work of the shovels ceased, and hundreds of men swarmed out of the cut, and sought their quarters and the evening meal. but all was not over for the day, for now, when the cut was cleared, the shot-firing began. at intervals there occurred a deafening explosion, the earth trembled as in a considerable, but preternaturally short, earthquake, and masses of rock rolled down the slopes, disintegrated and ready for the shovel-man when he should arrive next morning. i paid many visits to the cut, between empire and pedro miguel, but oftenest at culebra itself. the sight never palls, and is one of the wonders of the world. the pyramids are another wonder of the world which in common with many thousands in all ages i have thought it worth going to see--but to go to culebra is as if one were privileged to watch the building of the pyramids. yet how few go to the isthmus on purpose to see these things, and, _mirabile dictu_, how few americans! how is it that this people, so enthusiastic in all that relates to national achievement and addicted to foreign travel, does not include the isthmus among its many recognised places of pilgrimage? of the americans whom i met on the zone there was scarcely one who had come voluntarily for pleasure. the hotel accommodation, it is true, is limited, but it is more than sufficient for present needs, and is good, as hotels in the tropics are reckoned. moreover, panama is now one of the healthiest places in the equatorial zone. english tourists going out to the west indies by the royal mail are generally able to cross the isthmus and see something of the work while their ship is unloading at colon; but i would venture to suggest, to such of these as care to follow the world's progress, that they should make arrangements beforehand to step off at colon, cross to panama, put up there, visit thence the canal works at various points, and proceed by their next ship. the west indian tourist season coincides with the dry season on the isthmus. at panama the mosquito is almost an extinct animal, and though the heat there is sometimes trying, a run up to culebra brings one to a dry and bracing atmosphere where a fresh breeze is almost always blowing. [ ] during no less than one million dynamite charges were exploded. the steam shovel is the principal agent of excavation. it scoops out loose soil directly, but the basaltic rock has to be broken up first by blasting. one shovel will load , cubic yards of such materials upon the cars within the working day of hours, an amount equal to two-horse loads. for accelerating transportation railway trucks provided with flaps are used, which make of the whole train a single platform. at the rear of the train is a plough which can be drawn by a wire rope attached to a drum carried on a special car in the fore part of the train. when the train arrives at the dump the drum is started, and the plough, advancing, clears the cubic yards of earth and rock from the cars in minutes. this is the lidgerwood unloader. another important piece of machinery is the track-shifter, which picks up and relays the railway lines of the ever-shifting spoil-tracks. this remarkably successful contrivance was invented by an employee on the isthmus, and is moreover manufactured there in the great workshops at gorgona. [illustration: from culebra, looking east to distant hills.] [illustration: from culebra, looking east across the cut.] from bas obispo to pedro miguel, which constitutes the cut, is a distance of about miles, and excavation is so planned that a summit is maintained at lirio, near culebra, about half-way between these two points. on the north slope are[ ] steam shovels, loading cars on tracks. these, when loaded, are hauled down-grade to the northern dumps at tavernilla and elsewhere, or to the site of the gatun dam, which is also a dump. nearly , cubic yards of rock are carried to the dam daily, a distance of about miles. the return up-grade is made with empty cars. on the southern slope about the same number of steam shovels are at work, the spoil being taken to the southern dumping grounds on the pacific side, including the trestle dump for the breakwater to naos island. the spoil-trains follow one another at intervals of about three minutes, and if, from any cause, delay occur, the steam shovels, and indeed the whole process of excavation, is brought to a standstill. any cause of delay is therefore reported at once by telephone to the superintendent of transportation at empire, and all energies are at once directed to clearing the way. on the isthmus everything gives way to the spoil-train, as in a city to the fire-engine. an excellent lesson both in the complexity and urgency of the transportation is afforded by a run through the cut on a motor trolley in company with the superintendent of the department of excavation. constantly shunted from one track to another, and occasionally having to retreat, much ingenuity is required to thread a way among the spoil-trains, but even the almost invaluable time of the superintendent himself is sacrificed rather than any delay should occur to the "dirt" train, as it is usually called. it is this dirt which stands between the american nation and the realisation of their long cherished scheme, and nowhere is the classical definition of dirt as "matter in the wrong place" so appropriate as on the isthmus. [ ] this is for july, . * * * * * let us now see how much matter has been removed, and how much dirt remains which has yet to be removed. i will give first the totals of what has been got out in both dry and wet way, both in the canal prism itself and for auxiliary works. total excavations in connection with the panama canal.[ ] cubic yards. by the french companies about , , by the american isthmian canal commission up to the end of june, , , ----------- , , [ ] canal record, july , . much of the work of the french companies, however, consisted in dredging out sea-level channels at both ends of the canal, whereas the principal american work has been rock-excavation in the culebra cut--or _the_ cut, as it might equally well be called. the figures relating to the cut are:-- excavation between bas obispo and pedeo miguel, _i.e._, "the culebea cut," - / miles. cubic yards. by the french companies , , by the american commission to end of june, , , ----------- total excavated in the cut , , remaining to be excavated , , ----------- , , so that at the end of last june the cut was half cut through, one quarter having been done by the french companies and one quarter by the american commission.[ ] [ ] the total excavation for the prism of a sea-level canal was calculated by the board of consulting engineers at , , cubic yards. this statement by itself, however, would give a very inadequate idea of the rate at which the excavation is now proceeding, for of the total taken out by the commission since , , , cubic yards were due to the work of the months prior to june last. it will be seen from what has gone before that the rate of progress is now even greater than in the year june, -may, , for the daily output from the cut for july, ( , cubic yards), works out at , , cubic yards, allowing working days of that month, which, moreover, is a wet month, when work is much retarded. [illustration: from culebra, looking east to golden hill.] [illustration: the cut at culebra, looking north.] _on the date of completion of the canal._ colonel goethals, chief of the commission, when examined early in at washington, declined to bind himself to a date for completion, or to an estimate of cost; nevertheless, it is not difficult to calculate the date of completion from the actual rate of progress on the assumption that all goes well. the year is thus arrived at by the authorities for the calculated, though not promised, completion. this is based primarily upon the rate of excavation possible under the restrictions imposed by the narrow gorge along which the spoil has to be transported. it has been also calculated that the constructive works, the locks and dams, would require about the same time as, but not longer than, the excavations. this just balance between the time required for the two elements, excavation and building, was one of the arguments employed in favour of the -foot-level canal, as securing "the utmost practicable speed of construction"[ ] which could be obtained in a canal "affording convenient passage for vessels of the largest tonnage." [ ] see address by president roosevelt to board of consulting engineers, september , . report of the board, p. . * * * * * one of the most impressive features on the isthmus at the present time is the great workshop at gorgona, where repairs of all kinds are done, and large machines such as the track-shifter are actually built. as i passed from machine shop to boiler shop, smith shop, car shop, pattern shop, and so on, i felt myself back among the circumstances of one of the great manufacturing towns, and forgot for the time my actual surroundings. it was with a feeling akin to surprise that, on quitting the foundry, i found myself on the fringe of the tropical forest, now darkening with the shadows of the swift-descending sun. i may here note by the way that the furnaces of the foundry produced considerable relief from the effects of the tropical heat, which that day was somewhat oppressive. _relaying the panama railway._ reference to the map at the end of the volume will show how considerable is the task of reconstructing the panama railroad--what embankments have to be formed, circuits made, and (near milaflores) a tunnel bored. the track, too, is being doubled, and the rolling stock has been greatly improved. the passenger cars are both comfortable and relatively cool, and the double journey from pacific to atlantic ocean and back again can be pleasantly performed between luncheon and dinner. much of the verdant forest land on which i have gazed with so much delight from the windows of the cars will soon cease to be land at all. it will be drowned beneath the waters of lake gatun; virgin forest, cultivated patch, squatter's hut, villages, and even small towns will disappear, their sites submerged by water, and presently to be covered by the silt of rivers. chapter iv the men on the isthmus _west indian labour._ the success of sanitation, and the modern facilities for storage of food, have greatly simplified the task of obtaining an adequate supply of navvies for the pick and spade work. in the united states the american-born, particularly the majority who are of anglo-saxon stock, now form an aristocracy of labour, and for the last fifteen years or so have performed but little of the pick and spade, or ordinary navvy's, work. in the southern states the unskilled labour is mainly performed by the american negro. elsewhere the pick and spade work is done by new immigrants, some of whom settle, and some go home with their savings. they are largely from southern and central europe, many being italians, and in the extreme west there are japanese also. [illustration: gang of west indian labourers.] [illustration: gang of spanish labourers at culebra.] the commission, however, did not recruit in the united states, in order not to disturb the labour market there, but sought elsewhere for the supply of unskilled labour. at first they relied almost entirely upon the west indian negro, who formed the majority of the navvies employed under the french companies. the commission, however, were profoundly dissatisfied with the result. in december, , they reported that-- "another year's experience with negro labourers from near-by tropical islands and countries has convinced the commission of the impossibility of doing satisfactory work with them. not only do they seem to be disqualified by lack of actual vitality, but their disposition to labour seems to be as frail as their bodily strength." nevertheless, they are still employed in undiminished numbers on the isthmus, and the tone of the authorities towards them has changed. this change is noticeable both in the official publications and also in the conversation of the foremen immediately in charge. with regard to the latter, i found a great difference of tone between january, , and april, . the improved relations with the west indians is due to two causes, relating to the alleged lack of vitality and of industry respectively. the lack of strength was found to be due largely to improper diet, and most of the west indians are now provided with proper cooked meals, as is done in the case of american and european employees. in order to ensure their profiting by this provision, however, the charge for meals in the case of west indians is deducted from wages. the result of supplying a nourishing diet has been a marked increase in working strength as shown by output. in respect of disposition to labour there has also been an improvement. this is shown both by the absence of animadversion in later official reports, and also by the changed tone of the foremen and other americans in immediate control of the west indians, when questioned on the subject. in january, , i heard little but disparagement, while in april, , a much more favourable account was given. to one who has seen something of both the united states and of the west indies, the reason for the improved state of affairs was easily understood, viz., the american foremen and others in charge had begun to understand the type of men with whom they were dealing. accustomed to the character of the american negro, and to the conventions which regulate intercourse with the coloured man in the united states, they did not at first recognise that the west indian was a distinct type, and accustomed, at any rate in the british colonies, to very different social relations towards the white man. the handling of a gang of negroes from the tropics is an art which has had to be learnt. the barbadians are reported to be, generally speaking, the best of the west indian workmen, except the men from some of the country districts of jamaica, who are their equals. although the climate and products of the isthmus are so similar to those of their own islands, comparatively few of these employees settle there, but return to the homes they love so well. it cannot but be gratifying to an englishman to find that those who come from the british islands are proud of their citizenship and pleased to greet him as a fellow-subject. there are about ninety negro policemen on the zone, most of whom were originally trained by english officers in the jamaica constabulary. they are highly spoken of by the chief of police, who finds that they know both when to arrest and when not to arrest. they are also of much service to the new arrivals of their own colour, who refer to them for all information. the ordinary west indian labourer receives cents gold (about d.) per hour and free quarters. deducting the cents _per diem_ charged for meals, he receives cents ( s. d.) for an -hour day, besides food and lodging. [illustration: steam shovel excavating soil at culebra.] [illustration: steam shovel unloading into a dirt car.] the total number actually at work on the isthmus has been-- june , . on the canal works , on the panama railroad , ------ total , and on june , , the number on the canal works alone was , . the total number on the roll is, of course, considerably more than , , as there are necessarily absentees every day owing to sickness, accident, or other cause. _european labour on the isthmus._ in the number of european labourers on the isthmus was insignificant, and the commission, at that time profoundly dissatisfied with the west indians, issued invitations for proposals to furnish , chinese labourers, with the privilege of increasing the number to , .[ ] nothing came of this scheme, however, while, on the other hand, the already improved, and still improving, conditions on the isthmus enabled the commission to obtain a largely increased supply of european labour. while the supply of west indians was maintained constant, or only slowly increased, the additional force required was therefore obtained from europe. the following figures show this:-- _european labourers actually at work on_ june , june , , june , , [ ] report of the isthmian canal commission, , p. . a few russian and baltic folk came, but appeared unable to stand the work, and the few french who arrived did not take to pick and spade. the majority were from greece, italy, and spain, each of these countries sending at first about the same number. the greeks proved to be physically inferior to the italians and spaniards, and their number in april, , was only about . the italians, physically excellent, and standing the climate well, were found somewhat intractable. a large proportion were migrant labourers, who had become somewhat prone to collective action when dissatisfied, and their numbers in april, , had been reduced to or . the spaniards, mainly galicians and castilians, were found to be quite equal to the italians in physique and health, and to give far less trouble, a fact which is attributed partly to the circumstance that most of them came directly from their villages. they are reported to be sober, patient, civil, and quick to learn. the number employed in april, , was about , , so that the spaniards constituted about five-sixths of the european force, which numbered in all slightly over , . the figures given above for those at work on certain days are considerably less, there being always a number absent from one cause or another. that the spaniard is not oppressed by the tropical heat was apparent to me when watching gangs at work near mid-day at about the hottest time of year, viz., the last weeks of the dry season, towards the end of april. clothed in european kit, wearing velveteen trousers and with only a cap for head-covering, these men showed no signs of distress, or even discomfort. they showed, in fact, less sign of being heated than americans of apparently british or other northern descent engaged upon less laborious work. the ordinary european labourer, in addition to free quarters, receives cents gold per hour, or $ . per -hour day; more when working overtime. he is charged cents _per diem_ for his three meals, served in the european mess, which leaves $ . as a _minimum_ net wage _per diem_, or a little less than s. per week; but many earn more, and it should not be difficult under these conditions for a labourer to save £ a month. i was informed of one instance of a spanish labourer saving £ per month, but such virtue must be rare. the spaniard shows no sign of settling upon the zone. sometimes he goes on to railway work in brazil; more often he returns home with his savings. _skilled labour on the isthmus._ the skilled labour on the isthmus has from the outset been mainly done by white americans, but there are still on the "gold roll," as it is termed, some europeans. new rules reducing the maximum length of leave have, however, made these posts less attractive to those whose homes are at a greater distance, and by an order of february , , all future appointments on the gold roll shall be american citizens, if the special services required can be obtained in the united states; and in the event of any reduction of force, preference shall be given to american citizens. the duties being various, the pay necessarily differs, but, taking free quarters into account, is higher than in the united states, as is of course necessary in a distant and tropical land. since the industrial difficulties of - there has been considerable competition for these billets. an -hour day is established by law for employees on the gold roll, the quarters are excellent, and the three meals a day provided at a fixed charge are up to the standard of a good hotel. indeed, the opportunity to share these meals, supplied in large airy rooms, screened by gauze but open to the breeze, made my task on the isthmus much lighter. from almost any part of the canal i could reach one of the commission "hotels" for meal-time, and for cents ( s. d.) obtain better food than i have generally been able to get in the tropics at a much higher price. i took pleasure also in my company, for, if i may be permitted to say so, the skilled mechanic of the united states has always seemed to me a most attractive representative of his nation; and here particularly so, where one is in touch with his work. moreover, each man's job on the isthmus is part of a vast undertaking, the progress of which he can watch, which fires his enthusiasm, and makes him feel that he has a reward beyond his wage in the privilege of participating in national achievement. [illustration: steam shovel near end of stroke.] [illustration: steam shovel, stroke finished, loaded with soil.] i should like in this place to add a word of tribute to the great courtesy and kindness which they show towards ladies, a circumstance which did much to render pleasant the excursions which my wife took on the isthmus, sometimes in my company and sometimes alone. the number of americans on the gold roll in january, , was about , , the total number of employees on the rolls of the commission and of the panama railroad being then approximately , . the total number of employees actually at work on january , , was on the canal works , on the panama railroad , ------ total , _the responsible officials and the scheme of their organisation._ the responsibility for canal construction under the conditions laid down by acts of congress is vested in the president of the united states, within the limits of the money which has so far been voted. the president appointed a commission in to carry out the work. the first chief engineer appointed was mr. john f. wallace, who arrived on the zone june , , accompanied by colonel gorgas, u.s.a., head of the sanitation department. mr. wallace was in favour of a tide-level canal. in april, , the president appointed a second commission in place of the first, with a changed _personnel_,[ ] but mr. wallace was retained as chief engineer, and, moreover, became a member of the second commission. [ ] colonel gorgas, head of the department of sanitation, has remained, however, through all changes. see _post_, chapter v. he, however, resigned, june , , and his place was taken by mr. john f. stephens, who arrived on the zone july th. at this time there was panic throughout the isthmus[ ] owing to the prevalent sickness, and resignations were so numerous that it was difficult to carry on work at all, and engineering operations were partly suspended for a time. when the sanitary conditions improved, however, work was resumed with vigour. this second commission proposed that the work should be put out to contract, and bids were invited. it was under this commission that the -foot-level canal became law. mr. stephens was in favour of this form. he resigned early in , his resignation taking effect on april st, and at the same time the president for the second time reorganised the commission. [ ] see report of the governor of the canal zone, , p. , and "sanitation in the canal zone," by w.c. gorgas, m.b., colonel, _journ. am. med. assoc._, july , , vol. xlix. the third commission, appointed april , , which is that under which the work was being carried on at the time of my second visit, differs from its predecessors in that its members are resident on the zone. thus the members of the commission are the actual executive, the chairman of the commission being himself chief engineer. the other important difference between the present and the former organisations is the fact that almost all the important departments are now under officers of the united states army, and in one instance of the navy. the chairman and chief engineer, lieutenant-colonel george w. goethals, of the corps of engineers, had previous experience of the isthmus, having been engaged upon work connected with fortification. with respect to the other officers of engineers, the significance of the appointments lies not in their being military men, but in their being permanent government servants. the government of the united states, unlike that of his britannic majesty, does not possess a large civil service whose members remain in the public employment through all changes of political parties. in the absence of any considerable body corresponding, for instance, to our indian civil service, the government of the united states frequently relies upon the corps of engineers for the supervision of great public works. at the time of my second visit the scheme of organisation was as shown in the following table:-- general organisation of departments. -----------------------------+--------+--------------------------- | men | excavation and dredging | , | major d.d. gaillard locks and dams | , | major wm. l. sibert machinery and buildings[ ] | , | h.h. rouseau, u.s.n. labour, subsistence, and } | | quarters } | , | jackson smith (resigned) material and supplies | , | w.g. tubby sanitation | , | colonel w.c. gorgas civil administration | | j.c.s. blackburn panama railroad | , | w.g. bierd -----------------------------+--------+--------------------------- [ ] now merged in other departments. [illustration: steam shovel at culebra.] [illustration: shovel-men at culebra.] technically the panama railroad is not a department, but practically the construction of the canal and the reconstruction of the railroad are worked as parts of a single scheme. in addition to the above are some smaller divisions, reporting directly to the chairman, such as that of accounts. the office of the purchasing officer is situate in washington, practically all the supplies being obtained in the united states. this officer also reports to the chairman resident on the zone. the numbers given above are subject to continual fluctuation, and are quoted more for the purpose of showing the general proportions of the different parts of the undertaking than to give an exact total of the force employed. some account has already been given of the activities of the men employed on excavation, on locks and dams, and on the railway. those entered under the department of machinery and buildings are charged not only with this work in the zone, but also with the paving and other improvements in the cities of colon and panama. the department of sanitation also undertakes the hygiene of these two cities, no small part of its responsibilities. the republic of panama provides the cities with police, who are panamanians. the police force of the isthmian canal commission (department of civil administration) numbers , of whom are the west indians already mentioned and the remainder white americans. the force is numerically small, but the power to deport all undesirable persons is of great assistance. moreover, as the zone is practically inaccessible except from the ports of colon and panama, a fairly complete watch can be kept on all entries. after making due allowance for all these advantages, however, one cannot but be impressed, not only by the order, but by the respectability of the isthmus, which is singularly free from anything unseemly. a scattered force of would be insufficient to deal with tumult among so large a population of men, but there is maintained at obispo, a central point, a force of about united states marines. the work of the department of sanitation is of such primary interest and importance, especially to geographers, that i deal with it separately in the next chapter. chapter v health on the isthmus and the future of the white race in the tropics _yellow fever._ the cities of colon and panama have never been particularly unhealthy to the panamanian born, whether white or coloured, or to the west indian stranger. this population has merely been subject to the malaria common to equatorial towns, especially when in the neighbourhood of swamps, and to the evils which attend imperfect sanitation in a hot climate. the intervening country is very malarious in the low-lying parts, less so on the hilly divide, differing in no way from other similar localities in the same latitude. [illustration: reading room, employees' club, culebra.] [illustration: hall of employees' club, culebra.] the reputation of the isthmus of panama as a death-trap is due to the sickness which (previous to ) has always been prevalent among white strangers, and most other visitors, and particularly to the high percentage of death from yellow fever. to this short, sharp, and most deadly disease the native-born is immune; hence the affairs of the city of panama have gone on well enough for centuries, as far as the residents are concerned, except that travellers by the isthmian route tarried no longer than they could help. whenever large numbers of strangers have congregated on the isthmus, as during the californian gold-rush, the construction of the railway, and the canal construction of the french companies, there has been an epidemic of yellow fever among them, and a very large proportion of cases have terminated fatally. the immunity which the west indian negro enjoys from this disease gave him a superiority over other labourers on the isthmus which, since the extinction of the disease, is no longer his. during the american occupation of havana, after the american-spanish war, yellow fever broke out among the strangers, and the mere cleaning up of the city, though carried out with military thoroughness, had no effect in checking the disease. a medical board was sent to study the matter. this was in , four years after major ronald ross, of the indian medical service, had discovered the cause of malaria. ross had proved that the cause of malaria in man was the presence in his blood of an organism introduced by the attack of the _anopheles_ gnat (or mosquito), and that the species was only poisonous to man if it had itself become infected with the germ of this organism in biting a man suffering from malaria. thus man and _anopheles_ act alternately as hosts to the organism, which apparently requires their co-operation for the continuance of its species. gnats, or mosquitoes, as they are indifferently termed, being thus under more than suspicion as an immediate cause of tropical fevers, the medical board turned their attention to them, and mr. reed, a member of the board, tracked the yellow fever to another gnat, the _stegomyia_, and, aided by the heroic devotion of his assistants, proved beyond shadow of doubt that this disease is due to the activity of another minute organism, which lives a double life in man and _stegomyia_. mere contact with the clothing, &c., of yellow-fever patients was proved to be no source of infection. the _stegomyia_ lives three months. it becomes dangerous only by imbibing the organism through attacking man during the first three days of yellow fever, and, even then, twelve days elapse before its bite is infectious. six days after a man has been bitten by an infectious _stegomyia_ he develops yellow fever, and for the next three days (as has been already said) he is infectious to the _stegomyia_. during the american occupation of cuba attempts were made to obtain immunity from yellow fever, but it was found impossible to regulate the disease when voluntarily communicated by the bite of the mosquito, and at present immunity is only enjoyed by persons who inherit the privilege. the _stegomyia_ does not breed in open swamps or large bodies of water, but needs shelter, and is also incapable of sustaining a long flight. it breeds chiefly in and near towns, depositing its larvæ upon the surface of cisterns or stagnant pools. colonel w.c. gorgas, m.d., took charge of the department of sanitation of the commission in july, . "the experience of our predecessors," he writes,[ ] "was ample to convince us that unless we could protect our force against yellow fever and malaria we would be unable to accomplish the work." [ ] "sanitation in the canal zone," by w.c. gorgas _journ. am. med. assoc._, july , , vol. xlix. [illustration: reading room, employees' club, culebra.] [illustration: hall of employees' club, culebra.] at this time there was but little yellow fever on the isthmus, and, in spite of the arrival of a large number of non-immunes, no alarming outbreak occurred during the first ten months. during april, , however, the administration building in panama, in which worked some non-immune employees of the commission, became infected. in that month there were cases and deaths; in may, cases and deaths, of which cases and deaths were among employees of the commission. in june there were deaths from yellow fever on the isthmus, and in july . the commission reported[ ] that:-- "a feeling of alarm, almost amounting to panic, spread among the americans on the isthmus. many resigned their positions to return to the united states, while those who remained became possessed with a feeling of lethargy or fatalism, resulting from a conviction that no remedy existed for the peril. there was a disposition to partly ignore or openly condemn and abandon all preventive measures. the gravity of the crisis was apparent to all." [ ] annual report, , p. . colonel gorgas writes[ ] of this time:-- "we could readily see that if the conditions as they existed in were to continue the canal would never be finished." and he adds that:-- "the executive board of the commission itself, as late as june, , stated that the sanitary work of the isthmus had been a failure and recommended that the _personnel_ be changed and other methods tried. but the supreme authorities ... gave us steady support, and by the following december yellow fever had disappeared from the isthmus." [ ] "sanitation in the canal zone." the total deaths among employees of the commission from yellow fever during the months october , , to september , , was , among about , .[ ] the total from yellow fever among the whole population, including canal employees, during the four months may to august , , was , while the number of deaths from malaria during the same period was . the effect of malaria in impairing physical efficiency was even more in excess than these figures indicate, for the fatal cases are a small proportion of the whole in malaria, and a very large proportion in yellow fever. the moral effect of the imminence of the more sudden and fatal form of disease was, however, as these reports show, much the greater, and it was this moral effect which caused the crisis above described. [ ] in - the french company lost by yellow fever men out of about the same number of employees. * * * * * previous to february, , the department of sanitation had done little to improve the hygienic conditions of colon and panama, chiefly owing to the opinion until then maintained by the legal advisers that there was no authority to expend money in those cities, which are not within the canal zone. in april the yellow fever broke out; the number of men employed by the department of sanitation was increased to the huge total of , , and the battle with yellow fever began in earnest. all cases were either transported to screened buildings, or, if left in their own homes, these were carefully screened with fine-meshed copper gauze. the object of this isolation was to prevent the patient from infecting healthy _stegomyia_ mosquitoes. every dwelling in colon and panama was thoroughly fumigated with pyrethrum powder or with sulphur, and then cleared of dust and refuse, which, with the insensible but not always dead mosquitoes, was then burnt. the complete, and, it is hoped, final freedom from yellow fever in colon and panama has been obtained by means of a proper water supply and universal paving with brick or cement, as well as the supply of proper drainage. formerly water for domestic use was stored in cisterns, tanks, tubs, jars, and so forth, and, after rain, water stood stagnantly in a thousand ruts and holes in the unpaved squares, streets, and lanes. these breeding-places of the _stegomyia_ have now been done away with completely in panama, and almost completely in colon. the latter city is so low-lying and flat, and subject to such heavy rainfall, that pools of stagnant water will form. they can, however, be oiled, which kills the larvæ, and, moreover, it is panama, and not the wind-swept, salt-saturated, town of colon, which has been the chief source of yellow fever. the last case of the disease in panama occurred in november, , and in may, , there was an isolated case in colon. the infection is considered to be at an end in a city three months after the last case, that being the lifetime of _stegomyia_. after this period, all infected _stegomyia_ having died, those that remain are powerless for harm. nevertheless, the stringent measures for their destruction are not relaxed, as, while _stegomyia_ exists, the germ, if re-introduced, will be rapidly disseminated. thus the yellow fever, having taken toll for four hundred years of those who crossed the isthmus, has been completely eradicated by. colonel gorgas and his assistants. it is a triumph of science and of despotic government combined; and only in this combination can preventive medicine achieve full success. there is one other aspect of the yellow fever campaign which must be mentioned before going on to describe the fight with malaria. yellow fever, unlike malaria, does not occur in all tropical countries. its home is the west indies, central, and parts of south, america, and, before its extinction in havana, it has been a serious scourge in the southern united states. in the new world cases have occurred as far north as quebec, in europe cases have occurred in wales and france, and there have been serious epidemics in spain. it has never been known east of genoa, whether in europe or elsewhere. thus in africa it is known on the west but not on the east coast. the fact that it is unknown in india is very remarkable, seeing that _stegomyia_ is a very prevalent variety of mosquito there. it follows from this that if yellow fever once got hold in india it would probably spread and might work great havoc. the same is true of china in an even greater degree, for such preventive measures as have been taken in panama would be far more difficult to carry out in the great cities of india, and altogether impracticable in those of china. thus, as colonel gorgas has pointed out, if the canal had been constructed in spite of yellow fever, and if that disease had been allowed then to persist at panama, the disease might not improbably have been carried to asia, for the three months of life of _stegomyia_ is ample for the voyage. in this event the panama canal might have proved a curse rather than a boon to mankind. [illustration: cut south of culebra, landslip on left.] [illustration: looking north, the scarped face of golden hill on the right.] _malaria._ the campaign against malaria has been conducted on somewhat different lines. the _anopheles_, which transmits that disease, deposits its larvæ in clean water where grass and algæ grow, and is therefore almost entirely a mosquito of country districts. but colon and panama, both small cities, are exposed to the disease, as are about seventeen little towns and forty villages for labourers along the line of the canal. as the flight of _anopheles_ is not more than one hundred, or possibly two hundred yards, the working population can be in great measure protected from their attack by destroying the breeding places for such a distance on either side of the dwelling and working places. this in itself is a large task, which could not be carried out in a short time, and while in progress the sanitary department relied mainly upon the erection of buildings completely screened (including the verandahs) with fine copper gauze, which effectually shields the employees against mosquito attack within doors, and therefore during the particularly dangerous hours of night. in addition, the employees are supplied with quinine, and recommended to take three grains daily while in health. this "cinchonises" the blood and renders it unwholesome to the malarial parasite. the effect of screening is shown by the following example from the report of the commission, december, :-- "the first shipload [of european labourers] arrived during the dry season, when mosquitoes were most scarce, and were quartered in unscreened buildings. within six weeks of their arrival per cent. of these labourers had been taken sick with malaria. the second shipload arrived during the rainy season, and were quartered in a camp not yards distant from that of their predecessors. the buildings of the camp were screened. sickness among the men was infrequent, and when they had been upon the isthmus six weeks it was found that only per cent. had found their way to the hospitals." * * * * * the destruction of larvæ, and of their hiding places, is commenced by the clearing of grass and bushes, which are cut down with the _machete_, a short cutlass with which the panamanian is very expert, _machete_ work being, indeed, the principal _rôle_ in which the panamanian is employed by the commission. also ditches are cleaned out, and heavy oil poured upon the water in trenches and pools, and land-crabs are caught and the holes in which they dwell are filled in or oiled. finally the soil is drained, which is the only means of making the ground permanently unfit for mosquito breeding. subsoil draining is the best, a tile drain being put in; for, even in concreted gutters, pools will form, owing to accidental obstruction, and remain sufficiently long for the deposition and hatching of the larvæ. such is the work of the _anopheles_ brigade, and the _stegomyia_ brigade carry out similar operations, in the neighbourhood more particularly of panama. with regard to the effect of these operations upon the numbers of the mosquitoes i may narrate my own experience. i arrived at colon first in january, , and spent one or two nights on board my ship. this was two years and a half after the commencement of the mosquito campaign, and the officers of the ship congratulated themselves upon the absence of the swarms of mosquitoes which formerly attacked them at night on their vessel. i found, however, that although there was no swarm of mosquitoes, such as i have seen, _e.g._, when on board ship in the harbour of colombo, ceylon, yet that the individuals who remained certainly caused me discomfort, and i think some subsequent indisposition. in april, , however, during two days at colon, i did not so much as see a single mosquito. [illustration: looking north from railway bridge at paraiso.] [illustration: abandoned french machinery.] at panama, in january, , my wife and i stayed in the commission's screened hotel on ancon hill, not caring to face the dirt and squalor of the old city. in april, , finding the city properly paved, drained, and plumbed, we took up our quarters at the hotel central in the town, where we spent a fortnight in perfect health; and although this building, not being under the commission, is unscreened, i was only bitten by mosquitoes, to my knowledge, twice during that time, and this without subsequent ill effect. i may add that the picturesque surroundings, not unlike those of some city on the mediterranean, greatly enhance the pleasure of a stay on the isthmus, now that they can be enjoyed without squalid accompaniments. i did not, except on one or two nights, even draw the mosquito curtains. out of doors, in the city of panama, i was not bitten once, though i was attacked once or twice by solitary mosquitoes when walking on roads or paths with shrub or jungle adjoining. this was near the end of the dry season. when the rains commence a greater number of mosquitoes must be expected. natives of the isthmus and the west indies are not immune from malaria, and in - about one-half of the inhabitants who were examined proved to have the parasite of malaria in their blood. as the _anopheles_ becomes infectious through biting a malarious man, it is evident that such a dissemination of the parasite throughout the blood of the human population renders mosquitoes especially dangerous. in the same proportion as the population becomes less malarious, so the mosquitoes become less dangerous, and theoretically a millennium is possible in which man and _anopheles_, mutually purged of the malarial organism, may live happily together. unfortunately, a malarious man it is believed remains infectious to _anopheles_ for no less than three years, instead of the three days' limit of yellow fever, and this greatly increases the difficulty of exterminating malaria. during , with a force of , , there were , cases of malaria admitted to the commission hospitals, and the death-rate from this disease was among whites per thousand, among negroes per thousand. in , with a force of , , there were , cases, the death-rate among whites being per thousand and among negroes per thousand. the increase among whites was due to the greater proportion of the european labourers, whose circumstances are different from those of the skilled artisans and the "screened" clerical staff of americans. the total death-rate from all causes in is shown below:-- --------------------------------------------------------- | average | total | annual death | number. | deaths. | rate per | | | thousand. --------------------+---------+---------+---------------- white employees | , | | . black employees | , | | . |---------+---------+---------------- total | , | , | . --------------------------------------------------------- --but accidents account for a considerable proportion of the deaths. during the same period the average number of american women and children in commission quarters was , , among whom occurred nine deaths, an average annual death-rate of . per thousand. in addition to malaria there is one other disease which proves fatal to considerable numbers of employees, attacking principally the black labourers. this is pneumonia, to which are attributed altogether deaths as against from malaria. it appears that special research is needed into the cause and prevention of this disease among negroes in the tropics. * * * * * in no less than , persons arrived on the isthmus, all of whom had to pass the commission doctor at the entrance port. all but transients are vaccinated on arrival, and great watchfulness is exercised against the introduction of any new disease from abroad. thus, when bubonic plague broke out at guayaquil, the department of sanitation commenced a campaign against rats as a precaution against the spread of the disease (which is propagated by the rat flea) in case quarantine measures failed to keep it out. again, when one or two cases of rabies recently occurred on the isthmus, all dogs for whom an owner could not be found were at once destroyed. _life on the isthmus, and on the future of the white man in the tropics._ the canal zone now being healthy, the life of the americans is a cheerful as well as a busy one. the climate, to which the local diseases used to be attributed, is not by any means wholly bad. there are really two climates, that of the atlantic seaboard and that of the pacific side. colon is somewhat trying on account of the humidity, but a healthy trade-wind blows. the town of panama, though receiving much less rain, is also somewhat humid, owing to there being less breeze. the temperature, however, is lower than that of the great cities of the united states, even in the north, during summer heat-waves, the hours of sunshine are shorter, and the general feeling of oppression is, i think, distinctly less. the ancon suburb, where the commission buildings are situate, is free from the humidity of the low-lying city. the high lands at or near culebra, where a large part of the american population now resides in screened wooden buildings, enjoy in the dry season a bracing climate, a fresh dry wind blowing across the divide, imparting a sense of exhilaration, which is heightened by the fine scenery, the pleasant scents of the surrounding woodland, and the ordered activity of the life. amidst such circumstances the canal official finds it easy to work hard. i noticed in this a great contrast to the condition ten years ago at ismailia, the headquarters of the suez canal administration. this place, before major e. ross's discoveries, suffered severely from malaria, and the officials of the administration, some of whom had resided there for twenty years or more, were in many cases saturated with malarial poison. work for them was a burden, bravely borne indeed, but taken up each day with a sigh. i spent about a fortnight there in a hot season conducting some investigations upon the forms and movement of drifting sand-dunes. i suffered during part of the time from fever, and only kept on working with an effort, whereas on the isthmus i enjoyed more than usual vigour. at culebra, indeed, the dry season is so bracing that the arrival of the rains is welcome for the soothing effect of greater humidity, as well as on account of diminished dust. the white woolly cloud or mist which then wraps round the hill-tops is no longer the "white death," as it was called in the days of the french company, when the vapours were credited the poison which really lurks in the mosquito. even now, however, there is an increase in the number of mosquitoes, and some increase in malaria, when the rains come. [illustration: gang of european labourers (in ).] [illustration: a former hot-bed of malaria, now drained.] not only do the men look well, but the women and children also. the women in general have the same appearance as in the united states; perfectly dressed, as always, quiet in manner, and apparently happy, though occasionally somewhat bored. to the wife, not having the absorbing interest of the canal work, the isthmus is generally less interesting than to her husband, but of late there have grown up organisations for promoting intellectual and other social intercourse which are rapidly relieving the threatened ennui. the children, on the other hand, look actually happier and stronger than they do in the cities of the united states. they are in the open air all day, for sunstroke is rare on the isthmus; they are bronzed, active, fearless in bearing, and apparently thoroughly satisfied with themselves and with their surroundings. even when within doors they are still in a sense in the open air, for the windows are unglazed, and the houses are constructed so as to secure a free circulation of air. it has been said that the possession of india taught the english the value of the cold bath, an institution which has been slowly adopted from us by other northern nations in europe. perhaps the possession of the canal zone will lead to the salutary open-window habit, which is not yet general in the united states. the commission clubs for gold-employees at the principal stations are commodious structures, admirably designed for social recreation; their management is entrusted to the young men's christian association. there are well-equipped reading and writing rooms and gymnasia, mainly used by the men, but the interests of the women and children are not neglected, and for the last playrooms are provided. the large halls are used for entertainments and for meetings of the numerous benevolent "secret" societies which have been so important a factor in the preliminary organisation of american society in newly settled territories. in the clubs only "soft" drinks are provided, but i can testify to their excellent effects. the question whether the white race can make a home in the tropics depends ultimately upon the tropical baby--upon his own health and that of his mother. the american occupation is still recent, but as far as experience goes it seems that the white children born on the isthmus have not shown unusual delicacy, and the mothers have made a normal, though sometimes rather slow, recovery from confinement. the views of colonel gorgas upon the future of the white race in the tropics deserve quotation. he writes[ ]:-- "i think the sanitarian can now show that any population coming into the tropics can protect itself against these two diseases [malaria and yellow fever] by measures that are both simple and inexpensive; that with these two diseases eliminated life in the tropics for the anglo-saxon will be more healthful than in the temperate zones; that gradually, within the next two or three centuries, tropical countries, which offer a much greater return for man's labour than do the temperate zones, will be settled up by the white races, and that again the centres of wealth, civilisation and population will be in the tropics, as they were in the dawn of man's history, rather than in the temperate zone, as at present." [ ] "sanitation in the canal zone." in this connection i may perhaps be permitted to refer to an interesting suggestion made in the course of conversation by colonel gorgas, although i omitted to inquire if it had been published. this suggestion was that the records of the movements of great armies under the rulers of ancient mesopotamia and egypt indicate that malaria did not then exist in the nearer east, and that malaria, like yellow fever, was once a local disease. [illustration: near the site of milaflores locks.] [illustration: looking north to culebra divide from ancon hill.] from what i have seen as tourist and traveller (not as resident) in the west indies and in the orient, i have arrived at the following tentative conclusions, viz.:-- that the debilitating effect which the tropics have been observed to exercise upon those who come from temperate regions has been due mainly to the presence of certain diseases which can be done away with. that the rapid deterioration of the white stock which is usually noticed in the tropics, especially near the equator, is mainly due to the same cause. but that anglo-saxons cannot perform nearly the same amount of hard bodily labour in a constantly hot climate as they can in the temperate zone, and anglo-saxon immigrants never will be able to do so. in this i think the mediterranean races--at all events the spaniards and italians--are our superiors. whether the descendants of anglo-saxon stock who have settled in a tropical country purified from tropical diseases will be able to support continued hard bodily labour better than their immigrant ancestors is a matter about which we have at present no direct evidence. it may possibly be worth noting, however, that some years ago, when wintering in manitoba, i found that some of the farmer immigrants from england felt the cold more as the years went by, but that their children born in the country were unaffected by it. it is the case that in the tropics, particularly in the equable equatorial belt, many evils of the temperate zone are avoided, chiefly those due to cold and to sudden changes of temperature. it is this equatorial belt of equable temperature and heavy rainfall that i chiefly have in mind, for it comprises those vast regions of prolific vegetation which appear capable of supporting so large a population. the white man already rules, or has marked off for rule, the whole of the equatorial belt, but who is to be the peasant cultivating this belt? in those parts of tropical asia already peopled by industrious orientals there can never be a white peasantry. equatorial africa presents great differences in different parts with respect to native population, and the question of a possible future for white peasantry is there a complicated one. in south america, however, there are vast equatorial regions either wholly unpeopled, or sparsely inhabited by tribes of that indian stock which has elsewhere proved so slight an impediment to the establishment of the white labourer. served by a system of rivers unrivalled elsewhere in equatorial regions, already partitioned among christian governments, and for the most part uninhabited, the forests and savannahs of equatorial south america offer the readiest field for the establishment on a vast scale of a white peasantry under the equator. by clearing the scrub within one or two hundred yards of his cottage, and by employing wire screens, the cultivator can protect himself against malaria, and his crops come not once, but several times a year. if the spanish, portuguese, and italian peasant were to turn his attention to this field, instead of, or in addition to, that of navvy work, great things might come of it. the circumstance that south america is a roman catholic continent, where the latin races are dominant, would enormously favour the experiment. on the zone, the spanish labourer works in order to save and to depart, the _milieu_ being foreign to him and unattractive. in a latin state it would be different. in writing of the possibilities of the white race in the equatorial zone it is understood that the problem relates to the lowlands. there are, of course, favoured highlands, such as those of colombia, where the temperature is at the same time moderate and equable and the climate appears admirably adapted to white men. a healthy city life in the tropics would be easily attainable in a new country settled wholly by white people and under a medical despotism. the general, but non-specialist, opinion upon the isthmus is not as sanguine as that of colonel gorgas upon the hygienic future of the white race in the tropics. the general opinion among americans seems to be that, as far as they are concerned, they would, if engaged in the tropical parts of south or central america, avail themselves of the improving means of transit to revisit frequently the united states, and would rely upon such vacations in higher latitudes for the retention of their native vigour. chapter vi on the shortening of distances by sea, and on the steamships available for canal transit _the shortening of distances by sea._ as the sole object of a ship canal is to shorten sea distances, the figures given in this section are of primary importance to a proper understanding of the subject. the figures here given are those for steamships following the actual or prospective routes. they are adopted from the figures supplied to the canal commission from the united states hydrographic bureau and are expressed in nautical miles. it is perhaps not wholly superfluous to warn the reader that the apparent relative distances as shown on charts of the world, especially those on the usual mercator projection, are very different from the real relative distances. moreover, it is impossible to see correctly the relative distances between places far apart on a globe, for the foreshortening of the rounded surface produces distortion. by applying a measuring tape to the globe the true relative distances can be readily ascertained. this is a salutary exercise and serves to correct the erroneous notions which tend to fix themselves in the minds of all of us owing to the appearance of the surface of the globe on the plane of the paper or on the plane of vision. such a measurement of shortest distances would give a very fair notion of the actual reductions due to the suez and panama canals, but there would still be considerable differences between these figures and the distance calculated from the actual courses pursued by steamships, which in what follows will be referred to simply as "the" distance between ports. [illustration: rio grande, near la boca.] [illustration: rio grande, from ancon hill.] the most notable effect of the panama canal will be the reduction of distance between the atlantic and pacific ports of north america. taking new york as our port of reckoning on the atlantic, the distance thence to panama and all ports north thereof on the pacific seaboard of central and north america will be reduced by , miles. the reduction of distance from new york to the pacific ports of south america, on the other hand, is not constant, but varies from the above maximum of , miles at panama to a minimum of about , miles at punta arenas (in the straits of magellan). the _average_ shortening on this coast is therefore , + , ------------- = , miles. the actual shortening to iquique, the nitrate port in chile, is , miles. we shall not be far out in saying briefly that the distance between new york and south american pacific ports will be shortened by an average of , miles. the canal shortens the distance between the pacific coast of the americas and the ports of europe also, though in a lesser degree. thus, taking liverpool as our example (and the reductions are much the same for london, antwerp, or hamburg), the canal will shorten the distance to panama and all ports on the coast to the north by a constant quantity, viz., , miles. the reduction to pacific ports south of panama is not a constant but a variable quantity, ranging from the above maximum of , miles at panama itself to zero at a point between punta arenas and coronel (the most southern industrial port of chile). we may put the average shortening of distance between liverpool and south american pacific ports at about , miles. viewing the whole matter from the standpoint of the pacific ports of the americas, we see an absolute commercial advantage accruing to them all in the diminished distance to the atlantic and gulf ports of north america and to the ports of europe. viewing the matter from the standpoint of the atlantic and gulf ports of north america--to fix our ideas we will say from the standpoint of new york--we see the same absolute advantage _plus_ a competitive advantage, in that the reduction is greater for new york than for liverpool (_i.e._, europe). as the world is at present constituted, steamers from new york and from liverpool proceeding to these pacific ports all pass pernambuco, in brazil, near the easternmost point of south america, not far south of the equator. this port is , miles from liverpool and , miles from new york, so that, by sea, san francisco is only miles nearer to new york than to liverpool. but colon is , miles from liverpool and only , from new york, so that _viâ_ the canal all the pacific ports of the americas are , miles nearer to new york than to liverpool. * * * * * let us next consider the canal as the starting place for transpacific voyages, the _rôle_ for which it was originally projected in the sixteenth century. in those days the isthmus of suez was firmly held by the hostile moslem, and even if a canal had then been open there, it would not have been available for the commerce of christian europe. thus the discovery of a strait, or the cutting of a canal, at the isthmus of panama would at that time have opened to europeans a shorter seaway to the orient. but now that the suez route has been opened for ships, the _panama canal will not bring any port in australia or the east indies, nor any ice-free port in asia or asiatic islands, nearer to any european port_. of all ports on the west, that is to say the old world or "oriental" side, of the pacific, only those of new zealand and some in siberia will be brought nearer to liverpool, and that to an insignificant amount. [illustration: la boca, from ancon hill.] [illustration: ancon cemetery.] distances are, however, much diminished between new york and both the northern and the southern ports of the oriental pacific coasts, as the following table shows:-- new york to-- reduction. yokohama { by suez , } , miles. { by panama , } shanghai { by suez , } , miles. { by panama , } sydney { by cape of good hope , } , miles. { by panama (_viâ_ tahiti) , } melbourne { by cape of good hope , } , miles. { by panama (_viâ_ tahiti) , } wellington,{ by straits of magellan , } , miles. n.z. { by panama (_viâ_ tahiti) , } since the canal does not reduce the distances between these places and europe (except slightly in the case of wellington), the competitive gain of new york is equal in all cases to the absolute gain in distance. the following figures show the distances from new york to hong kong and manila by the suez and panama routes:-- new york to-- reduction. hong kong{ by suez , { by panama , manila { by suez , } { by panama, _viâ_ san francisco } miles. { and yokohama , } { by panama, honolulu and { guam , ports on the mainland of asia in these latitudes are of course nearer to new york by way of suez. the opportunities of a port for commerce obviously depend in a great measure upon the centrality of its position with reference to the other ports of the world. let us see how liverpool and new york were originally situated in this respect, and how far their situations are altered first by the opening of the suez route and secondly by that of panama; remembering also that the changes introduced by the canals have about the same effect on antwerp or hamburg as on liverpool. prior to the opening of the suez canal in the route to asia and australia was _viâ_ the cape of good hope from both liverpool and new york. this gave liverpool an advantage of miles for all asiatic and australian ports as well as for the east coast of africa. for most of south america and all the pacific coast of the americas the route was _viâ_ pernambuco, and new york had an advantage of miles. suez being open but panama still closed, the route to asia is _viâ_ gibraltar for both liverpool and new york. new york is distant , miles and liverpool , from that place, so that liverpool has an advantage of , miles instead of on the voyage to all asiatic ports, a competitive benefit of , miles resulting from the opening of the suez canal. the voyage to australia from new york being still made _viâ_ the cape of good hope, while that from liverpool is most shortly made by suez, liverpool is , miles nearer by the canal and by the cape, thus obtaining a benefit of , miles when the suez route is taken. the opening of the panama route leaves unchanged the relative distances to the atlantic coast of south america, to africa, and to asiatic ports south of shanghai; but it is new york and not liverpool which is now the nearer port to yokohama, sydney, and melbourne; and wellington, new zealand, formerly nearly equidistant, is placed , miles nearer to new york than to liverpool. with reference to northern china, however, it is to be noted that, although the panama route shortens the distance between new york and shanghai by , miles, liverpool will still be the nearer to shanghai by miles, assuming the new york vessel to call at san francisco. [illustration: commission's hotel at ancon.] [illustration: administration building, ancon.] these facts are illustrated by the figures given on the next page. nearer to new york than to liverpool by {new york _viâ_ panama, } { san francisco and by } { great circle , } yokohama {liverpool _viâ_ suez, aden, } , miles. { colombo, singapore, } { hong kong and } { shanghai , } {new york _viâ_ panama } { and tahiti , } sydney {liverpool _viâ_ suez, aden, } { colombo, king george's } , miles { sound, adelaide and } { melbourne , } {new york _viâ_ panama } wellington,{ and tahiti , } n.z. {liverpool _viâ_ panama and } , miles.[ ] { tahiti , } [ ] liverpool to colon, , ; new york to colon, , : difference, , , the subsequent routes being identical. let us take a chart of the world and examine the portion comprised between the parallels of ° north and ° south and the meridians of ° east and ° east of greenwich. this band, in which are included japan and korea, shanghai and the philippines, new guinea and most of australia, is of particular interest in relation to canal trade. let us take the standpoint, not of europe or of america, but of traders residing in this area. near its western margin the suez and the panama routes to new york are equal in length. near its eastern margin, which lies, however, outside japan and australia and only passes among small islands, the suez and panama routes to liverpool are of equal length. on a line rather west of the centre and running from rather west of north to rather east of south, all places are equidistant from new york and liverpool--the latter _viâ_ suez, the former _viâ_ panama. it needs no prophet to foresee interesting commercial developments in a region where the alternative routes and alternative sources of manufacturing supply offer almost equal allurements. i must also draw attention to the position of new orleans and other ports on the gulf of mexico in relation to the canal. at present new orleans by sea is further than new york from valparaiso and san francisco, yokohama and shanghai, but it is miles nearer to colon. hence, when the panama canal is open it will be miles nearer than new york to those ports, and to sydney, melbourne, and wellington. thus, as the mississippi waterway is improved, an increasing proportion of the manufactures and other products of the great mississippi basin will find their way to foreign markets _viâ_ the gulf ports, and an increasing proportion of imports will find their way to the mississippi basin through these ports.[ ] [ ] among west indian ports affected by the canal, kingston, jamaica, must be particularly mentioned. now situate at the entrance of a _cul de sac_, it will then be placed in a position of much greater centrality for the world's commerce, and astride the route from colon to the north american atlantic ports. thus the importance of jamaica as a constituent of the british empire will be enhanced. may the opening of the canal increase the prosperity of our fellow subjects who have suffered so greatly from hurricane and earthquake! in dealing with the shortening of sea routes it was shown that the greatest reduction was that between the two coasts of north america, but even so the sea route remains longer than that by land, so that the question of commercial advantage is not settled by a mere statement of sea distances, and the indisputable and undiluted advantages of the canal route for the atlantic and gulf ports of north america are those of commerce with the pacific coast of south america, with new zealand, australia, japan, northern china, manchuria, and eastern siberia. * * * * * from the naval point of view, however, the results of shortening the sea distance from new york to san francisco are scarcely diminished by the fact of railway communication, since only crews and stores, and not warships, can be transported by rail. in order to understand the effect of the canal upon the naval position of the united states the student of affairs must, in addition to the information given above, examine the positions relatively to the canal of the possessions, particularly the insular possessions, of the united states and of other naval powers. this will enable him to gauge for himself the more permanent factors which determine the value of the new line of communication, the opportunities it affords for concentrating force where wanted, and the responsibilities of defence which it entails. with the aid of a fairly good atlas this can easily be done by anyone acquainted with the general facts of naval power at the present time. the geographical facts, which are perhaps the only ones beyond question or dispute, are sufficiently simple. [illustration: view from spanish fort, panama.] [illustration: cathedral square, panama.] _on the steamships available for canal transit._ the isthmian canal commission, in the report of , distinguishes between the commercial and the industrial benefits of the canal, meaning by the former term the increased carrying of goods, and by the latter the development of production induced by improved facilities of carriage. the tables of distances already given show the _potential_ commercial advantages, and how they are distributed in different measure among different countries, and these figures have all the permanence which makes geographical figures of such enduring importance. but the actual commercial advantage of a ship canal depends equally upon a second factor, viz., the available ship-tonnage. supposing a panama canal to be open at the present time, there would be hardly any united states ships to use it, except in transport between home ports from which ships flying foreign flags are debarred. the transport to south america, new zealand, australia, northern china, and japan would necessarily be almost wholly carried on by ships of other nations, especially british. the absence of an american merchant marine trading with foreign ports is indeed a circumstance without parallel among other nations engaged in modern manufacture. many interesting facts relating to this strange phenomenon were put on record in the debates of the united states senate in the early part of .[ ] [ ] _congressional record_, february , . at that time there was not one steamship flying the flag of the united states between her ports and those of brazil, the argentine, chile, or peru. the three steamships of the oceanic line formerly plying to australia were then laid up in the harbour of san francisco, being unable, although subsidised for mails by the united states government, to compete with foreign vessels. there were, however, three united states steamers plying from puget sound to japan and china, occasionally reaching the philippines. the mails from new york and the other atlantic ports of the united states to brazil and the argentine go _viâ_ europe, so that in this important matter new york is actually , miles further than europe, instead of being miles nearer to those countries.[ ] [ ] senator gallinger, _loc. cit._ in the same debate senator depew said that ships receiving the united states mail subsidy, the only form of subsidy given, have to be american built, manned by americans, and the diet of the sailors as prescribed by law. he added that-- "the labour unions have rightly and properly taken care of their wages. the result is that the cost in wages and food to run american ships under american conditions across the pacific is double that of european or japanese steamers." the relative cost of operating american and european vessels was given by the hon. elihu root, secretary of state, in an address delivered november , ,[ ] as follows:-- the operation of an american steamship of , tons costs $ , per annum more than that of a british ship of this tonnage, or $ . more per ton; and the operation of an american steamship of , tons costs $ , per annum more than that of a german ship of the same size, or $ . more per ton. [ ] address to mississippi commercial congress, kansas city, revised by mr. root and published _nat. geogr. mag._, , vol. xviii. pp. - . thus it is evident that, in spite of geographical advantages, there are at present some grounds for the extreme opinion sometimes expressed in the united states that the canal is being built with american money for the use of europe--and, one may add, of japan. what attempts may be made to remedy this state of things, and what effects such attempts may have, are matters on which i shall not stay to speculate. chapter vii the cost of the canal of the existing canals for ocean-going ships, that of suez was built by a company as a commercial undertaking to earn dividends by tolls. it cost $ , , . the manchester ship canal was partly commercial, partly industrial, _i.e._, the large contribution of the city of manchester was made not as a financial speculation, but in order to promote an undertaking likely to develop the industries of the city. this canal, partly commercial, partly industrial, cost $ , , . the kiel canal has further a military purpose, providing a short line of communication for warships. it cost $ , , . the panama canal is commercial, industrial, and military, and will cost more than all the above put together. [illustration: palace of president of the republic of panama.] [illustration: old flat arch at panama.] up to june , , the united states government have spent $ , , on the panama canal, made up as follows:-- payment to new panama canal company $ , , , and to republic of panama $ , , $ , , expenditure on work prior to july , , , expenditure on work july , -june , , , ----------- total , , the amount authorised to be appropriated by the act of june , , was $ , , , plus $ , , purchase money, that is to say, $ , , in all, for "the canal, harbours, and defences." what the total cost will be is unknown, but colonel goethals stated in evidence (january, ) that the canal would cost at least $ , , , and possibly as much as $ , , . the combined cost of the suez, manchester, and kiel canals has been $ , , . the following important ship canals have been completed for smaller sums:-- u.s.s. st. marie (somewhat more than) $ , , canadian ditto nearly , , amsterdam , , corinth (about) , , cronstadt (about) , , welland (lake erie-lake ontario) , , ---------- total , , adding these figures to those already given, we have a grand total of $ , , for the cost of nine of the greatest existing ship canals, which is about the same as the lowest current official estimate for the final cost of the panama canal. in the case of a commercial company undertaking such a work as the panama canal, the charge for compounded interest increases as the unremunerative years advance at an appalling rate, which would surprise anyone not versed in the cumulative capability of figures which increase in "geometrical progression." fortunately it is not necessary for the united states to reckon the cost of the canal in this way, and the government have been in a peculiarly advantageous position for financing the canal. the bonds bear interest at per cent., and in december, , were slightly above . as all american banks have to deposit gold with the united states treasury it evidently pays to take up and deposit these bonds, which reckon as gold, receiving per cent. interest. moreover, the small amount of securities with government guarantee in america renders such issues convenient, so that the government can raise money more cheaply than with us, although for industrial purposes the rates may be higher. at the present time the payments of government pensions in connection with the civil war are yearly diminishing at a rapid rate. finally, there has been in the treasury a large surplus of cash. thus from one cause and another the expenditure already incurred has not yet been felt. * * * * * as i write the last lines of the account in which i have endeavoured to state the salient facts relating to a great undertaking at only moderate length, i recall our departure from colon harbour on the r.m.s. _orinoco_ homeward bound. i confess that after the canal zone most places seem only half alive, and i long to be back where one can watch human activities so great and so intelligent, while the spirit is soothed by the balmy air which blows warm and fragrant from the tropical forest. may the arduous labours of the isthmian canal commission be crowned with success! index a abbott, brigadier-general hy. l., alhajuela, america, south, possibilities for white peasantry, - _anopheles_ mosquito, _see also_ malaria, , antwerp, port of, _see_ distances arango, mr. r.m., aspinwall, w.h., and colleagues construct panama railway, asiatic ports, _see_ distances australia, _see_ distances b barbadians as labourers, bohio, abandoned site of dam, c california, rush of gold-seekers to, canal, panama, national and commercial status defined, - " " tide-level schemes, , - " " curvatures of, " " time of transit through, " " date of completion, - " suez, opened , " " effect on value of panama route, " " dimensions and cost, , caribbean sea, spain unable to protect her ships in, chagres, river, course of, " " sudden rise of, charles v. of spain, canal project, children, white, health of, on isthmus, climate of the isthmus, - clubs for employees, colombia (formerly new granada), treaty with united states, , " senate of, does not accept offer of united states, , " want of sea-power, colon, protection from "northers," " yellow fever in, columbus discovers bay of limon, commission, isthmian canal, report of , - " " " a second appointed, " " " a third appointed, congress, appoints isthmian canal commission, , " "spooner" act of, - congress, act of, sanctioning -foot-level canal, , constantinople, conquest by turks, , contract construction of canal, proposed by second commission, cortes searches for a strait, culebra, view of works from, described, - " cut, form and dimensions of, - " " amount excavated in, currents in canal advanced as objection to tide-level scheme, " tidal, below milaflores, d dam, bohio, abandoned, " gamboa, controlling feature of tide-level scheme, , " gatun, as proposed in minority report of board of consulting engineers, - " " plans of, april, , - " milaflores, " pedro miguel, de lesseps, ferdinand, forms first panama canal company, , " " plan for tide-level canal, depew, senator, on the cost of operating american ships, dimensions of panama and other canals, - distances, shortening of, by suez canal, " " " by panama canal, - " " " to pacific coast of north america, , " " " to pacific coast of south america, , " " " to asiatic ports, , , , " " " australian and new zealand ports, , , e employees, number of, on canal zone, engineers, french, ability of, " board of consulting, majority scheme for tide-level canal, - " " " " minority scheme for high-level canal, - " names of chief, - " corps of, u.s.a., and public works, excavation, amount of, by french companies, " " " by american commission, f fever, yellow, - " " geographical distribution of, - " malarial, _see_ malaria floods of the chagres river, " control of, forests, tropical, insulate the canal zone, fortifications for defence of the canal, , french companies, excavation accomplished by, " engineers, ability of, " investors, - g gallinger, senator, on the lack of u.s. steamships trading with foreign ports, - gamboa, site of controlling dam of the tide-level scheme, gatun dam, _see_ dam " lake, , " locks, _see_ locks germany, steamships of, cost of operating as compared with american steamships, goethals, colonel george w., corps of engineers, " " " " appointed chairman of commission and chief engineer, april, , "gold roll," _see_ labour, skilled " " europeans on, golden hill, highest original level at, gorgas, colonel w.c., m.d., head of department of sanitation, , , , " " " " on the future of the white race in the tropics, - gorgona, workshops at, grant, president, recommends construction of isthmian canal, , greeks as labourers, gulf ports, _see_ distances h hamburg, _see_ distances harbours, at terminals of canal, havana, yellow fever at, hotels, commission's, for employees, i indies, east, original objective of canal project, ismailia, effect of malaria at, italians as labourers, , " as peasantry in the tropics, j jamaica, effect of canal on position of, jamaicans as labourers, " as policemen, japan, steamships of, to use canal, " _see_ distances k kiel canal, dimensions of, - " " cost, kingston, _see_ jamaica l la boca, tide at, " " scheme for locks abandoned, labour on the isthmus, chinese proposed, " " " west indian, - " " " european, - " " " skilled, - " white, in tropical countries, - " panamanian, limon, bay of, discovered by columbus, liverpool, _see_ distances lock at pedro miguel, depth of water above, " gates described, locks, dimensions of proposed, , " at gatun, distance from deep water, " " gatun, course of canal below, " " depth of water above, " at milaflores, variable lift of, longitude, meridians between which distances _viâ_ suez and panama are equal, m mckinley, president, magellan, straits of, discovered , malaria, - , manchester ship canal, cost of, manila, distance from new york _viâ_ suez and _viâ_ panama, marines, u.s., force of on isthmus, _mauretania_, s.s., dimensions of, , meteorology of isthmus, mexico, war of united states with, milaflores, _see_ dams and locks mississippi, basin of, n naos, isle of, , new granada, treaty of u.s. with, new york, _see_ distances new zealand, _see_ distances nicaragua, canal route through, , o obispo, change in course of chagres river at, _oregon_, battleship, voyage of, , organisation, efficiency of, in and compared, - p panama canal company, first, formed , " " " " in liquidation , " " " new, formed, " " " " accepts offer of $ , , , " " " " work of, " isthmus of, topography, " province of, revolts, " railway, completed , " " purchased by first p. c. company, " " relaying of, " republic of, independence guaranteed by u.s., , pedro miguel, _see_ dams and lock peru, spanish possessions in, protected by isthmus, police, force of, pneumonia among negroes in the tropics, plague, bubonic, r rainfall on the isthmus, reed discovers cause of yellow fever, rio grande, valley of, ross, ronald, discovers cause of malaria, roosevelt, president, , root, the hon. elihu, s st. lawrence, the, a supposed route to china, san blas route, sanitation, department of, , , , , sea-power, importance of, in isthmian affairs, societies, benevolent, in the canal zone, spaniards as navvies and as peasantry in tropics, - , spanish war, voyage of _oregon_ during, steam shovel, rate of loading by, steamships available for canal transit, - " relative cost of operating american and european, _stegomyia_ mosquito, mode of infection by, stephens, john f., chief engineer - , - t tide, range of, at la boca, tolls on the panama canal equal for all nations, tourists, attractions for, on the isthmus, track-shifter, the, transportation of spoil in culebra cut, - treaty between u.s. and new granada, , , " " " great britain (clayton-bulwer) , " " " great britain (hay-pauncefote) , , , " " " republic of panama, , , , tropics, future of white race in, - u united states, civil war in, interrupts canal scheme, unloader, the, for dirt-cars, w wages on the isthmus, _see_ labour wallace, john f., chief engineer, - , water supply for high-level canal, - west indians, relations with american employers, - " " immunity from yellow fever, " " _see also_ labour white race, future of, in tropics, - women, white, life of, on isthmus, y y.m.c.a. and management of clubs, z zone, the canal, unwin brothers, limited, the gresham press, woking and london. [illustration: map of canal zone.] images generously made available by the google books library project (http://books.google.com) note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see -h.htm or -h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h/ -h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h.zip) images of the original pages are available through the the google books library project. see http://www.google.com/books?id=i x ogruymc&oe transcriber's note: text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). small capital text has been replaced with all capitals. the panama canal * * * * * [illustration: the points of authority] the points of authority in this book . all of the chapters in this book pertaining to the actual construction of the canal were read and corrected by colonel george w. goethals, chairman and chief engineer of the isthmian canal commission. . all of the illustrations were made from photographs taken by mr. ernest hallen, the official photographer of the commission. . the book contains the beautiful, colored bird's-eye view of the canal zone, made under the direction of the national geographic society, as well as the black-and-white official map of the canal. . the extensive index was prepared by mr. g. thomas ritchie, of the staff of the library of congress. . the final proofs were revised by mr. howard e. sherman, of the government printing office, to conform with the typographical style of the united states government. "the american government," by the same author, was read by millions of americans, and still holds the record as the world's best seller among all works of its kind. * * * * * [illustration: atlantic ocean pacific ocean courtesy, national geographic magazine, washington, d. c. bird's-eye view of the panama canal copyright, , by the j. n. matthews co., buffalo, n. y.] the panama canal by frederic j. haskin author of "the american government," etc. [illustration: logo] illustrated from photographs taken by ernest allen official photographer of the isthmian canal commission garden city new york doubleday, page & company copyright, , by doubleday, page & company all rights reserved, including that of translation into foreign languages, including the scandinavian press of j. j. little & ives co. new york preface the primary purpose of this book is to tell the layman the story of the panama canal. it is written, therefore, in the simplest manner possible, considering the technical character of the great engineering feat itself, and the involved complexities of the diplomatic history attaching to its inception and undertaking. the temptation to turn aside into the pleasant paths of the romantic history of ancient panama has been resisted; there is no attempt to dispose of political problems that incidentally concern the canal; in short, the book is confined to the story of the canal itself, and the things that are directly and vitally connected with it. colonel goethals was good enough to read and correct the chapters relating to the construction of the canal, and, when shown a list of the chapters proposed, he asked that the one headed "the man at the helm" be omitted. the author felt that to bow to his wishes in that matter would be to fail to tell the whole story of the canal, and so colonel goethals did not read that chapter. every american is proud of the great national achievement at panama. if, in the case of the individual, this book is able to supplement that pride by an ample fund of knowledge and information, its object and purpose will have been attained. acknowledgments the grateful acknowledgments of the author are due to mr. william joseph showalter for his valuable aid in gathering and preparing the material for this book. acknowledgments are also due to colonel george w. goethals, chairman and chief engineer of the isthmian canal commission, for reading and correcting those chapters in the book pertaining to the engineering phases of the work; to mr. ernest hallen, the official photographer of the commission, for the photographs with which the book is illustrated; to mr. gilbert h. grosvenor, editor of the _national geographic magazine_, for permission to use the bird's-eye view map of the canal; to mr. g. thomas ritchie, of the library of congress, for assistance in preparing the index; and to mr. howard e. sherman, of the government printing office, for revising the proofs to conform with the typographical style of the united states government. contents chapter page i. the land divided--the world united ii. greatest engineering project iii. gatun dam iv. the locks v. the lock machinery vi. culebra cut vii. ends of the canal viii. the panama railroad ix. sanitation x. the man at the helm xi. the organization xii. the american workers xiii. the negro workers xiv. the commissary xv. life on the zone xvi. past isthmian projects xvii. the french failure xviii. choosing the panama route xix. controversy with colombia xx. relations with panama xxi. canal zone government xxii. congress and the canal xxiii. sea level canal impossible xxiv. fortifications xxv. fixing the tolls xxvi. the operating force xxvii. handling the traffic xxviii. the republic of panama xxix. other great canals xxx. a new commercial map xxxi. american trade opportunities xxxii. the panama-pacific exposition the illustrations birdseye view of the panama canal zone _color insert_ facing page george w. goethals, chairman and chief engineer a street in the city of panama theodore roosevelt william howard taft woodrow wilson vendors in the streets of panama a native boy marketing lieut. col. w. l. sibert the upper locks at gatun toro point breakwater concrete mixers, gatun a center wall culvert, gatun locks the machinery for moving a lock gate steam shovels meeting at bottom of culebra cut l. k. rourke the man-made canyon at culebra the disastrous effects of slides in culebra cut u. s. ladder dredge "corozal" a mud bucket of the "corozal" w. g. comber col. william c. gorgas the hospital grounds, ancon lieut. frederic mears the old panama railroad sanitary drinking cup mosquito oil drip barrel spraying mosquito oil typical quarters of the married laborer a native hut maj. gen. george w. davis rear admiral j. g. walker theodore p. shonts john f. wallace john f. stevens charles e. magoon richard lee metcalfe emory r. johnson maurice h. thatcher joseph bucklin bishop h. a. gudger joseph c. s. blackburn brig. gen. carroll a. devol american living quarters at cristobal harry h. rousseau lowering a caisson section john burke meal time at an i. c. c. kitchen washington hotel, colon major eugene t. wilson the tivoli hotel, ancon floyd c. freeman i. c. c. club house at culebra a. bruce minear reading room in the i. c. c. club house, culebra col. chester l. harding the gatun upper locks lieut. col. david d. gaillard culebra cut, showing cucaracha slide in left center the man of brawn ferdinand de lesseps an old french excavator near tabernilla philippe bunau-varilla s. b. williamson the lower gates, miraflores locks middle gates, miraflores locks h. o. cole the pay car at culebra edward j. williams uncle sam's laundry at cristobal smoke from heated rocks in culebra cut tom m. cooke the post office, ancon a negro girl a martinique woman san blas chief an indian girl an italian a timekeeper a spaniard a negro boy testing the emergency dam, gatun locks col. harry f. hodges the ancon baseball park caleb m. saville gatun spillway from above and below an electric towing locomotive in action blowing up the second dike south of miraflores locks diagrams a graphic illustration of the material handled at panama a cross section of the gatun dam plan of the gatun dam and locks a profile section of the canal from a model of pedro miguel lock a cross-section of locks, giving an idea of their size one of the gate-leaf master wheels a _mauretania_ in the locks the effect of slides average shape and dimensions of culebra cut the _corozal_ and its method of attack international shipping routes a map showing isthmus with the completed canal the panama canal "_i have read the chapters in 'the panama canal' dealing with the engineering features of the canal and have found them an accurate and dependable account of the undertaking._" geo. w. goethals. the panama canal chapter i the land divided--the world united the panama canal is a waterway connecting the atlantic and pacific oceans, cut through the narrow neck of land connecting the continents of north and south america. it is the solution of the problem of international commerce that became acute in when the eastern roman empire fell before the assaults of the turks, and the land routes to india were closed to western and christian europe. forty years after the crescent supplanted the cross on the dome of st. sophia in constantinople, columbus set sail to seek a western route to the indies. he did not find it, but it was his fortune to set foot on the isthmus of panama, where, more than four centuries later, the goal of his ambition was to be achieved; not by discovery, but by virtue of the strength and wealth of a new nation of which he did not dream, although its existence is due to his own intrepid courage. columbus died not knowing that he had multiplied the world by two, and many voyagers after him also vainly sought the longed-for western passage. magellan sought it thousands of leagues to the southward in the cold and stormy seas that encircle the antarctic continent. scores of mariners sought it to the northward, but only one, amundsen, in the twentieth century, was able to take a ship through the frozen passages of the american north seas. down the western coast of the new continent from the eternal ice of alaska through the tropics to the southern snows of tierra del fuego, the mighty cordilleras stretch a mountain barrier thousands and thousands and thousands of miles. where that mountain chain is narrowest, and where its peaks are lowest, ships may now go through the panama canal. the canal is cut through the narrowest part of the isthmus but one, and through the culebra mountain, the lowest pass but one, in all that longest, mightiest range of mountains. there is a lower place in nicaragua, and a narrower place on the isthmus east of the canal, but the engineers agreed that the route from colon on the atlantic to panama on the pacific through culebra mountain was the most practicable. the canal is miles long. fifteen miles of it is level with the oceans, the rest is higher. ships are lifted up in giant locks, three steps, to sail for more than miles across the continental divide, feet above the surface of the ocean, then let down by three other locks to sea level again. the channel is feet wide at its narrowest place, and the locks which form the two gigantic water stairways are capable of lifting and lowering the largest ships now afloat. a great part of the higher level of the canal is the largest artificial lake in the world, made by impounding the waters of the chagres river, thus filling with water the lower levels of the section. another part of the higher level is culebra cut, the channel cut through the backbone of the continent. almost before columbus died plans were made for cutting such a channel. with the beginning of the nineteenth century and the introduction of steam navigation, the demand for the canal began to be insistent. many plans were made, but it remained for the french, on new year's day of , actually to begin the work. they failed, but not before they had accomplished much toward the reduction of culebra cut. they expended between and no less than $ , , in their ill-fated efforts. in the united states of america undertook the task. in a decade it was completed and the americans had spent, all told, $ , , in the project. because the atlantic lies east and the pacific west of the united states, one is likely to imagine the canal as a huge ditch cut straight across a neck of land from east to west. but it must be remembered that south america lies eastward from north america, and that the isthmus connecting the two has its axis east and west. the canal, therefore, is cut from the atlantic south-eastward to the pacific. it lies directly south of pittsburgh, pa., and it brings peru and chile closer to new york than california and oregon. the first miles of the canal, beginning at the atlantic end, run directly south and from thence to the pacific it pursues a serpentine course in a southeasterly direction. at the northern, or atlantic, terminus are the twin cities of colon and cristobal, colon dating from the middle of the nineteenth century when the railroad was built across the isthmus, and cristobal having its beginnings with the french attempt in . at the southern, or pacific, terminus are the twin cities of panama and balboa. panama was founded in after the destruction by morgan, the buccaneer, of an elder city established in . the ruins of the old city stand miles east of the new, and, since their story is one, it may be said that panama is the oldest city of the western world. balboa is yet in its swaddling clothes, for it is the new american town destined to be the capital of the american territory encompassing the canal. the waterway is cut through a strip of territory called the canal zone, which to all intents and purposes is a territory of the united states. this zone is miles wide and follows the irregular line of the canal, extending miles on either side from the axis of the channel. this canal zone traverses and separates the territory of the republic of panama, which includes the whole of the isthmus, and has an area about equal to that of indiana and a population of , or about that of washington city. the two chief panaman cities, panama and colon, lie within the limits of the canal zone, but, by the treaty, they are excepted from its government and are an integral part of the republic of panama, of which the city of panama is the capital. cristobal and balboa, although immediately contiguous to colon and panama, are american towns under the american flag. the canal zone historically and commercially has a record of interest and importance longer and more continuous than any other part of the new world. columbus himself founded a settlement here at nombre de dios; balboa here discovered the pacific ocean; across this narrow neck was transported the spoil of the devastated empire of the incas; here were the ports of call for the spanish gold-carrying galleons; and here centered the activities of the pirates and buccaneers that were wont to prey on the commerce of the spanish main. over this route, on the shoulders of slaves and the back of mules, were transported the wares in trade of spain with its colonies not only on the west coasts of the americas, but with the philippines. not far from colon was the site of the colony of new caledonia, the disastrous undertaking of the scotchman, patterson, who founded the bank of england, to duplicate in america the enormous financial success of the east india company in asia. here in the ancient city of panama in the early part of the nineteenth century assembled the first pan american conference that gave life to the monroe doctrine and ended the era of european colonization in america. here was built with infinite labor and terrific toll of life the first railroad connecting the atlantic and the pacific oceans--a railroad less than miles in length, but with perhaps the most interesting story in the annals of railroading. across this barrier in ' clambered the american argonauts, seeking the newly discovered golden fleeces of california. this was the theater of the failure of count de lesseps, the most stupendous financial fiasco in the history of the world. and this, now, is the site of the most expensive and most successful engineering project ever undertaken by human beings. it cost the french $ , , to fail at panama where the americans, at the expenditure of $ , , , succeeded. and, of the excavation done by the french, only $ , , worth was available for the purpose of the americans. that the americans succeeded where the french had failed is not to be assigned to the superiority of the american over the french nation. the reasons are to be sought, rather, in the underlying purposes of the two undertakings, and in the scientific and engineering progress made in the double decade intervening between the time when the french failure became apparent and the americans began their work. in the first place, the french undertook to build the canal as a money-making proposition. people in every grade of social and industrial life in france contributed from their surpluses and from their hard-earned savings money to buy shares in the canal company in the hope that it would yield a fabulously rich return. estimates of the costs of the undertaking, made by the engineers, were arbitrarily cut down by financiers, with the result that repeated calls were made for more money and the shareholders soon found to their dismay that they must contribute more and yet more before they could hope for any return whatever. from the beginning to the end, the french canal company was concerned more with problems of promotion and finance than with engineering and excavation. as a natural result of this spirit at the head of the undertaking the whole course of the project was marred by an orgy of graft and corruption such as never had been known. every bit of work was let out by contract, and the contractors uniformly paid corrupt tribute to high officers in the company. no watch was set on expenditures; everything bought for the canal was bought at prices too high; everything it had to sell was practically given away. in the next place, the french were pitiably at the mercy of the diseases of the tropics. the science of preventive medicine had not been sufficiently developed to enable the french to know that mosquitoes and filth were enemies that must be conquered and controlled before it would be possible successfully to attack the land barrier. yellow fever and malaria killed engineers and common laborers alike. the very hospitals, which the french provided for the care of the sick, were turned into centers of infection for yellow fever, because the beds were set in pans of water which served as ideal breeding places for the death-bearing stegomyia. in this atmosphere of lavish extravagance caused by the financial corruption, and in the continual fear of quick and awful death, the morals of the french force were broken; there was no determined spirit of conquest; interest centered in champagne and women; the canal was neglected. yet, in spite of this waste, this corruption of money and morals, much of the work done by the french was of permanent value to the americans; and without the lessons learned from their bitter experience it would have been impossible for the americans or any other people to have completed the canal so quickly and so cheaply. the americans brought to the task another spirit. the canal was to be constructed not in the hope of making money, but, rather, as a great national and popular undertaking, designed to bring the two coasts of the great republic in closer communication for purposes of commerce and defense. the early estimates made by the american engineers were far too low, but the french experience had taught the united states to expect such an outcome. indeed, it is doubtful if anybody believed that the first estimates would not be doubled or quadrupled before the canal was finished. [illustration: signature of george goethals _chairman and chief engineer_] [illustration: a street in the city of panama] the journey of the u. s. s. _oregon_ around the horn from pacific waters to the theater of the war with spain in the caribbean, in , impressed upon the american public the necessity of building the canal as a measure of national defense. commercial interests long had been convinced of its necessity as a factor in both national and international trade, and, when it was realized that the _oregon_ would have saved , miles if there had been a canal at panama, the american mind was made up. it determined that the canal should be built, whatever the cost. from the very first there was never any question that the necessary money would be forthcoming. it is a fact unprecedented in all parliamentary history that all of the appropriations necessary for the construction and completion of the isthmian waterway were made by congress without a word of serious protest. during the same war with spain that convinced the united states that the canal must be built, a long forward step was taken in the science of medicine as concerned with the prevention and control of tropical diseases. the theory that yellow fever was transmitted by mosquitoes had been proved by a cuban physician, dr. carlos finley, a score of years earlier. an englishman, sir patrick manson, had first shown that disease might be transmitted by the bites of insects, and another englishman, maj. roland ross, had shown that malaria was conveyed by mosquitoes. it remained, however, for american army surgeons to demonstrate, as they did in cuba, that yellow fever was transmissible only by mosquitoes of the stegomyia variety and by no other means whatsoever. with this knowledge in their possession the americans were able to do what the french were not--to control the chief enemy of mankind in torrid climes. in the first years of the work the public, and congress, reflecting its views, were not sufficiently convinced of the efficacy of the new scientific discoveries to afford the means for putting them into effect. the isthmian canal commission refused to honor requisitions for wire screens, believing that they were demanded to add to the comfort and luxury of quarters on the zone, rather than for protection against disease. but the outbreak of yellow fever in was the occasion for furnishing the sanitary department, under col. w. c. gorgas, with the necessary funds, and thus provided, he speedily and completely stamped out the epidemic. from that time on, no one questioned the part that sanitation played in the success of the project. the cities of panama and colon were cleaned up as never were tropical cities cleaned before. all the time, every day, men fought mosquitoes that the workers in the ditch might not be struck down at their labors. the americans, too, made mistakes. in the beginning they attempted to build the canal under the direction of a commission with headquarters in washington. this commission, at long distance and by methods hopelessly involved in red tape, sought to direct the activities of the engineer in charge on the isthmus. the public also was impatient with the long time required for preparation and insistently demanded that "the dirt begin to fly." the work was begun in . it proceeded so slowly that two years later the chairman of the isthmian canal commission asserted that it must be let out to a private contractor, this being, in his opinion, the only way possible to escape the toils of governmental red tape. the then chief engineer, the second man who had held that position while fretting under these methods, was opposed to the contract system. bids were asked for, however, but all of them were rejected. fortunately, congress from the beginning had left the president a practically free hand in directing the course of the project. mr. roosevelt reorganized the commission, made col. george w. goethals, an army engineer, chairman of the commission and chief engineer of the canal. the constitution of the commission was so changed as to leave all the power in the hands of the chairman and to lay all of the responsibility upon his shoulders. it was a master stroke of policy, and the event proved the choice of the man to be admirable in every way. from the day the army engineers took charge there was never any more delay, never any halt in progress, and the only difficulties encountered were those of resistant nature (such as the slides in culebra cut) and those of misinformed public opinion (such as the absurd criticism of the gatun dam). the americans, too, in the early stages of the work were hampered by reason of the fact that the final decision as to whether to build a sea-level canal or a lock canal was so long delayed by the conflicting views of the partisans of each type in congress, in the executive branches of the government, and among the engineers. this problem, too, was solved by mr. roosevelt. he boldly set aside the opinion of the majority of the engineers who had been called in consultation on the problem, and directed the construction of a lock canal. the wisdom of this decision has been so overwhelmingly demonstrated that the controversy that once raged so furiously now seems to have been but a tiny tempest in an insignificant teapot. one other feature of the course of events under the american régime at panama must be considered. graft and corruption had ruined the french; the americans were determined that whether they succeeded or not, there should be no scandal. this, indeed, in part explains why there was so much apparently useless circumlocution in the early stages of the project. congress, the president, the engineers, all who were in responsible position, were determined that there should be no graft. there was none. not only were the americans determined that the money voted for the canal should be honestly and economically expended, but they were determined, also, that the workers on the canal should be well paid and well cared for. to this end they paid not only higher wages than were current at home for the same work, but they effectively shielded the workers from the exactions and extortions of latin and oriental merchants by establishing a commissary through which the employees were furnished wholesome food at reasonable prices--prices lower, indeed, than those prevailing at home. as a result of these things the spirit of the americans on the canal zone, from the chairman and chief engineer down to the actual diggers, was that of a determination to lay the barrier low, and to complete the job well within the limit of time and at the lowest possible cost. in this spirit all americans should rejoice, for it is the highest expression of the nearest approach we have made to the ideals upon which the fathers founded our republic. it is impossible to leave out of the reckoning, in telling the story of the canal, the checkered history of the diplomatic engagements on the part of the united states, that have served both to help and to hinder the undertaking. what is now the republic of panama has been, for the greater part of the time since continental latin america threw off the yoke of spain, a part of that republic having its capital at bogota, now under the name of colombia, sometimes under the name of new granada, sometimes a part of a federation including venezuela and ecuador. the united states, by virtue of the monroe doctrine, always asserted a vague and undefined interest in the local affairs of the isthmus. this was translated into a concrete interest when, in , a treaty was made, covering the construction of the railroad across the isthmus, the united states engaging always to keep the transit free and open. great britain, by virtue of small territorial holdings in central america and of larger claims there, also had a concrete interest, which was acknowledged by the united states, in the clayton-bulwer treaty of , under which a projected canal should be neutral under the guarantee of the governments of the united states and great britain. for years the united states was inclined to favor a canal cut through nicaragua, rather than one at panama, and, after , when the american nation had made up its mind to build a canal somewhere, the partisans of the panama and nicaragua routes waged a bitter controversy. congress finally decided the issue by giving the president authority to construct a canal at panama, with the proviso that should he be unable to negotiate a satisfactory treaty with colombia, which then owned the isthmus, he should proceed to construct the canal through nicaragua. under this threat of having the scepter of commercial power depart forever from panama, colombia negotiated a treaty, known as the hay-herran treaty, giving the united states the right to construct the canal. this treaty, however, failed of ratification by the colombian congress, with the connivance of the very colombian president who had negotiated it. but president roosevelt was most unwilling to accept the alternative given him by congress--that of undertaking the canal at nicaragua--and this unwillingness, to say the least, encouraged a revolution in panama. this revolution separated the isthmus from the republic of colombia, and set up the new republic of panama. as a matter of fact, panama had had but the slenderest relations with the bogota government, had been for years in the past an independent state, had never ceased to assert its own sovereignty, and had been, indeed, the theater of innumerable revolutions. the part the united states played in encouraging this revolution, the fact that the united states authorities prevented the transit of colombian troops over the panama railway, and that american marines were landed at the time, has led to no end of hostile criticism, not to speak of the still pending and unsettled claims made by colombia against the united states. mr. roosevelt himself, years after the event and in a moment of frankness, declared: "i took panama, and left congress to debate it later." whatever may be the final outcome of our controversy with colombia, it may be confidently predicted that history will justify the coup d'état on the theory that panama was the best possible site for the interoceanic canal, and that the rupture of relations between the territory of the isthmus and the colombian republic was the best possible solution of a confused and tangled problem. these diplomatic entanglements, however, as the canal is completed, leave two international disputes unsettled--the one with colombia about the genesis of the canal undertaking, and the other with great britain about the terms of its operation. congress, in its wisdom, saw fit to exempt american vessels engaged exclusively in coastwise trade--that is to say, in trade solely between ports of the united states--from payment of tolls in transit through the canal. this exemption was protested by great britain on the ground that the hay-pauncefote treaty, which took the place of the clayton-bulwer treaty, provided that the canal should be open to all nations on exact and equal terms. the future holds the termination of both these disputes. congress, that never begrudged an appropriation, indulged in many disputes concerning the building and operation of the canal. first, there was the controversy as to site, between nicaragua and panama. next, came the question as to whether the canal should be at sea level or of a lock type. then there was the question of tolls, and the exemption of american coastwise traffic. but, perhaps the most acrimonious debates were on the question as to whether or not the canal should be fortified. those who favored fortification won their victory, and the canal was made, from a military standpoint, a very gibraltar for the american defense of, and control over, the caribbean. that this was inevitable was assured by two facts: one that the trip of the _oregon_ in crystallized public sentiment in favor of constructing the canal; and the other that the canal itself was wrought by army engineers under the direction of colonel goethals. colonel goethals never for a moment considered the possibility that congress would vote against fortifications, and the whole undertaking was carried forward on that basis. if the military idea, the notion of its necessity as a feature of the national defense, was the determining factor in initiating the canal project, it remains a fact that its chief use will be commercial, and that its money return, whether small or large, nearly all will be derived from tolls assessed upon merchant vessels passing through it. [illustration: the three presidents under whose direction the canal was built] [illustration: venders in the streets of panama] [illustration: a native boy marketing] the question of the probable traffic the canal will be called upon to handle was studied as perhaps no other world-wide problem of transportation ever was. prof. emory r. johnson was the student of this phase of the question from the beginning to the end. he estimates that the canal in the first few years of its operation will have a traffic of , , tons of shipping each year, and that by this will have increased to , , tons, the full capacity of the canal in its present form. provision has been made against this contingency by the engineers who have so constructed the canal that a third set of locks at each end may be constructed at a cost of about $ , , , and these will be sufficient almost to double the present ultimate capacity, and to take care of a larger volume of traffic than now can be foreseen. americans are interested, first of all, in what the canal will do for their own domestic trade. it brings seattle , miles nearer to new york; san francisco, , miles nearer to new orleans; honolulu , miles nearer to new york than by the strait of magellan. such saving in distance for water-borne freight works a great economy, and inevitably must have a tremendous effect upon transcontinental american commerce. in foreign commerce, also, some of the distances saved are tremendous. for instance, guayaquil, in ecuador, is , miles nearer to new york by the canal than by the strait of magellan; yokohama is nearly , miles nearer to new york by panama than by suez; and melbourne is , miles closer to liverpool by panama than by either suez or the cape of good hope. curiously enough, the distance from manila to new york, by way of suez and panama, is almost the same, the difference in favor of panama being only miles out of a total of , miles. the difference in distance from hongkong to new york by the two canals is even less, being only miles, this slight advantage favoring suez. but it is not by measure of distances that the effect of the canal on international commerce may be measured. it spells the development of the all but untouched western coast of south america and mexico. it means a tremendous up-building of foreign commerce in our own mississippi valley and gulf states. it means an unprecedented commercial and industrial awakening in the states of our pacific coast and the provinces of western canada. while it was not projected as a money-making proposition, it will pay for its maintenance and a slight return upon the money invested from the beginning, and in a score of years will be not only self-supporting, but will yield a sufficient income to provide for the amortization of its capital in a hundred years. the story of how this titanic work was undertaken, of how it progressed, and of how it was crowned with success, is a story without a parallel in the annals of man. the canal itself, as ambassador bryce has said, is the greatest liberty man has ever taken with nature. its digging was a steady and progressive victory over sullen and resistant nature. the ditch through culebra mountain was eaten out by huge steam shovels of such mechanical perfection that they seemed almost to be alive, almost to know what they were doing. the rocks and earth they bit out of the mountain side were carried away by trains operating in a system of such skill that it is the admiration of all the transportation world, for the problem of disposing of the excavated material was even greater than that of taking it out. the control of the torrential chagres river by the gatun dam, changing the river from the chief menace of the canal to its essential and salient feature, was no less an undertaking. and, long after gatun dam and culebra cut cease to be marvels, long after the panama canal becomes as much a matter of course as the suez canal, men still will be thrilled and impressed by the wonderful machinery of the locks--those great water stairways, operated by machinery as ingenious as gigantic, and holding in check with their mighty gates such floods as never elsewhere have been impounded. it is a wonderful story that this book is undertaking to tell. there will be much in it of engineering feats and accomplishments, because its subject is the greatest of all engineering accomplishments. there will be much in it of the things that were done at panama during the period of construction, for never were such things done before. there will be much in it of the history of how and why the american government came to undertake the work, for nothing is of greater importance. there will be something in it of the future, looking with conservatism and care as far ahead as may be, to outline what the completion of this canal will mean not only for the people of the united states, but for the people of all the world. much that might be written of the romantic history of the isthmian territory--tales of discoverers and conquistadores, wild tales of pirates and buccaneers, serio-comic narratives of intrigue and revolution--is left out of this book, because, while it is interesting, it now belongs to that antiquity which boasts of many, many books; and this volume is to tell not of panama, but of the panama canal--on the threshold of its story, fitted by a noble birth for a noble destiny. chapter ii greatest engineering project the panama canal is the greatest engineering project of all history. there is more than the patriotic prejudice of a people proud of their own achievements behind this assertion. men of all nations concede it without question, and felicitate the united states upon the remarkable success with which it has been carried out. so distinguished an authority as the rt. hon. james bryce, late british ambassador to washington, and a man not less famous in the world of letters than successful in the field of diplomacy, declared before the national geographic society that not only is the panama canal the greatest undertaking of the past or the present but that even the future seems destined never to offer any land-dividing, world-uniting project comparable to it in magnitude or consequence. we are told that the excavations total , , cubic yards; that the gatun dam contains , , cubic yards of material; and that the locks and spillways required the laying of some , , cubic yards of concrete. but if one is to realize the meaning of this he must get out of the realm of cubic yards and into the region of concrete comparisons. every one is familiar with the size and shape of the washington monument. with its base of feet square and its height of feet, it is one of the most imposing of all the hand reared structures of the earth. yet the material excavated from the big waterway at panama represents , such solid-built shafts. placed in a row with base touching base they would traverse the entire isthmus and reach miles beyond deep water in the two oceans at panama. placed in a square with base touching base they would cover an area of acres. if all the material were placed in one solid shaft with a base as large as the average city block, it would tower nearly , feet in the air. another illustration of the magnitude of the quantity of material excavated at panama may be had from a comparison with the pyramid of cheops, of which noble pile some one has said that "all things fear time, but time fears only cheops." we are told that it required a hundred thousand men years to make ready for the building of that great structure, and years more to build it. there were times at panama when, in working days, more material was removed from the canal than was required to build cheops, and from first to last the americans removed material enough to build sixty-odd pyramids such as cheops. were it all placed in one such structure, with a base as large as that of cheops, the apex would tower higher into the sky than the loftiest mountain on the face of the earth. still another way of arriving at a true conception of the work of digging the big waterway is to consider that enough material had to be removed by the americans to make a tunnel through the earth at the equator more than feet square. [illustration: a graphic representation of the material handled at panama] but perhaps the comparison that will best illustrate the immensity of the task of digging the ditch is that of the big lidgerwood dirt car, on which so much of the spoil has been hauled away. each car holds about cubic yards of dirt, and cars make a train. the material removed from the canal would fill a string of these cars reaching about three and a half times around the earth, and it would take a string of panama railroad engines reaching almost from new york to honolulu to move them. yet all these comparisons have taken account of the excavations only. the construction of the panama canal represents much besides digging a ditch, for there were some immense structures to erect. principal among these, so far as magnitude is concerned, was the gatun dam, that big ridge of earth a mile and a half long, half a mile thick at the base, and feet high. it contains some , , cubic yards of material, enough to build more than solid shafts like the washington monument. then there was the dam at pedro miguel--"peter magill," as the irreverent boys of panama christened it--and another at miraflores, each of them small in comparison with the great embankment at gatun, but together containing as much material as solid shafts like our washington monument. besides these structures there still remain the locks and spillways, with their four and a half million cubic yards of concrete and their hundreds and thousands of tons of steel. with all these astonishing comparisons in mind, is it strange that the digging of the panama canal is the world's greatest engineering project? are they not enough to stamp it as the greatest single achievement in human history? yet even they, pregnant of meaning as they are, fail to reveal the full and true proportions of the work of our illustrious army of canal diggers. they tell nothing of the difficulties which were overcome--difficulties before which the bravest spirit might have quailed. when the engineers laid out the present project, they calculated that , , cubic yards of material would have to be excavated, and predicted that the canal diggers would remove that much in nine years. since that time the amount of material to be taken out has increased from one cause or another until it now stands at more than double the original estimate. at one time there was an increase for widening the culebra cut by per cent. at another time there was an increase to take care of the acres of slides that were pouring into the big ditch like glaciers. at still another time there was an increase for the creation of a small lake between the locks at pedro miguel and miraflores. at yet another time it was found that the chagres river and the currents of the atlantic and the pacific oceans were depositing large quantities of silt and mud in the canal, and this again raised the total amount of material to be excavated. but none of these unforeseen obstacles and additional burdens dismayed the engineers. they simply attacked their problem with renewed zeal and quickened energy, with the result that they excavated in seven years of actual operations more than twice as much material as they were expected to excavate in nine years. in other words, the material to be removed was increased per cent and yet the canal was opened at least months ahead of the time predicted. how this unprecedented efficiency was developed forms in itself a remarkable story of achievement. the engineers met with insistent demands that they "make the dirt fly." the people had seen many months of preparation, but they had no patience with that; they wanted to see the ditch begin to deepen. it was a critical stage in the history of the project. if the dirt should fail to fly public sentiment would turn away from the canal. so john f. stevens addressed himself to making it fly. before he left he had brought the monthly output almost up to the million yard mark. when that mark was passed the president of the united states, on behalf of himself and the nation, sent a congratulatory message to the canal army. many people asserted that it was nothing but a burst of speed; but the canal diggers squared themselves for a still higher record. they forced up the mark to two million a month, and straightway used that as a rallying point from which to charge the heights three million. once again the standard was raised; "four million" became the slogan. wherever that slogan was flashed upon a y.m.c.a. stereoptican screen there was cheering--cheering that expressed a determined purpose. finally, when march, , came around all hands went to work with set jaws, and for the only time in the history of the world, there was excavated on a single project, , , cubic yards of material in one month. with the dirt moving, came the question of the cost of making it fly. by eliminating a bit of lost motion here and taking up a bit of waste there, even with the price of skilled labor fully per cent higher on the isthmus than in the states, unit costs were sent down to surprisingly low levels. for instance, in it was costing - / cents a cubic yard to operate a steam shovel; in this had been forced down to - / cents a yard. in more than - / cents were expended to haul a cubic yard of spoil miles; in a cubic yard was hauled miles for a little more than - / cents. some of the efficiency results were astonishing. to illustrate: one would think that the working power of a ton of dynamite would be as great at one time as another; and yet the average ton of dynamite in did just twice as much work as in . no less than $ , a month was saved by shaking out cement bags. it was this wonderful efficiency that enabled the united states to build the canal for $ , , when without it the cost might have reached $ , , . in , after the army had been going at regulation double-quick for a year, a board was appointed to estimate just how much material would have to be taken out, and how much it would cost. that board estimated that the project as then planned would require the excavation of , , cubic yards of material, and that the total cost of the canal as then contemplated would be $ , , . also it was estimated that the canal would be completed by january , . after that time the amount of material to be excavated was increased by , , cubic yards, and yet so great was the efficiency developed that the savings effected permitted that great excess of material to be removed without the additional expense of a single penny above the estimates of , and in less time than was forecast. although the difficulties that beset the canal diggers were such as engineers never before encountered, they were met and brushed aside, and all the world's engineering records were smashed into smithereens. it required years to build the suez canal, through a comparatively dry and sandy region. when the work at panama was at its height the united states was excavating the equivalent of a suez canal every months. likewise it required many years to complete the manchester ship canal between liverpool and manchester, a distance of miles. this canal cost so much more than was estimated that money was raised for its completion only with the greatest difficulty. yet at panama the americans dug four duplicates of the manchester ship canal in five years. all of this was done in spite of the fact that they had to work in a moist, hot, enervating climate where for nine months in a year the air seems filled with moisture to the point of saturation, and where, for more than half the length of the great ditch, the annual rainfall often amounts to as much as feet--all of this falling in the nine months of the wet season. a few comparisons outside of the construction itself will serve to illustrate the tremendous proportions of the work. paper money was not handled at all in paying off the canal army. it took three days to pay off the force with american gold and panaman silver. when pay day was over there had been given into the hands of the americans, and thrown into the hats of the spaniards and west indian negroes, , pounds of gold and tons of silver. when it is remembered that this performance was repeated every month for seven years, one may imagine the enormous outlay of money for labor. the commissary also illustrates the magnitude of the work. five million loaves of bread, a hundred thousand pounds of cheese, more than , , pounds of meat, half a million pounds of poultry, more than a thousand carloads of ice, more than a million pounds of onions, half a million pounds of butter--these are some of the items handled in a single year. wherever one turns he finds things which furnish collateral evidence of the magnitude of the work. the sanitary department used each year , gallons of mosquito oil, distributed thousands of pounds of quinine, cut and burned millions of square yards of brush, and spent half a million dollars for hospital maintenance. no other great engineering project has allowed such a remarkable "margin of safety"--the engineering term for doing things better than they need to be done. the engineers who dug the canal took nothing for granted. no rule of physics was so plain or so obvious as to escape actual physical proof before its acceptance, when such proof was possible. no one who knows how the engineers approached the subject, how they resolved every doubt on the side of safety, and how they kept so far away from the danger line as actually to make their precaution seem excessive can doubt that the panama canal will go down in history as the most thorough as well as the most extensive piece of engineering in the world. chapter iii gatun dam the key to the whole panama canal is gatun dam, that great mass of earth that impounds the waters of the chagres river, makes of the central portion of the canal a great navigable lake with its surface feet above the level of the sea, and, in short, renders practicable the operation of a lock type of canal across the isthmus. around no other structure in the history of engineering did the fires of controversy rage so furiously and so persistently as they raged for several years around gatun dam. it was attacked on this side and that; its foundations were pronounced bad and its superstructure not watertight. doubt as to the stability of such a structure led some of the members of the board of consulting engineers to recommend a sea-level canal. further examination of the site and experimentation with the materials of which it was proposed to construct it, showed the engineers that it was safe as to site and satisfactory as to superstructure. the country had about accepted their conclusions, when, in the fall of , there was a very heavy rain on the isthmus, and some stone which had been deposited on the soil on the upstream toe of the dam, sank out of sight--just as the engineers expected it to do. a story thereupon was sent to the states announcing that the gatun dam had given way and that the chagres river was rushing unrestrained through it to the sea. the public never stopped to recall that the dam was not yet there to give way, or to inquire exactly what had happened, and a wave of public distrust swept over the country. to make absolutely certain that everything was all right, and to restore the confidence of the people in the big project, president roosevelt selected the best board of engineers he could find and sent them to the isthmus in company with president-elect taft to see exactly what was the situation at gatun. they examined the site, they examined the material, they examined the evidence in colonel goethal's hands. when they got through they announced that they had only one serious criticism to make of the dam as proposed. "it is not necessary to tie a horse with a log chain to make sure he can not break away," observed one of them, "a smaller chain would serve just as well." and so they recommended that the crest of the dam be lowered from feet to feet. still later this was cut to feet. they found that the underground river whose existence was urged by all who opposed a lock canal, flowed nowhere save in the fertile valleys of imagination. the engineers had known this a long time, but out of deference to the doubters they had decided to drive a lot of interlocking sheet piling across the chagres valley. "what's the use trying to stop a river that does not exist?" queried the engineers, and so the sheet piling was omitted. as a matter of fact, gatun dam proved the happiest surprise of the whole waterway. in every particular it more than fulfilled the most optimistic prophecies of the engineers. they said that what little seepage there would be would not hurt anything; the dam answered by showing no seepage at all. they said that the hydraulic core would be practically impervious; it proved absolutely so. where it was once believed that gatun dam would be the hardest task on the isthmus it proved to be the easiest. culebra cut exchanged places with it in that regard. gatun dam contains nearly , , cubic yards of material. assuming that it takes two horses to pull a cubic yard of material it would require twice as many horses as there are in the united states to move the dam were it put on wheels. loaded into ordinary two-horse dirt wagons it would make a procession of them some , miles long. the dam is a mile and a half long, a half mile thick at the base, feet thick at the water line, and feet thick at the crest. its height is feet. yet in spite of its vast dimensions it is the most inconspicuous object in the landscape. grown over with dense tropical vegetation it looks little more conspicuous than a gradual rise in the surface of the earth. passengers passing gatun on the panama railroad scarcely recognize the dam as such when they see it, so gradual are its slopes. an excellent idea of the gentle incline of the dam may be had by referring to the accompanying figure, which shows the outlines of a cross section of the dam. the materials of which it is constructed are also shown there. starting on the upstream side there is a section made of solid material from culebra cut. beyond this is the upstream toe of the dam, which is made of the best rock in the culebra cut. after this comes the hydraulic fill. this material is a mixture of sand and clay which, when it dries out thoroughly, is compact and absolutely impervious to water. it was secured from the river channel and pumped with great -inch centrifugal pumps into the central portion of the dam, where a veritable pond was formed; the heavier materials settled to the bottom, forming layer after layer of the core, while the lighter particles, together with the water, passed off through drain pipes. in this way the water was not only the hod carrier of the dam construction, but the stone mason as well. where there was the tiniest open space, even between two grains of sand, the water found it and slipped in as many small particles as were necessary to stop it up. [illustration: a cross-section of the gatun dam] above the hydraulic fill on the upstream side is a layer of solid material, while that part of the face of the dam exposed to wave action is covered with heavy rock. the same is true of the crest. on the downstream half of the dam there is approximately feet of hydraulic fill, then feet of solid fill, then a -foot toe, and then ordinary excavated material. the chagres valley is a wide one until it reaches gatun. here it narrows down to a mile and a half. it is across this valley that the gatun dam is thrown in opposition to the seaward journey of the chagres waters. at the halfway point across the valley there was a little hill almost entirely of solid rock. it happened to be planted exactly at the place the engineers needed it. here they could erect their spillway for the control of the water in the lake above. [illustration: gatun lake plan of the gatun dam and locks] the regulation of the water level in gatun lake is no small task, for the chagres is one of the world's moodiest streams. at times it is a peaceful, leisurely stream of some feet in depth, while at other times it becomes a wild, roaring, torrential river of magnificent proportions. sometimes it reaches such high stages that it sends a million gallons of water to the sea between the ticks of a clock. in controlling the chagres, the engineers again took what on any private work would have been regarded as absurd precaution. in the first place, gatun lake will be so big that the chagres can break every record it heretofore has set, both for momentary high water and for sustained high water, and still, with no water being let out of the lake, it can continue to flow that way for a day and a half without disturbing things at all. it could flow for two days before any serious damage could be done. thus the canal force might be off duty for some hours, with the outlet closed, before any really serious damage could be done by the rampage of the river. but of course no one supposes that it would be humanly possible that two such contingencies as the highest water ever known, and everybody asleep at their posts for two days, could happen together. when the water in the lake reached its normal level of feet the spillway gates would be opened, and, if necessary, it would begin to discharge , feet of water a second. this is , feet more than the record for sustained flow heretofore set by the chagres. but if it were found that even this was inadequate the culverts in the locks could be brought into play, and with them the full discharge would be brought up to , feet a second, or , more than the chagres has ever brought down. but suppose even this would not suffice to take care of the floods of the chagres? the spillway is so arranged that as the level of the water in the lake rises the discharging capacity increases. with the spillway open, even if the chagres were to double its record for continued high water, it would take many days to bring the lake level up to the danger point-- feet. when it reached that height the spillway would have a capacity of , feet, which, with the aid of the big lock culverts, would bring the total discharge up to , feet a second--only , cubic feet less than double the highest known flow of the chagres. but this is only characteristic of what one sees everywhere. whether it be in making a spillway that would accommodate two rivers like the chagres instead of one, or in building dams with pounds of weight for every pound of pressure against it, or yet in building lock gates which will bear several times the maximum weight that can ever be brought against them, the work at panama was done with the intent to provide against every possible contingency. the spillway through which the surplus waters of gatun lake will be let down to the sea level, is a large semicircular concrete dam structure with the outside curve upstream and the inside curve downstream. projecting above the dam are piers and abutments, which divide it into openings, each of them feet wide. these openings are closed by huge steel gates, feet wide, feet high, and weighing tons each. they are mounted on roller bearings, suspended from above, and are operated by electricity. they work in huge frames just as a window slides up and down in its frame. each gate is independent of the others, and the amount of water permitted to go over the spillway dam thus can be regulated at will. when a huge volume of water like a million gallons a second is to be let down a distance of about feet, it may be imagined that unless some means are found to hold it back and let it descend easily, by the time it would reach the bottom it would be transformed into a thousand furies of energy. therefore, the spillway dam has been made semicircular, with the outside lines pointing up into the lake and the inside lines downstream, so that as the water runs through the openings it will converge all the currents and cause them to collide on the apron below. this largely overcomes the madness of the water. but still further to neutralize its force and to make it harmless as it flows on its downward course, there are two rows of baffle piers on the apron of the spillway. they are about feet high and are built of reinforced concrete, with huge cast-iron blocks upon their upstream faces. when the water gets through them it has been tamed and robbed of all its dangerous force. the spillway is so constructed that when the water flowing over it becomes more than feet deep it adheres to the downstream face of the dam as it glides down, instead of rushing out and falling perpendicularly. the locks are situated against the high hills at the east side of the valley, after which comes the east wing of the dam, then the spillway, then the west wing of the dam, which terminates on the side of the low mountain that skirts the western side of the valley. with the hills bordering the valley and the dam across it, the engineers have been able to inclose a gigantic reservoir which has a superficial surface of square miles. it is irregular in shape and might remind one of a pressed chrysanthemum, the flower representing the lake and the stem culebra cut. the surface of the water in this lake is normally feet higher than the surface of the water seaward from gatun and miraflores. the lake is entirely fresh water supplied by the chagres river. the accompanying figure shows the profile of the canal. [illustration: a profile section of the canal] the chagres river approaches the canal at approximately right angles at gamboa, some miles above gatun. the lake will be so large that the river currents will all be absorbed, the water backing far up into the chagres, the river depositing its silt before it reaches the canal proper. with the currents thus checked, the chagres will lose all power to interfere with the navigation of the canal, although upon the bosom of its water will travel for a distance of miles all the ships that pass through the big waterway from gatun to miraflores. this fresh water will serve a useful purpose besides carrying ships over the backbone of the continent. barnacles lose their clinging power in fresh water, and when a ship passes up through the locks from sea level to lake level and from salt water to fresh, the barnacles that have clung to the sides and bottom of the vessel through many a thousand mile of "sky-hooting through the brine" will have their grip broken and they will drop off helplessly and fall to the bed of the lake, which, in the course of years, will become barnacle-paved. how many times in dry-dock this will save can only be surmised, but the ship that goes through the canal regularly will not have much bother with barnacles. the engineer who worked out the details of the engineering examination of the dam in was caleb m. saville, who had had experience on some of the greatest dams in the world. in the first place, the whole foundation was honeycombed with test borings, and several shafts were sunk so that the engineers could go down and see for themselves exactly what was the nature of the material below. there are some problems in engineering where a decision is so close between safety and danger that none but an engineer can decide them. but gatun dam could speak for itself and in the layman's tongue. after investigating the site and getting such conclusive evidence that the proverbial wayfaring man might understand it the engineers next conducted a series of experiments to determine whether or not the material of which they proposed to build the dam would be watertight. they wanted to make sure whether enough water would seep through to carry any of the dam material along with it. the maximum normal depth of the water is feet. the material it would have to seep through is nearly a half mile thick. in order to determine how the water would behave they took some feet of the material and put it in a strong iron cylinder with water above it and subjected it to a pressure equivalent to a head of feet of water. only an occasional drop came through. if only an occasional drop of clear water gets through feet of material under a pressure of feet of water, it does not require a great engineer to determine that there will not be any seepage through more than a thousand feet of the same material under a head of only feet. and that is only a sample of their seeking after the truth. when they had gone thus far it was then decided to build a little dam a few yards long identical in cross section with gatun dam. it was built on the scale of an inch to the foot, by the identical processes with which it was intended to build the big dam. the result only added confirmation to the other experiments. with a proportionate head of water against it, it behaved exactly as they had concluded the big dam would when completed. every engineer who has read saville's report pronounces it a masterpiece of engineering investigation. it proved conclusively that the site of the dam is stable, and the dam itself impervious to seepage. the engineers who visited the isthmus at the time with president-elect taft unanimously agreed that those investigations removed every trace of doubt. [illustration: lieut. col. w. l. sibert the upper locks at gatun] [illustration: toro point breakwater] the gatun dam covers about acres. the material in it weighs nearly , , tons. the pressure of the highest part of the dam on the foundations beneath amounts to many tons per square foot. the old bugaboo about earthquakes throwing it down is a danger that exists only in the minds of those who see ghosts. some of the biggest earth dams in the world are located in california. the contra costa water company's dam at san leandro is feet high and not nearly so immense in its proportions as gatun dam, yet it weathered the san francisco earthquake without difficulty. in panama city there is an old flat arch that once was a part of a church. it looks as though one might throw it down with a golf stick, and yet it has stood there for several centuries. as a matter of fact, panama is out of the line of earthquakes and volcanoes, but even if shocks much worse than those at san francisco were to come, there is no reason to fear for the safety of the big structure. the lack of knowledge of some of those who in years past criticized the gatun dam was illustrated by an amusing incident that occurred at a senatorial hearing on the isthmus. philander c. knox, afterwards secretary of state, was then a senator and a member of the committee which went to the isthmus. another senator in the party had grave doubts about the stability of gatun dam, and asked colonel goethals to explain how a dam could hold in check such an immense body of water. colonel goethals, in his usual lucid way, explained that it was because of that well-known principle of physics that the outward pressure of water is determined by its depth and not by its volume--that a column of water feet high and a foot thick would have just as much outward pressure as a lake square miles in extent and feet deep. still unconvinced, the senator pressed his examination further. at this juncture senator knox, who is a past master at the art of answering a question with a question, interposed, and asked his colleague: "senator, if your theory holds good, how is it that the dikes of holland hold in check the atlantic ocean?" chapter iv the locks ships that pass panama way will climb up and down a titanic marine stairway, three steps up into gatun lake and three steps down again. these steps are the huge locks in which will center the operating features of the isthmian waterway. the building of these locks represents the greatest use of concrete ever undertaken. the amount used would be sufficient to build of concrete a row of six-room houses, reaching from new york to norfolk, via philadelphia, baltimore, washington and richmond--houses enough to provide homes for a population as large as that of indianapolis. the total length of the locks and their accessories, including the guide walls, approximates miles. the length of the six locks through which a ship passes on its voyage from one ocean to the other is a little less than , feet. if one who has never seen a lock canal is to get a proper idea of what part the locks play in the panama canal, he must follow attentively while we make an imaginary journey through the canal on a ship that has just come down from new york. approaching the atlantic entrance from the north, we pass the end of the great man-made peninsula, jutting out , feet into the bay known as toro point breakwater. it was built to protect the entrance of the canal, the harbor, and anchorages from the violent storms that sweep down from the north over that region. omitting our stops for the payment of tolls, the securing of supplies, etc., we steam directly in through a great ditch feet wide and feet deep, which simply permits the ocean to come inland miles to gatun. when we arrive there we find that our chance to go farther is at an end unless we have some means of getting up into the beautiful lake whose surface is feet above us. here is where the locks come to our rescue. they will not only give us one lift, but three. when we approach the locks we find a great central pier jutting out into the sea-level channel. if our navigating officers know their duty they will run up alongside of this guide wall and tie up to it. if they do not they will run the ship's nose into a giant chain, with links made of -inch iron, that is guaranteed to bring a , -ton ship, going at the rate of knots per hour, to a dead standstill in feet. when we are once safely alongside the guide wall, four quiet, but powerful locomotives, run by electricity, come out and take charge of our ship. two of them get before it to pull us forward, and two behind it to hold us back. then the great chain, which effectively would have barred us from going into the locks under our own steam, or from colliding with the lock gates, is let down and we begin to move into the first lock. starting at the sea-level channel, the first, second, and third gates are opened and our ship towed into the first lock. then the second and third gates are closed again, and the lock filled with water, by gravity, raising the ship at the rate of about feet a minute, although, if there is a great rush of business, it may be filled at the rate of feet a minute. when the water in this lock reaches the level of the water in the lock above, gates four and five are opened, and we are towed in. then gate four is closed again, and water is let into this lock until it reaches the level of the third one. gates six, seven, and eight are next opened, and we are towed into the upper lock. gates six and seven are now closed, and the water allowed to fill the third lock until we are up to the level of gatun lake. then gates nine and ten are opened, the emergency dam is swung from athwart the channel, if it happens to be in that position, the fender chain like the one encountered when we entered the first lock, and like the ones which protect gates seven and eight, is let down, the towing engines turn us loose, and we resume our journey, with miles of clear sailing, until we reach pedro miguel. here, by a reverse process, we are dropped down - / feet. then we go on to miraflores, a mile and a half away, where we are lifted down - / feet in two more lifts. this brings us back to sea level again, where we meet the waters of the pacific, and steam out upon it through a channel feet wide and miles long. having learned something of the part the locks play in getting us across the isthmus, by helping us up out of one ocean into gatun lake and then dropping down into the other ocean, it will be interesting to note something of the mechanism. a very good idea of how a lock looks may be gathered from the accompanying bird's-eye view of the model of pedro miguel lock. [illustration: from a model of pedro miguel lock] it will be seen that there are two of them side by side--twin locks, they are called, making them like a double-track railway. the lock on the right is nearly filled for an upward passage. the ship will be seen in it, held in position by the four towing engines, which appear only as tiny specks hitched to hawsers from the stem and stern. behind the ship are the downstream gates. they were first opened to admit the ship, and then closed to impound the water that flows up through the bottom of the lock. ahead are the upstream gates, closed also until the water in the lock is brought up to the level of the water in the lake. then the gates will be opened, the big chain fender will be dropped down, and the ship will be towed out into the lake and turned loose. on the side wall of the right lock there is a big bridge set on a pivot so that it can be swung around across the lock and girders let down from it to serve as a foundation upon which to lay a steel dam if anything happens to the locks or gates. on the other lock the bridge has been swung into position, and the steel girders let down. great steel sheets will be let down on live roller bearings on these girders, and when all are in place they will form a watertight dam of steel. between this bridge and the reader is a huge floating tank of steel, which may be used to dam all the water out of the locks when that is desired. referring to the next figure we see a cross section of the twin locks. the side walls are from to feet thick at the floor. at a point - / feet above the floor they begin to narrow by a series of -foot steps until they are feet wide at the top. the middle wall is feet wide all the way up, although at a point - / feet above the lock floor room is made for a filling of earth and for a three-story tunnel, the top story being used as a passageway for the operators, the second story as a conduit for electric wires, and the lower story as a drainage system. [illustration: a cross-section of locks, giving an idea of their size] in this figure d and g are the big -foot culverts through which water is admitted from the lake to the locks. each of these three big culverts, which are nearly , feet long, is large enough to accommodate a modern express train, and is about the size of the pennsylvania tubes under the hudson and east rivers. h represents the culverts extending across the lock from the big ones. each of them is big enough to accommodate a two-horse wagon, and there are in each lock. every alternate one leads from the side wall culvert and the others from the center wall culvert. f represents the wells that lead up through the floor into the lock, each larger in diameter than a sugar barrel in girth. there are five wells on each cross culvert, or in the floor of each lock. [illustration: concrete mixers, gatun] [illustration: a center wall culvert, gatun locks] [illustration: the machinery for moving a lock gate] the flow of the water into the locks and out again is controlled by great valves. the ones which control the great wall tunnels or culverts are called stoney gate valves, and operate something like giant windows in frames. they are mounted on roller bearings to make them work without friction. the others are ordinary cylindrical valves, but, having to close a culvert large enough to permit a two-horse team to be driven through it, they must be of great size. when a ship is passing from gatun lake down to the atlantic ocean, the water in the upper lock is brought up to the level of that in the lake, being admitted through the big wall culverts, whence it passes out through the cross culverts and up into the locks through the wells in the floor. then the ship is towed in, the gates are shut behind it, the valves are closed against the water in the lake, the ones permitting the escape of this water into the lock below are opened, and it continues to flow out of the upper lock into the lower one until the water in the two has the same level. then the gates between the two locks are opened, the ship is towed into the second one and the operation is repeated for the last lock in the same way. the gates of the locks are an interesting feature. their total weight is about , tons. there are of them, each having two leaves. their weight varies from to tons per leaf, dependent upon the varying height of the different gates. the lowest ones are feet high and the highest ones feet, their height depending upon the place where they are used. some of these are known as intermediate gates, and are used for short ships, when it is desired to economize on both water and time. they divide each lock chamber into two smaller chambers of and feet, respectively. perhaps per cent of all the ships that pass panama will not need to use the full length lock-- , feet. duplicate gates will always be kept on the ground as a precaution against accident. each leaf is feet wide and feet thick. the heaviest single piece of steel in each one of them is the lower sill, weighing tons. it requires , , rivets to put them together. in the lower part of each gate is a huge tank. when it is desired that the gate shall have buoyancy, as when operating it, this tank will be filled with air. when closed it is filled with water. the gates are opened and closed by a huge arm, or strut, one end of which is connected to the gate and the other to a huge wheel in the manner of the connecting rod to the driver of a locomotive. leakage through the space between the gate and the miter sill on the floor of the lock is prevented by a seal which consists of heavy timbers with flaps of rubber inches wide and half an inch thick. a special sealing device brings the edges of the two leaves of a gate together and holds them firmly while the gates are closed. remembering that these gates are nothing more than brobdingnagian double doors which close in the shape of a flattened v, it follows that they must have hinges. and these hinges are worth going miles to see. that part which fastens to the wall of the lock weighs , pounds in the case of the operating gates, and , pounds in the protection gates. these latter are placed in pairs with the operating gates at all danger points--so that if one set of gates are rammed down, another pair will still be in position. the part of the hinge attached to the gate was made according to specifications which required that it should stand a strain of , pounds before stretching at all, and , pounds before breaking. put into a huge testing machine, it actually stood a strain of , , pounds before breaking--seven times as great as any stress it will ever be called upon to bear. the gates are all painted a lead gray, to match the ships of the american navy. those which come into contact with sea water will be treated with a barnacle-proof preparation. now that we have described the locks, we may go back and see them in course of construction. the first task was getting the lock building plant designed and built. at gatun the plant consisted of a series of immense cableways, an electric railroad, and enormous concrete mixers. great towers were erected on either side of the area excavated for the locks, with giant cables connecting them. these towers were feet high, and were mounted on tracks like steam shovels, so that they could be moved forward as the work progressed. the cables connecting them were of - / -inch lock steel wire covered with interlocking strands. they were guaranteed to carry tons at a trip, trips an hour, and to carry , loads before giving way. they actually did better than the specifications called for as far as endurance was concerned. the sand for making the concrete for gatun came from nombre de dios (spanish for name of god), and the gravel from porto bello. the sand and gravel were towed in great barges, first through the old french canal, and later through the atlantic entrance of the present canal. great clamshell buckets on the lidgerwood cableways would swoop down upon the barges, get cubic yards of material at a mouthful, lift it up to the cable, carry it across to the storage piles and there dump it. in this way more than , , wagon loads of sand and gravel were handled. a special equipment was required to haul the sand, gravel, and cement from the storage piles to the concrete mixers. there were two circular railroads of -inch gauge, carrying little electric cars that ran without motormen. each car was stopped, started, or reversed by a switch attached to the car. their speed never varied more than per cent whether they were going empty or loaded, up hill or down. when a car was going down hill its motor was reversed into a generator so that it helped make electricity to pull some other car up the hill. the cars ran into a little tunnel, where each was given its proper load of one part cement, three parts sand, and six parts gravel-- cubic yards, in all--and was then hurried on to the big concrete mixers. these were so arranged in a series that it was not necessary to stop them to receive the sand, gravel, and cement, or to dump out the concrete. on the emptying sides of the concrete mixers there were other little electric railway tracks. here there were little trains of a motor and two cars each, with a motorman. the train, with two big -cubic-yard buckets, drew up alongside two concrete mixers. without stopping their endless revolutions the mixers tilted and poured out their contents into the two buckets, yards in each. then the little train hurried away, stopping under a great cable. across from above the lock walls came two empty buckets, carried on pulleys on the cableway. when they reached a point over the train they descended and were set on the cars, behind the full buckets. the full buckets were then attached to the lifting hooks, and were carried up to the cable and then across to the lock walls, where they were dumped and the concrete spread out by a force of men. meanwhile the train hustled off with its two empty buckets, ready to be loaded again. on the pacific side the concrete handling plant was somewhat different. instead of cableways there were great cantilever cranes built of structural steel. some of these were in the shape of a giant t, while others looked like two t's fastened together. here the clamshell dippers were run out on the arms of the cranes to the storage piles, where they picked up their loads of material. this was put in hoppers large enough to store material for cubic yards. the sand and stone then passed through measuring hoppers and to the mixers with cement and water added. after it was mixed it was dumped into big buckets on little cars drawn by baby steam locomotives, which looked like overgrown toy engines. these little fellows reminded one of a lot of busy bees as they dashed about here and there with their loads of concrete, choo-chooing as majestically as the great dirt train engines which passed back and forth hard by. the cranes would take their filled buckets and leave empty ones in exchange, and this was kept up day in and day out until the locks were completed. when the plant was removed from pedro miguel to miraflores, a large part of the concrete was handled directly from the mixers to the walls by the cranes without the intermediary locomotive service. the cost of the construction of the locks was estimated in at upward of $ , , . but economy in the handling of the material and efficiency on the part of the lock builders cut the actual cost far below that figure. on the atlantic side about a dollar was saved on every yard of concrete laid--about $ , , . on the pacific side more than twice as much was saved. before the locks could be built it became necessary to excavate down to bed rock. this required the removal of nearly , , cubic yards of material at gatun. then extensive tests were made to make certain that the floor of the locks could be anchored safely to the rock. these tests demonstrated that by using the old steel rails that were left on the isthmus by the french, the concrete and rock could be tied together so firmly as to defy the ravages of water and time. a huge apron of concrete was built out into gatun lake from the upper locks at that place, effectively preventing any water from getting between the rocks and the concrete lying upon them. chapter v the lock machinery one of the problems that had to be solved before the panama canal could be presented to the american people as a finished waterway, was that of equipping it with adequate and dependable machinery for its operation. panama canals are not built every year, so it was not a matter of ordering equipment from stock; everything had to be invented and designed for the particular requirement it was necessary to meet. and the first and foremost requirement was safety. when we look over the canal machinery we see that word "safety" written in every bolt, in every wheel, in every casting, in every machine. we see it in the devices designed for protection and in those designed for operation as well. we see it in the giant chain that will stop a vessel before it can ram a gate; we see it in the great cantilever pivot bridges that support the emergency dams; we see it in the double lock gates at all exposed points; we see it in the electric towing apparatus, in the limit switches that will automatically stop a machine when the operator is not attending to his business, in the friction clutches that will slip before the breaking point is reached. safety, safety, safety, the word is written everywhere. the first thing a ship encounters when it approaches the locks is the giant chain stretched across its path. that chain is made of links of inches in diameter. when in normal position it is stretched across the locks, and the vessel which does not stop as soon as it should will ram its nose into the chain. there is a hydraulic paying-out arrangement at both ends of the chain, and when the pressure against it reaches a hundred gross tons the chain will begin to pay out and gradually bring the offending vessel to a stop. after a ship strikes the chain its momentum will be gradually reduced, its energy being absorbed by the chain mechanism. while the pressure at which the chain will begin to yield is fixed at gross tons, the pressure required to break it is tons. thus the actual stress it can bear is two and a half times what it will be called upon to meet. the mechanism by which the paying-out of the chain is accomplished is exceedingly ingenious. the principle is practically the reverse of that of a hydraulic jack. the two ends of the -foot chain are attached to big plungers in the two walls of the locks. these plungers fit in large cylinders, which contain broad surfaces of water. they are connected with very small openings, which are kept closed until a pressure of pounds to the square inch is exerted against them. by means of a resistance valve these openings are then made available, the water shooting out as through a nozzle under high pressure. this permits the chain plunger to rise gradually, while keeping the tension at pounds to the inch, and the paying-out of the chain proceeds accordingly. of course not all ships will strike the chain at the same speed, and in some cases the paying-out process will have to be more rapid than in others. this is provided for by the automatic enlargement of the hole through which the water is discharged, the size of the hole again becoming smaller as the tension of the chain decreases. this chain fender will stop the _olympic_ with full load, when going a mile and a half an hour, bringing it to a dead standstill within feet, or it will stop an ordinary , -ton ship in the same distance even if it have a speed of miles. the function of the resistance valve is to prevent the chain from beginning to pay out until the stress against it goes up to tons, and to regulate the paying-out so as to keep it constant at that point, so long as there is necessity for paying-out. any pressure of less than a hundred tons will not put the paying-out mechanism into operation. when a ship is to be put through the locks the chain will be let down into great grooves in the floor of the lock. there is a fixed plunger operating within a cylinder, which, in turn, operates within another cylinder, the resulting movement, by a system of pulleys, being made to pay out or pull in feet of chain for every foot the plunger travels. the chain must be raised or lowered in one minute, and always will have to be lowered to permit the passage of a ship. the fender machines are situated in pits in the lock walls. these pits are likely to get filled with water from drippings, leakages, wave action, and drainage, so they are protected with automatic pumps. float valves are lifted when the water rises in the pits. this automatically moves the switch controlling an electric motor, which starts a pump to working whenever the water gets within inch of the top of the sump beneath the floor of the pit. twenty-four of these chain fenders are required for the protection of the locks, and each requires two such tension machines. no ship will be allowed to go through the canal except under the control of a canal pilot. he will certainly bring it to a stop at the approach wall. but if he does not, there is the chain fender. there is not a chance in a thousand for a collision with it, and not a chance in a hundred thousand that the ship will not be stopped when there is such a collision. but if the pilot should fail to stop the ship, and it should collide with the fender chain, and then if the fender chain should fail to stop it, there would be the double gates at the head of the lock. there is not one chance in a hundred that a ship, checked as it inevitably would be by the fender chain, could ram down the first, or safety gate. but if it did, there would still be another set of gates some feet away. the chances here might be one in a hundred of the second set being rammed down. from all this it will be seen that the chances of the second pair of gates being rammed is so remote as to be almost without the realm of possibility. but suppose all these precautions should fail, and suddenly the way should be opened for the water of gatun lake to rush through the locks at the destructive speed of miles an hour? even that day has been provided against by the construction of the big emergency dams. the emergency dams, like the fender chains, are designed only for protection, and have no other use in the operation of the locks. there will be six of these dams, one across each of the head locks at gatun, pedro miguel, and miraflores. these emergency dams will be mounted on pivots on the side walls of the locks about feet above the upper gates. when not in use they will rest on the side wall and parallel with it. when in use they will be swung across the locks, by electric machinery or by hand, and there rigidly wedged in. it will require two minutes to get them in position by electricity and minutes by hand. there is a motor for driving the wedges which will hold the dam securely in position, and limit switches to prevent the dams being moved too far. when a bridge is put into position across the lock, a series of wicket girders which are attached to the upstream side of the floor of the bridge are let down into the water, the connection between the bridge and one end of each girder being made by an elbow joint. the other end goes down into the water, its motion being controlled by a cable attached some distance from the free end of the girder and paid out or drawn in over an electrically operated drum. this free end passes down until it engages a big iron casting embedded in the concrete of the lock floor. this makes a sort of inclined railway at an angle of about degrees from the perpendicular, over which huge steel plates are let down into the water. there are six of these girders, and they are all made of the finest nickel steel. when they are all in position, a row of six plates are let down, and they make the stream going through the locks several feet shallower. then another row of plates is let down on these, and the stream becomes that much shallower. another row of plates is added, and then another, until there is a solid sheet of steel plates resting on the six girders, and they make a complete steel dam which effectively arrests the mad impulse of the water in gatun lake to rush down into the sea. the plates are moved up and down by electrical machinery, and are mounted on roller-bearing wheels, so that the tremendous friction caused by their being pressed against the girders by the great force of the water may be overcome. that the emergency dams will be effective is shown by the experience at the "soo" locks, on the canal connecting lakes superior and huron. there, a vessel operating under its own power, rammed a lock gate. although the emergency dam had grown so rusty by disuse that it could be operated only by hand, it was swung across the lock and effectively fulfilled its mission of checking the maddened flow of the water. another protective device for the locks is the big caisson gates that will be floated across the head and tail bays when it is desired to remove all the water from the locks for the purpose of permitting the lower guard gates to be examined, cleaned, painted, or repaired, and for allowing the sills of the emergency dams to be examined in the dry. the caisson gates are - / feet long, feet beam, and have a light draft of feet and a heavy draft of feet. when one is floated into position to close the lock, water will be admitted to make it sink to the proper depth. then its large centrifugal pumps, driven by electric motors, will pump the water out of the lock. when the work on the lock is completed these pumps will pump the water out of the caisson itself until it becomes buoyant enough to resume its light draft, after which it will be floated away. the machinery for opening and closing the lock gates called for unusual care in its designing. the existing types of gate-operating machinery were all studied, and it was found that none of them could be depended on to prove satisfactory, so special machines had to be designed. a great wheel, resembling a drive wheel of a locomotive, except that a little over half of the rim is cog-geared, is mounted in a horizontal position on a big plate, planted firmly in the concrete of the wall and bolted there with huge bolts feet long and - / inches in diameter. this plate weighs over , pounds, and the wheel, cast in two pieces, weighs , pounds. as the weight of the rim of the wheel on the eight spokes probably would tax their strength too much when the wheel is under stress, this is obviated by four bearing wheels, perpendicular to the big wheel, which support the rim. between the crank pin and the point of attachment on the gate leaf there is a long arm, or strut, designed to bear an operating strain of nearly a hundred tons. the wheel will be revolved by a motor geared to the cogged part of the rim. an ingenious arrangement of electric switches is that used to protect the gate-moving machines from harm. the big connecting rod between the master wheel and the gate leaf is attached to the gate leaf by a nest of springs capable of sustaining a pressure of , pounds, in addition to the fixed pressure of , pounds. should any obstruction interfere with the closing of the gate and threaten a dangerous pressure on the connecting rod, the springs, as soon as they reach their full compression, establish an electrical contact and thus stop the motor. likewise, should any obstruction come against the gate as the connecting rod is pulling it open, the springs again permit the establishment of an electrical contact and stop the motor. all of these precautions are entirely independent of and supplemental to the limit switches, which cut off the power from the gate-moving machine should the strain reach the danger line. these big machines move the huge gate leaves without the slightest noise or vibration. such a machine is required for each of the leaves used in the gates with which the locks are equipped. the operator can open or close one of these big gates in two minutes. [illustration: one of the gate-leaf master wheels] the control of the water in the culverts of the locks is taken care of by an ingeniously designed series of valves. the big wall culverts, feet in diameter, are divided into two sections at the points where the valves are installed, by the construction of a perpendicular pier. this makes two openings by feet. the big gates of steel are placed in frames to close these openings just as a window sash is placed in its frame. they are mounted on roller bearings, so as to overcome the friction caused by the pressure of water against the valve gates. they must be mounted so that there is not more than a fourth of an inch play in any direction. the big wall culvert gates will weigh about tons each, and must be capable of operating under a head of more than feet of water. they will be raised and lowered by electricity. the electric locomotives which will be used to tow ships through the locks are one of the interesting features of the equipment. there will be of them on the sets of locks. the average ship will require four of them, two at the bow and two at the stern, to draw it through the locks. they will run on tracks on the lock walls, and will have two sets of wheels. one set will be cogged, and will be used when the locomotives are engaged in towing. the other set will be pressed into service when they are running light. when a vessel is in one lock waiting for the water to be equalized with that in the next one and the gates opened to permit passage, the forward locomotives will run free up the incline to the lock wall above, paying out hawser as they go. when they get to the next higher level they are ready to exert their maximum pull. each locomotive consists of three parts: two motors hitched together, and the tandem may be operated from either end. the third part is a big winding drum around which the great hawsers are wound. this towing windlass permits the line to be paid out or pulled in and the distance between the ship and the locomotives varied at will. the locomotive may thus exert its pull or relax it while standing still on the track, a provision especially valuable in bringing ships to rest. in the main, however, the pull of the locomotive is exercised by its running on the semi-suppressed rack track anchored in the coping of the lock walls. each flight of locks will be provided with two towing tracks, one on the side and one on the center wall. each wall will be equipped with a return track of ordinary rails, so that when a set of locomotives has finished towing a ship through the locks they can be switched over from these tracks and hustled back for another job. when they reach the inclines from one lock to the next above the rack track will be pressed into service again until they reach the next level stretch. here again one meets the familiar safeguard against accident. some engineer of one of these towing locomotives might sometime overload it, so the power of doing so has been taken out of his hands. on the windlass or drum that holds the towing hawser there is a friction coupling. if the engineer should attempt to overload his engine, or if for any other reason there should suddenly come upon the locomotive a greater strain than it could bear, or upon the track, or upon the hawser, the friction clutch would let loose at its appointed tension of , pounds, and all danger would be averted. when the locomotives are towing a ship from the walls it is natural that there should be a side pull on the hawser. this is overcome by wheels that run against the side of the track and are mounted horizontally. all of the towing tracks extend out on the approach walls of the locks so that the locomotives can get out far enough to take charge of a ship before it gets close enough to do the locks any damage. [illustration: a _mauretania_ in the locks] from the foregoing it will be seen that a great deal of electric current will be required in the operation of the locks. this will be generated at a big station at gatun, with a smaller one at miraflores, and they will be connected. the overflow water will be used for generating the required current, and in addition to the operation of the lock machinery it will operate the spillway gates, furnish the necessary lighting current, and eventually it may furnish the power for an electrified panama railroad. in passing a ship through the canal it will be necessary to open and close lock gates, of an aggregate weight of more than , tons, to lower and raise fender chains, each weighing , pounds, and to shut and open dozens of great valves, each of which weighs tons. all these operations at each set of locks will be controlled by one man, at a central switchboard. in addition to these operations there is the towing apparatus. the arrangement at gatun is typical; there fender chains must be operated, pairs of miter gates, and valves. in all not less than motors will be set in motion twice, and sometimes this number may be increased to . some of them are more than half a mile away from the operator, and half of them are nearly a quarter of a mile away. the operator in his control house will be high enough to have an uninterrupted view of the whole flight of locks over which he has command. his control board will consist of a representation of the locks his switches control. on his model he will see the rise and fall of the fender chains as he operates them, the movement of the big lock gates as they swing open or shut, the opening and closing of the valves which regulate the water in the culverts, and the rise and fall of the water in the locks. a system of interlocked levers will prevent him from doing the wrong thing in handling his switches. before he can open the valves at one end of a lock he must close those at the other end. before he can open the lock gates, the valves in the culverts must be set so that no harm can result. before he can start to open a lock gate, he must first have released the miter-forcing machine that latches the gates. before he can close the gates protected by a fender chain, he must first have thrown the switch to bring the fender chain back to its protecting position, and he can not throw the switch to lower the chain until he first has provided for the opening of the gate it protects. all of this interlocking system makes it next to impossible to err, and taking into consideration the additional safeguard of limit switches, which automatically cut off the power when anything goes wrong, it will be seen that the personal equation is all but removed from the situation. chapter vi culebra cut culebra cut! here the barrier of the continental divide resisted to the utmost the attacks of the canal army; here disturbed and outraged nature conspired with gross mountain mass to make the defense stronger and stronger; here was the mountain that must be moved. here came the french, jauntily confident, to dig a narrow channel that would let their ships go through. the mountain was the victor. and then here came the americans, confident but not jaunty. they weighed that mass, laid out the lines of a wider ditch, arranged complicated transportation systems to take away the half hundred million cubic yards of earth and rocks that they had measured. nature came to the aid of the beleaguered mountain. the volcanic rocks were piled helter-skelter and when the ditch deepened the softer strata underneath refused to bear the burden and the slides, slowly and like glaciers, crept out into the ditch, burying shovels and sweeping aside the railway tracks. even the bottom of the canal bulged up under the added stress of the heavier strata above. grim, now, but still confident, the attackers fought on. the mountain was defeated. now stretches a man-made canyon across the backbone of the continent; now lies a channel for ships through the barrier; now is found what columbus sought in vain--the gate through the west to the east. men call it culebra cut. nine miles long, its average depth is feet. at places its sides tower nearly feet above its channel bottom, which is nowhere narrower than feet. it is the greatest single trophy of the triumph of man over the terrestrial arrangement of his world. compared to it, the scooping out of the sand levels of suez seems but child's play--the tunnels of hoosac and simplon but the sport of boys. it is majestic. it is awful. it is the canal. when estimates for digging the canal were made, it was calculated that , , cubic yards of material would have to be removed from the cut, and that under the most favorable conditions it would require eight and a half years to complete the work. but at that time no one had the remotest idea of the actual difficulties that would beset the canal builders; no one dreamed of the avalanches of material that would slide into the cut. one can in no way get a better idea of the meaning of the slides and breaks in culebra cut than to refer to the accompanying figure. there it will be seen that whereas it was originally planned that the top width of the cut at one point should be feet, it has grown wider, because of slides and breaks, to as much as , feet at one place. in all, some , , cubic yards of material which should have remained outside the canal prism slipped into it and had to be removed by the steam shovels. [illustration: the effect of slides] no less than slides and breaks were encountered in the construction of culebra cut, their total area being acres. the largest covered , and another acres. when the slides, which were more like earthen glaciers than avalanches, began to flow into the big ditch, sometimes steam shovels were buried, sometimes railroad tracks were caught beneath the débris, and sometimes even the bottom of the cut itself began to bulge and disarrange the entire transportation system, at the same time interfering with the compressed air and water supplies. but with all these trials and tribulations, the army that was trying to conquer the eternal hills that had refused passage to the ships of the world for so many centuries, kept up its courage and renewed its attack. the result is that ships sail through culebra and that engineers everywhere have new records of efficiency to inspire them. these efficiency records are told in the cost-keeping reports based upon one of the most careful and thorough cost-accounting systems ever devised. this system was instituted for the purpose of keeping a check upon all expenditures by reducing everything to a unit basis and then comparing the cost of doing the same thing at different places. for instance, if it were found that it cost more to excavate a cubic yard of material at one place than at another, under identical conditions, this fact was brought to the attention of the men responsible and an intimation given that there seemed to be room for taking up a little lost motion. the lost motion usually was recovered or else someone had to be satisfied that conditions were not identical after all. in no other part of the canal work do these cost-keeping reports tell such a graphic story as in culebra cut. in spite of the fact that as the cut became deeper it became narrower, and the slides and breaks became more troublesome, to say nothing of the extra effort required to get the excavated material out of the cut, every unit cost was forced down notch by notch and year by year until the bottom in costs was reached only a little before the actual bottom of the cut was exposed to view. for instance, in it cost - / cents a yard to load material with steam shovels, while in it cost less than cents. in it cost more than cents a yard for drilling and blasting; in it cost less than cents. in it cost $ . to haul away a hundred yards of spoil; in it required only $ . to perform the same operation, although the average distance it had to be hauled had increased per cent. in it cost more than cents a yard to dump the material as compared with less than cents in . the whole operation of excavating and removing the material, including overhead charges and depreciation, fell from $ . a cubic yard in to less than cents a yard in . and that is why , , cubic yards of material were removed for less than it was estimated , , cubic yards would cost. to remove the , , cubic yards of earth from the backbone of the americas required about , , pounds of high-grade dynamite each year to break up the material, so that it might be successfully attacked by the steam shovels. to prepare the holes for placing the explosives required the services of well drills, tripod rock drills, and a large corps of hand drillers. altogether they drilled nearly a thousand miles of holes annually. during every working day in the year about holes were fired. they had an average depth of about feet. in addition to this a hundred toe holes were fired each day, and as many more "dobe" blasts placed on top of large boulders to break them up into loadable sizes. so carefully was the dynamite handled that during a period of three years, in which time some , , pounds were exploded in culebra cut, only eight men were killed. [illustration: steam shovels meeting at bottom of culebra cut l. k. rourke] [illustration: the man-made canyon at culebra] the transportation of the spoil from culebra cut was a tremendous job. a large percentage of it was hauled out in lidgerwood flat cars. twenty-one cars made up the average lidgerwood train. it required about locomotives to take care of the spoil, and the average day saw nearly , cars loaded and hauled out of the cut. in a single year , , carloads of material were hauled out. there were trains in constant operation, for each - / miles of track in the central division, which was approximately miles long. a huge steam shovel, taking up yards of material at a mouthful, would load one of these trains in less than an hour with some yards of material. then the powerful locomotive attached to it, assisted by a helper engine, would pull the train out of the cut, and then, unassisted, would haul it to the dumping ground some miles or more away. [illustration: average shape and dimensions of culebra cut] arriving near the scene of the dump, another engine, having in front of it a huge horizontal steam windlass mounted on a flat car, was hooked on the rear end of the train. then the locomotive which had brought the train to the dump was uncoupled and moved away, and in its stead there was attached an empty flat car, on which there was a huge plow. a long wire cable was stretched from the big windlass at the other end of the train and attached to this plow. as the drum of the windlass began to turn it gradually drew the plow forward over the cars, plowing the material off as it went forward. the cars were equipped with a high sideboard on one side and had none at all on the other. a flat surface over which the plow could pass from car to car was made by hinging a heavy piece of sheet steel to the front end of each car and allowing it to cover the break between that car and the next, thus affording a practically continuous car floor over feet long. the operation of unloading yards of material with this plow seldom required more than minutes. after the plow had finished its work it left a long string of spoil on one side of the track which must be cleared away. so another plow, pushed by an engine, attacked the spoil and forced it down the embankment. this process of unloading and spreading the material was kept up until the embankment became wide enough to permit the track to be shifted over. here another especially designed machine, the track shifter, was brought into play. it was a sort of derrick mounted on a flat car, and with it the track shifters were able to pick up a piece of track and lift it over to the desired position. with this machine a score of men could do the work that without it would have required a gang of men. in addition to the lidgerwood dirt trains there were a large number of trains made up of steel dump cars which were dumped by compressed air, and still other trains made up of small hand-dumped cars, and each class found its own peculiar uses. as has been said, the problem of digging the big ditch has been one of the transportation of the spoil, and this has involved numerous difficulties. in culebra cut no little difficulty was experienced in keeping open enough tracks to afford the necessary room for dirt trains. slides came down and forced track after track out of alignment, burying some of them beyond the hope of usable recovery; often the very bottom of the cut itself heaved up under the stress of the heavy weight of faulty strata on the sides of the mountain; and sometimes the slides and breaks threatened entirely to shut up one end of the cut. in hauling away the spoil one improvement after another was made in the interest of efficiency. it was found at first that the capacity of a big lidgerwood flat car was only about cubic yards, and that with a sideboard on only one side of the car, the load did not center well on the car, thus placing an undue strain on the wheels on one side. the transportation department, therefore, extended the bed of the car further out over the wheels on the open side, and this served a triple purpose--it permitted the steam shovels to load the cars so that the load rested in the center, increased the capacity of each car by about yards, and permitted the unloader plow to throw the spoil further from the track, thus adding to the efficiency of the dumping apparatus. frequent breaks in the trains were caused by worn couplers. these accidents were almost entirely overcome by equipping each train with a sort of "bridle" which prevented the separation of the cars in the event of the parting of a defective coupler. in the operation of the unloader plows it was found that the big cables frequently broke when a plow would strike an obstruction on the car, and this caused no end of annoyance and frequent delays. then someone thought of putting between the cable and the plow a link whose breaking point was lower than that of the cable. after that when a plow struck an obstruction the cable did not part--the link simply gave way, and another was always at hand. on the big spreaders no less than improvements were made, each the answer of the engineers to some challenge from the stubborn material with which they had to contend. the major portion of the material excavated from the canal had to be hauled out and dumped where it was of no further use. from the central division alone, which includes culebra cut, upward of a hundred million cubic yards of material was hauled away and dumped as useless. at tabernilla one dump contained nearly , , cubic yards. a great deal of spoil, however, was used to excellent advantage. wherever there was swampy ground contiguous to the permanent settlements it was covered over with material from the cut and brought up above the water level. many hundreds of acres were thus converted from malaria-breeding grounds into high and dry lands. during the last stages of the work in culebra cut it was found that some of the slides were so bad that they were breaking back of the crest of the hills that border the cut. therefore it was found to be feasible to attack the problem by sluicing the material down the side of the hills into the valley beyond. to this end a big hydraulic plant which had been used on the pacific end of the canal was brought up and installed beyond the east bank of the cut. a reservoir of water was impounded and tremendous pumps installed. they pumped a stream of water inches in diameter. this was gradually tapered down to a number of -inch nozzles, and out of these spouted streams of water with a pressure of pounds to the square inch. these streams ate away the dirt at a rapid rate. the slides did not hold up the completion of the canal a minute, at least to the point of usability. the day that the lock gates were ready there was water enough in the canal to carry the entire american navy from ocean to ocean. that day the big dredges from the atlantic and the pacific were brought into the cut, and with them putting the finishing touches on the slides at the bottom, and the hydraulic excavators attacking them at the top, the problem of the slides was solved. viewing culebra cut in retrospect, it proved an immensely less difficult task than some prophesied, and a much more serious one than others predicted. there were those who opposed the building of the panama canal because of the belief that culebra cut could not be dug, that culebra mountain was an effective barrier to human ambition. also, there were those who asserted that gold hill and contractor's hill were in danger of sliding into the big ditch and that they were mountains which neither the faith nor the pocketbooks of the americans could remove. others saw the handwriting of failure on the wall in the heaving up of the bottom of the cut, interpreting this as a movement from the very depths of the earth. still others saw it in the smoke that issued from fissures in the cut, which spoke to them of volcanoes being unearthed and told them that the babel of american ambitions must totter to the ground. they did not know that these were only little splotches of decomposing metals suddenly exposed to the air, any more than their fellow pessimists knew that the heaving up of the bottom of the cut was due to the pressure of the earth on the adjacent banks. to-day culebra mountain bows its lofty head to the genius of the american engineer and to the courage of the canal army. through its vitals there runs a great artificial canyon nearly miles long, feet wide at its bottom, in places as much as a half mile wide at its top and nearly feet deep at the deepest point. out of it there was taken , , cubic yards of material, and at places it cost as much as $ , , a mile to make the excavations. through it now extends a great ribbon of water broad enough to permit the largest vessels afloat to pass one another under their own power, and deep enough to carry a ship with a draft beyond anything in the minds of naval constructors to-day. with towering hills lining it on either side, with banks that are precipitous here and farflung there, with great and deep recesses at one place and another telling of the gigantic breaks and slides with which the men who built it had to contend, going through culebra cut gives to the human heart a thrill such as the sight of no other work of the human hand can give. its magnitude, its awe-inspiring aspect as one navigates the channel between the two great hills which stand like sentinels above it, and the memory of the thousands of tons of dynamite, the hundreds of millions of money and the vast investment of brain and brawn required in its digging, all conspire to make the wonder greater. it is the mightiest deed the hand of man has done. chapter vii ends of the canal while the completed panama canal does not wed the two oceans, or permit their waters to mingle in gatun lake, it does bring them a little closer together. on the atlantic side a sea-level channel has been dug from deep water due south to gatun, a distance of miles. on the pacific side a similar channel has been dug from deep water in a northwesterly direction to miraflores, a distance of miles. it follows that of the miles of the canal will be filled with salt water. the remaining miles will be filled with fresh water supplied by the chagres and the lesser rivers of panama. the task of digging these sea-level sections was a considerable one and almost every method of ditch digging that human ingenuity has been able to devise was employed. steam shovels, dipper dredges, ladder dredges, stationary suction dredges, and sea-going suction dredges, all contributed their share toward bringing the waters of the atlantic to gatun and those of the pacific to miraflores. in addition to these methods, on the pacific side use was made of the hydraulic process of excavating soft material, washing it loose with powerful streams of water and pumping it out with giant pumps. [illustration: the disastrous effects of slides in culebra cut] [illustration: w. g. comber u. s. ladder dredge "corozal" and one of her mud buckets] as one travels along the pacific end of the canal he is reminded of the words of isaiah: "every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain." hundreds of acres of low, marshy land have been filled up, either with mud from the suction dredges and the hydraulic excavators, or with spoil from culebra cut. much of this made land will be valuable for tropical agriculture, while other parts will never serve any purpose other than to keep down the marshes. but they afforded a dumping ground for material taken out of the canal prism, and added something to the improvement of health and living conditions on the isthmus. probably the most interesting process of excavation in the sea-level channels was that of the sea-going suction dredges. these dredges took out material more cheaply than any other kind of excavating machinery used on the isthmus. two of them were put to work in , about the time the operations reached full-blast and have been kept in commission ever since. while it cost as much as $ , a year to keep each one in commission, they were able to maintain an annual average of about , , cubic yards of material excavated at a cost per yard of cents and even less. with steam shovels it ranged from to times as much per yard. these big dredges were built with great bins in their holds and equipped with powerful -inch centrifugal pumps. when at work they steamed up and down the channel, sucking up the mud, and carrying it out to sea. another interesting dredge used was the big ladder dredge corozal. it is a great floating dock, as it were, with a huge endless chain carrying immense, -cubic-foot buckets. on the center line amidships there is a large opening down to the water. the big elevator framework carrying the endless chain goes down through this and into the water at a considerable angle. the buckets pass around this, and as they round the end of it their great steel lips dig down into the material until filled, then they come up at the rate of three every five seconds and deposit their burden in a huge hopper which conveys it to the barge at the side of the dredge. the dredge is anchored fast at a given place, and keeps on attacking the material beneath it until the desired level is reached. this dredge, with the sea-going suction dredges, will be retained as the permanent dredging fleet. the stationary suction dredges at the two ends of the canal were used to pump up the soft material and to force it out through long pipe lines into the swamps or into the hydraulic cores of the earth dams. [illustration: the _corozal_ and its method of attack] several old french ladder dredges were rescued from the jungle and put into commission at the beginning of the work, and they held out faithfully to the end, dividing honors with the newer equipment in hastening the day when the oceans might go inland to gatun and miraflores. while they looked like toys beside such giant excavators as the corozal, they probably showed more efficiency than any other class of excavators of their period of construction. they were attended by large self-propelling scows built by the french. when these were filled they steamed out to sea and dumped their burden and then steamed back again for another load. some of the dredges were attended by ordinary barges which were towed out to sea by tugs and dumped. another interesting machine used on the pacific end of the canal was the lobnitz rock breaker. this consists of a sort of pile driver mounted on a large barge. instead of a pile driving weight there is a big battering ram made of round steel, pointed at one end. it is lifted up perhaps feet and allowed to drop suddenly. as some of these rams weigh as much as tons their striking force may be imagined. when the ram struck the rock the top would shake back and forth like a bamboo pole, in spite of the fact that it was made of the best steel and more than inches in diameter. sooner or later the rams would break off at the water line, this being due to the fact that the constant flexion at that point set the molecules in the steel and took away all its elasticity. it was found desirable to excavate a part of the sea-level channel before the water was let into it. to accomplish this a big dam, or dike, was built across the channel several miles inland, and steam shovels were used behind this dike. as the work neared completion, however, it was found advisable to let the water come further inland, so that the dredges could extend the field of their activities. to do this another dike was thrown across the channel about a mile north of the first one, and water was admitted to the section of the big ditch between these two dikes. the engineers were afraid to cut a small ditch in the top of the first dike, and allow the water to eat the dam away as it flowed in, for fear that it would rush in so rapidly it would destroy the second dike. therefore they filled the basin between the two dikes by siphon and by pumping, a process which required the drawing in of billions of gallons of water. this was accomplished in due time, however, and then tons of dynamite was placed in the no longer useful dike. an electric spark did the rest. the distinguishing features of the ends of the canal are the big breakwaters at toro point, at the atlantic end, and naos island, at the pacific end. the former extends from the shore out into the sea for a distance of miles and has a large lighthouse at the seaward end. it was built by dumping stone from the shore out into the sea, this process being followed by driving piles into the dumped stone and building a railroad on the crest, over which the stone was hauled for its further extension. the top of the breakwater is covered with huge stones weighing from to tons each, these to make sure that it will stand against the pounding of the waves. two minor breakwaters were also built at the atlantic end to protect the terminal basin. the big dike at naos island in the pacific is more than , feet long and transforms the island into the cape of a small peninsula. there was a threefold purpose in its construction--to cut out the cross currents that brought thousands of yards of sand and silt into the canal channel, to afford a dumping place for a large quantity of the spoil from culebra cut, and to make a connection with the mainland for the fortifications on naos, flamenco, and perico islands. in building it the engineers were under the necessity of first building a trestle on which the spoil trains could be backed and dumped. the piles had to be driven in soft, blue mud, and as the rock was dumped, it sank down and down until, at places, ten times as much stone was required as would have been necessary if the ocean bottom had been firm. in addition to this thousands of trainloads of material were dumped in the landward end of the dike, some , , cubic yards of material being thus disposed of. the last part of the canal work to be completed will be the terminal facilities at the ends of the big waterway. at the time this book went to press they were something more than a year from completion, but the indications were that they would be finished within the time limit originally set for the completion of the canal itself. these terminal facilities consist of dry docks, wharfage space, storehouses, and everything else necessary to perform any service that might ordinarily be required for passing ships, whether they be those of commerce or of war. the main coaling station is to be established at the atlantic end. the storehouses, the laundry, the bakery, and the other equipment of the isthmian canal commission and the panama railroad also will be made a part of the permanent terminal plant on that side of the isthmus. a large dry dock is being built at the pacific end having the same usable dimensions as the canal locks, capable of accommodating any vessel that can pass through the canal. the principal machine shops will also be erected there, and a coaling plant of half the capacity of the one at the atlantic end will be provided. a little to the east of the pacific terminal works will be stationed the capital of the canal zone, where the administrative offices, the governor's residence, and two new towns will be built. the administration building, which is to be a three-story structure of concrete, hollow tile, and structural steel, is to occupy an eminence on the side of ancon hill, which will afford a splendid view of the pacific fortifications, the entrance to the canal channel, a part of the port works, and of the canal itself from the great continental divide to the pacific. there one may sit and see ships coming into the canal, tying up at the docks, sailing up the big ditch, and passing through the locks at miraflores and pedro miguel. near by will be the permanent home of the marines who will be stationed on the isthmus, their barracks and grounds occupying the broad plateau on the side of ancon hill made by taking out the millions of cubic yards of stone required for the concrete works on the pacific side of the isthmus. two permanent towns will be built at balboa, one for the americans and the other for the common laborers. the american town will be built under the capitol hill on a broad plain that was made by pumping hydraulic material into a swamp and by dumping spoil from culebra cut. when the terminal plant at balboa is completed it will represent probably the most extensive and adequate port works in the new world. in addition to the main dry dock it will have a second one which will be smaller, but which will be large enough to accommodate a majority of the ships that will pass through the canal. the existing dry dock at the atlantic end will be continued in service. it is certain that none of these port works will ever fail by reason of insecure foundations. wherever unusual loads were to be carried great piers of reinforced concrete were sent down to solid rock, often a distance of feet below the surface. they consisted of a hollow shell of reinforced concrete which was allowed to sink to hardpan of its own accord or under heavy weight. these shells were built in sections feet high. the bottom section was feet in diameter, and the lower end was equipped with a sharp steel shoe. as the section cut down into the earth of its own weight and that above it, laborers on the inside removed the material under the shoe and as they did so it sank further down. the sections above were only feet in diameter, and did not quite fill up the hole made by the bottom of the section, thus overcoming all skin friction, and permitting the full weight of the series of sections to fall on the lower one. a jet of water was forced around the sinking pier all the time it was going down, and this made its progress the more easy. at times the weight of the superimposed sections was sufficient to force the pier down through the soft mud, while at other times the material became so heavy that even a -ton weight on top of the pier scarcely moved it. at one place a stratum of material was struck about feet below the surface which yielded sulphuretted hydrogen gas. this affected the laborers' eyes, and some of them had to go to the hospital for treatment. the work of digging out the material was continued until the lower section reached bed rock, where it was anchored. the sections themselves were tied together with heavy iron rods. after they were firmly in place the interior was filled up with concrete, itself reinforced, so that the foundations became, in reality, a series of huge concrete piles, feet in diameter, anchored to bed rock. the coaling plants at the two terminals will be the crowning features of the terminal facilities. with an immense storage capacity, and with every possible facility for the rapid handling of coal, both in shipping and unshipping it, no other canal in the world will be so well equipped. the coal storage basin at the atlantic end will hold nearly , tons. this basin will be built of reinforced concrete, and will permit the flooding of the coal pile so that one-half of it will be stored under water for war purposes. it is said that deterioration in coal is not as great in subaqueous storage, and at the same time the pile is less subject to fire. the plant will be able to discharge a thousand tons of coal an hour and to load , tons an hour. ships will not go alongside the wharves to be coaled, but will lie out in the ship basin and be coaled from barges with reloader outfits. special efforts have been made to provide for the quick loading of colliers in case of war. the coal handling plant at the pacific entrance will have a normal capacity of , tons and will be able to handle half as much coal in a given time as the one at the atlantic end. there will be big supply depots where ships can get any kind of stores they need from a few buckets of white lead to an anchor or a hawser; a laundry in which a ship's wash can be accepted at the hour it begins its transit of the canal, for delivery by railroad at the other end before it is ready to resume its ocean journey; an ice plant which will replenish the cold storage compartments of ships lacking such facilities. in short, it is proposed to attempt to do everything that may be done to make more attractive the bid of the canal for its share of business. chapter viii the panama railroad when the united states acquired the properties of the new french canal company it found itself in the possession of a railroad for which it had allowed the canal company $ , , . this road, in the high tide of its history, had proved a bonanza for its stockholders, and during the years between and it showed net profits five times as great as the original cost of its construction. when the united states took over the road someone described it as being merely "two streaks of rust and a right of way." while the panama road as acquired by the united states in its purchase of the assets of the new french canal company might have been all that this phrase implies, it was none the less as great a bargain as was ever bought by any government, and probably the greatest bargain ever sold in the shape of a railroad. it was not the rolling stock that was valuable, nor yet the road itself; the real value was to be found in the possibilities of the concession. not only was this road destined to render to the united states a service in the building of the panama canal, worth to uncle sam a great many times more than its cost, but it was also destined to yield a net profit from its commercial operations which in years would amount to double the price paid for it. since the americans took it over it has been yielding net returns ranging from a million and a quarter to a million and three-quarters dollars a year. in these years it has brought an aggregate profit of some $ , , into the coffers of the united states. while $ , , may have been a high price, judged from the standpoint of the physical value of the road, it was a very reasonable one, indeed, as compared with the price paid for it by the new french canal company. this company, which sold it to the united states for $ , , , paid the panama railroad company $ , , for it years before. when the french canal company decided to undertake the building of the canal, it found that the panama railroad company held concessions that were absolutely necessary to the construction of the canal. the colombian government had granted the company the concession to complete the road in , and had agreed that no other interoceanic communication should be opened without the consent of the railroad. this gave to the railroad company the whip hand in trading with the canal company and it was able to name its own price. when the united states wanted to buy the rights and properties of the new french canal company the shoe was on the other foot. there was only one buyer--the united states; and it could choose between the panama and nicaragua routes. if the united states did not buy the property its principal value would have been what it was worth as an uncertain prospect that at some future time a second isthmian canal might be built. that is why the united states was able to buy from the french for $ , , property that they had bought for $ , , . after the united states acquired possession of the railroad, one change after another took place--now in the location, now in the rolling stock, now in directorate, and again in location--until almost all that remained of the original road was its name. it is now built almost every foot of the distance on a new location and the permanent panama railroad is a thoroughly modern, well-ballasted, heavy-railed, block-signal operated line of railway, built along the east bank of the panama canal from the atlantic to the pacific. nearly half of the old right of way lies on the bottom of lake gatun, while the new line skirts that artificial body of water along its eastern shore, at places crossing its outlying arms over big bridges and heavy trestles. the construction of this new line was attended with much difficulty and probably no other road in the world has such a great percentage of fills and embankments in proportion to its length. one embankment, a mile and a quarter long and feet high, required upward of , , yards of material for its construction. the road is built about feet above the water's edge, and more than , , cubic yards of material was required to make the fills necessary to carry the road bed at this elevation. when the united states took over the french property it was decided that the canal work and the railroad operations should be maintained as distinct activities. it was agreed that the canal commission should have the right to haul its dirt trains over the panama railroad, and in compensation therefor the commission undertook to build a new road to take the place of the old line, which was in the way of the completion of the canal. the work of relocating the road was undertaken early in the construction of the canal in order that it might be completed by the time the old road had to be abandoned. it was built at a cost of approximately $ , , , or close to $ , a mile. it is interesting to note that the cost of this thoroughly modern railroad was only about a million dollars more than the cost of the first panama road which has been built with rather less than usual attention to grades, and with small rails and light bridges. the relocated panama railroad was turned over to the railroad company in . how good a bargain the united states secured when it acquired the panama railroad is shown by the fact that during the years of canal work the net earnings of the railroad company have reimbursed the united states for the cost of the old road and the construction of the new one, to say nothing of the invaluable aid rendered in the building of the canal. the relations existing between the isthmian canal commission and the panama railroad company during the years of the construction of the canal were somewhat peculiar. the panama railroad company is as much the property of the united states as the canal itself, yet the books of the two organizations were kept as carefully separate and distinct as though they were under entirely different ownership. the panama railroad company, being a chartered corporation, under the terms of its ownership could engage in commercial business with all of the facility of a private corporation. money received by the isthmian canal commission from outside sources had to be covered into the treasury and reappropriated for distinct and special purposes. on the other hand, the railroad company could use its money over and over again without turning it back into the treasury. this advantage of operation was a useful one in conducting the road itself, and also in the construction of the canal. there was another reason which led the canal authorities to advocate the maintenance of the two organizations as separate entities. this had to do with the concession rights. under the terms of the concession of the railroad company the property was to revert to the republic of colombia in , or at any earlier date should the company cease to exist as such. while most authorities agree that with the secession of panama and the setting up of the new government all of colombia's rights in the railroad company passed with the territory, and while the treaty between the united states and the republic of panama expressly provides that the united states shall have "absolute title--free from every present or reversionary interest or claim" in the railroad, the republic of colombia contends that it possesses some rights with reference to the railroad and, not desiring to complicate matters, the canal authorities thought it best to live up to the letter of the treaty, in spite of panama's express grant of title free from reversionary interest or claim. while it was deemed desirable to have the panama railroad operated as a separate organization, it was equally important that it should be operated in a way that its interests always would be subordinate to those of the canal. it was decided that the best way to accomplish this was to make the chairman and chief engineer of the canal commission the president of the railroad company, and the members of the commission its directors. the stock of the company is held in the name of the secretary of war, with the exception of a few shares held by the directors to entitle them to membership on the board. there are also a few directors chosen from other parts of the government service, but their activities are purely perfunctory. in addition to the railroad, the panama railroad company also operates a steamship line between new york and colon. this line was acquired with other properties of the new french canal company as a part of the panama railroad's holdings. there were only a few years during the construction period when this steamship line did not show a loss. but the advantages of having a steamship line for carrying the supplies of the canal were so great, because of the special facilities that could be provided, that the loss was more than compensated by them. during the year the cost of operating this steamship line was $ , greater than the revenues derived from its operation. but, at the same time there was a return of net earnings by the panama railroad of over $ , , , at least a part of which was made possible by the operation of the steamship line. even after deducting the losses sustained in the operation of the steamship company there was a net profit of more than $ , , , which for a railroad of less than miles in length is no small item. as a matter of fact, government ownership of railways as applied at panama is remarkably successful from the standpoint of the government, and partially so to the patrons of the railroad. probably no railroad in the united states could show net earnings per mile of line anywhere comparable with those of the panama railroad. the rates for passengers and baggage across the isthmus were rather high for first-class passengers, the fare for the -mile trip being $ . , or cents a mile. the second-class rate was only half as much. on the handling of freight the railroad had to divide the through rate with the steamship companies of the atlantic and the pacific, but, while the rates were high, judged by american standards, and the percentages of profits very large, the service maintained was so superior to that encountered on the privately owned railroads of the tropics that no one ever seriously complained of the charges. one of the most important services rendered by the panama railroad company in the construction of the canal was in connection with the commissary. it had more to do with the maintenance of a reasonable standard of living cost on the isthmus than anything else. when the canal was nearing completion it became advisable to determine what rôle the panama railroad should play after the permanent organization went into effect. should it be continued as a separate entity distinct from the canal but controlled by the canal authorities? or should it be merged into the canal government and operated purely as an auxiliary of the canal with no separate existence? this matter was carefully weighed by the canal authorities and the government at washington, and it was finally decided that the best plan would be to operate them as separate entities, but to have all the work done by single organization. another question that arose was whether the panama railroad steamship line should be operated as a government line after the completion of the canal. recalling the fact that the line never had been a profitable one, and that there was no further reason why it should be continued in operation with an annual deficit, the recommendation was made by the chairman and the chief engineer that the ships should be disposed of and the line discontinued. as the tide of tourist travel set toward panama, the serious problem of taking care of thousands of visitors confronted the canal authorities. there were times when every available facility for taking care of lodgers was called into requisition, and still hundreds of american tourists had to find quarters in cheap, vermin-infested native hotels at colon. believing that the situation demanded a modern hotel at the atlantic side of the isthmus, and having in mind the success of the government in the construction and maintenance of the tivoli hotel at the pacific side, it was decided by the secretary of war that the panama railroad company should build a new hotel at colon, to be operated by that company for the government. the result was the beautiful washington hotel, in whose architecture one finds the world's best example of northern standards of hotel construction adapted to tropical needs. built of concrete and cement block, it is constructed in a modified spanish mission style that makes it cool and comfortable at all times. its public rooms, from the main lobby to the dining-rooms, from the ladies' parlor to the telephone and cable rooms, from the barber shop to the billiard room, are large, airy, and most attractively furnished. its ball room, opening on three sides to the breezes borne in from the caribbean is a delight to the disciples of terpsichore, while its open-air swimming pool, said to be the largest hotel swimming pool in the world, affords ideal facilities for those who otherwise would sigh for the surf. persons who have visited every leading hotel in the new world, from the rio grande southward to the strait of magellan, say that it is without a superior in all that region and, perhaps, without an equal except for one in buenos aires. here one may find accommodations to suit his taste and largely to meet the necessities of his pocketbook. the best rooms with bath cost $ a day for one, or $ for two. table d'hote meals are served at $ each, while those who prefer it may secure club breakfasts and a la carte service. anyone who has visited the hotel washington, situated as it is on colon beach, where the breakers sweep in from the caribbean sea, feels that uncle sam is no less successful as a hotel keeper than as a builder of canals. the panama railroad, under the american régime, has always looked well after the comfort of its patrons. the coaches are of the standard american type, and enough of them are run on every train to make it certain that no patron need stand for lack of a seat. the most popular trains carry from to cars. these trains are run on convenient schedules, permitting a person to go and come from any point on the road in any forenoon or afternoon. all coaches are supplied with hygienic drinking cups, and in every way the panama railroad shows that uncle sam is solicitous for the welfare of his patrons. all the rolling stock on the isthmus is built on a -foot gauge, this having been the gauge of the original panama railroad. as the rolling stock of the canal commission had to run over the lines of the panama railroad, it also was built on the gauge. when this rolling stock is disposed of it will be necessary to readjust the gauge to meet the ordinary american standard which is - / inches narrower. it has been estimated that the engine axles can be shortened for $ per locomotive and those of cars at prices ranging from $ to $ per car. the first attempt to build the panama railroad was made in , when a french company secured a charter from the government of colombia for a building of a road across the isthmus. this company was unable to finance the project and the concession lapsed. in william h. aspinwall, john l. stevens, and henry chauncey, new york capitalists, undertook the construction of the road. the terms of the concession provided that the road would be purchased by the government at the expiration of years after its completion for $ , , . the loss of life in the construction of this road, serious as it was, has been monumentally exaggerated. it is an oft-repeated statement that a man died for every tie laid on the road. this would mean that there were , deaths in its construction. as a matter of fact, the total number of persons employed during the six years the line was being built did not exceed , . but among these the death rate was very high. several thousand chinese were brought over and they died almost like flies. malaria and yellow fever were the great scourges they had to encounter, although smallpox and other diseases carried away hundreds. the road was completed in january, . before the last rail was laid more than $ , , had been taken in for hauling passengers as far as the road extended. the way in which the original -cent per mile rate across the isthmus was established is interesting. the chief engineer encountered much trouble from people who wanted to use the road as far inland as it went from colon, so he suggested that a -cent rate be established, thinking to make it prohibitory. but the people who wanted to cross the isthmus were willing to pay even cents a mile. hence for years after the completion of the road the passenger rate continued at $ for the one-way trip across the isthmus. the railroad proved to be such an unexpectedly good investment that the republic of colombia began to establish its claim to acquire ownership of the road at the expiration of the -year term, which would take place in . it was necessary therefore, that the railroad company should take steps to save the railroad from a forced sale with $ , , as the consideration. representatives were dispatched to bogota with instructions to get an extension of the concession under the most favorable terms possible. as it was realized that the republic of colombia held the whip hand in the negotiations, the railroad company understood that if it wished to escape selling its great revenue producing road for $ , , it would have to meet any terms colombia might dictate. the result of this mission was an agreement by the railroad that in consideration of an extension of the concession for a term of years it would pay to the colombian government $ , , spot cash and $ , a year during the life of the concession. that annual payment was continued as long as the isthmus remained a part of the republic of colombia. under the terms of the treaty between the united states and the republic of panama it was resumed again in , to be paid by the united states to the republic of panama throughout all the years that the united states maintains and operates the panama canal. chapter ix sanitation primarily, the conquest of the isthmian barrier was the conquest of the mosquito. not mountains to be leveled, nor wild rivers to be tamed, nor yet titanic machinery to be installed, presented the gravest obstacles to the canal builders. their most feared enemies were none of these, but the swarms of mosquitoes that bred in myriads in every lake, in every tiny pool, in every clump of weeds on the rain-soaked, steaming, tropical land. for these mosquitoes were the bearers of the dread germs of yellow fever and of malaria; and the conditions that encouraged their multiplication bred also typhoid and all manner of filthy disease. each mosquito was a potential messenger of death. the buzzing, biting pests had defeated the french in panama without the french ever having recognized the source of the attack. it was because the americans, thanks to great britain and to cuba, knew the deadly qualities of the mosquitoes that they were able to plan, under the leadership of col. w. c. gorgas, a sanitary campaign of unprecedented success. it achieved two victories. one was that it made of the canal zone the most healthful strip of land under tropic skies. the other is the panama canal. when one looks about in an effort to place the credit for these great sanitary achievements he must go back to cuba, where the yellow fever commission, consisting of reed, carroll, lazear, and agrimonte, made the remarkable investigations proving that yellow fever is transmissible only through the bite of a mosquito. he must go still further back to maj. roland ross of the british army, and his epoch-making discovery that malaria is conveyed only by the bite of another kind of mosquito. and, if he is just to all who have contributed to the establishment of the insect-bearing theory of disease, he must not forget sir patrick manson who first proved that any disease could be transmitted by insect bites. it was he who discovered that filariasis is transmissible by this method alone. it was from him that ross gathered the inspiration that is releasing humanity from one of the most insidious of all the diseases to which mortal flesh is heir. and it was from ross's malaria discoveries, in turn, that reed carried forward to successful proof the theory which had persisted in some quarters for generations that yellow fever was transmissible through mosquitoes; a theory already partially proved by dr. carlos finley, of havana, years earlier. [illustration: col. william c. gorgas the hospital grounds, ancon] [illustration: lieut. frederic mears the old panama railroad] but all of the surmises and theories came short of the truth until reed, carroll, lazear, and agrimonte (lazear at the cost of his life and carroll at the cost of a nearly fatal attack of yellow fever) took up the work of proving that there was only one way in which yellow fever could be transmitted; namely, by the bite of the mosquito. sleeping with patients who had yellow fever, wearing the clothes of those who had died from it, eating from utensils from which yellow fever victims had eaten--in short, putting to the most rigid test every other possible method of infection, they proved by every negative test that yellow fever could not be produced in any way other than by the bite of a mosquito. the next step was to give affirmative proof that yellow fever was caused by the bite of the female "stegomyia"--she of the striped stockings and the shrill song. this meant that someone had to have enough love for humanity to risk his life by inviting one of the worst forms of death to which human flesh is heir. those doctors knew that they could not as brave men ask others to undergo the risks that they themselves might not accept, so in a little council chamber in havana the three americans--reed, carroll, and lazear--entered into a compact that they themselves would permit infected mosquitoes to bite them. reed was called home, but carroll and lazear stood with the keen and cold eyes of scientists and saw the mosquitoes inject the fateful poison into their blood. later, after lazear had died and carroll had stood in the jaws of death, soldiers of the american army in cuba volunteered in the interest of humanity to undergo these same risks. and it was thus, at this price, that the world came to know how yellow fever is caused, and that the united states was to be able to build the panama canal. after the guilt of the female "stegomyia" mosquito was firmly established the next problem was to find a method of combating her work. dr. reed and his associates thought that it might be done through a process of immunization, using the mosquito to bite patients with very mild cases, and after the necessary period of incubation, to transmit the disease to those who were to be rendered immune. it was soon found, however, that there was no method of transmitting a mild infection, and the next problem was to combat the work of the mosquito by isolation of yellow fever patients, and by the extermination of the mosquitoes themselves. in havana at this time there was another army surgeon who was destined to write his name high upon the pages of medical achievement. he was dr. william c. gorgas. under the patronage of gen. leonard wood, himself a physician and alive to the lessons of the yellow fever commission's investigations, major gorgas undertook to apply the doctrine of yellow fever prevention promulgated by the commission, and his efforts were attended with brilliant success. the result was that havana, in particular, and cuba, in general, were freed from this great terror of the tropics. when president roosevelt came to provide for the building of the panama canal one of his earlier acts was to appoint dr. gorgas the chief sanitary officer of the canal zone. at first there was difficulty in establishing practical sanitation in panama. the chief sanitary officer was then a subordinate of the commission, and, along with all of the other men who were trying to do things on the isthmus, he found himself hindered by unsatisfactory conditions both as to supplies and as to force; consequently, his work was no more satisfactory to himself than it was to the commission or to the american people. under these conditions an epidemic of yellow fever broke out in panama in , and it was not long before the yellow fever mosquito had seemingly established an alibi and had secured a reopening of her case before the jury of public sentiment. people, to emphasize their disbelief in the mosquito theory of the transmission of the disease, tore the screens from their doors and windows, and otherwise proclaimed their contempt for the doctors and their doctrines. this matter went so far that the isthmian canal commission proposed not only a change in method but a change in personnel as well. at this juncture charles e. magoon became governor of the canal zone, and he declared that dr. gorgas should have adequate financial and moral support. he was determined that the panic which the yellow fever outbreak had engendered should be halted--and a panic it was, for men rushed madly to colon and defied the efforts of the commission, and of the captains and crews of the panama railroad steamships, to prevent them from returning to the states without other transportation arrangements than a determination to get aboard and stay there until the statue of liberty had been passed in new york harbor. so great was this panic that chief engineer stevens declared that there were three diseases at panama: yellow fever, malaria, and cold feet: and that the greatest of these was cold feet. the newspapers of the united states at that time quoted the poetry of such writers as gilbert, who said: "beyond the chagres river 'tis said (the story's old) are paths that lead to mountains of purest virgin gold; but 'tis my firm conviction what e'er the tales they tell, that beyond the chagres river all paths lead straight to hell." it did not matter that in four months there were only deaths on the isthmus from yellow fever as compared with from malaria in the same period--men do not stop to study mortality tables and to compare the relative fatalities of diseases when yellow fever stares them in the face. but after all, the yellow fever panic of served a good purpose, for if the mosquito thereby secured a reopening of its case, it stirred the united states government to give to the sanitary officers of the canal zone the powers they needed, and the means required to prove finally and forever in the court of last resort, the guilt of the mosquito, and to establish for once and all the method of combating its stealthy work. the whole world recognizes the remarkable results in sanitary work that have been achieved at panama. while it must be remembered that the population of the canal zone is made up largely of able-bodied men, and that, therefore, the death rate naturally would be lower than under like conditions with a normal population of infancy and old age, the fact remains that sanitary science has converted the zone from a mosquito paradise of swamp and jungle into a region where mosquitoes have all but disappeared, and where men are as free from danger of epidemic diseases as in the united states itself. the sanitary statistics of the canal zone, and of the cities of panama and colon, were based for several years upon an erroneous assumption of population. the department of sanitation estimated the population of the canal zone by deducting the recorded emigrants from the recorded immigrants and assumed that the difference represented a permanent addition to the zone's population. under this method of estimating population a serious error crept in, since hundreds of people came into panama from the panaman outports and were recorded as arrivals, but who, departing in small sailing vessels and launches at night after the port officers had gone home, were not recorded as having departed. in this way the sanitary department estimates of population in the canal zone reached a total of , in . the census taken that year showed only , population in the zone. this served to make the death rate given out by the department of sanitation per cent lower than was justified by actual population conditions. but one does not need to consider figures to realize what has been accomplished at panama. anyone who goes there and sees the remarkable evidence of the success of the efforts to conquer the disease of the tropical jungles, finds a lesson taught that is too impressive to need the confirmation of medical statistics. the united states, after the yellow fever outbreak of , never counted the cost when the health of the canal army was at stake. not only was uncle sam successful in his efforts to make the canal zone and the terminal cities of panama and colon healthful places of abode, but no worker on the canal was denied the privilege of the best medical care. an average of $ , , a year was expended in the prevention of sickness and the care of those who were sick. at ancon and at colon large hospitals were maintained where the white american and the west indian negro had their respective wards. at taboga a large sanitarium was maintained to assist the recuperation of those who had recovered sufficiently to leave the hospital. besides this there were rest camps along the line for those not ill enough to be removed to the hospitals, and dispensaries where those who felt they were not in need of other medical attention could consult with the physicians and get the necessary medicines. all medical services to the employees of the canal commission and the panama railroad were free, and only nominal charges were made for members of their families. no passenger train crossed the isthmus of panama without carrying a hospital car for taking patients to or from the hospitals. no way station was without its waiting shed bearing the inscription: "for hospital patients only." each community had its dispensary, its doctor, and its sanitary inspector. during the year there were , cases of sickness in the canal zone, of which , were white and , colored. during the same year , trips to the dispensaries were made by employees and nonemployees, divided almost evenly between white and colored. the average number of employees constantly sick in ancon hospital was ; in colon hospital ; and in taboga sanitarium . an average of were in the sick camps all the time and in the quarters. the average number of days' treatment per employee in the hospitals was a little over ; in the sick camps a little under ; and in quarters - / . it cost $ , a year to feed the patients in the hospitals and $ , a year to operate the hospitals. the work of sanitation proper cost some $ , a year. this includes many items. during one year about , , square yards of brush were cut and burned; a million square yards of swamp were drained; , , square yards of grass were cut; , feet of ditches were dug; and some , , linear feet of old ditches were cleaned. during the same year nearly a million garbage cans and over , refuse cans were emptied. in addition to looking after the health of the canal zone itself, it was necessary to care for that of the cities of panama and colon. in the city of panama , loads of sweepings and , loads of garbage were removed in one year; , , gallons of water were sprinkled on the streets and as much more distributed to the poor of the city. during one year the quarantine service, which keeps a strict lookout for yellow fever, bubonic plague, and other epidemic diseases, inspected over , passengers coming into the zone. it required about , gallons of mosquito oil a year to keep down the mosquitoes. there are known breeds of these insects on the isthmus and perhaps some species more which have not been identified. of the or more species of mosquitoes belonged to the malaria-producing family--anopheles. their cousins of the yellow-fever-producing family--the stegomyias--boast of only two species. what the other or more kinds are doing besides annoying suffering humanity has not been determined. the mosquito is comparatively easy to exterminate. its life habits are such that a terrific mortality may be produced among them during infancy. the average young mosquito, during its "wriggler" state of development, lives under the water and has to make about , trips to the surface for air before it can spread its wings and fly. if oil is poured upon the water it can get no air and death by asphyxiation follows. two classes of larvaecide are used on the waters to exterminate the baby mosquitoes: one is an oil used to make a scum over the surface; the other a carbolic solution which poisons the water. at the head of every little rivulet and tiny, trickling stream one sees a barrel out of which comes an endless drip! drip! drip! these drops of oil or poison are carried down the stream and make inhospitable all of the mosquito nurseries of the marshes through which the waters flow. in addition to these barrels, men go about with tanks on their backs, spraying the marshy ground and the small, isolated pools of water with larvaecides. [illustration: sanitary drinking cup] [illustration: mosquito oil drip barrel] [illustration: spraying mosquito oil] [illustration: typical quarters of the married laborer] [illustration: a native hut] this method of treatment has not exterminated all mosquitoes on the isthmus, but it has so materially reduced their number that one may stay in the zone for weeks without seeing a single one. this is a freedom, however, that must be paid for by vigilance of the most painstaking and unremitting sort. the moment the work is relaxed the mosquitoes again spread over the territory. the united states government will have to continue with the utmost care its work of sanitation and quarantine at panama. if, after the canal is completed, an epidemic of bubonic plague or yellow fever should break out, it might very seriously interfere with the operation of the canal in several ways. to begin with, it would demoralize the operating force. further than this, india and china are afraid of yellow fever because in both of these countries the stegomyia mosquito abounds. if the disease should obtain a foothold there it would be difficult to exterminate. europe, also, might be expected to quarantine against panama under such conditions. a , -ton freighter carrying cargo through the canal would lose at least a thousand dollars for every day it was detained in quarantine by reason of having visited the canal. a shrewd observer has said that the successful sanitation of the isthmus of panama is a triumph at once of medical science and of despotic government. probably this does not overstate the case. the methods employed at panama were arbitrary, and had to be. they probably could not be enforced at all in a democratic community in ordinary times. the people would rebel against the severity of the regulations and against the incidental invasion of their privacy. but strike any community, however free, with the fear of a swift and deadly disease and it will submit--as witness the shot-gun quarantines that used to demark the northern limits of the yellow fever zone in our own southern states, or the despotism that governed new orleans in the terror of . at panama this fear is ever present, so there is little danger that a responsible majority there ever would resist the sanitary work on the grounds of outraged democracy. it may be that a popular government would become careless, or inefficient, but it would not renounce the pretension. this has been proved in cuba. the sanitarians at panama gave to the workers there a sense of security that contributed no little to the spirit of determination so universally remarked and commended by visitors to the zone during the era of construction. while there was no immunity from sickness and death, yet there was no panic, no constant dread, such as destroyed the morale of the french force. the isthmus of panama still remained hot, its inhabitants still were forced to take the precautions that aliens must take in the tropics; but they were inspired with a confidence that if these precautions were taken they would not be in any greater danger than if they had remained in their northern homes. pestilence, the scourge of the on-sweeping epidemic, the plague of swift death that is only a little worse than the panic of fear it inspires--this was the thing that was stamped out. not since the science of healing opened its doors to the science of prevention have physicians scored a greater victory in their fight against disease and death than on the isthmus of panama. not only did they help to build the canal; they demonstrated that tropical diseases are capable of human control and thereby opened up a vista of hope undreamed of to all that sweltering and suffering mass of humanity that inhabits the torrid zone. chapter x the man at the helm in , william h. taft, then secretary of war, made a trip to the isthmus of panama to look over the preparations for the construction of the panama canal, and at the same time to consider the question of the fortification of the big waterway. on that trip a member of the general staff of the army, who at that time was but little known outside of army circles, went with him. he was a tall, broad-shouldered, bronze-faced, gray-haired man, years old. he came and went unheralded. few people knew of the engineering record he had made, and no one on the isthmus dreamed that he was destined to become the commander in chief of the army that would conquer the isthmian barrier. he returned to the united states and wrote his report--a report which, from the deep mastery of the subject it revealed, attracted the favorable attention of the secretary of war. later when the board of consulting engineers came to make its report upon the type of canal which should be built--whether it should be a sea level or a lock canal--the secretary of war asked this officer to prepare a draft of his report to the president recommending the lock canal. soon after new year's day, , the chief engineer of the canal, john f. stevens, dissatisfied with the relations that existed between the government and himself, came to the conclusion that he could not build the canal hampered as he was by red tape at washington. it then became a question of whether or not the canal should be built by contract or by the army. president roosevelt asked for a preliminary report upon this proposition and the unheralded army engineer who had visited the canal zone in , made it. a few days later there was a conference between president roosevelt, gen. alexander mackenzie, chief of engineers of the united states army, and the secretary of war. after this conference maj. george washington goethals was summoned to the white house and informed by the president that it had been determined to build the panama canal under the auspices of the army, and that he was appointed chairman and chief engineer of the isthmian canal commission. he was requested to keep the fact of his appointment a secret and to prepare immediately to go to panama. a ship sailed for the isthmus three days thereafter, and he was ready to sail when the president advised him that he might wait over and arrange affairs in washington, leaving in time to get to the isthmus to take charge on the first of april. when the announcement was made to the country that the work of building the canal was to be put in the hands of the army, the whole country began to inquire: who is major goethals? that inquiry revealed the fact that he was a man who had accomplished much in his years. born in , of dutch parents, whose ancestors had settled in new york when it was still new amsterdam, he was appointed to the united states military academy at west point where he was graduated in the class of with such honors that he was entitled to enter the engineer corps of the regular army. in he rose to the rank of captain, and in became lieutenant colonel and chief engineer of the first volunteer army corps in cuba. on the last day of that year he was honorably discharged from the volunteer service, and, in , became a major in the engineer corps of the regular army. for a number of years prior to he had been instructor in civil and military engineering at west point. he had been in charge of the mussel shoals canal construction on the tennessee river, a work which won praise from engineers both in civil and in military life. it was in a measure his record made on the tennessee river work that led to his appointment as chairman and chief engineer of the isthmian canal. when he took charge of the work at panama he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. arriving there he immediately informed all hands that while the work of building the canal had been placed under army engineers, no man who was then on the job and faithfully executing his work need fear anything from that administration. from that time down to the last stages of the work that statement held good. trained at west point, brought up in the atmosphere of the army, a lover of its traditions and in full sympathy with its spirit, he laid aside everything that might handicap the success of the undertaking and sought at once to get the full benefit of all that was best in the army and in civil life as well. he put his uniform in moth balls when he started to the isthmus, and from that day to this no man has ever seen him on the canal zone wearing an army uniform. when he took charge of the big job, the foundations upon which he was to build the superstructure of his success had been laid by his predecessors, but there were many weak points in these foundations as well as many strong ones. with a spirit of utilizing to the fullest extent every advantage that the administrations of the former chief engineers had left on the isthmus, he undertook to make only such changes as time demonstrated were necessary to the success of the project. at that time , , cubic yards of material had been removed from the big waterway. confronting him was the task of removing some , , yards the while building a great dam containing , , cubic yards, constructing a series of gigantic locks containing four and a half million cubic yards of concrete, and providing for the happiness and welfare of the sixty-odd thousand people who constituted the canal army and its camp followers. in the years that followed his appointment he proved himself in every way worthy of his assignment as the managing director of the most stupendous piece of work ever undertaken by man. furthermore, he established a claim to the title of the "great digger." no other man in the history of the world has ever superintended the excavation of an amount of earth half as great as that which has been taken out of the panama canal during his administration. since he went to the canal to "make the dirt fly" the material excavated under his command, together with that placed in the locks and dams, equals the amount necessary to take out to cut a tunnel feet square through the earth at the equator. no man ever carried to a great position less fuss and feathers than colonel goethals took to his work as chairman and chief engineer of the panama canal. when, during the construction period, one visited his office at culebra, on almost any afternoon, he would find there an unpretentious little room in the corner of the administration building, about feet square, containing four windows, overlooking the cut from two sides, its painted walls hung with maps, its floors uncarpeted, and in the center a large double-sided, flat-top desk covered with papers. a swivel chair at the desk and two or three other chairs constituted the furnishings of this room. the visitor walked directly into the office of his private secretary and the chief clerk, and if he had anything worth while about which to see the chairman and chief engineer he was detained only long enough for the man ahead of him to get out. with "no time like the present" as his motto in handling the business of his office, he, the busiest man on the isthmus, and one of the busiest in the world for that matter, always seemed to have more time than many men of lesser responsibilities and far fewer burdens. he once declared that he had a contempt for the man who always tried to make it appear that he was too busy to see his callers, because his callers were frequently as busy as he himself. the fact is that he is a man with a very unusual gift in the dispatch of work. system has been the key-note of his success. with thousands of details every day to look after, he has always kept his work so well in hand that to the casual observer he seemed to be the most leisurely man on the isthmus. he maintained a well-established routine all through his career on the canal. his mornings usually were spent going over the work. when the morning trains passed culebra at o'clock they found him up, breakfasted, and at the station. although these trains carried parlor cars, one would seldom see the chairman and chief engineer riding in them. rather, he consistently chose to ride in the ordinary day coaches with his sub-engineers, with the steam-shovel men, and with the rank and file of the americans who made possible the success of the work at panama. there were few of these americans whom he did not know by name, and with whom he did not pass a pleasant word whenever he chanced to meet them. a morning trip over the work with this presiding genius of the big ditch reveals perhaps better than anything else the makeup of the man and the secret of his success. "meet me on the early train to-morrow morning at miraflores," said he to one of his visitors in the early summer of , "and we will go over the pacific end of the work." this meant that both the chief engineer and the visitor had to leave comfortable beds at o'clock in the morning to keep the appointment. at o'clock they met at miraflores. "we will walk through the tunnel if you don't mind," said he, "as i don't want to hold up a dirt train if it can be avoided." at the other end of the railroad tunnel, the only one on the isthmus, a railway motor car stood on the siding ready to pick up the distinguished engineer and carry him to the miraflores locks. this motor car is something like a limousine on railroad trucks, and was affectionately known by the people on the isthmus, as "the yellow peril" and "the brain wagon." the first stop was at the concrete work on the spillway dam at miraflores. "how soon do you expect to have this dam up to its full height?" he asked of the division engineer who joined him there. "can't you find room to operate another temporary concrete mixer down there?" he queried further. "is there anything else you need to keep the work moving forward so as to be certain to complete the dam by the time you promised?" going a little farther he came to a place where one division was doing some work for another division. "don't you think it would be more satisfactory to keep both parts of that work under one division? why don't you allow it all to be done by the other people?" walking across the locks on the temporary bridge the chief engineer and his assistant came to a point where the concrete lamp posts for lighting the locks were being set up. "don't you think that it would better avoid any settling if you were to place beams of railroad iron across those spaces and rest the posts on them?" he queried. a little farther on he met the engineer in charge of the work of the company erecting the gates. "when do you think you will have the gates in the west chambers completed so that we can put the dredge through?" he inquired of mr. wright. "well, sir," replied mr. wright, "if we have good luck i hope to have them done by the first of september; if we have fair luck we ought to have them completed by the middle of september; but at the lowest calculation i can promise them to you by the first of october." "but have you taken into consideration all of the time you are likely to lose as the result of heavy rains?" queried the chief engineer. "i have made full allowance therefor, i think," responded mr. wright. walking on, the watchful eye of the chief engineer fell upon a new baby railway track which was being laid through the eastern lock chambers. "what are you planning to do there?" he asked of the division engineer. "we wanted to get some additional material through the locks and mr. wright informed us that if we would furnish the timbers, he would make it so that we could run these little engines through there," responded the engineer. "but did you have a definite understanding with him that this should afford no excuse for any further delay in completing the gates?" queried colonel goethals. "we did, sir," responded the division engineer. "all right then, go ahead." at this point the party boarded the motor car again and was taken to the big dike which was to hold the pacific ocean from flooding the locks after a dike a mile farther down had been blown out. "how much water do you have in the stretch between the two dikes?" he asked of the division engineer. he next wanted to know how many million cubic feet they were able to pump and siphon in, and how much the rio grande was bringing in per day. then he wanted to know if every possible precaution had been taken to insure the watertightness of the new dike; how many thousand pounds of dynamite had been placed under the one to be blown up; how many holes this dynamite was placed in; and a large number of other bits of information which would tell him whether every safeguard had been thrown around the plan to insure its success. going up on the other side of the canal the party came to the earth dam joining the west lock walls with the hills, so as to impound feet of water in miraflores lake. "how soon do you expect to get that connection made between the lock walls and the dam proper?" he queried of the engineer in immediate charge. "in four weeks, sir." "all right," answered colonel goethals, "you can't get that done any too soon to suit me." and so he went over the work around miraflores from beginning to end, talking now with an irishman in charge of dumping the material on the inside of the dam, now with a man in charge of some concrete work, and now with the division engineer himself. by o'clock he had inspected every part of this division and was ready to take his car back to culebra. in four hours he had seen every man responsible for any important work around miraflores; had offered a suggestion there, a word of encouragement here, and had obtained a bit of information at another place. each day's morning program was like this one except as to the place he visited and the people with whom he talked. one morning he might be tramping over cucaracha slide, studying the prospects of its future. another morning he might be down at gatun watching an official test of an emergency dam. on these trips he usually wore either a most unmilitary-looking blue serge or gray cheviot, with a somewhat weather-beaten sailor straw hat, and carried a cheap dollar umbrella. when colonel goethals went to the isthmus he promised that every man with a grievance should have a hearing. each sunday morning he had at his office at culebra what he termed his sunday "at homes," the best attended functions on the isthmus, where the blackest jamaica negro on the job found as much of a welcome as the highest official. these functions were for the purpose of hearing the canal employees who had grievances. once a visitor was congratulating him upon the smooth manner in which the canal-building machine seemed to be working. "you ought to attend one of my sunday 'at homes,'" he replied. "you would think that there was no smoothness at all to its running." here is the wife of one of the engineers: she wants to find out why it is that she cannot get bread from the ancon hospital bakery. she informs colonel goethals that joseph b. bishop, secretary of the commission, gets bread from the hospital bakery and wants to know why she cannot. "i will look into the matter for you," says the chief engineer, and a note of this complaint is made. later the telephone bell rings and mr. bishop is asked if he gets bread at the hospital bakery. he replies in the affirmative, explaining that about three years ago he had breakfasted with colonel gorgas who arranged for him to buy his bread there instead of at the commissary, this bread being more to his liking. "can't any other employee of the canal commission get bread there under the same terms?" queries the chief engineer. "i will see, sir," responds the secretary of the commission. "if they can not," answers the chief engineer, "you must have your bread stopped at once." and it was stopped. the next person received is the representative of the kangaroos, a fraternal order. "the spanish american war veterans get free transportation on a special train on memorial day," he is informed, "and the fraternal orders on the zone are crowded out." "let a committee of all the fraternal orders appear next sunday and talk it over with me and we will see what we can do," responds the chief engineer. here comes a negro who says that his boss is a tyrant and abuses his men: "i will look into that," responds the presiding genius of the canal, and the jamaican goes away with an expansive smile on his face. and so it went. small affairs, big affairs, and indifferent ones were brought to his attention. in perhaps per cent of them he could not do what was requested, but when able he did it so promptly, and in such a positive, straightforward manner, that his "at homes" have been compared, by the french ambassador to the united states, to the court of justice held by saint louis beneath the oak at vincennes. a railroad engineer on one of the dirt trains got drunk and ran over a negro. he was sent to the penitentiary. the railroad men issued an ultimatum saying that if he were not released by a certain hour on a certain day, every dirt train on the canal would stop. a committee conveyed this ultimatum to colonel goethals and asked his decision. "you will get it at the penitentiary," he replied. "this man will remain in prison and every man who quits work on that account will be dropped from the rolls." there was no strike of engineers. at another time the waiters at the tivoli hotel went on strike. the whole force was promptly discharged, and the official paper of the canal commission carried their names with the announcement that thereafter they would not be eligible to employment in any capacity on the canal zone. if the chairman and chief engineer of the canal is just and firm in his relations with his men, he is no less generous in giving credit where credit belongs. upon one occasion he was talking about the success of the canal project with a friend, and declared that the world would never give to john f. stevens the credit that was due him in the construction of the canal. "you know," said he, "the real problem of building this canal has been that of removing the spoil; that problem was preeminently the problem of a railroad man and to solve it demanded the services of one of the best men in the railroad business. we have extended the facilities laid out by mr. stevens, and have modified them as experience and conditions have demanded, but they have been operated from that day to this under the general plan of transportation laid out by mr. stevens. i do not think that any army engineer in the united states could have laid out such excellent transportation facilities." at another time, in discussing this same matter, he declared that it was his firm opinion that the canal could have been built by either of the former chief engineers, john f. wallace or john f. stevens, if they had been allowed a free hand. "you see," said he, "they were men who were accustomed to handling big construction jobs. they would outline their project and the cost of executing it to a board of directors who would pass upon it and then leave them absolutely unhampered in the matter of personnel and method, with results as the only criterion of their success. when they came to the isthmus they found their hands tied by red tape. they had never dealt with a president, a secretary of war, a congress, and the public at large. naturally, they grew restive under the conditions which confronted them and resigned. "the whole difference is largely that of training. the army officer knows from the time he leaves west point that he has to work in harmony with his superiors, with the president, the secretary of war, and congress. that is why we have been able to stay where men from civil life have thrown up the job." another remarkable characteristic of the great digger is his desire to do his work economically as well as to do it promptly. when he went to the isthmus there was an insistent demand that the dirt be made to fly. along with the administration in washington he realized that the only way to gain the faith and confidence of the people in the work, a faith and confidence essential to its full success, was to measure up to their desire that the dirt begin to fly. it was not a time to consider economies then. but, as soon as those demands had been met and the people had been shown that the army could make good, a cost-keeping system was introduced. men doing identical work were pitted against one another; army engineers were placed in command of one task here and civilian engineers in command of another task there; and thus a healthy rivalry was established. as colonel gaillard, member of the commission, and engineer of the central division, testified before a congressional committee, his early work in culebra cut was to get out as much dirt as possible, while his later work was given over largely to a study and comparison of cost sheets with a view to cutting down the expense of removing a yard of material, with the result that he was able to show a saving of $ , , in a -mile section of the panama canal as compared with the estimates of . in other words, colonel goethals took that golden rule of all great soldiers, "get there first with the most men," and adapted it to read "dig the most dirt with the least money." he had ever in mind three things: safe construction, rapid progress, and low costs. on these three foundation stones in his mind was reared the structure that stands as the highest example of engineering science, and as the proudest constructive accomplishment of the american republic. at the northern entrance to the suez canal stands a statue of de lesseps, a beckoning hand inviting the shipping of the world to go through. perhaps no such statue of goethals ever will stand at panama, but there is no need. the canal itself is his monument and its story will ever endure. chapter xi the organization when the united states finally decided to build the panama canal, the next question of gravity which pressed for consideration was the creation of the organization by which it was to be built. many problems were encountered, and after repeated changes in personnel and rearrangements of duties, the situation finally resolved into an organization headed by one man, clothed with the necessary powers, and held responsible for the consequent results. the completion of the preliminaries for the acquisition of title to the canal zone and to the property and rights of the new panama canal company took place when congress, on april , , made an appropriation of $ , , , which was to be paid to the republic of panama. six days later the united states formally took possession of the canal zone and of the property of the panama canal company, when at : o'clock in the morning, lieut. mark brooke, of the united states army, took over the keys and raised the american flag. the following day president roosevelt announced the appointment of john findley wallace, of massachusetts, as chief engineer of the canal at a salary of $ , a year, the appointment to be effective on the st day of june. the first ship to arrive at panama carried maj. gen. george w. davis, who was to govern the canal zone; col. william c. gorgas, who was to make it sanitary; and george r. shanton, who was to drive out the criminal element. governor davis was a member of the isthmian canal commission, colonel gorgas had proved his worth in the sanitation of cuba, and shanton had been a "rough rider" with colonel roosevelt in the cuban campaign. when chief engineer wallace arrived on the scene he found there an all but abandoned project. there were hundreds of french houses, but nearly all of them were in the jungle and practically unfit for human habitation. he found millions of dollars' worth of french machinery, but almost none of it in condition to be put into service immediately. he knew in a general way the line of the canal, but surveys were lacking to determine its exact location at every point. with this situation in front of him, he found it necessary to concentrate his efforts upon the problem of getting ready for the work. while he was doing this the people at home began to demand that the dirt fly. colonel gorgas also found conditions which challenged his best efforts. colon was a paradise of disease, panama was no better. it was only by making both of these cities over again, from a sanitary standpoint, that any hope could be held out for reasonably healthy conditions. during his stay on the isthmus mr. wallace found himself handicapped at every turn by red tape, a new thing in his experience as a construction engineer. he could buy nothing without asking for bids; every idea he sought to put into execution had to be submitted to washington, and he found himself so harassed and handicapped that he wanted a new plan of organization. acting in accordance with his recommendations, president roosevelt decided to accept the resignation of the existing canal commission, and to appoint a new one, in which, instead of having independent departments, with the governor independent of the chief engineer, and the chief sanitary officer independent of both the governor and the chief engineer, there should be a more united relation, in which all questions were to be decided by the commission as a whole, the final authority being vested in an executive committee composed of the chairman, the governor of the canal zone, and the chief engineer. under this plan, the second isthmian canal commission was organized. it consisted of theodore p. shonts, chairman; charles e. magoon, governor of the canal zone; john f. wallace, chief engineer; mordecai t. endicott; peter c. hains; oswald h. ernst; and benjamin a. harrod. following the suggestion of chief engineer wallace, the control of the panama railroad was also vested in the new commission. while these changes were being made chief engineer wallace was in washington. there was dissatisfaction on the isthmus with an accompanying spirit of unrest, and, to make matters worse, a yellow-fever epidemic broke out. only a few days after mr. wallace reached the isthmus, he cabled the secretary of war that he wished to return to washington, hinting that he might resign. secretary taft cabled to governor magoon for an opinion as to the motives which were behind this step on the part of mr. wallace, and was advised that it was brought about by the offer of a better salary and the fear of the yellow-fever epidemic. when mr. wallace reached new york he had a stormy interview with secretary taft, who roundly denounced him for quitting at such a critical time. mr. wallace declared his lack of confidence in the ability of colonel gorgas to control the yellow-fever epidemic, and asserted that the continual interference of red tape was so distracting to him as to make new employment attractive. president roosevelt upheld his secretary of war in his denunciation of mr. wallace, and promptly appointed john f. stevens chief engineer at a salary of $ , . john f. stevens arrived on the isthmus on july , . he found the panama railroad almost in a state of collapse. he declared that the only claim heard for it was that there had been no collisions for some time. "a collision has its good points as well as its bad ones," he observed, "for it indicates that there is something moving on the railroad." mr. stevens immediately set to work to build up the road, and to provide the means for housing and feeding the canal army. but like his predecessor he found government red tape hampering, and in his first annual report begged for "a thorough business administration unhampered by any tendency to technicalities, into which our public work sometimes drifts." he protested against civil-service requirements on the isthmus, and against the eight-hour working day; and president roosevelt met his protests by exempting all employees except clerks from the operations of civil-service rules, and by abrogating the eight-hour day. it was under the régime of mr. stevens that the question arose as to whether the canal should be built as a sea-level channel through the isthmus, or as a lock canal with the water in the middle section feet above the level of the sea. president roosevelt thereupon appointed a board of consulting engineers, made up of members, to visit the isthmus and determine what type of canal should be built. five members of this board of consulting engineers were foreigners appointed by their respective governments at the request of president roosevelt. they included the inspector general of public works of france, the consulting engineer of the suez canal, the chief engineer of the manchester canal, the chief engineer of the kiel canal, and the chief engineer of the dutch dike system. three of the american engineers and all five of the foreign engineers voted in favor of a sea-level canal. chief engineer stevens and all but one member of the isthmian canal commission concurred in the vote of the minority, made up wholly of american engineers in favor of the lock canal. president roosevelt sustained the minority report, and congress sustained him in the law of june , . in the fall of chairman shonts came out in advocacy of a plan to build the canal by contract. here arose a difference between mr. shonts and mr. stevens, and chairman shonts shortly thereafter resigned. a few months later chief engineer stevens also resigned. it is said that his resignation was mainly due to his objection to the appointment of army engineers as members of the canal commission, and to a letter he wrote the president in which he scored the limitations of red tape and government methods generally. when mr. stevens quitted the isthmus he left behind him the nucleus of the general organization for building of the canal. he saw housing conditions brought up to the required standard, established the necessary commissary where canal employees could supply their needs at reasonable prices, and aided colonel gorgas in his fight to make the isthmus healthful. at this juncture the organization destined to build the canal was put into effect, with colonel george w. goethals at its head. colonel gorgas, the chief sanitary officer, was the only important official of the old régime held over. the other members of the commission were maj. d. d. gaillard and maj. william l. sibert, of the united states engineer corps; civil engineer h. h. rousseau, of the united states navy; and messrs. j. c. s. blackburn and jackson smith. [illustration: maj. gen. george w. davis rear admiral j. g. walker theodore p. shonts john f. wallace john f. stevens charles e. magoon] [illustration: richard lee metcalfe emory r. johnson maurice h. thatcher joseph bucklin bishop h. a. gudger joseph c. s. blackburn] under former commissions the governor of the canal zone had ranked above the chief engineer, and the chairman, the chief engineer, and the governor had had rival powers, which resulted in a great deal of friction. under the new order the offices of chairman and chief engineer were consolidated, and the governor was reduced to the title of "head of the department of civil administration," reporting to the chairman, as did the chief sanitary officer and all of the division engineers. this commission, in personnel, remained intact during the long period of construction, except for the resignation in of jackson smith, who was succeeded by lieut. col. harry f. hodges; and for the resignation in of mr. blackburn, who was succeeded by morris h. thatcher. mr. thatcher, in turn, was succeeded in by richard l. metcalfe as head of the department of civil administration. during the construction period there were several rearrangements of the duties of the army engineers associated with colonel goethals. from june, , major gaillard, afterwards promoted to a lieutenant-colonelcy, was in charge of the ditch-digging work between gatun and pedro miguel, which included the entire gatun lake and culebra cut sections. it is everywhere admitted that so far as difficulties were concerned, he had the hardest job on the isthmus, next to the chief engineer. colonel gaillard entered the united states military academy in and was graduated with honors entitling him to appointment in the corps of engineers. before being selected as a member of the canal commission, he had had much experience in important work. for two years he was in charge of all river and harbor improvement in the lake superior region. when he first went to the isthmus he was assigned as the supervising engineer in charge of harbors, the building of breakwaters, etc. lieut. col. william l. sibert, another of the army engineers who was made a member of the canal commission, was graduated from west point in and was made a lieutenant of engineers. from to he was assistant engineer in charge of the construction of the ship channel connecting the great lakes. the four years following he was in charge of the river and harbor work in arkansas, and following that, spent one year teaching civil engineering in the engineering school of application. he then went to the philippines as chief engineer of the eighth army corps and became chief engineer and general manager of the manila & dagupan railroad. from to he was in charge of the ohio river improvements between pittsburgh and louisville. as division engineer of the atlantic division of the panama canal he was in charge of the construction of the gatun locks, gatun dam, and the breakwaters at the atlantic entrance to the canal. civil engineer harry h. rousseau, of the united states navy, was appointed a member of the isthmian canal commission at the same time that chief engineer goethals was selected to head the organization. he had had much experience in engineering work prior to the appointment and was a personal appointee of president roosevelt, with whom he had come in contact when he was serving in the bureau of yards and docks of the navy department when mr. roosevelt was assistant secretary of that department. he entered the employ of the united states through the civil service, having been appointed a civil engineer in the navy with the rank of lieutenant, after a competitive examination in . for four years he was an engineer of the bureau of which he afterwards became chief, and for four years following, from to , he was engineer of the improvements of mare island navy yard, california. the duties of commissioner rousseau were changed from time to time, and he was finally given charge of the work of constructing the terminals at the ends of the canal. at the same time he was made assistant to the chief engineer, having charge of all mechanical questions arising on the canal. when jackson smith, one of the two civilian members of the canal commission, resigned, he was succeeded by an army officer, col. harry f. hodges, who would have been a member of the commission from the first, upon the request of colonel goethals, had not the united states engineer corps required his services. colonel hodges was graduated from the united states military academy in , and immediately entered upon seven years of duty on river and harbor improvements in the united states. this was followed by four years' service as assistant professor of engineering at west point, and that duty, in turn, by six years of work on rivers and harbors and fortifications. during the spanish american war he served in porto rico, and then returned to river and harbor duty for two years. in - he was chief engineer of the department of cuba, from which duty he was transferred to the war department, where he became assistant to the chief of engineers. his experience in river and harbor work, coupled with his success as the designer of the locks of the american sault ste. marie canal, fitted him for the work at panama. he became assistant chief engineer and purchasing agent of the canal in , and the following year was chosen a member of the commission to succeed mr. smith. the work of designing the locks and the lock machinery fell upon his shoulders. when president roosevelt wanted a man to handle the delicate problems arising out of the peculiar relations with the republic of panama and the united states, he selected joseph c. s. blackburn, of kentucky, who had just finished a long term of service in the united states senate. senator blackburn was well equipped for such a position, combining that suavity indicated by the velvet glove with that determination of purpose which lies in the iron hand. the service of col. william c. gorgas, the chief sanitary officer on the isthmus, began earlier than that of any of the higher officials. he went to the isthmus immediately after it was taken over by the united states. he has been described as a man "with a gentle manner, but with a hard policy toward the mosquito." he was born in mobile, ala., in , the son of gen. josiah gorgas, of the confederate army. he became a member of the medical corps of the united states army in , and since his work at the head of the cuban health campaign his name has been a household word in the united states. in establishing the isthmian canal commission, which was destined to make the panama canal a reality, president roosevelt selected joseph bucklin bishop as its secretary. mr. bishop was made the editor of the canal record, a weekly paper which was the official organ of the canal commission. he is a born investigator and when any matter arose concerning the work on the canal, about which the chief engineer desired an impartial report, he usually referred it to mr. bishop. when the matter of organizing the work arose it was decided to arouse a spirit of emulation and rivalry, and s. b. williamson, a civilian engineer, was put in charge of the pacific end of the canal, with duties similar to those of the army engineer on the atlantic side. mr. williamson proved to be a master of the art of accomplishing a great deal with a given amount of money, and the cost sheets of the pacific end will ever stand as a monument to his efficiency. the list of engineers and other officials who contributed to the success of the work at panama is a long one, but among them may be mentioned: col. chester harding, who was the resident engineer at gatun; w. g. comber, who headed the dredging work on the pacific end of the canal during the early days of the american undertaking, of the entire canal during the final stages; w. g. rourke, who was resident engineer in culebra cut for a number of years; caleb m. saville, who worked out the data for the construction of the gatun dam; h. o. cole, who succeeded s. b. williamson on the pacific end work; lieut. frederick mears, who relocated the panama railroad; john burke, who had charge of the commissary; maj. eugene t. wilson, the chief subsistence officer; brig. gen. c. a. devol, who was in charge of the quartermaster's department; e. j. williams, jr., the disbursing officer; and col. tom f. cook, the picturesque chief of the division of posts and customs. to all these, and to scores of others who are not mentioned here merely because of the limitations of space, the american people owe the great success at panama. the organization was imbued with a spirit of loyalty to the great task, and having its accomplishment singly in mind there was little room for jealous bickerings and none at all for scandal and corruption. every man who had a part in it always will be proud of his share, and that pride will be supported and justified by all americans. chapter xii the american workers the directory, supervisory, and mechanical work in constructing the canal was done by americans. the engineers, the foremen, the steam shovelers, the operators of spoil trains, the concrete mixers, and, in short, the skilled workers were american citizens; the common and unskilled laborers were west indians and europeans. it is to the american workers therefore that the credit is due, for without their direction and aid in every operation the work could not have been done. never was there a more loyal, a more earnest, a more enthusiastic band of workmen than these same americans. the steam shoveler felt as much pride, as much responsibility, in the task as did the chief engineer. the difficulties under which they labored, the enervating climate, the absence from home, the lack of diversion and recreation, but served to temper the steel in their make-up. the american spirit was there, dominating every detail of the whole big job. every man was determined to "make good," not for himself alone, but for the organization of which he was a part, and for his country. in the beginning conditions were bad. there were few conveniences to make life comfortable, and innumerable inconveniences harassing those who went there. the food was bad and the water was not as good as the food. the quarters were old french houses rescued from the jungle and filled with scorpions. the result was that few of those who first went to the isthmus remained, and those who returned to the united states spread far and wide reports of bad conditions on the isthmus. with this situation in mind the canal commission decided that two things had to be done. wholesome living conditions had to be created for the people who came to the isthmus, and a standard of wages had to be set that would prove attractive to good men at home. it was thus that the pay for the americans on the canal came to be placed at per cent higher than pay for the same character of work in the states. this soon proved a strong incentive to men to leave the states and go to panama, and as living conditions were improved the number of men willing to accept work on the isthmus increased. two classes of americans turned their faces toward the tropics as a result of the inducements held out by the canal commission. one was made up of those who were willing to go and stay a year or two, accumulating in that time experience and, perhaps, saving some little money; the other was made up of men whose desire was to go to the isthmus and stay with the job, utilizing the opportunities it afforded for building up a comfortable bank account. [illustration: brig. gen. carroll a. devol american living quarters at cristobal] [illustration: harry h. rousseau lowering a caisson section] as the work moved forward those of weak purpose and indifference to opportunity gradually dropped out. their places were taken by others, until through a process of years of elimination there were approximately , americans at panama when the canal was finished; an army was made up almost wholly of men with a purpose in life and consequently of men who could be relied upon to do their work to the best of their ability. the result was that the last years of the task of construction saw every man loyal to his work and anxious to see the job move forward. american visitors to the isthmus had occasion to be proud of their countrymen there. every tourist from a foreign country has commented upon the distinguished courtesy received at the hands of these men. one of them, perhaps england's most noted travel lecturer, said: "the thing which impressed me more than anything else, outside of the gigantic work and the masterful way in which it is being done, was the exquisite courtesy of every american i met during my stay. i found every one of them not only ready to give such information as he might have but glad to do so. each man was as proud of the work as if it were his own, and as ready to show his part of it to a stranger as if that stranger were his best friend. it was a delight to me from beginning to end to see the magnificent type of american manhood at work, and the pride taken by every worker in the project." every other tourist brought away the same impression. a man who went there without any other credentials than a desire to see the work was shown the same courtesy and consideration as one with a pocketful of letters of introduction. the americans on the isthmus did not count any hardship too great if it were demanded for the successful prosecution of the work. a case in point is that of j. a. loulan, the engineer in charge of the rock-crushing plant at ancon. one morning he was introduced to a visitor from the states who remarked that everything seemed to be running so smoothly that he supposed the work of a supervising engineer was no longer a difficult task. "well," replied the engineer, "at least it does not pay to worry. last night at o'clock i was called out of bed by telephone and informed that a jamaican negro hostler had accidentally knocked the chock from under the wheels of an engine he was firing up, and that it had run down the grade and off the end of the track into about two feet of soft earth. we worked from that time on until breakfast to get the engine back, and were satisfied to know that the accident did not delay the operations at the crusher. not a man of the force was late getting back to work after four hours of strenuous extra night duty." speaking of the patience of the men commissioner h. h. rousseau said, "the reason for all this is not far to seek; the man who has 'nerves' would never stick it out on a job like this. the climate, the exile from home, and the character of the work all conspire against the man who can not be patient. he soon finds that the isthmus is no place for him. the result is that a process of elimination has gone on until the men who have 'nerves' have all left and their places filled with those who are stoical enough to take things as they come." the americans on the isthmus were early risers. the first train from colon for panama leaves about o'clock and the first train from panama for colon at : . almost any morning during the construction period one might walk into the dining room at the tivoli hotel and see a number of canal engineers breakfasting there who had left colon on the early train. when one of them was asked if he did not find it something of a hardship to rise so early, he replied: "well, you see, from the standpoint of a man just from the states it would seem rather an unheard-of hour for a man to get out and go to work; but we have to meet conditions as we find them down here, and we soon get reconciled to it. there is scarcely a night that i am not called by telephone two or three times, and i have to get up in time to catch the early train several mornings in the week, so i get up at the same hour the other mornings as well. we are well paid, and we owe it to our country to make whatever sacrifices the work demands. and after a month or two we get out of the habit of feeling that it is a sacrifice." it is this spirit of devotion to the work that enabled the canal authorities to press it to a successful completion with such unprecedented rapidity. these men knew full well that their sacrifices in the interest of progress were appreciated. the most rigid spirit of friendly competition was maintained from the beginning. the spirit of rivalry nowhere counted for more than among the steam-shovel men. in it was decided to publish in the canal record the best steam-shovel performances from week to week. this immediately put every steam-shovel gang on its mettle, and soon there was a great race with nearly a hundred entries, a race that continued from that day until the completion of the excavation. the result was that records of steam-shovel performances were made eclipsing everything that had gone before. the average daily excavation per shovel rose from year to year until it was double in the end what it was in the beginning. as heretofore pointed out, the process of elimination that went on continuously during the construction work sent large numbers of american workers back to the states from the isthmus. during a single year about three-fifths of the americans threw up their jobs and returned home. the average stay of americans during the construction period was about a year. bachelors were much more given to returning to the states than married men. the endless round of working, eating, sleeping, with its small chance of diversion, made the average bachelor glad to get back to the states within two years. on the other hand, the married men found home life just about as pleasant as in the states. they had with them about , women, and as many children. many of the latter were born under the american eagle at panama. the boys who were born there may, if they choose, become native panamans. the son of a former president of panama, in talking with commissioner rousseau, advised him to make a panaman citizen of little harry harwood rousseau, jr. "you see," said he, and he spoke in all earnestness and seriousness, "he will stand so much better chance of becoming president of the republic of panama than of becoming president of the united states." the american children on the zone, brimming over with life and health, proved conclusively that the tropics worked no hardship upon them. the canal commission, from the beginning to the end, made the welfare of the army of workers one of its first cares. as the days of a completed canal approached, every effort was made to enable the employees who had to be laid off to find employment in the states. provision was made that they could accumulate their leave of absence in such a way as to entitle them to days of full pay after leaving. this was arranged so as to give them sufficient time to establish connections in the states again, without being forced to do it without pay. close records also were kept of each employee, and the official immediately over each man was ordered to give him a rating card showing his record on the canal zone. no higher credentials could be carried by anyone seeking employment than to have a card from the canal commission showing a rating of "excellent." owing to the firmness with which the commission ruled, there was little trouble in the way of strikes. in a lot of boiler makers who were getting cents an hour on the per diem basis, struck for cents an hour. their demands were not met and some of them threw up their jobs. the commission immediately arranged with its washington office to fill their places, and they had no chance whatever to get further employment on the isthmus. the commission was given the power, by president roosevelt, to order anyone to leave the isthmus whose presence there was regarded as a detriment to the work. the result was that as soon as any man was found to be fomenting trouble, he was advised that a ship was returning to the united states on a certain date and that it would be expedient for him to take passage thereon. this power of deportation was more autocratic than any like power in the united states, but it proved of immense value in keeping things going satisfactorily at panama. it was a power whose exercise was called for but few times, since the very fact that the commission had the power was usually a sufficient deterrent. there are two societies on the isthmus which tell of the effects of homesickness of the americans in the employ of the canal commission--the incas, and the society of the chagres. the incas are a group of men who meet annually on may th for a dinner. the one requirement for membership in this dining club is service on the canal from the beginning of the american occupation. in about men were left on the isthmus of all those americans who were there at the time of the transfer of the canal property to the united states in . the society of the chagres was organized in the fall of . it is made up of american white employees who have worked six years continuously on the canal. when president roosevelt visited the isthmus in the late fall of he declared that he intended to provide some memorial or badge which would always distinguish the man who for a certain space of time had done his work well on the isthmus, just as the button of the grand army distinguishes the man who did his work well in the civil war. two years later a ton of copper, bronze, and tin was taken from old french locomotives and excavators and shipped to philadelphia, where it was made into medals by the united states mint. these medals are about the size of a dollar and each person who has served two years is entitled to one. it is estimated that by the time the last work is done on the canal, about , of these medals will have been distributed. for each additional two years a man worked, the canal commission gave a bar of the same material. the society of the chagres, therefore, is made up of men who have served at least six years, and who have won their medals and two service bars. the emblem of the society is a circular button showing on a small, black background six horizontal bars in gold which are surrounded by a narrow gold border. in only about out of the many thousands of americans at one time or another employed in the construction of the panama canal were entitled to wear the insignia of this society. chapter xiii the negro workers the west indian negro contributed about per cent of the brawn required to build the panama canal. when the united states undertook the work the west indian negro had a bad reputation as a workman. it was said that he lacked physical strength; that he had little or no pluck; that he was absolutely unreliable; that he was unusually susceptible to disease; and that in view of these things the canal never could be finished if he were to supply the greater part of the labor. but he lived down this bad reputation in large part, and, although it must be admitted that he is shiftless always, inconstant frequently, and exasperating as a rule, he developed into a good workman. the government paid the west indian laborer cents a day, furnished him with free lodgings in quarters, and sold him three square meals a day for cents each, a total of cents a day for board and lodging. on the balance of cents, the west indian negro who saved was able to go back home and become a sort of rockefeller among his compatriots. his possible savings, as a matter of fact, were about two and a half times the total wages he received in his native country. but the sanitary quarters, and the necessarily strict discipline maintained therein, did not please him. he yearned for his thatched hut in the "bush," for his family, and the freedom of the tropical world. thus the homesickness of the well-quartered, well-fed negro became a greater hindrance to the work than the ill-fed condition of the "bush dweller." the result was that the commission reached the conclusion that it could better maintain a suitable force by allowing the negroes to live as they chose. therefore, permission was given them to live in the "bush," and about nine-tenths of them promptly exchanged the sanitary restrictions of the commission quarters, and the wholesome food of the commission mess kitchen, for the _dolce far niente_ of the "bush." the result of this experiment in larger liberty was in part a success and in part a failure. the list of names on the roll of workers was largely lengthened, but there was no great addition to the force of the men at work on any given day. it was a common saying in the zone that if the negro were paid twice as much he would work only half as long. most of them worked about four days a week and enjoyed themselves the other three. it may be that the "bush dweller" was not fed as scientifically as the man in the quarters, but he had his chickens, his yam and bean patch, his family and his fiddle, and he made up in enjoyment what he lost in scientific care. marriage bonds are loose in the west indies, and common-law marriages are the rule rather than the exception. but, as one traveled across the isthmus and saw the hundreds of little thatched huts lining the edge of the jungle, he could see that the families who lived there seemed to be as happy, and the children as numerous, as though both civil and religious marriage ceremonies had bound man and wife together. when the americans first began work it was an accepted dictum that one spaniard or one italian could do as much work as three negroes. the negroes seemed to be weak. it took six of them to carry a railroad tie where two spaniards might carry it as well. this belief that the spaniard was more efficient than the negro stirred the west indians to get down to work, and in a year or two they were almost as efficient while they were working as were the spaniards, but the spaniards worked six days a week while the negroes worked only four. of course there were those who spent practically everything as they made it, and they constituted no small percentage of the total negro force. but, on the other hand, some of the negroes were industrious, constant, and thrifty. they saved all they could, working steadily for a year or two, and then went back to jamaica or barbados to invest their money in a bit of land and become freeholders and consequently better citizens. the negro laborers at first were obtained by recruiting agents at work in the various west indian islands, principally jamaica and barbados. the recruiting service carried about , to the isthmus, of whom , were from barbados and , from jamaica. it was not more than a year or two, however, after the work got under way, until there was little occasion for recruiting. every ship that went back to barbados or to jamaica carried with it some who had made what they considered a sufficient fortune. every community possessed those who had gone to panama with only the clothes on their backs, a small tin trunk, a dollar canvas steamer chair and, mayhap, a few chickens; and who had come back with savings enough to set them up for life. this fired dozens from each of those same communities with the desire to go and do likewise. the result was that the canal employment lists were kept full by those who came on their own initiative. the terms of entrance to the canal zone were easy, the steerage fares were low, and as a result the excess of arrivals over departures sometimes amounted to , in a single year. the steamship companies had to keep careful and persistent watch to prevent stowaways. even at that there were hundreds who sought to reach the isthmus in this way in spite of the fact that they were usually carried back without being permitted to land at colon. there was little or no friction between the whites and the blacks on the canal zone. this immunity from racial clashes resulted from two causes--one was the incomparable courtesy of the west indian negro and the other his knowledge that he could expect good treatment only so long as he kept out of trouble. few of them, indeed, were ever inclined to be offensive. they are usually educated in the three "r's," and are also very polite. ask one a question and the answer will be: "oh, yes, sir," or "oh, no, sir," or if he has not understood, "beg pardon, sir." he would no more omit the honorific than a japanese maiden addressing her father would forget to call him "honorable." the different types of west indian negroes found on the canal zone constituted an endless study in human characteristics. they were all great lovers of travel, and no regular train ever made a trip without from two to half a dozen coaches filled with them. after pay day practically every negro on the zone was wont to get out and get a glimpse of the country. without exception they are adepts in carrying things on their heads; consequently, they usually possess an erect carriage and splendid bearing. it is said that the first ambition of a west indian negro child is to learn to carry things on its head in imitation of its parents. frequently a negro will be seen with nothing in either hand, but carrying a closed umbrella balanced horizontally on his head. once in a while one may be seen to get a letter from the post office, place it on top of his head, weight it down with a stone, and march off without any apparent knowledge that he has executed a circus stunt. some of the negroes who came to work on the canal never saw a wheelbarrow before arriving there. upon one occasion some french negroes from martinique were placed on a job of pick and shovel work. three of them loaded a wheelbarrow with earth, then one of them stooped down, the other two put the wheelbarrow on his head and he walked away with it. but, with all of his inexperience, the martinique negro proved to be the best west indian worker on the canal. the martinique negroes were the most picturesque of all the west indians on the job. the women wore striking though simple costumes, bandana handkerchiefs around their heads, and bright-colored calico dresses usually caught up on one side or at the back, thus anticipating the parisian fashion of the slit skirt by many years. a large number of the negroes lived in small tenement houses built by private capital, and oftener than not one room served the entire family. nearly every one of the american settlements had its west indian quarter where these buildings and the chinese stores flourished to the exclusion of everything else. at the pacific end of the panama railroad there was a suburb known as caledonia, which was given over almost entirely to west indian families. one could drive through there any day and see half-grown children dressed only in eden's garb. in other parts of the canal territory one saw very few naked children except in the back streets of colon. the government took the best of care of the negroes on the work during the entire construction period. there were hospital facilities at both ends of the canal and sick camps along the line. the commissary protected them against extortion by the native merchants and gave them the same favorable rates enjoyed by the americans. the color line was kindly but firmly drawn throughout the work, the negroes being designated as silver employees and the americans as gold employees. the post offices had signs indicating which entrances were for silver employees and which for gold employees. the commissaries had the same provisions, and the railroad company made the general distinction as much as it could by first and second class passenger rates. very few of the negroes ever made any protest against this. once in awhile an american negro would go to the post office and be told that he must call at the "silver" window. he would protest for awhile, but finding it useless, would acquiesce. the idea of speaking of "silver and gold employees," rather than black and white employees, was originated by e. j. williams, jr., the disbursing officer of the canal commission. he first put this designation on the entrances to the pay car and it was immediately adopted as the solution of the troubles growing out of the intermingling of the races. one of the most interesting experiences that could come to any visitor to the isthmus was a trip across the zone on the pay car; to see tons of silver and , pounds of gold paid out for a single month's work; and to watch the , negroes, the , americans, and the , or , europeans on the job file through the pay car and get their money. the negroes were usually a good-natured, grinning lot of men and boys, but they were wont to get impatient, not with the amount of money they drew but with its weight. under an agreement with the panama government the canal commission endeavored to keep the panaman silver money at par. two dollars panaman money was worth one dollar american, and the employees were paid in panaman coin. thus a negro who earned $ during the month would get of the "spiggoty" dollars. these "spiggoty" dollars are the same size as our own silver dollars and to carry them around was something of a task. when the negroes were asked what they proposed to do with their money the almost invariable reply was: "put it to a good use, sir." american money was always at a premium with them and the money-changers in the various towns usually did a land-office business on pay day. paper money was not used on the pay car at all. in the first place, there was always danger of its blowing away, and in the second place paper money in the hands of negro workmen soon assumed a most unsanitary condition. the negroes were always desirous of getting american paper money because they could send it home more cheaply than gold. large numbers of west indian women, the majority of them with their relatives, lived on the zone during the construction period. they were for the most part industrious and made very good household servants. they were nearly always polite and deferential, some of them even saying, "please, ma'am," when saying "good morning." it was a rare experience to travel on a ship carrying workers to the canal zone from the islands of the west indies. ships calling at kingston, jamaica, would usually take on a hundred or more passengers. they would be quartered either forward or aft on the main deck. they would carry aboard with them all kinds of small packages. some would have small boxes of chickens or pigeons, and some little old sawbuck-fashioned folding beds covered with canvas. as soon as inspected by the doctor for trachoma each negro would select the most favorable spot, gather his furniture around him, and settle down in one place, there to remain almost without moving during the whole of the -hour trip across the caribbean. when the water was fine and the sailing smooth the first cabin passengers might conclude that they were carrying a negro camp meeting. on the other hand, if the weather were bad and the sea rough, a sicker lot of people nowhere might be found. one of the favorite negro preventives of seasickness is st. thomas bay rum applied liberally to the face, although to the on-looker it never seems to prevent or cure a single case. before landing at colon every one of these negroes had to be vaccinated. almost without exception they tried to prevent the virus "taking" by rubbing the scarified spot with lime juice or with some other preparation. meals on board generally consisted of rice and potatoes, and, perhaps, coffee and bread. one might see a dozen young girls in a group eating with one hand and with the other polishing their complexions with the half of a lime. with all his faults--and they were not few--the west indian negro laborer probably was the best workman that could have been employed for the job at panama. he was usually as irresponsible, as carefree, and yet as reliable a workman as our own american cottonfield hand. he made a law-abiding citizen on the zone, was tractable as a workman, and pretty certain always to make a fair return to the united states on the money it paid him in wages. under the firm but gentle guidance of the master american hand, he did his work so well that he has forever erased from the record of his kind certain charges of inefficiency and laziness that had long stood as a black mark against him. the canal commission so appreciated his good work that it made arrangements to return him to his native country when his services no longer were required, there to take up the life he led before he heard the call of the "spiggoty" dollars that took him across the caribbean. he will miss the life on the isthmus. he was worked harder, he was treated better, and he was paid higher wages there than he ever will be again in his life. perhaps he has saved; if so, he retires to be a nabob. perhaps he has wasted; if so, he must go back to the hand-to-mouth existence that he knew in the days before. but after all, the experience of the thousands of west indian negroes employed on the canal will have a stimulating effect on their home countries, and their general level of industrial and social conditions will be raised. at any rate, the american republic always must stand indebted to these easy-going, care-free black men who supplied the brawn to break the giant back of culebra. chapter xiv the commissary to build the canal required the labor of some fifty thousand men. to induce these men to go to panama, to stay there, to work there, and to work there efficiently, was no light undertaking. health was promised them by the most efficient sanitary organization that ever battled with disease. wealth was promised them, relatively speaking, in the form of wages and salaries much higher than they could obtain at home for the same work. but health and wealth, much desired and much prized as they are, can not of themselves compensate for transplanting a man to an alien shore and an alien atmosphere, especially if that shore be tropic and that atmosphere hot. there must also be comfort. and comfort was promised to the canal diggers by the commissary department. good food at prices cheaper than one pays in the united states, and quarters of the best--these things the commissary held out as a part of the rewards at panama. of course this was not the chief object of the commissary department--it was the incidental factor that in the end almost obscured the main issue. the main business was so well done that everybody took it for granted, just as no one will remark about the sun shining although that is the most important fact we know. the main business of the commissary was to keep the canal diggers fed and housed so that they would have the strength for their tasks. how this was done, how fresh beef and ice cream were made daily staples in tropic panama, how the canal army was fed, is a big story in itself. the history of the french régime was such as to prejudice the whole world against the canal region and to deter any but the most adventurous spirit from entering there into a gamble with death. the americans soon found that without extraordinary inducements it would be next to impossible to recruit a force able to build the canal. therefore it was determined to make the rewards so great that extra dollars to be gained by going to panama would outweigh the fears of those who had any desire to go. it was decided to pay the employees of the canal commission and the panama railroad company wages and salaries approximately one-half higher than those obtaining at home for the same work. furthermore, it was decided that the government should furnish free quarters, free medical service, free light, and other items which enter into the expense budget of the average family. it was found advisable to establish government hotels, messes, and kitchens, where the needs of every employee from the highest officer to the most lowly negro laborer could be met, and to operate them at cost. still another problem had to be faced; that of providing places where the people employed in building the canal could escape from the high prices fixed by the merchants of panama and colon. with this end in view, a great department store, carrying upward of , different articles, was built at cristobal. this store established branches in every settlement of canal workers where patrons could go to ship and receive the benefit of prices much lower than those prevailing with regular panaman merchants. anyone who will study carefully the annual reports of the operation of the commissary of the panama railroad company, will realize what great profits are made by the various middlemen in the united states who handle food products between the producer and the consumer. in the commissary had gross sales amounting to $ , , , with purchases amounting to $ , , . this represents a gross profit of per cent. the cost of transportation from new york and distribution on the isthmus, amounted to about per cent, leaving a net profit of approximately per cent on the sales of goods. when it is remembered that transportation of commissary products from new york amounted approximately to a quarter of a million dollars a year, and that wagon deliveries on the isthmus added $ , a year to this, it will be seen that the expenses of distribution at panama were approximately on the same footing with those in the united states. in the case of dressed beef, one finds a most illuminating example of how it is possible to sell the ordinary items of a family budget to the consumer at rates much lower than those obtaining in the united states. according to the most authentic information dressed beef laid down at panama costs more, quality for quality, than it costs the ordinary retail butcher in the states. at one time in the commissary was paying $ . - / a hundred pounds for whole dressed beeves laid down in new york. this was for the best corn-fed western steers, a grade of beef that is found only in the best retail butcher shops of any american city. yet, with the expense of ocean-refrigerator carriage added, and with other operating costs equal to those of the retail butcher in the states, the commissary found it possible to sell to the consumer, delivered at his kitchen door, porterhouse steaks from this beef at cents, sirloin steaks and roasts at cents, and round steaks at cents a pound. at this same time the average american housewife was paying from to cents for porterhouse steaks, from to cents for sirloin steaks and roasts, and from to cents for round steaks; and in the butcher shops in the united states where grades of meat comparable to those at panama were handled the figures were usually around the top quotations. one cannot escape asking the question how it is that if the panama railroad commissary could pay approximately cents a pound for dressed beef at new york, deliver it in refrigeration at cristobal, thence to the housewife by train and wagon, and make a gross profit of some per cent by the operation, that the american retail butcher can reasonably claim that at the price he sells his meat he is making little or no net profit. one finds the same scale of prices on other commodities at panama as meats. only the very best goods are handled in the commissary. any reasonable need of any employee could be supplied by the commissary at prices probably lower than a retail merchant in the united states could buy the same commodities. a few instances of how the commissary fared when its supply ran short will serve to illustrate the grasping disposition of the average panaman merchant. in one case high waters in the chagres interrupted traffic on the panama railroad, and the price of ice in panama city promptly jumped from cents to $ a hundred pounds. at another time a ship bringing coffee to the isthmus ran aground and the commissary had to buy coffee in the panama market. it had to pay cents a pound more at wholesale for the coffee than it was selling for at retail in panama the day before the ship went aground. on another occasion a vessel carrying a supply of milk went ashore and the wholesale price of that commodity jumped a hundred per cent overnight. the panaman merchants made a long and persistent fight to get the privilege of doing the business which is done by the commissary, but the canal officials were too wise to allow the working force to be dependent upon native business men for family budget needs. although the commissary did an annual business of nearly $ , , a year during the height of the construction period, it received comparatively little actual money for the commodities it sold. a great deal of this business was with the subsistence department of the canal commission, furnishing supplies for the hotels, european laborers' messes, and common laborers' kitchens. practically all of the remainder was with the employees of the commission, and was done through coupon books. when an individual wanted to buy from the commissary he asked that a coupon book be issued him. if it were found that he had sufficient money coming to him for services rendered to cover the cost of the book, it was issued to him and the clerk in the commissary detached coupons to cover the purchases. when the monthly pay roll was made up, the cost of the coupon books was deducted from the amount due the employee for services. many employees and their families lived too far away from the commissaries to make daily visits, so they simply deposited their coupon books with the main commissary at cristobal and sent their orders in by mail from day to day. the commissary clerks would fill these written orders, sending the goods out on the first train. in addition to buying and selling products for the benefit of the canal workers, the commissary operated a number of manufacturing establishments. it had a bakery using some , barrels of flour, baking , , loaves of bread and other things in proportion annually; an ice-cream plant freezing , gallons of ice-cream annually; a laundry washing , , pieces a year; a coffee-roasting plant; and a large cold-storage warehouse. about , people were constantly supplied with commodities from the commissary. in its efforts to meet the needs of the several classes of employees on the canal zone the commission established four different kinds of eating places,--a large general hotel, a score of line hotels, spanish messes, and west indian laborers' kitchens. at ancon it built the large tivoli hotel costing half a million dollars, for the accommodation of visitors; and of those high-class employees who desired modern hotel facilities. this hotel is the social center of the canal zone. here practically all of the tourists come and stay while on the isthmus. during the year this hotel cleared $ , in its operations. the cost of the supplies for the meals served, of which there were , , was approximately cents per meal. the cost of services was approximately cents, making a total of cents per meal. the rates were $ up to $ . a day, employees being given special concessions. [illustration: john burke meal time at an i. c. c. kitchen] [illustration: washington hotel, colon major eugene t. wilson the tivoli hotel, ancon] the line hotels were, more properly speaking, merely dining-rooms where the american employees were furnished substantial meals for cents each. outsiders paid cents each for these meals. they were up to a very high standard. once the late senator thomas h. carter, of montana, was a member of a senate committee visiting the isthmus and he invited the subsistence officer, maj. wilson, to come to washington and show the manager of the senate restaurant how to prepare a good meal. a year later, after senator albert b. cummins, of iowa, had eaten one of the lunches at gatun, he renewed the invitation of senator carter, telling maj. wilson he was sure that if he were to come senators would get better meals for their money. at one of the congressional hearings on the isthmus representative t. w. sims, of tennessee, asked that the menu of a meal he had eaten at one of these hotels be inserted in the record. major wilson inserted the menu for several days instead. the following is the menu at the cristobal hotel for january , : breakfast.--oranges, sliced bananas, oatmeal, eggs to order, german potatoes, ham or bacon, hot cakes, maple sirup, tea, coffee, cocoa. lunch.--vegetable soup, fried pork chops, apple sauce, boiled potatoes, pork and beans, sliced buttered beets, stewed cranberries, creamed parsnips, lemon meringue pie, tea, coffee, cocoa. dinner.--consomme vermicelli, beefsteak, natural gravy, lyonnaise potatoes, stewed beans, sliced beets, stewed apples, carrots a la julienne, hot biscuits, ice-cream, chocolate cake, tea, coffee, cocoa. the line hotels in , which were operated at a loss of $ , , served over , , meals. the cost of the supplies per meal amounted to $ . and the service to $ . , making the average meal cost $ . , while the employees were charged cents. approximately , americans were continuous patrons of the line hotels. the messes for european laborers were operated in at a total cost of $ , . the returns from their operations amounted to $ , , showing a net profit of $ , on , , rations. the net profit per day's ration approximated - / cents. the supplies entering into the ration cost $ . and the service of preparing it $ . . the national diet for europeans would appear very monotonous to americans. for the spaniards who constituted the major portion of the european employees, it was a "rancho," which is a mixture of stewed meat, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes and garbanzos heavily flavored with spanish sweet pepper. their soups were made very stiff, really a meal in themselves, since they were about the consistency of irish stew mashed up. a day's ration for spanish laborers ran about as follows: breakfast.--roast beef, pork sausage, corned-beef, sardines or bacon, one-half loaf of bread, chocolate and milk. dinner.--garbanzos or macaroni, roast beef or hamburger steak, fried potatoes, oranges or bananas, one-half loaf of bread, coffee. supper.--rice soup, peas or beans, rancho, one-quarter loaf of bread, tea. the government charged the european laborers cents a day for their meals. their mess halls were large, airy, comfortable and conspicuously clean. the european laborers nearly all patronized these mess halls; about , of them constantly were fed at these places. wherever there was a west indian negro settlement along the line of the canal the commission operated a mess kitchen. these kitchens were kept scrupulously clean and the laborers were furnished meals at cents each. each laborer who patronized the kitchen had his little kit into which the attendants put his meal, and he could carry it anywhere he desired to eat it. in spite of the fact that these meals corresponded almost exactly to the american regular army field rations, they were never popular with the west indian negroes. although there were some , of these laborers on the canal in , only a little more than a half million rations were issued to them during the year. less than per cent of the negro force patronized the commission kitchen. the following is a specimen day's ration in a west indian kitchen: breakfast.--cocoa and milk, porridge, bread, jam. dinner.--pea soup, beef, doughboys, rice, bread, bananas. supper.--stewed beef, boiled potatoes, stewed navy beans, bread, tea. during the construction period of the canal the average american received approximately $ a month for his labor. those who were married and remained in the service a reasonable time were provided, rent free, with family quarters. their light bills were never rendered, the coal for their kitchen stoves cost them nothing, and the iceman never came around to collect. the bachelors were provided with bachelor quarters with the necessary furniture for making them comfortable. the average married quarters cost from $ , to $ , each, and the average quarters for a bachelor about $ to construct. the higher officials had separate houses; lesser officials were furnished with semi-detached houses. the majority of the rank and file of american married employees were housed in roomy, four-flat houses. the verandas were broad and screened in with the best copper netting, and all quarters were provided with necessary furniture at government expense. the assignment of quarters and furniture called for a great deal of diplomacy on the part of the quartermaster's department, since, if mrs. jones happened to visit mrs. smith, and found that she had a swell-front dresser in her bedroom, while her own was a straight-front dresser, an irate lady was very shortly calling on the district quartermaster and demanding to know why such discrimination should be practiced. perhaps she had been on the canal zone longer than mrs. smith, and felt that if anyone were entitled to the swell-front dresser she was the one. the district quartermaster had to explain with all the patience at his command that it was not a case of discrimination but merely that the commission had bought swell-front dressers at a later date for the same price that it formerly had paid for the straight-front ones, and that consequently the people who furnished houses later got them. on another occasion mrs. brown, calling on mrs. white, found that mrs. white had an electric light on her side porch. she immediately fared forth to pull the hair of the quartermaster for this discrimination, but was somewhat taken back when that official calmly informed her that the light had been put there for a few days in anticipation of a children's party that was to be given by mrs. white one night that week. the marvelous success of the commissary, not only in affording its patrons better service at lower prices, but also in making a substantial profit on the undertaking, had been referred to as the most valuable lesson taught by the whole canal digging operation. it has proved the efficiency of government agencies in fields far removed from the ordinary operations of government, and it may be that its experience will be used to advantage in combating the high cost of living in the united states itself. chapter xv life on the zone transplant a man or a woman from a home in a temperate climate to an abode in the tropics, and there is bound to be trouble. disturbances in the body are expected and, proper precautions being taken, most often are warded off. disturbances in the mind are not anticipated, preventive measures are seldom taken, and there comes the trouble. that is why the young men's christian association and the american federation of women's clubs had their part to do in digging the panama canal, a part second in importance only to the sanitary work under colonel gorgas. it's an odd thing--this transplanting a man from the temperate to the torrid zone. it affects men of different nations in different ways. it is disastrous in inverse ratio to the adaptability of the man transplanted. a german or a dutchman goes to the tropics and almost without a struggle yields to the demands of the new climate all his orderly daily habits. your dutchman in java will, except on state occasions, wear the native dress (or undress); eat the native food; live in the native house; and, like as not, take a native woman to wife. one thing only--he will retain his schnapps. the german is only a little less adaptable, clings only a little longer to the routine of the fatherland, but he, too, keeps his beer. your englishman, on the contrary, defies the tropical sun and scorns to make any changes in his daily habit that he had not fixed upon as necessary and proper before he left his right little, tight little, island. he does, it is true, wear a pith helmet. that is due partly, perhaps, to his fear of the sun, but it is much more due to the fact that he associates it with lands where faces are not white; therefore he wears it in egypt in the winter when it is shivery cold with the same religious devotion that he wears it in india when the mercury is running out of the top of the thermometer. your englishman, it is true, wears white duck clothes in the tropics, but not the fiercest heat that old sol ever produced could induce him for one moment to exchange his flannel underwear for cotton or to leave off his woolen hose. it is a pretty theory and not without much support, that it is this british defiance of tropical customs that has given him the mastery over tropic peoples. and wherever goes the briton there goes also scotch-and-soda. the americans steer a middle course. they dress for the heat and make themselves comfortable as possible. they consume even greater quantities of ice than they do at home, and the average american eats every day in summer enough ice to kill a score of englishmen. at least, that's what the englishmen would think. but the american in the tropics tenaciously clings to many of his home habits, despite the changed conditions of his place of sojourn. he must have his bath, even though he talks less about it than the englishman. he must have his three square meals a day, and breakfast must be a real breakfast. he demands screens to protect him from pestiferous insects, no less for comfort's sake than health's. and then he demands two other things--a soda fountain and a base-ball team. it is true that he often will indulge in a british peg of scotch-and-soda, or in a german stein of beer, but the native drink that he takes with him to the tropics, and one that he alone consumes, and the one that he, in season and out of season, demands, is the sweet, innocent, and non-alcoholic product of the soda fountain. how incomprehensible is this to the sons of other nations no american may ever understand. it may seem to be going far field to discuss even in the general way the differing tempers of men of different nations transplanted from a temperate to a torrid clime. but, as a matter of fact, it has a direct bearing on the accomplishment at panama, of which americans are so proud. [illustration: floyd c. freeman i. c. c. club house at culebra] [illustration: a. bruce minear reading room in the i. c. c. club house, culebra] when the americans first undertook the task, the denizens of the isthmus prepared for them only such entertainment as had been acceptable in other days. the only places open to the tired worker in the evening were the saloons, selling bad whiskey and worse beer; or darker hells of sure and quick damnation. there were no theaters that would appeal to the american taste, no sports that the clean american would tolerate. in short, when the american in the early days of the construction was wearied with that weariness that would not respond to resting, there was but one thing left. he got home--sick and drunk. in those early days there were few women. most of the men who came then were moved rather by a spirit of adventure than by a determination to share in a tremendous job of work, and such men were not married. it was not long until the men at the head discovered that the married men were more content, that they lost less time from the work, and produced more results when on the job than did the bachelors. (this, of course, must not be taken as an indictment against every individual bachelor who worked at panama, but rather as a characterization based on the average of that class.) thus in the very order of things it became the policy of the commission to encourage unmarried men at work to marry, and to bring married men from the states rather than bachelors. inducements were held out, putting a premium on matrimony. the bachelor worker had good quarters, but he perhaps shared but a room in a bungalow, whereas the married man had a four-room house of his own, with a big porch, and free furniture, free light, and the problem of the cost of living solved by the paternal commissary. so matrimony flourished. but when the women came in increasing numbers, and with them many children, another problem arose. women born in temperate climes suffer more in the tropics than do men. the dry, dry heat of the dry season is succeeded by the wet, wet heat of the rainy months. there is never any escape from that horrible, hateful, hellish heat. is it to be baked or steamed? the changing seasons offer no other alternative. and the fear! not for a moment may one forget that sickness and death stalk in the jungle; that a glass of water or an unscreened door may be the end of it all. there is no normality, no relaxation, no care free rest for the woman in the tropics. at panama her housekeeping duties were lightened by the excellence of the commissary system, so that they were not enough to keep her mind occupied. she became homesick and hysterical. so, then, it being desirable to have married men on the job, it became necessary to do something to keep the women at the minimum stage of unhappiness. the y. m. c. a. clubhouse, with their gymnasiums, their libraries, their games, their sports, and their clubiness, had been the substitute for home offered to the lonely american man at panama. the civic federation was invited to do what it could for the women. it sent an agent of the american federation of women's clubs to panama, who organized women's clubs, and these, by putting the women to work, made them, in a measure, forget the heat and the fear. miss helen varick boswell visited the isthmus in the fall of and assisted the women in forming their clubs. she found them literally hungry for such activities and they responded with a will to her suggestion. the result was frequent meetings in every town in the canal zone and innumerable activities on the part of the women interested in club work. the transformation was most remarkable. where almost every woman on the isthmus seemed to be unhappy, now everyone who needed an outlet for her mental and social instincts found it in club work. where once they quarreled and disputed about their house furnishings, life on the isthmus, and the general status of things on the canal zone, now the women seemed to take a happy and contented view of things, and became as much interested in the work of building the canal as were their husbands, their fathers, and their brothers. looking back over the task, and realizing how much longer the married men stayed on the job, and how much more essential they were to the completion of the canal than the bachelors, the cares of the canal authorities to keep the women satisfied was a master stroke. when the club movement was launched one of the first steps was to organize classes in spanish. women from every part of the zone attended these spanish classes and took up the work of learning the language with zeal. comparatively few of them had any opportunity to learn spanish, even in its most rudimentary form, from household servants, since the same lethargy that characterized the native men of panama, and made them totally indifferent to the opportunities for work on the canal zone, also characterized the panaman women, with the results that most of the american households at panama had english-speaking jamaican servants instead of spanish-speaking panamans. the servant problem was not as serious as it is in the average american city. there was always a full supply of jamaican negro women ready for engagement as household servants. they were polite and efficient. almost without exception they had a deeply religious turn of mind, although they might transgress the mosaic law far enough to substitute plain water for violet water on the boudoir table of their mistresses. usually they were very neat of person and very careful in the manner of doing their work. the wages they commanded were approximately equal to those asked in the ordinary american city. the greatest social diversion of the isthmus, of course, was dancing. every two weeks the tivoli club gave a dance at the tivoli hotel. trains to carry visitors were run all the way across the isthmus and no american ever needed to miss a dance at the tivoli hotel because of unsuitable railroad accommodations. each small town had its own dancing clubs and in those towns where there were y. m. c. a. buildings, the dances were held in them. the new hotel washington proved a very popular rendezvous for the dancers, and in the future the big functions of this kind probably will alternate between the tivoli at one end of the canal and the washington at the other. the university men maintained the university club in the city of panama, directly on the water front. this club frequently opened its doors to women and its functions were always regarded as events in isthmian social history. in colon there was organized several years ago a club known as the stranger's club. this club, as did the university club at panama, welcomed the american stranger. the isthmian canal commission always looked carefully after the religious activities of the people of the canal zone. its provision of places of worship and facilities for getting to them was strictly nonsectarian, and directed solely to giving every sect and every faith opportunity to worship in its own way. several chaplains were maintained at government expense, and railroad and wagonette service for carrying people to their places of worship was maintained throughout the years of the american occupation. the west indian negroes were provided with churches and with homes for the leaders of their spiritual flocks. church buildings were erected at every settlement, and in many cases were so constructed that the lower story could be used for a church and the second story for lodge purposes. these buildings were by feet, with lodge rooms by feet. the women on the canal zone were interested in religious work from the beginning of their residence there. an isthmian sunday school association maintained church extension work. when the women's federation of clubs finally disbanded, in april, , it presented its library to this association and its pictures to the ancon study club. there was an art society at ancon, which did much to foster art work on the zone during the days of the canal construction. the organization of camp fire girls extended its activities to panama, and many leading women there contributed both means and time to help the girls on the isthmus. the women of the zone did not fail to enlist themselves in any movement for good in their communities. a few years since there was a little blind boy on the isthmus and the federation of women's clubs decided that he ought to have better educational advantages than could be provided at panama. therefore, they agreed to finance his going to boston to enter an institution for the education of the blind. when the federation disbanded, owing to the gradual departure of members for the states, it did not do so until it had created a committee which was to continue indefinitely in charge of the education of this blind boy. many secret societies existed on the isthmus, the oldest one made up of americans being the sojourners lodge of free and accepted masons, organized in colon in . there were odd fellows' lodges and lodges of redmen, modern woodmen, knights of pythias, elks, junior order of american mechanics, and representative bodies of many other american secret orders. an isthmian order is that of the kangaroos, whose motto is: "he is best who does best." this order was organized in under the laws of tennessee, and the mother council was organized at empire the same year. the object of the kangaroos is to hold mock sessions of court and to extract from them all of the fun and, at the same time, all of the good that they will yield. the men on the isthmus, almost completely isolated as they were from american political concerns, never allowed their interest in political affairs at home to become completely atrophied. there was a common saying that the panamans were the only people on the isthmus that could vote, but at times the americans would at least simulate politics at home with the resulting campaigns and elections. during the presidential campaign of it was decided to hold a mock election in several of the american settlements. the elections were for national offices and for municipal offices as well. there were a number of parties, and in the national elections there were the usual group of insurgents, progressives, reactionaries, and the like. there were nominations for dog catchers and town grouches, while the party platforms abounded in all the political claptrap of the ordinary american document of like nature. cartoons were circulated showing the panama railroad to be a monopolistic corporation; flaring handbills proving that the latest town grouch had not acquitted himself properly in office; statistical tables showing that the dog catcher had allowed more dogs to get away from him than he had caught; and all sorts of other campaign tricks and dodges were brought into play, just as though there were real issues at stake and real men to be elected. at colon the presidential returns showed votes for taft, for wilson and for roosevelt. there were votes in favor of woman suffrage, both state and national, and votes against it. as has been said, when the american first went to panama the only diversion a man could find was to go to a cheap saloon and meet his friends. it was a condition that was as unsatisfactory to the men themselves as it was to the moral sentiment of those behind the work, and almost as dangerous to the success of the undertaking as would have been an outbreak of some epidemic disease. this led the commission to urge the erection of clubhouses in several of the more populous settlements, to be conducted under the auspices of the young men's christian association, but to be operated on a basis that would bring to the people those rational amusements of which they stood so much in need. from time to time clubhouses of this type were established in seven of the american settlements and the work they did in promoting the contentment and happiness of the people can be appreciated only by those who have witnessed the conditions of living in canal zone towns where there were no such clubhouses. almost the first effect of the construction of a clubhouse was a heavy falling off in barroom attendance, and simultaneously a decline in the receipts from the sales of liquor. it is estimated that these receipts fell off per cent within a short time after the clubhouses were opened. the men who had been buying beer at cents a bottle, or whiskey at cents a thimbleful, were now frequenting the clubhouses, playing billiards, rolling tenpins, writing letters, reading their home papers, or engaging in other diversions which served to banish homesickness. when the y. m. c. a. clubhouses were opened a practical man was put at the head of each. while no one would think of card-playing or dancing at a y. m. c. a. in the states, both were to be found in the association clubhouses of the isthmus. bowling alleys, billiard rooms, gymnasiums, and many other features for entertainment were established in the clubhouses. bowling teams were organized; billiard and pool contests were started; gymnastic instruction was given; pleasant reading rooms with easy chairs, cool breezes, and good lights were provided; circulating libraries were established; good soda fountains were put in operation where one could get a glass of soda long enough to quench the deepest thirst; and in general the clubhouses were made the most attractive places in town--places where any man, married or single, might spend his leisure moments with profit and with pleasure. every effort was put forth to capitalize the spirit of rivalry in the interest of the men. the result was that in each clubhouse there were continuous contests of one kind or another, which afforded entertainment for those engaged and held the interest of those who were looking on. then the champions of each clubhouse, whether individuals or teams, were pitted against the stars of other places, and in this way there was always "something doing" around each clubhouse. in addition to maintaining a supervision over the sports of the isthmus, the clubhouses provided night schools for those who desired to improve such educational opportunities. these night schools were rather well patronized by the new arrivals on the isthmus, but there is something in that climate which, after a man has been there for a year, makes him want to rest whenever he is off duty. going to night school became an intolerable bore by that time, so very few men kept up their attendance after the first year. the study of spanish was found to be one exception to this rule, for, besides the satisfaction of being able to talk with native panamans and the spaniards, there was the hope of financial reward. any employee who could pass an examination in spanish stood a better show of getting promotion in the service. besides, the man who had grit enough to carry through a course of study on the isthmus, with its enervating climate, was almost certain to climb the ladder of success wherever he went. a review of the work of the seven y. m. c. a. clubhouses for gives a good idea of what they did during the entire construction period. it required a force of americans and west indians to operate these seven clubhouses. twelve of the americans were paid out of the funds of the canal commission and out of the funds of the y. m. c. a. of the negro employees were paid by the canal commission and by the y. m. c. a. the american force for all seven clubhouses consisted of one superintendent, four secretaries, four assistant secretaries, one clerk, ten night clerks, six bowling alley night attendants, six pool room night attendants, and seven barbers. at the end of that year there were , members of the y. m. c. a., no less than per cent of all the american employees living in towns having clubhouses being members of the association. during the year seven companies of players and musicians were engaged to provide amusement a the clubhouses. they gave entertainments which had a total attendance of , . local talent and moving pictures provided entertainments with a total attendance of , . amateur oratorio societies, operatic troupes, minstrel troupes, glee clubs, mixed choruses, vaudeville and black-face sketches were organized during the year through the efforts of the members cooperating with the secretaries. these organizations made the whole circuit of the isthmus. weekly moving-picture exhibitions were given and a man was employed who gave his entire attention to them. carefully chosen films were ordered from the united states, special attention being given to educational features. special tournaments in bowling, billiards, and pool were organized and gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded the winners. over a hundred thousand bowling games and nearly , games of pool and billiards were played during the year. trained physical directors were employed to direct the gymnastic exercises at the clubhouses and there was an attendance of , at these classes during the year. a pentathlon meet was held at empire for the purpose of developing all-around athletes. religious meetings and song services were held at such times as not to interfere with the organized religious work on the zone, the average attendance at meetings being and the average attendance at bible and discussion clubs . the average enrollment was in the spanish class. forty-two thousand books were withdrawn for home reading during the year. soft drinks, ice-cream, light lunches, and the like were served on the cool verandas of the clubhouses, the receipts from these sales amounting to approximately $ , . nearly , calls on hospital patients were made by committees for the visitation of the sick. boys from to years of age were allowed special privileges in the clubhouses, and the secretaries arranged several outings during the year. the total boys' membership was . the disbursements from the funds of the isthmian canal commission amounted to $ , and those from clubhouse funds amounted to $ , . the total receipts for the year amounted to $ , . the affairs of the clubhouses were in the hands of the advisory committee appointed by the chairman and chief engineer of the isthmian canal commission. in providing amusements the canal commission overlooked no opportunity in the way of furnishing special trains and affording other facilities for encouraging play by the canal workers. each town had its ball team and its ball park, and there was just as much enthusiasm in watching the standing of the several clubs in the isthmian league as in the states in watching the performances of the several clubs in the american and national leagues. when there was a championship series to be played there was just as much excitement over it as if it were a post-season contest between the athletics and the giants. it is probable that better amusements will be provided under the permanent régime than were during the construction period. with ships constantly passing through the canal, many opera companies, especially those from spain and italy, will have opportunity to stop for a night or two at panama, while their ships are coaling or shipping cargo. in panama city there is a splendid theater built by the panaman government largely out of funds derived from payments made by the united states on account of the canal rights. as the major portion of the permanent force will be quartered at ancon and balboa, they will be able to drive to the theater or take the street car. a new street-car system has just been established, and those who can not afford the luxury of carriages will find in it opportunities for taking airings as well as going to the theater. this system runs from the permanent settlement at balboa through the city of panama and down over the savannahs towards old panama. it is the first street-car system ever operated on the isthmus, and will probably prove much more satisfactory than the little, old, dirty coaches which have afforded the only means of transportation on the zone. the building of a number of roads along the canal to facilitate the movement of military forces has made it possible to get a satisfactory use of automobiles. agencies already have been opened for a number of the lower-priced cars in anticipation that a large number of the canal employees will buy automobiles in order to get the benefit of these good roads. there are few places where automobiling affords more pleasant diversion than at panama. after the sun goes down the evenings are just cool enough and the breezes just strong enough to make an automobile ride a delightful experience. there are good opportunities for lovers of hunting and fishing on the isthmus. there is wild game in plenty--deer abounding in the entire region contiguous to the canal and alligators being found in all of the principal streams. there are both sea and river fishing, and some tapirs and other wild animals still are left to attract the efforts of the modern huntsman. the entertainment headquarters on the canal zone under the permanent occupation will be the big clubhouse at balboa, which is being built at a cost of about $ , . this clubhouse will not only have all of the features of the clubhouses of the construction period, but will be equipped with a large auditorium, with a complete library and with every facility for amusement and entertainment that experience on the isthmus has called for. it can not be said that social life on the isthmus during the period of canal construction was ideal. its inspiration was to be found in the desire to make the best of a bad situation. men and women all knew that their stay in panama was but temporary, none of them looked upon the canal zone as home, and all of them counted time in two eras--before we came to panama, and when we leave panama. of course there was dining and dancing, and the bridge tables were never idle. but every dinner hostess knew that every guest knew exactly what every dish on the table cost, and she knew that guest knew she knew. the family income was fixed and public. all one had to do was to read the official bulletins. the same paternalistic commissary that reduced the cost of living and made housekeeping so easy, also tended with socialistic frankness to bring everybody to a dead level. it was useless to attempt any of the little deceits that make life so interesting at home. although the american is a home-loving animal, he managed to get on fairly well in the alien atmosphere of the tropic jungle. he brought with him his home life, his base ball and his soda fountain. and, considering how such things go in the tropics, he managed to live a clean life while he was doing a clean piece of work. chapter xvi past isthmian projects the digging of an isthmian canal was a dream in the minds of many men in europe and america from the day that columbus found two continents stretched across his pathway in his endeavor to discover a western route to india. on his last voyage, as he beat down the coast of central america, here naming one cape "gracias a dios" and there another "nombre de dios," testifying his thanks to god and his reverence for his name, he touched the isthmus near the present atlantic terminus of the panama canal. he little dreamed that some day ships times as large as his own would pass through the barrier of mountains which nature interposed between his ambitions and india. the idea of a canal through the american isthmus was in the mind of charles v of spain as early as . in that year he ordered surveys to ascertain the practicability of a canal connecting the atlantic and the pacific. his son, philip ii did not agree with him about the desirability of a trans-isthmian waterway, holding that a shipway through the isthmus would give to other nations easy access to his new possessions, and in time of war might be of greater advantage to his enemies than to himself. he invoked the bible to put an end to these propositions to dig a canal across the american isthmus, calling to mind that the good book declared that "what god hath joined together let no man put asunder." the policy of philip was continued for about two centuries, although in the reign of his father many efforts had been made in the direction of a ship waterway across the isthmus. in fact, ships crossed the isthmus nearly four centuries before the completion of the canal. about gil gonzales was sent to the new world to seek out a strait through the isthmus. he sailed up and down the central american coast, entering this river and that, but failing of course to find a natural waterway. not to be outdone, he decided to take his two caravels to pieces and to transport them across the isthmus. he carried them on the backs of indians and mules from the head of navigation on the chagres river to the ancient city of panama. there he rebuilt them and set out to sea, but they were lost in a storm. still determined to make the most of his opportunities, gonzales built others to take their places and with these made his way up the pacific coast through the gulf of fonseca to nicaragua, where he discovered lake nicaragua. a few years later another explorer made a trip across lake nicaragua and down the san juan river to the atlantic. cortez, the conquistador of mexico, at one time was ordered to use every resource at his command in a search for the longed-for strait. he did not find it, but he did open up a line of communication across the isthmus of tehauntepec, following practically the same line as was afterwards followed by eads with his proposed ship railway. from those days to the time when the united states decided that the canal should be built at panama and that it should be made a national undertaking, one route after another was proposed. in , immediately after the french failure, the senate requested the secretary of the navy to furnish all available information pertaining to the subject of a canal across the isthmus, and admiral charles h. davis reported that canal and railway projects had been proposed, the most northerly across the isthmus of tehauntepec and the most southerly across the isthmus of panama at the gulf of darien, , miles apart. eight of these projects were located in nicaragua. in the republic of new granada, which then had territorial possession of the isthmus of panama, granted a concession to a french company to build a canal across the isthmus. this company claimed to have found a pass through the mountains only feet above sea level. in the french minister of foreign affairs instructed napoleon carella to investigate these claims. that engineer found no such pass and reported the claims to be worthless. he, in turn, advocated a canal along the route followed by the present panama canal, with a -mile tunnel through culebra mountain and with locks on the atlantic slope and locks on the pacific slope. he estimated the cost of such a canal at $ , , . the first formal surveys of the panama route were made in by j. a. lloyd. he recommended a combination rail and water route, with a canal on the atlantic side and a railroad on the pacific side. the first serious proposition to build a nicaragua canal was made in when the king of england ordered an investigation into the feasibility of connecting the nicaraguan lakes with the sea. a year later capt. horatio nelson, destined to become the hero of trafalgar, headed an expedition from jamaica to possess the nicaraguan lakes, which he considered to be the inland gibraltar of spanish america, commanding the only water pass between the oceans. his expedition was successful as far as overcoming spanish opposition was concerned, but a deadlier enemy than the don decimated his ranks. of the who set out with nelson only survived, and nelson himself narrowly escaped with his life after a long illness. in what now constitute the several countries of central america were embraced in one federation--the central american republic. it asked the cooperation of the american people in the construction of a canal through nicaragua. henry clay, then secretary of state, favored the proposition, and, in , the federation entered into a contract with aaron h. palmer, of new york, for the construction of a canal through nicaragua capable of accommodating the largest vessels afloat. palmer was unable to command the necessary capital and the concession lapsed. a few years later an english corporation sent john bailey to nicaragua for the purpose of securing a canal concession. he failed to get the concession but was later employed by the nicaraguan government, which again had become independent, to determine the most feasible location for a canal across nicaragua. the united states government became deeply interested in isthmian canal projects during the forties of the last century. the extension of the national domain to the pacific coast made the building of an isthmian canal a consideration of prime importance to the united states, and made it a dangerous policy to allow any other country to acquire a dominating hand over an isthmian waterway. the result was that the american government advised the british government that it would not tolerate the control of any isthmian canal by any foreign power. this later brought about the clayton-bulwer treaty, which made neutral the proposed nicaraguan canal. in elijah hise, representing the united states, negotiated a treaty with nicaragua, by the terms of which that country gave to the united states, or its citizens, exclusive right to construct and operate roads, railways, canals, or any other medium of transportation across its territory between the two oceans. the consideration exacted by nicaragua was that the united states should guarantee the independence of that country--a consideration that was then paramount because of the effort being made by great britain to gobble up the "mosquito coast" as far east as the san juan river. the united states was not ready to give such a guarantee--although a half century later it did give it to the republic of panama--and the hise treaty failed of ratification in the senate. a little later cornelius vanderbilt became interested in a canal and road across nicaragua under an exclusive concession running for years. modifications of this concession permitted the vanderbilt company to exercise exclusive navigation rights on the lakes of nicaragua. as a result the accessory transit company established a transportation line from the atlantic through the san juan river and across lake nicaragua, thence by stage coach over a -mile stretch of road to san juan del sur on the pacific. in col. orville childs made a report to president fillmore upon the results of his surveys for a nicaraguan canal; and, if the united states, in , had elected to build the nicaraguan canal, the route laid out by childs would have been followed for all but a few miles of the entire distance. in a french citizen obtained from nicaragua and costa rica a joint concession for a canal, which contained a provision that the french government should have the right to keep two warships on lake nicaragua as long as the canal was in operation. the united states politely informed nicaragua and costa rica that it would not permit any such agreement--that it would be a menace to the united states as long as the agreement was in force. upon these representations the concession was canceled. in the first nicaraguan canal commission created by the american congress made a unanimous report in favor of a canal across nicaragua, after it had investigated all the proposed routes from eastern mexico to western south america. it asserted that this route possessed, both for the construction and maintenance of the canal, greater advantages and fewer difficulties from engineering, commercial, and economic points of view than any one of the other routes shown to be practicable by surveys sufficient in detail to enable a judgment to be formed of their respective merits. when the first french panama canal company began its work all other projects fell by the wayside for the time being, just as all other plans for interoceanic canals were abandoned when the united states undertook the construction of the present canal. after that company failed, however, the maritime canal company of nicaragua was organized in by a. g. menocal, under concessions from the government of that country and costa rica. the atlantic end of this canal, as proposed by the maritime canal company, was located on the lagoon west of greytown. the pacific end was located at brito, a few miles from san juan del sur. this canal company built three-fourths of a mile of canal, constructed a temporary railway and a short telegraph line, but soon thereafter became involved in financial difficulties which led to a suspension of operations. even to this day the visitor to nicaragua may see many evidences of the wrecked hopes of that period for whatever town he visits he finds there americans and europeans who went to nicaragua at the time of the opening of the work of building a canal by the maritime canal company. they expected to find a land of opportunity. but, with failure of the canal project, they found themselves in the possession of properties whose value lay only in staying there and operating them. when the first isthmian canal commission, in , undertook to investigate all of the proposed routes across the connecting link between north and south america, it placed on the nicaraguan route alone working parties, made up of civil engineers, their assistants, and laborers. the entire work of exploring the nicaraguan route was done with the greatest care. the depth of the canal, as adopted by the commission, was feet and the minimum width feet. the locks were to be feet long and feet wide, and of these there were to be eight on the pacific and six on the atlantic side. this canal was to be miles long. at the atlantic end there was to be a -mile sea-level section and at the pacific end a -mile sea-level section, while the water in the middle -mile section was to be feet above the water in the two oceans. it was estimated that it would cost $ , , to build the nicaraguan canal. although the distance between the atlantic and pacific ports of the united states would have been more than miles shorter by the nicaragua canal than by the panama canal, it would have taken about hours longer to pass through the former than through the latter, so that, as far as length of time from atlantic to pacific ports was concerned, the two routes would have been practically on a par. the total amount of material it would have been necessary to excavate at nicaragua approximates, according to the estimates, , , cubic yards. this would have been increased, perhaps, by half, to make a canal large enough to accommodate ships such as will be accommodated by the present panama canal. the three great trans-isthmian projects may be said to have been: the panama canal, the nicaraguan canal, and the james b. eads ship railway across the isthmus of tehauntepec. the latter proposition seems to be the most remarkable, in some ways, of them all. in , james b. eads, the great engineer who built the mississippi river bridge at st. louis, and whose work in jetty construction at the mouths of the mississippi proved him to be one of the foremost engineers of his day, secured a charter from the mexican government conveying to him authority to utilize the isthmus of tehauntepec for the construction of a ship railway from the atlantic to the pacific. his plan called for a railway miles long, with the highest point over feet above the sea, and designed to carry vessels up to , tons. he calculated that the entire cost of the railway would not be more than $ , , . his plan was to build a railroad with a large number of tracks on which a huge cradle would run. this cradle would be placed under a ship, and the ship braced in the manner of one in dry dock. heavy coiled springs were to equalize all stresses and to prevent shocks to the vessel. a number of powerful locomotives would be hitched to the cradle and would pull it across the isthmus. although the proposition was indorsed by many authorities, it seems to anyone who has crossed the isthmus of tehauntepec that it was a most visionary scheme. [illustration: col. chester l. harding the gatun upper locks] [illustration: lieut. col. david d. gaillard culebra cut, showing cucaracha slide in left center] if one can imagine a ship railway across the allegheny mountains between lewiston junction and pittsburgh on the pennsylvania railroad, or between washington and goshen, va., on the chesapeake & ohio railroad, he will have a very good idea of the difficulties which would be encountered in building such a railway. the present tehauntepec railroad is miles long. when crossing the cordilleras there are numerous places on this road where the rear car of the train and the engine are traveling in diametrically opposite directions. the road is well-built, and, as one crosses the backbone of the continent, and beholds the engineering difficulties that were encountered in building an ordinary american railroad, he can not help but marvel at the confidence of a man who would endeavor to build across those mountains a shipway large enough and straight enough to carry a , -ton ship. yet captain eads estimated that his shipway could be constructed in four years at one-half the cost of the nicaraguan canal; that vessels could be transported by rail much more quickly than by canal; that in case of accident the railway could be repaired more speedily; and that it could be enlarged to carry heavier ships as business demanded. he declared that he did not think it would be as difficult to build a ship railway across the isthmus of tehauntepec as to build a harbor at the atlantic entrance of the nicaraguan canal. his confidence in his project was such that he proposed to build a short section of the road to prove its practicability before asking the united states to commit itself to the project. commodore t. d. wilson, at that time chief constructor of the united states navy, declared in a letter to captain eads that he did not believe the strains upon a ship hauled across the isthmus, as eads proposed, would be greater than those to which ocean steamers are constantly exposed. gen. p. t. g. beauregard, of confederate army fame, declared that a loaded ship would incur less danger in being transported on a smooth and well-built railway than it would encounter in bad weather on the ocean. a prominent english firm offered to undertake the building and completion of the necessary works for placing ships with their cargo on the railway tracks of the trans-isthmian line, declaring that they had no hesitation in guaranteeing the lifting of a fully loaded ship of , or , tons on a railway car to the level of the railroad in minutes, if the distance to be lifted was not over feet. the death of captain eads ended this picturesque project. a proposition once was made to build a canal across the isthmus of tehauntepec. this would have required locks on each side of the isthmus of feet each, and these locks alone would have cost, on the basis of the locks at panama, perhaps as much as the whole panama canal. one of the narrowest parts of the isthmus is that lying between the present panama canal route and the south american border. three routes were proposed in this section, known as the atrato river route, the caledonia route, and the san blas route. it was found that a canal built along any one of these routes would require a tunnel. the estimated cost of building a tunnel feet deep, feet wide at the bottom, and feet on the waterline, with a height of feet from the water surface, the entire tunnel being lined with concrete feet thick, would approximate $ , , a mile. the cost of building a canal along one of these routes would have been greater than that of building either the nicaragua canal or the panama canal. the question of an isthmian canal will probably be forever set at rest at no distant date. in an effort to forestall for all time any competition in the canal business across the american isthmus, negotiations are now under way whereby the united states seeks to acquire the exclusive rights for a canal through nicaragua, just as it now possesses exclusive rights for a canal through the republic of panama. the conclusion of the work at panama will end the efforts of four centuries to open up a shipway from the atlantic to the pacific across the american isthmus. chapter xvii the french failure one writes of "the french failure" at panama with a consciousness that no other word but failure will describe the financial and administrative catastrophe that humbled france on the isthmus, but at the same time with the knowledge that failure is no fit word to apply to the engineering accomplishments of the french era. the french fiasco ruined thousands of thrifty french families who invested their all in the shares of the canal company because they had faith in de lesseps, faith in france, and faith in the ability of the canal to pay handsome returns whatever might be its cost. the failure itself was due primarily to the fact that de lesseps was not an engineer, but a promoter. the stock sales, the bond lottery, the pomp and circumstance of high finance, were more to him than exact surveys or frank discussion of actual engineering problems. from the first, de lesseps ignored the engineers. the panama proposition was undertaken in spite of their advice, and at every turn he hampered them by impossible demands, and by making grave decisions with a debonair turn of the hand. the next factor in the failure was corruption. extravagance such as never was known wasted the sous and francs that came from the thrifty homes of that beautiful france. corruption, graft, waste--there was never such a carnival of bad business. and then the french had to fight the diseases of the tropic jungles without being armed with that knowledge that gave the americans the victory over yellow fever and malaria. it was hardly to be expected that the french ever would discover the necessity of substituting the y. m. c. a. and the soda fountain for the dance hall and the vintner's shop, if the canal were to be completed. but the engineers did their work well, as far as they were permitted to go. it may have cost too much--but it was well done. the failure of the french panama canal project was due, therefore, to moral as much as to material reasons. long years after the french had retired defeated from the field, one could behold a thousand mute but eloquent reminders of their failure to duplicate their triumph at suez. from one side of the isthmus to the other stretched an almost unbroken train of gloomy specters of the disappointed hopes of the french people. here a half-mile string of engines and cars; there a long row of steam cranes; at this place a mass of nondescript machinery; and at that place a big dredge left high and dry on the banks of the mighty chagres at its flood stage, all spoke to the visitor of the french defeat. exposed to the ravages of tropical summers, decay ran riot, and but for the scenes of life and industry being enacted by the americans, one might have felt himself stalking amid the tombs of thousands of dead hopes. almost as much money was raised by the french for their failure as was appropriated by the americans for their success. from the gilded palace and from the peasant's humble cottage came the stream of gold with which it was hoped to lay low the barrier that divided the atlantic and the pacific. at first the french estimated that in seven or eight years they could dig a -foot sea-level canal for $ , , . after eight years they calculated that it would cost $ , , to make it a -foot lock canal and require years to build it. never was money spent so recklessly. for a time it flowed in faster than it could be paid out--even by the panama canal company. when the company started it asked for $ , , . double that amount was offered. the seeming inexhaustibility of the funds led to unparalleled extravagance; of the some $ , , raised only a little more than a third was spent in actual engineering work. someone has said that a third of the money was spent on the canal, a third was wasted, and a third was stolen. the director general at the expense of the stockholders built himself a house costing $ , . his summer home at la boca cost $ , . it came to be known as "dingler's folly," for dingler lost his wife and children of yellow fever and never was able to live in his sumptuous summer home. he drew $ , a year salary, and $ a day for each day he traveled a mile over the line in his splendid $ , pullman. the hospitals at ancon and colon cost $ , , , and the office buildings over $ , , . where a $ , building was needed, a $ , building was erected, and the canal stockholders were charged $ , for it. supplies were bought almost wholly without reference to actual needs. ten thousand snow shovels were brought to the isthmus where no snow ever has fallen. some , torchlights were carried there to be used in the great celebration upon the completion of the canal. steam-boats, dredges, launches, and whatnot were brought to the isthmus, knocked down, and taken into the interior to await the opening of the waterway. the stationery bill of the canal company with one firm alone amounted to $ , a year. when the americans took possession they found among other things a ton of rusty and useless pen points, not one of which had ever been used. two years' service entitled employees to five months' leave of absence and traveling expenses both ways. there was no adequate system of accounting and any employee could have his requisition for household articles honored almost as often as he liked. in a multitude of cases this laxity was taken advantage of and quite a business was carried on secretly in buying and selling furniture belonging to the company. one official built a bath house costing $ , . a son of de lesseps became a silent partner of nearly every large contractor on the isthmus, getting a large "rake-off" from every contract let. near the summit of the great divide the americans who took possession in found a small iron steamer. it is said to have been the purpose of the canal promoters to put this little steamer on a small pond in culebra cut, and by the aid of a skillful photographer to get a picture showing navigation across the isthmus. this steamer was hauled by the americans to panama, where during the years of the american construction work it did service in carrying the sick to the sanitarium at taboga. the different uses to which this steamer was put during the french and american régimes illustrates the different aims of the americans and the french in connection with the panama canal. there was little concern about the health of the canal workers under the french, in spite of great liberality in the construction of hospitals. the construction work was let out to contractors, who were charged a dollar a day by the french company for maintaining the sick members of their force in the hospital. of course, the contractors were not over anxious to put their employees into the hospitals. the result was that the death rate at panama reached almost unprecedented proportions. [illustration: the man of brawn] [illustration: ferdinand de lesseps philippe bunau-varilla an old french excavator near tabernilla] this was aided to a very large degree by the manner of living obtaining there at that time. in lieutenant rogers, of the united states navy, inspected the canal work and reported that the laborers were paid every saturday, that they spent sunday in drinking and monday in recuperating, returning to work on tuesday. a prominent english writer declared after a visit to panama that in all the world there was not, perhaps, concentrated in any single spot so much swindling and villainy, so much vile disease, and such a hideous mass of moral and physical abominations. add to these things the fact that no one then knew of the responsibility of the stegomyia mosquito for the existence of yellow fever, nor that the anopheles mosquito was the disseminator of malaria, and it is little wonder that the french failed. the hospitals, instead of aiding in the elimination of yellow fever, became its greatest allies. the bedposts were set in cups of water, and here the yellow-fever mosquitoes could breed uninterruptedly and carry infection to every patient. wards were shut up tight at night to keep out the "terrible miasma," and the nurses went to their own quarters. when morning came there were among those thus left alone always some ready for the tomb. the history of the french attempt to construct the panama canal begins, in reality, with the suez canal. in ferdinand de lesseps, a frenchman connected with the diplomatic service, saw an opportunity to revive the plans for a suez canal that had been urged by napoleon in . his friend, said pasha, had just succeeded to the khediviate of egypt, and his proposals were warmly received. the building of the canal, which presented no serious engineering problems, was begun in and completed years later. there was a sordid side to its story, too; but as the losses were borne chiefly by the egyptians, europe ignored them and looked only to the great success of the canal itself. as a result, de lesseps became a national hero in france, and when it became known that he contemplated piercing another isthmus, the whole country rose to his support. in , six years after the suez canal had been opened, and as soon as france had recovered her breath from the shock of the war with prussia, a company was organized by de lesseps to procure a concession for the building of a panama canal. already the world, as well as france, had come to regard de lesseps as an engineer, rather than as a promoter of stock companies, and in this lay the germ of the disaster that was to overtake the whole scheme. in , lucien napoleon bonaparte wyse, a lieutenant of engineers in the french army, was sent to panama to determine the most feasible route and to conclude negotiations for the construction of a canal there. he made a perfunctory survey, commencing at panama and extending only two-thirds of the way to the atlantic coast; nevertheless, he calculated the cost in detail and claimed that his estimates might be depended upon to come within per cent of the actual figures. however weak in engineering he may have been, he was strong in international negotiations, returning to france with a concession which gave him the right to form a company to build the canal, and which gave to that company all the rights it needed, subject only to the prior rights of the panama railroad company under its concession. the concession was to run for years, beginning from the date when the collection of tolls on transit and navigation should begin. the promoters were allowed years to form the company and years to build the canal. the government of colombia was entitled to a share in the gross income of the canal after the seventy-fifth year from its opening. four-fifths of this was to be paid to the national government and one-fifth to the state of panama. the canal company was to guarantee that these annual payments should on no account be less than $ , . when wyse returned to paris he got de lesseps to head the project. the hero of suez summoned an international commission of individuals and engineers, known as the international scientific congress, which met in paris, may , . there were delegates in attendance, most of whom were frenchmen, although nearly every european nation was represented. the united states had representatives at this congress. after two weeks' conference the decision was reached that a sea-level canal should be constructed from colon to panama. only of the men who met were engineers, and it has been stated that those who knew most about the subject found their opinions least in demand. m. de lesseps dominated the conference. several members who were radically opposed to its conclusions, rather than declare their difference from the opinions of a man of such great distinction and high reputation as de lesseps enjoyed at that time, absented themselves when the final vote was taken. after it was determined to build a sea-level canal, the canal concession owned by wyse and his associates was transferred to the compagnie universelle du canal interoceanique (the universal interoceanic canal company) of which de lesseps was given control. the canal company was capitalized at $ , , . the preliminary budget of expenses amounted to $ , , , of which $ , , went to wyse and his associates for the concession. the organizers were entitled to certain cash payments and per cent of the net profits. the canal company soon found it necessary to acquire a controlling interest in the panama railroad. that corporation insisted on charging regular rates on all canal business. in addition, it possessed such prior rights as made the wyse concession worthless except there be agreement on all matters between the railroad company and the canal company. the result was that the canal company bought the railroad, and its rights, for the sum of about $ , , . the first visit of de lesseps to the isthmus was made in the early weeks of . he arrived on the th day of december, , and was met by a delegation appointed by the government, and one nominated by the state assembly. there was the usual reception, with its attendant champagne and conviviality, and a fine display of fire-works at night. the next day, with a chart before him, de lesseps promptly decided where the breakwater to protect the mouth of the canal from the "northers" sweeping into limon bay should be located. he declared that in the construction of the canal there were only two great difficulties--the chagres river and culebra cut. the first he proposed to overcome by sending its waters to the pacific ocean by another route--a project which it has since been estimated would have cost almost as much as building the canal. the second difficulty he thought would disappear with the use of explosives of sufficient force to remove vast quantities of material with each discharge. there was a great hurrah, and an international celebration during de lesseps' stay. the flags of all nations were prominently displayed, with the single exception of that of the united states. count de lesseps was over years old when he first visited the isthmus, though he was still active and vigorous. mr. tracy robinson described him as "a small man, french in detail, with winning manners and a magnetic presence. he would conclude almost every statement with, 'the canal will be made,' just as a famous roman always exclaimed, 'delende est carthago.' he was accompanied to the isthmus by his wife and three of his seven children. being a fine horseman, he delighted in mounting the wildest steeds that panama could furnish. riding over the rough country in which the canal was being located all day long, he would dance all night like a boy and be ready for the next day's work 'as fresh as a daisy.'" on new year's day, , de lesseps formally inaugurated the work of building the canal. a large party of ladies and gentlemen visited the mouth of the rio grande where the first shovelful of sod was to be turned. an address was made by count de lesseps, and a benediction upon the enterprise was bestowed by the bishop of panama. champagne flowed like water, and it is said that the speechmaking continued so long that the party did not have time to go ashore to turn the sod, so it was brought on board and miss fernanda de lesseps there made the initial stroke in the digging of the big waterway. some days later the work at culebra cut was inaugurated. tracy robinson thus described the scene: "the blessing had been pronounced by the bishop of panama and the champagne, duly iced, was waiting to quell the swelter of the tropical sun as soon as the explosion went off. there the crowd stood breathless, ears stopped, eyes blinking, half in terror lest this artificial earthquake might involve general destruction. but there was no explosion! it would not go! then a humorous sense of relief stole upon the crowd. with one accord everybody exclaimed, 'good gracious!' and hurried away for fear that after all the dynamite should see fit to explode. that was fiasco no. ." after de lesseps left the isthmus he toured the united states where he was everywhere welcomed although he did not find a market in this country for his stock. the scientific congress estimated the cost of building the canal, whose construction de lesseps had inaugurated, at $ , , . m. de lesseps himself later arbitrarily cut this estimate to $ , , , and announced that he believed that vessels would be able to go from ocean to ocean after the expenditure of $ , , . he declared that if the committee had decided to build a lock canal, he would have put on his hat and gone home, since he believed it would be much more expensive to build a lock canal with twin chambers than to build a sea-level waterway. there were those who declared that six years was the utmost limit that would be required for building the big ditch. others asserted with confidence that it could be done in four years. during the first three years the company devoted its time to getting ready for the real work. by the profligate use of the money subscribed by the french people brought the funds of the canal company to a very low ebb. m. de lesseps asked for permission to establish a lottery, by which he hoped to provide additional funds for carrying on the work. the french government held up the matter and finally sent an eminent engineer to investigate. this engineer, armand rosseau, reported that the completion of a sea-level canal was not possible with the means in sight, and recommended a lock canal, plans for which he submitted. the summit level of this canal was to be feet, reached by a series of seven or eight locks. after this plan was adopted, to which de lesseps reluctantly consented, lottery bonds of a face value of $ , , were issued which were to bear per cent interest. but the people failed to subscribe. at the outset of the work de lesseps established a bulletin for the dissemination of information concerning the canal; during the entire period of his connection with the project this bulletin was filled with the most exaggerated reports, and the most reckless mis-statements in favor of a successful prosecution of the work. by the confidence of the french people in de lesseps waned. unable to raise more money, and now popularly dubbed the "great undertaker," he found himself in such straits that he saw the french government take over the wrecked organization by appointing a receiver with the power to dispose of its assets. this proved a terrible blow to the people on the isthmus. untold hardships befell the small army of laborers and clerks. the government of jamaica repatriated over , negroes. the chilean government granted , free passages to chile, open to all classes except negroes and chinese, and for several months every mail steamer south took away from to stranded people from the canal region. where good times and the utmost plenty had prevailed for years, the isthmus was now face to face with a period of want and privation, its glory departed and its hope almost gone. the receiver of the panama canal company assisted in the organization of another company known as the new panama canal company. with a working capital of $ , , , it excavated more than , , cubic yards of material. in it found itself in danger of losing everything by reason of the expiration of its concession. the services of lieutenant wyse were again brought into play, and he secured a -year extension of the concession. in another concession was granted, with the provision that work should be begun on a permanent basis by october , , and that the canal should be completed by october , . toward the end of the nineties, it was manifest that the concession would expire before the work could be finished, so, in april, , another extension was arranged, which stipulated that the canal should be completed by october , . the new panama canal company, as a matter of fact, had no other aim in view than to keep the concession alive in the hope that it could be sold to the united states. with all of their profligacy, however, the french left to their american successors a valuable heritage. what they did was done with the utmost thoroughness. the machinery which they bequeathed to the americans was of immense value. there was enough of this to cover a -acre farm feet deep, with enough more to build a -foot fence around it all. the french equipment was of the best. dredges and locomotives that stood in the jungle for years were rebuilt by the americans at less than per cent of their first cost, and did service during the entire period of construction. although the new panama canal company at one time asked $ , , for its assets, it finally accepted $ , , . an appraisement made by american engineers a few years ago showed that the actual worth of the property acquired, aside from the franchise itself, amounted to about $ , , . count de lesseps lived to a great age. his last years were saddened and embittered by the volumes of denunciation that were written and spoken against him. certain it is that no man ever went further than he to maintain confidence in a project that was destined to fail, and yet his partisans declared that his sin was the sin of overenthusiasm and not of dishonest purpose. under the torrents of abuse that fell upon his head his mind weakened, and, fortunately, in his last days he realized little of the immeasurable injustice his misplaced zeal and overenthusiasm had wrought against the people of france. chapter xviii choosing the panama route proud as americans now are of the success of their venture at panama, in the beginning there was by no means a general agreement that the united states would succeed where france had failed. indeed, the french disaster had much influence in strengthening the position of those who favored building the american canal through nicaragua. prior to the year little thought was given by the american people to any project for building an isthmian canal anywhere else than through nicaragua. it is true that in the new panama canal company became active in its efforts to induce the united states to adopt the panama route, but these activities made little impression upon public sentiment before the outbreak of the spanish american war. during that war interest in the question of an isthmian canal waned in america, and immediately after it the sympathy which france had given to spain made it advisable for the canal company to postpone its propaganda. in his annual message to congress in december, , president mckinley recommended the building of the nicaragua canal. two days later senator john t. morgan, of alabama, made a vigorous speech in the senate, in which he charged that the transcontinental railroads of the united states were making efforts to defeat the canal project. this charge was made repeatedly thereafter, and it was asserted that the railroads espoused the cause of the panama canal upon the ground of choosing the lesser of two evils, judged from their standpoint. prior to both republican and democratic parties had repeatedly favored the construction of the nicaragua canal in their national platforms, and both branches of congress had voted for the canal at different times. in the early part of the senate passed a bill authorizing the construction of a nicaraguan canal. the house refused to act on the bill, and, at the instance of senator morgan, the senate attached a rider to the rivers and harbors bill, appropriating $ , , to begin the building of the canal. this passed the senate by a vote of to . the amendment was defeated in the house and the matter went to conference. if the house conferees stood pat in their opposition to the senate amendment, the whole rivers and harbors bill would be defeated unless the senate conferees yielded. the house conferees remained unshaken in their opposition to the nicaragua canal provision, and were willing to wreck the whole rivers and harbors bill rather than to authorize the beginning of operations in the construction of the nicaragua canal under the plan framed by the senate. according to philippe bunau-varilla, the real secret of the defeat of the nicaragua canal project at this juncture lay in a dispute between the house and senate as to the manner of building the canal. the senate wanted to do it by the reorganization of the maritime canal company, with the majority of its board of directors appointed by the president, using that corporation as the agent of the government for constructing and operating the canal. representative william p. hepburn, of iowa, at that time chairman of the committee on interstate and foreign commerce, contended that such a plan proposed that the united states should masquerade as a corporation, instead of doing the work in its own proper person, as it was in every sense capable of doing. he asked for what purpose the government should thus convert itself into a corporation, making of itself an artificial person and taking a position of equality with a citizen? he further pointed out that as a corporation the government might be sued in its own courts, and fined for contempt by its own judicial servants. a compromise was adopted in the form of an appropriation of $ , , to defray the expenses of an investigation into all of the various routes for an isthmian canal. this investigation was to have reference particularly to the relative merits of the nicaragua and panama routes, together with an estimate of the cost of constructing each. the investigators were to ascertain what rights, privileges, and franchises were held, and what work had been done in the construction of the proposed canals. they were also to ascertain the cost of acquiring the interests of any organizations holding franchises on these routes. the president was directed to employ engineers of the united states army and engineers from civil life, together with such other persons as were necessary to carry out the purposes of the investigation. a few months later he appointed the first isthmian canal commission, consisting of rear admiral john g. walker, senator samuel pasco, alfred noble, george s. morison, peter c. hains, william h. burr, o. h. ernst, louis m. haupt, and emory r. johnson. thus it came about that the house and senate, divided only upon the issue of the proper method of building the nicaragua canal, reopened the whole question, and gave to the panama canal advocates a chance to make a fight in favor of that route. the advocates of the nicaragua canal were not satisfied, however, to await the discoveries of the commission congress had created. on may , , before the commission made its report, the house voted to in favor of the nicaragua route. the bill went to the senate, where it was favorably reported by the committee on interoceanic canals. senator morgan made a formal motion for the immediate consideration of the measure, but it was lost by a vote of to . he then had the nd day of december following fixed as the date for again taking up the matter. his committee made a report roundly scoring the representatives of the new panama canal company for their activities in favor of the panama route. in december, , secretary hay signed protocols with the ministers of nicaragua and costa rica, by which those governments undertook to negotiate treaties as soon as the president of the united states should be authorized by congress to acquire the nicaragua route. in the following february, senator morgan offered an amendment to the sundry civil appropriation bill authorizing the president to go ahead with the construction of the canal. when theodore roosevelt became president in september, , he recommended the building of the nicaragua canal in his official statement of policy. in the meantime the isthmian canal commission had been repeatedly attempting to get the new panama canal company to state for what sum it would sell its holdings to the united states. the figures finally presented placed a value of $ , , upon the property. after this, the isthmian canal commission unanimously recommended the adoption of the nicaragua route. congress again took up the matter, upon a bill introduced by representative hepburn, making an appropriation of $ , , for the construction of the canal. this measure was favorably reported by the house committee on interstate and foreign commerce, and also secured the approval of the senate committee on interoceanic canals. a few days later a formal convention was signed in nicaragua by the minister of foreign affairs and the american minister, looking to the construction of the canal through nicaraguan territory. a week later the senate ratified the hay-pauncefote treaty with great britain. on january the house of representatives again took up the matter and, in spite of the fact that the new panama canal company had decided to accept $ , , for its property, this offer was rejected by the house of representatives, which passed the bill authorizing the construction of the nicaragua canal by the overwhelming vote of to . after the rejection of the offer of the new panama canal company by the house, president roosevelt again called the members of the isthmian canal commission together, and asked them to make a supplementary report in view of the offer in question. on a motion of commissioner morison the commission decided that, in consideration of the change of conditions brought about by the offer of the company to sell its property for $ , , , the panama route was preferable. it has been stated that professor haupt, senator pasco, and two other members of the commission were reluctant to abandon the nicaragua project; that president roosevelt had made it quite clear to admiral walker that he expected the commission to accept the panama canal company's offer; that commissioners noble and pasco had given in, but that professor haupt stood out; and that he was induced to sign the report only after admiral walker had called him out of the committee room and pleaded with him to do so, stating that the president demanded a unanimous report. professor haupt afterwards publicly admitted the truth of this story in a signed article in a magazine. about this time the senate committee on interoceanic canals appointed a subcommittee of six members to study and report on the legal questions involved in the transfer of the new panama canal company's title, and a majority reported that the company's title was defective and that it had no power to transfer. it was finally decided that the senate committee on interoceanic canals should make no report until all of the members of the isthmian canal commission had appeared before it and testified. this delay permitted negotiations between the united states, the new panama canal company, and the republic of colombia looking to a settlement of the question of title. the new panama canal company was now thoroughly in earnest in its desire to dispose of its holdings to the united states, but the republic of colombia, desiring to drive a good bargain, held aloof. the hope of the situation as far as the panama route was concerned, lay in senator marcus a. hanna, of ohio, who had come to espouse the panama route. he declared he would not recommend the acceptance of the proposals of the new panama canal company unless a satisfactory treaty could be obtained, and unless the shareholders of the company would ratify the action of the board of directors in making the offer. a meeting of the shareholders was called in february, , at which the republic of colombia, holding a million dollars' worth of stock in the company, was represented by a government delegate. he served formal notice on the company that it was forbidden, on pain of forfeiture of its concession, to sell its rights to the united states before that action was approved by the colombian government, there being a clause in the concession providing that in the event of such a sale to any foreign government all rights, titles, and property should revert to colombia. when the colombian government took up the matter it showed a disposition to grasp the lion's share. its minister was instructed to exact no less than $ , , from the new panama canal company for colombia's permission to transfer its concessions. this demand was based on the following reasons: first, because colombia's consent was essential; second, because colombia would lose its expectation of acquiring the panama railroad at the expiration of its concession--a road that was then valued at $ , , ; third, because under the proposed contract with the united states, colombia was to renounce its share in the prospective earnings of the canal, which might amount to a million dollars a year. another proposition was drawn by the colombian minister, proposing to lease a zone across the isthmus of the united states for a period of years at an annual rental of $ , . at another time the colombian minister declared that, inasmuch as the new panama canal company had taken advantage of the straitened circumstances of the colombian government to obtain a six-year extension of its concession, which was really what the canal company was about to sell for $ , , , he thought colombia ought to require the new panama canal company to pay $ , , of the $ , , , for what the company gained by the extension of its concession. on january , , senator john c. spooner, of wisconsin, introduced a bill in the senate, authorizing the president of the united states to build an isthmian canal at panama, if the necessary rights could be obtained. if those rights could not be obtained the president was required to build the canal on the nicaraguan route. the spooner bill provided the machinery for the construction of the canal, created the isthmian canal commission, and authorized the expenditures necessary for undertaking the project. some six weeks later the senate committee on interoceanic canals rejected the spooner bill and presented a favorable report on the hepburn bill, which authorized the nicaragua canal. the final struggle in the senate lasted from june to june , . senators morgan and harris led the fight for the hepburn bill, while senators hanna and spooner championed the spooner measure. the fight resulted in the passage of the spooner bill by a vote of to . the disagreeing votes of the two houses were then sent to conference, and the house finally receded from its position in favor of the nicaragua route, and the spooner bill became a law. the situation as it now stood was that the panama route was chosen on the conditions that the title of the company be proved and that a satisfactory treaty with colombia be negotiated; with the alternative of the adoption of the nicaragua route in default of one or the other of these conditions. whatever may have been his motives--in the light of events which have followed it would seem unjust to question them--senator hanna was undoubtedly responsible for the revolution in congress and in public sentiment which resulted in the selection of the panama route. m. bunau-varilla declares that he met myron t. herrick in paris, converted him, and through him met senator hanna, whom he also convinced. in crowley's "life and work of marcus alonzo hanna," it is declared that a series of interviews between m. bunau-varilla and senator hanna had much to do with mr. hanna's decision to make a fight in behalf of panama. it was claimed by william nelson cromwell, in his suit for fees against the new panama canal company, that he was responsible for converting senator hanna to the panama project, and it was asserted, also, that he furnished the data from which senator hanna made his speech which converted the senate, and the house, and the country, and led to the adoption of the panama route. at this juncture providence seemed to lend support to the panama route, for one of the many volcanoes in nicaragua became active and did considerable damage. occurrences since then have borne out the wisdom of avoiding the nicaragua route. a few years ago the city of cartago, only about a hundred miles distant from the site of the works that would have been installed to control the waters of lake nicaragua, was entirely destroyed by an earthquake. with the spooner bill enacted into law, the next proposition which confronted the united states government was that of reaching an understanding with colombia, which would permit the building of the canal at panama. that country was reminded on every hand and in divers ways that unless an acceptable treaty were forthcoming the president of the united states would be forced to adopt the nicaragua route. but, notwithstanding these reminders, colombia still moved slowly in the matter. after being repeatedly urged to come to terms, and after one colombian minister to the united states had been recalled and another resigned, the hay-herran treaty finally was negotiated. before colombia reached the stage, however, where it would agree to enter into negotiations with the united states, it had been reminded by its minister in washington that it was dangerous not to enter into an agreement. he had declared that if colombia should refuse to hear the american proposal that a new treaty be entered into, the united states would, in retaliation, denounce the treaty of , and thereafter view with complacency any events which might take place in panama inimical to colombia's interests. he had reported further that the united states would, at the first interruption of the railroad service, occupy at once colombia's territory on the isthmus and embrace whatever tendency there might be toward separation, in the hope of bringing about the independence of panama. this, he had concluded, would be a catastrophe of far greater consequence to colombia than any damage the republic might suffer by the ratification of a treaty with the united states permitting the building of the canal. his views in the matter were strengthened by a suggestion of senator shelby m. cullom, of illinois, that if colombia should continue to refuse to allow the united states to build the canal, which the united states claimed was its right to do under the treaty of , the american government might invoke a sort of universal right of eminent domain, take the isthmian territory, and pay colombia its value in accordance with an appraisement by experts. about this time president roosevelt wrote a letter to his friend, dr. albert d. shaw, of the review of reviews, in which he said that he had been appealed to for aid and encouragement to a revolution at panama, but that as much as he would like to see such a revolution, he could not lend any encouragement to it. the republic of colombia was repeatedly reminded by secretary hay that if it did not act promptly the president would take up negotiations with nicaragua and proceed to construct the canal there. under these conditions colombia finally agreed to negotiate the hay-herran treaty, which was afterwards rejected by the colombian congress. it has been asserted that president roosevelt took the view all along that under the treaty of , colombia had no right to prevent the united states from building the canal, and that, in spite of the provision of the spooner act requiring him to proceed with the construction of the nicaragua canal in the event of the failure of negotiations at panama, he was determined to exhaust every possible effort before giving up the panama route. chapter xix controversy with colombia seldom in the history of international relations has a controversy afforded more grounds for honest difference of opinion than the issue between the united states and colombia, growing out of the revolution and formation of the new republic of panama. the most careful and unprejudiced study still may leave room for doubt as to the real merits of the case. in , after the united states had decided to build an isthmian canal, preferably at panama, but if that route were not available at nicaragua, a treaty was entered into at washington between the governments of the united states and colombia. this hay-herran treaty, as it was known, in simple terms provided that the united states would pay colombia $ , , in cash, and $ , a year after the completion of the canal, if the republic of colombia would agree to permit the new panama canal company to sell its concession and property to the united states. this treaty, according to president roosevelt, was entered into under negotiations initiated by the republic of colombia. the treaty was ratified by the united states senate, and was then sent to colombia for its ratification. at the time the treaty was pending in the colombian congress, the president of the republic was a man who had been elected vice president, but who had kidnapped the president with a troop of cavalry and shut him up in an insanitary dungeon where he soon died. the vice president thus became the head of the government. anyone who knows conditions in such countries as colombia, understands that a president has no use for a congress except to have it register his own will. the president of colombia at first advocated the negotiation of the treaty, but he repudiated it after it had been signed, and then declared that if the colombian minister to washington were to return to colombia he would be hanged for signing it. the result of this change of front was that the treaty was rejected by the colombian congress. all sorts of stories were put abroad in colombia to arouse opposition to it. one was that the united states would make $ , , out of the canal deal the minute the treaty was ratified by colombia. it was claimed by the colombian government that the constitutional prohibition of the cession of territory to a foreign state would have to be changed by amending the constitution before the congress could legally ratify the treaty. [illustration: s. b. williamson the lower gates, miraflores locks] [illustration: h. o. cole middle gates, miraflores locks] how little the president of colombia respected the laws of his country is shown by a dispatch received by the government at washington after the secession of panama, in which it was promised that if the united states would assist colombia in putting down the panama revolution, the next colombian congress would ratify the rejected treaty. or, failing that, the president would declare martial law, by virtue of vested constitutional authority when public order is disturbed, and ratify the canal treaty by presidential decree. if the washington government did not like such a proposal, the president of colombia would call an extra session of congress and immediately ratify the treaty. the real cause of the failure of the hay-herran treaty is not difficult to discover. the concession of the new panama canal company under one of its renewals expired october , . it was then extended for a year, and, in , was extended again for a period of years. still another extension was granted, which carried the date of expiration to october , . this last extension was granted by the president without the consent of the colombian congress. in , when the hay-herran treaty was pending, the validity of this last extension was denied, and the assertion made that on october , , all of the rights and property of the new panama canal company would revert to the colombian government. the united states had agreed to pay to the new panama canal company $ , , for its concession and property. according to representative henry t. rainey, of illinois, who for years led the attack in the united states congress on the acts of president roosevelt in connection with the panaman revolution, the purpose of colombia in defeating the treaty was to wait until the expiration of the concession, when all of the property of the canal company would revert to colombia, and it could then sell it to the united states and get the $ , , , or any other amount it could persuade the united states to pay. of course, the new panama canal company did not look upon such an arrangement with any degree of complacency. it felt that it was a deliberate scheme upon the part of the colombian government to mulct it out of its property and its rights. as a result it was naturally ready to lend aid and encouragement to any movement which would circumvent this purpose of colombia. it found conditions in panama just what it might have wished. the people of panama felt that they had the same sort of grievance against colombia that the people of the american colonies felt they had against england in . the governors of the province were, with few exceptions, sent there from bogota, and were entirely out of sympathy with the people of panama. the taxes collected at panama were carried to bogota, as a rule, and the voice that the people of the isthmus had in the government of colombia was negligible. furthermore, they felt that they were entitled to their sovereignty. after the countries of tropical america had thrown off the yoke of spain, panama found itself too small to stand alone, and accepted an invitation from bogota to put itself under the government there with the understanding that it was to retain its sovereignty. it soon found that this agreement was not respected at bogota. almost immediately there were attempted revolts and, in , the isthmus again won complete independence. the confederation of new granada promised that the people of the isthmus should have better treatment, and it was set forth in the constitution of new granada that panama was a sovereign state, and that it had full right to withdraw and set up an independent government at any time. in a new constitution was proclaimed by colombia, which had succeeded new granada, and this constitution deprived panama of all its rights as a sovereign state, and made it a province under the control of the federal government at bogota. upon these grounds panama claimed that she was a sovereign state temporarily under the duress of a superior government. after the defeat of the hay-herran treaty the inhabitants of panama knew that if the treaty failed and no other steps were taken, the nicaraguan route would be followed and panama would become almost a forgotten region instead of a land of great opportunity. the consequence was that the panamans lent willing ears to the suggestion of the representatives of the new panama canal company that they should undertake a revolution to be financed by the canal company. two representatives of the new panama canal company working along independent lines were trying to bring about the revolution. one of these was philippe bunau-varilla, formerly chief engineer of the old panama canal company, but who had become estranged from the new panama canal company. the other was william nelson cromwell, for years general counsel of the panama railroad company, and who, in his suit against the new panama canal company for an $ , fee, claimed to have engineered and directed the revolution. m. bunau-varilla had some stock in the canal company and a great deal of pride in seeing realized the undertaking to which he had committed the best years of his life. coming to new york on another mission, he met dr. amador, who was one of the panamans desiring the independence of his country. according to the testimony of m. bunau-varilla, which is borne out by documentary evidence, he and dr. amador worked out the plan for the revolution. he declares that the documents were drawn in the waldorf-astoria hotel and as far as they were written in spanish, they were copied letter by letter by an english stenographer who knew no spanish, in order that there might be no possibility of the secret leaking out. he declares that the whole project of the revolution as it was carried out was conceived by him in cooperation with dr. amador, and that william nelson cromwell, the other factor in the situation, knew nothing about what was going on. he also asserts that william nelson cromwell had promised to introduce dr. amador to secretary of state john hay, but that later dr. herran, the representative of colombia, found out what was going on and wrote a letter of warning to mr. cromwell as to the consequences which would come to the panama railroad, of which mr. cromwell was the representative, if that organization should give aid or comfort to the projected panama revolution. thereupon, according to m. bunau-varilla, mr. cromwell turned his back upon dr. amador, although it has been claimed by some that this was only a ruse on the part of mr. cromwell to shield himself and his company from responsibility. about this time m. bunau-varilla borrowed $ , in france to finance the revolution, pending the recognition of the new republic by the united states. other money was forthcoming later. the revolution itself, which took place in november, , was bloodless. the world knows that president roosevelt forbade the colombian troops to move across the isthmus, while at the same time he would not allow the revolutionists to make any move. a similar situation had arisen in a former revolution in . at that time the colombian troops were disarmed, and three days later insurgent troops were prevented by united states marines from using the railroad and were actually compelled to leave a train which they had seized and entered. the principle was enunciated and maintained that no troops under arms should be transported on the railroad, no matter to which party they belonged. that was because to permit such transportation would be to make the railroad an adjunct to the side using it, and to subject it to attack by the other party. in this way, if the colombian troops used it, the insurgents would have attacked, and the united states would either have been forced to permit such an attack, which might suspend traffic on the transit, or to prevent it with force, which would make this country an ally of colombia against the insurgents. on the other hand, if the insurgents were permitted to use the railroad, colombia would attack it, and in that case the united states would have to help repel the attack and thus would become the ally of the insurgents. it was, therefore, held that the only way to make the road absolutely neutral was to allow neither party to use it. this was the doctrine under which president roosevelt proceeded in . of course, the world knows that this was tantamount to preventing colombia from reconquering the isthmus, if that were possible. it is claimed by some that if president roosevelt had allowed the insurgents to use the railroad in , colombia would have been defeated in that revolution. at the time of the revolution it is said that the colombian garrison which espoused the cause of the panamans was bribed to do so; that their commander two days afterwards was paid $ , for his services, and that he is to this day drawing a pension of $ , a year. it is also charged that some of the troops who could not be bribed were sent into the interior to repel an imaginary invasion from nicaragua. it is asserted that when the governor of the state of panama telegraphed the colombian government that nicaragua was invading panama, the bogota authorities sent additional troops to the isthmus to help fight nicaragua, and that this accounted for the arrival of the gunboats from cartagena on the eve of the revolution. at the time of the _coup d'etat_, the united states was living under a treaty made with colombia in , guaranteeing the sovereignty of that country over the isthmus in return for the recognition of the rights of the united states, under the monroe doctrine, in connection with the building of a canal. under this treaty it was mutually agreed that the united states should keep the isthmian transit free and open at all times. it was contended by president roosevelt that he was only carrying out this provision when he refused to allow the revolutionists and the federal troops to fight along the line of the panama railroad, although this was almost the only ground on the isthmus on which military operations could be prosecuted. he admitted the justice of the contention of the colombian government that the united states undertook to guarantee the sovereignty of colombia over the isthmus so far as any alien power was concerned, but denied that it was ever intended that the united states should be called upon to guarantee it against the people of the isthmus themselves. once the revolution was started three courses were left open to the united states: one was to force the panamans back under colombian rule; the second was to let the two sides fight to a finish; the third was to recognize the independence of the republic of panama and forbid colombia to land troops on the isthmus. president roosevelt took the last course. a breezy western congressman remarked in defense of that course: "when that jack rabbit jumped i am glad we didn't have a bowlegged man for president!" the result of the revolution, and the recognition of the independence of the republic of panama, was that colombia, which had tried to grasp everything and to get possession of the assets of the new panama canal company, now found itself without anything. colombia ever since has contended that the united states was under a solemn obligation to protect the colombian sovereignty over the isthmus--an obligation that has been assumed in return for valuable considerations--and that it had been despoiled of the isthmus of panama under the very treaty that had guaranteed its permanent control of that isthmus. it further asserted that president roosevelt had been a party to the revolution for the purpose of circumventing the stand of the republic of colombia. it made a long plea against the action of the united states and urged that in the event the two countries could not come to any agreement, the pending questions should be submitted to the hague for adjudication. secretary hay at one time proposed that a popular election should be held on the isthmus to determine whether the people there preferred allegiance to the republic of panama or to the republic of colombia, but colombia would not agree to that. secretary hay rejected the plea of colombia for arbitration, upon the ground that the questions that colombia proposed to submit affected the honor of the united states and that these matters were not arbitrable. [illustration: edward j. williams the pay car at culebra] [illustration: uncle sam's laundry at cristobal] after elihu root became secretary of state, he declared that the real gravamen of the colombian complaint was the espousal of the cause of panama by the people of the united states. he said that no arbitration could deal with the real rights and wrongs of the parties concerned, unless it were to pass upon the question of whether the cause thus espoused was just--whether the people of panama were exercising their just rights in maintaining their right of independence of colombian rule. "we assert and maintain the affirmative upon that question," he declared. "we assert that the ancient state of panama was independent in its origin, and by nature and history a separate political community; that it was federated with the other states of colombia upon terms that preserved and continued its sovereignty, and that it never surrendered that sovereignty and was subjugated by force in ." mr. root further asserted that the united states was not "willing to permit any arbitrator to determine the political policy of the united states in following its sense of right and justice by espousing the cause of the government of panama against the government of colombia." when mr. taft became president it was his desire to adjust our controversy with colombia. his secretary of state, philander c. knox, just before leaving office, declared that he had spared no efforts in seeking to restore american-colombian relations to a footing of complete friendly feeling, but that these efforts had been rebuffed by the colombian government. he declared that it was undeniable that colombia had suffered by its failure to reap a share of the benefits of the canal, and that the government of the united states was entirely willing to take this consideration into account, and endeavor to accommodate the conflicting interests of the three parties by making a just compensation in money. in pursuance of this idea three treaties were negotiated: one between the united states and the republic of columbia, one between the united states and the republic of panama, and one between the governments of columbia and panama, all three being interdependent, to stand or to fall together. these treaties were negotiated at the instance of columbia and were framed with every desire to accommodate their terms to the just expectations of that country. they were accepted by the columbian cabinet but were not acted upon by the columbian congress. in the knox treaty negotiated with columbia in that country proposed to agree to a popular election upon the separation of panama and to abide by the result. the united states offered to sign an additional agreement to pay to columbia $ , , for a permanent option for the construction of an interoceanic canal through columbian territory, and for the perpetual lease of the islands of st. andrews and old providence, if columbia would ratify the treaties with the united states and panama. this proposition was refused. it was then proposed that in addition to the $ , , the unites states would be willing to conclude with columbia a convention submitting to arbitration the question of the ownership of the reversionary rights in the panama railroad--rights which the columbian government asserts that it possesses. in addition to this the united states offered its good offices to secure the settlement of the panama-columbian boundary dispute. all of these propositions being rejected, the republic of colombia was asked if it would be willing to accept $ , , outright, in satisfaction of its claims against the united states. this was also refused. acting upon his own authority, the american minister then inquired if colombia would accept $ , , , the good offices of the united states in its boundary controversy with panama, the arbitration of the question of the reversionary rights in the panama railroad, and the gift of preferential rights in the use of the canal--all these in satisfaction of its claims. the colombian government replied that it would not do this and that it did not care to negotiate any further with the taft administration, preferring to deal with the incoming wilson administration. chapter xx relations with panama when the people of the isthmus of panama revolted against the government of colombia, they fully realized that almost their only hope of maintaining an independent government was to secure the building of the panama canal by the united states. therefore, they were in a mood to ratify a treaty which would meet every condition demanded by the government of the united states. the treaty, negotiated and ratified in , gave to the united states every right it could have desired or which it could have possessed had it taken over the whole isthmus itself. it was negotiated by john hay, secretary of state, representing the united states, and philippe bunau-varilla, representing the government of panama. as the latter was a stockholder in the new french canal company, whose assets could be realized upon only through the success of the treaty negotiations, it naturally followed that he would put nothing in the way of the desires of the united states. the treaty gave to the united states most unusual rights. for instance, in no other country on earth does one nation possess ultimate jurisdiction over the capital of another nation; yet this is what the united states possesses at panama. the first consideration of the treaty was the establishment of the canal zone. this gave to the united states a territory miles beyond the center line of the canal on either side, and miles beyond its deep water ends, with the exception of the cities of colon and panama, to hold in perpetuity with all rights, powers, and authority that the united states would possess if it were sovereign, and to the entire exclusion of the exercise of any sovereign rights, powers, or authority by the republic of panama. further than this, it gave to the united states the same rights with respect to any land, or land under water, outside of the canal zone necessary and convenient for the canal itself, or any auxiliary canals or other works required in its operations. further yet, the republic granted in perpetuity a canal monopoly throughout its entire territory, and also monopolies of railroad and other means of communication between the two oceans. under the terms of the treaty the cities of panama and colon are required to comply in perpetuity with all sanitary ordinances, whether curative or preventive, which the united states may promulgate. the republic of panama also agrees that if it can not enforce these ordinances, the united states become vested with the power to enforce them. the same is true with reference to the maintenance of order. the republic of panama agrees to maintain order, but gives to the united states not only the right to step in with american forces and restore it, but also to determine when such action is necessary. the treaty between the two countries further provides that the united states has the right to acquire by condemnation any property it may need for canal purposes in the cities of panama and colon. the republic of panama also grants to the united states all rights it has or may acquire to the property of the new panama canal company and of the panama railroad, except such lands as lie outside of the canal zone and the cities of panama and colon, not needed for the purposes of building the canal. the republic guarantees to the united states every title as absolute and free from any present or reversionary interest or claim. it will be seen from all this that the united states did not overlook any opportunity to make sure that it had all of the powers necessary to build a canal. it is also agreed by the panama government that no dues of any kind ever shall be collected by it from vessels passing through or using the canal, or from vessels belonging to the united states government. all employees of the canal are exempted from taxation, whether living inside or outside the zone. the republic grants to the united states the use of all its rivers, streams, lakes, and other bodies of water for purposes of navigation, water supply, and other needs of the canal. it also agrees to sell or lease to the united states any of its lands on either coast for use for naval bases or coaling stations. the republic of panama further agrees that the united states shall have the right to import commodities for the use of the canal commission and its employees, free of charge, and that it shall have the right to bring laborers of any nationality into the canal zone. in return for all of these concessions the united states gives to the republic of panama many valuable considerations. most vital of all, it guarantees the independence of the republic. this means that the republic of panama is today practically the possessor of an army and a navy as large as the united states can put into the field and upon the seas. the only aggressor that panama need fear is her benefactor. the second consideration involved the payment of $ , , cash to the republic, and a perpetual annual payment of a quarter of a million dollars beginning with the year . the ten-million-dollar cash payment gave the impoverished new-born government a chance to get on its feet, and from this time forward the panaman government can look to the united states for the major portion of its necessary revenues. under the terms of the treaty the united states undertakes to give free passage to any warships belonging to the republic of panama when going through the canal, and also agrees that the canal shall be neutral. it also agrees to provide free transportation over the panama railroad for persons in the service of the government of panama, and for the munitions of war of the republic. it also allows the republic of panama to transmit over its telegraph and telephone lines its message at rates not higher than those charged united states officials for their private messages. another stipulation of the treaty provides that it shall not invalidate the titles and rights of private landholders and owners of private property, nor of the right of way over public roads of the zone unless they conflict with the rights of the united states, when the latter shall be regarded as superior. no part of the work of building or operating the canal, however, at any time may be impeded by any claims, whether public or private. a commission is provided, whose duty it shall be to pass upon the claims of those whose land or properties are taken from them for the purpose of the construction or operation of the canal. in carrying out the terms of the treaty the first step taken by the americans was to "clean up" the cities of panama and colon. remarkable changes were wrought by the establishment of water and sewerage systems, and by street improvements. for several years preceding the acquisition of the canal zone, and the sanitization of the cities of panama and colon, the late w. l. buchanan was the united states minister to colombia. he was transferred to another south american capital and afterwards came back to the united states by way of panama. former senator j. c. s. blackburn was then governor of the canal zone or, more strictly speaking, the head of the department of civil administration. as he and minister buchanan drove through the streets of panama and surveyed the changes that had taken place, mr. buchanan declared to governor blackburn that if an angel from heaven had appeared to him and said that such a transformation in the city of panama could be made in so few years he scarcely could have believed it. when he was there the main streets of the city were nothing but unbroken chains of mud puddles in which, during the wet season, carriages sank almost to the axles. when he returned he found those same streets well paved with vitrified brick, measuring up to the best standards of american street work. where formerly peddlers hawked water from disease-scattering springs, there were hydrants throughout the town and wholesome water on tap in almost every house. where there had been absolutely no attempt to solve the problems of sewage disposal, where the masses of people lived amid indescribable filth, absolutely oblivious to its stenches and its dangers, now there was a sewerage system fully up to the best standard of american municipal engineering. when one considers that the republic of panama is made up largely of the cities of panama and colon, with a large area of almost wholly undeveloped territory, it will be seen that this service was rendered to practically all the people of the republic. the relations which have existed between the republic of panama and the united states have not always proved wholly satisfactory to the panamans. like all other tropical americans, the panamans profess great admiration for a republican form of government, but the party in power seldom has relished the idea of a full and free accounting of its stewardship at the polls. when the time came for the first national election, the party in power sought to insure its return by the use of tropical-american methods; that is, by a wholesale intimidation of the opposition supporters. when the registration books were opened the administration was unwilling to register the supporters of the opposition. the government forces always were relied upon to back up the registrars. this situation was resented by the opposition and the indications were that the usual civil war, the tropical american substitute for an election, was about to follow. at this juncture governor blackburn called the panaman authorities together and notified them that the united states did not care a continental which side won the election, but that it was very deeply interested in maintaining conditions of peace and amity on the isthmus--conditions which could not prevail except there be a fair election. he reminded them of the right of the united states to maintain order in their two principal cities, and of the blood and treasure the united states had invested in panama, all of which would be placed in jeopardy by any civil conflict. he therefore declared it the intention of the united states to see that there was a fair election. election commissioners were consequently appointed, and they saw to it that the voters were fairly registered, allowed to vote, and to have their votes counted. the result was that for the first time in central american history there was a fair election and for the first time a real change of administration without a resort to arms. so successful was this plan that in the election of both sides agreed again to call in the united states to umpire their battle of the ballots, and once again the "outs" won over the "ins." the french canal company has some very unpleasant experiences with the republic of colombia when it, as a private corporation, undertook to build the canal. it was at the mercy of the government and the government seldom showed mercy. for instance, a colombian owned acres of swamp land which was needed for the construction of the canal. it was worth $ an acre; he demanded $ , . the canal company took the matter to the courts of the republic and instituted condemnation proceedings. here the owner admitted that the land was not intrinsically worth more than $ an acre, but claimed that he had as much right to demand $ , for the tract as if it were located in the very heart of paris; that in every case it was what the land could be used for that determined its value. the court shared his view and nothing was left for the canal company to do but to pay the $ , . shortly after the americans took charge, the central and south american telegraph company wanted to land the new "all american" cable on the canal zone. they applied to the united states for permission which was granted. the panamans fought against it under every possible pretext, their desire being to have their consent regarded as essential, so that they could get a good fee for the concession, but the united states notified the republic of panama that it had no interest whatever in requiring compensation, and so the cable was laid. while there has been substantial agreement between the two countries, it has been difficult to prevent some conditions which are contrary to american ideas of morality. for instance, while the canal commission was strongly opposed to having a lottery on the canal zone, one is maintained just across the line in the city of panama. the panama lottery and the bishop of panama share the same house. one has to pass the lottery to see the bishop and, mayhap, a half dozen old women ticket sellers will try to intercept him before he reaches the church dignitary. this lottery is a veritable gold mine to those who own it. each ordinary drawing brings in $ , --$ for each ticket issued. the grand prize takes $ , of this, the next prizes calling for a total of $ , the next for a total of $ and the remaining prizes for $ , . thus, $ , in prizes is paid out of the total of $ , received. out of the remainder, per cent goes to the ticket sellers and per cent to the panaman government. once a month the drawing is made for a grand prize of $ , . most of the money which the lottery people make is contributed by workers on the canal. only per cent of the money received from the sale of tickets is won back by the ticket buyer at each drawing. the net profits approximate a hundred thousand dollars a year. on the whole, however, the relations entered into between the two republics in have been such as to leave no serious ground for complaint. they have permitted the satisfactory construction of the canal, and they will permit its satisfactory operation. with the united states as the ultimate judge of every question vital to american interests, little is left to be desired. the fact is that the canal has been built with less friction and fewer difficulties with the republic of panama than could reasonably have been hoped for at the outset. this has been due principally to the fact that the americans responsible for the success of the work have approached the panaman situation with tact where tact was needed and with firmness where firmness was essential. chapter xxi the canal zone government the canal zone is a strip of territory ten miles wide, its irregular lines following the course of the canal, which is its axis. over this zone the united states, under its treaty with panama, exercises jurisdiction "as if it were sovereign." the american government was unwilling to undertake the great and expensive work of constructing the canal without having this guaranty to protect it from possible harassment at the hands of the panaman authorities. one of the first tasks that confronted the united states authorities when they entered upon the work of building the canal was that of providing a civil government for this territory named by law the canal zone. postal facilities had to be provided; a police system had to be established; customs offices were required; fire protection was necessary; a court system was needed; a school system was demanded; and, in short, a sort of territorial government had to be put in operation before the work of building the canal could go forward satisfactorily. this government was established in under the direction of major general george w. davis, the first governor of the canal zone. from time to time it was extended and improved. more than half of this was appropriated out of the treasury of the united states, and the remainder collected in the operations of the government. in addition to directing the government of the zone, the head of the department of civil administration was the titular representative of the canal commission in all matters in which the commission and the republic of panama had a mutual interest. however, in practice, the panaman government looked directly to the chairman and chief engineer on all important matters. one of the earliest and most important subjects requiring their cooperation was that of sanitation in the cities of panama and colon. the united states agreed to advance money for building sewer and water systems, and for street improvements, in the two principal cities of the republic, on condition that the republic of panama and the two cities would reimburse the united states treasury through the water rents. the street improvements were to be paid for in years, and the sewer and water systems in years; in the meantime the united states was to be allowed per cent interest on the money advanced. this amortization of the republic's debt for these improvements has been going steadily forward. in laying out the government of the canal zone it was thought wise to adhere as closely to spanish laws and customs as was expedient under the new conditions. in view of this consideration the methods of taxation on the canal zone were allowed to remain largely the same as under the old spanish laws of colombia. likewise the spanish system of judicial procedure was adhered to during the early years of the construction period. it was not, indeed, until that the right of trial by jury was established in the canal zone. at that time former senator j. c. s. blackburn, of kentucky, was at the head of the department of civil administration, and he regarded it as repugnant to american ideas of justice to deny to americans on the isthmus the right to be tried for felonious offenses by juries of their peers. upon his representations president roosevelt issued an executive order extending the right of trial by jury to the canal zone, and that order was effective after . with the early opening of the canal it became advisable for congress to determine the future policy of the united states toward the canal zone, and to lay out a system of government there which would meet the needs of the future. it was determined that the canal zone should be used for the operation of the canal, rather than for a habitation for such settlers as might choose to go there. hence the provision was made that the president of the united states should have the right to determine how many settlements there should be on the canal zone and how many people should be permitted to live there. it will be the policy of the united states to discourage general settlement and to maintain only such towns as are necessary for the operation of the big waterway, granting only revocable leases to any outsiders when it is deemed advisable to allow them to occupy land within the zone. there will be only five settlements in the zone, if present plans are carried out: one at cristobal, one at gatun, one at pedro miguel, one at corozal, and the settlement at ancon and balboa at the pacific terminus of the canal. the total number of people who will reside in these settlements will probably not exceed , , a material reduction from the , living on the zone in . those who are still there, but who will not be needed in the permanent organization, will be repatriated at the expense of the united states government. in there were approximately , british subjects on the zone, practically all of them negroes from the british west indian islands and british guiana. the great majority of these will be carried back to their homes, as will all of the , spaniards who desire to return. there were nearly , americans on the zone at that time, and perhaps two-thirds of them will leave before . there were nearly , panamans on the zone and most of them will go to the cities of panama and colon, or upon the government lands owned by the panama republic outside of the zone. the work of clearing the zone of its population was begun early in . a joint land commission was appointed to adjudicate the claims of those panamans who were living within the zone on lands that were needed for the operation of the canal. this commission consisted, under the treaty existing between the two countries, of two americans and two panamans. in their work they first took up the claims of the poorer classes who had nothing but a thatched hut and a small patch of ground. the commission visited the various parts of the zone and fixed the value of such holdings. the people were given free transportation over the panama railroad, and usually were allowed from $ to $ for their homes. they preferred to move in colonies, so the republic of panama laid out small towns away from the canal zone for them. these natives, usually almost full-blooded indians, were treated as kindly and as considerately as conditions would allow. they were willing to "fold their tents" like the arabs, and leave their homes behind as they went out to conquer new ones in the jungles where the needs of a gigantic waterway could not encroach upon them. the claims for lands which have to be taken from individuals by the united states will aggregate a half million dollars. as the panaman government allows homesteading on government lands at a cost of about a dollar an acre, and as there are tens of thousands of acres of better land outside of the canal zone than inside, the policy of the united states in freeing this strip from native population will not work any great injury to the people. during the construction period the laws under which the people of the zone lived were made in three different ways. of course, congress as the legislative assembly was always supreme. but under the laws passed by it, the president of the united states was empowered to issue executive orders covering points not touched by congressional legislation, and under his instructions the secretary of war could promulgate certain orders. in addition to this, the canal commission had a right to serve as a sort of local legislature. during the year sixteen executive orders pertaining to the canal zone were signed by the president and the secretary of war, while five ordinances were promulgated by the isthmian canal commission during the same period. the court system under the construction-period government consisted of district courts, circuit courts, and a supreme court. there were five district judges and three circuit judges; and the circuit judges sitting together constituted the supreme court, from whose decisions there was no appeal. under the permanent law there will be a magistrate's court in each town, which will have exclusive, original jurisdiction in all civil cases involving not more than $ , and of all criminal cases where the punishment does not exceed a fine of a hundred dollars or days in jail, or both. its jurisdiction will include all violations of police regulations and ordinances, and all actions involving possession or title to personal property or the forcible entry and detainer of real estate. these magistrates and the constables under them will serve for terms of four years. there will be a district court which will sit at the two terminal towns with the usual court officers. the circuit court of appeals of the fifth circuit of the united states will be the court to which appeals from the district court will be carried. the postal service of the canal zone is practically identical with that of the united states. the revenues collected from the sale of stamps and postal cards amounted to $ , in . nearly a quarter of a million money orders were issued during that year, representing a total of approximately $ , , . a postal savings bank system is also maintained, a counterpart of the one in the united states. all mail matter sent from the canal zone bears panaman stamps countermarked by the canal zone government. when the united states established the postal system at panama, american postage was used. the panamans were very much dissatisfied with such a procedure, however, since it deprived them of a large share of their postal revenue. their postal rates to the united states were those of the universal postal union-- cents per ounce or fraction thereof on all first-class mail matter. the rate from the canal zone was only cents. the result was that the citizens of panama and colon would not patronize their own post offices, but carried their mail across the line to the post offices at ancon and cristobal where they could mail their letters at the -cent rate. the panaman government protested against this, and it was agreed by the americans that in the future all mail matter should carry panaman postage stamps. these are furnished to the canal zone government at per cent of their face value. in this way the share of the republic of panama in the postal receipts of amounted to nearly $ , . president roosevelt selected one of his "rough riders," george r. shanton, to establish the police force on the zone. this police force was selected generally from men who had seen service in the united states army and had made good records there. in the force consisted of first-class white policemen, colored policemen, corporals, sergeants, lieutenants, and inspectors, besides a chief of police and an assistant chief of police. during that year , arrests were made, per cent of which resulted in convictions. police stations were maintained at all settlements along the line. a penitentiary was located at culebra where approximately convicts were confined. the penitentiary had to be removed owing to slides at culebra cut, and the men were put to work on the roads of the canal zone. they were kept in well-guarded stockades at night. when judge henry a. gudger was made a member of the judicial system of the canal zone he believed that it would be the scene of unusual lawlessness; he thought it would be a dumping ground for lawless people from all parts of the world. he therefore believed in strong repressive measures, and his earlier sentences were made heavy with that end in view. he found later, however, that the opposite was true. under the system of quartering the canal help there was comparatively little mixing of the races. the negroes lived to themselves, the spaniards to themselves, and the americans to themselves; therefore, racial friction was largely overcome. the lawless found the canal zone a desirable place to shun. judge gudger soon discovered that severe measures were unnecessary, and in recommending pardons frequently stated that he had imposed sentences heavier than necessary to carry out the repressive policies he had in mind. a well-organized, paid fire department was maintained from the beginning and it was supplemented by volunteer companies in many places. in a number of towns fire engines of the latest automobile type were installed. out of fire alarms in , nearly were for fires in government property valued at one and three-quarters million dollars, while the total loss was only $ , . the school system of the canal zone was laid out along the same lines that characterized all other activities for the welfare of the people who were engaged in building the canal. it was founded by charles e. magoon when he was governor of the zone, and in had teachers and officials, with an enrollment of , , of whom nearly , were white. the standard required of the teachers was maintained at a high point. of the white teachers employed in , held degrees from colleges and universities, held diplomas from standard normal schools, and others had enjoyed at least two years of normal teaching. the white children on the zone were given free transportation to and from the schools. those who had to go on the railroad to reach their schools were given free passes. those who attended the schools in their own neighborhood were gathered up in wagons and transported to school. the system of roads for the parts of the canal zone adjacent to the canal itself was built mainly by convict labor at comparatively little cost. they have been useful to the natives in getting their few products to market, and during the years to come will be available as military roads for use in the defense of the zone. these roads are built according to the best american standards and are almost the only real roads in the entire republic. the panaman government has extended one road from the zone line to old panama, and for a few miles into the interior, but aside from this national road activities have been few indeed. the american road from panama to the zone boundary, leading toward old panama, over the savannahs, is the pleasure highway of the republic. it is practically the only road in the republic where one drives for pleasure, and here every automobile in panama city is pressed into service during the late afternoon and the evening. the elite of the capital city own summer homes along this road. these homes are by no means as elaborate as the summer homes along the hudson, but the fact that they were seated amidst veritable gardens of flowers gives them an air of beauty and restfulness attractive even to the most blase traveler. the water-supply system of the canal zone consists of a number of reservoirs on the watersheds of the isthmus where no human habitations are allowed, and where trespassing is forbidden. the waters are examined for bacteria and other properties once each month, and a report thereon is made to the proper officials. twice each month a physical examination of each reservoir, and the land from which it receives its water, is made by inspectors who report all conditions to the sanitary and other authorities. if there is any sign of contamination, steps to overcome the trouble are taken immediately. where the reservoirs fill up to the spillway the waste water is not allowed to go over the top, but is drawn out from the bottom in order that the under layers of water may be the ones wasted. water drawn out for domestic purposes is taken from the top wherever possible. the water has a somewhat unpleasant taste to people newly arrived upon the isthmus, and in some cases serves to disturb the digestive tract, but to the people who become accustomed to it the unpleasant flavor, due to the presence of decayed vegetation, is forgotten, and the workers on the canal zone frequently declare they miss the panama water when they go back to the states. the permanent government of the canal zone will be, in the main, merely a miniature of the government during the construction period. the law providing for the operation of the canal makes this government entirely subsidiary to the main purpose for which the canal was built. it provides that when war is in prospect the president may appoint a military officer to take charge of the canal zone, and to conduct its affairs as they might be conducted were the zone nothing more than a military reservation. the government will have its headquarters at the pacific end of the canal where balboa, the principal permanent town on the isthmus, will be located. this little american city will be government-built and government-owned, and it will be the smallest of all the world's capitals. [illustration: smoke from heated rocks in culebra cut] [illustration: tom m. cooke the post office, ancon] under the new government all old laws, not specifically repealed, or contrary to the new ones, will be continued in force. all executive orders issued by the president, and all orders and ordinances promulgated by the canal commission, during the construction period, not inconsistent with the act creating a permanent form of government, are made laws of the canal zone to continue as such until specifically repealed by act of congress. chapter xxii congress and the canal while the congress of the united states ever has been charged with a lack of appreciation of the needs of the executive branch of the government, spending money foolishly here and being niggardly with its appropriations there, the history of the legislation under which the panama canal was undertaken and completed shows that american lawmakers backed up the canal diggers in every necessary way. one may read in all the hearings that were conducted, both on the isthmus and in washington, a desire on the part of the congressional committees having to do with the canal matters, to promote the work, and to enable those directly concerned in its execution to carry out their plans without hindrance. it is probable that no project ever carried to completion under the aegis of the united states government was studied more carefully by the legislators than the panama canal. there was a standing invitation from the isthmian canal commission to members of the senate and house of representatives to visit the isthmus, collectively or individually, for the purpose of acquainting themselves with the character of the work and its needs. this invitation was accepted by a large percentage of the members of the house and senate who served during the construction period. when a member of either branch of congress visited the isthmus and saw there the character of the work being done, and the spirit of the men behind it, he never failed to return an enthusiastic supporter of the work, ready by vote and voice to contribute his share to the legislation needed. when the final isthmian canal commission came into power a policy of absolute candor with congress was adopted. when the annual estimates for appropriations were submitted, they came to congress with the understanding that they represented exactly what was needed, no more and no less. instead of recommending from to per cent more than they hoped to get, upon the assumption that congress would scale down the appropriations--a policy long followed in many of the bureaus of the government--the canal officials asked congress to understand from the beginning that the figures they submitted had been pared down to the bone. the result was a happy one. congress learned to depend upon the figures and to make its appropriations accordingly; consequently, the work was never handicapped by appropriations deficient in one branch and overabundant in another. congress for several years made its appropriations for building the canal under the assumption that it was to cost about $ , , , exclusive of government, sanitation, purchase price, and payments to the republic of panama. it was not until that a straightforward, definite effort was made to fix the ultimate cost. experience showed clearly that all hands had hopelessly underestimated both the total amount of work to be done and the unit cost of doing it. after a year's experience of carrying forward the work at full swing, the commission decided to face the situation frankly and attempt to ascertain exactly what might be expected. this investigation disclosed the fact that the estimates of the amount of work to be done were a little over per cent short. under the experience of one year's work it was calculated that the total cost of the canal would be $ , , , including sanitation, government, and payments to the new panama canal company and the republic of panama, instead of $ , , , as these items would have aggregated under the estimates made in . this was about one and a half times as much as the estimated cost of a sea-level canal. but, although congress had fixed the limit upon the basis of an aggregate cost of $ , , , it cheerfully faced the restatement of the anticipated cost, and finally set the limit at $ , , . from that day forward the great effort at panama was to live within this limit, in spite of the extra work required. while congress might have been willing to increase this limit, in view of the fact that an additional , , cubic yards of material had to be removed, it was not asked to do so. the engineers desired above everything else to stay within their own estimates, and they did the extra work with money saved by increasing the efficiency of the force. the first law providing for the government of the canal zone was enacted in . it gave to the president and those appointed by him the right to govern the zone and imposed the duty "of maintaining and protecting its inhabitants in the free enjoyment of their liberty, property, and religion." in an effort was made to reduce wages on the canal. the sundry civil bill of that year carried a provision that wages on the isthmus for skilled and unskilled labor should not exceed more than per cent the average wage paid in the united states for similar labor. this proposition was urged by representative james a. tawney, of minnesota, then chairman of the appropriations committee of the house. when it came to a vote the wages fixed under chief engineers wallace and stevens were upheld by a vote of to . congress took the ground that the canal could be built only by the most liberal treatment of the people who were building it. at another time a provision was inserted in the appropriation law establishing the -hour day law for american workers on the canal. a fight was made by the american federation of labor and other organizations to make it apply to the common laborer as well as to the americans, but this was unsuccessful. the -hour provision did not work well, since the foremen and superintendents were permitted to stop work after hours, while the laborers under them had to work an hour longer. this was later rectified by providing that the -hour law should not affect foremen and superintendents in charge of alien labor; and thus was overcome the difficulty of having an army of common laborers at work an hour or so each day without superintendence or direction. in it was provided by a joint resolution of the senate and house that the purchase of material and equipment for use in the construction of the canal should be restricted to articles of american production and manufacture, except in cases where the president should deem prices extortionate or unreasonable. this provision undoubtedly increased by many millions of dollars the cost of the machinery with which the canal work was executed. while some dredges and other equipment were purchased in europe, foreign purchases were the exception rather than the rule. when bids were submitted there were times when european prices of dredges were placed at less than $ , , while american prices for the same dredges would amount to more than $ , , . when there were such marked difference in bids the awards were made to the european manufacturers. although the construction of the canal was authorized by the spooner act in , it was not until that congress expressed its views in legislation on the question of the type of canal that should be built. it was then that it declared the canal should be of the general lock type proposed by the minority of the board of consulting engineers, which was a complete approval of the plans urged by president roosevelt. in order to make certain this decision as to the type of canal, a provision was incorporated in the appropriation bill of that year, setting forth that no part of the sums therein appropriated should be used for the construction of a sea-level canal. congress was always willing to aid the engineers in meeting unforeseen contingencies by giving them unusual liberties in the application of moneys appropriated. it was provided that as much as per cent of any appropriation might be used for any of the other purposes for which money was appropriated, thus allowing the necessary leeway to insure a systematic progress of the work throughout all its features. this provision many times came to the rescue of the chief engineer, when he found that more money was needed at one point and less at another than had been estimated or months before. while president roosevelt was in the white house congress gave him abundant authority over all phases of the task at panama. he was empowered to do almost anything he thought expedient for hastening the work. for instance, in when he considered building the canal by contract, congress provided that nothing in the spooner act should prevent him from entering into such contract or contracts as he might deem expedient for the construction of the canal. this practically gave him full authority over the limit of cost and the methods of building. he was thus the sole judge of the character of the contracts that he might make. no president in the history of the country ever was vested with fuller jurisdiction and control over a great matter than was president roosevelt in this case. that he did not enter into such contract was due mainly to the reports made to him by col. george w. goethals, who had just been appointed chief engineer. in the secretary of war was authorized to purchase for the panama railroad company two steamships of american registry of not less than , gross tons each, the cost of which should not exceed $ , , , for the transportation of supplies, equipment, and material, and of officers and employees of the canal commission. these ships, when no longer required for that service were to be transferred to the secretary of the navy for use as colliers or other auxiliary naval vessels. these ships carried the bulk of the cement used in building of the great locks, and more than paid for themselves in the saving of transportation charges which would have been levied by private carriers. in the appropriation act of congress decided that the carrying of marine or fire insurance was bad policy for the government, and provided that no such insurance should be carried by the panama railroad company, but that it should be reimbursed for any loss it might sustain from the appropriations made by congress for the building of the canal. [illustration: a negro girl a martinique woman san blas chief an indian girl] an italian a timekeeper a spaniard a negro boy a few of the many types on the isthmus] [illustration: col. harry f. hodges testing the emergency dam, gatun locks] there were a number of committees in congress which dealt with canal legislation. principal among these were the committees on appropriations of the two houses, the committee on interoceanic canals of the senate, and the committee on interstate and foreign commerce of the house. the appropriations committees dealt with the question of appropriations. the house appropriations committee usually made a trip to the isthmus before each session of congress. there it would hold hearings, questioning closely every person connected with the work who had made estimates for its benefit, its members seeing with their own eyes the projects for which each individual appropriation was asked. the practice was, during these visits, to go over a part of the work and then to hold sessions of the committee for the purpose of asking questions about that phase of the undertaking. the testimony was taken down by an official stenographer and printed for the use of every member of congress. a few months later the chairman and chief engineer would make a trip to washington and furnish the committee with such supplementary information as the intervening time might have disclosed. the senate committee did not visit the isthmus as frequently, as it usually found that the hearings held by the house committee afforded it sufficient information on which to predicate its action. all matters having to do with organization traffic, or general laws for the canal zone, were handled by the committee on interoceanic canals of the senate and the committee on interstate and foreign commerce of the house. it was the latter committee, under the chairmanship of representative william c. adamson, of georgia, which framed the permanent canal law, under which the isthmian waterway will be governed and operated. the big fight in congress over the type of canal was waged before the senate committee on interoceanic canals. the records of this committee, together with the additional records in the hands of congress, constitute one of the most extensive accounts of a great work anywhere to be found. the official literature of the panama canal is almost as voluminous as the canal is big. although congress usually left the details of canal construction to be worked out by the canal commission and the president, from start to finish it showed a determination so to deal with the big project that it could look back over the work with the feeling that it had contributed its share to the triumph of the undertaking. chapter xxiii sea-level canal impossible no one can dispute the wisdom of the united states in deciding to build a lock canal. to have undertaken a sea-level canal would have involved this government in difficulties so great that even with all the wealth and determination of america, failure would have ensued. it is, perhaps, putting it too strongly to say that a sea-level canal is a physical impossibility, but it is not too much to say that such a canal would take so much money and so much time to build that the resources and patience of the american people would be exhausted long before it could be made navigable. the advocates of a sea-level canal declared that a channel could be dug through culebra mountain with the excavation of , , cubic yards. as a matter of fact, culebra cut, with its bottom feet above sea level, required the excavation of almost that same amount. engineers who advocated a sea-level canal declared that the material in culebra mountain was stable, and that only moderate slopes would be necessary. as a matter of fact, the material in the mountain proved highly unstable, and, except for a few short sections, slides and breaks were encountered all during the construction period. the result was that practically two culebra cuts were dug. the engineers, in beginning the present canal, calculated that , , cubic yards would be excavated in culebra; the amount actually removed was , , cubic yards. upon this basis a sea-level culebra cut might have required the excavation of , , cubic yards. calculating an average monthly excavation of a million cubic yards, the task would have required years to complete. in other words, if a sea-level canal had been undertaken and had been physically possible, the celebration of the opening of the waterway would have been set for instead of . among all of the members of the majority of the board of consulting engineers who favored a sea-level canal, only one, e. quellenec, consulting engineer of the suez canal, showed any appreciation of the difficulties which were to be expected in culebra cut. he announced, in voting in favor of a sea-level canal, that he could not do so without first reminding the united states government of the great difficulties that would lie before it in culebra cut. henry hunter, engineer of the manchester ship canal, declared that culebra cut presented no serious problems at all; that a sea-level cut could be dug more quickly than the locks of the other type of canal could be built. he further declared that it was as clearly demonstrable as any engineering problem could be, that it would be possible to use steam shovels in culebra cut. no one has accused the engineers on the canal of lack of ability in maneuvering shovels, yet at no time were they able to use more than . if president roosevelt had followed the recommendation of the majority of the board of consulting engineers in favor of a sea-level canal, it seems probable that the united states would have followed the french in retiring defeated from the isthmus, or else would have reconsidered its purpose to build a sea-level canal and have undertaken a lock canal, as the french had done. but, even if it had been possible to build a sea-level canal at panama, it appears that such a canal would not have been as satisfactory as the present one. while the canal the united states possesses at panama to-day is a great waterway feet wide at its narrowest part, in which ships can pass at any point, the sea-level canal projected would have been a narrow channel winding in and out among the hills, too narrow for half its length for the largest ships to pass. currents, caused by the chagres river, and by the flow of other streams into the canal, would have made navigation somewhat dangerous. the principal ground upon which the majority members of the board of consulting engineers voted in favor of a sea-level canal was that it was less vulnerable. this contention, in the light of what has happened at panama, seems to carry no great weight. such a canal would have required a masonry dam feet high across the chagres at gamboa, to regulate the flow of that river into the canal. this dam, very narrow and very high, would have been a much fairer mark than the great gatun dam for the wielder of high explosives. furthermore, while earth dams, like that at gatun, have weathered earthquake shocks of great severity, masonry dams, like that proposed for gamboa, have been tumbled to the earth by shocks of much less power. the regulating works at gatun will take care of a volume of water approximately twice as great as the chagres has ever brought down. on the other hand, the proposed dam at gamboa would have cared for only one-third as great a discharge as the highest known flow of the chagres. it was calculated that the lake made by the dam at gamboa would always be held at low stage between floods, but if two floods came in quick succession this might have been impossible. such a situation would have made the chagres river always a menace to the canal, instead of its most essential and beneficent feature. those who objected to the lock type, on the ground that the locks could be destroyed, seemed to forget that even the sea-level project demanded a set of locks to regulate the tides of the pacific. while, contrary to the usual idea, there is no difference in the mean level of the atlantic and the pacific oceans, the difference in the tides at panama is about feet. this is due to the shape of the bay of panama. as the tide sweeps over the pacific and into that bay, it meets a funnel-shaped shore line, which gradually contracts as the tide travels landward. the result is that the tide rises higher and higher until it reaches a maximum of feet above average sea level. when it flows out it reaches a point feet below average sea level, thus giving a tidal fluctuation of feet. on the atlantic side the tidal fluctuation is only feet. under these conditions the canal could not be operated during many hours of the without the tidal locks, if at all, and it would be almost as great a hindrance to have the tidal locks destroyed as to have the present locks injured. another perpetual menace in a canal with a bottom width of only feet for half of its distance, would be the danger of a ship sinking and blocking the channel. when the _cheatham_ sank in the suez canal it wholly blocked the waterway for nine days, and partially blocked it for a month. according to the isthmian canal commission, the present canal affords greater safety for ships and less danger of interruption to traffic by reason of its wider and deeper channels; it provides for quicker passage across the isthmus for large ships and for heavy traffic; it is in much less danger of being damaged, and of delays to ships because of the flood waters of the chagres; it can be enlarged more easily and much more cheaply than could a sea-level canal. the lock canal has a minimum depth of feet, and less than miles of it has a width as narrow as feet. it can take care of , , tons of shipping a year, and, by the expenditure of less than $ , , additional, can increase this capacity by at least a third. it can pass at least ships a day, doing all that a sea-level canal could do, and many things that a sea-level canal could not do. no one denies that if it were possible to have a great isthmian waterway at sea level as wide as the present lock canal, it would be the ideal interoceanic waterway. but, as such a proposition is out of the question, the american people have at least one thing for which to thank theodore roosevelt--that at a critical time in the history of the canal project he allowed himself to be converted from the advocacy of a sea-level canal to the championship of a lock-level canal, in the face of a majority report of one of the strongest boards of engineers ever assembled, and prevented a situation at panama that would have been humiliating to america, and which probably would have ended for all time the efforts of centuries to let ships through the american isthmus. chapter xxiv fortifications when congress decided that the panama canal should be regarded as a part of the military defenses of the nation, it became necessary to fortify it in such a way as to make it practically impregnable to naval attack. it was, therefore, decided that there should be ample coast defenses at the two ends of the canal and that these defenses should be protected from land attack by the quartering of a sufficient number of mobile troops to hold in check any landing parties that might attack the works by an overland route. in carrying out this plan congress met every demand of the military experts. when the plans for the fortifications were pending before the appropriations committee of the house every military authority, from gen. leonard wood and col. george w. goethals down, who appeared before the committee was asked if he considered the defenses recommended as sufficient for the purposes intended, and each replied in the affirmative. these defenses consist of large forts at each end of the canal, with field works for some , mobile troops. the defenses on the pacific side will be somewhat stronger than those on the atlantic side, probably for the reason that better naval protection ordinarily could be afforded to the atlantic than to the pacific entrance, on account of the proximity of the atlantic waters of the canal to american shores. at the forts on the atlantic side four -inch guns, sixteen -inch mortars, six -inch guns and four - / -inch howitzers will be mounted. the guns at this end of the canal will be distributed between toro point on the west side of the entrance channel and margarita island on the east side. there will be two big -inch disappearing guns at each of these points. they will be so placed as to sweep the horizon in the seaward direction, and at the same time will be able to concentrate their fire on the enemy as he steams in toward the channel entrance between the great breakwaters which cut off limon bay from the ocean. at the pacific end all of the defenses will be on the east side of the channel. they will consist of one -inch gun, six -inch guns, six -inch guns and eight - / -inch howitzers. there are three small islands on the east side of the pacific entrance channel known as naos, perico, and flamenco. they rise precipitously out of the water and offer ideal sites for heavy defense. a huge dump or breakwater has been built from the mainland at balboa out to naos island and this, in turn, has been connected with perico and flamenco by large stone causeways. the great dump has made several hundred acres of available land for quartering the eight companies of coast-defense troops which will be stationed at the pacific end of the canal. these islands are miles from the mainland and their guns will completely bar the way to any hostile ships which might seek to enter the canal. on the other side of the channel, at a distance of about miles, lies the island of taboga where the canal commission maintains the sanitarium for its employees. it had been suggested by some that fortifications should be planted there, but it was declared by the military authorities that the guns of naos, perico, and flamenco would completely command this island and prevent a hostile nation from using it as a base of operations. the range of the guns extends more than a mile beyond taboga island. the big -inch gun which will be mounted on perico island is the largest ever built. it was made at the watervliet arsenal. it carries a projectile weighing more than a ton for a distance of miles. at miles it can toss its death-dealing , -pound shell at an enemy as accurately as a base-ball player throws a ball to a team-mate yards away. its projectiles are filled with powerful explosives, a single one of which in the vitals of any battleship would be enough to place it out of commission. the big guns and the mortars are intended primarily for defending the canal from attack by water. the smaller guns and howitzers would come into play when an enemy approached within a mile and would be used to repel his efforts to effect a landing. nearly all of these howitzers may be moved from place to place to meet the needs of the field troops in case of land attack. eight of them will be permanently stationed at gatun locks. there will be other field works at gatun, miraflores, and pedro miguel ready for occupancy at a moment's notice by the field troops stationed on the isthmus. these howitzers are so located that of them may be concentrated at any given point in case of danger. the big guns of the permanent forts are all mounted on disappearing carriages so that they are exposed to fire only at the moment of discharge. the -inch mortars will not only play their part in defending the canal from water attack, but will be able to sweep the country on the atlantic side as far inland as the gatun locks and on the pacific side as far inland as the locks at miraflores. they have a range of nearly miles, and when loaded with shrapnel will prove a most effective weapon against field troops operating anywhere within the vicinity of the locks. the land lying contiguous to the sea-level ends of the canal will be platted off into squares exactly as a city is laid out. should hostile troops come upon this territory the men in the fire-control station would simply ascertain the number of the block or blocks on which they were operating, and the mortars would be so oriented as to throw their big projectiles thousands of yards into the air to fall directly on those blocks. they would, therefore, be practically as useful in land operations as in the water defense. every feature of the armament defending the entrance of the canal will embody the latest improvements known to military science. the carriages for the big guns have been specially designed, and were put through the most thorough and exacting tests before their adoption. the fire-control stations are said to be the last word in insuring the effective use of the guns. determining how a big gun shall be aimed so that its projectile will hit a target miles away is not an easy task. of course, the gun can not be pointed directly at the target, since this would cause the projectile to fall far short of the enemy, and also the effect of the wind and the motion of the enemy would carry it wide of its mark. to guess the range and to secure it by experimentation would be to prevent any effective fire whatever. therefore, it is necessary first to determine the approximate range, the motion of the enemy and the velocity of the wind. there is an ingenious instrument known as the range finder, by which the approximate distance of the target is determined. this instrument looks something like a cross between an opera glass and a small telescope. the operator puts his eyes to the opera glass part of the range finder and locates the enemy just as one would with an ordinary pair of glasses. when he locates the hostile ship he sees two images of it. there is an adjusting screw which he turns until the two images blend together and become one. the turning of this screw automatically adjusts a scale on the instrument, and when the two images exactly coalesce the distance of the ship is registered on the scale. the operators in the fire-control station make the necessary calculations as to the effect of the wind, the motion of the enemy and other elements entering into marksmanship, and telephone the results below to the men who aim the gun. it takes two men to aim each gun; one takes care of its up-and-down movement, and the other of its right-and-left movement. when the man in the fire-control station telephones that the enemy is so many miles away, the man who has charge of the up-and-down movement of the gun so adjusts his telescopic sight on a registering scale that when it is pointed directly on the enemy the muzzle of the gun will be elevated high enough to carry the projectile that distance. the man who has charge of the right-to-left movement adjusts his sight so that when it is pointed directly at the enemy the muzzle of the gun will be pointed far enough to the right or to the left to land its projectile amidship on the enemy. each man stands on a platform and operates a little wheel on an endless screw. he turns this wheel backward or forward just enough to keep his sight exactly on the enemy. after the gunners have received their instructions the first shot is fired. this is called a "ranging" shot, and as the best range finder can not register the distance to the exact yard it is necessary for the fire-control station to gauge exactly how far short of, or how far over, the target the projectile has carried. the up-and-down sight is adjusted in accordance therewith and usually the second, or at most the third, shot gets the exact range. this method of locating the enemy will be used on all the fortifications of the canal. it is unanimously agreed by military authorities that no naval force will risk an open attack upon such fortifications, since almost inevitably it would result in the disabling, if not the sinking, of a number of battleships and a great crippling of the enemy's force that he could not afford to risk unless he had first swept the seas of our own naval strength. in order to make certain that no surprise attack could be successful, one of the most complete searchlight equipments to be found in any fortress in the world has been authorized for the canal fortifications. there will be searchlights, with -inch reflectors, made so that they will send the brightest of white lights out to sea and over the land as far as the range of the guns may reach. these searchlights cost more than $ , each, and it requires a year to construct the big mirror which is placed in each of them. electric plants at each fortress will generate electricity for the operation of the guns and of the searchlights. in anticipation of sudden need nearly $ , , worth of reserve ammunition will be kept on the isthmus. there will be rounds for the big -inch gun--enough to operate it constantly for two hours, providing for a shot about every two minutes. the big -inch guns will carry a shell weighing , pounds, propelled by a -pound charge of smokeless powder which will drive it through the air at an initial speed of nearly half a mile a second--enough momentum to carry it through at least feet of wrought iron. the charge of powder by which these guns will hurl their projectiles on their death-dealing mission, generates a force which would lift the great masonic temple of chicago feet in a single second. three regiments of infantry, squadron of cavalry, battalion of field artillery, and companies of coast-defense troops will be permanently stationed on the isthmus. the field troops, consisting of the infantry, cavalry, and field artillery, will be stationed at miraflores, where permanent quarters will be provided together with the necessary drill grounds. these quarters will cost in the neighborhood of $ , , . at this point they can be maneuvered to advantage and moved to any part of the canal zone needing defense. it was originally intended to place these troops at culebra on the east side of the channel, but this would necessitate their going a distance of about miles to get to a point where they could conveniently cross with the artillery to the other side of the canal. quarters for eight companies of coast-defense troops are being established on the naos island dumps. quarters for two companies of these troops are being provided at toro point, and for two other companies at margarita island. these will afford sufficient strength at the atlantic side to man the guns temporarily, in case of hostilities, until any additional troops needed can be brought up. all of the troops, both field and coast defense, will be adequately housed and the permanent structures erected for them will be as substantially built as those of any modern army post in continental united states. there will be drill grounds large enough to maneuver the troops stationed on the isthmus. roads affording access to all parts of the canal zone have been built. in addition to the provisions for the permanent forces on the isthmus, additional field works will be provided to accommodate the , troops which might be brought to the isthmus in case of war. these field works will take the form of barricaded positions, entrenchments, and other protective breastworks which will enable the troops to undergo a state of siege. it has been estimated by the engineers that behind such works as have been planned one defender can stand off six assailants, so that a body of , mobile troops under these conditions could hold the isthmus against a siege of , for a reasonable time. these field works will be constructed principally around gatun and pedro miguel. the buildings for the permanent force stationed on the isthmus will be constructed on the unit system so that any necessary expansion can be made. the question of fortifying the canal was one which engaged the serious attention of congress for a long time. there were two main viewpoints as to what policy should be pursued. one contention was that the canal should be made neutral, open to the ships of all nations, including the united states, on equal terms even in case of war between the united states and any other country. it was contended by those who took this view that to declare it neutral would render it immune from any attack and guarantee its perpetuity as a great commercial undertaking under the control of the united states. they contended, furthermore, that the united states was bound, under the terms of its treaty with great britain, to make the canal neutral and that to fortify it would be to violate the hay-pauncefote treaty. they asserted that the united states was under solemn obligations to recognize the principle of neutrality as applied at suez and offered the express terms of the hay-pauncefote treaty in proof of their contention. this treaty provided that "the united states adopts, as the basis of the neutralization of such a ship canal, the following rules substantially embodied in the convention of constantinople, signed the twenty-eighth of october, , for the free navigation of the suez canal; that is to say: "first, the canal shall be free and open to the vessels of commerce and of war, all nations observing these rules on terms of entire equality so that there shall be no discrimination against any such nation, or its citizens or subjects, in respect of the conditions or charges of traffic, or otherwise. such conditions and charges of traffic shall be just and equitable. "second, the canal shall never be blockaded, nor shall any right of war be exercised, nor any act of hostility be committed within it. the united states, however, shall be at liberty to maintain such military police along the canal as may be necessary to protect it against lawlessness and disorder. "third, vessels of war of a belligerent shall not revictual nor take any stores in the canal except so far as may be strictly necessary; and the transit of such vessels through the canal shall be effected with the least possible delay in accordance with the regulations in force, and with only such intermissions as may result from the necessities of the service." it will be seen from this that the language of the treaty seems plainly to imply that the united states had no right to fortify the canal. it is interesting to note, however, that when the controversy over the tolls between the united states and england arose, the english government expressly conceded the right of the united states to fortify the canal and to exercise absolute rights of sovereignty so far as military considerations were concerned. it would constitute an interesting chapter in diplomatic history if someone would tell the real reason why the english government waived its rights of demanding a neutral canal under the hay-pauncefote treaty. those who advocated the fortification of the canal contended that the united states had acquired practical sovereignty over the canal zone, and that thereunder it had a perfect right to provide for the defense of the territory. they asserted that the canal was undertaken because of the military necessities of the united states, as demonstrated by the trip of the _oregon_ from the pacific to the atlantic, during the spanish-american war and that to fail to fortify the canal would be to lose the military advantages which its construction had given to the united states. it was further contended that to allow the canal to be neutral would, in the case of war between the united states and some foreign power, compel the united states to keep its own warships out of the canal its own blood and money had built, or else compel its permanent operating force at panama to commit a sort of legal treason by putting the enemy's ships through the big waterway on the same terms with american ships. this contention was answered by those who took the opposite view with the statement that all treaties would be suspended in case of war and that neutralization would cease between the united states and its enemies at such a time. the other side replied that if this were true, it would then be too late properly to fortify the isthmus, and that if the united states expected ever to deny to any country the neutrality provisions of the hay-pauncefote treaty, the fortifications should by all means be built in advance. the long and earnest debate brought forth from some the prediction that england would not acquiesce in such a construction of the treaty, and from others the statement that under the terms of that instrument other nations had a right to protest against the fortification of the canal. in the face of these arguments, however, congress determined by a substantial majority to fortify the canal, and the whole world has acquiesced. england not only did not protest, but in its toll controversy notes expressly declared that the united states had the right to fortify the canal. chapter xxv fixing the tolls long before the panama canal was finished shipping interests in every part of the world began inquiring minutely as to probable rates of toll, stating that it would be necessary for them to have this information before making plans to meet the changed conditions. some wanted to plan construction of new ships, while others desired principally to readjust their transportation lines in accordance with the new conditions. with this in mind, president taft in recommended to congress the passage of a law fixing the tolls and providing for the permanent operation of the canal. congress, acting upon this recommendation, passed what is known as the permanent canal law. in this law are stated the terms under which the canal may be used by the shipping world. it authorizes the president to prescribe, and from time to time to change, the tolls that shall be levied by the government of the united states for the use of the canal. no tolls may be levied on vessels passing through the canal from one united states port to another. provision was also made that tolls might be based upon gross or net registered tonnage, displacement tonnage, or otherwise, and that they might be lower on vessels in ballast than upon vessels carrying cargo. when based upon net registered tonnage, for ships of commerce, the tolls can not exceed $ . per ton, nor be less, other than for vessels of the united states and its citizens, than the estimated proportional cost of the actual maintenance and operation of the canal. the toll for each passenger was fixed at not more than $ . . acting under the law authorizing him to fix the rates within the limitations stated by the law itself, president taft issued a proclamation fixing the toll at $ . per net registered ton on all ships of commerce, other than those carrying cargo from one united states port to another. the net registered ton is the unit of measuring a ship's cargo-carrying capacity, used throughout the world in general, and by british shipping in particular. it consists of cubic feet of space, so that when a ship is measured its net registered tonnage is determined by the number of these units of space it contains. a ton of cargo seldom fills a hundred cubic feet of space; frequently it will not fill more than cubic feet. the charge per ton of actual freight under this toll of $ . per net registered ton ranges from to cents a long ton upon the freight carried, depending upon the class of cargo. such a toll adds from to cents per hundredweight to the freight rate between two points through the canal. it might cost cents to take a barrel of flour from colon to panama, or vice versa. while ships will be charged tolls on the basis of net registered tonnage, not all ships carry freight upon that basis. in the majority of cases cargo is taken on at "ship's option"--either by weight or space. forty cubic feet is estimated as the space occupied by an ordinary ton of freight, and ships usually carry cargo at rates based on that amount of space for each ton. the cubic feet method of determining the amount of cargo carried is adopted by maritime interests because a long ton of wheat occupies about that amount of space. from this it will be seen that for the purpose of collecting tolls the united states allows cubic feet of space for a ton, while the ordinary shipping firm allows only feet per ton. thus it happens that a shipowner charges the shipper for carrying - / tons where the united states charges the shipowner for carrying ton. notwithstanding the fact that the shipowner collects for the carrying of - / tons where he pays toll on ton, he still has to pay what seems, in the aggregate, a large sum of money each time his ship passes through the canal. an ordinary , -ton ship will be charged $ , for passing from one ocean to the other. a ship like the _cleveland_, the first around the world tourist steamer advertised to pass through the canal, will have to pay $ , for the -hour trip from colon to panama. a steamship like the _lusitania_ will have to put up some $ , for a single passage. the average ship will pay from $ , to $ , for its passage. this seems like a high rate, even though it does amount to only or cents per hundredweight of cargo, but when one takes into consideration the time saved in passing through the canal, and the cost of maintaining a ship on the high seas, the rate becomes a reasonable one. the average ship costs about cents per net registered ton per day for keeping it in operation. thus a , -ton ship will save about a thousand dollars for each day its voyage is shortened. if this voyage be shortened by days, the shipowner makes a net saving of $ , when he selects the panama route over some other route. in fact, he may save even more than this, for the other route might involve the giving of additional space for bunker coal, which otherwise would be used for cargo. convenient coaling stations mean a minimum of space required for the operation of the ship and a maximum of cargo-carrying capacity. in this way a merchant ship might save several thousand dollars additional by choosing the panama route over the strait of magellan. it is estimated that the tolls it will be necessary to collect to make the canal self-supporting will be $ , , a year, since that amount will be required to meet the expense of operation and return per cent interest on the investment. the $ , , is made up of $ , , for operations, $ , for sanitation and government and $ , , for interest on the $ , , the canal cost. this takes no account of approximately $ , , which will be required for the support of the troops on the isthmus. should this be considered, the total annual charges to be made would approximate $ , , , but this, in the view of those who have considered the matter, is not a proper charge against the cost of operation. [illustration: the ancon baseball park] [illustration: caleb m. saville gatun spillway from above and below] it has been stated that a proper system of finances would provide for the repayment of the cost of constructing the canal in a hundred years. this would mean an annual charge of $ , , , and would bring the total annual outlay, exclusive of the cost of protection, up to $ , , . from this viewpoint the canal will not be self-sustaining until the total traffic approximates , , tons a year, which it will reach about . it has been estimated by prof. emory r. johnson, the government expert on canal traffic, that the total tonnage which will pass through the canal during the first year of its operation will approximate , , net registered tons. since the shipping of the united states is permitted to pass through without paying tolls, the tonnage upon which toll will be collected will yield a gross revenue of approximately $ , , . this will afford the united states an income of a little less than per cent on the money invested, after paying the actual cost of operation. on this basis it probably will be four or five years from the opening of the canal before the returns will yield per cent on the investment. the ships of the world use approximately , , tons of coal annually. the opening of the panama canal will save several million tons a year and the money thus saved will, in part, fall into the coffers of uncle sam. a vessel en route from chile to europe can save nearly enough in the cost of coal alone to pay the tolls that will be exacted at panama. when the united states came to frame its system of toll charges and collections, it was found that there was a wide difference of opinion as to the right of the united states government to exempt coastwise shipping from the payment of tolls. under the hay-pauncefote treaty with great britain there was also a wide variance of opinion as to the question of whether the united states, as a matter of national policy, ought to exempt from the payment of tolls, ships trading between its own ports on the two coasts. these questions were argued pro and con, and congress finally decided by a very close vote that the united states ought to allow ships trading between its own ports to use the canal free of charge. no foreign ships are permitted under any circumstances to engage in such traffic. those who advocated the exemption of ships trading exclusively between united states ports from the payment of tolls, did so on the ground that it would build up a wealthy american merchant marine which would be invaluable to the united states in time of war, and also that it would tend to reduce freight rates between atlantic and pacific points. they argued that every cent added to the cost of transportation through the canal would be reflected in freight rates between the east and the west. those who opposed the exemption of american coastwise shipping from the payment of tolls, asserted that the coastwise shipowners already had a monopoly on the handling of cargo between american ports, and that no further encouragement was needed. they argued that it would make little or no difference in rates whether tolls were charged or not, and that the only people who would benefit would be the shipowners. they contended that the united states ought to charge everybody alike and use the tolls collected for the purpose of repaying the money it spent in building the canal. some of them also contended that the hay-pauncefote treaty bound the united states to treat all shippers alike, and that the united states could not discriminate in favor of the american coastwise traffic without contravening the treaty with great britain. this view, however, did not prevail, and the law, as enacted, exempted coastwise shipping. england immediately protested against this exemption on the ground that it was in contravention of the treaty between the two countries. the story of how the united states came to be bound by a treaty with great britain in the building of an isthmian canal goes back for more than half a century. the year found the north american continent, north of the rio grande, in the possession of the united states, england, and russia. the united states had only recently finished its continental expansion, and each of the two countries needed a canal to connect their east and west coasts. england had long possessed a west coast in canada, but the united states had only recently come into possession of a pacific seaboard. when it came to consider the question of connecting its two coasts the united states found that great britain was holding the position of advantage in the isthmian region. it held the bahamas, bermuda, jamaica, the barbados, trinidad, the windward and leeward islands, british guiana and british honduras; and held a protectorate over the "mosquito coast," now the east coast of nicaragua. that protectorate covered the eastern terminus of the only ship canal then deemed possible. under these conditions the united states concluded that it was necessary for the support of the monroe doctrine that some sort of an understanding should be reached between the two countries. england assented to such an understanding only after nicaragua and costa rica had given to the united states its consent to the building of a canal across its territory. these treaties with nicaragua and costa rica were negotiated but never ratified, and were used as a club to force great britain to make a treaty. the result was the clayton-bulwer treaty, which provided that neither government should ever obtain or maintain for itself any exclusive control over an isthmian canal, and that neither government should ever secure for itself any rights or advantages not enjoyed by the other in such a canal. the proposed canal was to be entirely neutral, and the treaty set forth that the two countries agreed jointly to protect the entire isthmian region from tehauntepec to south america, and that the canal always should be open to both countries on equal terms. the canal under this treaty was intended to be entirely neutral with reference to defense, with reference to tolls, and with reference to such other nations as might join in maintaining neutrality. when the united states decided to build the panama canal, it found the clayton-bulwer treaty wholly unsuited to its aims and desires. it therefore asked england to enter into a new convention; the hay-pauncefote treaty was the result. this document declared that its purpose was to remove any objections that might arise under the clayton-bulwer treaty to the construction of an isthmian canal under the auspices of the government of the united states without impairing the general principle of neutralization. under this treaty the government of great britain made a protest against the decision of the united states to exempt its coastwise traffic from the payment of tolls, claiming such exemption to be a violation of the neutrality agreement. this protest came in the form of two notes to the american government. the first was written as a warning to congress that the british government would regard the exemption of american coastwise traffic from the payment of tolls as a discrimination against british shipping, and a violation of the neutrality agreement between the two countries. it admitted that if the united states were to refund or to remit the tolls charged, it would not be a violation of the letter of the treaty, and acknowledged that if the exemption of coastwise american shipping from toll charges were so regulated as to make it certain that only bona fide coastwise traffic, which is reserved for american vessels, would be benefited by this agreement, then great britain could have no objection. but it declared that england did not believe that such regulation was possible. after congress, with this note in mind, had passed the canal toll law with an exemption to ships carrying goods between the two coasts of the united states, president taft, in approving the measure, declared that the canal was built wholly at the cost of the united states on territory ceded to it by a nation that had the indisputable right to make the cession, and that, therefore, it was nobody else's business how we managed it. he contended that for many years american law had given to american ships the exclusive right to handle cargo between american ports, and that, therefore, england was not hurt at all when that shipping was exempted from toll charges. england responded, in a second note, that the clear obligation of the united states under the treaty was to keep the canal open to the citizens and subjects of the united states and great britain on equal terms, and to allow the ships of all nations to use it on terms of entire equality. it also contended that the united states is embraced in this term of "all nations"; that the british government would scarcely have entered into the hay-pauncefote treaty if it had understood that england was to be denied the equal use of the panama canal with america. the three direct objections urged by the british against the american canal law were: that it gives the president the right to discriminate against foreign shipping; that it exempts coastwise traffic from paying tolls; and that it gives the government-owned vessels of the republic of panama the right to use the canal free. the answer of the united states to the first of these objections was that the right of the president to fix tolls in a way that would be discriminatory against british shipping was a question that could be considered only when the president should exercise such action. the british government expressed the fear that the united states, in remitting tolls on coastwise business, would assess the entire charges of maintenance of the canal upon the vessels of foreign trade and thus cause them to bear an unequal burden. this, the second objection was answered with the statement that, whereas the treaty gives the united states the right to levy charges sufficient to meet the interest of the capital expended and the cost of maintaining and operating the canal, the early years of its operation will be at a loss and, therefore, at a lower rate than great britain could ask under the treaty. the third objection was considered insignificant. the british government, after laying down its objections to the american canal toll law, requested that the matter be submitted to the hague tribunal for adjudication. the american government declared that this course would not be just to the united states, since the majority of the court would be composed of men, the interests of whose countries would be identical with those of england in such a controversy. before leaving office president taft proposed that the matter should be submitted to the supreme court of the united states. the whole question was left in that situation when the change from the taft to the wilson administration took place. as to the merits of the controversy, there is no unanimity of opinion on either side of the atlantic. some british authorities entirely justify the american position, while some american authorities take the british position. it is probable that the controversy will require years for settlement. before the canal was open for traffic there was much speculation as to what rate policies the railroads would adopt to meet the situation caused by the competition of the panama canal. if the same classes of goods are handled through the canal as across the united states, there will be more than , different articles on the tariff books of steamship lines using the canal. in his report on the effects of canal tolls on railroad rates, prof. emory r. johnson expressed the opinion that the payment of tolls by ships engaged in coast trade would affect neither the rates of the regular steamship lines nor the charges of the transcontinental railroads. [illustration: an electric towing locomotive in action] [illustration: blowing up the second dike south of miraflores locks] a provision of the canal toll law forbids any railroad to be directly or indirectly interested in any ship passing through the canal, carrying freight in competition with that railroad. this provision was inserted to prevent the railroads from controlling the steamship lines using the canal, and through that control fixing rates between the two coasts on such a basis as to prevent effective competition with the railroads themselves. the result was that a number of railroads had to dispose of their steamships engaged in coastwise trade. this provision affects several canadian railroads, and after it was made the british government served notice on the united states that it intended to take up this question and consider whether or not the law in this particular does not infringe upon british rights. nothing seems more certain than that, in the course of years, canal tolls will be materially lowered from the $ . fixed by the president. it seems inevitable that the panama canal and the suez canal will enter into a lively battle for the great volume of trade between eastern asiatic and australasian points and western european ports. on this dividing line between the two great interoceanic highways there originates many millions of tons of traffic, and this will be largely clear gain to the canal which gets it. the considerations which will draw this trade one way or the other are the rates of toll, the convenience of coaling stations, the price of coal, and the certainty of the ability to secure proper ship stores. this spirit of competition will probably serve to lower rates more rapidly than they otherwise might be reduced. with some , , tons of traffic on the great divide between the two canals, ready to be sent forward by the route which offers the best inducements, it is certain that good business policy will call for some hustling on the part of both canals. as the business of the panama canal expands, it can afford to reduce rates. with an ultimate capacity of , , tons a year, as the canal stands to-day, the rate of toll could be cut down to cents a ton when that capacity is reached, and still afford the united states an income large enough to take care of the operation and maintenance of the canal, and sanitation and government of the canal zone, to meet the interest on the cost of building it, and to amortize the entire debt in a hundred years. it is certain that the united states made a good investment at panama. assuming that the coastwise traffic is worth to the government the amount of the tolls it is exempted from paying, the canal becomes a self-supporting institution from the day of its opening, leaving all the military and trade advantages it affords the united states as clear profit. chapter xxvi the operating force it will require a force of about , persons to operate the panama canal. the major portion of this force will be engaged on the port works at the two ends of the waterway. with a large mechanical plant at balboa, with large docks for the transhipment of cargo, and with other facilities required for making the canal the best equipped waterway in the world for handling marine business, more men will be needed for the conduct of the auxiliary works than for actually putting ships through the locks. the force required at the locks will be comparatively small. it will consist of men in general charge of the lock operations, men in charge of the towing operations, men who handle the various mechanism and operate the several types of valves for the regulation of the water in the locks; and the general labor force consisting of a few hundred operatives at each end of the canal. a force will be required to operate the big hydro-electric station at gatun spillway, where the electricity for the operation of the locks and for the lighting of the canal will be generated. another force will be required at the auxiliary power plant at miraflores which will be operated by steam. fewer than a thousand men will be required in putting ships through the canal. when the question of placing the canal on a permanent operating basis arose one of the first considerations was the scale of salaries to be fixed. having in mind the fact that salaries paid during the construction period (which were per cent above the standard in the united states) were based upon conditions existing in the early days of the american occupation, it was decided that this was an unfair basis for the permanent organization. the salaries for the construction period were made high because they had to be. it was more a question of reducing men to risk their lives than of fixing fair rates of compensation. the conclusion reached was that there was no longer any reason why the government should pay salaries so much higher than obtained in the states, especially in view of the fact that all positions under the permanent organization would carry with them free quarters, free medical attendance, free fuel, free light, free hospital service and the like. it was finally determined that it would be fair to both the employee and the employer to establish as a basis of compensation for services in the permanent organization a scale of salaries not to exceed per cent higher than obtained for similar positions in the united states. this decision was made on the basis that it would be fair to the employee and at the same time would allow the canal to be operated at a cost which would impose no undue burden on shipping. when congress took up the matter in the enactment of the permanent canal law, it reflected the recommendations of the chairman and chief engineer of the canal commission in almost every particular. with reference to the canal employees, that body provided that they should be appointed by the president or by his authorities, and that they should be removable at his pleasure; also, that their compensation should be fixed by him until such time as congress should regulate it by law. the head of the permanent force on the canal zone will be known as the governor of the panama canal. he is to be appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the senate, for a four-year term, or until his successor shall be appointed and qualified. he will receive a salary of $ , a year, and will be the personal representative of the president on the isthmus. indeed, the permanent organic act provides that the president himself is authorized, after the disbanding of the isthmian canal commission--which is to take place whenever the president thinks the work has approached a sufficient degree of completion to warrant it--to complete, govern, and operate the panama canal, and to govern the canal zone, if he desires to do it himself; or "cause it to be completed, governed, and operated through a governor of the canal." of course, the president will prefer to "cause it to be completed, governed, and operated" through such a governor. as a matter of fact, when the question of selecting a governor comes before the president it may be expected that he will choose a man in whom he has every confidence to carry out the organic law on the canal zone, and to place the canal in operation. this man will be as much of an autocrat on the zone under the permanent organization as the chairman and chief engineer was during the construction. when president roosevelt undertook to carry out the provisions of the spooner act, and to have the canal dug by a board of seven commissioners, each independent of the other, he soon found that it would not work. after repeated trials he came to the conclusion that the control of affairs on the isthmus should be concentrated largely under the chairman and chief engineer. he therefore issued an executive order requiring that all officials on the isthmus should report to the chairman and chief engineer, giving him practically all control over the entire project. this brought both the canal zone government and the sanitary department under the supervision of the chairman and chief engineer. the result was a coordination of the work and a satisfactory organization for its prosecution. when congress came to make the permanent canal law it profited by the unsatisfactory results that would have grown out of a rigid adherence to the principles of the spooner act, and concentrated all authority under the governor of the canal zone. there were those who thought the sanitary department should not be under the control of the governor, and still others who felt that the operation of the canal probably should be under one man and the civil government under another. but these suggestions were not followed, and the act as finally adopted makes the president practically a czar of the isthmus, and under him the governor need give account to no one but the president. it has been the ambition of the present chief engineer of the canal to see the operating force fully installed and things moving along on a satisfactory working basis before leaving the isthmus. he thinks arrangements should be made whereby acute changes of policy should be prevented. this he would do by having a principal assistant who would succeed the governor at the end of his four-year term. this would permit a continuous policy and an unbroken line of action which, according to his view, would make for the efficiency of the operating force. in speaking of this phase of the matter, he stated that were a new man chosen at the end of the four-year term of his predecessor--a man who had had no previous experience on the isthmus--there would always be a tendency to make radical changes. he would have on the governor's staff a doctor from the army to have charge of the work of sanitation on the canal zone, who would report directly to the governor. the quarantine officer, in his opinion, should be under the public health service of the united states. under the plan as adopted in the permanent canal law, any officer of the army or of the navy chosen to fill a position in the canal operating force will be paid the same salary as a civilian, with the exception that he would get only the difference between his regular army or navy pay and the salary his position carried. it is estimated that the expense of operating the canal will amount to about $ , , a year. this includes the cost of operating a number of dredges which will have to be maintained in connection with the canal work. the estimate was made upon the amount of business handled at the sault ste. marie canal which has the largest traffic of any canal in the world. there will be five departments for the operation of the canal outside of the work of maintaining the civil government and sanitation. the operating department will have charge of the operation of docks and wharves at the terminals, pilotage, lockage, and the lighting of the canal. it is estimated that it will cost $ , a year to maintain the terminals, $ , a year to light the canal, and that it will require pilots, at $ , each a year, to take ships through. during the first years of operation it is believed that a single shift can handle all the business that comes, but, as the years go by, it may require two shifts and eventually three to keep the work going. the engineering department will require about men and will have charge of all the construction and repair work pertaining to the canal property, and of all excavation and dredging in the canal. it will cost approximately a million dollars a year to maintain this department, of which three-fourths will be required for the operation of the dredges and other equipment for keeping the canal open. the quartermaster's department will have charge of the construction, repair, and maintenance of all buildings, roads, and municipal improvements in the zone settlements and of the receipt, care, and issue of all property and material. this department will require nearly a thousand men and the total expense will be in the neighborhood of $ , . the electrical and mechanical department will have charge of the mechanical and electrical apparatus belonging to the canal, and of the permanent works at its two ends. the accounting department will require some men with annual salaries amounting to approximately a hundred thousand dollars. it is estimated that the cost of materials for the operation of the canal will range around three-fourths of a million dollars a year. the force which will be maintained on the isthmus, with their families, will make a canal zone population of approximately , . these, in addition to the eight or nine thousand troops and marines which will be quartered there, will bring the total population up to about thirteen or fourteen thousand. of these perhaps three-fourths will be along the southern -mile section of the canal. but, in spite of the greater population at the pacific side, the atlantic end will probably not lack for attraction. it is likely that gatun lake will be stocked with a supply of fresh-water fish, and that shooting preserves will be established adjacent to gatun, to be conducted in connection with the washington hotel at colon. there is also some talk of constructing golf links adjacent to gatun, which will be open alike to the employees of the canal and to the guests of the two big government hotels--the washington and the tivoli. while a freight-carrying steamer will make its stay as short as possible, the probabilities are that the passenger-carrying steamer will require at least hours to make its calls at the two terminal cities and pass through the canal. they will probably handle the major portion of the package cargo, leaving the bulk cargo business entirely for freighters. when going through the canal from the atlantic to the pacific they probably will have cargo bound for a large number of pacific ports on diverse routes. this would be discharged at balboa and there be put into other ships to be carried to its destination. during the time the shipping and unshipping of cargo, replenishing stores, taking on coal and like operations are being performed, the traveler will be afforded opportunity to get acquainted with dry land again, and to enjoy for a day or two a respite from his long sea journey. the plan advocated on the isthmus for perfecting the permanent organization was as follows: the chairman and chief engineer would call upon each of the departments to furnish a list with the ratings of the best men. the man having the best record would be offered a position under the permanent organization similar to the one held by him under the construction organization. if he chose to accept this position under the wage standard laid out he could do so; if he did not, the next man would be given the opportunity, and so on down. in this way it was expected that the entire force would be chosen because of records made in the service. chapter xxvii handling the traffic four or five years before the earliest probable opening date, shipping interests began to arrange their future schedules with respect to the panama canal. one can scarcely realize how rapidly the facilities of the canal will be utilized. at the rate of expansion witnessed in the world's marine traffic during the past two or three decades, , , tons of shipping will be handled through the canal in , , , tons in , and , , tons in . the maximum capacity of , , tons assumes a passage of vessels a day through the canal, or one for every half hour of the twenty-four. two vessels a day of , tons each, at the present charge, will render the canal self-supporting. while the great isthmian highway will be completed far enough ahead to be ready to handle all traffic that offers long before the official opening date, it will, on the other hand, never reach that stage where dredges will not be needed. there are rivers which wend their way from the watersheds of the canal, and pour their loads of sand and silt into it. of course, these rivers are small--so small, indeed, that few of them would be dignified by being called rivers in the united states. but when the heavens open and the floods descend, as they do so frequently during the rainy season at panama, these usually quiet, lazy, little streams become almost as angry as the mighty chagres itself, and they rush down to the canal heavily freighted with sand and silt. if the water in the great interoceanic channel is to be kept at its appointed depth of feet, dredging perforce must be continued from year to year, summer and winter, spring and fall. and so it is that the dredges will be met by every ship that steers its course from cristobal to balboa, or from the atlantic to the pacific. few ships large enough to tax the dimensional capacity of the locks ever will go through the canal. full per cent of all the ships that sail the seas could go through locks one-half the size of those at panama. so far as commercial shipping is concerned, a , -ton vessel plying tropical waters is considered large, and a , -ton ship is an exception. according to the best shipping authorities, the day when vessels of more than , tons will find it profitable to ply on the routes which lead through the panama canal is so far in the future that they are not able to discern it. with reference to the navy, naval experts generally agree that the united states will celebrate many a decade of passing years before a battleship too large to use the present lock chambers is a possibility. when a ship makes its maiden voyage through the canal, the measurements to determine its net register will be taken by the shipping experts in the employ of the united states. when this work is completed the master of the ship will be required to pay the toll before he can take his vessel through the canal. if he should fail to pay the toll the vessel itself would be put on the block and sold at auction, if necessary, to reimburse the united states for its passage. however, it is not to be expected that such contingencies as these will arise. when once a ship has been measured, the formality will not have to be gone through with on future visits. it is not expected that each ship will be actually measured for every dimension as it comes to the canal on its first trip, since its net register tonnage probably will have been determined long before, and the canal officials will only check up the work already done elsewhere to assure its accuracy. many ships will go to panama which will not use the canal. for instance, there will be those which will leave european ports, loaded in part with cargo bound to pacific points and in part with cargo for atlantic points on the south and central american coast. such ships will simply call at colon, discharge their cargo bound to pacific points, and take on what additional cargo they can get bound for points for which they are sailing on the atlantic side. in stopping at colon they will probably replenish their supplies from the commissary department of the canal. what the freight department is to a railroad the cargo ship will be to the panama canal--its greatest revenue producer. such ships will do comparatively little loading and unloading of cargo at either end of the canal. the tramp steamer will figure largely in the traffic that passes from ocean to ocean at panama. with no schedule of sailing dates and with no definite routes, the tramps constitute the flying squadron of the shipping world, moving hither and thither seeking cargoes wherever they can find them. a tramp steamer may load at liverpool for san francisco, reach that point through the panama canal, and, after discharging its cargo, go on up to seattle and load for china. there it may discharge its cargo again and go thence to india to pick up a load of grain for liverpool, passing through the suez canal. its master always will turn its prow to the point where profitable cargo awaits it, and this may carry it by panama once or a dozen times a year. the line steamers will have their regular sailing dates and will pass through the canal at stated intervals. the problem of providing coal for passing ships is one of the most important with which the canal authorities will have to deal. the cheaper that commodity can be sold to the ships, the more attractive the route will be. for instance, a , -ton ship which saves a dollar a ton on a thousand tons of coal, saves the equivalent of the cost of operating the vessel for a period of from to hours, and this, with the rates at suez and panama on an equal basis, gives at least one day's advantage to the panama route in figuring on a voyage. pocahontas steaming coal costs $ . per ton laid down at newport news. under the carrying agreements with shipping interests that obtained during the construction period, this coal was carried to panama for $ . a ton. it is estimated that the canal colliers, which have been authorized by congress, with a capacity of , tons of coal and with a speed of knots, can deliver to the isthmus a half million tons of coal a year. the saving which will be effected by having the coal carried by government colliers is a large one. a merchantman would get $ , for delivering , tons of coal, while the cost of delivery by collier for the same amount would approximate $ , . the average life of a collier is years. the saving effected in these years by the government carrying its own coal would be large enough to pay back the million dollars which the collier cost, and to yield an additional profit of $ , , during the life of the vessel. the sale of coal at suez, where an annual shipping traffic of some , , tons is handled, amounts approximately to , , tons. thus, it will require two colliers to handle the coal when the canal opens, and two more years later. not all the ships which use the canal will coal there. for instance, the royal mail steam packet company, which was so forehanded in its effort to get a good share of the trans-isthmian traffic that it acquired the pacific steam navigation company long before the canal opened, is building a coaling station at kingston, jamaica, where its ships will replenish their bunkers. this coaling station will, of course, always be at the disposition of the british government in case of war, and of such british merchantmen that choose to pass that way. some ships will not negotiate the canal under their own power. many small vessels steer so badly that their masters would be afraid to risk them going through without aid. for instance, the skipper of the cristobal, one of the , -ton cement-carrying ships bought by the united states a few years ago, declared, in discussing this phase of the matter, that he would be afraid to trust his vessel going through the canal under its own power. to ships not sufficiently responsive to their helms, government tugs will be furnished. some skippers prefer to have their vessels towed by one powerful tug, while others prefer several smaller ones. several tugs are now building for towing purposes, and they will also be used to tow vessels through the locks in the early days of operation, pending the completion of all of the electric towing locomotives. two floating cranes will be provided in the permanent equipment at a cost of a quarter of a million dollars each. these cranes, with a lifting power of tons, will be suitable for any wrecking operations in the canal and, also, for lifting the gates in case of repairs being required. the canal will probably be the death blow to the sailing ship of international commerce. not being able to negotiate the canal under their own power, and because of the dead calms which prevail in the gulf of panama, sailing ships will be stopped from using the isthmian waterway. when they attempt to journey around cape horn and the cape of good hope in competition with steam vessels which pass through the panama canal, the operation will afford such little profit that in the course of a few years they will have to surrender what little share of international commerce they have succeeded in keeping. the panamans are inclined to think the united states drove a hard bargain when the provision was inserted in the treaty that all supplies for the building and operation of the canal, and for the demands of shipping using it, when imported by the united states, should be free of duty. this practically gives the united states a monopoly of the business of catering to the needs of ships passing panama. the present duty on imports is per cent, and the local merchant who would sell supplies to the passing ships would be under the necessity of adding per cent to his buying price before he could compete with the united states government on equal terms. this advantage is made all the more marked by the reasons of the fact that the united states often can make much money out of the operation by selling at actual cost, the profit arising from the extra shipping which is thereby attracted to the canal. the united states will reimburse the owners of any vessels passing through the locks of the canal, under the control of its operatives, for any injury which may result to vessel, cargo, or passengers. provision is made under the permanent canal law that regulations shall be promulgated by the president which will provide for the prompt adjustment, by agreement, and immediate payment of claims. in case of disagreement, suit may be brought in the district court of the canal zone against the governor of the panama canal. the law says: "the hearing and disposition of such cases shall be expedited and the judgment shall be immediately paid out of any moneys appropriated or allotted for canal operation." the character of misrepresentations made concerning the canal was illustrated in a story published in the midsummer of . this story originated in london and declared that all of the big shipping interests were afraid of the panama canal, and that lloyds would insure vessels and cargo only at much advanced rates. the article went on to state that the representative of one of the biggest european lines had visited the isthmus and had returned with the announcement that his company could not afford to trust its vessels in the canal. as a matter of fact, with the united states government standing responsible for any damage sustained in the canal, no shipping interest could sensibly regard it as extra hazardous to pass through it; rather, it would be less hazardous than to negotiate the tortuous strait of magellan, where thousands of wrecks tell of unseen dangers, or to round cape horn with its fierce storms and its grave perils. much has been said about the probability of injury to the canal by persons of evil intent, and the panama canal law imposes heavy penalties on anyone attempting to inflict such an injury. the law provides that the governor of the canal zone shall make rules and regulations, subject to the approval of the president, touching the right of any person to remain upon or pass over any part of the canal zone. "any person violating these rules or regulations shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction in the district court of the canal zone, shall be fined not exceeding $ or imprisoned not exceeding a year, or both penalties in the discretion of the court. any person who, by any means or any way, injures or obstructs or attempts to injure or obstruct any part of the panama canal, or the locks thereof, or the approaches thereof, shall be deemed guilty of a felony and on conviction shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $ , or by imprisonment not to exceed years, or by the infliction of both of these penalties. if the act shall cause the death of any person within a year and a day thereafter, the person so convicted shall be guilty of murder and shall be punished accordingly." as a further precaution, individuals will not be allowed to approach the locks with any sort of packages unless they are properly vouched for. the possibility of serious injury to the locks will be carefully guarded against. they will be lighted at night by electric lamps of large candlepower and the whole lock structure will be kept as light as day throughout the night. men will be always on sentry duty, and an adequate system of intercommunication will enable the sentries to call out a guard large enough to repulse any attack of any small surprising party. chapter xxviii the republic of panama the republic of panama is one of the smallest countries in the world, its territory being about equal to that of the state of indiana. it has no national debt, and has $ , , invested in mortgages, on real estate in new york city. when it received $ , , from the united states, in payment for the rights under which the panama canal was built, it immediately invested about per cent of it, using the remainder for paying the expenses of the revolution, and for setting the new government on its feet. it now receives $ , a year from the united states as rental for the canal zone, and this, with the $ , received as interest from its real estate mortgages in new york, gives it an annual income of $ , outside of money raised by the usual processes of taxation. under the treaty with the united states, panama has its independence guaranteed, and recognizes the right of the united states to maintain order within its boundaries. this entirely does away with the necessity of maintaining an army and navy. the result is that with no appropriations required for military purposes, and with a $ , income from the canal zone, it enjoys one of the lowest tax rates in the world. although the republic of panama has its declaration of independence and its glorious fourth, the former was written by a foreigner, and the latter occurs in november. there is some dispute as to who wrote the declaration of independence, but the best information points either to philippe bunau-varilla, a frenchman, or to william nelson cromwell, an american. these two gentlemen differ upon this subject, each claiming that he was the thomas jefferson of panama. when the $ , , was paid to panama by the united states, one of the first things done was to build a university, locally known as the national institute. some $ , was spent in the construction of the buildings, which are located near the line of the canal zone. but it so happens that panama has few teachers qualified to hold university chairs, and fewer students qualified to pursue university courses; and the result is that the university is more a place of buildings than a seat of learning. no other country in the world calls in another nation to superintend its elections. when the first presidential election was held the united states took the initiative and demanded the right to supervise the balloting. before the second election was held the president became ambitious to succeed himself, although the constitution provided that he could not do so. he thereupon decided to resign for a period of six months, in favor of one of his partisans, thinking that this would allow him to live up to the letter of the constitution even though he were violating its spirit in becoming a candidate for reelection. this situation was brought to the attention of the united states, and the president was politely but firmly informed that the subterfuge would not be permitted. when the election approached each side thought that the other was trying to win by fraud, and the united states was asked to referee the political battle. the city of panama is famous for its wickedness. men who have seen the seamy side of life in all of the big cities of the world declare that panama is as bad as the worst of them. until a few years ago bull-fighting was permitted, but the bulls were so poor and the fighters were such butchers that the government finally outlawed this form of entertainment. cock-fighting persists, and numerous cock pits are popular resorts every sunday. nowhere else can one witness a greater frenzy in betting than at one of these cocking mains. the backers of the rival birds nod their heads and place their bets so rapidly that it is more bewildering to the onlooker than the bidding at an auctioneer's junk sale. the prize ring has succeeded the bull ring in gratifying the spaniard's thirst for gore, and scarcely a sunday passes that there is not a prize fight in panama. few americans who attend them come away without a feeling of disgust over the poor fighting, the brutality, and the trickery resorted to. while the americans have done so much for public cleanliness in panama and colon, the masses seem to know little more about sanitary living today than before the americans came. the stenches which greet the visitor in the native quarters are no less odorous than those encountered in other cities of tropical america. the bathtub is an unknown quantity among the masses. most of the natives who live in the cities are engaged in some line of small trade. it may be that a shop has only a platter of sweetmeats and a few bottles of soda on ice, and that another has only a bushel of different kinds of tropical fruits, but out of the small sales large families manage in some way to exist. the markets open early in the morning. there is no spirit of rivalry among the market men, and they act usually as if they were conferring a favor upon the buyer. at the markets many indians are encountered who bring their wares from the interior and offer them for sale. these usually consist of pottery, net bags, charcoal and the like. life among the panamans in the jungle is simple indeed. with his machete the householder may provide a thatched roof for his mud-floored hut, and he can raise enough beans, plantains and yams, and burn enough charcoal, and catch enough fish to meet all of his needs. in the kitchen the principal utensils are gourds and cocoanut shells. the most tempting morsel that the panaman can get is the iguana, a lizard as big as a cat, whose meat is said to taste like spring chicken. it is about the ugliest creature in the animal world, and yet it means more to the native panaman than does possum meat to the cotton-field darky of the south. the unconscious cruelty of the average native is remarked by almost every visitor. he is usually too lazy to be conscious of cruelty, for that would require exertion. when he catches the iguana, for instance, he takes it alive so that it may be fattened before being killed. its short legs are twisted and crossed above its back, and the sharp claw of one foot is thrust through the fleshy part of the other, so as to hold them together without other fastening. the tail, being useless for food, is chopped off with the machete, and thus mutilated and unable to move, the lizard is kept captive until fat enough to eat. the fruits of panama are neither so numerous nor so plentiful as those of nicaragua or jamaica. the mamei is a curious pulpy fruit the size of a peach, with a skin like chamois and with a smooth pit the size of a peach-stone. the sapodilla is a plum-colored fruit with seeds in a gelatinous mass. one is usually introduced to the sapodilla with the remark that, although the seeds are eaten, they have never been known to cause appendicitis. cedar is preferred to mahogany in panama. the indians make their cayucas out of mahogany logs, and it is not uncommon to see bridges feet long and feet thick, made of mahogany logs which would be worth several thousands of dollars in an american furniture factory. panama is famous for its tropical flowers. many of them are beautiful, but few are sweet smelling. orchids abound, especially on the atlantic side, and while the waters of the chagres were being impounded in gatun lake, native boatmen would go out in their cayucas and gather orchids from the trees. one of the most beautiful of the orchids of panama is the holy ghost orchid. it blooms biennially, and when its petals fold back they reveal a likeness to a dove. some of the american women on the canal zone became enthusiastic collectors of tropical flowers. among these were mrs. david du bose gaillard and mrs. harry harwood rousseau. both of these ladies spent much time hunting orchids and other flowers for the verandas of their houses and for their gardens. mrs. rousseau made trips into several of the other countries of central america in her quest for new orchids. the collections made by these two ladies represent the finest on the whole isthmus of panama. the animal life of the isthmus is not abundant, although some deer and a few tapirs are to be found. alligators abound in the chagres river and other streams of the zone. perhaps the most interesting form of animal life to be found on the isthmus is the leaf-cutting ant. this ant seems to be nature's original fungus grower. as one walks around the american settlements, he frequently comes upon a long path filled with ants, passing back and forth. they resemble a sort of miniature yacht under full sail, except that the sails are green instead of white. upon closer examination it is found that what seemed to be a sail is a triangular piece of leaf carried on the back of the ant, with its edges to the wind so as to overcome air resistance. the ants do not gather these leaves for food, but they store them in such a way that a fungus grows upon them. they eat the fungus, and when the leaves are no longer useful they are thrown out and new supplies brought in. the native remedies used by the panamans are many and interesting. for stomach troubles, which are very rare, they eat papaya. the papaya is a sort of fruit which might be a cross between a cantaloupe, a watermelon and a pumpkin, except that it grows on trees. it has the rind of a green pumpkin, the meat of a cantaloupe, and the seeds of a watermelon. it is probably richer in vegetable pepsin than any other plant in existence--a pepsin which neutralizes either alkaline or acid conditions in the stomach. it is said that a tough steak, wrapped in the leaf of the papaya tree overnight, becomes tender as the result of the digestive action of the pepsin in it. the indians and panamans who live in the jungle use the wood of the cacique, or "monkey cocoanut," to stop any flow of blood. in their materia medica they have a large number of tropical plants which they use for their ailments. the way in which sanitary instruction may be made efficient is illustrated among some of the people of panama. upon one occasion the canal record carried a small diagram of how to make a sanitary drinking cup out of a sheet of paper. after that there were many panamans who, although in a hundred ways indifferent to contagion, would no longer drink from common drinking cups, but would make their own sanitary cups. even the jamaican negroes employed around the offices of the commission in many instances would not think of using the common drinking glass at the office water-cooler. two tribes of indians on the isthmus have not mixed with the caucasians or the negroes. they are the chucunoques and the san blas indians. the latter tribe has never been known to allow a white man to remain in its territory after sundown. even the higher officials of the panaman government are forced to respect this tradition when they treat with the san blas chiefs. government land in panama can be bought at the rate of $ . for acres, with reductions for larger areas. the government invites foreign capital, declaring that the united states stands as a perpetual guarantee against revolutions within and aggressions without. the story of the early days in panaman history is a strange admixture of romance and cruelty. the isthmus was discovered in , and first settled by an adventurer who had been the royal carver in the king's household at madrid. balboa, carrying with him a small force of men and a lot of bloodhounds, one of them a dog of mighty prowess, known as lioncico, or "little lion," which drew a captain's pay because of its fighting qualities, crossed the isthmus in and discovered the pacific ocean. after him came a new governor of the isthmus, who put balboa to death. the spaniards were unspeakably cruel to the indians. even those who received them kindly were tortured and roasted to death, because they did not produce enough gold. one governor rode a mule, which was noted for the frequency of its braying. the indians were taught that the mule was asking for gold, and in meeting these demands they not only had to give what they possessed, but were forced to rob the graves of their ancestors as well. upon one occasion the indians, having captured a number of spaniards, melted a lot of the yellow metal and poured it down their throats, telling them to drink until their thirst for gold was quenched. after the spaniards had established themselves upon the isthmus, the english buccaneers, drake and morgan, fell upon their cities and despoiled them. the ruins at old panama, which once was a city of , inhabitants, to-day tell the story of the effective work of henry morgan when he raided it and captured its treasure. while the spanish conquerors, the french filibusters, and the english buccaneers, who took their turns in pillaging panama, were cruel beyond imagination, they were always famous for their outward evidences of religion and piety. the spanish were always chanting hymns and honoring the saints; the french would shoot down their own soldiers for irreverent behavior during mass; the english pirate captains never failed to hold divine services on sunday, and often prohibited profanity and gambling. where once spaniards tortured indians and british buccaneers raided spaniards, where once revolution after revolution left a poor and desolate country, to-day the gates of panama are open to the world, and its trade is invited again to pass that way. the people of the isthmus believe that the glory which departed when morgan sacked old panama, forcing the pacific trade to seek the strait of magellan, will return with the opening of the panama canal, and that their capital, whose walls cost so much that the spanish king thought he could see them from his chamber window in madrid, will retrieve its ancient glory. chapter xxix other great canals while the panama canal seems destined to endure for all time as the greatest artificial shipway in the world, there are other waterways, while small in comparison, that are in themselves wonderful works of engineering. in point of traffic the greatest canal in the world is the sault ste. marie canal, popularly called the "soo." in point of economy of distance and world-affecting consequence the suez canal ranks with, or next to, panama. the suez canal was built while the civil war was raging in the united states, and was opened for the passage of vessels on november , . it is about twice as long as the panama canal, the distance from port said, at the mediterranean terminus, to suez at the red sea end, being approximately miles. when constructed its depth was feet, inches, and its bottom width feet. the maximum vessel draft permitted was feet inches. the canal was in operation for years before vessels of this draft presented themselves for passage. during the first dozen years of its operation various curves were straightened, the turning-out places where vessels passed one another were enlarged, and their number increased to . this work of straightening curves and widening the canal has continued from that time until the present, and to-day vessels may pass one another through a large part of its length. the policy increasing the general dimensions of the canal was begun in . by its depth had been increased to - / feet, so that it could accommodate ships having a draft of feet inches. the work of deepening continued, and when the united states began to build the panama canal this work was speeded up, so that by a depth of - / feet was attained and vessels of feet draft could be accommodated. in it was decided that it would be necessary to make the canal still deeper, and a project, which will not be completed until , was then undertaken, calling for a depth of feet inch. by the width of the canal had been increased from feet to - / feet. this is now being still further increased to - / feet. even when this project is completed in , the panama canal still can accommodate ships of feet greater draft than the suez canal. the maximum draft of ships permitted to use the suez canal is demanded in comparatively few instances. a recent report showed that per cent of the ships using the canal had a draft of less than - / feet, and that only per cent had a draft of feet. the increase in the depth of the canal, therefore, was made largely in anticipation of future shipping requirements. when the canal was completed it required hours for a ship to pass through it. the growth in its dimensions, together with the increase in the number and size of passing stations, the straightening of curves, and the improvement of facilities, have brought down to hours the average length of time required for the transit. ships not equipped with electric searchlights are not permitted to pass through at night. the improvements being made on the canal are being paid for mainly from the revenues derived from tolls. the suez canal was constructed, and has been enlarged and managed, by a private corporation which has invested from the beginning of the construction up to the present time about $ , , of which approximately two-thirds has been secured from the sale of securities, and one-third from the earnings. the original capital of the suez canal company, issued in , was , shares of $ each. these shares partake of the nature of both bonds and stock, for they are entitled to interest of per cent as well as to participation in the company's profits. provision is made for their redemption, but when redeemed they continue to share in the profits and merely lose the interest-bearing feature. on december , , , of these shares were in circulation. in the british government, through lord beaconsfield, purchased the , shares held by the khedive of egypt, paying some $ , , for them. the british government does not own a majority of the shares, and the suez canal is controlled and operated by a french company. the annual dividends have increased from . per cent to per cent. the shares are closely held and trading in them is light. the stock sells at a premium of over , per cent. when the work of building the canal was undertaken, , shares were given to the founders. these shares are not stock, but are, rather, certificates of obligation, requiring the company to pay per cent of its profits to the promoters and founders of the original company and their heirs and assigns. the net profits of the canal amount to about $ , , a year. of this the stockholders get $ , , , the egyptian government $ , , , the founders of the company $ , , and the administrative officers and the employees divide $ , among them. the traffic of the suez canal during the first two years was relatively small, for the reason that the canal is not a practicable one for sailing vessels, and steam vessels had to be built. these, being much less efficient than freight steamers are to-day, were slow in securing the trade that had been enjoyed by the sailing vessels. the rate of tolls charged by the suez canal company has declined steadily since the canal went into operation. on january , , they approximated $ . a ton, with a reduction of nearly a third for vessels in ballast. on january , , the rate was made approximately $ . a ton, the fraction of a cent higher than the rate at panama. the passenger tolls are $ for passengers above years and $ for children from to years of age; children below years are carried free. the highest toll charged on the suez canal was in when it was $ . a ton. the suez canal has proved highly profitable to its owners. no one believes that the panama canal will yield as great a return on the capital invested. the cost of the panama canal will be four times the cost of suez, and it is doubted by traffic authorities whether the panama canal will ever handle as much business. the manchester ship canal, which connects manchester with liverpool, was constructed only after years of preliminary agitation. there was opposition by the railways, and from the industrial and commercial centers with which manchester competes. over petitions were presented to parliament before its consent was obtained for the construction of the canal. work was begun in november, , at which time it was estimated that the canal would cost $ , , . it was opened for traffic january , , after $ , , had been spent in building it. of this about $ , , went into actual construction work. the manchester canal is - / miles long. it extends from eastham, about miles from liverpool, to manchester. its original depth was feet, but this has been increased to feet. ships with a length of feet, a beam of feet, a height of feet, and a draft of feet can use the canal. there is a difference of feet inches in level between eastham and manchester, and this is overcome by five sets of locks. the highest lift is feet. the manchester canal company owns the bridgewater canal and makes connections with other barge canals. it handles about , , tons of freight a year, of which the bulk is sea-borne. although it connects with barge canals, the amount of barge traffic handled is less to-day than it was a decade ago. from the beginning the manchester canal has had to compete with the railroads, and they cut their rates to such a basis that they get the business and force the canal company to operate as a losing venture to its stockholders. in spite of the competition of the railroads, the canal has managed to increase its business at about the same rate that traffic through the suez canal has increased, and a little more rapidly than it has been estimated that traffic through the panama canal will grow. the shareholders have not yet received any dividends, but it seems probable that in the course of a few years all of the securities will earn an annual income. many shareholders have been more than compensated for their subscriptions by the collateral benefits they have received from the canal. the government of germany constructed a canal connecting its baltic and north sea ports, and named it the kaiser-wilhelm canal. the natural route from the baltic to the north sea around denmark is circuitous, dangerous because of storms, and is guarded by foreign powers. the canal was begun in and completed in , and was constructed primarily for military and naval purposes, although it has proved to be of great value to the commerce of germany. it connects brunsbuttel harbor on the elbe with holtenau on kiel bay. it passes through low lands and lakes and along river valleys. it is miles long and, as it was first constructed, had a width of feet and a depth of - / feet. the total cost of the canal was approximately $ , , . it was in operation only years until it was found necessary to enlarge it. the reconstruction of the canal was authorized by the german government in , and the work, which is expected to be completed in , was started in . when this work is completed the canal will be feet wide and feet deep. at places it will be widened so as to permit ships to pass. new twin locks, built for the regulation of the tides--for the canal itself is at sea level--will be feet longer and feet wider than the panama locks. the maximum depth of these locks will be feet, although at low tide they will be a little less than feet. during a recent year commercial vessels with an aggregate net register of over , , tons used the kiel canal. the increase of business during the first decade of the present century amounted to per cent, or a little more than the estimated increase for each decade at panama. the net receipts from the operation of the canal are not sufficient to pay interest on the investment. no effort is made to levy tolls that will provide for interest charges, or for the amortization of the principal. the canal does not connect regions of enormous traffic, nor does it greatly shorten ocean routes. the longest route is cut down only miles. the german empire was so well pleased with the success of the kaiser-wilhelm canal that the enlargement it is now making represents an expenditure one and a half times the original cost. the amsterdam canal was built to connect amsterdam with the sea. formerly, ocean-going vessels were small and the zuider zee river was then a stream of considerable depth. gradually, however, the zuider zee became shallower and the size of ocean vessels larger, so that the commercial supremacy of amsterdam was threatened by the competition of rotterdam and antwerp and north german ports. in a corporation constructed what was known as the "north holland canal," which was large enough to accommodate ships employed in the east india trade. it had a minimum depth of feet and a minimum width of feet. this canal, however, had numerous curves and it was constructed by a roundabout route of miles from amsterdam northward to the north sea, while amsterdam is less than miles from the sea by direct route. in a concession for the construction of the north sea canal was granted and two years later active work began. it was finished in . there were no serious engineering difficulties to be met, there being no rivers to be crossed, no towns to block the way, and only three bridges to be built. the work consisted mainly of building embankments, draining and reclaiming land, and dredging the channel. the canal was not completed according to the original plan. extensive enlargements and improvements were decided on, and a larger additional lock was undertaken in and completed in . at that time it was the largest canal lock in the world. plans are now being considered for building another new lock, which will be larger than those at panama. the bottom width of the canal is now feet. it can accommodate vessels feet long, with a -foot beam and of feet draft. the construction of the canal cost $ , , . improvements have brought the total amount up to about $ , , . since all toll charges have been eliminated, and the canal has been operated at the expense of the state. the annual average cost of operation and maintenance is about $ , . this canal bears about the same relation to the city of amsterdam that the delaware river channel bears to the city of philadelphia, or the improvements on the lower mississippi to the city of new orleans. the cronstadt and st. petersburg canal is miles long and gives st. petersburg an outlet to the gulf of finland. it was built at a total cost of about $ , , . it has a minimum width of feet and a navigable depth of about - / feet. it was built primarily as a military undertaking, but has proved of great service to russian commerce. another important european canal is that extending from the gulf of corinth to the gulf of aegina in southern greece. its length is about miles, a part of which was cut through soft granite rock and the remainder through soil. it has no locks. the bottom width is feet and the depth - / feet. the average tolls are cents per ton and cents for passengers. no other canal in the world can rival the one at sault ste. marie, mich., which connects lake superior with lake huron, in the enormous volume of its shipping. there are really two canals--one owned by the canadian government, and one by the united states government. the canal belonging to the united states was begun in by the state of michigan, and opened in . it had a length of about a mile and was provided with twin locks feet long, allowing the passage of vessels drawing feet of water. the united states government, by consent of the state of michigan, began in to enlarge the canal, and, by , had increased its length to . miles, its width to an average of feet and its depth to feet. a lock feet long, feet wide, and feet deep was located south of the locks which were built by the state. in the united states government took over the entire control of the canal. five years later the locks that had been built by the state were torn down, and a new one feet long, feet wide, and feet deep was put into commission in . the canadian canal, - / miles long, feet wide, and feet deep, was built on the north side of the river during the years to . its locks are feet long, feet wide, and feet deep. the traffic through the sault ste. marie canals averages around , , tons a year. this is as much as the panama canal can expect to get years after its opening. the tonnage of the american soo canal passed the million mark in , reached the , , mark in , and amounted to , , net tons in . it now ranges around , , tons. it will be seen from this that the american canal, built on the south side of st. mary's river, gets about ten times as much traffic as the canadian canal, built on the north side of the river. this gives the american soo canal more than twice as much traffic as the suez canal, and about four times as much as the panama canal expects to begin with. a canal which was built primarily for drainage purposes, but which seems destined to fill an important place as a traffic-carrying waterway, is the chicago drainage canal connecting lake michigan at chicago with the illinois river at lockport--a distance of miles. it was built for the purpose of reversing the movement of water in the chicago river and preventing the pollution of lake michigan. the sewage of the city now goes to the faraway mississippi instead of the lakes. the minimum depth of the canal is feet, and its bottom width feet. to complete the project the excavation of nearly , , yards of material was required--enough, if deposited in lake michigan in feet of water, to form an island a mile square with a surface feet above the water. the city of chicago and the state of illinois have agreed to turn this canal over to the united states government, if it will deepen the illinois and mississippi rivers to feet between lockport and st. louis. this would give a complete water connection from upper mississippi river points to lake michigan, and open up a highway to the gulf of mexico. the estimated cost of this project is $ , , . the completion of the panama canal will probably result in an unprecedented activity in the development of inland waterways in the united states. the new markets which it will open up to american products and the old markets it will stimulate and extend, will demand large additional facilities for getting the products of the american farm and factory to the seaboard. already preparations for capitalizing the commercial opportunities which the opening of the canal will afford, are being made in various parts of the country. the erie canal, connecting buffalo and albany and giving the great lakes a water outlet at new york, is being widened and deepened at an expense of $ , , . the propaganda of the american rivers and harbors congress, looking to the appropriation of $ , , to be spent in a systematic program of inland waterway development, is meeting with encouragement in every part of the country, and it is the expectation of those who believe that the government should commit itself to such a program, that within years the stimulus to waterway development given by the opening of the panama canal, will give to the united states one of the finest systems of inland waterways in the world. chapter xxx a new commercial map the most rapid change in the commercial map of the world wrought in centuries will be witnessed during the years following the completion of the panama canal. cities that heretofore have been mere way stations on the international routes of trade will grow into rich centers where the new roads of the commercial world will cross. on the other hand, cities which in the past have gloried in a trade supremacy of international recognition will see themselves displaced and their prestige lost. the readjustment will not be the matter of a day or a year; even a generation may pass before it is completed; but the ultimate changes will certainly be greater and more world-encompassing than anyone now can forecast. the capture of constantinople by the turks was directly responsible for the discovery of the new world. it cut off the cities of the mediterranean from communication with india, and sent columbus westward in quest of another passage, which could not be obstructed by the mussulman tyrants of the east. at last the panama canal is to afford that passage, and to bring the whole earth into smaller compass. of course, the united states will be the first to realize the great benefits of the canal. it will double the efficiency of the american navy by permitting it to concentrate its forces on either ocean in shorter time, by weeks, than can be done by any other nation; consequently, it will add to american military prestige throughout the world. the benefits immediately accruing to the people of the united states will be as great in a commercial way as in military advantage. as the capture of constantinople caused the up-building of many notable regions through the transformation of international trade routes, so will the completion of the panama canal open up new markets and new opportunities to the mississippi valley, the world's greatest granary. its grain and meat products, loading by way of gulf ports, can go to the ends of the earth with but little outlay for expensive rail transportation. it is even probable that the great awakening incident to the opening of the canal, may hasten the day when the lakes-to-the-gulf waterway will be an accomplished fact and when ships may load in chicago, detroit, cleveland, st. paul, and minneapolis and sail directly to the ports of the world, thus beginning an era of commercial development surpassing even the wonderful growth of the half century just closed. pittsburgh may then be able to send its tremendous output of manufactures to all parts of the world without transhipment; kansas city will feel the stimulus of the new waterway; and the pacific coast, long cut off from the eastern section of the united states by high mountain barriers that have been only partially overcome by railroads, will find its great resources within marketable distance of the eastern states. canada, too, will feel the stimulus of the canal. no longer will its great crops have to find their slow outlet over railroads that must cross the backbone of a continent, but, pursuing the avenues of least resistance, they may move to all parts of the world by way of the great lakes and the mississippi river. south america will greatly benefit by the completion of the canal. already its west coast countries and cities are getting ready for the boom of business that is to follow. brought thousands of miles nearer to all western trade centers--so close that their raw products and american manufactured products can be exchanged to advantage--there will be a growth of trade whose prospect already has awakened the lethargic south american to the possibilities ahead. these possibilities well may be considered by the business men of the united states. to-day north america buys a large percentage of the products of south america; but, when the south americans have money to spare, they spend only $ out of $ in north america--the other $ goes to europe. the american exporter will find himself quickened by the history-making change the canal will produce and, if he goes at it in earnest, he will be in a position to reverse the present situation and get $ of south american trade where europe gets only $ . australia and new zealand will experience, perhaps, a greater change in the trade routes than any other countries outside of the americas. the australian commerce now is largely carried by way of suez. the opening of the panama canal will place new zealand , miles nearer to london than it is by way of suez, and the eastern ports of australia will be as near to england by way of panama as by suez. all australasian ports will be brought several thousand miles closer to the atlantic ports of the united states than they are to-day. no one who has heard an australasian complain of the long delays and the excessive freight rates that intervene between him and his american shoes, can doubt that the closer proximity of american markets will be welcomed in that faraway land under the southern cross. sydney will be , miles nearer to new york through the panama canal, and , miles nearer to new orleans and galveston. the transcontinental tonnage now handled by the railroads, which ultimately will go by the canal, aggregates , , tons a year. the seaboard sections of the united states, of course, will benefit more largely than interior points, for the reason that interior points will have to take a combined rail-and-water route. this will involve railroad transportation and transhipment of cargo, also rehandling charges. after the canal is opened it is probable that the railroads will prefer to supply the intermountain states directly from eastern sources, instead of maintaining the existing policy of giving low rates to pacific coast cities, so as to give them dominance over the shipping business of the intermountain region. the total coast-to-coast traffic of the railroads is said to approximate one-fifth of the entire traffic carried across the rocky mountains. only one-third of the through traffic of the transcontinental lines from the east to the west originates east of a line drawn through buffalo and pittsburgh. it is this third of the westward business that will be affected mainly by the operation of the canal. [illustration: international shipping routes] the principal effect the panama canal will have in the readjustment of the trade map of the world is not, perhaps, as much in changing existing routes as in creating new avenues of business. in every region where there is promise of unusual benefit by reason of the opening of the panama canal, an effort is being made to capitalize the advantages to be derived therefrom. the west coast of south america feels the stimulus of suddenly being brought thousands of miles closer to the best markets of the world, and anyone who travels down the coast from panama may see at every port signs of a determination to reap full advantage of the new opportunities. even guayaquil, a city that for years has been a hissing and a byword to the masters of all ships plying up and down the west coast because of its absolute indifference to all requirements of sanitation, has prepared for a campaign of cleaning-up, in order that it may become a port of call for all the ships passing that way. heretofore, masters of ships, in order to comply with quarantine regulations elsewhere, have given it a wide berth whenever possible. chile, peru, and ecuador--all three have caught the spirit of the new era which a completed canal proclaims, and are striving to set their houses in order for the quickened times they see ahead. with the central american republics it is the same. handicapped as they are by revolutions that sap their life-blood, or dominated by rulers who have no other object in governing the people than to exploit them, these countries still hope for much from the canal, and new activities are beginning to spring up in every one of them. it is not improbable that the canal will play an important part in transforming the economic situation of the world during the generations immediately ahead of us. one needs only to study the distribution of humanity over the countries of the earth to find how unevenly the population is scattered, and to learn what great tides of immigration will have to flow westward to establish the equilibrium of population, which some day is bound to come. when asia has a population of per square mile and europe a population of a square mile, while north america has and south america has , it is apparent that the future holds great changes in store. the potential development of the two americas challenges the imagination. south america, with its virgin soil all but untouched, can support a population half as dense as that of europe. this means that it can make room for , , immigrants. likewise, it is fair to assume that north america, with its up-to-date methods of agriculture, industry, and commerce, can support a population as dense as that of asia with its primitive methods of manufacture and agriculture. this means that north america has room to accommodate , , souls. in other words, room still remains for , , persons on the continents which the panama canal divides. when the day comes, as it seems certain that it will, that the americas reach their full growth, even the panama canal, larger by far than any other artificial waterway in the world, will be much too small to accommodate the traffic which naturally would pass its way. the foreign trade of the united states with its , , of population, aggregates , , tons a year. assuming that foreign trade would grow in the same proportion as population, it will be seen that the foreign trade of the two americas at a time when the population of south america becomes half as dense as that of europe, and that of north america half as dense as that of asia, will approximate , , tons. assuming further that only one-fifth of this would pass through the canal, the american commerce alone would exceed its capacity, leaving all the trade between the orient and eastern europe to be taken care of by future enlargements. more immediate, however, will be the realization of the prophecy of william h. seward, lincoln's secretary of state, that the pacific is destined to become the chief theater of the world's events. as the population of the earth stands to-day, more than half of all the people who inhabit the globe dwell on lands which drain into this greatest of oceans. yet, in spite of that fact, the trade that sweeps over the pacific is but small in comparison with that which traverses the atlantic. where a thousand funnels darken the trade routes of the atlantic, a few hundred are seen on the pacific. but in japan one may find an example of the possibilities of the pacific in the years to come. when china, with its , , people, awakens as japan has awakened, and builds up an international trade in proportion to that of japan, it will send a commerce across the seas unprecedented in volume. when it buys and sells as japan buys and sells, the waters of the orient will vie with those of the occident in the size of their fleets of commerce. the opening of the panama canal promises to be one of the factors in hastening the day when the orient will become as progressive as the occident, and when sleeping nations will arise from their lethargy and contribute uncounted millions of tons of traffic to the pacific ocean, making it a chief theater of commerce as well as of world events. in our own country the course of empire has been sweeping toward the pacific. where once the center of most things lay east of the mississippi river, now we find its agriculture, its mining industries, and its commercial activities gradually moving westward. the center of cotton production, once in those states celebrated in the melodies of the southern plantation, has moved westward and to-day in texas, oklahoma, and even southern california, cotton is grown in a way which shows that king cotton has caught the spirit of the age and is extending his territories westward toward the pacific. and all of this means a growing business and an expanding traffic through the panama canal. on the atlantic side there are signs without number that many nations will be up and doing in the reformation of the commercial map of the world. the islands of the caribbean form a screen around the atlantic end of the canal, and the majority of them are british possessions. many of their cities will be situated upon the new international trade routes that will be called into being by the opening of the panama canal. at kingston, jamaica, great improvements are projected, coaling stations are planned, and other steps are being taken which will enable the british government to reap what advantage it can from the construction of the canal. with its splendid diversity of climate, brought about by the wide range of elevated land, the fruits of the temperate zones may be grown, as well as those of the tropics, and, as john foster fraser expresses it, jamaica may become the orchard of great britain. denmark is planning extensive shipping facilities in its beautiful harbor of charlotte amalia on the island of st. thomas. this island, which commands one of the principal passages from the atlantic to the caribbean sea, might to-day be a possession of the united states had this government been willing to buy it when denmark was anxious to sell. it was here that the bold pirates of the _spanish main_ hid their crews in the all but landlocked harbor, and waited for the shipping which passed through mona passage. here bluebeard's castle still stands a mute reminder of the romantic days when buccaneers dominated the _spanish main_. the north coast of south america also expects to figure largely in the new commercial map. the northern cities of venezuela are on the route from eastern south america through the canal, and on one of the natural routes from pacific ports to europe. nowhere else in the world will one find a more delightful climate or a more picturesque city or scenery than in northern venezuela. caracas, the capital, is but two hours' ride from the port of la guaira, and less than a day's journey from puerto cabello, and, while the commerce which may be developed in venezuela will, for the most part, find its outlet to the sea through the orinoco river, la guaira and puerto cabello will always prove attractive ports of call for passenger-carrying ships. the changes in the commercial situation of asia and the americas, brought about by the opening of the canal, will be many. there will be a sudden readjustment of existing trade routes and this will be followed by a long era of development of new conditions, which will be so gradual as to be almost imperceptible, and yet so immense as to excite the wonder of humanity when it stops to reckon its full effect and meaning. chapter xxxi american trade opportunities the great development of the southern part of the new world, extending from the rio grande to the strait of magellan, certain to take place as a result of the opening of the panama canal, spells opportunity for american commercial expansion. this vast territory, covering an area nearly three times as great as that of the united states, has a population of only , , . its resources have been merely scratched on the surface. its potentialities, acre for acre, are as great as those of the united states. porto rico will serve for a criterion by which to measure the future possibilities of this empire of the south. in porto rico one may see the benefits of the institution of a really good government, and the success which attends a proper effort to develop natural resources in tropical america. if american opportunities in all latin america may be measured by american successes in that island, then, indeed, the future is rich with promise. during a single decade the external commerce of this little gem of the west indies was more than quadrupled. it now amounts to some $ , , a year, and only about other countries in the world buy more goods from the american manufacturer. the expansion of internal business has kept pace with the growth of external commerce. in seven years taxable values increased from less than $ , , to more than $ , , . in a single year the amount of life insurance written in the island nearly doubled, and fire insurance increased nearly half. the exportation of sugar increased fivefold in years, and the exportation of cigars times. the population of the island has increased by half under the beneficient policies of the united states, going up from , in to , , in . during a single year porto rico buys about $ , , worth of goods from the united states, and ships practically the same amount to this country. should all latin america prove as good a customer in proportion to area as porto rico, our trade with latin america alone would be many fold greater than the entire foreign trade of the united states to-day. should all latin america, even with its present population, buy as liberally from the united states as porto rico does, we would sell annually to it nearly $ , , , worth of products. the most necessary step in developing the potentialities of latin america is to provide good and stable government. commercial statistics show how prosperity flourishes where good government reigns, and of how poverty dwells where misgovernment exists. one may go to porto rico, to jamaica, to curacao, or to st. thomas, and in each of these countries may behold the wholesome rule of northern europeans and their descendants. the people have at least those substantial rights which are necessary to the peace, happiness, and well-being of humanity; and equally without exception trade statistics show a greater foreign trade, in proportion to area and population, than is enjoyed in any country where misrule prevails. porto rico could be buried in a single lake of nicaragua; it is only one-fifty-seventh as large as central america; and yet porto rico has a foreign trade greater than all the territory from the isthmus of tehuantepec to the isthmus of panama. how to improve governmental conditions in those countries where misrule prevails is a most serious problem. had it not been for the monroe doctrine it is safe to say that not one of the republics of tropical america would be in existence today. instead, their territory would be colonial possessions of the several powerful nations, and their people would be living under the comparatively wholesome rule of those nations. as it is, in a majority of the republics south of the rio grande there is a state of affairs which makes against the development of resources and the best interests of the people. the whole theory under which these countries are governed is that primitive one: "let him take who has the power, and let him keep who can." the result is that they are republics only in name, and that the only way to change administrations is to have a revolution. revolutions mean poverty; poverty means undeveloped resources, and so in some of these countries conditions were as bad in , after nearly a century of so-called republican rule, as they were when the yoke of spain was thrown off in . how to bring about those conditions of peace and amity essential to national growth and development in these countries is the problem that has vexed more than one administration in washington. some have answered that the best way to do it is to abrogate the monroe doctrine and to let every latin american tub stand on its own bottom, a proposal that might benefit these countries vastly, but which contains many possibilities of evil to the united states. others have suggested that our experiment in porto rico offers the solution of the problem, at least so far as tropical north america is concerned. they assert that the end would justify the means, and that the planning of the same character of government in this territory that exists in porto rico today, would be the greatest godsend that the masses of the people of these countries could have. still others have advocated a "hands-off" policy so far as the rule of these countries is concerned, allowing them to fight whenever, and in whatever way, they wish, but at the same time adhering rigidly to the monroe doctrine against european interference. whatever the ultimate conclusion, it seems useless to hope for prosperity and expansion in countries whose industries constantly suffer from the galling blight of ever-recurring revolution. the great problem that lies before the american people, if the latin america of the future is to become like the anglo-saxon america of today, is that of devising a policy which will insure conditions of peace and good will in the several sword-ruled countries south of the rio grande. as matters stand today in the majority of the countries of latin america, although their governments owe their very existence to the united states, there is a feeling of antipathy against americans, which places the american exporter on an unequal footing with his european rival. there is a prejudice against americans, partly the result of a widespread feeling that the united states is the great land-grabber of the western world, but mostly the result of the attitude of a large number of americans who go into these regions. for instance, for years one could not go about the streets of mexico city without hearing some american berating the "blankety blank greasers," and asserting that the united states could take , men and capture mexico city in a two-month campaign. it happens that the mexican is a proud individual and naturally he bitterly resents such asseverations. the same is true elsewhere, and by personal contact prejudice rather than a feeling of friendship has been aroused. the european usually goes into these countries because there are few opportunities at home. he is usually representative of the best citizenship of his homeland, and quite as much the gentleman in latin america as at home. while there are a great many splendid types of american citizenship scattered throughout latin america, a greater number of people have gone there because they could not get along in the united states, and their hostile attitude toward the natives excites by far more prejudice than the better class of americans can counteract by sympathy and good feeling. americans who visit these countries expressing contempt for everything they see, and everything the people do, are the greatest hindrances to the realization of the commercial opportunities which the united states possesses in latin america. if the manufacturers of the united states are to realize to the full the benefits which may be derived from the opening of the panama canal they will have to reform their methods of dealing with the latin americans. it is just as effective to send to buyers at home catalogs written in greek or sanscrit as to send to the majority of latin americans catalogs printed in english. in traveling through these countries, endeavoring to ascertain wherein americans have failed in their efforts to get a proper share of their foreign trade, one hears on every hand the complaint that the american manufacturer seldom meets the conditions upon which their trade may be based. no satisfactory credits are given, and no effort is made to manufacture machinery fitted to their peculiar needs. agricultural machinery, for instance, which may serve admirably in the united states, is wholly out of place in many of these countries; and yet the latin american customer must either buy the surplus of these machines or go elsewhere for machinery built to answer his requirements. the european traveling salesman in these countries carries a line of goods immediately answerable to local requirements. furthermore, the european exporter understands that the system of credits in latin america is not the same as prevails in europe and the united states, and he complies with their requirements. of course, his prices are placed high enough so that he is nothing out of pocket for the seeming concessions he had made. the result is that in traveling in these countries, one meets three or four foreign "drummers" where he meets one american traveling man, in spite of their nearness to the united states. it will take years, even with the panama canal in operation, to overcome the disadvantage which bad business policy has placed upon the american manufacturers. if the opening of the panama canal spells new american commercial opportunities, it also develops a new field of international politics in which the united states must make itself the dominant factor, and in which it will have a transcendental interest. it will unquestionably give to the monroe doctrine a new importance and render its maintenance a more urgent necessity than ever. prior to this time the breaking down of the monroe doctrine would have been greatly detrimental to the interests of the united states, but from this time forth the domination of the caribbean by some other strong nation would likely prove most disastrous to american welfare. it might even lead to the loss of the canal itself, and we then would witness that great waterway transformed from a military asset of immeasureable benefit into a base of operations against us. probably the chief danger to which the monroe doctrine is exposed is from those countries whose rulers profit most by its enforcement. while the united states can control its own affairs in such a way as not to bring into question this doctrine, it is not so certain that the rulers of some of the latin american nations will always do as well. in fact, some of the countries have conducted their affairs in such a way as might have involved the united states in a war with a foreign power. the knowledge that a small tropical american republic might act so as to force the united states into a critical situation has resulted in a desire on the part of the responsible authorities at washington to exercise over the republics of the caribbean such a guiding control as would serve to prevent them, through any ill-considered or irresponsible act, from exposing the united states to dangerous controversies with foreign nations. for instance, here is a country which owes a large debt to british bondholders. it defaults on the interest for a period of years. efforts to collect are futile. finally it is decided by the president that he needs additional funds. he reaches an agreement with the representatives of the bondholders, by which they agree to refund the debt and to lend him an additional half a million dollars, upon the condition that he hypothecate the government's export tax upon coffee to secure the amortization of the refunded debt. he does so. matters move along quietly for a little while, but soon he needs additional funds. he negotiates with new york bankers, getting from them the funds he needs, and hypothecates with them the same coffee tax that he had hitherto hypothecated with the british bondholders. of course, the british bondholders protest at this impairment of their securities. he laughs at their protest. england sends a warship to his ports. he appeals loudly to the united states for the maintenance of the monroe doctrine; but the united states does not hear him, so he decides to treat the british bondholders fairly. if he had not done so, and england had been seeking to break down the monroe doctrine, an ideal opportunity would have been afforded. it is to prevent such situations as these that many americans hope that the government may devise some plan that will at once protect the united states from such menaces, and at the same time allow the people of these countries to work out their own destiny in their own way. the situation in tropical america today, with a few exceptions, seems to be that the republics have the form of liberty without its substance, and the shadow of civilization without its realities. some of them have had over fifty revolutions in as many years. some of them have been in the grip of tyrants who were as heartless in exploiting their people as was nero in ruling rome. the masses have received nothing from the government except oppression, and they live in that hopeless, heartless ignorance so well described by a spanish writer, picturing conditions in porto rico before the american occupation. we know that this picture was a true one. it was drawn in and won the prize awarded by the spanish government at the centennial celebration of the retirement of the english from this island. after dilating upon the splendors and magnificence of porto rico, this artist of the pen said of the masses: "only the laborer, the son of our fields, one of the most unfortunate beings in the world, with the pallid face, the bare foot, the fleshless body, the ragged clothing, and the feverish glance, strolls indifferently with the darkness of ignorance in his eyes. in the market he finds for food only the rotten salt fish or meat, cod fish covered with gangrenish splotches, and indian rice; he that harvests the best coffee in the world, who aids in gathering into the granary the sweetest grain in nature, and drives to pasture the beautiful young meat animals, can not carry to his lips a single slice of meat because the municipal exactions place it beyond his means, almost doubling the price of infected cod fish; coffee becomes to him an article of luxury because of its high price, and he can use only sugar laden with molasses and impurities." that picture applies to more than per cent of the people in tropical america to-day. it explains why these countries, which might be made to flow with the milk and honey of a wondrous plenty, are poverty-stricken and unable to work out a satisfactory destiny for themselves. it shows why cuba, porto rico, and jamaica to-day are rich in internal trade, and prosperous in foreign commerce, while other countries are eking out a bare and scanty existence. american commercial opportunities around the mediterranean of the west, in particular, and in latin america, in general, will reach their full when government there becomes government for the welfare of the people rather than for the aggrandizement of the ruling class. chapter xxxii the panama-pacific exposition when, on february , , the panama-pacific international exposition opens its gates to the world, in celebration of the completion of the panama canal, it expects to offer to the nations of the earth a spectacle the like of which has never been equaled in the history of expositions. it is estimated that $ , , will be spent in thus celebrating the great triumph of american genius at panama. and those who know the spirit of the people of california, who are immediately responsible to the united states and to the world for the success of the undertaking, understand that nothing will be overlooked that might please the eye, stir the fancy, or arouse the patriotism of those who journey to the golden gate to behold the wonders of this great show. the spirit that was san francisco's following the terrible calamity of april , , when the city was shaken to its foundations by a great earthquake, and when uncontrollable fire completed the ruin and devastation which the earthquake had begun, has been the spirit that has planned and is carrying to a successful culmination the panama-pacific exposition. the san francisco earthquake came as the most terrific blow that ever descended upon an american city. it left the metropolis of the pacific a mass of ruins and ashes. in five years a newer and a prouder san francisco arose from the ashes of the old, and greeted the world as the highest example of municipal greatness to which a community can rise at times when nothing is left to man but hope, and that hope is half despair. the fire destroyed , houses, leaving such a hopeless mass of débris that $ , , had to be raised to reclaim the bare earth itself. in five years , finer and better houses had taken their places. assessed values before the fire were $ , , less than five years after. bank clearings increased by a third and savings-bank deposits were greater after only five years than they were before the terrible catastrophe. it may be imagined what wonders this spirit of the golden west will accomplish when applied to the creation of an exposition. it is easy to forecast that, beautiful as have been the expositions of the past, and magnificent as has been the scale upon which they were planned, fresh palms will be awarded to san francisco and the great fair it will offer to the world in . the city of the golden gate was planning a great celebration nearly two years before the calamity which overtook it in . the first suggestion for holding a world's fair at san francisco was made on june , , when mr. r. b. hale wrote a letter to the san francisco merchants' association advising its members that it would be wise to take steps toward securing for that city a great celebration of the th anniversary of the discovery of the pacific ocean, in . the matter was agitated for a year and a half and, a little more than three months prior to the earthquake, representative julius kahn introduced in the national house of representatives a bill providing for the celebration of the discovery of the pacific, in . then followed the great catastrophe, and for the eight months next ensuing the problems of planning a new and greater san francisco demanded all the attention of the people of that city. in december, , however, the pacific ocean exposition company was incorporated with a capital stock of $ , , . by new orleans had loomed up as an aspirant for the honor of holding the great international celebration of the completion of the panama canal, and san francisco understood that time for action was at hand, and, moreover, that money raised at home for the exposition would be the most eloquent advocate before congress. realizing this, a great mass meeting was called and in two hours subscriptions amounting to $ , , were raised, headed by subscriptions of $ , each. in the fall of that year san francisco was afforded an opportunity of attesting the universality of its interest in the success of the exposition. a proposition to vote $ , , worth of bonds for the exposition was referred to the people. it carried by a vote of , to , . the state of california also gave its citizens an opportunity to show their feeling, and by a vote of , to , made available bonds for $ , , for the purposes of the exposition. the result has been that from first to last, within the confines of california's borders, a sum approximating $ , , has been raised for exposition purposes. to this, $ , , will be added by outside governments and by exhibitors and concessionaires. the fight which led to the choosing of san francisco as the city for holding the panama celebration is, for the most part, familiar history. the law under which this choice was made was signed by president taft on february , . the presidential signature was the signal for the beginning of operations looking to the completion of all of the exposition buildings a full six months ahead of the opening date. the details of the site were worked out promptly. the site selected includes the western half of golden gate park; lincoln park, which is situated on a high bluff overlooking the approach from the pacific ocean and the golden gate; and harbor view, which is an extensive tract of level land, stretching along the shore of san francisco bay and back to the hills and the principal residential portion of the city. each element in this extensive site possesses its own peculiar charm; golden gate park with its great variety of flowers and semitropical plants and trees; lincoln park with its outlook on the broad pacific and along the rugged coastline to the north; and harbor view with the golden gate to the left, a chain of climbing hills across the harbor in front, and the long sweep of bay and islands to the right. what nature has not done for the site of the exposition will be done by the art of the landscape gardener. an ocean boulevard, to be made one of the most beautiful drives in the world, will become one of the permanent memorials of the exposition. a great esplanade, planted with cypress and eucalypti and liberally provided with seats, will extend along the water's edge for about half the entire length of the exposition grounds, affording ample opportunity for the thousands of visitors to watch the great water events which will constitute one of the features of the exposition. on the south side of this esplanade the principal exposition buildings, consisting of eight great palaces, will be located. a great wall, feet high, will be built along the northern and western waterfronts for the purpose of breaking the winds which sweep down the harbor, and will be continued around the other two sides of the exposition grounds proper so as to constitute a walled inclosure which, in appearance, will remind one of the old walled towns of southern france and spain. the two principal gateways to the exposition grounds will open into great interior courts, around which the buildings will be ranged. it will be possible for the visitor to go from one building to another and complete the entire circuit of eight main exhibition palaces without once stepping from under cover. the three largest courts are named: the court of the sun and stars, the court of abundance, and the court of the four seasons. the court of abundance represents the orient, and the court of the four seasons, the occident; the court of the sun and stars, uniting the other two, will typify the linking of the orient and the occident through the completion of the panama canal. there will also be two lesser courts, known as the court of flowers and the court of palms. outside of the walled city there will be five other important exhibition palaces. the panama-pacific exposition will be different from any that has gone before. where others have been built on broad, level plains, this one will be located in one of nature's most beautiful natural amphitheaters, with the residential portions of san francisco and the towns of the surrounding country looking down upon it. the architecture will be of such a nature that will make the "fair city" indeed a fair city to behold. if chicago had its "white city," the san francisco fair will be all aglow with rich color. it will be made to harmonize with the "vibrant tints of the native wild flowers, the soft browns of the surrounding hills, the gold of the orangeries, the blue of the sea." the artist in charge of this phase of the work declares that, "as the musician builds his symphony around a motif or chord," so it became his duty to "strike a chord of color and build his symphony upon it." the one thing upon which he insisted was that there should be no white, and the pillars, statues, fountains, masts, walls, and flagpoles that are to contrast with the tinted decorations are to be of ivory yellow. even the dyeing of the bunting for flags and draperies is under the personal supervision of the artist in charge of the color scheme of the exposition. the roofs of the buildings will be harmoniously colored and the city will be a great party-colored area of red tiles, golden domes, and copper-green minarets. "imagine," said jules guerin, the artist, "a gigantic persian rug of soft melting tones with brilliant splotches here and there, spread down for a mile or more, and you may get some idea of what the panama-pacific exposition will look like when viewed from a distance." the lighting of the exposition will be by indirect illumination, affording practically the same intensity of light by night as by day. lights will be hidden behind the colonnades, above the cornices, and behind masts on the roofs. sculpture will stand out without shadow at night as by day. great searchlights, many of them concentrated upon jets of steam, and playing in varying color, will add to the beauty of the scene. even the fogs of the harbor will be made to contribute to the night effect of the exposition, and auroras will spread like draped lilies in the sky over the exhibition. the sculpture will be unique in the history of exposition-giving. that phase of the work is under the control of karl bitter. in front of the main entrance, at the tower gate, there will be an allegory of the panama canal called "energy; the lord of the isthmian way." it will be represented by an enormous horse standing on a heavy pedestal, the horse carrying a man with extended arms pushing the waters apart. in the court of the sun and stars two great sculptural fountains, typical of the rising and setting of the sun, will carry out the idea of "the world united and the land divided." in every part of the exposition scheme the sculpture will tell the story of the unification of the nations of the east and the west through the construction of the panama canal. nothing seems to have been overlooked in the plans that have been made to celebrate the opening of the panama canal at san francisco. there will be a working model of the panama canal, with a capacity of handling , people every minutes. a reproduction of the grand canyon of arizona will be another feature. the liberality of the prizes offered is indicated by the fact that premiums in the live-stock exhibits alone aggregate $ , . one of the greatest events of the exposition will be the rendezvous of representative ships from the fleets of all the nations of the earth in hampton roads in january and february, . their commanders will visit washington and be received by the president. he will return with them to hampton roads and there review what promises to be the greatest international naval display in history. after this a long procession of fighting craft, perhaps accompanied by an equally long procession of tourist steamers, private yachts, and ships of commerce, will steam out of the virginia capes and turn their prows down the spanish main to colon. here the canal authorities will formally welcome the shipping world and pass its representatives through to the pacific, whence they will sail to san francisco, there to participate in the great celebration during the months which will follow. it may be that this great procession will be headed by the u. s. s. _oregon_, whose trip around south america in proclaimed in tones that were heard in every hamlet in the united states the necessity of building the great waterway. in addition to the great exposition at san francisco, another will throw open its gates during --the panama-california exposition at san diego. this exposition will be held at a total outlay of, perhaps, $ , , . nearly $ , , is being spent on a magnificent sea wall. the san diego and arizona railway is being built on a new and lower grade for nearly miles. about $ , , will be spent in making the exposition proper in balboa park. over miles of docks and a thousand acres of reclaimed land for warehouses and factory sites will be ready when the exposition opens on january , . the fair will have acres of spanish gardens. a great indian congress and exhibit will be held, representing every tribe of north and south america. this exposition will in nowise interfere with the big show at san francisco, but will be supplemental to it. when the suez canal was finished, its opening was celebrated by the most magnificent fete of modern times, the profligate khedive ismail pasha apparently endeavoring to outdo the traditions of his mussulman predecessors, haroun al raschid and akbar. the fete lasted for four weeks, cairo was decorated and illuminated as no city, of either occident or orient, ever had been before. the expense of the month's carnival was more than $ , , . an opera house was built especially for the occasion, and verdi, the famous italian composer, was employed to write a special opera for the occasion. that the opera was "aida," and that it marked the high tide of verdi's genius, was perhaps more than might have been expected of a work of art produced at the command of an extravagant prince's gold. the canal itself was opened on november , , a procession of forty-eight ships, men of war, royal yachts and merchantmen, making the transit of the isthmus in three days' time. in the first ship was eugenie, empress of the french. in another was the emperor of austria, and in still another the prince of wales, afterwards edward vii. a more imposing gathering of imperial and royal personages never before had been witnessed, and all of them were the christian guests of the moslem ismail. when the procession of royal vessels had passed through, the captains and the kings went to cairo for the fete. the canal was open for traffic. it was significant that the first vessel to pass through in the course of ordinary business, paying its tolls, flew the british ensign. the building of the canal had wrecked egypt, financially and politically; was destined to end forever the hope of asiatic empire for france; and was to make certain england's dominion over india, a thing de lesseps and napoleon iii had intended it to destroy. the celebration of the completion of the suez canal was the wildest orgy of modern times, the last attempt to orientalize a commercial undertaking of the age of steam and steel. the celebration at san francisco will be more magnificent in its way, and will cost more money. but the millions will not be thrown away for the mere delectation of the senses of two score princes--they will be expended for the entertainment and the education of millions of people, the humblest of whom will have his full share in the celebration. from the spruce woods of maine, from the orange groves of florida, from the wide fields of the mississippi valley, from the broad plains of the colorado, from the blue ridges of the alleghenies and the snow peaks of the rockies, americans will go to the golden gate to commemorate in their american way the closer union of their states, the consummation of the journeys of columbus: the land divided--the world united. the end [illustration: a map showing the isthmus with the completed canal] index accessory transit company, accidents, amador, dr., , accounting department, american federation of labor, american clings to home habits, american federation of women's clubs, , american mind wanted canal, american rivers and harbors congress, amsterdam canal, - amundsen, amusements, , , , , , ancon hill, ancon study club, animal life, ants, appropriations for canal, aspinwall, william h., babel of american ambitions, bailey, john, balboa, , , , , barnacles, beef, price of, , beauregard, p. t. g., bitter, karl, blackburn, joseph c. s., , , , , board of consulting engineers, boswell, helen varick, bridles, british bondholders, brooke, mark, bryce, james, , buccaneers, english, bull-fighting, bunau-varilla, philippe, , , , , , burke, john, "bush dwellers," cables, caisson gates, , caledonia, camp fire girls, cantilever pivot bridges, canada, western, canal not constructed to make money, canal zone, , , , canal zone government, - , , canals, - canals, isthmian, - cargo ship, central and south american telegraph company, chagres river, , , , , , , , , , , , , chagres valley, , chain for stopping vessels, , , channel, sea-level, charles v, chauncey, henry, cheops, pyramid of, chicago drainage canal, childs, orville, choice of route, - chucunoques, civil administration, civil-service requirements, claims, adjustment of, claims for lands, clay, henry, clayton-bulwer treaty, , , , , cleveland (ship), clutches, friction, clubhouses, coaling, coaling plants, , cock-fighting, cole, h. o., collisions, colombia, , , , - colon beach, columbus, christopher, , , comber, w. g., commercial map, - commissary, - commissary department, compagnie universelle du canal interoceanique, , concession, extension of, concession to the french, concrete mixers, congress and the canal, - conquerers, spanish, constantinople, capture of, , constantinople, convention of, contra costa water company, contract system, contractor's hill, controversy with colombia, - cook, thomas f., corozal (dredge), corruption, corruption in building french canal, , cortez, hernando, cost of canal, cost of french canal, cotton production, center of, coupon books, court system, courtesy of west indian negro, courtesy of workmen, cranes, floating, cristobal, , cromwell, william nelson, , , cronstadt and st. petersburg canal, cruelty of natives, cruelty of spaniards, culebra cut, , , , , , , , - , , , , culebra mountain, , , , , , cullom, shelby m., culverts, dams, emergency, , davis, charles h., davis, george w., , death rate, debts of american republics, department store, deportation of laborers, devol, c. a., dikes, dikes of holland, "dingler's folly," diplomatic entanglements, dredges, ladder, dredges, suction, duty on imports, dynamite, , eads, james b., , eastern roman empire, eating places, economy in handling material, efficiency records, , eight-hour working day, , elections in panama, , electric current, electrical department, endicott, mordecai t., "energy; the lord of the isthmian way," engineering department, engineering difficulties, engineering project of all history, englishman defies tropics, equipment for hauling material, erie canal, expense of operating canal, extravagance in building french canal, ernst, oswald h., filibusters, french, finley, carlos, , fire department, fishing, flamenco island, flowers, foreign trade of u. s., fortifications, , - foundations, fraser, john foster, french began work in , french canal, french failure, - french panama canal company, french spent $ , , , french canal company, , , fruits, gaillard, d. d., , gamboa, gatun dam, , , , , , - , , - , , gatun lake, , , , , , , , , , , , , goethal, george washington, , , , , - , gold hill, golf links, good hope, cape of, gorgas, william c., , , , , government ownership of railways, graft, "great undertaker," guayaquil, gudger, h. a., guerin, jules, gulf states, hains, peter c., handling the traffic, - hanna, marcus a., , harding, chester, harrod, benjamin a., hay, john, hay-herran treaty, , , , , hay-pauncefote treaty, , , , , , health of canal workers, heat of the tropics, hepburn, william p., high cost of living, hise, elijah, hodges, harry f., , honolulu, hoosac tunnel, hospitals, , , hotels, , , hunter, henry, hunting, , hydraulic excavation, hydraulic fill, ice plant, ice, price of, iguana, immigration, incas society, injury to the canal, international commerce, isthmian canal commission, , , , , , , , , , , , , johnson, emory h., , , kahn, julius, kaiser-wilhelm canal, - kid canal, - knox, philander c., , labor in passing ships through, , laborers, land, prices of, laws of canal zone, , lesseps, ferdinand de, , , - lidgerwood cableways, lidgerwood dirt car, lidgerwood dirt trains, lidgerwood flat cars, , life on the zone, - lighting of locks, liquor question, lloyd, j. a., lloyds, lock canal, , , , , , lock machinery, - locks, , , , - , , , locomotives, electric, - lottery, , loulan, j. a., lusitania, machinery, dependable, machinery, abandoned, machinery, value of, mackenzie, alexander, magellan, magellan, straits of, magoon, charles e., , , , "making the dirt fly," malaria, , , , , man-made peninsula, manchester ship canal, , , manila, manson, sir patrick, , manufacturers of u. s., margarita island, maritime canal company, , markets, marriage, married men more content, materia medica of panamans, matrimony, premium on, mears, frederick, melbourne, menocal, a. g., metcalf, richard l., miraflores, , , , , , , , , , mississippi valley, mistakes in building, mahogany, money for building always ready, monroe doctrine, , , , morgan, henry, morgan, john t., mosquito coast, mosquitoes, , , , - , , naos island, , national geographic society, national institute, naval display, navy, efficiency of, negroes, - nelson, horatio, new caledonia, new granada, new panama canal company, , , , - , , - , , nicaraguan canal, , , , , , , , nicaraguan canal commission, nombre de dios, , north sea canal, - olympic, operating force, - orchids, oregon (u. s. ship), organization, - organization of government on canal zone, pacific ocean exposition company, pacific steamer navigation company, palmer, aaron h., pan american conference, panama, , , , , , , - panama, bay of, panama-california exposition, panama canal company, , panama city, , panama-pacific exposition, - panama (republic), , , - panama railroad, , , , , , , , , , panama railroad steamship line, pay-day, , pay of americans, paying off canal army, pedro miguel, , , , , , , pennsylvania tubes, perico island, , pilots, canal, police force, , population of the zone, porto rico, - position of canal, postal service, prize fighting, purchase of material, quartermaster's department, , quellenec, f., railroads opposed to canal, rates, passenger, rates, railroad, rating of employees, reed, walter, reimbursement to owners of vessels for accidents, rental for canal zone, religious activities, roads, , , robinson, tracy, , root, elihu, ross, roland, , rosseau, armand, rourke, w. g., rousseau, harry h., , , royal mail steam packet company, safety appliances, safety for ships, sailing ships, death blow to, salaries, san blas indians, san diego and arizona railway, san francisco earthquake, - sanitary department, sanitation, - , , , sault ste. marie canal, , , - saville, caleb m., , school system, schools, night, sea-level canal, , , , , - secret societies, servants, , shanton, george r., shaw, albert d., ship railway, , , shipping routes, international, shonts, theodore p., , shovels, steam, , sibert, william l., , simplon tunnel, site of exposition, slides, , smith, jackson, , social diversion, society of the chagres, , soda fountain, "soo" locks, spanish american war veterans, spanish language, study of, , spanish main, spillway, , , , spooner, john c., steamship lines, stegomyia, , , , stevens, john f., , , , , , , stoney gate valves, strangers' club, street-car system, strikes, suez canal, , , - , , suez canal rules, supplies for building canal free of duty, switches, limit, tabernilla, taboga island, taboga sanitarium, taft, wm. howard, , tehuantepec, isthmus of, , tehuantepec railroad, tierra del fuego, thatcher, maurice h., tivoli hotel, , titanic marine stairway, tolls, , - , toro point, , , towing, track shifter, trade opportunities, - traffic, , tramp steamer, transcontinental tonnage, transportation of material excavated, traveling salesmen, - treaties with colombia and panama, tropics, diseases of, type of canal, university club, vaccination of negroes, vanderbilt, cornelius, voting, , wages, , wallace, john findley, , , washington hotel, washington monument, , , water, control of, water supply, , watertight material, wickedness of the city of panama, williams, e. j., , williamson, s. b., wilson, eugene t., wilson, t. d., wire screens, women's clubs, , women's federation of clubs, wood, leonard, workmen, - wyse, lucien napoleon bonaparte, , yellow fever, , , , , , , , yellow fever commission, young men's christian association, , , the american government the book that shows uncle sam at work by frederic j. haskin this is the only book that tells accurately and without partisan bias just what the working machinery of the great american government accomplishes for its people. it has been endorsed by scores of public officials, has been placed in hundreds of libraries, studied in thousands of schools and read by hundreds of thousands of americans. it is the book woodrow wilson read on the night of his election to the presidency. it will hold your interest whether you are nine or ninety, a man or woman, boy or girl. _illustrated._ published by j. b. lippincott company philadelphia * * * * * the immigrant an asset and a liability by frederic j. haskin the author has succeeded to a remarkable degree in investing the subject of immigration with intense interest. the story of the greatest human migration of all the ages is told in vivid, incisive and picturesque style. the three centuries of this great world movement are spread out before the reader like a panoramic parade of all nations. accurate historical statement, philosophic presentation of the underlying principles and a judicial consideration of the ultimate influence on our country characterize this latest and in many respects most satisfactory and complete handbook. _illustrated._ published by fleming h. revell company new york * * * * * _the haskin letter_ the daily letter by frederic j. haskin has more readers than any other newspaper feature in the united states. its great popularity is due to its accurate presentation of worth-while information. * * * * * the new freedom by woodrow wilson certain it is that the more pertinent phase: of present day conditions have never been more simply and more luminously set forth. the large, free lines in which the story is told, the easy style of extemporaneous talk, the homely illustrations, remove every impediment from the reader's mind and give to each sentence the tang of life. every phrase is fresh as a may morning, and every thought is quick with life. _fifth large printing_ doubleday, page & co. garden city new york * * * * * transcriber's note: variations in spelling, punctuation and hyphenation have been retained except in obvious cases of typographical error. facing page : the photo of george goethals includes a signature. the illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up paragraphs, thus the page number of the illustration might not match the page number in the list of illustrations. none the hero of panama a tale of the great canal by captain f. s. brereton author of "under the chinese dragon," "tom stapleton, the boy scout," "the great aeroplane," "indian and scout," &c. illustrated by william rainey, r.i. blackie and son limited london glasgow and bombay [illustration: jim rescues phineas barton] contents chap. page i. a post of responsibility ii. en route for new york iii. jim partington shows his mettle iv. relating to phineas barton v. the ways of the steam digger vi. a shot in the dark vii. the lair of the robbers viii. in hot pursuit ix. jim becomes a mechanic x. running the gauntlet xi. barely escaped xii. an american undertaking xiii. hustle the order of the day xiv. the runaway spoil train xv. jaime de oteros forms plans xvi. the major forms his parties xvii. on the track of miscreants xviii. rescue by moonlight xix. jim meets with a surprise xx. success to the panama canal illustrations page jim rescues phineas barton _frontispiece_ "stand away from those boats" jim in a tight corner waiting for the enemy attacked by natives "jim tugged with all his might" the rescue of sadie "it's george, george come back to life!" the hero of panama [illustration: the panama canal] chapter i a post of responsibility it was one of those roasting days in the caribbean, when, in spite of a steady trade wind, the air felt absolutely motionless, and the sea took on an oily surface from which the sun flashed in a thousand directions, in rays that seemed to have been lent some added fierceness by the reflection. squish! squelsh! the ground surf, which was hardly perceptible from the coast, and scarcely so from the deck of a liner, was apparent enough from the old tub which wallowed in it. she rolled in a manner that was sickening to behold, until at times her scupper ports took in water, then a surge of the ocean would take her in a different direction; she would dive forward, dipping her nose in the oily sea till the hawser which had been passed out over her stern, secured to a large anchor, brought her up with a jerk and tumbled her backwards with her stern rail awash. ugh! it was enough to make a white man groan. even a nigger would have been inclined to grumble. but the chinamen aboard the tub seemed, if anything, rather to enjoy this rocking. one of them stood almost amidships, his feet wide apart to preserve his balance, while he gripped the handle of the pump he was working, and turned it over and over with a monotonous regularity that seemed to match with his surroundings. the man, who was barefooted, boasted of the very lightest of clothing, and wore his pigtail rolled in a coil at the back of his head. other protection against the roasting sun he had none. indeed, to look at him, he hardly seemed to need it, while the hot blast which came from the adjacent land passed over him without any apparent effect. ching hu was in his element. "nicee place, missee," he sang out after a while. "plenty nicee and warmee. stay long? no? velly solly." on he went, turning the handle without a pause, while there crept into his slanting eyes just a trace of disappointment. he sighed ever so gently, then assumed his accustomed expression. not the wisest man in all the world could have said whether ching hu were happy or otherwise. just about ten feet from him, sheltered beneath a narrow awning of dirty canvas, a girl stood on the deck of the small ship, or, rather, she occupied a projection which overhung the water. had this vessel been a liner, one would have guessed that this projection was the gangway from which the ladder descended towards the water to enable passengers to come aboard. but here a rapid inspection proved it to be merely a platform built out from the side, and suspended some eight feet from the surface of the ocean. from it a clear view of the ship's side was to be obtained, and, in these wonderfully clear waters, of the sandy bottom of the lagoon at whose entrance the vessel was moored. and it was upon the latter, upon the bottom of this heaving ocean, that sadie partington's eyes were directed. "ching," she called out suddenly, turning towards him, "i think they'll be coming up right now. call the boys." "you sure, missee? yes? velly well." ching hu raised his eyebrows quaintly as he asked the question, and on receiving a nod from the girl, who at once turned to stare into the water, he raised his voice and called aloud in a sing-song style which would have made a stranger laugh. "tom, tom!" he shouted. "you comee now wid sam. wanted plenty soon." a black face popped instantly from the caboose leading to the cabin--a big, round face, the face of a negro of some thirty years of age. then the shoulders came into view, and following them the whole figure of the man. he stood for a moment or two on the topmost step, balancing himself against the edge of the caboose, one hand gripping a plate, while the other vigorously polished it with a cloth. it gave one an opportunity of thoroughly inspecting this negro, and promptly one was filled with a feeling of pleasure. it was not because tom was handsome, for he was the reverse of that. nature had, indeed, liberally provided him with nose and lips, so much so that those two portions of his physiognomy were the most prominent at first sight. but if his nose were somewhat flattened and decidedly wide, and his lips undoubtedly big and prominent, tom was possessed of other features which counterbalanced these detractions. his eyes seemed to attract attention at once. they seemed to smile at all and sundry on the instant, and flash a message to them. they were shining, honest eyes, which looked as if they could do nothing else but smile. then the man's mouth completed his appearance of joviality; between the lips a gleaming double row of ivories were always to be seen, for tom's smile was permanent. the smallest matter was sufficient to increase it, when the negro's ample face would be divided by a gaping chasm, a six-foot smile that could not be easily banished--the prelude to a roar of mirth and of deep-toned, spontaneous laughter. as for the rest of him, tom was a monster. six-feet-three in height, he was broad and thickset, and beside the dainty figure of sadie partington had the appearance of a veritable elephant. "what you say, chinaboy?" he asked, regarding the placid individual working the pump. "come plenty soon, eh?" "ye-e-s. missee say now." "den dinner be spoiled for sure. taters boiled to rags ef i wait little minute. stew no good ef left on fire for longer dan five minute. missee, what you say dey doin'? they ain't gwine ter move yet?" "call sam; you know as well as i do that the stew won't be spoiled. come now, they're going to signal." sadie turned upon the negro with a frown, then again bent her eyes towards the bottom of the sea; for the girl was always ill at ease when the divers were working. somehow or other, since her brothers had taken to this particular profession--and she had accompanied them upon their various trips--she had felt impelled to take upon herself the duty of watching them at work. she was only eleven now, though tall and old for her age, and for a year past she had almost daily taken her post on that tiny gangway to watch the two figures moving in the water below. for hours together she would be on the deck of this little boat, careless of the sun and heat, superintending the action of the pump and waiting for signals from the divers. and to ching hu, tom, and the others her veriest nod was law. it was useless to argue with her: sadie had a way of stamping her small foot which meant a great deal, and set all the men running to do her bidding. it was, therefore, with some show of alacrity that tom prepared to follow his instructions. "you chinaboy," he commanded, grinning at a second chinaman, who occupied the little galley down below, "yo make sure not boil de taters too much, and sniff dat stew. not burn um, or, by de poker, tom make yo smile. yo comprenez what i say? eh?" he grinned one of his most expansive grins, and the chinaman responded in a similar manner. he jerked his head in tom's direction, thrusting it out of the galley door as he did so, and sending his pigtail flying. his little, pig-like eyes rolled while he brandished an enormous wooden spoon. "ling knowee eberyting," he lisped. "see to dinner fine. hab de stew beautiful." "den yo come along, yo sam, lazy feller," shouted tom at the pitch of his voice. "whar yo got to, boy? i gives yo de biggest--oh, so yo dare!" he exclaimed, as a negro came from the after gangway, where a small ladder led to some of the men's quarters. "yo's been sleepin'." tom held out an accusing finger, and gripped his comrade by the bare arm; for, without shadow of doubt, sam's eyes were blinking. he had the appearance of a man who has just awakened. but the negro shook his head vigorously. "yo let go my arm, tom, yo big elephant," he said, grinning widely. "i'se been down b'low fetchin' a bucket o' coal. what yo want?" "missie dar order us both; de boys is comin' up." tom still gripped the second negro, and playfully lifted him from off his feet as if he were merely a child, then he set him down against the ship's rail, while the two at once stared into the water. truly they might have been described as brothers, so very alike were tom and sam in appearance. in fact, had their two heads been alone protruding from a window even sadie would have been troubled to distinguish between them; but the similarity ended with the faces. tom was huge, sam was barely five feet in height, and slim in proportion; but he seemed to have inherited all the dignity which tom had missed. merry enough at all times, sam was inclined to be a trifle pompous, and of a sunday, when in port, his get-up generally was sufficient to open the eyes of everyone who beheld him. now, however, his feet were bare, and he wore but a shirt and loose cotton trousers. let us join them at the rail and stare over into the water. beneath the oily surface a wide stretch of yellowish-white sand was spread out on every hand, till it became a greenish tinge, and was finally lost in the blurr of the ocean; but directly beneath the ship it sparkled in the sun, while one could easily see the tiniest prominence, the few rocks existing here and there, and the deep shadow of the ship riding to her anchors. a derrick was rigged out over the rail, close to the platform occupied by sadie, and from this was suspended a long wooden ladder, with ponderous weights attached to its lower end. close at hand, through a sort of stirrup, passed a couple of ropes, while the piping conveying air to those below ran out over the gangway. it was there, too, that the smaller signal lines were attached. as tom and sam looked over, their eyes caught the reflection from two metal objects down below, and very soon the latter became apparent as the helmets of the divers. they could see the two--for there were that number at work--seated on a huge boulder, side by side, while within some fifteen feet of them were the broken timbers and debris of what had once upon a time been a vessel. "they've sat like that this past fifteen minutes," explained sadie. "seems that there's nothing to be found in the wreck. they'll be wanting to be hauled aboard in a minute. there's george moving." as she spoke, one of the helmets swung slowly backwards, while the eyes inside peered aloft. then there came a jerk at the life line. sadie instantly responded. "coming up," she said. "get a hold of the tackle, boys." she still kept her place, superintending operations, while tom and sam together gripped the tackle, and, having pulled gently at first, began to haul lustily. in a little while one of the divers had reached the foot of the weighted ladder. at once the tackle was slacked off, while all watched the man slowly ascending from the depths, dipping deeper as the swell rolled the ship, and coming nearer the surface as she returned to an even keel. then, with a squelch, the top of the shining helmet broke through the surface, the man reached the rail, and was lifted aboard. sadie proceeded at once to loosen the screws securing the helmet to the rest of the dress, and lifted the huge metal globe from off the shoulders of the seated man. "what luck, george?" she asked impetuously, staring anxiously into his face, and noticing how tired the man seemed, and how sallow he was. "you found something? it's going to pay?" "not if we work a year at it," came the answer in a dull, despondent tone of voice. "help me to get this dress off, sadie, my dear. i'm burning in it. i've felt smothered, so hot that i couldn't work down below. jim's coming up at once." the second diver was, in fact, already being hauled up, and anyone who happened to have watched the first make his ascent from the depths would at once have remarked the difference between the two. for the diver who now sat on a box on the swaying deck of the small vessel was bigger than he who was ascending; at the same time his movements had been far less active. the one now nearing the top of the ladder clambered up the rungs with the agility of a cat, in spite of the fact that every foot he rose made the weights he carried on his back and chest and on his boots all the heavier. his helmet shot out of the water with a burst, as the vessel rolled heavily, pulling the ladder up, only to throw it back at once. "you hold on dar tight, yo, massa jim," shouted tom, as he leaned over the rail. "yo tink dis all a beanfeast. not so when de ship roll so much. s'pose yo lose de hold. buzz! yo go right down to de bottom and stay dere fer good. huh! come in." he gripped the extended hand of the diver, hauled the boy aboard, and promptly seated him on a second box. three minutes later the helmet was off, and one had an opportunity of contrasting the young fellow who had appeared with the diver who had first of all ascended. the latter was a young man of twenty-five perhaps, and, as we have said, was decidedly sallow and unhealthy-looking; in fact, natural good looks were marred not a little by his complexion. but with the one who had been addressed as jim it was different. the young fellow was barely seventeen years of age, and his rosy cheeks displayed the fact that diving did not disagree with him. then, too, his voice was so different. it was crisp and laughing, and anything but despondent; while, when he had rid himself of his diving weights and of his heavy boots, and was on his feet, one saw that he was of a good height, held himself well, and moved with the quick step that one might have expected from having seen him clamber from the depths of the ocean. but there was concern in his face when sadie called him. "george don't feel over well, jim," she called out. "he said a minute back that he was burning hot; now he's downright shivering." "fever," said jim promptly, taking his brother's hand. "tom, there, just leave sam and ching to haul in the tackle. i want you." "sah, what for? de master ill?" even his smile was almost gone as he looked at george with eyes which were startled and wide open, for the happy-go-lucky tom, so unused to sorrow or sickness, could tell at a glance that his young employer was anything but himself. "get along and fetch a bed on deck," commanded jim; "then rig a shelter over it. best place it right aft; there's more room, and you'll be able to pull the awnings over better. george'll stay on deck; it's too hot down below." pulling his diving suit off hurriedly, he helped his sister to disrobe the sick man; then, with tom at george's head and jim at his feet, they carried him aft and laid him on the bed already prepared. sadie at once took her seat beside him, armed with a fan, while the negro, tom, hastened to fetch water from the big canvas sack in which it was placed every day to cool. a strong dose of quinine was given to the sick man, and thereafter there was little to do but to watch him and tend to his immediate needs. "we'll get up anchor and make right off for colon," said jim, as he stood beside his sister, some little distance from the bed. "there's nothing down there to salve, and we're wasting time and money. better get back and see if there isn't another job to be had. this salvage work ain't paying us at all. we're losing heavily. guess we'll have to get back on to the land." even he was a little despondent as he spoke, for matters had indeed not been going well for george, jim, and sadie. americans born, one only of the three could remember their mother; for she had died shortly after sadie's birth. but their father was a constant and pleasant memory to them all, for he had been with them till six months previously. a diver by profession, mr. silas partington had managed to save a few dollars, and had bought up a salvage plant, with which for a while he had done excellent business. then he had met with a grave misfortune. he and those whom he employed had worked for weeks at the salving of a sunken steamer, and had actually brought her to the surface and commenced to tow her into shallow water, when an accident had happened. the bulkhead which they had bolted across the huge rent made in the ship's side by a collision that had sent her to the bottom had, for some unforeseen reason, blown out. the air which had been forced into the vessel, and which had expelled nearly all the water in her, thus bringing her to the surface, had escaped at once, and down she had gone under the ocean; but on that occasion she had found her bed in a deep hollow, where diving was impossible. "it just broke father," said george, when describing the thing to jim. "he lost heavily. there were weeks of work paid for, besides valuable plant lost. it brought him down to this." "this" was the purchase of an old vessel, and the seeking of salvage jobs along the caribbean coast. silas had brought his children with him--george because he was already a partner, jim and sadie because he could not afford to keep them on the mainland. the cruise along the coast of mexico had proved disastrous, for silas had been blown overboard during one of those terrible tornadoes which occasionally sweep the gulf, and george was left to fend for the family--an undertaking he found none too easy. jobs were few and far between, and that wretched caribbean swell, together with a shifting, sandy bottom, made salvage work extremely difficult. the coffers of the partington family were, indeed, already very empty, and the time was at hand when the ship must be sold to pay wages. and now george was down with fever. "it's this hole of a place," growled jim, as he thought the matter out that evening. "a man can't work off this fever-stricken coast and escape it. we'll get back to america. somehow or other we'll manage to get work." early that evening george again was in a high, burning fever, and needed careful watching; but as the night wore on he quietened down. during the first hours of the morning the terrible burning again seized the sick man, and in a moment, as it seemed, he awoke in a frenzy and leaped from his bed. dashing jim aside as if he were a child, and knocking sam to the deck, he leaped over the rail and splashed into the water. in the dim light they watched him striking out for the shore, and as they followed in the dinghy they saw him clamber on to the mud banks and enter the forest. but though jim searched high and low, and lay off that pestilential part for a solid week, often repeating his search in the forest, there was never any trace of his brother. the sick man was utterly swallowed up by the jungle. "dead?" asked sadie sorrowfully, her young cheeks hollowed by the trouble. jim nodded. "sure," he said, with emphasis. "dropped in some corner and never rose again. there's no manner of use searching further. sadie dear, we've got to get ashore and set up somewhere for ourselves. i've got to be father and brother and everything to you." that, indeed, was the position of affairs. sadie was too young to look to her own fortunes, while jim was none too old. but an american lad can make as good a struggle as anyone: jim swore that he would. he had long since tried to remember friends of his father's, but had given the matter up as hopeless. there were only ching, tom, and sam, all three of whom had been employed on the salvage plant, and were old servants. "too poor to help us, anyway," he thought. "they'll easily get employment, and will go their own way. i'll have to hunt out a job in new york. i'll take anything that'll give me enough to feed and give a roof to sadie. besides, there's the boat; there'll be a little left for her when all the wages are paid." "and i ain't gwine ter be dismissed, not nohow," said tom, when jim told the jolly negro of his plans. "me and sam and ching's been doin' a jaw. we're a-goin' to hold on to you and missie. we're all a-goin' ter get work together till you've made a pile fer yerself and can give us employment. yo ain't no right ter order us away." thus it happened that jim, having sold the boat and effects at colon, went aboard a coaster bound for new york, sadie and tom and sam, with the chinaman, accompanying him. "there's five hundred dollars in this bag," he told his sister. "that'll keep the wolf away till we've had time to look round. don't you fear, sadie; we'll land upon something good yet, and, who knows, one of these days, perhaps, i'll make that pile that tom's always talking about. but guess it'll want a heap of doing." chapter ii en route for new york "wanted, hands to help in building construction down town, new york." the advertisement caught jim's eye as soon as he looked at the newspaper which happened to be aboard the coaster on which he and sadie and the others were voyaging to new york, and fascinated him. "see here, sadie," he said. "it'll be just the thing. there must be heaps of jobs which i could do, even though i have no knowledge of building. carrying bricks and so on, you know. there will be good wages, and the money will keep us going while i look round. eh?" "and perhaps there'll be a firm working in the docks round new york," ventured the wise sadie. "then you'd be able to get a job at diving. i shouldn't mind there; it isn't as dangerous. this building work would give tom and sam and ching jobs too." "sure!" exclaimed jim, beginning at once to feel less despondent. not that this young american was apt to be downcast for long. but we must tell the whole truth concerning him. the heavy responsibilities so suddenly cast upon his shoulders, and the persistent ill fortune of the family, had somewhat upset his nerves, and robbed him of a little of his accustomed jollity. still, with five hundred dollars behind him, and this advertisement before his eyes, he felt that the far future might be left to take care of itself; for the immediate prospects were brightening. "we'll take the job, the whole lot of us," he said, as they sat on the deck in the dusk discussing matters. "we'll take a little tenement down in the working quarters. you'll housekeep, sadie, and we four will go and earn dollars. gee! there's no frightening me. this thing was beginning to get on top of me, and bear me down; but now, not a bit of it. i'll win out; one of these days i'll own a salvage plant of my own." it is better to face difficulties brightly and with full courage than tackle them half-heartedly. jim felt all the stronger for his courage, and paced the deck alone that night with hopes raised, and with full assurance for the future. "i'll get a widow woman, or someone respectable like that, to come and help sadie keep house," he said to himself. "it'll be company for her while i'm away. and of course there's her education: she'll have to have more schooling. we've rather forgotten that she's still only a child, for she behaves as if she were grown up." that was, indeed, one of the pathetic items in the history of jim's family. his father, silas, had been pressed as it were into a course of action which meant a sudden cessation of all home life for sadie, and which brought the child amongst grown-up men when she should have been at school, with some of her own sex about her, and playmates to romp with. circumstances had, in fact, acted adversely both for silas and his daughter. "but we'll alter all that," jim told himself. "heigho! i'm for turning in." he paced the deck once or twice more, then crept down the companion. he was nearing the bottom, when his progress was suddenly arrested by a shout. "what's that?" he wondered. "came from right forward." curiosity caused him to run nimbly up the steps again. his head was just emerging from the opening when the shout was repeated, while it was taken up instantly by men above his head, on the bridge of the ship. at the same moment there came the tinkle of the engine telegraph. "port! port your helm! hard a port!" he heard the lookout shout from his post on the forecastle. "ship ahead! port your helm!" "hard astern, mr. dingle! hard astern!" came in steady but sharp tones from the bridge, then there followed once more the tinkle of the telegraph. jim felt the tremble and throb of the engines suddenly die down; indistinct shouts came to him from somewhere in the interior of the coaster. then the engine throbs recurred furiously, as if the ship were making a frantic effort. crash! he was thrown hard against the combing of the gangway, his head striking the woodwork heavily, so that he was partially stunned. that and the succeeding jar, as the coaster came end on into the bows of another steamer, toppled jim over. he lost his foothold, and rolled down the steps into the gangway down below. then he picked himself up, feeling dazed and giddy, and for a moment held tight to a pillar supporting the deck. "a collision," he told himself. "a bad one too--full tilt into one another. it's shaken the electric light out. lucky they keep an emergency oil lamp going." the temptation to dash up on deck was strong within him, and had he been alone on the vessel, with none to care for, no doubt he would have obeyed the inclination. but there was sadie; jim was her protector. he dashed at once towards her cabin, and came upon her at the doorway, looking frightened. "there's been a collision, sadie, dear," he said, endeavouring to keep his voice quiet. "guess we may have to move; let me come in and fix you." the child was not undressed, fortunately, and jim at once pushed into the cabin, groped for one of the cork life preservers which are placed in overhead racks, and adjusted it to her body. "now," he said, "bring a warm coat, and leave the other things. ah, here's tom!" "sah; me here, right enough. you's not hurt, nor missie?" "not a scratch, tom. just take sadie right up on deck and stand beside her. that sam?" in the dusk outside there was a second figure, and behind that another. the faithful negroes, and ching hu, the chinaman, had rallied at once to their youthful master. "me, in course," cried the little sam. "guess this here's a collision. but we ain't got no cause to mind; not at all, not at all, missie." "get life belts, put them on, and then go on deck," said jim shortly. "sadie, take charge of this bag of dollars. i'm going up to see what's happened." conscious that he had done all that was possible, and that sadie was now in excellent hands, he turned and made for the companion, directing tom to take the whole party on deck, and wait for him near the companion. with a few active steps he was there himself, and able to look about him. there was a slight sea fog enveloping the ship, through which, a hundred yards away, shone the lights of a steamer. shouts came from her deck, while her siren was blowing frantically. on board the craft on which he himself stood there was also considerable noise and confusion. a couple of lights were swaying right forward, and running there jim saw that a man was being slung over the bows in a rope's end. right aft, where were quarters for steerage passengers, there was the sound of many voices, shouts, and hoarse cries of alarm, and once the shrill shriek of a woman. "how'd it happen?" he asked one of the deck hands standing near him. "how do most of these here things happen, siree?" came the answer. "this here fog did it. the lookouts war bright enough; but reckon the two ships jest bumped clean into the same course, and didn't see one another till their bows was touchin'. we're holed badly, i'm thinking. you take my advice, and get hold of your traps." jim leaned over the rail, and stared at the man swinging in the rope's end. the lantern he carried showed a huge rent in the bows of the ship, while the sound of rushing water came to his ears. "six feet by five, down under the water line, mostly," came from the man. "you'd better be slinging me over a sailcloth or something, or else the water'll fill her." "they'll never do it," thought jim, staring at the rent. "i've been enough on board ships to know what this means. i'll get back and see that sadie's safe." he ran back to the companion, where he discovered his friends seated on the hatchway. "tom," he said, "come along below with me. we shall have to take to the boats, and the sooner we've food with us the better. lead along to the galley." "purser's store, sah; i knows very well. you say we gwine ter leave de ship." "she's holed badly; she's bound to founder, i guess." "den de lor' help us!" groaned tom. "you listen here, sah. forty spaniard workmen living aft. dey play de dickens. dey fight for de boats. not like dat at all. tom say dat dere be trouble." the mention of the men who had taken passage aft caused jim some amount of perturbation. he had noticed them as he came aboard, and it was because of their presence on the ship that he had taken passage for himself and sadie amidships. "i'd have gone steerage with her had it not been for those dagoes," he had told himself. "there's little enough money to spare nowadays for luxuries; but they're a rough crowd, and i wouldn't like sadie to be amongst them." it had followed that he and sadie had taken berths amidships, while tom and sam and ching had, as a natural course, got places aft. jim realized, now that tom reminded him of the fact, that the spaniards on the ship might prove a greater danger to them than the foundering of the vessel. "guess they're a rough crowd, and likely to lose their heads," he said aloud. "let's get some food quick, tom, and then see what's happening. we'll keep close together." they ran along the alley way towards the purser's store, and, finding the door closed, tom burst it in with a mighty heave from his shoulder. jim snatched one of the hanging oil lanterns, and together they made a hurried survey of the contents. "here's a sack; hold it open, tom," commanded jim. he ran his eyes round the shelves, then, without hesitation, pitched tins of preserved beef, of milk, and of other foodstuffs into the sack. in little more than a minute it was full to the neck. "get ahead," said jim promptly. "i'll bring along this cask." he stuffed a metal cup into one pocket, and hoisted a small cask of beer on to his shoulder. had he been able to make a careful selection he would have sought for water; but in an emergency beer would do as well as anything, and already he knew that time was very limited. indeed the ship had already a bad list on her; she leaned so much to one side that walking was difficult, while she was down at the head so that his return to the companion was made uphill. but in a little while the two arrived, panting, at the top of the companion, tom bearing the lantern with him. "holy poker! but dere's the duce of a row aft, massa," sang out sam, seeing them arrive. "i tink dem men is trying to put out de boats." "how many are there?" asked jim quickly. "seven, i tink. one just here; the others aft. not like de noise dem scum make." jim had never been aboard a vessel under similar circumstances, and had therefore never experienced the confusion which follows a collision. he had read of such affairs, and had marvelled at the wonderful coolness and discipline maintained in some cases. then he had heard of very opposite results, where men had lost their heads, and where they had fought, each for his own individual safety, as if they were wild beasts. remembering the class of individual who had taken passage aboard this coaster, he could not help but wonder whether discipline would be maintained on this occasion. the shouts, the babel of sounds coming from the stern, seemed to indicate the opposite. "see here, tom," he said, when he had listened for a while. "you and ching will stay right here by this boat, taking care of sadie. just give a look to the tackle, swing her out, and put all the grub on board. best put sadie there also. sam and i'll get along right now to see what's being done. the captain maybe'll want some help. those fellows along there appear to be fighting like demons." "den you git along, sah. me and sadie'll be all right. ching hu, yo chinaboy, jest you hoist dat cask aboard, and mind yo don't let um tumble." that was the best of the huge negro; he could be depended upon to keep his head, while his devotion to sadie was without question. jim felt no qualms as to his sister's security as he dashed forward again, sam close at his heels. a minute later he met a little group coming towards him swiftly. it was the captain of the vessel, with his two officers, and some half-dozen men. "it's a case with us," jim heard him say as the group came to a halt. "she'll be down in half an hour, and that don't give us too much time to get ready. mr. jarvis, jest hop down to the engine room and tell 'em all to come up. quartermaster, guess you'd best make a round of all the cabins; there's time for that, and we want to see that no one's left. you others had best come along with me: we've got to fix those fellows aft. they tell me they're fighting like rats to get the boats out. we'll have to stop 'em. glad i am there's so few women aboard. what about the young lady amidships?" "she's safe, captain," broke in jim at once. "i've put her in charge of one of my negroes and the chinaman. she's been placed in the boat by the companion, and we've got food and drink there also. i'm ready to come along and help you aft." there was a lantern swinging in the captain's hand. he lifted it coolly, for there was no trace of flurry about this solid-looking man, and closely scrutinized jim's features. "gee!" he exclaimed, reaching out to shake his hand. "you're the sort of chap a skipper's glad to know. you've seen to the safety of the sister, as is only right, and now you come along shoulder to shoulder with us. guess there'll be bad trouble back there." "guess there will," answered jim. "they're fighting, if one can judge by the noise." "jest like tigers, and they'll take some quelling. look here; get a hold of anything handy and don't stand no nonsense. we can't afford to take lip from any of those spaniards. ef a man shows a knife, lay him flat on the deck. come along." he led the way swiftly along the deck, and the handful of men with him followed closely, picking up any likely weapon as they went. jim possessed himself of an axe handle. it was long, and moderately heavy, while sufficiently tough to withstand any blow. he swung it up over his shoulder and took his place beside the captain and his mate. in a minute they had arrived at the rail from which one overlooked the small waist of the vessel, where the steerage passengers were accommodated. an oil lamp hung from the boom, which was housed in its crutches over the waist, and the feeble rays served to show what was happening. there were a couple of boats on either side of the deck, and about these a seething mass of men fought. without knowledge of the sea, having no idea how to swing the boats out, and no order or method, the result of the frantic efforts of these foreign workmen had been disastrous in one case at least. one of the boats hung suspended from the tackles, while its stern washed in the water below, spars and oars and sails having been tumbled out of it. the other three still hung in their davits, and had been hoisted by the tackles from the crutches placed between their keels and the decks. as the captain and his men arrived, some of the men below were tugging at the tackles, while others were cutting the canvas covers of the boats adrift with their knives. in one corner of the waist of the ship three women were huddled, two men being engaged in a desperate fight within three feet of them. "down below there!" bellowed the captain. "stand away from those boats." [illustration: "stand away from those boats"] he might have spoken to a party of dead men for all the effect his words had. the frantic individuals down below seemed not to have heard them. they still went on with the work of preparing the boats, though it was clear to everyone that, what with their eagerness and their utter selfishness, the hoisting out, if left to them, would end only in disaster. "down below there, you dogs!" shouted the captain. "stand away there! fall in in the centre of the deck." he repeated his words in spanish, for a skipper who sails those seas soon acquires a considerable vocabulary; but his orders fell upon deaf ears only, and all the while time was flying, the ship was settling, the moment when she would founder was drawing dangerously nearer. "guess we've got to fix 'em in our own way," said the captain, turning on his little party. "see here, we'll get down this port ladder, beat the men back from the two boats there, and then tackle the others. jest keep close together, and ef there's opposition don't be too gentle. this ain't the time for gentleness; they'll understand hard knocks when there ain't anything else that'll knock sense into their silly heads." he led the way promptly, looking in the feeble rays of his own lantern, and that suspended from the boom, a regular commander. with his clear-cut but anxious features, his peaked beard and short moustaches, this skipper gave one the impression of power, of coolness, and of courage. indeed he was just the sort of man required in such an emergency, for he inspired his followers with confidence, and took his post at their head as a matter of course. the mate slid down the ladder immediately on his heels and jim took the whole flight in one bound. "now," said the captain. "lummy! dis someting like, dis am," murmured sam, his eager little face looking up into jim's. the diminutive negro had armed himself with an enormous stake which he had discovered in some odd corner, and he flourished it. there was a little grin on his face, while his sharp teeth flashed. in fact, in one brief moment, the negro, who had always worked so well and so quietly, who had never displayed any pugnacity or traces of excitement, had become an altered individual. there was a something about him which seemed to say that fighting was a pursuit which pleased him, that he was longing for the fray. but by now the whole party was gathered in the waist. the captain led them to the port boats, flinging aside all who stood in his path. in fact, to clear the spaniards into the centre of the deck was no difficult matter. they were so absorbed in their task that they were taken by surprise. but a moment or two later, when they found a group of resolute-looking men lined up between them and the boats, which seemed to be their only hope of safety, the frantic people became furious and desperate. "two of you men just see that the tackles are free and all ready for hoisting," said the captain, his eye on the passengers. "we've got trouble to meet here, and when it's over we shall want to get the boats out precious slippy. ah, you would, would you?" in the short space of time which had elapsed since he had come to the waist the fury of the spaniards had risen perceptibly. it wanted only a maddened leader now to turn the whole pack upon the captain and his men; and, in a trice, the man made his appearance. a huge fellow, with glittering ear-rings, whipped something from his belt and snarled at the captain. then, with a shout as if he were a maddened beast, he dashed forward, a huge dagger held before him. "i've got more of that for the likes of you," said the captain, stepping swiftly forward and meeting the man with a terrific blow from his fist. indeed the spaniard turned a half-somersault, and landed with a thud on the deck. but his mates were too desperate to notice his discomfiture; they came at the little band in a mob, and in a moment jim and his comrades were fully engaged. a little active man bent low and ran in at our hero, while the latter caught the glint of something bright in his hand. crash! the staff with which he had provided himself fell on the spaniard's head and sent him sprawling. bang! sam's ponderous weapon missed the mark at which it was aimed and struck the deck heavily. next instant the negro was locked in the arms of one of the attackers and was rolling with him on the decks. but jim had no time to watch him, nor opportunity of assisting, for the horde of men threw themselves on him and his comrades furiously. one managed to come to close quarters with him and struck with his knife; but the blade did not reach his person. a quick leap to one side saved him. then the staff swung downwards and the man collapsed. "a rare blow, lad. a rare one!" shouted the captain. "boys, we'll be moving forward." but the command was easier to give than to obey. not all the efforts of the little party could make an impression. it seemed as if the captain would be defeated in his efforts to control the boats. but suddenly others arrived on the scene. it was the engine hands, headed by an enormous negro. was it wonderful that tom should itch to join in the fray? he had seen his mistress into a place of safety and had left ching to guard her. then, realizing that instant victory in this struggle could alone save everyone on board, he had led the engineering staff down the companion. "by de poker! not stand quiet and 'low boats to be hoisted out," he bellowed, forcing his way to the front. "not 'bey de captain and help when de ship sinkin'. by de poker, but dis not go on! yo, what yo doin'?" he seized a man who rushed at him, as if he were merely a child, twisted him round till his feet were in the air, and threw him back at his comrades. then, smiling all the while, he rushed at the attackers, regardless of their knives, striking them down in all directions. "hooray! now, boys," shouted the captain, "that darkie's done it for us fine. beat 'em back; there's still time to mend matters." bunched together, and led by tom, the little party threw themselves upon the spaniards, striking right and left remorselessly. and in the space of a few seconds they had borne them back as far as the bulkhead, above which was the poop. "if some of you men don't drop those knives precious quick i'll know why," commanded the skipper. "by de poker--yes! tom know why, yo bet!" the huge negro strode in front of all, his big fists doubled, his head thrust forward as if he were a bull about to charge. his eye fell upon the rascal who had begun the attack, and who, meanwhile, had recovered his senses. there was a dagger in the villain's hand, and tom did not fail to see it. in a trice he had pounced upon the man. "what yo not obey for?" he demanded wrathfully. "yo not hear de cap'n say yo to drop all knives? by de poker, but in two seconds yo sorry yo ever born! yo drop that knife." there was no disobeying such an order. tom seized the spaniard, gripped him with both powerful hands, and shook him till the man's head threatened to fall from his shoulders. then he turned and grinned at the captain. "ready now to do as yo order, cap'n," he smiled. "s'pose yo say fall in half here and half dere, get ready to haul on tackle. dey ready to do as yo say." "george, you're a real treasure! you're a brave man, tom. jest get 'em ranged up in order, and quick with it. young sir, i'll be obliged ef you'll help him." he nodded to jim, left three of the men to stand by him, and at once turned to the boats. as for the spaniards, tom's huge frame and the prowess he had already displayed seemed to cow them. they obeyed his orders with alacrity, and were soon ranged up in two lines. by then their aid was wanted. "yo jest get to dem tackles yo in dat row," commanded tom. "haul when you told. if one ob yo try to get into de boats before i say yo can, me carve yo into little pieces--so." he brandished an enormous knife, which he had picked up from the deck, and showed his teeth. the result might have been anticipated, for the passengers who had been fighting like a pack of beasts but a few moments before were absolutely cowed. they would rather face drowning than the anger of this terrible negro. it followed, therefore, that, now that they were helping in the task, the boats were swiftly swung out. "put the women aboard this one," said the captain. "we'll lower them with the boat. the others can go down by a rope ladder; it's smooth, thank goodness, or things would be worse. now, lads, quick with it; she won't swim much longer." riot and fury had now been replaced by order and calm method. one by one the boats were lowered, passengers entered, and a crew was placed aboard. moreover the purser and his men found time to make a raid on the stores, so that each boat was victualled. as for sadie, she and ching sat in the boat lowered from amidships, and waited anxiously for her brother and the others. presently they came, the captain being the last to step over the rail. by then the decks forward were awash, while the stern of the vessel was pitched high in the air. her propeller was plainly visible, lifted clear of the water. "she'll plunge in a few moments. best get clear away," said the captain. "the other ship, i hear, is foundering also. we'll have to stand by till morning. is everyone with us?" the answer had hardly left the mate's lips when there came a cry from sadie. her finger shot out, and in a moment all saw the object which had attracted her attention. it was the figure of a man standing on the sinking steamer. instantly a groan escaped the captain. "couldn't risk going back for him," he said; "he must swim for it." "but he's disabled; he's the man with a broken arm," sang out jim. "he couldn't swim if you paid him to." "can't help it; i've the boat's crew to think of," declared the captain, shaking his head sadly. "that ship's on the point of diving; we're too close as it is. if i go nearer we risk the lives of all, your sister's into the bargain." "a fact," cried the mate emphatically. "the skipper's saying only what's true." "ah! i thought she was going then!" shouted one of the crew aboard the boat, seeing the steamer lurch suddenly. "'tain't more'n a matter of seconds." "then i'll chance being in time; i'm going for him." jim tore off his coat, and kicked his shoes away. before they realized his intentions he had stepped on to the gunwale, and had plunged head foremost into the sea. chapter iii jim partington shows his mettle "come back, lad," shouted the captain, as jim's heels disappeared beneath the surface of the ocean. then he rose quickly to his feet, and, gripping the gunwale of the rocking boat with both hands, he stared through the gloom at the sinking ship, and at the solitary figure now clinging to the rail amidships. indeed the unhappy individual who had been accidentally left on the foundering vessel showed that he was in almost as frantic a condition as had been the spanish workmen, when fighting in the waist for possession of the boats. he was waving the one arm which was uninjured vigorously, and as jim set out in his direction he was seen to throw one leg over the rail, to clamber with difficulty upon it, then to sit there holding desperately, and looking as though every movement of the ship would cast him into the water. "she's a going! gee! did yer see her lurch then? my, i thought she was under!" the deck hand who had shouted the words threw up his hands in the direction of the steamer, and turned a pair of startled, staring eyes upon her. there was good reason for his alarming observation, for at that moment the foundering vessel rolled heavily from side to side, as if she found her position irksome. then she dipped her nose still deeper into the ocean, kicking her stern clear of the water till ten feet of her dripping keel were visible, and until her decks were at such a steep angle that none but an acrobat could have retained his position on them. indeed the unfortunate individual clinging to the rail was swung from his insecure seat, and, falling backwards, crashed on to the deck and slithered down it till one of the bridge pillars arrested his progress. "holy poker, but dat near shave, i guess! massa jim, what yo doin' dat for? yo's mad! yo's goin' to drown yo'self!" shouted tom, rising to his feet so rapidly that his huge bulk set the ship's boat rocking dangerously. "drown himself! he's jest committing suicide! i tell you, he's bound to go under," growled the captain, who, if the truth had only been known, felt himself so strongly impelled to leap into the sea and help in this foolhardy but gallant effort at rescue that it was only by exercising the greatest self-control that he was able to hold himself in check. "if i wasn't skipper i'd do it," he cried. "but it would be a fool's game. besides, i've got to remember that i'm in charge of this expedition." meanwhile jim's head had burst from the surface of the water, and the plucky lad was forcing his way towards the sinking vessel with powerful strokes. he gave no heed to the shouts and calls of those behind him, not even when sadie, beside herself with anxiety, rose from her seat in the stern of the boat and shrieked to him to return instantly. "i'll do it, or go under," he told himself grimly. "a sinking ship ain't going to frighten me. guess a chap couldn't float out there in safety and see a man drowned before his eyes, especially a man that's unable to fend for himself." though the water dripped into his eyes from his hair, and made seeing difficult, he, too, had observed the terrific lurch which the foundering vessel had just given; and if he had had any doubts as to her true condition they were instantly set aside by the mass of her stern elevated in such an ungainly manner into the air. "aboard there!" he shouted; "jump over into the water. she is going down." thanks to an oil lantern which still hung amidships, below the bridge, he could see the man for whose rescue he was striving, and as he thrust his way strenuously through the water he watched the injured passenger pick himself up on hand and knees and struggle towards the rail. he wedged his feet against a stanchion supporting the latter, and as jim arrived within a few yards of the vessel, the man was again endeavouring to clamber over the rail. then there came, of a sudden, another sluggish lurch. the ship appeared to shiver throughout her framework, and rolled heavily from side to side. a moment later her bows rose rapidly from the ocean in which they had been submerged, while the stern regained almost its normal position. it looked, in fact, as if she were making one last gallant effort to float upon the surface. but again she rolled heavily from side to side, till her decks were slanting at a sickening angle, greater indeed than that to which jim and his mates had become accustomed when cruising to the south along the caribbean coast. "by de power, but dat terrific, dat 'nough to shake de life out of anybody," muttered tom, whose eyes all this while had been staring into the gloom, endeavouring to follow every movement of his young american master. indeed, so acute was the vision of the dusky giant that details were visible to him, and to sam, his diminutive brother, which others aboard the boat had no idea of. "lummy, but tom not like to see dat ship shake herself so! she go down with a bust in one little moment, and den--and den, what happen to massa jim?" the very thought of the disaster which would follow drove the negro into a condition almost of frenzy. his eyes bulged from their sockets and looked as though they would tumble from his head. a whimper from sadie set tom's honest heart throbbing and palpitating. it was real pain to the fine fellow to know that his little mistress was in trouble. that and his own courageous, impetuous nature made it impossible to stay any longer inactive in the boat. every muscle in his body trembled, while his breath came quick and deep. "i's goin' ter help!" he shouted. "nebber yo fear, missie; soon hab massa jim back safe and sound." with that he floundered overboard, causing the boat to rock once more till her gunwale dipped beneath the oily surface of the ocean, a mass of water flooding the interior instantly. his head had hardly bobbed up in view again when there came a sudden exclamation from sam, and a moment later the little fellow had slipped away to help his dusky brother in his gallant task. "jemima! but if that don't take it!" bellowed one of the crew of the boat, looking himself as if he were about to follow. "every mother's son of 'em'll go down. that ship'll suck 'em under sure. ain't we going nearer?" in his eagerness he seized an oar, banged it into the rowlock, and proceeded to bear upon it; but a stern order from the captain at once arrested the movement. "belay there!" he cried sharply. "i ain't going to risk the lives of all aboard for those in the water. we're too close to that ship by a long way, much too close to my liking. drop another oar in there, macdougal, and pull us away a bit. harvey, jest get to at bailing; she's taken a bit of water aboard. miss sadie, it's the right thing we're doing. it'll help them best in the end." but there was mutiny in the eye of macdougal. in the excitement of the moment the eager fellow could not in his own mind differentiate between the safety of those aboard the boat and those who had plunged into the water. "what's that?" he growled. "go farther away! desert them as is wanting our help! wall, if i ain't jiggered! we calls ourselves white men, and----" "stop!" commanded the skipper sternly. "get down on that seat and pull, macdougal. you're a fool, i'm thinking. jest remember that i'm your skipper still, and taking orders from no one. i'm working in the interest of all." "aye, aye, sir. macdougal, get to at it!" growled the mate, scowling at the sailor, and clenching a pair of brawny fists. not that this officer was really angry with macdougal. in his heart of hearts he rather admired the man; but discipline was discipline, and the skipper had many a time proved his own courage and discretion. still, even his persuasion did not make of the sailor a willing man; for the moment macdougal was obedient, though mutiny and smouldering anger flashed from his eyes. meanwhile the sinking vessel had displayed another series of erratic movements. that sickening roll from side to side had been replaced by a gentle pitching fore and aft, and as the seconds fled swiftly by, the pitching had become slowly and almost imperceptibly greater. then, suddenly, the vessel tossed her bows into the air till her watermarks were visible to those swimming in the ocean. but it was only for a little while. the bows came down again with a heave, which sent her forecastle beneath the surface, till she looked as though she were in the act of plunging to the bottom. up she came again, displacing a huge mass of water, and raising a wave which spread quickly across the sea till it reached the boat hovering at a distance and rocked it. she canted heavily to port, showing the whole of her length of deck, and with such a violent movement that the passenger aboard was flung clear of the rail right out into the water. then souse went her bows once more, raising the stern like a pinnacle into the gloom which surrounded everything. "yo grip him and get away back, quick as yo can," bellowed tom, his mouth almost submerged, his powerful arms bearing him swiftly to help in the rescue. "i's close behind yo, massa jim." but he might have shouted to a log of wood for all the use his words were. jim heard not a syllable of his warning, for his eyes and all his attention were fixed upon the injured man who had been thrown from the vessel. he reached him in the course of a few seconds, and turning him upon his back supported his head. "i'm fine," he heard the man say faintly. "this arm of mine don't give me no more than a dog's chance of swimming. you clear off, young chap. you've the right stuff in you, there ain't a doubt; but i'm fine. don't you get worrying." the last words were almost cut off by water lapping into his mouth. the huge wave raised by the sudden lifting of the vessel caught them both, and for a moment the two were hidden from sight by a mass of surging green foam. jim kicked frantically, bearing himself and the man to the surface. something struck hard against his chest, and, gripping at it with the one hand he had free, he swiftly realized that fortune had been good to him, for it was a buoy, cast loose by the injured passenger himself but a little while before, and now swept to hand at a most opportune moment. he looped his arm over it, and, slipping the other deeper down, hugged the man closer, drawing his head well up on to his own shoulder. it was as well that he had made this hasty preparation, for, of a sudden, the ship beside which they floated soused her bows deep again, and slid farther beneath the surface. she seemed to hesitate, to make one other effort. there came a loud explosion, accompanied by the sound of splintering and rending wood. air gushed from a mighty aperture which had made its appearance at the point where but a little while before the spanish passengers had been fighting so frantically; then she plunged to her bed in the ocean. swift as a dart she shot beneath the surface, leaving in her wake a swirling whirlpool, a twisting vortex into which everything--splinters of wood, spars, and human beings--were sucked with alarming swiftness, and with such force that none could resist it. so it happened that jim and the passenger once more disappeared from the ken of those who were watching so eagerly. how frantically jim kicked; how desperately he clung to the buoy and to the man at whose rescue he aimed. the swirling water bearing them both down beneath the surface of the caribbean in the wake of the vessel almost tore them apart in the course of that desperate struggle. at one moment the pull on the buoy was so intense that he felt as if his arm would be dragged from its socket. an instant later a recoil of the waters swept it back against his face with such violence that his jaw was all but broken. "done for," he thought. "i can't stand much more of this. my lungs are bursting, my head feels as if it will explode." the sound of seething, gushing water deafened him at first, but when he had been a little while immersed the thunderous notes, so distressing a moment ago, seemed to become lessened in intensity. the buzzing was now, if anything, rather pleasant, while his mind, acutely active but a second before, became blissfully content, as if absorbed in paying attention to that curious singing in his ears. but if he himself were unconscious of other things, nature still urged him to struggle on for existence. jim had no idea of the frantic kicks he gave, of the grim force with which he clung to the man and to the buoy. then something revived his senses and caused his wandering wits to take notice of his surroundings. a breeze blew in his face, while someone shouted in his ear. he opened his eyes, and in the gloom that pervaded everything made out the grinning features of tom. "yo's dere, den; yo's safe," he heard the negro exclaim. "by lummy, but dat extra near squeak, so i tell yo! let go ob de man. me take him for de moment. yo puffed, blowin' like an engine." jim was exhausted; his breath was coming in quick, painful gasps. he could not spare any for an answer, and, indeed, had so little strength left in him that he did not even resent tom's movement to take the injured passenger from his care. instead, he clung to the buoy, fighting for air, wondering vaguely exactly what had happened. "yo hang dere quiet and easy," said tom, one hand on the buoy and his muscular arm about the half-drowned man. "yo puffin' like a grampus now, but in a little bit yo be better, not make such a noise, have plenty strength again. den take de man and swim back with him. tom only come to look on and see dat all well." it was like the gallant fellow to make light of his own adventure, to stand aside now that he was sure that jim was safe, so as not to rob him of the honour which would follow. tom was indeed a very honest negro, a man with a wide, big heart, which held a large corner for jim and his sister. he grinned in jim's face, then suddenly turned and looked over his shoulder. "by de poker, but here someone else!" he muttered. "who dar? we's safe and sound. yo hab no cause to worry." "and i ain't worryin'," came a well-known voice through the darkness. "i comed along here jest to see what's happenin'. is massa jim right and well?" a growl burst from tom's lips as he recognized the voice, and at once he turned a pair of blazing eyes upon the culprit who had dared to follow him. "dat yo, sam?" he demanded. "den what fo yo dare to leave de missie? yo get back right now, or by de poker, me knock you into twenty cocked hat! what fo yo jump overboard and risk gettin' drowned?" the question brought a gurgle from the jolly little sam. he laughed outright beneath the nose of the irate tom, and, reaching the buoy, clung to it for a moment or so before he deigned to reply. "yo's one great big donkey, yo am, tom," he roared, shaking with laughter. "yo tinks yo de only man allowed to jump into de water; but dat not so. de young massa place yo in charge of de missie, and yo no right to leave. me knows dat; me comes along right out here to haul yo back. yo one great big blackguard." to the astonishment of tom and jim the little fellow burst into violent sobs, though his words had conveyed anything but an idea of sorrow. sam shook from the top of his woolly head to his shoeless toes, and set the buoy rocking. big tears coursed down his cheeks, though the water dripping from his hair almost cloaked them, and when he tried to speak again he gulped at the words and failed to express them. it was, in fact, a strange if comical procedure, and for the moment jim's muddled condition did not help him to arrive at the meaning. but he grasped the truth a moment later, for tom helped him. "yo--yo one little rascal, yo!" he heard the huge fellow exclaim, though there was no anger in his voice, no resentment for the words which sam had hurled at him. rather there was a strange trembling which denoted friendly feeling, accompanied by a sudden gripping of hands between the two darkies which seemed to say that they were perfectly agreed. then jim gathered the full meaning of sam's tears, of tom's magnanimous action. it was joy for his, jim's, safety that had set sam howling, and the tears coursing down his cheeks. it was that same feeling which induced tom to overlook the high-flown language of his small brother and grip his hand so warmly. "you're just two great grown-up babies," he laughed across at them. "you seem to imagine that no one can do anything without you, that i'm like a piece of china, liable to break on the smallest occasion. see here, tom and sam, shake hands. guess you're both of you white right away through from head to toe. i owe you both a heap for coming out after me; but mind what i've said--i ain't a piece of china. guess i'm old enough and ugly enough to look after myself." tom grinned back at his young master and hung to the buoy for a while, still clinging to the hand he had offered. then he dropped it, moved to the farther side, as if to place himself in a position of safety, and presently made his reply. "sah," he said, "p'raps you old enough, as yo say, p'raps no. ugly 'nough: yes, i tink so. yo's ugly 'nough to do one ob de stupidest tings as ever i seed. what fo yo jump into de sea like dat and swim toward a ship dat was sinking? s'pose she drag yo down? s'pose yo neber come up agin. who den take care of missie?" even behind his fun there was a deal of truth. who indeed would be left to care for the sister? but jim had come up again, and, feeling better, he promptly made his presence felt. "jest swim back quick," he commanded sam, "and tell 'em we're all right. tell 'em to come along. we'll hang to the buoy. now, tom, set to splashing with your legs. there'll be sharks about here, and they're extra fond of darkies." tom paled for a moment under his dark skin and looked the reverse of comfortable. then he laughed uproariously, shouted to sam to hurry his departure, and promptly did as jim had ordered. for it was as well to be cautious: both knew that sharks abounded in that corner of the caribbean sea, and some of the brutes might very well be in the vicinity. they kicked continuously, therefore, till the boat came up with a rush, and they and the injured man were lifted aboard. "young man, you can jest give me a grip of yer hand," cried the skipper of the foundered vessel when all were safely in the boat, stretching across to the triumphant jim. "i guessed when you came up alongside us on the ship, telling me that you had fixed matters for your sister, and were ready to help us out with the trouble those spaniards were giving, that you had got stuff behind you--the right sort of stuff, too. then you tackled the hounds in proper style, so that i knew i had a man with me; a man, siree, not jest a boy. but this last thing's better than all. guess this gentleman owes you a life. guess he'll be for ever in your debt. young man, i'm pleased to have met you." it was a glowing tribute to our hero's courage, and he went crimson from the top of his dripping head to his stockinged toes as he listened to the words. not that anyone could tell, for the gloom shrouded everything. however, sadie, sitting beside him, clinging to his arm as if loath to part again with her protector, guessed his pleasure, while her own courageous little heart felt as if it would burst with pride. "i'm glad you did it, jim," she whispered, "though i was terrified. and tom and sam were really brave; they are so devoted. can you believe, i had the greatest difficulty to keep ching with me? he hates swimming, as you know, but he was very nearly following." "brave, honest fellows!" answered jim with a gulp, for such devotion touched him. "they are, indeed, true friends to us." however, he had no time for further conversation; for now that the captain had given his decision on events so recent, the mate and crew of the boat were determined to make their own voices heard. "a right proper thing to have done: wish you was my own son," declared the former. "shake, young man. it's a treat to meet one who's a true american." "one of the very right sort," growled macdougal, still trembling with excitement. "see here, young feller, i've nigh lost a job through you. i was for kicking up a rumpus direct against the old man's orders. chief, i'm main sorry for them words and looks; but there's a time when a man has to kick. i thought you was funking." "funking!" exploded the mate, though the captain sat rigidly in his place, making no response. "him funking! the man you and i have sailed with these past three years and never known to fail us. you guessed that the chief who led us against those spaniards was funking! gee! i've a mind to smash your head in with this oar." there was real anger in the voice. the mate was furious, and his huge doubled fists showed that he was ready for anything; but the skipper quickly quietened him. "belay there, mr. jarvis," he said in his ordinary tones. "macdougal's a fool, as i've already told him; and if he never knew it before he does now. i'm not afraid of anyone's criticisms. there's a motto i'm always a believer in. it runs: 'by their works shalt thou know them'. guess i've never done a thing to allow any man to think i was funking. macdougal was too excited to be responsible for his thoughts; it's just the man's bluntness which has made him tell us so honestly. but take the lesson to heart, macdougal; keep a clear, steady head always and it'll carry you through heaps of difficulties. watch the men you work with, and get to know all about them: moments of excitement aren't the times for coming to conclusions. now let's get on to other matters. how's that gentleman?" "fine," came in shaky tones from the bows of the boat in which the rescued passenger had been laid. "guess i know everything. i've been lying here these last few minutes wondering whether i was alive or dead, and what had been happening. is that the skipper?" "it is, sir." "then allow me to say that you've as fine a crew as ever i set eyes on. it wasn't their fault that i was left aboard the ship. the collision knocked me silly, and guess i lay away there on the decks out of sight; but i never reckoned you'd have men aboard ready to take such risks to rescue a passenger. that young chap who swam out for me wellnigh went down with the vessel. i held my breath as we went under till i thought i should bust. and all the time i could feel him holding tighter to me and kicking. gee, he's a full-blooded lad! he's got pluck if you like. and those coloured men come close after him. when i'm feeling better, guess i'd like to take a grip of their hands." it was evident that he considered jim to be one of the crew, and his gallant action undertaken in the course of duty; but the captain undeceived him. "that young chap's a passenger like yourself, sir," he said. "and the darkies are ditto. i allow that you have every reason to want to thank them; you owe them your life. but let us see to the other vessel; this affair has taken her wellnigh out of my head." the oars were dipped in the water, and the boat was slowly rowed in the direction of the twinkling lights which showed the position of the other steamer. she had sheered off to some distance, but as the boat approached her it became clear that her condition was not so desperate as had been imagined. "she's listing badly to port and is down at the head. you can tell that easily," declared the experienced captain. "we'll row right alongside and i'll go aboard. you come too, mr. jarvis, and we'll take that young man there." he motioned to jim, and, having put his helm over, so directing the boat alongside the steamer, he called to one of the hands in the bows to hold to the companion ladder which had been dropped over her side. casting his eyes about him, jim was able to pierce the gloom to some extent, and became aware of the fact that a number of small boats were also lying off the vessel. in fact there were at least seven of them. another remarkable fact was the silence which pervaded everything. a little while before there had been a deal of shouting, and some amount of confusion, no doubt; but now everything was orderly. "fine discipline," remarked the skipper. "the chief of this boat got his passengers away first of all, and then set to work to repair damages. guess he hadn't mad spaniards to fight. come along, please." he scrambled on to the companion and ran nimbly up the steps. a tall man met him when he reached the deck, and introduced himself as the captain. "you're chief of the ship that's foundered?" he asked. "i am," came the rejoinder. "we were badly holed, and there wasn't a chance from the very first. then we had a horde of mad spaniards to fight: the hounds lost their heads and struggled for the boats. after that we found, when it was too late to go near the ship, that one passenger had been left aboard; but we saved him, thanks to the pluck of a passenger. now, sir, i'm sorry for this collision. we'll not discuss it now; the courts ashore will deal with the evidence. i've come along to see how you fared." "and thanks for the kind thought, sir," came the answer. "reckon the question of who's to blame can be dealt with as you say. i congratulate you on the way you managed to come out of a difficulty. i'd have sent along; but then, you see, i wasn't sure that we weren't foundering too. there's a hole as big as three rum casks punched in our bows, and you can see that we've shipped no end of water; but our water-tight bulkheads were closed right away and that's saved us. we've the carpenters at work this instant, and as soon as they've plugged the gap with planks and oakum we'll be able to put matters a little more shipshape. our pumps are just holding the water now; when the gap is plugged we shall gain on it. i reckon to have my passengers aboard in half an hour; you'll bring yours along, and welcome." half an hour later, in fact, found jim and his friends, together with all the passengers and crew of the sunken steamer, aboard; while some twenty-four hours later the port of colon had been reached. "and here we have to start right off again," said jim, discussing affairs with his sister. "that five hundred dollars will have to be drawn upon for clothes and other things, seeing that we lost everything with the ship. it'll mean i shall have to be quicker in getting a job when we reach new york. but don't you fear, sadie; somehow i've a notion that our fortune is about to improve. things are looking brighter." they watched the steamer slowly berthed, and then made for the gangway. bidding farewell to the skipper and the crew, with whom they had become most friendly, they were about to make their way ashore when the man whom jim had rescued accosted them. "i've fixed rooms for you all," he said. "you'll not disappoint me, will you? i've a house away up on the hill, and there's heaps of room." "but--but we're going on direct for new york," cried jim, astonished at the proposal. "no doubt, sir; no doubt. but then there don't happen to be a steamer for a week, and colon's a bad place to rest in. you'll oblige me by coming. i ain't had a chance, so far, of thanking you and the others for what you did. you'll surely give me a chance to get to know you better. come and stay for a week till the steamer puts into port." it may be imagined that jim eagerly accepted the invitation, and, accompanied by sadie, tom, sam, and ching, took up his quarters with this new friend. not for a moment did he guess that this week's delay would make a vast change in his future. his eye at the moment was fixed on new york, where he hoped to make that fortune of which he had laughingly spoken. he never imagined for one instant that the isthmus of panama would detain him, and that there he would join his compatriots, the americans, and with them would take his share in that gigantic undertaking, the panama canal. chapter iv relating to phineas barton phineas b. barton was in his own way an extremely pleasant and jolly man, but he required a great deal of knowing. he was moderately tall, clean shaven, as is the typical american of to-day, fairly good-looking, and about forty years of age. when he liked he could be voluble enough, but as a general rule his conversation was chiefly noteworthy by its absence; for phineas was undoubtedly prone to silence and taciturnity. "it's like this," he explained to jim; "i'm boss at the present time of the foreign labour we employ on the panama canal works, and guess i have to talk most all the day when i'm at work. so a fellow gets used to keeping his mouth shut at other times, so as to rest his jaw. glad you're coming out to my quarters." he had thanked jim quietly and with apparently little feeling for his action in plunging into the sea to save him when the steamer foundered, and after that had said not a word. but that did not imply that phineas was ungrateful. it was not in his nature to employ many words; he had decided to show his gratitude in other ways. it was for that reason, no doubt, that he had invited our hero to his house. and, now that the whole party had disembarked, he proceeded to lead the way. "got any traps?" he asked. "not a stick," jim answered. "we're here as we stand up." "then transport isn't a difficulty. it's nine miles to my quarters, and the railway will take us there quick. there's cars going one way or the other most always; come along to the terminus." jim and his comrades had no idea of the work which was going on on this narrow isthmus of panama, therefore the reader may imagine that he was intensely surprised, once he and his friends had left the one-storied dwellings of colon, to find human beings seething everywhere. bands of labourers of every colour were working along the route where the canal would open into the caribbean, while heavy smoke and the rattle of machinery came from another spot farther on. "where we're getting to work to cut our locks," explained phineas, nursing his broken arm. "it's there that i broke this arm of mine two weeks ago. i was fool enough to get in the way of a dirt train, and of course, not having eyes itself, it shunted me off the track with a bang. that's why i was on my way back to the states; but guess that holiday'll have to wait. i'm keen to get back to work." from the open car in which the party was accommodated he pointed out the various features of the isthmus, and in particular the works of the canal. and gradually jim gathered the fact that this undertaking upon which his country had set its heart was gigantic, to say the least of it. "no one knows what we're doing save those who've been here," said phineas, a note of pride in his voice. "back home there's folks ready enough to criticize and shout that things aren't being done right; but they ought to come right out here before opening their mouths. you've got an idea of the canal, of course?" jim reddened. to be truthful, his own struggle to make a way in this world had occupied most of his attention. he was naturally interested in all that concerned his own country, but even though so near to the isthmus he had never been farther than colon when the ship put into port, and whilst there had merely observed rather a large number of policemen, both white and black. of the huge army of workmen engaged in the canal enterprise he had not caught a glimpse. "it's an eye-opener, this," he admitted. "i had no idea there were so many men, or so much machinery, though if i had thought for a little i could have guessed that there must be a bustle. as to the scheme of the canal, i haven't more than the vaguest idea." "and i can't give you much information here. we'll want to get aboard an inspection car and run right through. that'll be a job for to-morrow. we'll have the inspector's car, and run along to the other side. but, see here, this canal's the biggest thing in canals that's ever been thought of. the suez canal don't hold a candle to it. the kiel canal is an infant when compared with what this will be when it's finished. there's fifty miles, or thereabouts, of solid dirt between colon and panama, and america has decided to get to at that dirt and cut a way clear through it, a way not only big enough to take ships of to-day, but to take ships of to-morrow, ships that'll make the world open its eyes and exclaim." the very mention of the work made jim gasp. he asked for particulars promptly. "it'll take a heap of time, i expect," he said. "reckon a canal a mile long and fifty feet wide by thirty deep isn't dug in a day." "nor hardly in a year. but we're not digging all the way," explained phineas. "america has selected what is known as the high-level canal; that is, she's not just digging a track clear through from atlantic to pacific, a tide-level canal as you might call it, for there are difficulties against such a scheme. to begin with, there's a tide to be reckoned with at panama, while this atlantic end has none; which means your water level at the pacific side is different from that at the atlantic. then there's river water to be contended with. this isthmus gets a full share of rain, particularly near the atlantic, and the rivers get packed with water in a matter of a few hours. well, you've got to do something, or that flood will swamp your canal, wash away your works, and do other damage." "then the high level has fewer difficulties?" asked jim. "you may say so, though the job is big enough in all conscience. shortly put, it's this. we begin the canal by dredging in limon bay, right here beside colon, and cut our dirt away, in all for a matter of just over seven miles. then we build three tiers of double locks, which will take any vessel, and which will float them up in steps to the -foot level. once up there the ship steams into a huge lake where there's dry land to-day. we get that lake by damming the chagres river right there before us, at gatun, throwing the water back into a long natural hollow, and when the work is finished we shall have a body of water there four-fifths the size of lake geneva. anyway, it'll allow a steamer to get along under her own power till she arrives at the other end of the lake at obispo. even then she uses her own power, though she has to slow down. she enters what we call the culebra cut, just nine miles long, where we are burrowing our way through the hills. that's one of the biggest of our jobs. you'll be interested when you see it. we've a small army of men at work, and rock drills and steam shovels are going all day, while dirt trains travel to and fro more often than electrics in the new york subway. then comes a lock at pedro miguel, and another at milaflores, which let our ships down to pacific level. way down at that end we've a lot of dredging to do to clear the below-sea track of the canal." indeed it was no wonder that phineas found it a matter of impossibility to describe the gigantic, herculean task which america has undertaken. moreover, it may be forgiven our hero if he failed, in such a short space of time, fully to comprehend what was being done. a canal was being fashioned, that he knew well enough, and now phineas had given him a rough idea of its direction, and of the methods to be employed to obtain a waterway from one ocean to the other. the rest had necessarily to be left to the imagination, and to the moment when clear plans of the works could be studied. "but you know a bit about it, and that's good for the present," said phineas. "i'm not going to give you a bad headache right off by throwing more particulars at you, though i fancy you'd be interested to know just one or two items." "and those?" asked jim, by no means bored with the description. in fact, like any healthy youngster, he was intensely interested in this canal, and was burning with impatience to see all the machinery employed, the methods used by the engineers and their staff to bring about the various works. "i'd give something to see the lake," he admitted. "almost as big as that of geneva? gee! that's a whopper." "you may say so," agreed phineas, again a tinge of pride in his voice. "there'll be somewhere about square miles of water in that lake, and a fleet will be able to lie to in it. those locks at gatun, which are to be double--one for steamers going up, and the other for ships coming down--will each give a usable length of feet, which is a good feet longer than any ship yet afloat. they'll be feet wide, and have a minimum depth of feet. put that all together, and remember that when the gates of the locks are shut, and water allowed to come down, the biggest battleship yet heard of will be lifted solid just about feet, and then warped on into another lock as like the last as two peas. in less than an hour we'll raise a ship up to our high-level canal from the atlantic, and we'll do it, sir, as easy as you lift rowing boats down on the rivers." phineas went hot at the thought of the undertaking, and, looking at him, jim could see that the man was filled with a huge pride, with a tremendous fixity of purpose, the courage and tenacity to push on with a labour which his country had begun, and which the honour of the nation demanded should be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. and in a little while jim understood that there was not a white employee engaged on the isthmus who did not dream of the day when the canal would be opened, when their own countrymen, some of whom at this moment were ready to discount their labours, would be amongst the keenest admirers of the finished task. "but guess it's time we thought of the house," said phineas, dragging his attention away from the works before him. "i've a shanty way up the hill there, with a housekeeper to look to it for me. she'll take care of miss sadie." they descended from the car and slowly trudged up the hill. then phineas gave them a welcome to his home. "looks cool and nice; don't it?" he remarked, as they ascended a flight of steps leading on to a wide veranda. "i can see you looking at my windows, young man. well, we don't have any out here. a chap gets to live without them easily enough. there's just copper gauze right round the veranda, and the same over the window openings. most days it's so hot one doesn't think of their absence. and if a cold spell comes, one can easily put on something warmer. now we'll get along in and feed. ha, mrs. jones, that's you again! you didn't think to see me back so soon, till i telephoned from colon. this is miss sadie, and this is jim, the young man who rescued me. we're just hungry, so we'll come right in if things are ready, and tom here, and sam, and ching can get round to the kitchen. you'll find 'em useful boys." the widow who looked to phineas's affairs was a pleasant woman, and gave our hero and his sister a real welcome. as to the negroes, though she looked at them askance at first, she rapidly found them a blessing. for tom installed himself as butler unasked, while sam carried dishes to and fro. ching settled down to the work of washing up the things as if he had been brought to the isthmus for that very purpose. "all of which just makes things slide along as if they were oiled," said phineas with a glad smile, as he lolled on his veranda afterwards. "see here, jim, them boys of yours can go along helping mrs. jones while you're here; but of course, if they were at work on the canal, they would have their own quarters along with the other coloured men. pity you're not staying. where do you go after new york?" it was a leading question, and jim explained his position frankly. "i don't complain," he said, "but we certainly have had our share of ill fortune. first father lost his money, then his life. afterwards my brother went off his head with fever, and was lost in the forest way down there below colon. i've got to find work other than diving." "you've done a bit of that, then?" asked phineas. jim nodded. "a lot," he said. "but i'm not really skilled." "you've handled tools and machinery?" "many a time; father made me learn from the very beginning." "see here!" cried phineas suddenly; "you're after a job, and look to earn dollars. well, there are dollars to earn here for a good man. try a spell on the canal works. we've vacancies almost all the while, for men get tired of the job, while others fall sick. then there's every sort of work, to suit the knowledge of everyone. of course white men have the pick. they're skilled men, and naturally enough they get posts of responsibility. some drive steam navvies, others rock drills, while some are powder men, and place the charges which we fire every night after five. at the locks there's pile driving and concrete laying, with white men to run the engines or supervise. as to diving--well, there may be some of that, but it's the land we're chiefly engaged with." the temptation to accept the proposal right off was strong, and jim found it difficult to keep from answering. then he suddenly asked a question. "there's my sister," he said. "i suppose tom and the others could easily get work, and so stay here; but this place hasn't the best of reputations for health. i must look after her." "and she'll be as well looked after here as anywhere," said phineas eagerly. "we're high up out of the valley, the house has lately been built, while that yarn about the health of the isthmus is old history. we've changed all that. an american army surgeon, with others to help him, discovered that yellow fever was given by a particular form of mosquito. well, he set to work to find where that mosquito lived and bred. then he formed a sanitary corps, drainage was looked to, scrub cut down, windows barred by copper gauze. and we've fixed that mosquito. yellow fever is now unheard of on the isthmus, while there's very little malarial fever. the canal zone, particularly in these high parts, is as healthy as new york. come now." "i agree to stop if she cares to do so," cried jim suddenly, for there was an eagerness about the man before him which captivated him. it was clear, in fact, that phineas was anxious that jim should stay; and since he promised work, and stated that no harm could come to sadie from residence there, why, if matters could be arranged, jim made up his mind he would stay. perhaps here he would find the means to cut the first steps in that flight which was to lead to a revival of his fortunes. "then here's a plan," said phineas. "i'm real glad you'll stay on here, for i want a companion. i lost my wife five years ago, and by rights should be living way over there in one of the hotels the american government has built for its employees. but i chose to have a house alone, and at times it's lonesome. you'll stay along with me, and sadie'll have mrs. jones to look after her. there's a government school a quarter of a mile away, with plenty of boys and girls going. as for the darkies and the chinaman, i can't promise anything at present. depends on the work they have to do; but i've an idea i could make that fellow tom extra useful." exactly what was in the mind of this american official jim could not guess. he went to bed that night with a feeling of exultation to which he had been a stranger for a long while, for sadie had taken to mrs. jones, and was delighted at the thought of remaining. "why trouble to go along to new york?" she asked him, in her wise little way, when he asked her what she would like. "this place is glorious. the view from the house is really magnificent, and there's no loneliness anywhere. look at the works going on, with thousands of men. then mrs. jones tells me that there are a number of boys and girls, so that i am sure to have companions. you can earn good wages here, jim, and perhaps rise to a position of responsibility." "rise! that i will!" our hero told himself, for he was bubbling over with enthusiasm. "i've myself alone to look to, and i'll work and make those in authority over me see that i'm trustworthy. i'll show 'em i'm not a skulker. wonder what job i'll get?" it was at an early hour on the following morning that he was up and out, only to find phineas abroad before him. "that you, youngster?" he sang out cheerily, seeing jim. "i've been down to the office of the commission doctor, who's fixed this arm for me. the man who saw to it aboard the ship that brought us in hadn't too much time, for there were others who'd been injured by some of those spaniards who'd been fighting. in consequence i had a bit of pain last night; but i'm easy now. let's get some breakfast, then you and i'll be off." an hour later found the two down at the point where the dirt trains were already dumping their contents, and just where the huge gatun dam was to be erected, so, standing on an eminence, jim was able, with the help of his friend, to follow in a logical manner the plans of the american engineers. for he could look into the long, winding hollow along which at that moment flowed the tributaries of the chagres river. "it's just as clear as daylight," said phineas, his face aglow, for anything to do with the panama canal warmed him, so great was his enthusiasm. "away there below us, where you see two rivers coming together to form what is known as the chagres river, you may take it that the level of the land is just a trifle above that of the sea, and of course the water on this isthmus has found the lowest level possible. it could not get away to the east because of the hill, and west here, where we are, there's another. so that water just flows out between them, the hills themselves forming, as it were, the neck of a bottle. well, we're just putting a cork into that neck. we're erecting a dam across the valley between these two hills which will be feet in length, measured across the top, while its base measurement will be feet." "enormous!" exclaimed jim. "but surely such a tremendous mass is hardly necessary?" "what! with miles of water behind it? young sir, let me tell you that there'll be a clear depth of water of feet all along this end of the lake we're forming. a body of water like that exerts terrific pressure, and to make that dam really secure against a fracture, to make an engineering job of it, as we should say, the dam ought to be constructed of masonry built right into solid rock. but there ain't no rock, more's the pity." "none?" asked jim. "then you won't be able to use masonry?" "right, siree! but we're going to fix the business, and reckon, when the dam's finished, nothing'll move it. listen here, and jest look away where i'm pointing. there's an army of niggers and european spademen at work along the line the dam's to follow. they're working a trench right across, feet down into the soil. those engines you can see smoking along there are driving sheet piling of -inch timbers feet down below the bottom of that trench. when they have finished the job of piling, the trench'll be filled chuck up with a puddled core of clay that'll act like a sheet anchor." "and so hold the dam in position," suggested jim. "just what i thought you'd say. no doubt that puddled core will help to hold the huge mass of earth that we're going to dump around it. but we're working that piling in and making the core for another purpose also. with a huge body of water in this hollow there'll be a certain amount of soaking into the subsoil--seepage we call it. it might loosen the ground underneath our dam, and so cause the thing to burst; but with a -foot trench, filled with a puddled core which'll stop any water, and this extra feet of piling--just feet of material altogether--we stop that seepage, and at the same time kind of fix a tooth into the ground that'll hold the weight of new york city." the whole thing was gigantic, or, rather, the scheme of it all; for the reader must realize that jim and his friend were looking down upon an unfinished undertaking. but those smoking engines and the army of men at work were an indication of the enormous labour and skill required in the erection of this gatun dam, itself only one item in the numerous works of the canal, though, to be sure, one of the vastest. in fact, when jim learned that from base to summit the dam would measure no less than feet, and would be feet above the level of the water in gatun lake, there was no wonder that he gasped. "it just makes a man scratch his head," laughed phineas. "and sometimes it makes one inclined to swear, for there's folks in the states who can't cotton to what we're doing here, and who wonder why there are so many men employed and so much money being spent. they seem to think that the canal ought to be finished in a matter of three or four years." "then the sooner they come out here and see for themselves what is happening the better for everyone," cried jim indignantly. "that dam alone will take a vast amount of time, i imagine." "then you come along down here, sir, and i'll show you a work that's just as gigantic." phineas took our hero to the western end of the trench across which the dam would lie, and there caused him more astonishment. for here another army of labourers was employed in delving, while enormous steam diggers tore huge mouthfuls of earth and rock away from the sides of the cutting that was being made to accommodate the double line of three locks which, when america has completed her self-imposed undertaking, will raise the biggest vessel ever thought of to the surface of the lake above, or will drop her with equal facility down on to the bosom of the atlantic. "there's those steam navvies," observed phineas, halting in front of one and surveying it reflectively. "a man who runs a machine like that can earn good dollars, and there's competition for the post. say, jim, how'd you care to try your hand at it?" the very suggestion caused our hero to hold his breath. it was not that he was frightened by the mass of machinery; it was merely the novelty of the work. he stepped a pace or two nearer before he answered, and watched closely what happened. a young american, only a few years older than himself, sat on a seat beside the gigantic main beam of the digger, his head within a few inches of the flying gear wheels which transmitted movement, while right beside him, fixed to the base of the steel-girded beam, was the engine. one hand was on the throttle, while the other operated a lever. down came the huge bucket attached to the secondary beam, the chains which supported it clanking over their stout metal pulleys; then the hand operating the lever moved ever so little, the chains tautened, and the hardened-steel cutting lip of the digger bit into the bank which was being excavated. deeper and deeper it went. glug! glug! glug! the machine grunted, while the tip of the main steel girder, where the hauling chains passed over it, bent downwards ever so little. a shower of broken earth burst over the edge of the digger, a faint column of dust blew into the air, while the engine gave forth another discordant glug. then up came the huge bucket, crammed to the very top with debris, the whole machine shuddering as the strain was suddenly taken off it. but the man remained as composed as ever. he touched another lever, causing the apparatus to swing round on its axis. almost instantly a movement from his other hand released the trigger holding the bottom of the huge earth receptacle in place, so that, before the machine had actually finished swinging, the huge mouth of this wonderful invention was disgorging its contents into a dirt car alongside. "fine!" cried jim delightedly. "that's a job i should like immensely, but i guess it requires a little training." "practice, just practice," smiled phineas. "see here, jim; this arm of mine has started in aching again. how'd you care to stay along here and have a lesson? that young chap's a friend of mine, so there'll be no difficulty about the matter." it may be imagined that jim eagerly accepted the offer. he was keen enough to accompany phineas on his promised trip right along the canal works, but already the sight of all that was happening round about gatun had been sufficient for one day, while the huge machine before him and its cool and unruffled operator fascinated him. "gee! nothing i'd like better," he cried. "then come along." phineas at once went close up to the machine, and at a signal from him the operator brought it to a rest. "howdy?" asked the young fellow. "getting in at it, mr. barton?" under the tan which covered face and arms there was a sudden flush of pride which an ordinary individual might well have passed unnoticed. but jim was slowly beginning to understand and realize something of the spirit that seemed to pervade every member of the whole staff engaged on the isthmus. for there was no doubt that the completion of the canal was a pet object to them one and all, an undertaking the gradual progress of which filled them with an all-absorbing interest. each mouthful of dirt, for instance, which this steam digger tore from the ground and shot from its capacious maw into the earth trains was a little more progress, something further attained towards that grand and final completion to which all were sworn. "howdy? say, harry boy, this here's jim. you've heard of that little business we had on the way to new york?" the young man nodded, and regarded jim critically. "wall?" he asked curtly. "he's the lad that came along after me when i was left aboard the foundering vessel." the one who had been addressed as harry dropped his hands from the levers, swung round on his seat the better to gaze at our hero, and, still with his eyes on jim, replied to phineas. "i read it in the paper," he admitted. "how did it happen?" phineas promptly gave him the narrative, harry meanwhile keeping his eyes on jim. then, when he learned that our hero had decided to stay on the isthmus, and seek work there, he climbed out of the narrow cab bolted to the side of the digger, dropped lightly to the ground, and, walking straight up to jim, held out his hand. "it's men we want here," he said pleasantly. "guess you're one. glad to shake hands with an american who's done a good turn for my friend phineas. what job are you after?" jim told him promptly, while he exchanged his handshake vigorously; for he liked the look of this young american, and took to him instantly. "i'm not sure yet exactly what job i'll ask for," he answered. "guess i'm ready to take anything that's going; but i was wondering whether you'd give me a lesson on the digger." "know anything about engines and suchlike?" asked harry sharply. jim nodded. "guess i do," he said, with that delightful assurance so common to the americans. "i've handled engines of many sorts, particularly those aboard ship; and for some months past i've been doing diving." "git in there," said harry, motioning to the cab, "i'll larn you to work this plant inside an hour or two. then all that's wanted is jest native gumption, gumption, siree, spelt with a big g, 'cos a man ain't no good on these here chugging machines unless he can keep his head cool. there's times when the digger pulls through the earth quicker than you can think, and when, if you didn't cut off steam, you'd overwind and chaw up all the chain gear. then the lip of the digger may happen to get hold on a rock that wants powder to shift it, and if there's steam still on, and the engines pulling, you're likely as not to break up some of the fixings, and tip the whole concern over on to its nose. hop right in; mr. barton, i'll see to this here jim till evening." chapter v the ways of the steam digger to say that jim could not have been put into better or more capable hands is to tell only the truth. for harry, the young american operating the steam digger, was one of those eager, hard-working fellows who strive their utmost, who are not satisfied unless they make the very best of a task, and who, given a machine of great power, cause it to produce the biggest results possible, consistent with proper management, and who, unlike some, do not curtail its strength, and limit its output. "you jest hop up there inside with me," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and tilting his broad sombrero hat backwards a little. "it'll be close quarters, you bet; but when a chap's learning a job he don't kick at trifles." jim obeyed his orders with alacrity. he clambered up into the narrow cab, which was merely a metal framework bolted to the huge, sloping steel girder which may be termed the backbone of the leviathan digger, and seated himself upon a hard wooden seat barely wide enough for one person. just above his head was a toothed wheel, with another, very much larger, engaging with it. beside him, causing him to start when he touched it, for it was very hot, were a brace of cylinders, with a lever adjacent for operating the throttle. right overhead was a roof of split and warped boards, which helped to keep away the rays of the sun; for on this isthmus of panama the heat is fierce at times, and extremely enervating. "but, bless you, we don't notice it," said harry, swarming up after him, and seeing that he had noticed the shelter. "most all of us wear a big hat. in fact you can say as every white man does. them dagoes don't; they seem to like the sun, same as the spaniards. seen anything of 'em, mate?" jim nodded. "not much," he admitted. "there were a few aboard that ship, and they didn't impress me much. they lost their heads and fought like wild beasts." "aye, that's them all over; but they're good 'uns to work once they're set to at it, and know you won't put up with any nonsense. i don't suppose there was ever a part where gangs of them spaniards works better than they do here, and gives so little trouble. now and agin there's a rumpus, and the police has to intervene; but it ain't often. see 'em over there." jim had been so occupied with his inspection of the giant digger that he had hardly had eyes for his surroundings; but as harry pointed, he swung round in the cab and surveyed the scene. it was remarkable, to say the least of it. right behind him lay track on track of metal rails, all running direct towards the atlantic, and the majority of them on different levels. they seemed to hug various gigantic steps, by which the sides of the huge trench in which the digger was situated ascended to level ground. hundreds of cars were on these rails, with a little, smoking engine at their heads, and a half-closed-in cab behind. gangs of european and black labourers were disposed here and there, some breaking up rocks obstructing the tracks, others carrying lengths of double rail track bolted together in readiness to be placed in position, while yet again others were engaged in pouring a liquid into trenches at the side of the cutting. jim looked puzzled, and harry laughed outright as he caught a glimpse of his face. "gee! it do amuse me when strangers come along," he cried. "guess this here's an eye-opener. any fellow can tell what we're doing, and why we're doing it, except the reason for those men and the stuff they're pouring into the trench. say now, what's it for?" jim could not even hazard a guess. it was inexplicable, and seemed, indeed, to be an idiotic proceeding. his face must have shown his thoughts, for harry burst into a loud guffaw, though, unconsciously, pride again crept into his tones as he answered. "guess you ain't the first as thought there was madmen about," he said. "but all that stuff being put into the trenches is jest part of this almighty scheme. without it we wouldn't be able to work; for that's a gang from the sanitary corps, and guess they're nosing round most every day. it's their particular job to see as there isn't a place where a mosquito can breed, or where water can easily lay. ef there's a spot made in purpose to carry away water, same as that 'ere trench, where some of it's bound to lay, why, they spreads kerosene along it, and no self-respecting mosquito'll go near that stuff. it's a terror to 'em. guess this panama zone, stretching five miles either side of the canal line, fairly gives them insects the pip, it's that unhealthy for 'em. as for us, we lives in comfort, and goes on living, which can't be said for others who was here before us. but jest get a grip of that throttle lever, and don't be skeared. keep cool all the time, and when i cry 'stop', jest jerk it off. she'll come up short jest as ef she was alive, and that's something, seeing as this is a hundred-ton digger. she's able easy to cut her way into well over a thousand cubic yards of dirt in an eight-hours day, and can sling some six hundred double horse loads into them trucks. but we ain't dealin' with horses here. it's machines all the time, machines, and men, i guess, to drive 'em." it was grand to hear the fellow talk; unconsciously a glow crept into jim's face. to think that he, by the movement of his ten fingers, and by the use of his own brain, could control such work, and then to remember that every little task accomplished was setting his country nearer the day of triumph. for triumph it must be: america, in spite of the croakings of a few, cannot and will not fail. she may experience setbacks; but she will prevail in the end. her native determination and the grit of her workers will compel her. "you can jest see how we're moving," said harry, placing a hand on a second lever. "this here digger's set up on a truck heavy enough to take it, with its boiler right away at the tail end of the truck, to counterbalance the stuff we're lifting. we're on rails, as you can see, with a second track beside us that holds a spoil train, as we calls the trucks into which we chucks the dirt. right clear afore us is the ground we're digging, and you're jest going to take a bite fer yerself. watch that digger." jim cast his eyes upon the huge bucket with its steel cutting lip placed at the end of a secondary beam slanting downwards from the lower part of the main steel girder. huge chains ran from the upper edge to the tip of the girder, and, as harry gently pushed his lever, the chains ran out clanking, and the bucket descended till it bumped on to the ground. it was now at the foot of a broken and steep slope some eight feet in height, at the summit of which was the first of that series of big steps ascending to the top of the lock cutting, and accommodating rail tracks. indeed a spoil train was crunching along it as he looked, while on half a dozen others trains were to be seen. as to the sloping bank itself, it ran on directly till it came to a dead end, where an army of men were engaged in erecting the lake-end wall of the lock. behind, it dwindled into other banks, and was lost in the distance. "where we started, i guess," said harry, following his gaze. "first the dredgers got to work, then the steam shovels. you see, we cut deep down in the centre first of all, and then take a step out at either side. then, while diggers get to work to cut other steps we go deeper again in the centre. but let's get at this here bank. that bucket's drawn the chains out by its own weight. this here lever controls a brake, and i can stop the bucket at any point; but it's there, ready for digging. give her steam, and gently with it. be ready to cut off if i shout." jim moved his lever ever so gently. the proposition was so new to him that he felt somewhat timid of the results; but harry was as calm as ever. he watched the cutting edge of the bucket dig deep into the bank, while jim, watching it also, cast an eye upward at the chains where they passed over the tip of the girder. chug! chug! chug! they went, while the massive beam trembled; but nothing could stop the irresistible course of the digger. the bucket sheared its way upward through the soil, and in a very little while had accomplished the whole height of the bank; then, its work done, it shot upward, causing the machine to shiver and shake. "cut her off," cried harry, and obedient to the word jim shoved the lever over. "now take a grip of this here lever i've been holding, and pull it to you. give her steam." clank! clank! clank! jim felt the gears engage as he shifted the lever, and once more opened the throttle of the engine. now he experienced a new and altogether delightful sensation; for the huge mass of machinery to which the cab was bolted, and which was situated on the front of the heavy truck carrying the whole apparatus, swung round easily, the loaded bucket well in front and overhead. harry grinned: it amused him to watch the delight on his pupil's face. but this was not the moment for allowing his attention to become distracted. he kept a careful eye on the bucket, and, a moment later, just as it began to swing over the dirt truck placed on the side track, he pulled a rope, and with a loud clatter the bottom of the bucket banged open and the dirt fell into the truck. "stop her!" he shouted, and jim at once closed his throttle. "this is the boy that works the shutter for us. see here; pull it and give her steam. watch those two arms to which the bottom of the bucket are bolted. this here gear just overhead works 'em and closes them over the trigger. gee! if you ain't working this here like an old hand. now watch it. that bucket's closed, and you've always to remember to close it afore you swing the machine back again to its work, 'cos the edge of the bottom comes low down and would foul the truck. that'd mean a bust up. now, round with her. stop her; get a hold of the brake lever and let her drop." confused at first, because of the multiplicity of movements, in an hour jim was quite at home with the machine. true, he made errors; for instance, he forgot that very important movement to close the bucket, and, as a consequence, though he missed the side of the truck he nearly ripped off the head from a negro. but harry was there to supervise, and a quick movement on his part arrested the machine. "hi! what fo you gwine kill me, yo?" shouted the negro, who had been untouched, as it happened. "yo take care ob that great big playting ob yours. not here to dig niggers. not like hab de head knocked off." harry roared. "it's only joe," he shouted. "he's been as near a blow afore now, and loves to make the most of it. see here, joe," he bellowed, "i ain't a-goin' to have my machine broken against that 'ere hard head of yours. i'll have to be warning the foreman overseer to shunt yer." that brought a grin from the negro. he showed his teeth, and shook his fist at harry; but jim knew his meaning well enough. the big fellow was just like the rest of his people--just a big, strong, healthy baby, who saw the fun in everything, and, if there were no fun, manufactured it promptly. "i's gwine to break yo into little pieces," he said, clambering on to the cab and poking his face within an inch of harry's. "yo say i hab hard head? lummy! me hab hard fist as well." "git out!" shouted harry, striking at him with the slack end of the rope that commanded the bucket trigger. "who's he?" demanded joe, nodding at jim, and suddenly changing the conversation. "him? why, jim, of course. saved mr. barton." "den i knows him." to jim's astonishment the negro stretched out a hand and shook his eagerly. then he explained the situation. "know tom and sam," he said. "dey down here now, seein' tings. i show dem round. tom mighty impressed: he tink yo work de digger better'n harry." that brought an exclamation from the latter, while joe jumped down from the machine just in time to escape the swing of the rope. but his words were true; close beside the digger were tom and sam. "by de poker, but yo run him well!" shouted tom. "me's watched yo dis last half-hour. seems to tom as ef yo soon have a job in the diggin'." to the huge fellow everything that jim did was well done, everything he attempted was sure to be accomplished; and never for one moment did he tire of watching his hero. but jim had his lesson to learn, and for another hour held to the work. by that time he had filled a whole spoil train, and had watched another shunted into position. "ready to fill like the last," said harry. "that's the proposition that jest beat us at first. there wasn't enough trucks nor locomotives to begin with, and not enough tracks, so these fine diggers wasted half their time; but we've fixed it a while since. soon as a train's loaded it's pulled back, while an empty spoil train crosses the switches behind. that comes over another switch just behind the digger, and so right on alongside, the last truck just in position for loading, the first 'way ahead. then, as you've seen for yourself, we move along, a few inches after every dig, filling the trucks as we go." "and then?" asked jim. "what happens? where is the dirt taken? who unloads the trucks?" "gee! you are a chap fer questions. where does it go? away up there, at the far end of the river gully, where the lake of gatun'll be, there's a sight more dirt than this being taken from the isthmus. some of that's being dumped at the dam just away over our heads; some of it's being emptied outside panama, filling up a swamp through which the canal will run. reckon there won't be swamps when we're done. there'll be good hard ground, and houses'll be built on a spot where there's fever nowadays. we're using dirt at this end in the same way; but you was asking about the dumping?" jim nodded, and looked at the spoil train being hauled away. "the gangs of niggers do it, i guess," he said. "but it must take longer than the loading by a long way; at least that's what one would imagine." "jest about seven minutes fer the whole train," smiled harry. "my davy on it! you ask how? wall, listen here. i've been here a long while, and in them days when we was fixed badly fer more trucks niggers did see to clearing the spoil trains--and precious bad niggers they was, too, about that time. yer see, they mostly comes from the west indian isles, and somehow the place didn't seem to suit 'em. they was too slack to work much; but guess our officials fixed the trouble. they found it was the food, and now every nigger employed on the works gets his meals regular at a commission barracks, and sech meals as gives him strength. but we was talking of unloading. see that truck 'way in front of the trains, the one just close to the engine? wall, that's the lidgerwood apparatus, and guess it beats creation. there's a plough right forward of the train, and a wire rope attached to it. when the spoil train has been brought to the place where the dirt's to be dumped, niggers or europeans let down the truck ends, so's the whole train's one long platform. the plough then gets pulled from end to end, and shoots the dirt out. seven minutes for a whole train, siree! lightning ain't in it!" whistles sounded at this minute, and promptly harry shut down his levers and leaped from the cab. "guess you've done right well fer a first time," he said. "in a day you'll be able to get to at it alone. anyway, you've earned your grub. come along to the commission hotel; there's meals there for all whites, and no one can grumble at them." wherever he went jim found something to interest him, so much so that it was a matter of wonder to him that, though he had often been close to the isthmus, he had had no idea of the extraordinary bustle taking place there. it was so extremely surprising to find small towns sprung up where he was assured there was but a single native hut before, to discover buildings so temptingly cool and elegant in appearance, and to learn that america not only employed labour, but provided quarters, food, and recreation for her employees. and here was another example. harry took him away from the lock cutting, where one of these days a double tier of three locks will elevate ships from the atlantic, and introduced him to his friends in one of the well-equipped hotels erected for the accommodation of white employees. hundreds of men were streaming up the steps as they arrived, and passing in behind the copper-gauze screens of the veranda. jim noticed that all bore much the same appearance--for the most part clean shaven, with here and there some wearing moustaches and beards. dressed in rough working clothes, with broad-brimmed hats, none showed signs of ill health. there was a buzz of eager conversation as they washed before the meal, and a loud clatter from many tongues as they sat at the tables. as to the food, it was plain, abundant, and well cooked. "costs jest fifty cents a day," explained harry. "if you've finished we'll get to the club. we usually go along fer a smoke at dinner-time. 'sides, there's a cable of interest now and agin, and sometimes letters." a few minutes with harry at the club served, in fact, to banish any doubts which jim may have had as to remaining on the isthmus. for here was comfort and recreation at the same time, and plenty of men with whom to make friends. "this here's jim, him as saved phineas barton," harry told his comrades, and the statement was at once sufficient to rouse interest. hand-grips were exchanged with our hero. the news of his presence spread round the huge room, in which men were smoking or playing dominoes at little tables, and one by one they strolled up. "you're stayin' here?" asked one, and when jim nodded, "i'm main glad: phineas is one of the best, and a chap who could go in for him as you did must be one of the right kind. what are you going to do?" "steam digging, i hope," said jim. "but of course i'm green yet." "you'll do. if you've got the grit to face being sucked under by a foundering ship, guess you've the gumption to run one of them diggers. anyway, i'm glad you're staying. play yer a game of dominoes one of these mornings." "say, siree, ken you sing any?" asked another, when he had shaken hands; "'cos there's concerts here sometimes o' nights, and a new hand aer wanted." "guess i can do a little," answered jim, reddening; for here was a find. no one loved a sing-song more than our hero, and, to give him only his due, he had an excellent voice, badly trained, or not trained at all, to be accurate, but pleasing for all that. "when i've put a little together i'll buy a banjo," he told his interrogator. "i had one aboard the ship, but guess it's deep down below the caribbean." "my, that are good news! say, boys, here's one as can strum on a banjo." the information was hailed with delight by those present, for a banjo player was an acquisition indeed. these skilled white men engaged in the panama undertaking were as simple as well could be, and longed for nothing more than mild recreation. after an eight-hours day of strenuous work, and supper at the commission hotel, it delighted them to gather at one of the clubs and there listen to an impromptu concert. but the midday halt was not the time for dawdling. already the better part of the interval was gone, and very soon the blowing of steam whistles summoned the workers back to their machines; for nearly every one of the white employees in that hotel managed some sort of machine. "there's a heap of them engaged with the rock drillers," said harry, "and ef you go along the line to-morrow, towards panama, and enter the great culebra cut, you'll see and hear 'em at work everywhere. most every night, when the whistles has blown and the men cleared off, you'd think a battle was being fought over there, for there's dynamite and powder exploding on every side, and huge rocks jest bounding down into the trench. gee! there is a dust up. but i war saying that most everyone who's white has a machine to mind. of course there are overseers, and lots of officials. then there's a small army kept going in the repair shops 'way along over panama direction, at gorgona. that's a place as would open the eyes of people at new york. i tell you, they turn out a power of work there. see that machine down there running along the rails? wall, that's home-made, every stick and rod of it put together at gorgona, and, what's more, it's the invention of one of the employees here." he was bursting with pride, with a legitimate pride. there was no conceit about harry, but merely a robust belief in all that his comrades did, and in particular in the brains and muscles at work on this giant undertaking. with a sweep of his hand he pointed to a heavy truck, with a crane-like attachment built on it, running along the rails on one of the higher steps of the huge cutting on which he himself was engaged. "jest watch it," he invited jim. "it's a treat to see it handle rails. you see, our rails wants shifting constantly; for as the diggers clear the dirt they naturally want to get forward or outward, as the case may be, seeing that we cut our steps away to the side. anyhow, there's need to swap the rails from place to place and lay new tracks, and that 'ere machine is a track layer, which handles the double lengths of bolted rails as if they was sticks." jim was fascinated, indeed, as he watched this new wonder; for wonder the machine undoubtedly was. as he looked he could realize that gangs of men and much time might be needed to shift the lines of rails, and time, he remembered, was an item of which his comrades were sparing. bustle was the order of the day, and of every succeeding day, on the isthmus. as to the machine, it swung its arm over a long length of rail, fastened its clutches upon it, and lifted the double track, ready bolted to its sleepers, into the air. then it trotted along the rails, and presently deposited its burden somewhere else. "and by the time it's nipped back for another length, and has brought it, the track gang has got the lengths in line, and has bolted the fishplates to it," explained harry. "but that digger's waiting for us. git along, jim." breezy was not the word for this young american. he seemed to enjoy every minute of his life, and would have made an admirable companion for one subject to depression. however, jim was not that; our hero was naturally inclined to jollity, if at times serious, as became his position of responsibility, but with harry beside him there was no thought of seriousness. they made a laughing, jolly couple on the digger. the hours flew by, so that jim was astonished when the five-o'clock whistles blew. "how's he shaping?" he heard a voice ask, and, turning, found it was phineas barton, with another white beside him. "shaping! say, ef there's a digger going free he's fit to take it right off, he's that careful," cried harry. "see him at it, major." "you jest go along as you was before," he whispered in jim's ear, as the latter hopped back into the cab of the digger. "i ain't going to stay up there alongside of you, 'cos there ain't no need; and you ain't got no cause to feel flustered. the major's one of the works bosses, and reckon employment lays with him. he'll know in a jiffy that you're able to do the work." to tell the truth our hero felt somewhat scared at the moment, more even than he had that morning when taking his place for the first time on the machine. but he had perfect confidence now in his powers of control, and, with that assurance to help him, struggled against the unusual feeling of nervousness which had so suddenly attacked him, and let the bucket of the digger rattle down to the bottom of the bank. time after time he dug his way upwards, and delighted harry by his management. "gee! ef he ain't got some brass!" the latter exclaimed beneath his breath, as the bucket swung out over the spoil train. "he's copying me with a vengeance. i mind the time when i first started in at the business, and it took me a sight longer to fix the emptying of that bucket. but this here jim has kind of tumbled to the knack. he swings her out, and ain't stopped swinging afore he opens up and lets his dirt drop. ef that don't fix the major, wall he don't deserve to have good men." as a matter of fact the official was a good deal impressed; but he was a cautious man, and was not inclined to be taken in by a demonstration which might prove to be somewhat freakish. he told himself that under observation there are some men who do better than others, only to break down on ordinary occasions, lacking the stimulus of a gallery to applaud. he yet wanted to prove that this would-be employee had a head on his shoulders, and though he had heard the tale of the rescue, he determined to see if jim could show coolness on dry land as well as in the water. therefore he strolled across to the head of the spoil train, to find the driver had not yet quitted his post, in fact he was just in the act of uncoupling from the train, but willingly obeyed an order. then the official strolled back, to find jim still busy with the digger, and, waiting a favourable opportunity, waved his arm. what followed made harry stand up on his toes with anxiety. "he's sure to boss it!" he growled. "gee, if i don't talk to that driver! he knows as well as i do that he ought to blow his whistle afore giving his engine steam to draw out. an old hand wouldn't be caught, but most like jim'll bungle it. he'll get his bucket opened over the train, and the moving cars will catch it." that, it was evident, was the intention of the major. he was applying a test which might well strain the cuteness of a raw hand; and, as it happened, it was only watchfulness which saved jim. up came his bucket, a mass of dirt tumbling from its edge, and round spun the machine, swinging the bucket over the trucks. in a moment the bottom would fall open. harry could see him handling the rope which freed the trigger. then he gave a sigh of satisfaction, for jim had observed the movement. his hand left the rope, the bucket stopped in its swing, there was the grinding sound of moving gears, and promptly the massive beam returned on its axis. "that train's moving," he shouted. "i might have had a jam up." "you might, and no mistake," said phineas, coming up to the side of the cab. "you jest fixed the business nicely. reckon if there had been a bust-up the major deserved to have to pay for the damage. say, major, here's a hand wanting a job." "bring him to the office to-morrow; i'll take him," was the short reply. "usual terms; he can get on to a digger way up by culebra." before jim could thank him the official had departed, leaving our hero still seated in the cab. "you kin git down off that machine and eat a supper feeling you've earned it," exclaimed harry, coming up to him and gripping his hand. "i'm main sorry though that you're to work at culebra, 'cos it would have been nice to meet of an evening." "and no reason why you shouldn't," cried phineas. "see here, harry, jim's to live with me. he and his sister will have quarters at the house, the two niggers and the chinaman also. it's an exception, i know, but there it is. of course he'll get his dinner and supper way up at culebra; but he'll take breakfast with me, and of an evening he'll come down to the club here. guess you'll hear more of him." that the arrangement was likely to prove satisfactory seemed certain, and it may be imagined that jim was filled with glee. he sat in phineas's parlour that night, behind the screen of copper gauze, with his mind full of the morrow, wondering what culebra would be like, and whether the men working there could be half so pleasant as those he had already met. chapter vi a shot in the dark folks in the panama zone do not keep late hours as a rule, for work begins at an early hour, and he who would be fresh and ready must seek his bed early. however, jim and his friends were not to find repose on this, almost their first night ashore, as readily as they imagined. indeed they were to meet with an adventure which was startling, to say the least of it. they were seated in the parlour, jim and phineas, discussing their work, while sadie had retired for the night. tom and sam were engaged in an animated conversation in the back regions, and, no doubt, were themselves preparing to turn in. not one had an idea that a stranger was prowling about outside the house. "thought i heard someone about," jim had remarked, some few minutes earlier, but phineas had shaken his head emphatically. "imagination!" he cried. "there's no one comes around here at nighttimes. you see, this house lies away from the others, and up the hill. unless a friend's coming up to smoke a pipe with me, there's no one this way of an evening; they don't fancy the climb. sit down again, jim. how much do you think you're going to earn on that digger?" jim threw himself into his chair again, let his head drop back, and closed his eyes. he already had an inkling of what he would earn. the thought had brought him vast pleasure; for there was enough to pay for his own and sadie's keep. "three dollars, fifty cents, less fifty cents a day for food," he said, after a while. "put it at four dollars fifty," said phineas. "four dollars fifty cents, less fifteen cents for your dinner. t'other meals you take here. so you'll net four dollars twenty-five a day, and free quarters." "one moment," exclaimed jim. "free quarters! no, mr. phineas. you must allow me to pay my way. i couldn't stop with you without making some sort of contribution to the expenses of the house." "just as i should have thought," said phineas, smiling at him. "any chap with a little pride would want to pay his way: but these quarters are free. the commission gives you so much a day, and free quarters. if i choose to have a companion, he don't have a call to pay for the rooms he uses; so that's wiped off. then as to food: if you pay twenty-five cents a day for yourself, thirty for sadie, seeing that she's only small, making fifty-five, and another ten for general expenses, there'll be nothing more to be said. how's that?" jim thought it was extremely fair, as indeed it was, and at once agreed. the arrangement would allow of his putting by some twenty dollars a week, and at the end of a year he told himself that that would mount to a nice little sum. but again he heard a sound outside, and rose to his feet. "i'm sure i heard a footstep," he exclaimed. "there!" phineas was doubtful, still he went to the door with him, and emerged on to the balcony. there was no one to be seen, and it was so dark that had there been anyone they would have escaped detection. they retired again, therefore, to the parlour, unaware of the figure skulking close down at the foot of the veranda. the man--for a man it undoubtedly was--rose to his feet stealthily, and stood there listening for a while, till he heard voices coming from the parlour. then he clambered on to the veranda by way of the steps, and crept towards the square patch of light which indicated the gauze-covered window of the parlour. slowly he raised his head till he was able to look into the room. as he did so, the lamplight flickering through fell upon his head and shoulders so that one could get some impression of his appearance. decidedly short in stature, the man's face was swarthy, while the eyes seemed to be small and unusually bright, quite a feature of the face, in fact. he wore a long, flowing, black moustache, while his chin was covered with a stubbly growth a week old; but there was something about the face which immediately attracted one's attention more than any other feature. it was the mouth. the lips were parted in something resembling a snarl, showing a set of irregular white teeth, which with the lamplight shining on them looked cruel. a spaniard one would have said at once. more than that, his features were familiar. little did jim guess that the ruffian staring in upon him was one of those who had fought for the boats in the waist of the foundering ship on which he had been voyaging to new york, and that he himself had incurred the man's hatred by a blow which, now that the matter was over, he could not remember having given. but one's actions in the heat of a contest often pass utterly unnoticed and unremembered. jim had no idea now that this same man had dashed at him with a drawn knife, and that he had floored him with a straight blow from his fist between the eyes. however, if he had no recollection the ruffian had. "the very one," he told himself, with a hiss of anger, as he peeped in at the two unconscious men. "see the pup. he sits there chatting as if he had no fear, and as if he expected a spaniard to forget. but i am not one of those; a blow for a blow, i say. i meant to thrust my knife between his ribs aboard the ship; now i will put lead into him. it will be more certain." his hand went unconsciously to his face, and for a few moments he let his fingers play very gently about his nose, for that was the organ on which jim's fist had descended with such suddenness and weight. even now it was decidedly tender, and pained the man as he touched it. that caused his sinister, bright, little eyes to light up fiercely, while the lips curled farther back from his cruel, irregular teeth as the fingers of the other hand fell upon the butt of a revolver tucked into his belt. "a blow for a blow; if not with the knife, then with the bullet. he who strikes a spaniard must reckon with the consequences, and afterwards--pouff! there will be no afterwards. the bullet will end everything." slowly he drew the weapon, and pulled the hammer back with his thumb till it clicked into position. "what was that?" asked jim, hearing the sound distinctly. even phineas heard it this time, and stood to his feet. "perhaps one of the boys is outside; perhaps your tom, or sam," he said swiftly. "certainly there is someone; we'll go and see." he went towards the door, while jim rose from his chair and moved towards him. it was an opportunity of which the spaniard took the fullest advantage. "now or never," he told himself. "if they come out, my chance is gone." he lifted the weapon till it was on a level with his face. then he directed it through the gauze window at jim, and, pressing heavily on the trigger, finally released it. click! an oath escaped him, for the weapon had missed fire, while the two men within the room had already reached the door. he pulled again, till the hammer swung upward. bang! there was a deafening report, a neat little hole was torn in the gauze, while the leaden messenger he had discharged struck the doorpost, an inch above our hero's head, with a thud which caused him to start. as for the spaniard, he did not wait to see what success he had had. he turned on his heel and fled down the steps of the veranda, and out into the night. "gee! a shot! there was someone outside then!" phineas swung round swiftly to stare at jim. the latter nodded curtly. "yes," he agreed. "a shot. there's the bullet." he took the lamp from the table and held it up towards the doorpost. "just an inch above my head," he smiled. "i heard the thing bang into the woodwork, and felt the wind of the shot. close, mr. phineas!" "but--but who fired it? why? where from?" there were a thousand questions he wished to ask, and only the last could jim answer. he took his friend to the copper gauze stretching across the window, which was otherwise devoid of covering, for no glass was employed, and again with the help of the lamp showed him a neat little round hole punched through the gauze. "he stood outside there and stared in at us," he said, putting the events as he guessed them. "he cocked his pistol, and we heard the noise. then he fired as we got to the door. queer, isn't it, mr. phineas?" "queer! it's downright, cold-blooded attempt at murder!" shouted phineas. "call those boys." but there was no need to summon them. tom and sam were already at the door, while ching was in the passage, a swaying lantern in his hand. "what dat?" asked tom, his eyes beginning to bulge. "someone fire a shot. tom not like dat at all; he tink someone try to kill him." "boys," said phineas, keeping perfectly cool, "some scoundrel came to the window of the parlour and fired at jim here. he missed him by an inch. we must follow and take the fellow, whoever he may be; it may be the work of a lunatic. bring along that lamp, ching." "one moment!" cried jim. "best leave someone here in case the fellow returns. tom, you look after the house. i can trust you to frighten anyone away. sam and ching will come with us. sam, we want you to open those eyes of yours extra wide: that fellow must be followed. now, are we ready? but first, has anyone seen a stranger about here to-day?" "seed a nasty-lookin' spaniard, i did," admitted sam, his eyes shining bright and eager in the lamplight. "him one of de crowd working on de canal i tink; but me recognize him. same man aboard de steamer, sah; yo knock him down when he come for yo wid a knife. yo go bang, squelch! him flop over on to him back, den creep away growling out, and sayin' tings beneath him breath. him nasty fellow altogether." "then there is the motive for the crime," declared phineas at once. "there is never any telling what some of these southerners will do. no doubt, in the course of the fight aboard the ship, you knocked him down, though from the look of your face you evidently don't remember the matter. see here, jim; let tom go with you. i forgot that i have a broken arm, and am more likely to delay you; but i'll telephone down to the police headquarters in colon, and put them on the watch. i suppose you'll follow?" jim nodded promptly. "at once," he said with decision. "if i passed the matter now, he would make a second attempt, and i don't much fancy that. sam's a splendid tracker, and if there's a mark he will be able to find it. then come along, boys. ching, bring the lamp; perhaps there's another we can have?" it took but a few minutes to discover another lamp, then the party set out. meanwhile the diminutive sam, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, had been moving swiftly about the house outside. "seen de footmarks, sah," he said, as jim came out to join him, with tom and ching in close attendance. "look, sah: he come up to de house by here, and hide under de veranda. den he creep on to it. dere de muddy boots make a mark. he stand at de window and shoot bang right through. plenty more mark outside. soon find de villain." it had rained that evening, soon after the whistles had sounded for the men to cease work, and, since this side of the isthmus gets more than a fair share of wet weather, the ground is generally somewhat soft. in fact, it was just the place a criminal should not have selected, for it gave opportunities of tracking even to amateurs. but sam was no amateur. "when i live down south, often track de nigger," he explained to ching; whereat the lanky, thin chinaman wagged his head, shaking his pigtail from side to side. "ob course not so easy, not at all, siree," added sam, an air of importance about him. "specially when dere so many mens about. but yo see, yo china boy; me soon come up wid dis fellow, and den skin um alive, cook um, see?" he gritted his sharp teeth together, and in the lamplight looked particularly fierce. indeed the jolly little fellow seemed to be transformed by the work so unexpectedly placed before him. he was desperately serious now, and eager to proceed with the quest. "by de poker, but yo talk a heap!" exclaimed tom, taking the lamp from ching. "now yo, sam, yo get to work quick. me help, but not jaw; time to chatter when de man found." "den yo follow here. see dis! he shoot through de window and den run. he jump from the veranda and come all ob a heap, so he did. ha! yo can see dat, eh? eben a big, fat nigger same as you, tom, can see dat?" tom wisely ignored the remark. he followed sam's indicating finger, noticed that the dirt marks on the veranda were widely splayed out, as from the feet of a man who was in a hurry, and again saw them, together with a long, curling impression on the soil at the foot of the veranda, showing where the criminal's feet had slipped. nor was that all. one could detect the spot where his hands had met the earth, together with a deeper mark where the muzzle of the revolver he had used had buried itself in the clay. "him sure enough, de blackguard!" growled tom. "now den." sam led them away from the house at a rattling pace, that caused jim to marvel. but the little fellow was no fool at the art of tracking, while his eyes, usually so slothful in appearance, were now evidently very sharp and observant. and if our hero thought at times that he was being led on a wild-goose chase, sam was always able to demonstrate that such was not the case at all. "yo tink me not on de track?" he asked, after a while, when they paused to gather their breath. "well, den, see here. de same marks all de while. him run like a hare; him wonder if him followed. soon we come to de house where him hide. den look out for fireworks. him shoot like mad. sam know de sort ob fellow." the mere suggestion caused our hero to stop and think a little. that a dastardly attempt had been made to kill him he was now sure, and there had crept into his memory, as he followed sam, the incident aboard the ship which seemed to have been the cause of this attempt on his life. he recollected that a brutal-looking spaniard, some forty years of age, had rushed at him, and had been sent reeling backward. then the man had drawn a knife, and had come on again furiously. jim now brought to his mind his own behaviour. in the heat and turmoil of the contest, when it seemed that the spaniards would prove too strong for the captain's party, and before the lusty tom had put in an appearance, the man had rushed furiously forward, and he (jim) had met him with a terrible blow of his fist. he had seen the ruffian fly backwards and tumble on his back; then the arrival of tom, and the forward movement of the whole party had occupied all his thoughts, to the neglect of an incident which seemed to be done with. "and sam thinks he'll shoot again. shouldn't wonder," he said to himself. "still, there's no reason why i should funk following him. he has to be apprehended, for otherwise he might try to shoot someone else who had a hand in that fight. get along, sam," he called out cheerily. "if there are fireworks we must deal with them. i'm game to tackle the fellow again." tom looked round at him severely. "yo's got to go extra careful, sah, so yo hab," he said. "dis fellow not care wheder yo white man; no, not one little piece. he shoot yo down like a dog. yo leab him to tom." "to a big hulking fellow like you! i like that," laughed jim. "you'd certainly be shot. you couldn't escape a bullet. but we'll see. if he's to be found, we'll take him, however many bullets he may let off." they pushed on again in wake of sam, and followed the tracks at a jog-trot. they led in the direction of colon, and when near the outskirts of the town, turned towards a hut lying to one side of the road. "him dere fo shore," declared sam, pointing. "you find him in de hut. but mind what sam say. dis spaniard not like to be taken. he shoot at eberyone. him blaze away widout looking to see who it am. sah, better yo stay away back here. tom and sam and ching soon finish de hash of dat ruffian." it was comical and somewhat pathetic to watch their care of jim, for tom and the chinaman both joined with sam in requesting our hero to remain at a distance. but jim was not the lad to shelter himself behind the figures of such faithful fellows. rather was he the one to place himself in the van, to take all risks himself, so that those who obeyed his orders should not be the ones to suffer. besides, a leader should lead. "boys," he said, as if he had not heard them, "we'll surround that hut. tom at the front, sam at the back, ching on the far side, and i will make for the window through which a light is shining. by the way, best douse our lamps. they would show our position. and, another thing, if that fellow rushes at us, or begins to fire, knock him down flat. don't be too easy with him. i've heard of these wild spaniards before. of course they're not all the same as this one. indeed, mr. barton tells me that they are well-behaved as a rule. but this man seems to have a bee in his bonnet, or he wouldn't think so much of that blow i gave him. anyway, if he rushes, knock him flat. savvy?" ching grinned. the slothful-looking chinaman enjoyed the thought of a knockout blow, for this oriental had been now so long resident in the states of america that he had actually acquired some knowledge of the art of boxing. he grinned widely, and began to wrap his swinging pigtail about the top of his head. sam's eyes bulged widely open; he looked positively ferocious, and stared at the hut as if he wished the contest had already begun. but tom only laughed inaudibly, and rubbed the palms of his big hands together. "by de poker, but if him come up agin dat, him not know wheder him man or monkey," he said, doubling an enormous fist. "massa jim, yo not tall 'nough to look in at de window. better leave dat to tom. yo go to de front; plenty chance of fightin' dere." it was only another attempt of the big negro to place our hero out of danger, and jim promptly scouted the suggestion. "you'll go to your stations right off," he commanded. "if i whistle, you can come along and join me. the first thing to be done is to see if the fellow is in there." "dat sartin; i know him dere. i ready to swear it," declared sam. "then come along." without more ado jim led the way, and presently, when they were within a stone's throw of the hut, they separated, each to seek the position to which he had been appointed. jim himself stole on tiptoe towards the window of the hut, and, having arrived at it, lifted his head inch by inch, and, pulling off his cap, stared into the room. then he bobbed down again, and had circumstances permitted of it he would certainly have whistled; for there were five men assembled in the hut, and one of the number was undoubtedly the man for whom he and his friends had set out, the one, in fact, who had that very evening attempted to kill him. in a flash he recognized the ruffian. then his eye ran swiftly round the circle grouped about a rough plank table, on which bottles and glasses were to be seen, and promptly the faces struck him as likenesses of those he had observed the evening before on a slip presented to all working on the canal. it was a police notification, and had been sent to phineas so that, in appointing european labourers, he might beware of employing those whose portraits appeared. and jim brought to memory the words beneath the portraits. "the police of the canal zone are in search of a number of men, amongst them the above. it has come to their knowledge that a band of european thieves has gathered in the neighbourhood, and several robberies of commission stores prove their arrival here. any who recognize the above should at once give notice of their whereabouts. from foreign official sources we are informed that at least one of the men is a dangerous criminal, wanted for acts of violence to the person." "phew!" jim went hot all over. he recollected that phineas had spoken to him of these men, and had explained to him that it was not until after their arrival on the isthmus that the police received a warning from foreign parts. "no doubt the fellows had made their last haunt too hot for them," he explained, "so, hearing from their comrades that america had brought a heap of valuable stores here, and that where there are workmen there must also be, often enough, large sums of money with which to pay their wages, these rogues came along to the isthmus, took posts with the gangs of labourers, and then laid their plans to rob. one of our pay offices was broken into and rifled a month ago. that put the police on the _qui vive_. then came a robbery at the far end of the canal. the culprits were not discovered, but immediately afterwards the police received this information from abroad, together with photographs." "which they publish here for the information of canal officials," said jim. "jest so," agreed phineas. "and i suppose these rascals got to know that their game was ended. somehow they have means of their own of getting information. anyway, they disappeared, and weren't missed from amongst the armies we employ. reckon some of them got aboard that ship that you and i took passage in. if that's so, they're back right here now, waiting for another steamer." if the whole truth had been known, the gang of desperadoes of whom the commission police had obtained information had indeed found the zone already too hot for them. they were a band consisting sometimes of five members, sometimes of more or less. and for a long while now their attention had been particularly turned to ports near to the gulf of mexico. appearing to be but spanish workmen, they escaped often enough the attention of police officers, and had done so at colon. there they had contrived to burgle two of the pay offices, and, as phineas had rightly surmised, had sailed on the very steamer on which he and jim had taken passage. there, having come into contact with our hero, they had met with a misfortune, which had brought them back to the isthmus. "just showing that it's here we're meant to do our work," had said the leader of these rascals, a scowling individual boasting the name of jaime de oteros, "see here, friends; the police of the zone are looking for us amongst the labour gangs. we've dollars saved in plenty, and no need to work; supposing we find some quiet place near at hand, and take toll of another pay office." "and first of all pay back the scores we owe," the rascal who had so recently fired at jim growled. "i've sworn to give back what i was given aboard that ship, and since i believe the young pup who was so free with his fists is staying on here, why, i'll finish him. eh?" his suggestion had met with the hearty approval of all. there was not a man in the gang who would not do the same; for to these lawless fellows a blow received demanded repayment. as to the risk, that was nothing. they were accustomed to the feeling that their arrest was aimed at. if theft could pass without actual discovery, then a shot in the night, and the death of a white official, would equally escape detection. "five of them." jim counted them off on his fingers as he again raised his head. he squinted in through the corner of the window, and inspected each one of the gang separately. and now he recognized them not alone from the leaflet which he had seen, but from amongst the faces of the spaniards who had been aboard the steamer. of an evening he had often stood at the rail above and looked down into the waist of the vessel, watching the dusky faces of the spaniards, and scenting the rank odour of the cigarettes they smoked. features which then had made no great impression on him, but which had, unconsciously as it were, been tucked away within his memory, now struck him as familiar. little by little he recollected exactly where he had seen each man, and what he had been doing, so that within the space of a few minutes he was sure that every one of them had been aboard the steamer. "and are now wanted by the police here," he thought, "while the fellow sitting at the far end of the table is wanted more than them all, seeing that he has attempted murder. but how to do it? there are five, and all probably carry arms." a second glance at the men persuaded him that there was little doubt on the last matter; for the leader of these ruffians had placed his weapon on the plank table before him, while a second was cleaning his revolver with a piece of dirty rag. a third wore a belt, as could be clearly seen, since he had discarded his coat, and carried both a revolver and a huge knife attached to it. "ugly fellows to deal with, i guess," thought jim. "the question is this: ought we to attempt a rush? or ought we to set a watch on the house and send for the police?" obviously, with only three to help him, the last suggestion was the one to follow, and having pondered the matter for a little while jim came to a decision. peeping in at the window again, he watched the men as they rolled and lit cigarettes, or filled their glasses from the bottles on the table, then he crept away to sam, and with him went to join tom. a signal brought ching to them promptly. "come away over here," said jim softly. "i want to talk." he led them into a thick belt of bush which had escaped the billhooks of the commission sanitary corps, for the reason that it stood on high ground, and then came to a halt. "wall?" asked tom, his face indistinguishable in the darkness, but his tones eager. "he's right there, i reckon. he only wants taking?" "he's there; but for the moment we can't easily take him. listen here," said jim. then he explained that there were five men in the hut, and that if he were right in his surmise, and his eyes had not misinformed him, they were a gang of criminals of whom the police were in search. "and all armed," he added. "i thought at first that we might rush them; but even supposing they were not armed, one or more might escape. so i guessed the best plan would be to send off for the police, while we watch the place. say, sam, you could find the office in colon?" the little fellow nodded and gave a grunt of assent. "easy as cuttin' chips," he said. "what den?" "run there as fast as your legs will carry you, and tell them that we have located the gang of men whose portraits they have been circulating amongst the canal officials. tell them of the attempt made to shoot me to-night, and warn them to come along cautiously. get right off. we'll stand round the place till you come along." sam set down his lantern at once and disappeared in the darkness, making hardly a sound as he went. then jim led the others back towards the hut. "we'll take the same places," he said. "of course, if they separate we shall have to follow; but i rather think they live here. if that's so we shall have them." waiting till both tom and ching had taken up their positions he crept towards the hut, and, having reached the window, raised his head and peeped in. none of the men had moved. the ruffian who had been handling his revolver was still cleaning it with the dirty rag, while the man who had come that evening to the house which phineas occupied, and had deliberately fired through the gauze window, was staring moodily at the empty glass before him. the others were engaged in an eager conversation, carried on in low tones. jim put his ear as close as possible, for though he knew only a few words of spanish it was possible that english was the language employed. then he heard a sudden, startled cry, and, looking in, saw that the rascal at whose arrest he aimed had risen to his feet. the man was staring hard at the window, and in a flash jim realized that his own presence had been discovered. he ducked swiftly, and as he did so there came the report of a pistol. an instant later a bullet smashed the glass just overhead, smothering him with debris. then a babel of cries came from the hut, the door was dragged open, and in a trice five men had thrown themselves upon him. chapter vii the lair of the robbers there are times in a man's life when he has no spare moments in which to think, and this occasion may be said to have been one of those urgent periods in that of our hero. for he had no time to do more than move a yard from the window of the little hut located so close to colon when the door was flung open, and the five ruffians within burst from their cover. jim had hardly shaken the dust and debris of the shattered pane of glass from his eyes when one of the men was on him. it was jaime de oteros, the leader of the gang, a dark, forbidding-looking fellow, as agile as a cat, and a desperado accustomed to scenes of violence. "a spy! a spy!" he bellowed, catching sight of jim; for the lamp within the cottage cast its rays through the window and illumined his figure. "kill him! down with him to the ground! stamp on him!" quick as thought a blade flashed from his belt, and while jim was still almost blinded by the dust which was clinging to his eyes, the man struck savagely at him. an instant later a sharp cry escaped from jim's lips, while he staggered back against the hut; for the dagger had penetrated his left arm, high up near the shoulder. "wounded! this is serious. i am in a hole." the thoughts came to him like a flash, while the urgency of the situation seemed to help to clear his eyes. he could now see the villain who had attacked him quite plainly, while, owing to his position close to the wall of the dwelling, his own figure was in the dusk. and it was that fact alone which saved his life; for had the rascal standing so close to him been sure of his bearings that formidable blade would have descended again. jim caught the glint of the lamplight on it, and, stung by the pain in his shoulder and by the danger of his position, he struck out fiercely with his clenched fist, and as fortune would have it caught the rascal neatly beneath the chin. crash! the man staggered backwards, breathing deeply, and a second later cannoned into one of his comrades who was hurrying forward to support him. he gave a low growl of rage, pulled himself together, and flung himself on jim again furiously. "dog of a spy! you struck me. police or not, i will kill you." there was a snarl in his tones, while the man's whole person bristled with anger. but jaime de oteros was not the ruffian to miss a chance, or spoil his own opportunities, because he was in a passion. beneath his smouldering rage the rascal kept a level head, and, watching jim as well as the darkness would allow him, threw himself forward with startling swiftness. bang! crash! that terrible knife blade just missed its mark, and passing over our hero's shoulder buried its point deeply in the woodwork of the hut, so deeply, in fact, that jaime had to pull hard to release it. that effort again helped jim; indeed it gave him an opportunity he was quick to pounce upon. for out shot his right fist again, and, striking square between the eyes, it sent jaime hurtling backwards. "keep off! i warn you that any further violence will lead to severe punishment." jim gasped the words, for the suddenness of the attack had taken his breath away. but he was by no means cowed, and, being one of those sharp, shrewd lads of which america is so justly proud, he promptly decided to make use of the few seconds respite allowed by jaime's downfall. it was a case where force could not greatly avail him, he told himself, as he stood at bay before the desperadoes, his back close to the wall; but bluff might help him. "i warn you," he said again. "drop your knives and stand here against the hut with your arms up. if not, i'll whistle to my men to shoot. yes," he said sternly, "my men, you are surrounded. jaime de oteros, the game is up." as if to support his statement there came a call at that instant, while men could be heard hurrying towards the scene of the conflict. as for the band of rascals, jaime had, to be sure, been the first to encounter jim, but his comrades had been quick to support him. they would have thrown themselves on the young fellow before this had there been space; but the hut protected him in rear, while jaime's swinging limbs kept them at a distance in other directions. the lamp within the hut threw its sickly beams on the figures of the rascals, showing their features plainly, and letting jim recognize at once the ruffian who had, earlier on in the evening, fired at him so deliberately. "come, hands up!" he repeated sharply. "the man who is found with arms on him when my men come on the scene will wish that he had never seen us." "massa jim, massa jim! what dat happenin'?" came through the darkness at this moment. "i heard shots; dere was shoutin'. what fo, i want to know?" "it's that nigger of his," suddenly exclaimed one of the ruffians, hearing tom. "it's a blind, a big bluff! down with him! gee! stand aside, and see me shoot him!" shouts came from all five now, and as if by common impulse they cast themselves in jim's direction. and if he had remained in his old position there is little doubt but that the gang would quickly have crushed the life out of his body; but jim was fully alive on this eventful night. there was no drowsiness about him, as may be imagined, seeing the danger in which he stood. the lamplight showed him the staring faces of the villains in front of him, and their changing expressions immediately after tom had called. he saw their hands dive down for knife or revolver, and quick as thought he darted to one side; but, quick as he was, one of the gang was too swift for him. a hand fell on his shoulder, fingers closed on his coat, while the ruffian made frantic efforts to detain him. "he is here! here!" he shouted. "i have the slippery dog! quick, one of you, slit his throat, and have done with it!" "take that! back with you! tom, tom!" jim shouted for the negro, and a second later struck at the rascal with both fists, sending him staggering backwards; but the blows, sturdy and strong though they were, could not keep off the other desperadoes. they closed round our hero in an instant, and there began at once a conflict the severity of which can hardly be described. the sallow rascal, who had so deliberately attempted to murder him that same night, thrust his comrades aside in his own anxiety to complete the work in which he had so signally failed, and, raising his arm, fired his revolver at point-blank range. however, close shots are not always the ones to kill. the struggling men at the rascal's elbow disturbed his aim, while the bullet buried itself harmlessly in the wall of the tumbledown dwelling close to which the conflict was taking place. then jim did a clever thing. he had dodged swiftly to avoid the shot; but an instant later he darted forward, swung his right fist into the villain's ribs with such force that the breath was driven out of his body, and immediately afterwards wrenched the smoking weapon from his hand. it was his turn now, and right well he took advantage of the opportunity. "hands up!" he commanded again, levelling the muzzle at jaime de oteros's head. "hands up instantly!" they fell back from him as if he were infected with the plague, and the same uncertain, flickering lamplight which had helped our hero before now showed hesitation in their scowling faces; but it was only for the moment. let it be remembered that this gang was composed of men who had been in many a scuffle and come out of them successfully, that one and all were unscrupulous, and would as soon and as easily kill a man as take the life of a fly. was it wonderful that, seeing one youth alone opposed to them, they regained some measure of courage? jaime's lips receded from his teeth in an ugly snarl, and, as if shot from a gun, he darted at jim, ducked beneath the levelled muzzle, and closed with him. "now you shall pay with your life, dog of a policeman!" he growled. "this to end our quarrel." he gripped jim's right arm as if with a vice, pushing it upward. then the fingers of his left hand fell upon his chin and forced it backwards. "strike with your knife! strike, fool!" he shouted to one of his comrades. "he is helpless." and helpless, in fact, jim was, for a second villain had gripped him from behind. he was just like a sheep held for the slaughter, and though he struggled frantically he could make no impression on those who held him; but tom could. the lusty negro was not the one to be frightened by a gang of double the strength, and coming upon the scene at this moment he fell upon the men with the ferocity of a tiger. his first charge scattered them, setting jim free; then a dive to one side allowed him to grip one of the rascals. in a trice he had him swinging at his full arm's length above his head. "by de poker, but dis fun!" he shouted, waving the man to and fro as if he were merely a package. "yo's tried to kill massa jim, heh? yo go dere den." he swished round as if he were poised on a pivot, his arms went back, and in an instant he had thrown his burden against the wall of the hut. that done, he dashed forward on the heels of jim, and helped the latter to secure jaime de oteros. as for the others, they melted away into the darkness, and the last that was heard of them was the sound of their quickly moving feet. but ching reported that he had encountered one of the rascals. indeed, a minute later he came into the narrow circle of light dragging one of the wretches with him, and giggling with suppressed amusement. "him not see ching," he explained with a guffaw. "him comee runnin' ever so fast. but ching knowe him not a good man, and send him silly wid a blow from dis stick. oh, him hab a velly bad head to-mollow. him so velly solly him meet ching." "and him sorrier still when him come before de police bosses," exclaimed tom, gripping the arm of the leader of the gang so firmly that the man howled. "what fo you make that to-do?" asked tom, shaking jaime as if he were a rat. "yo no cause to complain. me hold yo tight, eh? me hold yo tighter still if yo not stop dat blather. by de poker, but dis fine, massa jim! we've caught jest three of de ruffians, and see dem hanged, strung up by de neck, dance tattoo in de air. eh? dat good for rascals." again he shook the unfortunate jaime till the ruffian's teeth chattered together, while the man was unable to retain his feet. that he was cowed by the size and strength of his captor there was no doubt, for he made no effort to retaliate or to escape. instead, he hung listless, his knife fallen at his feet, his left hand clutching at the fingers which compressed his other arm with such painful tenacity. "put him there in the hut," said jim, beginning now to breathe a little more easily. "ching, take your captive in too. tom will watch him; if they attempt an escape----" [illustration: jim in a tight corner] "ha, ha! i like to see dat," cried the lusty negro, lifting jaime from his feet as if he were a child and beginning to carry him within the hut. "by de poker, but i hope him will try to 'scape. den yo see; tom smash um into a jelly. tom make mincemeat of dis bag ob bones. yo see; tom lob to kill um." he swung the ruffian round till their faces were close together, and, bending closer, bared his teeth and glared at the unfortunate fellow till jaime recoiled; for, when he liked, tom could adopt the expression of a demon. "there; see him safely in the hut, and watch the two of them," cried jim, smiling even at such a moment, for he could not help but contrast tom's unusual exhibition of ferocity with his usual self. it was an eye-opener even to him to see this mild-mannered negro so transformed; and jim, knowing the faithful fellow so well, realized that all his anger and ferocity were assumed. "just to scare the ruffian," he thought, "and very thoroughly he has done it, i guess. now, let's see this other fellow." he and ching between them rolled the man whom tom had cast against the hut on to his back, and then carried him within the dwelling, where the lamp gave them an opportunity of inspecting him. "bad luck!" cried jim at once. "neither of our prisoners is the one i wished above all to capture. still, we have accounted for three, and the police will deal with the others. how long will it take them to arrive?" "anoder hour, sah," came from tom immediately. "me know de road. dey here about den. but no need to worry; dese blackguard son ob guns not try any little game. tom make himself happy." to prove his coolness he dragged a pipe from his coat, filled it with loose chippings which he carried in a pocket, and, stepping to the lamp, held the bowl of the pipe over the flame. then he puffed big clouds of smoke into the air contained within the hovel, which, to be sure, already reeked with the nauseous fumes of the cigarettes the gang of ruffians had been smoking. later tom sat himself comfortably in a chair, crossed one leg over the other, folded his arms, and regarded his prisoners with an air of severity which caused them to cower, though jim, looking up at him, could distinguish the old twinkle in the negro's eyes. "by lummy! but s'pose we not wait fo de police," suggested tom, removing his pipe from his capacious mouth, and baring his fine white teeth in the process. he leered at the two cowering men, and then looked round at our hero. "s'pose save de time and labour ob de police, sah. hang um now. plenty room in here, and dat beam jest in nice position. gee! fine ting to watch dis scum dance de tatoo in de air. s'pose we get to wid it." there was an amiable smile on his lips now. he popped the pipe back between his teeth, causing the latter to fasten upon the stem with a click, and stared up at the blackened roof of the cottage. "him bear de weight ob both together, sah," he laughed. "but not be too fast. one at time plenty much, so as have heap to laugh at. i'm gwine ter commence wid dis blackguard." he glowered upon jaime de oteros, the hardened villain who had led the gang, and who, if the information of the commission police were correct, had more than once robbed his victims with unusual violence. "him biggest of de blackguards," said tom reflectively. "him gwine ter dance on air fust of de lot." he rose from his seat, laid his pipe on the table, and approached his prisoner. and jaime shrunk before him. from being a well-nurtured man, a rascal who, by means of his depredations had been enabled to live on the fat of the land and batten on other people's riches, the wretch, when punishment faced him, shrivelled visibly, till his very stature seemed to be dwarfed, his cheeks shrunken and hollow, and his rounded limbs but half their former size. he grovelled upon the floor, whining for mercy. "stop!" cried jim at once, thinking that tom's fun had gone far enough. "we will wait for the police, and let them do as they like. but it jest about shows you the cravens these fellows are. under the same sort of circumstances this jaime would not hesitate to bully his prisoners, i guess; even to hang them outright. however, it is not our job to give punishment; we'll leave that to the judges. sit down and watch them." "watch dem! by lummy! but dat not necessary; not at all, sah," came the answer from the negro. "yo dere, yo blackguard. yo go very careful, or tom do as him say, massa or no massa. yo sabbey?" he scowled at his prisoners till they crouched still lower, and then, turning to jim, leered again at him, cocking one eye wide open, while the other closed. he was actually grinning, but the next instant, when he reseated himself, and again pulled at his pipe, the eyes which regarded the rascals cowering against the wall were savage. "now," said jim, "lend a hand here, ching. this fellow is badly knocked about. bruised all over and stunned i should say: not dead." the chinaman wrapped his pigtail round his head, and secured it in position with a pointed piece of stick which he carried about his person for that very purpose. then he bent over the man whom tom had dealt so harshly with, and, chuckling all the while, proceeded to examine him minutely. "not one little bone ob him brokee, sah," he said. "but plenty fine upset. got de headachee velly badly. to-mollow, when him wake up, oh him so velly ill. him groan ever so much. him giddy and velly sick, and him wish eber so much him neber been a rascal, and neber met dat great big nigger dere. him tink him one big black debil. him hate tom." "he! he! he! ho! ho! ho!" came in uproarious tones from the huge negro seated at the table, smoking so comfortably. then tom suddenly became very serious. "yo chinee boy," he cried, "yo son ob yellow gun, yo listen here. tom not like serve a man same as dat always. him very gentle as a rule. but, by de poker, when a villain try to shoot and cut de throat of massa jim, den time to do tings! not time to talk. dat come afterwards. de man dere sorry in course dat he met me; but dat altogether his fault, i guess. he shouldn't hab laid a hand on de young massa. now yo dere, in de corner, what yo squintin' outer de door for? you tink get away. by de poker, show you dat! beat you into squash and jelly!" he switched the conversation round to his prisoner, for jaime was staring out through the door of the hut, as if he had intentions of making a dash for liberty. but tom's voice brought him to his senses. the man--a spaniard by his appearance, but one evidently long departed from his own country, and well able to speak and understand english--shrivelled up into his corner, while into his black, beady eyes there came a hopeless expression, the expression to be met with on the face of a condemned criminal who knows he is past relief. it seemed evident, too, that jaime was in that position, for a little while after, while jim was bathing the face of the man who lay unconscious on the floor, a force of colon police arrived, and quickly took affairs into their own hands. a smart officer entered the hut without ceremony. "huh!" he exclaimed, when he had taken a swift glance round. "the watchin' ended in a ruction, that's evident. who's that?" he stepped to the table, leaned both hands on it, and stared into the corner where the prisoners cowered. tom coolly removed his pipe from between his lips, nodded to the officer, and then turned on jaime. "dat?" he asked, pointing with the stem of his pipe. "oh, dat a very brave prisoner dat try to kill massa jim, and now very sorry! stand up dere, yo in de corner. stand up, or, by lummy, tom want to know what fo! "now den," continued tom, when the wretch had risen to his feet, shivering with fright. "who am yo?" "that don't matter one single brass pin ter me," ejaculated the officer suddenly, his colour heightening, his voice taking on a tone of exultation. "reckon it's my business to know who every criminal is. jaime de oteros, you're badly wanted. guess there's a score of charges up against you. boys, jest come in here." he put his fingers to his lips and sent forth a shrill whistle, which instantly brought a couple of policemen into the hut. "handcuffs for 'em both," said the officer shortly. "search 'em for weapons. now then, siree?" he turned on jim serenely, and extended a hand. "tell me all about it. of course the darkie you sent along got to work and poured a whole heap of stuff into my ear as we ran here. guess i know who you are, where you come from, and the very first day you ever had measles. there ain't many young chaps around same as massa jim." there was a broad smile on his face, and the grip he gave our hero was unusually cordial. "gee!" he went on; "a real good coloured servant is a thing to be proud of. reckon you've two. you're jest about lucky. those boys think all the world of you, and i've been too long amongst them not to have learned that there's always a good reason when things are like that. you've got to be extra good and plucky and all that. but let's get to business. what happened?" jim told him abruptly. "it was precious near a case with me," he smiled. "this fellow jaime did his best to kill me. that's a reminder; he stuck his knife through my shoulder." strange to say he had forgotten the matter, and till now had had but little pain. but now he recollected, and, slipping off his jacket, exposed his arm high up near the shoulder. the officer at once inspected the wound, while tom, and sam, who had now arrived upon the scene, bent over him anxiously. "not enough to stop you enjoying a single meal," declared the officer. "little more than skin deep, and made by a knife that had cleaned itself as it passed through your clothing. a dressing put there right away will fix the matter for good. thomas," he sang out. then, as another man appeared, dressed in commission uniform: "see here, my lad, we want that first-aid case of yours. get to work at this gentleman's shoulder. now, sir," he went on, "you can continue the tale while thomas is busy. these fellows tried to murder you. you had surrounded the place, i understand, and had sent sam there back into colon. wall, now, what next?" in a few words jim described how one of the rascals had detected him as he looked in through the window. how the ruffian, the same who had fired at him earlier in the evening, had again narrowly missed striking him with a bullet, and how the whole five had then thrown themselves on him. "here's the result of it all," he ended. "i should have been killed but for tom. but he arrived just in the nick of time. we took three prisoners between us; two have managed to get away." "and that man who fired at you?" asked the officer. "he is one of the two escaped." "then there's a chase before us. you'll come right along to the office, sir, where we can talk matters over. wait while i see these rascals handcuffed to my men. but let me congratulate you and your men, sir. you did as well as any police could have done, and you showed no end of pluck. boys, get to with those prisoners. four of you can carry the man who's insensible. two each to the others will be enough. bring 'em along, boys. this is a fine evening for the police of colon." that the capture of three of these notorious ruffians was indeed a matter for congratulation was brought still more forcibly to jim's mind some little time later; for, having trudged into colon, the whole party entered the offices of the police commissioner there, and came face to face with that gentleman. he had been hurriedly aroused, and had at once turned out of his bed to learn what had happened. his eyes lit up with a smile as the officer who had gone to the scene of the capture introduced jim. "very glad to meet you, sir," said the commissioner. "now tell me all about it. this, of course, will be only a preliminary enquiry; i shall remand the prisoners to the cells, and their case will be taken later. then, of course, i shall require your evidence, and that of your men. please state who you are?" "james partington, sir; from new york." "lately arrived, eh?" "no, sir. been cruising in the caribbean with a salvage plant. then took a passage to new york. there was a collision, and a number of spaniards aboard the ship fought for the boats. i--er--i helped the----" "pardon, i recollect. shake hands, sir." the officer leaned over his desk and gripped jim's fingers, while a most friendly smile played across his lips. "of course, i recollect," he said. "the matter was published in the paper. seen the article?" jim shook his head. "i haven't had much time," he said. "there have been so many things to do since i arrived in the zone." "then your ears will burn, my lad. the man who wrote that account put the plain truth forward. he had interviewed the captain and his men. mr. james partington seems to have been the hero of the occasion." he laughed outright, seeing jim flush to the roots of his hair, and then became serious again. "there, forgive my chaff," he said. "but you behaved handsomely, mr. partington. now tell me how this other matter cropped up." jim told him in as few words as possible. "you see," he said lamely, "i couldn't very well help myself. i stayed on in the zone, and mr. phineas b. barton promised to obtain work for me. i had a turn with one of the steam diggers, and it was arranged that i should be appointed to work one. i went back to mr. barton's quarters this evening----" "last night, you mean," interrupted the officer with a smile. "it is now . in the morning." jim was startled. the hours had simply flown, and he could hardly realize that so much time had elapsed since he set off from his quarters. "i had no idea," he murmured. "but yesterday evening, to be accurate, i was sitting in the parlour with mr. barton when a man shot at me through the gauze window." "at you? how do you know that?" the question came like a pistol shot. "i guess it. i am not absolutely sure. i may be wrong, but you will hear my reasons. we set out in pursuit. sam there," and he nodded to the little negro who was following the interrogation with shining eyes and wide-open ears--"sam tracked the fellow. he took us to a hut in which a light was burning. we surrounded it. i went to the window, and recognized one of the men as a spaniard who had been aboard the ship, and whom i had knocked down in the fight. he had, apparently, just joined his fellows. there were five in all." "points to his being the man who shot at you, and to you being the one at whom he fired. to-morrow we'll settle it. sam there will follow the tracks if he can." it was amusing to see the little negro's eyes open wide. there was an expression almost of a feeling of injury about them. "what dat, sah?" he demanded. "sam not able to follow track? i like dat, i do. sam start tracking when him so high." and he placed a hand a couple of feet from the floor, much to the amusement of all. "sam larn to track way down in de south. dat rubbish villain leave heap of mark. plenty soft ground. to-morrow--to-day, sah, i tink, 'cos it's past midnight--to-day sam pick up de mark and tell you plenty quick who it am and what happened." "then that'll fix the matter. what next?" asked the officer. "i recognized one of the gang as a man whose photograph had been published; in fact, i recognized them all. i remembered the name, jaime de oteros. then i reckoned we had made a find and that you would like to hear. i sent sam away, and--and there you are." "pardon, there we are certainly not yet awhile. i was asleep at the time. kindly proceed, sir." jim answered the officer's encouraging smile by giving him an account of the fight, while the eager tom burst in with an interruption from time to time. "me wanted to hang um quick," he explained. "but massa jim angry, scowl at tom, say tings beneath him breath." it was pure invention; jim swung round upon the negro with flashing eyes. but who could be angry with tom? the fellow's face was wreathed in smiles. his merry features were divided by a wide seven-foot rift, extending from ear to ear, and displayed a double set of teeth which would have been a paying advertisement for a dentist. "the long and the short of it is this, sir," said the officer. "you and your very eager friends have done the police a great service, for which we are deeply grateful. now, i will take formal evidence of identity, and send the prisoners to the cells. i advise that you all go back to your quarters by a roundabout route, so as not to spoil tracks. i will send a couple of men to the hut to keep people away. at eight o'clock i will call upon you, when we will go into the question of the tracks and discuss what is to be done. the escape of those two rascals means a chase. we cannot afford to lose them now that we have captured three." he leaned over and shook hands with jim. then, with a pleasant nod, he banished the party to bed. taking the lamp, sam lit it and led the way, and very soon they were back at their quarters, there to meet with phineas's eager questions. at eight o'clock that morning, when jim imagined that he had hardly enjoyed half an hour's sleep, the police commissioner appeared, and very soon it became evident that the canal works would not see our hero yet awhile. in fact, there was another adventure before him. "we're going to follow those rascals," said the officer. "i'd like you to come along, for you can recognize them. of course it'll be dangerous. the fellows are armed; i'm not disguising that from you. are you game to come?" was jim game? he laughed at the officer's caution. "see here, sir," he said with a smile, "guess i'm not one of the police, and thief catching isn't in my work, but i've a personal stake here. if this man ain't apprehended i stand to be shot at any time. besides, every american citizen wants to help the police. it's a duty; of course i'm game." chapter viii in hot pursuit "from information received, a small steam launch put out from the bay of limon at the first streak of dawn, and steamed towards the east," said major pelton, the police officer who had interrogated jim at night, putting on his most official voice for the occasion. "it was not hired; it was seized by a couple of men. they found the boat lying alongside the staging, ready to take a party out to a hulk we have lying off the coast. they stole her." "proof positive that they are the men we are after," ventured jim, throwing himself back in the well of the little motor launch in which he and his comrades found themselves. "it's sartin'," came from sam, his eyes shining brightly, as was usual when he was at all excited. "precisely; proof positive, as you say. the useful sam tracked the man's steps to your quarters from that hut. then back again, and finally, after a detour in some scrub, where no doubt he remained hidden with his comrade, straight down to port limon. we are on the right track; but it will be difficult to adhere to it." the officer glanced round at the occupants of the launch, and found little to encourage him. true, provided his party could come up with the escaped criminals, it was highly probable that they would be taken; for the handsome launch with which the american canal commission had provided its colon people carried, besides the officer and jim, three members of the colon police force, fully armed, as well as tom, sam, and ching. "you had better bring them all along," the major had said, when discussing the matter. "tom is a lusty fellow, and evidently full of pluck, while sam is a first-class tracker. some of those negroes one gets from the southern states are extremely quick and skilful, and he is amongst them. ching, you say, is a good cook." "cookee fo ebelybody, sah; make de stew, boil de kettle. plenty good cookee ching makee," had been the response of the wily chinee when he heard of the proposition. so it turned out that all the friends were together again, armed with rifles on this occasion, and aboard a fine motor launch. "thirty horse-power, gasolene motor," explained the major. "there's not another craft in these waters which can outstrip her. in fact, if only we can trace those ruffians, we shall have them nicely. now, sir, you've had to do with motors; can you manage for us?" fortunately a gasolene motor was one of those things which had always attracted our hero from the first moment he had been able to comprehend its action; and it chanced, seeing that much of his time had been spent in seaports, or closely adjacent thereto, he had had many opportunities of studying the marine variety. immediately he put foot aboard this launch he had stooped over the half-covered-in engine, and had examined it with a friendly and observant eye. "yes," he responded instantly, his eye brightening; "yes, major, i can run her, i guess. thirty horse-power! i reckon we shall move along quick. what about gasolene store?" "ample aboard. her tanks are full; i saw to that at the first moment. she has been handed over to us fully equipped, with rations aboard sufficient for a week. i had only to collect men and ammunition. now, sir." jim had already started his engine, and at the word he pushed over his gear lever, retarded the engine a little, and sent the boat gently heading out to sea. "due east," said the major. "due east it is, sir," responded jim promptly. "and run up alongside any boat you may see in our course. we must make every enquiry." it was a sensible plan to pursue, for all that the party was sure of was the fact that the miscreants they were in search of had steamed out to sea from the bay of limon, and had taken an easterly course. beyond that fact there was nothing to direct them. nor were they fortunate in obtaining information till late that afternoon, when they sighted a coaster lazily sailing parallel with the low-lying, muddy shore. "have i seed anything of a steam launch hereabouts?" repeated the skipper, a typical yankee, waddling to the rail of his boat as the launch came alongside. "see here, siree, i observed a launch jest sich as you ask fer steaming easy along the coast twenty mile back of this. she was kinder heading in to find a port. there's lagoons way long there, and, mebbe she's got right into one of 'em. you don't happen to be wantin' the folks aboard?" he cocked his eye in a knowing wink, and regarded the uniform of the policeman. "i reckon not," he continued garrulously. "but ef you was--only ef you actually was wantin' 'em--why, i'd get peepin' in at every little hollow with that 'ere queer craft of yourn. say, what are she? gasolene?" the major nodded. "thirty horse-power," he said. "runs well." "jest a daisy! wish i was aboard her instead of this old scow. but i'm too old fer the game. slow and steady's my motto. goody to yer." he helped to push the launch away from the side of his vessel with a long pole, and then stood watching her as she went away through the water, leaving a long, white trail behind her. as for jim and his friends, they ran in closer to the shore, and, since the light would soon be failing, speeded up their engine and pushed ahead at a pace which was decidedly smart. "six or seven knots faster than the steam launch can make," said the major. "if only we can sight the spot where they have put in before darkness comes, we ought to make short work of them to-morrow. in any case we must discover some sort of haven in which to lie to-night." but, search as they might, it was already dusk before tom's sharp eyes hit upon an opening on the flat, dismal coast. "fresh water come down dere," he cried, after a while, staring coastward. "water blue and clean, not same as dis hereabouts. by lummy, but dere a riber in dere, where we can lie fo to-night. den boil de kettle, cook de meal, hab little sing-song." "i don't think so," exclaimed jim at once. "if we make a port there'll be no singing, especially from a noisy fellow such as you are. but i believe he's right, major; the water does seem clearer here. probably a stream running into the sea." "then we'll explore. we can't venture farther along in any case, and it will be dark even now before we enter unless we hurry. push her along, my lad; but go easy as we get close in." thanks to the fact that the gasolene launch drew but a couple of feet of water, there was no need for extreme caution; and, besides, the coast thereabouts was practically free of rocks. still, there was mud, mud in abundance, and were the launch to run hard upon it she would stick in that position, so arresting further pursuit. "easy now!" commanded the major, after a while, when the land was close at hand, and a thick fringe of tropical vegetation within close range. "there's the river entrance; narrow enough in all conscience. take her along to the centre, jim, and be ready to reverse if i give the order." he went clambering along past his men till he sat right forward, the diminutive sam joining him there, as if he thought he needed help. in fact, but for the little fellow's sharp eyes they would certainly have brought the expedition to an abrupt conclusion, for a huge sunken tree blocked a goodly portion of the river channel just at its exit into the sea. "hold dere!" shouted sam, raising both hands. "back um! yo see dat snag down dar, sah? him rip de bottom out ob us quick as noting. break um up, send de boat to davy jones, and all ob us to the sharks or crocodiles. back um, massa jim!" "he's right! i can see it now--a huge tree," sang out the major. "that's very awkward. seems to prove that we are on the wrong track." "'spose yo gib sam de painter, den swim or wade ashore. easy pull de launch right up to de tree, den see wheder we can get past um. if too much in de way, den put tom oberboard. him lift de tree away. if crocodile dere, no matter; tom very good to eat." the little man grinned at the big negro, while the latter shook an enormous fist at him, and bared his teeth in just that same manner as had had such effect upon jaime de oteros. but sam recked little of the signal. "yo one big, hulkin' nigger, yo," he grinned. "yo eat wonderful nice and tasty." meanwhile jim had been careful to reverse his engine, and lay with his machinery out of gear, awaiting further orders. "steady ahead! just a few revolutions!" commanded the major. "enough! that has brought us right up to the tree. now, can one pass by it?" the dusk was already falling outside, while here, beneath the trees which clung in luxuriant profusion to the banks on either side of the entrance to the river, it was already so dark that a white man was troubled. neither the major, nor jim, nor the policemen, could detect much of their surroundings, but in the case of sam it might have been brilliant daytime. he peered over the edge of the launch, then flopped full length on to the tiny deck she carried forward, and, pushing himself over the side, finally gripped the tree with one hand, his weight suspended between the latter and the launch. a startled cry came from him, a cry which brought tom labouring up beside him. "yo hurt yoself?" he demanded abruptly. "hi, yo, sam, what de matter?" "massa jim, we got um! we bottled dem men up fine and safe. dey good as hanged. dey jest as well might be dancin' on thin air at dis very instant." sam ignored the huge negro--in fact ignored everyone aboard save jim--in his anxiety to make a report direct to his master. "yo see here," he called out, turning slightly so as to be able to look aft, and still clinging half to the launch and half to the fallen tree. "yo come along and look fo yoself. tom, yo great big elephant, yo git along to one side. there ain't no sorter room for a person when yo's hereabouts." there was an air of suppressed excitement about the little fellow which caused jim to leave his engine and hasten forward. "well?" he demanded curiously. "you've found something? what is it?" "reckon dem 'ere blackguard run in here full tilt, i do. dey come whop up agin de tree, and precious nigh upset. dere's a dent right here big enough to put de hand in. stop a minute. sam soon say if dey passed." without waiting for his master, he slipped into the water, to discover it deep enough almost to submerge him. but sam was more like a fish than anything. he struck out for the tree, reached it, and clambered down towards that portion which seemed to have sunk deepest. in the gloom they saw him stretching out a hand to the opposite bank. he gripped a branch hanging conveniently overhead, and then swung in the water. "dey come right along plump in here," he sang out "den dey sheer off, and steam in alongside. jest room enough. see here, massa jim, plenty space to swing de legs. plenty room to float de launch; but i make extry sure. yo see in one little bit." they heard him splash down into the stream, while there came to their ears the swish of the branch suddenly relieved of his weight. then the fitful rays played upon the splashes as the negro breasted the water and swam upstream. presently the swish of his strokes ceased, and his voice was heard again, some little distance inland. "yo kin jest steer to de right ob dat stump, yo can, massa jim. plenty water. reckon dem scum come along right in here. we hab um. dere big lagoon way along a little furder." thus it proved when the party had forced the boat past the obstruction guarding the river exit. jim pushed his lever over a very little, and sent his propeller whirling just for so long as would give the launch way against the sluggish stream. as he did so tom leaned his ponderous figure over the stem, causing it to dip violently, and, gripping the tree, directed the boat into clear water. a few more revolutions sent the launch through, and in time brought her abreast of sam. they found the little fellow poised on a branch overhanging the water, for all the world as if he were a monkey, and from that position he dropped like a cat on to the deck of the launch. "what's this about a lagoon?" asked the major eagerly. "you couldn't see it, surely?" sam made no answer for the moment. he took the officer's hand and led him right forward. then, while tom clung to a branch to steady the vessel, his smaller comrade bade the major lie on the deck. "not see um if stand up," he explained. "dem leaves and branches in de way; but sam see um when he swim. easy as talkin'. dere's a young moon to-night, and now that we's right under de trees it's easy 'nough to look out into de open. dere: ain't dat a lagoon? gee! ef i don't tink so!" it was laughable to watch his eagerness, while sam's curious language, often enough sprinkled with long and difficult words, of the meaning of which he had not the remotest idea, was sufficient to make anyone not morose by nature die of laughing. but in any case he had made no mistake. as the major stooped, so getting beneath the line of overhanging trees and branches, he saw as if from a tunnel a widespreading space filled by water, on the rippling surface of which the moonbeams played. here and there a patch of rushes reared their heads into the air, while the far distance was hidden behind a cloudy, wet mist which smothered everything. "and you are sure that those rascals are here?" he asked. "sure! guess so, boss. dere ain't no room for a mistake. dem critters comed right in here. i see dere marks on de tree trunk, and den on the bank ob de stream. dey stepped ashore, i tink, just where we are, den go aboard agin. dey here; sam sure as eggs." "then, if there is no other exit from the lagoon, we have got them!" came the exultant answer. "we have only to bar the stream, and then set out in search; for, after all, none but a madman would leave the lagoon for the forest. just hereabouts it is intensely thick, to say nothing of the fever which haunts it. then, too, savage natives are known to exist, though some of them are friendly. i think, jim, that we may almost say that we have them. what luck to have pitched upon the very spot they made for!" "let us suppose then that they are here, sir," said jim thoughtfully, as he cut his engine down till it did little more than just turn round. "what is the next movement? to try and find them in that lagoon would be to set oneself the task of discovering a needle in a haystack. there is no chance, even with a bright moon, unless they happened to steam out into the centre. it seems to me that for to-night at least we have come to the end of our efforts." "quite so; i agree. we'll haul in somewhere and tie up. we shall all be glad of food and drink. now, where is a likely place?" "right here, i should say," declared jim briskly. "in the first place, we're in a sort of tunnel, which, therefore, is not easy to discover. then we lie right in the track those men would take if they were making out to sea. in fact, it's a blockade; we've bottled them so long as we occupy this channel." it was not a matter which admitted of discussion, seeing that the suggestion was so full of common sense. the major swiftly realized that fact, and promptly agreed to act upon it. "couldn't do better," he said. "now, see here, boys, we've got to take some precautions. in the first place, we want food cooked, and that means lighting a fire; for no cooking can be done aboard this craft. it wouldn't be safe with our tanks filled with gasolene. suppose we pitch our camp right away in amongst the trees, where a fire couldn't be easily seen; then we'll tie the launch up right across the stream. she'll reach from bank to bank easily. a man can keep watch aboard her while the rest of the party turn in; how's that, jim?" "the very thing, i guess. say, major, i'm real hungry; don't mind how soon i sit down to a feed. see here, ching; jest you and tom collect those kettles and things, and take off into the trees. sam, get along with them, and make sure you've chosen a spot where there's plenty of thick stuff about. supposing we walk along to the edge of the lagoon, major. by the time we've had a good look round they'll have the boat moored in position and the fire going. there's just a chance that we might have the luck to catch a sight of those two slippery fellows. it's almost as light as day out there, and they might be still moving." swinging themselves ashore the two made their way along the edge of the stream slowly and carefully. indeed, a good deal of care and of agility was required, for the bank was lined by a tangled mass of vegetation which often enough obstructed their path; but as both had encountered the same before, they had brought with them long cutting knives with which to sever the creepers. underfoot they found the ground firm and even stony in places, while to their right the land seemed to rise abruptly. as to the lagoon, when once they were free of the long, tunnel-like archway of trees leading to the sea, they came into uninterrupted view of the huge expanse of water, for the moon was now well up, and flooded the scene. "it's so bright that if we were to catch a sight of those rascals we'd be right off after them," said the major. "but they know their way about. i have had information that this gang, with a few in addition who have left them for one reason or another, have visited many places along this coast. it seems that they came from the states; but they know this coast, and knowing it they will have met with lagoons and forests before. they will be just as careful to keep out of our view when there is light enough to see, as we are careful to hide up our fire at night; but i fancy we shall have them. quick pursuit is one of the things they have not been accustomed to." they stared out across the lagoon for some little while, noticing the tufts of reeds which cropped up here and there, and the white mist in the far distance. then they turned their faces towards the spot they had left, and felt their way back towards the camp. "we'll take a couple of grains of quinine apiece to-night," said the major, halting for a breathing spell by the way. "no white man who comes out to a tropical country can afford to neglect that precaution. even in the canal zone, where we have reduced the occurrence of malarial fever to an extraordinary figure, we still insist that all employees should take quinine regularly. and out away here it's far more necessary. that mist we've been watching spells malaria, fever that sticks to a man's bones till he's old, even though he gets safe home, and lives in comfort and warmth. besides, listen to the hum of the mosquitoes; any fool could tell that these parts weren't healthy for a white man." jim agreed with him abruptly. he was thinking of his brother, and wishing at that moment that he had been a little more careful to take precautions; but george had been one of those lusty, healthy fellows, never sick or sorry, who had laughed at fever and scoffed at precautions. and see what it had brought him to. "my brother might have been alive now if only he had taken his quinine," said jim. "you heard about him, major?" "i did. as one of the police at colon his loss was reported to me as a matter of course. it was bad luck, lad; where did he go ashore?" "miles away along this coast. i hunted high and low, as far as a man can hunt a jungle. reckon he died in the undergrowth." "or fell into a swamp, lad. he died, that's sure enough; but come along. there's the fire, and a good meal waiting for us. gee! we've been getting along; this is better progress than i had dared to hope for." skilfully the major drew jim's attention from the tragedy which had fallen upon his young life, and very soon had him seated beside a roaring fire, and dipping his spoon into a steaming cauldron of stew which the wily chinee had provided. in fact, it was a stew which had been prepared ashore in the major's house, and merely required heating. "plenty ob dat fo all, i guess," observed tom, as he served out helpings all round, smacking his big lips as the savoury odour filled his nostrils. "by gum, but dis night air make a fellow hungry. yo sam, yo sit right along down dar, and i help yo. not trust a little nigger same as yo to help hisself: eat too much. little man, but plenty big tomach." he held the huge cauldron in one hand, and with the fingers of the other pressed his small companion to the ground as if he were as weak as a baby. then, despite his own words, he gave him a liberal helping, and, having done the same for ching, sat himself down beside the cauldron. "so as to see dat dat feller sam don't play one ob him tricks," he laughed. "by de poker, 'spose him try, den shob him into the pot and cook um." in the firelight his round, rolling eyes gleamed white. tom looked a very terrible person for the moment. but he could never preserve an appearance of ferocity for long; his usual smile was soon wreathing his face, particularly when he had taken the first mouthful of stew. "by lummy, but dat extry good!" he observed. "hab more, yo fellows?" in turn he offered it to them all, then helped himself again liberally. in fact, it was not until the last spoonful of gravy had been finished that the party turned to their pipes. nor was there much difference to be found between the variety of tobacco loved by the british tar or soldier and that favoured in particular by these american policemen. jim watched them as they cut the cake with their knives and rammed the broken weed into the bowls; then columns of smoke rose amid the branches, while the scent of navy shag made the air redolent. "and now for the orders," said the major, when the men had had time for a long smoke. "sam has been keeping an eye on the water all this time. we must relieve him, though he has hardly been doing duty in the ordinary sense of watchman. let me see. there are three of my own men, three of yours, making six, and our two selves, eight altogether; suppose we watch in couples. you with one of my men for two hours, then tom and a second policeman, sam afterwards with the third, and i last of all with our friend ching. how's that? two hours each, four watches altogether, and a good sleep for all of us. it is now eight o'clock, the last spell takes us up to four o'clock in the morning; it'll be light by then. since ching will be on duty from two o'clock he can employ himself with our breakfast. by half-past four we shall be able to get the engine going and be under weigh. now, jim, get to your duty. one aboard the launch, and the second patrolling as far as the lagoon. pipes not to be lit unless well amongst the trees. no one to call loudly to another unless there be need. boys, you've blankets here; turn in." ashes were knocked out of pipe stems, and the men at once rolled themselves in their blankets. then jim and the comrade who was to watch with him shouldered their rifles, and with pouches filled with ammunition, attached to the belts round their waists, marched towards the stream. "you get aboard," said jim. "i'll make along to the lagoon. when an hour has passed i'll come and take your place." he wended his way through the jungle, and presently was on the bank of the lagoon, admiring its broad expanse of rippling water, which looked so solemn and so beautiful beneath the silvery rays of the moon. indeed, it was an enchanting scene, and had our hero been of a romantic turn of mind he might well have been excused for giving free rein to his fancy. but jim was a hard, practical-minded fellow, with the world before him, and his way to make in it. it is not then to be wondered at that his mind strayed from the scene before him to the canal zone, to the gigantic undertaking america had determined on, to the host of workmen labouring there, and to the many problems which confronted them, problems undreamed of by jim till yesterday, undreamed of now by thousands of americans, yet problems, for all that, demanding the anxious thought and effort of the commission staff, in whose able and painstaking hands lay the enormous enterprise. in his mind's eye jim saw that hundred-ton steam digger again. he fancied himself in the driver's seat, with harry watching every movement critically, and coaching his young pupil. his hands seemed to fall quite naturally on the levers, and then the hiss of steam came to his ears, just as it had done when he worked the enormous engine. "was it all imagination?" to tell the truth he was getting not a little drowsy, but that peculiar hiss was so realistic that----"gee!" he recovered from his brown study suddenly, and opened his eyes very wide. for there was reality in that hissing steam. he could actually hear it, not over loud, but without doubt steam or gas escaping from some narrow orifice. moreover the sound came from the lagoon; yes, from the lagoon straight before him. a moment later a long, black shape stole into view from behind a mass of reed some few yards away, then lay still on the water. silhouetted against the rippling surface he could make out the dusky outlines of a launch, her funnel amidships, the hood of the cab which sheltered passengers when a sea was running, and the little mast on which her flag drooped. and there were figures--two of them. they stood sharply displayed against the light, perched on the deck of the launch, surveying their surroundings. "those villains; then they are here without a doubt. gee, if they try to make out through the opening!" jim crouched a trifle lower under the trees beneath which he had taken his station, and watched the launch and her passengers. and steadily, as he watched, the boat drew nearer and nearer. "searching for the exit," he thought. "then they mean to come out. they want to get to sea again, feeling sure that on such a bright night they will be able to find their way. they'll just jump into the trap we've laid for them." it did indeed look as if fate would play into the hands of those who had set out to take these rascals, and, if jim had but known what was passing in their minds, he would have learned that a crafty plan was about to be put into execution. "of course those police are after us, and quick too," one of the two ruffians had said to the other. "they've steamed along the coast, and no doubt have spoken some skipper who saw us. if they fail to find us to-night they'll get along farther to-morrow, and if we're along there east of this the chances are that we shall be taken. but we know a game better than that; we'll slip clear of this, steam back towards colon, run inshore just clear of the port, and sink the launch in deep water. there won't be much of a job in getting a passage to new york; how's that?" it was just one of those plans which, by its very boldness, would mean, provided nothing unforeseen happened, security for those who followed it; for, while all eyes would be searching for them along the coast east of colon, the rascals themselves would be securely aboard a ship _en route_ for new york. but jim and his friends were to have a say in the matter. our hero stole back through the trees, gave the warning to his fellow watcher, and then awakened his comrades. "s-s-s-he!" he whispered, as he touched the major's shoulder. "the birds are there, on the lagoon. they are searching for the opening. with a little care we shall have them." it seemed in fact almost a foregone conclusion, this capture of the rascals. for, when all were gathered close to the launch, while two of the men lay with loaded rifles on her deck, the hiss of steam was heard most distinctly. presently a long, black shape put in an appearance, till all could see it stealing slowly down towards them. instantly four of the weapons were trained on the men aboard, while the major, with jim and tom to help him, crouched beside the bank, ready to spring on board the stranger. it was a time of intense excitement, because even now there might come a hitch, something might happen to alarm the ruffians. chapter ix jim becomes a mechanic "see here, jim," whispered the major, as he and our hero, with tom beside them, huddled close to the bank of the stream which gave exit from the lagoon, "when she comes abreast of us you and i will jump aboard. there are branches in plenty overhead from which we can swing ourselves. we leave tom to get a grip of the launch itself, and pull her in to the side; got that?" the big negro wagged his head knowingly from side to side. "got um safe and sound, sah," he whispered hoarsely. "tom grip de launch, lift her outer de water if you wants. lummy! but dis goin' to be a bean feast!" "s-s-sshe, man! stay here. jim, i'll go a little farther up, just a few feet, and pick my branch. you had better do the same; there won't be much time to waste." "supposing she doesn't come in; supposing those men discover us, smell a rat, eh?" jim asked the question anxiously, and detained the major on the point of leaving. "then we'll be after them quick." "will the men fire on them?" "no; i've given them orders not to do so unless opposition is offered. i never like shooting into men before they open fire. but we're right this time; those fellows are going to jump into the net we have spread for them." [illustration: waiting for the enemy] he moved off at once, while jim stepped a few paces from the spot where the bulky figure of tom was reclining, and, searching above his head, quickly found a branch strong enough to support his weight. he held to it, and lifted his feet from the ground, making assurance doubly sure. by then the strange launch was heading direct for the opening of the narrow tunnel in which the pursuers were secreted. jim could hear the splash of her tiny propeller; for the launch was running light, and the blades often rose clear of the water. then suddenly the noise ceased absolutely, the low, clock-like tick of her engines could no longer be heard, while the moonrays playing upon the ripples at her stern alone showed that she was in motion. "coming! in a second i shall have to jump. reckon we shall have to be pretty slippy with those fellows, for they have arms and are likely to use them." for some reason or other our hero felt not the slightest trace of excitement on this occasion. no doubt the experiences he had already gone through had helped not a little to steady his nerves, while the overwhelming force of the party he accompanied seemed to argue that there could be now but little prospect of danger; but he was to learn that it is the least-expected thing that happens. for hardly had the words left his lips when the propeller of the launch was heard again thrashing the water frantically, while the ripple ahead suddenly died out altogether, leaving the surface of the lagoon shimmering placidly beneath the soft rays which flooded every portion of it. then there came a shout, a startled cry from the deck of the launch, a man stood up to his full height forward, his figure silhouetted blackly against the water. a second later he had dived down again, there was another shout, then flames suddenly roared from the funnel, while a glow which illuminated the rear of the vessel showed that the door of the furnace had been thrown open. jim rubbed his eyes; the sudden change in the movement of progression of the launch amazed him. he could hardly believe that she was retreating, that those agitated ripples now spreading from her stern right forward beyond the bows meant that she was departing. it was the whirr of her engine and the splashing of her propeller as it churned the water violently which brought the true facts clearly to his mind. "they're off," he shouted; "we must follow. quick, on to the launch!" he dashed along the bank of the stream, calling loudly to the men, and arriving opposite to their own vessel, swiftly cast adrift the rope which had been passed from her stern to a tree growing close down to the water. with a spring he was aboard, and, tumbling at once into the well, he searched in the darkness for the starting handle. but however convenient a gasolene motor may be on ordinary occasions, the fact cannot be denied that there are at times difficulties in connection with them. for instance, it was always a practice of jim's to shut off his petrol supply when the engine was not running; for otherwise there was risk of leakage through the carburettor, and leakage of such a volatile and inflammable fluid aboard a boat spells danger for those who man her. then, too, it happened that this engine trusted to drip lubricators for her supply of oil, and though she might reasonably be expected to run satisfactorily for a while without that supply, still, in the exciting time before him, jim might easily forget to turn up his lubricators, and such neglect spelt failure for his party. after all, this was decidedly one of those cases where it would be better to follow his usual routine, and thereby make sure that the engine had everything in its favour. "i'll have her running in double-quick time," he shouted. "get that painter cast off, major; and, see here, can't you manage to push her along until i have got the engine going?" "guess i'se got one mighty big pole here," called tom, an instant later, whilst the launch heaved and rolled as the ponderous fellow moved about. "you get right along wid dat engine, massa jim. i'se gwine astern to pole her." once more the launch rolled and heaved as tom made his way rapidly aft. then his pole plunged into the water, one of the policemen pushed the bows out from the bank, and, casting his eye upward for one brief instant, jim saw that they were moving. meanwhile he had found the gasolene tap and turned it, while the fingers of his other hand as rapidly lifted the six lubricators which fed the engine with that fluid so vital to her. "ready?" asked the major tersely, his voice hard and cold, as if sudden disappointment had changed it. "get her going quick, my lad, or those fellows will get clear away from us. already they are steaming right out into the lagoon." it was true enough; for, casting his eye ahead, jim could see, through the dark tunnel formed by the overhanging branches of the trees, a wide expanse of shimmering water, across which sped the boat that bore the men in pursuit of whom they had come. there was a white wash at her stern, while sparks and flames shot from her funnel. that and the glow which surrounded her, coming from her opened furnace door, showed clearly that the rascals aboard her were fully prepared for flight, with a hot fire burning and roaring in their furnace, and a head of steam which would drive their boat faster perhaps than she had ever travelled. "got it! now we'll be moving." with the fingers of one hand jim had held the float of his carburettor lifted, thereby making sure that the engine would obtain a free supply of fuel; while with the other hand he had discovered the starting handle. it was a simple matter to slip it on to the shaft and turn it till the clutches engaged. then he bent his back to the work, switched his magneto into circuit and sent the engine twirling round. poof! poof! poof! three of the cylinders fired, but the crank ceased turning. jim lifted his float again, adjusted the handle, and made another effort at starting. gur-r-rr! bizz! she was off. the rhythmical hum of the machinery told his practised ear at once that the engine was running beautifully. he dropped the starting handle on to the floorboards and stepped briskly across to his levers. "ready?" he asked steadily. "let her have it," came from the major, who, meanwhile, had taken possession of the wheel. "let her have it all you know, jim, for we've a long way to make up. those rascals have obtained a splendid start." jim promptly dropped his fingers on the quadrant where throttle and ignition levers lay, and jerked both of them up a few notches. he could feel the thrust of the propeller now, and could hear the wash of the water as the launch pushed her way through it. then suddenly the vessel cleared the dark tunnel in which she had been lying, and a glorious tropical moon shone down upon her, rendering every figure aboard distinctly visible, while, better than all, the rays flooded the engine well and made jim's task all the easier. "faster!" commanded the major sharply, and at the word jim jerked his levers some few notches higher, till the engine buzzed more loudly than before, while the floorboards took on a trembling vibration to which, as a general rule, they were unaccustomed. "more! we must move faster if we are to catch them," cried the major, something akin to entreaty in his voice. "can't you make her do a little more, my lad? we mustn't let those rascals slip through our fingers." jim nodded curtly; he disliked racing his engine as a general rule, for common sense told him that such a course if persisted in might well lead to disaster. but these were exceptional circumstances, and, if race her he must, he determined that no precaution on his part should be relaxed so that the motor might come through the ordeal satisfactorily. once more, therefore, he jerked his levers upwards till the throttle was wide open, while the ignition was advanced to the fullest extent. and how the motor roared! compactly built and beautifully designed, it could not be expected to revolve at such extraordinary speed and give out its full power without some sign of remonstrance. it answered the persistent goadings of its grim young driver with a tremulous roar, while the planks under foot now shook and rattled ominously. indeed the whole vessel vibrated, while the bows lifted out of the water, thrusting a huge wave to either side. the surface of the lagoon, hitherto so placid, was now churned to milky foam at the stern of the vessel, while a white wash trailed aft, glimmering in the moonlight. "full out, sir," reported jim to the major. "how are we doing?" "fine, fine, my boy. we'll have 'em yet, if only you can keep her at it; but can she last? can she keep up this pace much longer?" "guess she's got to," laughed jim, a note of excitement in his voice, in spite of his apparent coolness and unconcern. "guess she's got to, sir; i'll keep her at it all i know." he craned his head to one side, and for the space of a minute fixed his eyes upon the black shape ahead which they were following. a column of flame and showers of sparks were being vomited from the funnel, whilst the ruddy hue that had surrounded the escaping launch had now disappeared entirely. "closed his furnace; that means that he's got steam up to bursting-point," thought jim. "but we're gaining on him sure. in half an hour, if all goes well, we'll be alongside." he let his glance rest for a few seconds on the figures of the policemen huddled in the cab of the launch beside the major. he even caught the reflection of the moonlight in sam's big rolling eyes. then he turned his glance to either side, watching the widespreading bow wave as it swept out over the lagoon. he followed the ripples, and, turning, gazed astern. it came as a shock to him almost to discover two figures there crouching on the little deck aft of the engine well. one was huge and massive, and bore aloft a long, straight pole, while the second sat crouched on his haunches, as motionless as a statue. it was ching. the chinaman sat playing with the end of his pigtail, and giggled as jim looked into his eyes. "velly fine! dis allee lightee, sah; you catch him plenty quick," he gurgled. "den hang um," simpered tom, his eyes rolling. "dem scum not stand de chance of a dog, i tell yo. massa jim, yo make um buzz right along like dis; and den, by lummy, yo see what we do to um. nobble dem rascals precious quick. kill um; wring de neck of de villains." jim scowled at the negro, for such threats vexed him. then, seeing the broad smile on tom's face, he laughed outright. "jest like you, tom, always threatening. i don't believe you'd actually hurt a fly unless you were forced to. but have a care, my lad; this boat's over-loaded, and if i hear too much from you i'll give ching orders to send you overboard. get lower, man; your big body meets the wind and keeps us from moving forward." the mere suggestion that he might be tossed overboard caused the simple-minded tom to open his big eyes wide in consternation. his huge jaw drooped; then, hearing his young master's merry laugh, the thick lips split asunder, and a loud guffaw came from the negro. "wat dat?" he demanded. "yo ask dis man here to throw tom overboard? by de poker, but if dis chinaboy breathe one little word, me smash um. tom nasty fellow to deal with when him angry." but jim had other matters to attend to rather than to listen to the negro's sayings. indeed he had already turned his back upon the two men crouching astern, and was bending over the engine. fumbling at the lock of a cupboard, he pulled the door open and extracted a heavy object from within. his finger pressed a button, and instantly a flood of light came from the electric torch he had secured. for five minutes he busied himself with the motor. carefully adjusting the drips from the lubricator, he set them to give a more liberal supply than was usual. then he lifted the board which covered the tail shaft bearing, and squeezed down the grease cup secured there. a finger laid on the top of the bearing assured him that it was running cool, while the same precaution in regard to the cylinders disclosed the fact that the water pump was working as it should do. in fact, in spite of the tremendous pace at which the motor was revolving, there was as yet no sign of failure, nothing to point to an immediate breakdown, nothing, in fact, to lead him to suppose that the chase would have to be abandoned. "then i can begin to take a little interest in those rascals," he thought, "ah, we're nearer, we're overhauling them without a shadow of doubt! i give them a quarter of an hour's more freedom." it did indeed seem as though the pursuit was entering upon its last stage, for the black shape ahead was decidedly nearer--so near, in fact, that one could make out the various features of the launch as well as the two fugitives crouching beside their engine. tongues of flame and broad showers of sparks still belched from the funnel, while at one moment, when she steamed into the dense shadow cast by some tall trees growing upon the tail end of a group of small islands which studded the lagoon, the funnel itself was seen to be glowing hot. indeed, while the launch herself was blotted out in the darkness, the glowing funnel remained the one conspicuous object. "i'm going to give 'em a shot," called out the major, casting a glance at jim over his shoulder. "you see, i don't know the ins and outs of this lagoon, and those fellows might yet escape us if they happen to have had time to do a little exploration. see here, tomkins, send a ball a foot or two ahead of them; and if that does not bring them to a stop, put one right through her funnel. you can do it without fear of hitting one of the men." "sure! i'd back myself nine times out of ten to bring off a shot like that. i'll just wait till we're out of the shadow." anxious eyes flitted from the dark shape fleeting through the waters of the lagoon to the long, bony fingers of the policeman. he stepped to the front of the cab, leaned forward with his elbows on the deck, and clicked the bolt of his rifle open. then he dropped the weapon into position, and there was a tense silence aboard as tomkins squinted along his sights. a second later the report came, for the policeman was too old a hand with his weapon to hesitate. while he shot the empty cartridge out and slipped in a fresh one all eyes went to the boat ahead, and no doubt the bullet which tomkins had dispatched had passed but a few feet in front of her, conveying a message and a warning; but the effect it had was entirely _nil_. the launch held on her course as though there was no such thing as a pursuing vessel with arms aboard able to reach the miscreants who were escaping. "guess they've got to have it then," growled tomkins. "this time i'll put one through the funnel, and there ain't a doubt that it'll send them bobbing." as cool as an icicle, the man stretched himself out again, half on the deck and half in the cab of the launch. once more his eyes went down to the sights, and on this occasion the pause he made was long, so long, in fact, that when the rifle belched forth a stream of fire the suddenness of the report startled his comrades. then they fixed their eyes upon the launch steaming ahead of them. "didn't i tell you! got it sure, plump through the centre, and a bare foot above their heads," cried tomkins, dropping his rifle. "see there, the flames tell you what happened." his finger shot out instantly, and drew the attention of all to the funnel. flames and sparks were still belching from the opening above, but that was not all, for low down now, but a bare foot above the heads of the two men crouching beside the engine, the sheet-iron tube was punctured, and a thin stream of fire was issuing from the hole. clank! the sound of the furnace door being dragged violently open came clearly to the ears of the pursuers, in spite of the hum of their own motor, while that same red glow which had once before enveloped the launch again surrounded her. it was the only answer the rascals aboard made to tomkins's shot, that and a dense column of smoke which now shot up, mingling with the flames and smoke from the funnel. "their last kick," cried the major. "that shot tells them that we mean business. tomkins, my lad, just give 'em another. say, jim, how's the motor running?" "fine! fine! couldn't be doing better. sing out when you want me to cut her down a little." to all appearances the end of an exciting chase was already in sight, for there was no doubt that now jim and his party were running two feet for the one covered by the escaping launch. but they had wily men to deal with, and that fact was impressed upon them within the space of a few seconds, for hardly had the third shot rung out when the launch in front ran into another long shadow by one of the islands, her form being instantly blotted out by the blackness. there came the clang of the furnace door as it was kicked into place by one of the rascals, and then all that could be seen was the glowing funnel. even that did not remain long in evidence, for suddenly it swerved to the right, making off at a sharp angle to the course which the launch had been pursuing. then it disappeared from sight, as if the vessel had gone beneath the water. "steady! stop her!" commanded the major, swinging his wheel over. "we'll run on a little till we're out of the shadow. then perhaps we shall be able to see where those fellows have got to. queer! seems to me that they know the road. they must have steered direct for the tail end of these islands." jim jerked throttle and ignition levers back as the orders came to his ears, and threw his lever into neutral position. but the launch had been ploughing along at a speed of some twenty knots, and the way on her carried her swiftly forward. dense shadow enveloped her, and for a while there was not one aboard the launch but wondered whether the vessel would dash herself upon a rock, since the course was being followed blindly. the major had swung his wheel just where he guessed the fugitives had done likewise, and that movement still found the boat in dense shadow. a second or two later she shot out into open water, and once more the moon's rays flooded her from stem to stern. "gone! not a sign of them! this is the queerest thing i have ever----" "stop! i can see them!" shouted jim, interrupting the major. "they steamed straight between two of the islands, and there they are beyond. push ahead, major? our best way is to run right round this island, and so take up their course again. ain't that land ahead?" "land fo shore! massa jim right," sang out sam, who seemed to have the sharpest eyes of the whole party. "dem villains know de way; dey been here before. sam say dey heading for anoder opening." whatever was the nature of the evolution practised by the fugitives, the major, as leader of the party, did not hesitate to follow jim's advice. "forward!" he roared, glancing over his shoulder. "rocks or no rocks, i'll chance rounding the island. send her ahead, jim. give her full power again." bizz! gurr! how the motor roared as our hero jerked his levers back into their old position. as for that commanding the gears, it was already in position, while the propeller was churning the water into white foam. the launch shot ahead as if propelled from a gun, and in a trice was rounding the island on the far side of which the fugitives had taken their course. a minute later she was again in open water, while right across her path stretched a dark, unbroken line, the edge of which was obscured in deep shadow. it was the margin of the lagoon, without a doubt, while it was equally certain that those whom jim and his party sought to capture had chosen some point along it on which to land. either that or their explorations had discovered some exit, for which they were at that very instant racing madly. "artful dogs!" cried the major, wrath in his voice. "they stole a nice march on us by that movement, and gained many yards. don't fire, tomkins. you might hit one of them in this uncertain light, and that would defeat my special object. i want to capture the two alive and strong, or not at all." "see dat? massa jim, dere an openin' ober dere. dose scum race for um!" shouted sam a moment later, stretching one black arm out in front, and pointing eagerly. "me see de light shinin' on de water ob a stream, and de launch just about to enter. steady, sah! not do to dash right in at dis pace. p'raps smash de launch, run ashore, or pile her up on a mudbank. s'pose we take it easy." "steady! stop her again!" commanded the major, his eyes fixed on the retreating launch. "sam is right. those gentlemen have discovered a channel leading out of the lagoon, and have made for it at their fastest pace. that shows that they have been there before. look at them; they have sent their boat in without attempting to slow down. steady, jim! let her push ahead slowly; those rascals are a long way from making good their escape. i'll follow them even if it takes me miles into the interior." had the major but known it, there was every prospect of this pursuit carrying him and his party many miles beyond the margin of the lagoon, for the band of ruffians who had so lately attracted his attention, and on the catching of two of which he was now bent, had not confined their thieving attentions to the various settlements along the coast. they had even exploited the peoples of the interior of the unsettled regions lying adjacent to the canal zone. there were wide areas of trackless forest, of jungle, and of swamp, which to this day are unexplored and unknown by the white man. that deadly malarial fever, more than attack by unfriendly natives, has kept the white man at a distance. only along the immediate line of the coast has trading been done in some of the districts, and even then the results have not been always satisfactory. "it's a queer place," said phineas barton, when describing the isthmus to our hero. "here along the canal zone you have civilization. uncle sam has come in with his dollars and his men, and has worked with an energy which, one of these days, when the facts are known, will surprise the world. as i tell you, you've civilization right here. but jest step out of the canal zone, and what do you find? savages, sir. wild men, armed with spears and bows and poisoned arrows. yes, sir, poisoned arrows that will kill a man inside thirty minutes, even if they only happen to have just broken the skin. and they tell me that 'way along in the jungle, where the fever's that bad that a white man don't dare to go, there are gangs of tall natives that won't allow a stranger to put so much as his nose into their territory." it is all true enough, and is, indeed, one of the curious features of the isthmus of panama. there, where one of these days, when america has completed her gigantic task, a mighty canal will stretch from coast to coast, bearing the commerce of the nations to and fro between pacific and atlantic oceans, there lie side by side the modern dwellings and the civilization which an enormous undertaking of this description must inevitably produce, and a condition of savagery unchanged since the middle ages. even spain, with her huge capacity for conquest, failed to penetrate into many of the wide areas of jungle adjacent to panama and colon. doubtless her gallant sons made the attempt; but history records the fact that the fierce tribes within drove them back, murdering those upon whom they could lay their hands, and showing such courage and ferocity that further attempts were not embarked upon. moreover, the malarial fever, which haunts these jungles in its most virulent form, was deterrent enough, without thought of the natives. still, there were some who had contrived to open up negotiations with the tribes. there are men who will risk anything for a handsome profit, and the gang of rascals we are dealing with had seen in these tribes an opportunity of enriching themselves. they tempted the natives with the offer of guns and powder, and already the bartering of those weapons had given them access to a part which would have brought inevitable destruction, had they entered on any other pretext. cheap guns and powder were to be obtained, and in return the natives willingly parted with huge quantities of precious stones and gold. sam was perfectly right when he suggested that the man aboard the steam launch had visited the lagoon and its surroundings before. "i's sure of that," he cried, bending forward and peering into the gloom. "dem scum know ebery foot of de way, for dey steam hard ahead for a place dat no one else can see." "know it or not, we're going on after them," growled the major. "where they can run we can follow. but steady with her, jim. this chase is not going to be finished yet awhile, and we shall do better now that there is no longer a chance of catching them on the lagoon. take it easy. after all, they can't go on for ever; some time or other the stream they are making for will fail them, and then they must take to the jungle or fall into our hands. steady with her! slow but sure must be our motto." "steady it is, sir!" cried jim. "but say, i can see a line of water running out of the lagoon. those fellows are steering straight ahead into it." all eyes aboard followed the movements of the fleeing launch, and watched as she crossed in the gleam of the moonlight the last few yards of open lagoon. they saw her shoot across the dark line which till a moment before had seemed unbroken; she sped on up the stream to which jim had called their attention, then once again she was lost to sight. the blackness swallowed her; there was not even a glowing funnel to show her whereabouts. "forward!" cried the major hoarsely. "but see here, jim, send one of your men right up into the bows, for there's no knowing what may happen. we may run into a mudbank, and if we have a man forward with a pole we can get pushed off in a twinkling." the launch heaved and shook as the huge tom rose to his feet. as agile as a cat, in spite of his size, the ponderous fellow went crawling along, past jim and his motor, past the major and his man, and finally established himself right forward in the bows. "come a mudbank and tom push de launch off quick," he called. "but hab no fear. me able to see much better right away here; dere no mudbanks in dis stream, sah. all open water; plenty room for eberyone." by now jim and his friends had reached the very edge of the lagoon, and were able to make out their surroundings more distinctly. the bright moon above helped them wonderfully; thanks to the light it shed, and to the fact that the stream ahead was wide, and branches could not reach across it, they could discern the path which they were to follow. not a stump, not a single object, broke the shimmering surface of the water. a bright lane stretched before them, with a deep black shadow on either hand. "give her steam," commanded the major, forgetting that the launch which he and the others manned was of the gasolene variety. "send her ahead, jim. we've a clear road, way up there ahead, and we'll take it. boys, be on the lookout for trouble; those rascals are not the only ones we are likely to come across in such an out-of-the-way part." jim jerked his levers forward promptly; the motor buzzed and roared, while the propeller bit into the water, and, taking a grip of the fluid, shot the launch forward. she swept on gallantly into the unknown, her commander and crew careless of the consequences and determined to do their duty whatever happened. chapter x running the gauntlet there was tense silence aboard the launch from the moment when she had plunged from the placid waters of the lagoon on to the brightly lit surface of the stream which the two fugitives had followed. for half an hour scarcely a word was spoken, while all eyes searched the path ahead, and peered vainly into the deep, impenetrable shadows on either hand. but at length tom broke the trying silence, a sharp exclamation coming from the bows, where he was stationed. "by lummy," he called, "but dat precious queer. minute ago dere a bright lane ob water ahead; now noding, jest noding, all dark and black. massa major, yo ain't gwine ter steam ahead like dis all de while! s'pose dere a big rock ahead. s'pose de water come to an end. dat be very awkward." "steady," called out the major. "guess it is queer, as tom says; for a minute ago i could have sworn that this stream ran on clear and unbroken a good mile ahead. now, it's suddenly blocked out. perhaps there's a bend 'way there in front." "i'm sure," answered jim promptly. "if we run on gently we shall find that the stream opens up again before we get to that patch of darkness. gee! guess i'm right; it was a bend." meanwhile he had slowed down his motor; and it was fortunate he had done so, for as the launch covered the intervening space lying between herself and the dense shadow, to which tom had drawn attention, it was noticed by all that the fairway had narrowed considerably. at the bend, when she was gliding slowly forward, the banks came together very abruptly, leaving a stream of water between them which was but a few feet wide. and while the rays from the moon fell upon the surface for some dozen boat-lengths ahead, beyond that point the distance was shrouded in darkness, the jungle cut off the rays as if with a shutter, casting a dense shadow on every side. instantly the major issued his orders. "stop her," he cried in low tones. "this is a teaser. i don't much care about going on through that narrow lane; for if there were folks round here to attack us, we might have a job to get out again. chances are we couldn't turn the boat, and that would mean reversing all the way. what do you say, jim? it's a teaser, ain't it?" but for the moment our hero was engaged with his engine. he threw out his lever at the major's orders, and then pushed it right forward, till the propeller was reversing. having brought the boat to a standstill, he left the motor running gently, and clambered forward till he was beside the officer. "guess it'd be better to stay right here," he said shortly. "i quite agree that if we went along that narrow lane we might be placing ourselves in a difficulty. we might find ourselves in a regular bottle, with only a narrow neck from which to make our escape. best lie here till morning, when we shall see where we are, and what sort of a place that stream leads to." "den boil de kettle an' hot up de food," sang out ching, who was still huddled at the stern of the vessel. "plenty hungry and thirsty, mass jim, an if havvy food to eat, den de time slippy along velly quickly." the major nodded his head vigorously. "you are a man in a hundred, jim," he said, giving vent to a laugh. "'pon my word, when i am next sent off on an expedition i shall make it a point that you come along with your servants. a more useful lot i never hit upon. gee! of course we're hungry. jest get to with it, ching." "drop de anchor, eh!" demanded tom, standing to his full height forward, and holding the pole erect in the air. indeed, for the moment he looked, with the moon playing upon him, for all the world like a dusky sentry, keeping guard over all on the launch and her surroundings. then he set the pole down with a clatter, there came to the ear the clank and chink of a chain being dragged across the boarding. tom lifted the launch's anchor from its rests, and held it out at arm's length, as if it were a feather. "drop um in?" he asked, poising it above the water. "wat you say, sir?" "let her go," cried the major. "when she's fast, haul in the slack, and let me know what depth we've got. reckon this is as good a place to lie in as we could have, for we're well in midstream, and those rascals could not easily reach us from the banks. but of course they could send their bullets whizzing amongst us, and that's a risk we shall have to laugh at. what's the time, jim?" "want's half an hour of midnight, sir. guess we might have a feed, and then turn in." the arrangement was one to be recommended, and the major fell in with it instantly. jim stopped his motor, shut off the gasolene and oil, and made a careful inspection of the machinery with the help of his electric torch. ten minutes later ching announced that hot coffee was ready, and, rising from the petroleum stove situated as far forward from the motor as was possible, and over which he had been bending, proceeded to deal out the beverage to each member of the expedition. sam followed him with a tin of biscuits, while the ponderous and good-natured tom thrust his arm over the shoulder of his diminutive comrade, offering squares of cheese which he had cut ready, and had placed upon the lid of the box to serve as a tray. "guess better eat as much as you can," he laughed, opening his cavernous mouth. "s'pose dose scum come along fine and early; den hab noting to eat, but p'raps plenty bullet. den very sorry yo not fill up to-night." in any case he availed himself of his own advice, and sat on the edge of the well devouring enormous mouthfuls. as to the others, each ate according to his appetite, and we record but the truth when we say that in no case did that fail them. their rush across the lagoon in the wake of the fugitives, the excitement of the chase generally, and the freshness of the night had given them all a feeling of briskness, and with that feeling came undoubted hunger. besides, it might be necessary to push on without a pause, once there was light enough with which to see, then he who had not partaken of a full supper might regret the fact, and might have many hours to wait before an opportunity occurred of taking food. "jest you turn in and take a sleep, jim," said the major, when the meal was finished. "it's just midnight now, and between two and three in the morning we shall have light. i'll take the watch till then, and tom may as well be along with me. that big chap somehow seems to make one feel quite secure and safe." within five minutes silence once more reigned over the launch, while the moon peeped down upon a number of figures huddled in the well. the chinaman lay bunched in a little ball right aft, which he seemed to have appointed as his own particular quarters, while sam lay curled up like a faithful dog at his master's feet. the major sat beside the engine, a rifle barrel resting against his shoulder, and tom was perched on the rail, his big eyes searching every shadow, a smile of serene happiness on his face. and at length the morning came. while the moon still hung low in the sky, prepared to disappear altogether, a rosy hue lit up the dense banks of green on either hand, and, falling upon the tree trunks, brought them into prominence. swiftly the light increased in strength till the banks beneath the trees were visible. the surface of the water gleamed white and cold, and every feature of the launch stood out distinctly. it was time to move. the major rose from his seat and peered into the narrow channel through which he had not dared to take his men during the darkness. he was on the point of issuing an order when at a spot a little to the right, still hidden somewhat by the lack of light, a puff of white smoke was seen to burst. flame ringed it in the centre, while the smoke itself rose and spread in wide billows. something thudded heavily against the side of the launch, while an instant later a deafening report broke the morning silence, and reverberated along the forest. "eugh!" cried tom in alarm, his eyes prominent. "yo hear dat, massa? dem scum do as i say and start in right early. tom not like de bullets singing and humming about his head." as if the major could have failed to hear! he started violently as the report swept across the water, and then clambered across into the cab. jim and the others were already on their feet, while the crafty ching had uncurled himself, and now lay full length upon his face, a rifle at his shoulder. "do dat again and me fire fo sure," he cried. "mass jim, you call out if dis chinaboy to send dem a bullet." but jim had other matters to attend to, for he realized that any instant it might be necessary to set the launch in motion. he crawled along into the engine well, and with the light now to help him, had his motor running within the space of a few seconds. "one of you boys get that anchor lifted," commanded the major, his eyes fixed upon the spot from which the shot had come. "tomkins, just fix your sights 'way over at that corner, and if there's another shot, send 'em a bullet. you needn't be careless either; this time they're asking for a lesson." the words had hardly left his lips when another shot rang out from the bank, the smoke blowing up again into the cool morning air. it was followed by another and another, till from some twenty places smoke obscured the bank and the forest. as to the missiles, they flew, hummed, and screamed overhead, some dropping into the water beyond, others thudding against the far bank, while a few, just a few only, struck the launch, making her wooden sides rumble. not a man aboard was hit, though many escaped narrowly. "precious near every time," cried jim, reddening under the excitement, and finding it extremely difficult to refrain from bobbing. "gee! i declare that one of those bullets went within an inch of my arm while another struck the top of the cylinder here, and--hi! look at this!" he shouted. that last bullet had, in fact, done real damage; for it happened to be a big one, discharged from a huge muzzle-loader, sold to the man who had fired the weapon by men who palmed it off as of the latest construction. almost as big as a pigeon's egg, the mass of lead had struck the cylinder heavily, and with disasterous results. a column of water was spurting upward from the rent made in the copper cooling jacket. "done any damage? not harmed the engine, i hope?" said the major, looking across at jim, and then at tom, who meanwhile was tugging at the anchor chain. "i hear her running; that sounds hopeful." jim did not answer for the moment. at the first hasty inspection he imagined that the missile must have made a rent in the copper jacket and also cracked the cylinder casting itself. but a close survey of the damage showed him that the worst had not happened. the motor was heavily built, and no doubt the casting had been strong enough and thick enough to stand up to the blow. as to the water jacket, the damage was serious, but could be remedied. he could make a temporary repair inside half an hour, if given the opportunity, some sheet copper, and a soldering lamp. but for the present the rent must remain; the water must continue to pump up into the air. "we'll get along in spite of the damage, major," he sang out cheerily. "but i shall want a man along here to bail. ching, jest you hop in here with me and bring some sort of a pannikin." "got um! by de poker, but i tink dat anchor fixed down below beneath a rock," shouted tom at this instant, lurching back on the for'ard deck and just saving a fall into the well. "dat ting stick like wax, and tom not move um at fust. hi, by lummy, you ober dere, yo do dat again and tom say someting to yo. he skin yo alibe. he roast de flesh on yo bones and eat you." jim grinned; even in the midst of such excitement the huge negro amused him, so that he was forced to laugh. indeed the antics tom indulged in were enough to cause a shout of merriment. it seemed that a bullet, fired at him a second earlier, just as he was hauling up the anchor, had struck him on the back of the hand; and though it had done nothing more than break the skin, it had caused a great deal of pain. it was that, and the suddenness of it all, which had roused the ire of the negro. "you black son ob gun yo!" he bellowed, shaking a huge fist towards the bank from which the shot had come. "me break yo into little pieces, smash yo into fine jelly." "hop right down off that deck, and see that you've placed the anchor out of harm's way," commanded the major sharply. "bullets are bad enough, but when they ricochet from an anchor they give very nasty wounds. ah!" he had hardly finished speaking when there came another rolling discharge from the bank, followed by the rush of the bullets, and then by a dull thud. the officer commanding the expedition fell forward in the cab, struck his forehead against the edge, and subsided in a heap on the floor. instantly one of his men bent over him. "knocked silly, sir," he said, addressing jim. "what's to be done?" he looked at his two companions and awaited their answer. but one of them was busily engaged. tomkins crouched in the well, his rifle to his shoulder and a perfect stream of fire issuing from the muzzle. indeed, no one could have handled a magazine rifle better. but he came to the end of his supply of cartridges within a minute, and faced round quickly. "what's that?" he demanded anxiously. "the major hit? say, this is bad!" "knocked silly; not killed," explained his comrade, shooting a cartridge into his own barrel. "what's to be done?" tomkins cast a sympathetic glance at the major, and then across at the river bank. a second later his eyes strayed to jim's figure, and for a few moments he watched the young fellow as he tended to his engine, and with ching's help placed a board padded with oiled cotton waste over the rent in the cooling jacket. "see here," he cried abruptly. "the major's down. guess that young fellow had best take his place. he knows how to work this concern, and he ain't no fool by a long way. get to at it." he took it for granted that jim would accept the post of commander, and promptly turned towards the bank again, his magazine already replenished. meanwhile it may be wondered who had caused the whole commotion, who were the miscreants who had so suddenly and treacherously fired into the launch. five minutes almost had passed since the first shot came, when the banks were hardly visible. but the dawn comes quickly in the tropics. the day was full upon them now, and, looking up, jim could perceive the mass of tangled undergrowth beneath the forest trees, while right by the edge of the water were a number of dusky figures. if he could have had any reasonable doubt that they were natives tomkins speedily helped him to a decision. for the man was a first-class marksman, and now that the light was strong enough he began to make good use of his rifle. as jim stared at the bank, one of the dusky figures turned and scrambled towards the jungle. but it seemed that the man had already been hit; for suddenly he swerved and almost tumbled. then he faced round again, and stood unsteadily leaning on his weapon. the next instant a terrible shout escaped him; the native, for a dusky individual it was without question, dropped his weapon and thrust both arms high into the air. then he seemed to crumple up entirely, and, falling forward, rolled with a loud splash into the river. within a second a comrade had followed him to the same destination, dispatched thither by the policeman's unerring rifle. bang! bang! from a long length of the bank splashes of smoke came, and once more bullets sped towards the launch. jim heard their thudding, and even noted the various queer sounds they made, the dull blow of one striking her broadside, the cheep of another which merely grazed her rail, and then the nasty screaming of a missile which hit the anchor chain, and, being deflected in its course, rose almost vertically, and later on brought a shower of leaves from the trees beyond. but that was not all. two bullets at least passed with a peculiar whizz, and went on into the jungle on the other bank, as if they had been driven with greater force than all the rest. "revolvers!" exclaimed our hero at once. "tomkins, i think there were two revolver shots then. eh?" the man nodded; he had hardly time to speak. "guess so," he said abruptly. "revolvers--those villains we're after. they've set a whole crowd on to us." "then the sooner we are out of their reach the better. see here," cried jim; "try to find out where those particular ruffians have got to and pepper them. sam, get to the wheel; we'll make over to the far bank; that'll bother them." the motor buzzed and roared as he switched his levers forward, while the water pump gathered such power from the momentum that the pressure within the jackets increased wonderfully. ching, despite all his efforts and all his cunning, could no longer seal that rent made by the bullet. true, he reduced the leakage wonderfully; but from all round the margin a spray of hot water swept broadcast, quickly drenching our hero to the skin. it was a trifle, however: jim congratulated himself that he was not likely to be scalded. "with a motor on a car ashore it would be different," he told himself, as he put the launch in motion. "here the temperature cannot very well rise too high. she takes in her supply direct from the river, and pumps it right through the jackets and out again. swing her over, sam. see here, tomkins, i'm going straight for the far bank, and will swing round in a circle when i get near. we'll bring up end on, beneath a tree if possible; then we shall present less of a mark. ah! good shooting! that'll make 'em careful." as yet he had had no time in which to reckon the odds opposed to them, nor the imminence of the danger in which the expedition stood. minor matters occupied his attention, those and vague queries as to how he should proceed. he noted with satisfaction that tomkins and his two comrades were making excellent practice. at least half a dozen of the enemy had already fallen. "round with her, right round, sam," he commanded, when the launch was near the bank. "steady! back her! how's that for a tree?" with sam aiding him at the wheel, and he himself controlling the pace of the launch, jim soon manoeuvred her beneath a tree which swept its branches right into the water. then he threw his lever out, slowed the motor, and crawled into the cab. with tom's help he laid the major on his back and carefully searched for a wound. and very soon they came upon the result of the bullet. there was a huge, discoloured bump on the top of his head, while an ugly graze crossed the forehead. for the rest, he was breathing deeply and regularly, while the pupils were equal. "bullet knock de sense clean out ob him head," explained tom, as if he were completely conversant with the matter. "knock de massa major silly. to-morrow, when he wake up and come to himself, he hold de hands to him head. oh, how him ache! him feel more silly den dan he look now. but, massa jim, dis a bit ob hot stuff. dis quite all right. once de fun begin tom like it hot and plenty. yo bide little bit; soon dem debil fire away all dere powder and ball. den time to make a move; den tom hab someting more to say about de wound. yo see dat!" and he held out a bruised and swollen hand for jim's inspection; "scum of a black nigger do dat. yo see. tom not forget when de time come." really the big fellow was too much for jim. grave though the situation was, he was forced to laugh again. for tom did not stop at threats; his words lost all their impressiveness without the gestures. and the latter, terribly fierce though they were--for when he bared his teeth in a snarl no one could look more like a demon than tom--were instantly banished and forgotten by the fellow's well-known merry smile. tom's six-foot smile was too catching. his comical face never failed to draw laughter from his audience. "if you stand up and expose your ugly head like that you won't be left when the powder has been done with!" exclaimed jim severely, suppressing his mirth. "now, listen to this: tom will watch up stream, ching will keep a lookout in the downward direction, while sam will hop ashore. don't go more than a few feet away, lad," he warned the little negro. "just enough to keep us from being surprised, and to allow you to rejoin instantly. say, tomkins, supposing we give over firing?" a flushed face turned towards him, while the policeman regarded our hero as if he thought him demented. "let 'em go on shootin' and not answer!" he gasped. "why, of all----" "it's like this," explained jim curtly. "all the time you fire they know where we're lying. i don't say we're likely to get bad wounds at this distance, for most of the weapons yonder are gas barrels, i reckon, but a revolver bullet might hit by accident, and then it'd be a case with one of us." there was indecision on tomkins's face for the space of a few seconds. to tell the truth, though an excellent fellow, he was one who boasted unusual independence, both in word and act, and while it was a fact that he had suggested that jim should take the major's place, he had taken it for granted that orders from our hero would not be very frequent, and that he would mainly direct by managing his motor, and seeing that a course was steered. and here he was fighting the vessel. there was something approaching a scowl on tomkins's face as the thought flashed across his brain. he swung round to look at the enemy. but a second later he was glancing up at jim once more, his weapon idle beside him. "you're a conjuror, i guess," he said abruptly. "i'd forgotten those revolvers. i thought your suggestion was a bad one; then, blessed if one of them rascals didn't drop in a shot. look there! he winged me!" he grinned as he held out a finger of his left hand for inspection. "that's what i got for being foolish. you're right, sir," he said with decision. "what next?" "see that you don't touch the branches overhead. they'd see them moving from the far side. sam there? come aboard. now," he went on, when the negro had dropped into the well of the launch, "not a sound from anyone. they won't hear the motor while she is running light. we'll run down stream under the trees, and then make a break into the open. a hundred-yards start will allow us to laugh at all their weapons." there was agreement on all the faces about him. tomkins nodded very decidedly, showing that the plan met with his approval. "then lie out there right forward, tom," said jim, lowering his tones. "those long arms of yours will do as fenders. push us off if we get too near to a tree. but don't touch 'em if you can help it. get on to that wheel, sam; i'm moving off at once." he threw in his lever and set the propeller turning very slowly, but the launch felt the effect instantly. she was already heading in the right direction, and at once began to glide away beneath the leafy covering. it happened, too, that she was able to pursue this course for more than a hundred yards before a break in the bank, where there had been a species of landslide, and where the trees receded sharply, caused her to come into the open. "take her clear into the centre, and then head her for the lagoon," said jim, calling gently to sam. "tom, slip back into the cab. all hands keep their heads as low as possible. don't fire a shot unless there's actual need, and if there's trouble, let every man who has no other special duty pepper those rascals for all they're worth. over with her." bizz! gurr! gurr! the motor roared at his bidding, while the propeller lashed the shallow water into foam. ching grabbed at the covering placed over the rent in the water jacket, and then turned his face from the engine. for, though there was nothing there to harm one, still the spray forced in all directions by the pump was disagreeable, to say the least of it, and made seeing almost impossible! bizz! gurr! the launch shot down the last few yards of the dark lane beneath the trees. sam, his eye fixed on the opening, swung his wheel right over, while jim nudged his levers a trifle higher. the planks at his feet had started to dither again, and practice told him that the vessel must be moving. but they were not shaking and vibrating to such an extent as to make standing upon them uncomfortable. there was no need for such an exhibition of haste yet awhile. "might bust the jacket altogether," jim told himself. "might have a bad breakdown. better get along as we are. i can squeeze a little more out of her if there's occasion. ah, here she goes round into the open!" turning abruptly, as sam swung the wheel over, the launch canted on her heel till a stream of water swamped far up the rail-less deck astern. the bows lifted from the surface in spite of tom's enormous weight, while a big bow wave collected beneath her cutwater, and, gathering in size as the propeller shot the boat forward, was presently spreading across the surface of the river, and washing heavily against the nearest bank. straight as a dart the vessel was directed to the point that jim had mentioned. she cut obliquely across the stream, and, almost before those aboard could have believed it possible, was heeling again to the swerve of her rudder. "done them brown. cut out below them, and left 'em well behind. boys!" cried tomkins, beside himself with delight, "i 'low as we've something to thank the chief for. he's done a cute thing; he's stolen a real march on them blackguards." "not know so much, siree," answered tom from his post in the cab, where he had retired at jim's orders. "massa jim all right, don't you fear. he know right well what him up to; but what yo say to dat, and to dat? dem bullets buzz too close fo tom's likin'." that the passage of the launch had been observed there could not now be a shadow of doubt, for the far side of the river had already displayed several patches of smoke, billowing from the rifles of the enemy. but tomkins laughed at the idea that they could prove harmful. "jest you squat right down here at my feet, darkie," he laughed. "then you won't have no cause to get wonderin' whether a bullet's coming along. fer me, i guess as we're well out of a ruction that looked at one time likely to get too hot fer anything. you ain't got sich a thing as a light along of you?" tom grunted. it annoyed the big fellow to have a recommendation to place himself in safety. his eyes gleamed white in the morning light; his sharp teeth gritted together. "yo policeman," he said, as he extracted his pipe from his pocket, and still leaned on the edge of the cab, within full view of those on the bank of the river, "yo tomkins, yo ain't the only one as wants a smoke. by gum, but tom like a draw too, 'specially early in de mornin', when dere a chance of gettin' a bullet. yo sit right there and wait. matches ain't so plentiful in this locality." he stuffed his pipe methodically and slowly. then he put the stem between his teeth and, slowly again, struck one of his matches. he was on the point of offering the light to the policeman when a sudden exclamation came from sam. "look dar!" he shouted. "not tink dat good for dis here party. tings is all changed round. dey's chasin' us instead of we bein' after dem. massa jim, dis am a bit of a conundrum." conundrum or not, the situation was sufficiently serious. even tomkins went red and hot as he realized to the full the gravity of this new movement. for the motor launch was not the only one on the river. the launch on which the two ruffians had escaped from colon, and which they themselves had chased in the late hours of the previous night, was now chasing them, but under altered circumstances. there were fifty dark figures swarming over her decks. "right straight down the centre!" cried jim, waving to sam. "you hold on dead straight unless i give you an order. i think we shall just clear her." but would they? that was the question. the steam launch which had disappeared so mysteriously on the previous night had suddenly darted out from the opposite bank of the river, her decks crowded with men. moreover, she was fully prepared for a speedy journey, for steam was hissing and whistling from her escape. there was a white wave under her foot, a spreading surf behind her, while the course she followed promised to bring her alongside jim's vessel before the latter could make her way down the long stretch of water that led to the lagoon. indeed it looked very much as if the stranger would intercept their passage, and then--what was the prospect? "boys," called out jim after a minute, during which time he had pushed his throttle and ignition levers as far forward as was possible, "see here, boys, there may be a tussle before us. get to work right now with your rifles. give it to 'em hot. we may be able to scare 'em." pip! pop! the sharp reports of the government rifles punctuated the semi-silence which followed, while screams of rage came from the crowded decks of the enemy. pip! pop! tomkins and his friends splashed their bullets in the centre of the throng, and sent more than one of the dusky warriors rolling. meanwhile, under jim's guiding hand, the motor launch sped faster towards the lagoon, till her whole frame shivered and vibrated. in such acute cases a second's space of time will change the complexion of matters entirely, will advance the fortunes of one party against those of the other. and here there was an illustration of the fact. jim's engine raced madly, while the propeller took a firm grip of the water. the vessel bounded forward at a pace which easily outdistanced that of the steam launch. very soon it became apparent that jim and his friends would slip past the launch that was steaming from the opposite bank to intercept them. "keep at it with those rifles, boys!" he shouted, delighted at the turn matters had taken, and, heedless of the spray of water which gushed in all directions from the rent in the cooling jacket of the motor. "keep down their fire, and if you catch a sight of those rascals, pepper them properly. hooray! we'll best 'em yet." "run past dem as if they was lame and walking," sang out tom, bubbling over with excitement. "den turn and gib dem what fo. yo tink dat good advice, massa. yo do as i say; den we knock dem into little pieces. tom able to find de blackguard dat fired dat shot; den smash um to a jelly." but seconds bring great changes in the fortunes of parties, as we have already observed, and now, having smiled upon jim and his comrades, dame fortune--a fickle dame at any time--turned her face from them. that rent in the water jacket, the spray which the pump forced past the plug which ching held in position, proved the undoing of the party. the rhythmical buzz of the engine suddenly ceased. the explosions came haltingly, while the revolutions lessened sensibly, so much so as to reduce the speed of the boat. then jim's practised ear told him that the ignition had given out, that the vital spark, without which the motor was useless and now deficient, had been cut off, and thus the motor had been sent adrift. let us express the matter in proper terms--the flow of water had smothered the magneto, and the current was shorted; no longer did it flow uninterrupted and insulated to the cylinders. it expended its force elsewhere, sent sparks flashing about the magneto, and in the short space of a minute entirely stopped the motor. but the steam launch made no pause in her progress. she pushed on towards the stranded boat swiftly, while a shriek of delight and triumph burst from the horde of natives crowding her decks. chapter xi barely escaped tall and lean, the natives aboard the steam launch were plainly visible for a moment, so much so that jim, having regarded his useless motor desperately for some few seconds, was compelled to give his attention to the enemy. tall and thin, each one of the natives was almost naked. their bodies were painted with broad stripes of white, which at a distance made one think of skeletons; while vermilion was daubed on the cheeks, giving each individual the same air of ferocity. for the rest, these men wore their long hair plaited into queues, and bore about their persons a simple belt in which a long knife was suspended. but when events are moving fast, and disaster stares one in the face, details and trifles escape attention. jim and his comrades had their safety to think of, so that it is not wonderful that they failed to observe too closely the appearance of their dusky enemies. but however urgent the position, none could fail to see the short spears, with long narrow blades attached to them, which each dusky warrior carried. half a dozen at least were gripped in each left hand, while the right held a single one in readiness to discharge it. as for the gun, the cheap gas barrels with which these wretched natives had been supplied, they were without exception muzzle loaders; and now that events were moving so fast and so furiously there was hardly time to load. a few of the men handled their ramrods, but the rest had discarded their weapons and stood prancing upon the deck of the launch, causing her to heave and roll dangerously, and prepared to throw their spears the instant they came within range of jim and his party. it was not until that moment that our hero realized that if their fortunes were desperate they were at least lucky in one particular. "gee, ain't i glad!" he exclaimed. "from what phineas told me i quite expected them to be armed with bows and arrows--the latter poisonous. tomkins, you and your men had best concentrate your force aft of the launch, where the engine is. i caught a glimpse of those rascals there; and though i don't suppose that the death of one or both would cause the gang to sheer off, yet it might do so, and in any case if we could put them out of action there would be no white man to lead the natives." "right, sir, right," came from tomkins instantly, while he and his two comrades promptly moved to the back of the cab, from which point they could best command that portion of the launch upon which they were instructed to concentrate their fire. "you, tom and sam, fire on the natives," shouted jim. "i'm going to help you. ching, get hold of some of that clean cotton waste and wipe up all round this magneto. dry every part you can, and don't forget those plugs on top of the cylinders." he had already pointed out the ignition plugs to the chinaman, for they, like the rest of the engine, had been heavily sprayed with water. then he seized a rifle, jerked the magazine open as the major had instructed him when they first set out on the expedition, and levelled his sights upon the advancing natives. by now the latter were dangerously near, and already clouds of spears were flying. it looked as if within a few seconds the steam launch would be right alongside, and the black demons aboard her hurling themselves upon the decks of the motor. but suddenly there came a high-pitched shriek amidst the howls of the enemy, and to the relief of all in jim's party the course of the other vessel was abruptly altered. she shot away obliquely to the left, while one of the white men who had been manning the wheel was seen to tumble backwards. "a grand shot," shouted jim. "now is our time to get this motor running. out of the way, ching, and let me get to her. we'll see how she'll run without water in her jackets." the idea had suddenly flashed into his brain, and he proceeded promptly to put it into execution. but, first of all, now that he had a short breathing space, it was necessary to supervise the work that ching had been doing. "it'll take 'em a good five minutes to round up and get back here within range," he told himself, glancing across at the enemy. "that splendid shot and the fall of their steersman have caused no end of confusion, and now is the time to best them." laying his rifle down hurriedly, he bent over the magneto and seized a handful of dry cotton waste. "me mop up all de water," grinned ching, looking the coolest person aboard the launch. indeed, there seemed to be little doubt that he was actually the least concerned of all the party, for his inexpressive features had not changed in the slightest. there was not so much as a tinge of red in his sallow cheeks, sure indication of some excitement. his almond eyes--all aslant, as is common to this eastern race--regarded jim, the useless motor, and the howling band of natives steaming across the water with the same tranquillity. "wipey all de water up, mass jim," he repeated. "now, s'pose you start him. he go velly nicely p'laps. den run away from dem rascals, and ching put de kettle on, hab someting to eat, 'cos ching hungry, velly." "get out of this!" cried jim irritably. "breakfast, man! why, if we don't get out of this in the next few minutes there won't be one of us left to take a bite!" he pushed the chinaman to one side, and rapidly ran over his ignition system. ching had done his work with that painstaking thoroughness for which the chinaman is noted, and though hollows and crevices in and about the motor still held pools of water, the vital parts were dry. "then i'll try it," he said. "those beggars have managed to turn rather quicker than i had imagined; but if i can only get her going within a minute we ought to be able to escape them. ah! here come their bullets again, boys; get in at them with your rifles." all the while he had been troubled with the want of one small article. to keep the water out of his motor he must plug the opening which led from the vessel's side direct to the pump. for the rest, it was an easy matter, there being a tap which would drain all the jackets within the space of but a few seconds. but that alone was insufficient; with the water port still open, the pump would drive a column of fluid through the jackets, and the ignition would be again drenched. "a cork! a cork!" he cried. "something with which to fill this port." he leant over the side of the vessel and pointed out the opening to ching. and the wily, cunning chinee immediately came to his assistance. "a cork, sah; i's got the velly thing. you wantee someting to push in dere. ching hab plenty fine cork." he moved with exasperating slowness across the engine well, and rummaged in a locker in which his cooking utensils were stored. there came the characteristic sound of a bung being extracted from a bottle, and then ching came back again, still slowly, still unconcernedly, still with that unruffled countenance. "he, he, he! him come out of the vinegar bottle," he giggled. "him one velly fine cork, mass jim. but yo gib him back when yo finished? eh? velly fine cork dat." jim snatched it from his hand without ceremony, in fact with a brusqueness altogether foreign to him. then he leaned over the side of the launch and gave a shout of triumph when he discovered that ching had supplied him with an article which fitted nicely. he rammed it home forcibly, driving his fist through the water against the cork. then he bounded to the engine, jerked the starting handle into position, and sent the motor whirling. bizz! she was off. the engine went away with an encouraging roar, while but a few ounces of water escaped from the rent in her jacket. "wipe it up," he commanded ching. "and guess you'd better keep clear of the magneto and plugs and suchlike. if you touched them you'd get a shock that would knock you endways. gee! ain't she buzzing! hooray! we'll best them." sam was already at the steering wheel of the launch, watching his master out of the corner of his big eyes, and paying some attention to the enemy. indeed he would not have been human had he failed to cast more than one anxious look in their direction. sam was not the same stolid, supernaturally unemotional individual as the chinaman. he had nerves; excitement told on the little fellow. "dey almighty near, sah," he sang out. "dat motor goin'? den, fo' goodness sake, put de gear in, push on, get away from dem demon." "dodge 'em; swing her about. put out their aim," jim called to him, and at once pushed his gear lever home. then, like the practical young man he was, he reached over to his lubricators and sent them dripping at a pace which, while they would not flood the engine and overlubricate her, would still supply a more abundant amount than usual, and so in a measure serve to counteract the want of water cooling. "she's bound to run hotter," jim told himself, "and as a permanent arrangement the thing wouldn't do; but for the time being it's got to. round with her, sam." the launch meanwhile had floated quietly on the surface of the river, and, owing to the fact that her propeller was stationary, being thrown out of gear by the failure of the engine, she had lost steerage way, and had drifted completely round. she was heading upstream when jim set her propeller thrashing the water again, and for a while she raced away from the other vessel, the manoeuvre drawing shrill yells of rage from the natives. but sam had her in hand. the fine little fellow had not been with jim and his father all this time without learning how to steer a launch, and at once, with a glance over his shoulder, he sent his wheel round, causing the boat to flop over and heel till her rail was almost under the surface. round she spun on her keel, and within the half-minute was heading direct for the enemy. a growl broke from tomkins as he laid his cheek once more down on the butt of his rifle. "this time guess we'll make hay with 'em," he shouted. "don't you be in too much of a hurry, sir. you can make rings all round 'em and still keep out of range. dare say their bullets'll reach right enough, but they won't strike hard enough to hurt more'n a fly. it's the spears i'm frightened of." and everyone else, too; for the natives aboard the oncoming launch had again discarded their firearms, and were now standing, spear in hand ready poised, waiting for the moment when they might cast them. sam gave every dusky warrior a start when he headed the launch direct for them. it looked as if he were bent on a collision; but a minute later, when effective range for the spear throwers had almost been reached, he put his wheel over again, and shot the launch away at a right angle. then a figure aboard the enemy was seen to rise erect beside her steering gear, and within the space of a few seconds she paid off in the same direction as jim's craft had taken--on a course, in fact, which would bring the two boats alongside very shortly. either that or they must run hard into the bank. "right round with her again; dodge them!" shouted jim, his heart in his mouth. "then take her up stream a little. we have the legs of them, and if only we can shake them clear for a while we shall get past them." that was the difficulty. the enemy remained all the while between them and the lagoon, and in that direction safety lay. even a swift boat such as the motor launch had proved herself to be could not slip by easily, unless she risked running so close into the other as to place her crew in danger of those terrible spears; but sam seemed fully to have realized the difficulty, and at jim's command he brought the boat heeling round again. hardly three lengths separated the combatants when he swung the wheel again, and, driven by her fast-rotating propeller, the launch shot obliquely up the stream, leaving the other heading helplessly for the bank. tom roared with delight, brandishing his rifle overhead, while ching giggled and simpered as if he looked upon the thing as a glorious joke. but jim's face was set and stern. he had been so close when the vessel turned that he had been able to look into the eyes of the natives; and the ferocity of their appearance, their terrible shrieks and howls, and the cloud of spears which they had discharged brought realistically to him the depth of their danger. within a foot of his hand a spear stood quivering, the blade sunk deeply in the woodwork. it needed but a glance to tell him that the weapon was capable of dealing death to anyone. however, they were out of range now, and the time had come to practise a further manoeuvre. jim waved his hand in sam's direction. "over," he shouted. "let her rip for the lagoon." meanwhile the course of the other launch had been hurriedly arrested; for the ruffian aboard her was a clever skipper, and handled the craft with decision. the waters churned into white foam beneath her rudder, and before jim and his friend had completed their slanting run upstream the rascal had his boat running rapidly astern in an effort to intercept them. "gee, he'll do it, too!" shouted tomkins. "say, sir, we'll have to charge them. but that would mean the end of everything for them and for us." jim shook his head emphatically. "you're asking for a funeral," he said bluntly. "we've got to dodge 'em, even if we play at the game for the rest of the morning. steady there, sam; do anything rather than let them get within close range of us. boys, if only you could pick off that rascal who commands them we would soon make an end of the others." but the man aboard the other boat proved to be as crafty as he was capable. true, they had obtained a clear view of him on one occasion, at least, when he had dashed for the steering gear of his vessel. but now a gaudily painted native occupied that responsible position, while the spaniard himself lay out of sight in the engine well, but near enough to prompt him. the rim of his hat could be seen on occasion as he glanced across at jim and his party. as for our hero, seeing that the course was blocked, and that for the moment their escape was cut off, he coolly threw his lever out of gear and slowed down his engine. then he reversed his propellor for a while until the launch had come to a standstill. "two can play at this sort of game," he told himself. "we'll wait and see what that fellow proposes to do; but listen here, tomkins, and you other fellows. next time we attempt a rush we have to make a big impression on these natives. we'll get them end on, if we can, and then try them with volleys. we want to make every shot tell, and that hasn't been the case up to the present. a moving target isn't too easy to hit from a launch when she's heaving and rolling." "lummy! look dere! by de poker, dere more of de scum. yo see dem black sons ob guns coming right away dere? dey likely to be very troublesome." it taxed the perception of all to decide where this new arrival could have come from; for up till that moment the banks on either hand had seemed to be untenanted. not a shot had come from them for quite a while, and all imagined that every native taking part in this sudden and unprovoked attack upon jim and his comrades was embarked aboard the other launch. and here, as tom had brought to their notice, was another boat, steering out from a bank to join her consort. it was a long, dark-coloured craft, with sides protruding some little distance out of the water, a stem erected high into the air, and bearing upon it a hideous carving, while astern there was a platform perched up on the post, and squatted upon it a painted and feathered savage, whose steering oar controlled the course of the vessel. as for her crew, a swarm of natives filled her from end to end; those in advance standing ready, spear in hand, to join in the engagement, while the remainder, situated aft, squatted on the floor and churned the water with their paddles. in a little while she had come alongside the steamer, which now rested across the centre of the stream. "they'll talk for a bit now, i guess," growled tomkins. "then, like as not, they'll make a dash for it. this here business ain't going to be ended without a rare lot of bloodletting. it's that launch that's the bother. she ain't as quick as we are, but she's swift enough to turn and stop us now that she's got a position downstream. if only we had half a dozen more men aboard here! i wouldn't funk, then, running aboard her. we'd show 'em who was going ter be master." the man's eyes were set and shining. there was a good deal of the bull dog about tomkins, and one had only to glance at him to feel satisfied that when the crisis came the american could be trusted. "as ef we was goin' down before a lot of black chaps same as they are!" he growled. "but you can't get away from numbers. it's the crowd that tells, and ef we lets 'em get close enough ter get their teeth fixed--gee, it'll be a case! funerals ain't in it. i for one ain't goin' ter drop into the hands of sich rascals. i'll clear out all i can, and then----" his eyes were bent on his rifle, while his fingers--strong, brown fingers--played with the lock. gurr! jim switched the conversation in another direction by throwing his gear in. "they're moving," he said. "best get steerage way on the boat. see here, boys, we've a heap of room upstream, and if they don't separate directly i shall run up gently. we've always enough water to turn in, and if only we can once fool the launch, and get by her, i don't care a row of chips for the other craft. i'll run her down in a winking. ah, they're coming along! swing her over, sam. there's no hurry: we'll see if the movement won't make them part company." but the steamer and the huge war canoe held together. in fact, ropes had been passed from one to the other, and the launch provided the power. but men were stationed ready to cast off the bonds between them, so that each craft could go separately. jim's sudden movement produced nothing more than a howl, while the steamer swung gently over towards him. "that'll suit me as well as anything," he cried. "let 'em hold together. i'll tempt them across towards this bank, then double and be away before they can cut the canoe adrift. how's that?" the enemy answered the question. for, of a sudden, the ropes were cast off, the canoe lay to in the centre of the stream, while the launch steamed to intercept the other. it was a crafty move on the part of the rascal who commanded the natives; for now he could rush at jim. if he failed to come to grips with him, and the latter attempted to slip downstream, there was a formidable obstacle which was by no means to be sneered at because she had no motor aboard. there were lusty arms to ply the paddles, and when the backs of the natives were bent to the work they could make their craft slip through the water at a pace which had to be witnessed to be believed. "round we go, upstream for the moment," called jim to the negro at the wheel. "easy does it: i'm only letting my motor out a little. we'll make things hum before we have finished. she's coming along too. well, we'll make a race of it to the far side of the river." all the time he was attempting to get the enemy so near one bank that, in the race across to the other, the launch propelled by an internal-combustion motor, which had already proved herself far the speedier, would outstrip the other by so much that it would be safe to head downstream and sweep past her without risking those formidable spears. but always there was the crafty ruffian aboard the steamer to be reckoned with. he turned as jim's craft ran direct across to the far bank, and followed swiftly. then, as the motor launch approached close to the far bank, the rascal coolly stopped his engine. when sam swung his boat round again the enemy had actually gained. a direct run upstream would almost allow him to meet the motor launch. "gee, he's got us there!" cried jim, disappointment in his voice. "i thought we were going to do the trick nicely. but wait a little: we'll be more successful on the second occasion. run her slick across, sam," he called. "i'm going to try and trick him." there is little doubt that had the enemy desired it he could almost have arrested their progress on this occasion, or forced jim and his party to change their course. but the commander of the steamer had his own ideas as to how to accomplish his purpose. ching simpered when he discovered the truth of the matter, but had the good sense to mention his fears to our hero. "oh, him one velly clever person!" he giggled. "yo see what him up to, mass jim. all de time him run across alongside ob us him slippey nearer and nearer. presently him so close dat de black man able to dig dere spears in." jim shivered in spite of the heat, for the sun was now streaming down upon the contestants. then he looked closely at the enemy, and realized that ching had given him valuable information. for though the steamer was cutting across the river on an apparently parallel course to his own, yet all the while her steersman was jerking his helm over, bringing her by degrees closer to jim and his party. it was a difficulty which needed to be faced promptly, and jim's lips were hard set together as he made his plans to meet it. very gradually he slowed down his motor, keeping a keen eye all the while upon the stern of the steamer, where white foam showed how her propeller was working. "i don't know that his game won't suit me very well after all," he said to himself. "so long as he actually doesn't come within spear range of us we are all right, and my aim all the while is to get him dead on a line with us. once there he can't catch us by suddenly swerving off from his course, as was nearly the case this last time. sam, boy," he called out, "when i shout, bring her clear round and face her back on her tracks right away for the other side. tomkins, you can get your men ready for a little bit of quick business." for the past five minutes not a shot had left the rifles of his comrades, though an occasional ball came from the deck of the steamer. it was remarkable that the rascal there made no attempt to use his revolver; but perhaps he had run out of ammunition, and in any case the management of the craft occupied all his attention. as to the men under jim's command, all wore a grim determined expression. even ching seemed to take some definite interest in the adventure, and, though one could not be quite sure of the matter, those slanting, almond eyes bore just the merest trace of anxiety. otherwise, there was tense excitement on board, for by now each man had realized the nature of the manoeuvre about to be attempted, and the narrow margin which must necessarily lie between themselves and safety. it was tomkins who put in an encouraging word. "jest you get in at it, pard," he said, moistening the palms of his hands preparatory to gripping his rifle. "you ain't got no cause to fear that we won't fight. when the ruction comes you can count on us, every blessed mother's son of us; and, see here, siree, ef you don't happen to bring off this trick, and there's a chance of them chaps driving us up into a corner, jest round her and go baldheaded for 'em. i'm getting sick of this here runnin'." his two comrades nodded curtly to show that this statement met with their full approval, while tom, the noble fellow, who always seemed to carry his young master's interests uppermost in his mind, stepped across to the rear edge of the cab and leaned over towards the motor. "we ain't gwine to knuckle down to dem black niggers," he said in a voice which was meant to be a confidential whisper, but which as an actual fact was a deep-chested roar that wellnigh drowned the noise of the engine. "yo ain't got no cause to fear, 'cos this here boy and all de odders wants to get back right along home again. we ain't a-goin' to let scum like this stan' in de way. nebber. we's gwine to do as we wants. sam, jest see that you're nippy." tom gave his master one of his most expansive smiles; then, as if to relieve his overwrought feelings, he swung round and glowered upon the harmless but extremely energetic sam. indeed, if the fortunes of the day were due to some extent to those who had wielded rifles, they were none the less the work of jim and sam and ching between them, while at this very critical moment they may rightly be said to have rested in the hands of our hero and the little negro only. jim glanced swiftly across at the steamer. by now she was almost abreast of them, and if only he had but known it her commander was on the point of bringing his scheme to a termination by a rapid movement. he imagined that the slowing down of the launch was due again to further trouble of her motor. it was distinctly an opportunity to be snatched at, and, with a promptness which did him credit, he caused his steersman to swing his helm over. in an instant the steamer had changed her course and was heading for the broadside of the other vessel. "now," shouted jim excitedly. "right round with her. let her rip. we've got 'em nicely." it is one of the advantages of a gasolene motor, that the engine is capable of instant acceleration. a second before it had been purring gently, whilst the propeller was barely turning; but now the machinery gave out a sudden roar, while every plank and strut aboard shivered and vibrated. under her keel the blades of her propeller churned the stream into milky foam, while the craft itself gathered way promptly. once more she rolled heavily as sam swung his wheel. then she came round on her former course as if she were a living thing that understood, and was in full sympathy with the work expected of her. she bounded forward, raising her bows clear of the water, and by the time she had reached midstream had gained five lengths on the steamer. "edge her down, sam; edge her down," urged jim, giving hasty directions to his steersman. "be ready to bring her over. that will be the time for you, tomkins, and the others with the rifles." it hardly needs the telling that the din from those aboard the steamer was now bewildering and deafening. but a few short seconds before the game had seemed entirely in their hands; it looked as though they would be aboard the other craft in a twinkling. now they were hopelessly left behind; every instant made their failure more certain. puffs of smoke burst from the crowded decks, while the huge bullets discharged from the gas barrels owned by the natives splashed all round jim and his friends. then there was a roar of anger as the launch turned once more on her heel, exposing her bottom boards right down to the keel as she rolled to the movement. a cloud of useless spears filled the air, while right aft of the steamer a figure sprang on to the stern deck waving both arms and shouting furiously. tomkins's eye fell upon the man, and he gripped hard to the rail of the vessel to steady himself whilst she was rolling. then down came his rifle, the weapon cracked forth a bullet, and the figure beyond collapsed across the engine and was hidden from view in the depth of the well which housed it. there were others amongst the natives who met with their deserts about the same moment; while, as if to put the question of the steamer's further utility entirely beyond discussion, there came suddenly from the neighbourhood of her funnel a thick column of hissing steam which rose in clouds over the river. "i guess i'd had to shoot him," declared tomkins grimly; "and well he deserved it. say, sir, you needn't think no more of that steamer, for she's put clean out of the running. reckon a bullet found her boiler and plugged a hole clean through it." whatever the cause of that cloud of escaping steam the effect was to bring the launch to a standstill. indeed the position of affairs seemed to have become suddenly reversed. a little while before it had been jim's motor which was _hors de combat_. he and his friends were stranded and helpless on the water. now the situation was pleasantly reversed. as tomkins had said, the steamer was out of the running. "dead straight ahead for them," called jim, his eye fixed upon the huge war canoe hovering farther down the stream. "if they swerve, swing over towards them, and, when within a couple or more lengths, cut off in the other direction. don't forget to keep them a spear throw from us." "and meanwhile pepper 'em with the rifles, eh?" asked tomkins, grinning over his shoulder, and wearing now a very different expression to the grim, determined look he had shown but a short while before. "pepper 'em nicely, eh, so as to give 'em a taste of what's coming?" but jim shook his head decidedly. "there's been enough bloodlettin' already," he said, using the very words which the policeman had employed already. "we've done well with these other fellows, and have shot the two rascals for whom we came in this direction. these ignorant natives don't know any better. guess we'll give 'em a chance." a flush of vexation rose to tomkins's face as he heard his suggestion scouted. he turned with shining eyes upon our hero, and doubtless, had the incident happened some few hours before, would have blurted out a protest. but jim's manly form, his stern, set face, and his coolness disarmed the policeman and smoothed down his ruffled temper. he recollected that it was to our hero's guidance that the party, so far, owed in great measure its security. the young fellow had done right well, as his worst enemy must needs admit. then why should he, tomkins, step in to disturb him? true, jim was not his lawful commander; but then he himself had placed the lad in that position of responsibility, while a sense of discipline urged him to support one who filled the post of officer. "dash it all, man," he growled, "play the game! don't he deserve it?" "right, sir," he said pleasantly, turning to jim. "you've shown us a cool head so far, and, gee! if i don't think you'll pull us through this business. not a trigger will we draw on those darkies till you give the word, or till there's actual reason to teach them a lesson. now, sonny, you ain't got no need to glare at me as if i'd stolen yer last dollar. i ain't done nothing to hurt your master." it was tom to whom he addressed himself on this last occasion, for the watchful negro had overheard the words which had passed between jim and the policeman. incensed at tomkins's seeming disloyalty, and always eager to protect our hero, tom was on the verge of indignation. his big, broad face, which had lost its happy smile since the beginning of the action, now wore an expression akin to anger. his sharp, white teeth were gritted together, while he leaned toward the policeman as if he would do him an injury. but in an instant his manner changed. tom could not be resentful for more than a moment; besides, there were other pressing matters to engage his attention. "yo hab a care, yo policeman," he cried; "me smash dem niggers easy. if me commence on yo, knock de stuffing out ob yo altogether, make yo terrible ill and shaky. savvy dat? den put dem in yo pipe and smoke dem." but tomkins had already turned away from him with a grin and a shrug of his shoulders, while jim silenced the negro peremptorily. "get a grip of that pole," he cried, nodding to the one that tom had used on the previous evening, "just in case they happen to come within close distance of us. i hope they won't. we ought to run slick past them." and that, in fact, seemed to be the most likely termination of the matter, though it was a little disconcerting to notice that the huge war canoe still lay stationary in the very centre of the river. so far it had not been necessary for sam to swerve the launch in the slightest, and now, as before, she was running head on towards the enemy. in a minute it would be necessary to cut away to one side or the other, the choice resting entirely with sam, the negro. deliberately he swung his wheel to the right, and shot the launch obliquely across the river. at the very same instant the man squatting upon the high platform right aft of the canoe shouted, and some fifty paddles plunged into the water. with incredible speed the native craft made off, and shot forward at an angle which would bring her alongside the launch. in spite of the latter's speed it became evident, with startling suddenness, that she could not escape contact with the enemy. it was sam who decided the course of jim's party. he bent over his steering wheel till he seemed to hug it. then he twisted it to the left abruptly. "down under with you all!" shouted jim. "we shall strike her. tom, get your pole ready." but the negro's services were not required, for the collision and all that followed was ended with startling swiftness. the bows of the launch swung round till they pointed but a few feet ahead of the canoe. then they came round a little more, while a terrible shout burst from the enemy. there was a gentle shock as the launch struck the stem post of the huge native craft, spears rattled upon her deck, and then they were passed. as for the canoe, the collision had driven her to one side just as she had seemed on the point of running along in close company with the launch. she was now some twenty yards in rear, her crew paddling hopelessly. that she had very nearly run aboard jim's boat there could be no doubt, for one of the warriors had actually managed to leap forward and reach her. tom discovered him clinging to the rail amidships, his mouth wide open to hold his spears. "oh, dat yo, my frien'!" he laughed, peering over at him. "you hab a free ride all fo' noding. but goodbye now. sorry to lose yo: we a bit in a hurry." the burly fellow pushed his pole beneath the man, and by sheer strength lifted him clear out of the water. he held him there for a little while, casting choice expressions at him, then he cast him back into the water, as if the native were some species of fish for which tom had no use whatever. "lucky him swim so well," he laughed. "tom almost sorry he not kill um. not so sure dat blackguard not de one who shoot and hit him hand." "nonsense!" cried jim. "nothing of the sort. that man was aboard the steamer. stand out of the way, tom! i think we may take it easily." there was, in fact, no longer any reason for haste; therefore jim slowed down his motor. they cruised slowly across the lagoon, and lay close to its exit. there, with the help of the kit of tools carried aboard, and a strip of tinned iron cut from a biscuit box, our hero effected a temporary repair to the water jacket, soldering the patch into position. it was a triumphant crew which returned to colon, for the major was himself again, and their duty was accomplished. chapter xii an american undertaking "i never did meet such a fellow as you, jim partington," cried phineas barton, when our hero and his comrades turned up at the house situated above the huge dam of gatun, in progress of building. "no, never before. you get introduced to me after a likely enough adventure. perhaps i ought to say that i was introduced to you; reckon anyway our meeting was as strange as one might imagine, and there was no end of excitement in it. you behaved like a plucky young beggar." jim went very red at once. "i thought we weren't to hear anything more about that," he said bluntly. "that was our agreement." but phineas only grinned at him. "agreement or no agreement," he said seriously, "there are times when a chap has just got to sit down and listen. reckon that time is here now, and you're the chap. i was saying, when you interrupted me--ahem!--that you were a beggar for adventures. you come to my house, do one day's solid work, and then get gallivanting off with an exploration party. of course, being fired at in the meanwhile and the ruction you had with those rascals down at the hut above colon is nothing--just a kind of act between supper and breakfast, as it were. now there's this launch expedition, and there's tomkins--a surly sort of fellow, who don't often open his mouth, and then not always to be pleasant; there's this policeman, with the major, his commanding officer, singing your praises down at the club, till the boys are jest jumping to get a grip at you. time supper's ended to-night you've got to come right along there with me; and, jest remember this, they ain't got an agreement with you." jim was horrified at the suggestion. though he was american born, and was blessed with an american's average allowance of assurance, the lad was undoubtedly modest when his own actions were in question. he would have given anything to escape from what promised to be an ordeal, and made numerous excuses. but phineas bore him off in spite of all of them, and tom and sam and ching fell in as a bodyguard in rear, in case his protégé should attempt to escape. "it's not what you owe to yourself," he said, with a laugh, "but what you owe to the boys. remember that they're working here all day, with little chance of getting news but what comes to them at the club. we're steadygoing stagers here on the canal, and it isn't often that a chap like you turns up. when he does he's got to stand the ruction, and guess that's what you've got to do. don't i jest wish you and i could change places." jim agreed with him heartily, though, as a matter of fact, when he came to face what in his imagination would be an ordeal, he discovered it to be but the pleasantest ceremony. quiet, earnest men crowded round him to shake his hand; then he was bidden to sit at a table in the centre of his new comrades. "yer see," said harry, who regarded our hero with an envious expression, "that 'ere tomkins ain't the man to talk, while the major's much too busy; besides, guess his head's much too sore for chatting. you jest get right in at it, and give us the yarn from start to finish." [illustration: attacked by natives] jim did as he was bidden, describing every incident, and drawing a growl from many of his audience when he came to that part of his narrative which dealt with the injury to the engine; for it can well be imagined that amongst those white employees on the huge canal a goodly number were, if not actually engineers by profession, certainly most strongly imbued with a leaning towards it. all may have been said to have had mechanical knowledge, since there were few who did not run a steam navvy, a rock drill, a rail-laying plant, or a lifting derrick of some description. "gee whiz! that's hot!" exclaimed one of them, interrupting for a moment. "one of those muzzle-loading gas barrels chucked a shot right at your motor, did it? and knocked a hole clean through the water jacket? my, that must have been awkward! reckon the water pumped up most everywhere, and swamped the ignition. tell us jest how yer fixed it." jim described exactly what had happened, how he had plugged the water entrance to the pump of his motor, and drained the jackets dry. "it was a near thing," he admitted, with a grin. "i thought i should never get going again; but we mopped the water from the magneto, and reckon we fixed it just in time. of course i gave her plenty of oil, and all the time i was scared that the motor would become overheated." "excuse me, sir," said one of the audience, suddenly pressing forward and disclosing himself as one of the officials. "all the time you were fixing this motor, shots were flying, and i understand that there was a boatload of dark-skinned gentlemen thirsting for the lives of yourself and your comrades, and not forgetting to let you know it either. reckon many a man would have been too upset to think of extra lubrication, though everyone here who knows a gasolene motor realizes well enough that it was extra lubrication, and that alone, which saved your engine from overheating." he looked round at the assembled audience enquiringly, and was rewarded with many a sharp nod of approval. "you've got it, siree," cried one of them. "you've jest put your finger on the very point i was about to ask." "it's as clear as daylight," went on the official, "our young friend here saved the whole party by keeping his head well screwed down and his wits about him. if that motor had overheated, as any self-respecting engine might well have been expected to do under the circumstances, you were all goners. all dead, sir. wiped out clean by those natives." there came a grunt of acquiescence from the audience, while jim went red to the roots of his hair. "you don't happen to have got fixed on a special job yet awhile?" asked the official pointedly. "i'm to take a steam digger away up by culebra." "and you wouldn't change, supposing i was to come forward with an offer? see here," said the official eagerly, "i'm from the machine shops 'way over at gorgona. you've heard of them?" everyone in the canal zone had heard of these immense shops to which the official alluded, for there a great amount of engineering work was undertaken. in such a colossal task as this building of a canal between panama and colon, between the pacific and atlantic oceans, the reader will readily comprehend that an enormous number of locomotives, steam diggers, and machinery of every sort and description was in constant operation, and that, like machinery all the world over, such implements break down on occasion and require repair. the works at gorgona coped with all such matters, and was staffed by such keen engineers that they even did not stop at repairs of whatever description. there, in those sheds, engines were constructed, from the smallest bolt down to the heaviest crank shaft, according to the designs produced at the drawing offices at gorgona. the workers on the canal had long since discovered that special machines were often required to deal with the special jobs they had in progress. and clever heads at gorgona invented means to satisfy them. witness the ingenious rail layer, without which the task of delving would have been much delayed; witness that other clever arrangement which did in seven minutes the work of a hundred men, and swept the dirt clear from a whole line of earth wagons. "you've heard of those shops 'way over at gorgona?" asked the official again. "i have," jim admitted. "i'm longing to see them." "then you shall, i promise. but, see here, about this job. a good man deserves a proper place for his knowledge and his energies; down there, at gorgona, we've just turned out a gasolene rock driller that'll knock the other steam-driven concerns into the shade. i'm looking for a man to run it, one used to gasolene motors. say, if i apply for you, sir, will you take the work?" jim looked round the circle before he replied, and almost smiled at the expression he caught on harry's face. the genial fellow who had given him a day's instruction in the working of a hundred-ton steam digger did not look best pleased; but that was to be put down to his own keenness, to the keenness which he inherited in common with every white man labouring on the canal. for in harry's eyes it was the machine which he himself ran which was helping the progress of the canal; it was the enormous mouthfuls of dirt which his digger tore from the soil that placed the undertaking nearer completion. and every man he coached in the task was something approaching a traitor if he abandoned that particular machine for another. then, of a sudden, his face took on another expression. "you ain't got no cause to think of me, young 'un," he said pleasantly. "i don't deny as i'd have liked to see you running a digger, 'cos it's me as taught you; but, then, i don't forget that you've shown that you know one of these gasolene motors right away from the piston to the crank shaft. you close with the offer if you like it; there'll be more dollars in it, i reckon." he addressed the last remark to the official, who nodded acquiescence. "special work, special pay," he replied curtly. "we want a man, and we must be prepared to spend dollars on him. i offer a dollar more than digger rates. what's the answer?" "of course he takes it!" burst in phineas eagerly. "it ain't in human nature to refuse advancement, and of course jim'll take that motor. do you want him yet awhile?" "in a couple of weeks perhaps. we're not quite ready." "then i accept, with many thanks," said jim, his heart beating fast with pleasure at such rapid progress; for here was advancement, here was pay which made his own future and that of sadie all the brighter. "in two weeks' time; and in the meanwhile perhaps you'll allow me to see the machine and get an idea of its construction." "you can come along whenever you like and handle the concern. it'll knock spots out of those steam drills," declared the official. "and now, as this here business interview seems to have come to an end, supposing we get to with a song," cried one of the audience. "didn't i hear tell as you could play a banjo, jim, and sing a tune when you was axed?" "i've done so before; i can try," answered our hero, breathing more freely now that his ordeal was over. "i'll buy a banjo as soon as i can; then i'll let you see what i can do." "you'll get right away in at it, siree," said the man severely, grinning at his comrades. "see here, there's a banjo i brought along with me from the states. not that i can tune on it; i allow as i've tried, but, gee! the performance was enough to make a cat laugh. the boys passed a resolution axing me to give over at once, and fer that reason the instrument's been lying idle in my quarters this three months past. get in at it, siree." he produced a stained and somewhat battered instrument from behind his chair and passed it to jim. now jim was by no means a poor instrumentalist, and in addition was one of those fortunate individuals gifted with a fair voice. thousands of men have found before this that the power to sing and entertain their fellows is the key to popularity, and jim was no exception. it had been his fortune to live as a rule amongst small communities, where any form of entertainment was appreciated, and none more than a song. it followed, therefore, that here again, as in the case of the gasolene motor, he had had experience, and seeing that his audience were determined to hear him, he settled down to the work without more ado. a fine young fellow he looked, too, seated in their midst, the banjo in correct position as he leant over it, touching the strings and tightening them till his keen ear was satisfied. burnt a deep brown by the hot sun of those parts, his hair somewhat dishevelled, and his clothing by no means improved by the adventures through which he had passed, jim had a rugged, healthy, out-of-doors appearance which was most attractive. that he was by no means a weakling was at once apparent, for he filled his clothing well, and presented a fine pair of broad shoulders. when he lifted his face and glanced round at his audience, smiling in his own serene, inimitable manner, there was not one who did not know in his heart that our hero was a stanch and jolly individual, free from side and that stupid conceit which spoils some young men of his age, but full of go and energy as became an american; ready when his work was done, and only then, to enjoy himself as much as possible and help to give enjoyment to others. "see here," laughed jim, looking round the circle of men, all of whom had their eyes on him, for there was no little curiosity to see how he would accomplish the task; "if i break down, you must forgive me, for, gee! it's like being in a cage with a whole crowd watching." down went the head over the banjo again, while his fingers played on the strings; and at once, by the notes which issued, it became apparent that here was no novice. jim struck up a gay tune, and in a little while had given his audience the first verse of a jaunty song, to which there was an equally jaunty chorus; so that before the evening had passed the rafters above were ringing to the sound made by a hundred or more lusty voices. "fine, jest fine!" cried one of the men. "gee! if he don't take it!" shouted harry. "i'm shaking hands with myself," declared the official who had offered him a post at gorgona. "you men down here needn't think that you're going to have young partington all to yourselves. a fortnight to-day he'll be a gorgona man, when we'll send you invitations to our concerts." there was a shout at that, a shout denoting some displeasure. phineas barton rose from his chair, his fractured arm swathed and bandaged and slung before him, and regarded the official triumphantly. "not a bit of it, siree," he said. "jim's my lodger. don't matter whether he works along here at gatun or way over there at culebra or gorgona, he jest comes home every night of the week. the commission's jest got to pass him a free ticket, and ef he's in a concert, why, guess it'll be here, and the folks at gorgona will be the ones to be invited." there was a roar of laughter at the sally, and jim was called upon for a second song. modestly enough he gave it too; for such open praise as had been bestowed upon him is not always good for a lad of his age, and might well be expected to turn the heads of many. our hero had his failings without doubt, and we should not be recording truly if we did not allow the fact, but a swelled head was not one of the ailments he was wont to suffer from. so far his friends and acquaintances had never known jim partington to be too big for the boots he stood up in. "which is jest one of the things that made me take to him right away from the first," said phineas, when discussing the matter that same evening with the police officer who had been in command of the launch expedition. "he ain't bumptious, major. he's jest a lively young fellow, full of sense and grit, and i tell you, if there's one lad here in the zone who's made up his mind to make a job of the canal, it's jim. he's fixed it that he's going to rise in the world, and if nothing unforeseen happens we shall find him well up the ladder one of these days, and making a fine living." they called jim over to them, where they were seated at a small table in one corner, and at once the major gripped our hero's hand, while he acknowledged that he felt wonderfully better. his head was heavily bandaged, for the bullet which had struck him had caused a nasty gash in the scalp. "not that it did any great harm," laughed the major. "they tell me that there was tremendous swelling at first, but the blood which escaped from the wound brought that down wonderfully; but i admit that at first i felt that my head was as big as a pumpkin. how's your own wound?" jim had forgotten all about it, though on his arrival that morning he had taken the precaution to have it dressed. but it was already partially healed, and caused him not the slightest inconvenience. "i think i had the best of the matter altogether," he answered, "for though up there on the river i was unable to distinguish the man who began all this business by firing at me, yet both were hit, and i fancy pretty badly." "you can count them as almost wiped out completely," agreed the major. "but i have serious news to give you regarding the other three. during our absence jaime de oteros and his comrades broke out of prison and made good their escape. the scoundrels are once more free to carry on any form of rascality. of course i have sent trackers after them; but the latest news is that they have disappeared into the bush, and pursuit there is almost hopeless. i own i'm vexed, for there is never any knowing what such men may be up to. a spaniard with a grudge to work off is always a dangerous individual." the information of the escape of the prisoners was indeed of the most serious moment, and jim and his friends were yet to learn the truth of the words that the major had spoken. for jaime de oteros had indeed a grudge, and with all the unreasonableness of men of his violent disposition he had already determined in his own mind that our hero jim was the cause of all his troubles. he brushed aside the fact that one of his ruffianly comrades had most deliberately attempted murder, and that the effort made to capture the offender was but a natural reprisal. that effort had led to the discovery of the gang and its break-up, and in jaime's eyes our hero was the culprit. he swore as he lay in prison to take vengeance upon him, while he did not forget his animosity towards the police officials. "i tell you," he cried fiercely, once he had contrived to break out of the prison, "i don't move away from these parts till i've killed that young pup, while as to these others, these americans, i'll do them an injury, see if i don't. i'll wreck some of the work they're doing; break up the job they're so precious proud of." meanwhile jim had many other things to think of, and very promptly forgot all about the miscreants. he sauntered back to the house with phineas, and on the following morning boarded a motor-driven inspector's car running on the isthmian railway. "we'll just hop along first to gorgona," said phineas. "and on the way we'll take a look at the valley of the chagres river. you've got to understand that right here at gatun, where we're building the dam, and where the river escapes between the hills which block this end of the valley, we shall have the end of the lake we're going to form. for the most part the valley is nice and broad, running pretty nigh north and south. this track we're on will be covered with water, so that gangs of men are already at work fixing the track elsewhere on higher ground. but i want to speak of this valley. it runs clear south to obispo, where there is hilly ground dividing it from the valley of the rio grande, and there, at culebra, which is on the hill, we're up against one of the biggest jobs of this undertaking. you see, it's like this: from gatun to obispo we follow a route running almost due south, with the chagres river alongside us all the way; but at obispo, which i ought to have said is just twenty-six miles from the head of limon bay, the chagres river changes its course very abruptly, and if followed towards its source is found to be confined within a narrow valley through which it runs with greater speed, and in a north-easterly direction. now, see here, to figure this matter out correctly let's stand up in this car. there's the track running way ahead of us through the chagres valley in a direction i described as southerly, though to be correct it is south-westerly. dead behind us is limon bay; right ahead is panama. i've given you an idea of the works we're carrying out at this end--first dredging limon bay for - / miles, then canal cutting for say another miles. there you get three tiers of double locks, and the gatun dam that's going to fill in the end of this valley, and give us a lake which will spread over an area of no fewer than square miles, and which will fill the valley right away up to obispo, where the chagres river, coming from a higher elevation, will pour into it." "and then," demanded jim, beginning, now that he was actually in the valley, to obtain a better conception of the plan of this huge american undertaking. "i can see how you will bring your ships to the gatun locks, and how you will float them into the lake. i take it that there will be water enough for them to steam up to obispo. after that, you still have to reach panama." "gee! i should say we had. but listen here. taking this line, with panama dead south-west of us, we come at obispo to a point where the designers of the canal had two alternatives. the first was to cut up north-west, still following the chagres valley where it has become very narrow, and so round by a devious route to panama. that meant sharp bends in the canal, which ain't good when you've got big ships to deal with, and besides a probable increase in the cost and in the time required to complete the undertaking." "and the second?" demanded jim. "the second alternative was to cut clear through the dividing ridge which runs up at obispo some feet above sea level. following that route for miles in the direction of panama you come to the alluvial plain of the rio grande, and from thence to the sea in another miles. forty-one miles from shore to shore you can call it, and, with the dredging we have to do at either end, a grand total of miles. but we'll leave this culebra cutting till we reach it. sonny, you can get right along with the car." jim would have been a very extraordinary mortal if he had not been vastly interested in all that he saw from his seat in the rail motor car. to begin with, it was a delightfully bright day, with a clear sky overhead and a warm sun suspended in it. hills lay on either hand, their steep sides clothed with luxuriant verdure, while farther away was a dark background of jungle, that forbidding tropical growth with which he had now become familiar. on his right flowed the chagres river, winding hither and thither, and receiving presently a tributary, the rio trinidad. along the line there were gangs of men at work here and there laying the new tracks for the railway, while, when they had progressed on their journey, and were nearer obispo, his keen eyes discovered other subjects for observation. there were a number of broken-down trucks beside the railway, which were almost covered by vegetation, while near at hand on the banks of the river a huge, unwieldy boat seemed to have taken root, and, like the trucks, was surrounded by tropical growth. "queer, ain't they?" remarked phineas. "guess you're wondering what they are." "reckon it's plant brought out here at the very beginning of this work, and scrapped because it was found to be unsatisfactory." "wrong," declared phineas promptly. "young man, those trucks were made by the frenchmen. that boat is a dredger which was laid up before you were born, and was built by the same people." the information caused our hero to open his eyes very wide, for he, like many another individual, had never heard of the french nation in connection with the isthmus of panama; or if he had, had entirely forgotten the matter. but to a man like phineas, with all his keenness in the work in which he was taking no unimportant part, it was not remarkable that french efforts on the isthmus were a matter of historical interest to him. "a man likes to know the ins and outs of the whole affair," he observed slowly, as they trundled along on the car. "there's thousands, i should say, who don't even know why we have decided to build this canal, and thousands more who don't rightly guess what we're going to do with it when it's finished. but columbus, when he discovered the bay of limon round about the year , thought that he had found a short cut across to the east indies. he didn't cotton to the fact that the isthmus stretches unbroken between the two americas, and only came to believe that fact when his boats came to a dead end in the bay he had discovered. cortés sought for a waterway at mexico, while others hunted round for a channel along the river st. lawrence, and all with the one idea of making a short passage to the east indies. "then the straits of magellan were discovered, while some of those bold spaniards clambered across the isthmus and set eyes upon the pacific ocean. you know what happened? guess they built and launched ships at panama, and the conquest of peru was undertaken, and following it gold and jewels in plenty were brought by mule train from the pacific to the atlantic, across from panama to colon. so great was the traffic that even in the days of charles v of spain the question of an isthmian canal was mooted; for, recollect, spain drew riches from the indies as well as from peru. and now we come to the nineteenth century. america badly wanted an isthmian crossing which would bring her western ports closer to those on the east, and vice versa. a railway seemed to be the only feasible method, and we tackled the job splendidly. that railway was completed in , in spite of an awful climate, and guess it filled the purpose nicely. just hereabouts came our war, north against south, and, as you can readily understand, there wasn't much chance of canal building. "now we come to the frenchmen, to ferdinand de lesseps," said phineas, pointing out another group of derelict trucks to our hero. "you want to bear in mind that the question of an isthmian canal was always in the air, always attracting the attention of engineering people. well, de lesseps had just completed the suez canal, connecting the east with the west, and guess he cast his eye round for new fields to conquer. he floated a company in france, and raised a large sum of money. then he bought out the isthmian railway for twenty-five and a half million dollars. you see, he knew that a railway was wanted to carry his plant, and i guess that the fact of having that railway made him decide to build his canal across where we are working. but there was mismanagement. de lesseps, like many another man, had been spoiled by success, and had lost his usual good judgment. his expenses were awful, and finally, when the money ran out, his company abandoned the undertaking. in eight years he had spent more than three times the amount for the suez canal, and had got through some three hundred million dollars. he and his staff left behind them the trucks you see, besides a large amount of other machinery. at this day there's many a french locomotive pulling our dirt trains right here in the culebra cutting, while his folks set their mark on the soil. they, too, started to cut through at culebra, and in those eight years did real honest work. but shortage of money ended their labours, and, as i've said, they've left behind these marks of their presence, with rows and rows of graves over at ancon; for fever played fearful havoc with the workmen. yes, it was that which gave america her warning, and set our medical folk at work to tidy up this zone and sweep it clear of mosquitoes and fever." it was all very interesting, and jim listened most attentively, though, to be sure, every now and then his mind was distracted for a brief instant by some new object to right or left of the line; while from the very beginning the desire to ask one question and to receive information in reply had been present. "that tale of the french is new to me," he said, "and i hadn't the faintest idea that a canal had been previously attempted. you've said that spain desired one by means of which to reach the east indies and so save the long trip round by the straits of magellan; how does america stand when all's finished?" the fingers of phineas's only usable hand were clenched instantly. was it likely that a man such as he, who had counted the cost of the undertaking, and knew something of its vastness, would not also have counted the gain? "what do we get when all's ended?" he cried eagerly. "guess for that you require a map by rights, though i can tell you something from memory. to begin with, take new york as our important eastern port, and san francisco as that on the west coast. of course i know that we have an inter-oceanic railway. but if goods in bulk were shipped, the boat would have to steam right away south, round by cape horn and the straits of magellan. the oregon, one of our best battleships, was lying away up in the pacific when our war with spain began. she had to steam more than , miles to reach key west, and guess a ship wants overhauling after such a long journey, putting aside the risks she ran of capture _en route_, owing to her isolation. well now, this isthmian canal will knock the better part of miles off the route from new york to san francisco. the english doing business with our firms in that port will have a journey less by miles, while new york will be closer to the ports of south america by a good miles. it'll be a shorter journey from japan or australia to new york than it is to-day to liverpool, while there's scarcely a trip from east to west that won't be helped by this canal we're building. just think of it, jim! where this trolley's running there'll be, one of these days, deep water, with bigger ships floating in it than you can dream of now. you and i will have helped to bring about that matter. when we're old we'll be able to tell the youngsters all about it; for america will know then that she owns something valuable. her people will have had time to grasp its full significance, and guess then the question will not be, as now, 'where is the panama canal? what are our folks doing?' but 'how was america's great triumph accomplished?' my! ain't i been gassing? why, there's gorgona. hollo, sonny! pull her up." they descended from the car promptly, and made for the huge sheds where one portion of the engineering staff undertook the upkeep of the machinery engaged along the whole line of the canal. the friendly official was waiting for them, and very soon jim's eyes were bulging wide with delight at the sight of the motor drill he was to manage. chapter xiii hustle the order of the day never in the whole course of his short existence had jim come upon such a busy scene as he encountered, when phineas barton at length contrived to drag the eager young fellow away from the engineering shops at gorgona. "my!" cried phineas, simulating a snort of indignation; "i never did come across such a curious chap in all my born days. i began to think that you'd stick in the place, grow to it as the saying is. but there, i don't blame any youngster for liking a big works same as this. there's so much to see, huge lathes and planing machines running and doing their work as if they were alive and thinking things out. steam-hammers thudding down on masses of red-hot metal, giving a blow that would crack a house and smash it to pieces, or one that would as easily fracture a nut. then there are the furnaces and the foundry: guess all that's interesting. but you've got more to see; it's time we made way up for culebra. look here, boy, set her going, and mind you watch the spoil trains." the precaution and the warning were necessary, for the double track of the panama railway at this point was much occupied by the long trains of cars filled with earth coming from the trench that was being cut through the high ground just ahead. it was not until they actually reached the neighbourhood of culebra, which may be said to occupy a place in the centre of the gigantic cut, that jim gathered a full impression of the work, or the reason for so many freight cars. but it was true enough that the driver of the motor truck had to keep his wits about him to escape collision; for every three minutes a spoil train came along, dragged perhaps by a locomotive made at gorgona, or by one imported by the french, and of belgian manufacture. every three minutes, on the average, a train came puffing down the incline from culebra, and nothing was allowed to delay it. in consequence, the motor inspection car on which phineas and his young friend were journeying was compelled at times to beat a hasty retreat, or to go ahead at full power before an advancing empty train--returning from the great dam at gatun, where it had deposited its load--till it arrived at a point where a switch was located. there was nearly always a man there, and promptly the car was sidetracked. "it's the only way to do the business," explained phineas. "the getting away of those spoil trains means the success of our working. if they don't get clear, so as to be back at the earliest moment, there's going to be any number of steam diggers thrown out of work; for it's no use shovelling dirt if there aren't cars to load the stuff in. if there's a breakdown with one of the cars, guess the whole labour force is pushed on to it, so as to get the lines clear. telephone wires run up and down the line, and a breakdown is at once reported. but we're just entering the cut, and in a little while you'll be able to see and understand everything." to be accurate, it took our hero quite a little while to grasp the significance of all that he saw, for the culebra cut extends through nine miles of rocky soil, and at the period of his inspection it had already bitten deep into the hilly ground which barred the onward progress of the canal at obispo. one ought to say, in an endeavour to give facts accurately, that this mass of material forms the southern boundary of the huge chagres valley which, when the works are completed, will be flooded with water. it bars all exit there, though by turning sharply to the left one may follow the course of the river through a narrow, ascending valley. however, the scheme of the undertaking required that there should be no sharp bends, and in consequence the host of workers were toiling to cut a gigantic trench, of great width and enormous depth, right through this hilly ground. what jim saw was somewhat similar to the works below gatun, at the colon end of the canal, but vastly magnified. there were the same terraces, with tracks of rails laid, bearing an endless procession of spoil trains and numbers of steam diggers. there was the same pilot cut in the very centre, from which the terraces ascended step by step, as if they were portions of another egyptian pyramid. but there comparisons ceased. this huge ditch extended for nine miles, and throughout its length presented an army of toilers, any number of dirt trains, and a constant succession of white steam billows, at various elevations, pointing to the places where the hundred-ton diggers were at work. "you have to get right on the spot to see what's happening," said phineas, looking proudly about him. "you can see for yourself now that it means everything to us to get rid of the dirt as quickly as possible, and everything to have spare trains ready to fill the place of those taking the spoil away. this concern is simply a question of dirt, and of how rapidly we can shift it. if i was the president of the republic of the united states himself i should have to look lively all the same, and dodge about so as not to get in the way of the dirt trains. but we'll get out here and climb; i'll show you a thing or two." he chuckled at the prospect before him, for to expatiate on the canal works to a keen young fellow, such as jim undoubtedly was, was the height of enjoyment to the energetic official. their car was switched on to a side track at once, and, descending from it, the two clambered up the scarped side of the trench till they were on the summit of the rocky ground. then it was possible to obtain a bird's-eye view of the whole cut, and to appreciate its vastness. jim noticed that the path he had clambered by shelved rather gently, while elsewhere the bank of the trench was steeply scarped, and at once drew phineas's attention to the matter. "you don't miss much, siree," came the answer. "we've come face up against more than one tough job 'way up here at culebra, and the question of the slope of our banks is one. you see, this trench will be mighty deep, and if we were to cut the sides perpendicular they would soon fall in. most of the stuff's rock, of course, but it's queer rock at that. it's soft, weathers quickly, and becomes easily friable when water has got to it. so we've had to spread the banks wide, and make the slope easy, except where the rock's harder and allows a steeper slope. now, guess we're near about the centre of the cut. you've seen what's happening to the north. dirt trains run down the incline, enter the tracks of the panama railway, and run miles to the dam at gatun. south of us the tracks fall to the plain of the rio grande, and the spoil trains run down and dump their stuff on either side of the line the canal will take. you've got to remember that this trench is 'way up above tide level; so at the end of the cut, at pedro miguel, there is to be a lock, or, rather, a double lock--one for a vessel going north and one for a ship coming south. a matter of a mile farther along there is another lock--the milaflores lock--double, like the last, but with two tiers. it will let our ships down into the pacific. but you've got to remember that there is a tide in that ocean, so the lift of the milaflores lower lock will be variable. now, lad, come and see the rock drills." they descended into the bottom of the trench again, phineas explaining that when it was completed there would be a bottom width of feet, ample to allow the passing of two enormous ships. "guess it's the narrowest part of the canal," he said, "though no one would call it narrow; but it's through hard rock, which is some excuse, and then this narrowest part happens to be dead straight. north of us the cut widens at the bottom to feet, while elsewhere, outside the cut, the minimum width is feet. you've got to bear in mind that i'm talking of bottom widths. recollect that the banks slope outwards fairly gently, and you can appreciate the fact that the surface width of the canal stream will make a stranger open his eyes. ah, here's a drill! this is the sort of thing you'll be doing." to the novice the machine to which phineas had drawn attention was indeed somewhat curious. it looked for all the world like an overgrown motor car, constructed by an amateur engineer in his own workshop, and out of any parts he happened to have by him; for it ran on four iron wheels with flat tyres, and bore at the back the conventional boiler and smokestack. in front it carried a post, erected to some height, and stayed with two stout metal rods from the rear. the remainder of the machine consisted of the engine and driving gear which operated the drills. "it'll get through solid rock at a pace that will make you stare," declared phineas, "though our friend at gorgona believes that this new model that you're to run will do even better. but you can see what happens; these drills get to work where the diggers will follow. they drill right down, feet perhaps, and then get along to another site. the powder men then come along, put their shot in position, place their fuse, wire it so that a current can be sent along to the fuse, and then get along to another drill hole. at sunset, when all the men have cleared, the shots are fired, and next morning there's loose dirt enough to keep the diggers busy. guess you'll be put to work with one of these drillers, so as to learn a bit. you can't expect to handle a machine unless you know what's required of you." the following morning, in fact, found our hero dressed in his working clothes, assisting a man in the management of one of the rock drills. he had risen at the first streak of dawn, and after breakfasting, had clambered aboard an empty dirt train making for culebra. "yer know how to fire a furnace?" asked the man who was to instruct him. "ay, that's good; i heard tell as i wasn't to have no greenhorn. ain't you a pal o' harry's?" there might have been only one harry amidst the huge army of white employees; but jim knew who was meant, and nodded promptly. "and you're the chap as went off into the swamps, across a lagoon, along with the police major, ain't you?" "yes," responded our hero shortly. "huh! you and i is going to be pals. harry's been blabbing. you don't happen to have brought that 'ere banjo along with you?" jim had not, but promised to do so if this new friend liked. "why, in course we like," cried hundley, for that was the man's name. "seems that you're to live 'way down there at gatun, so the boys along over there will get you of an evening; but you'll feed with us midday. i tell you, jim, there's times when a man feels dull out here, particularly if he's had a go of fever, same as i have. it takes the life out of a fellow, and ef he ain't brightened he gets to moping. that's why i'm precious keen on music; a song soothes a man. there's heaps like me up at the club; jest steady, quiet workers, sticking like wax to the job, 'cos the most of us can't settle to pack and leave till we've seen the canal completed." there it was again! right along the fifty miles of works jim had come across the same expressions. it mattered not whether a man drove a steam digger or a dirt train, whether he were official or labouring employee, if he were american, as all were, the canal seemed to have driven itself into his brain; the undertaking had become a pet child, a work to be accomplished whatever happened, an exacting friend not to be cast aside or deserted till all was ended and a triumph accomplished. but jim had heard the request, and promptly acceded. "i'll bring the banjo along one of these days right enough," he smiled. "perhaps you'll make a trip down to gatun and hear one of our concerts. they tell me there's to be one within a few days." hundley eagerly accepted the invitation, and then proceeded to instruct our hero. as to the latter, he found no great difficulty in understanding the work, and, indeed, in taking charge of the machine. for here it was not quite as it was with a hundred-ton digger, when the lip of the huge shovel might in some unexpected moment cut its way beneath a mass of rock, and be brought up short with a jerk capable of doing great damage. the rock drill, on the other hand, pounded away, the engine revolving the drill, while the crew of the machine saw that the gears were thrown out when necessary, and an extra length added to the drill. if the hardened-steel point of the instrument happened to catch--as was sometimes the case--and held up the engine, then steam had to be cut off quickly, the drill reversed and lifted, so as to allow it to begin afresh. "you never know what's goin' to happen," explained hundley; "but most times things is clear and straightforward. you lengthen the drill till you've run down about feet: that means eight hours' solid work--a day's full work, jim. you don't see the real result till the next morning; but my, how those dynamite shots do rip the place about! for instance, jest here where we're sinkin' the drill we're yards from the edge of the step we're working on. well now, that shot'll be rammed home, and the hole plugged over it. something's got to go when dynamite is exploded, and sense there's all this weight of stuff to the outside of the terrace, and the shot is feet deep, the outer lip gives way, and jest this boring results in tons of rock and dirt being broken adrift. it's when you see the huge mass of loose stuff next morning that you realize that you ain't been doin' nothin'." at the end of a week jim was placed in entire charge of a rock drill, while a negro was allocated to the machine to help him. then, somewhat later than the official had intimated, the motor driller was completed, and our hero was drafted to the gorgona works for some days, to practise with the implement and get thoroughly accustomed to it. it was a proud day when he occupied the driving seat, threw out his clutch, and set the gears in mesh. then, the engine buzzing swiftly, and a light cloud of steam coming from the nozzle of the radiator--for, like all rapidly moving motor engines designed for stationary work, the water quickly heated--he set the whole affair in motion, and trundled along the highroad towards the cut. "if you don't make a tale of this machine i shall be surprised," said the official, as he bade him farewell. "this motor should get through the rock very quickly, quicker a great deal than the steam-driven ones. but go steady along the road; steering ain't so easy." easy or not, jim managed his steed with skill, and soon had the affair on one of the terraces. he had already had a certain part allotted to him, and within an hour of his departure from the works had set his first drill in position. nor was it long before he realized that the desire of the staff at gorgona was to be more than realized; for the drill bit its path into the rock swiftly, more so than in the case of the slower revolving steam drills, while there were fewer sudden stops. that first day he accomplished two bore holes, giving four hours to each operation. his cheeks were flushed with pleasure when he reported progress to the official. "and the engine?" asked the latter. "she ran well?" "couldn't have gone better," declared jim. "she gives off ample power, and there is plenty of water for cooling. that machine easily saves the extra dollar wages you offered." "and will pay us handsomely to repeat it, for then there will be more dirt for the diggers to deal with, and the more there is the sooner the cut will be finished. we can always manage to get extra diggers." that the innovation was a success was soon apparent to all, and many a time did officials come from the far end of the canal works to watch jim at work, and to marvel at the swiftness with which his machine opened a way through the rock. it was three months later before anything happened to disturb our hero, and during all that time he continued at his work, coming from gatun in the early hours, usually aboard an empty spoil train, but sometimes by means of one of the many motor trolley cars which were placed at the disposal of inspectors. at the dinner hour he went off to one of the commission hotels, and there had a meal, and often enough sang for the men to the banjo which he had since purchased. when the whistles blew at sundown he pulled on his jacket, placed a mackintosh over his shoulders if it happened to be raining, which was frequently the case, and sought for a conveyance back to gatun. and often enough these return journeys were made on the engine hauling a loaded spoil trail. as for tom and sam, the two negroes had received posts at the very beginning, the little negro working with the sanitary corps and the huge tom being made into a black policeman. "he's got a way with the darkies," explained phineas, when announcing the appointment, "and i've noticed that they're mighty civil to him. you see, the majority of our coloured gentry come from the west indies, and, though they are likely enough boys, they are not quite so bright, i think, as are the negroes from the states. anyway, tom has a way with them, and don't stand any sauce; while, when things are all right, he's ready to pass the time of day with all, and throw 'em a smile. gee, how he does laugh! i never saw a negro with a bigger smile, nor a merrier." it may be wondered what had happened to the worthy and patient ching. the chinaman was far too good a cook to have his talents wasted in the canal zone, and from the very beginning was installed in that capacity at phineas barton's quarters, thus relieving the lady who had formerly done the work. the change, indeed, was all for the best, for now sadie received more attention. three months almost to a day from the date when jim had begun to run the motor drill the machinery got out of order. "one of the big ends of a piston flew off," he reported to the official, when the latter arrived. "before i could stop her running the piston rod had banged a hole through the crank case, and i rather expect it has damaged the crank shaft." it was an unavoidable accident, and meant that the machine must undergo repair. "you'll have to be posted to another job meanwhile, jim," said the official. "of course i know that this is none of your doing. we shall be able to see exactly what was the cause of the accident to that piston rod when we've taken the engine down. perhaps one of the big end bolts sheered. or there may have been a little carelessness when erecting, and a cotter pin omitted. but i don't think that: my staff is too careful to make errors of that sort. how'd you like to run one of the inspection motor trolleys? they were asking me for a man this morning; for one of the drivers is down with fever. you'd be able to take on the work at once, since you understand motors. of course there isn't any timetable to follow. you just run up and down as you're wanted, and all you've got to learn really is where the switches and points are; so as to be able to sidetrack the car out of the way of the dirt trains." so long as it was work in connection with machinery jim was bound to be pleased, and accepted the work willingly. the next day he boarded the inspection car at gatun, and within half an hour had made himself familiar with the levers and other parts. then he was telephoned for to a spot near gorgona, and ran the car along the rails at a smart pace. twice on the way there he had to stop, reverse his car, and run back to a siding, there to wait on an idle track till a dirt train had passed. "you'll get to know most every switch in a couple of days," said the negro who was in charge of this particular point, "and sometimes yo'll be mighty glad that you did come to know 'em. them spoil trains don't always give too much time, particularly when there's a big load and they're coming down the incline from way up by culebra." the truth of the statement was brought to our hero's mind very swiftly; for on the following morning, having run out on the tracks ahead of an empty spoil train, and passed a passenger train at one of the stations, he was slowly running up the incline into the culebra cut when he heard a commotion in front of him. at once he brought his car to a standstill beside one of the points. "specks there's been a breakdown, or something of that sort," said the man in charge, coming to the side of the car. "the track's clear enough, but i guess there'll be a dirt train along most any minute. are you for runnin' in over the points out of the way?" at that moment jim caught sight of something coming towards him. suddenly there appeared over the brow of the incline the rear end of a dirt train, and a glance told him that it was loaded. a man was racing along beside one of the cars, somewhere about the centre of the train, and was endeavouring to brake the wheels with a stout piece of timber. jim saw the timber suddenly flicked to one side, the man was thrown heavily, then, to his horror, there appeared a whole length of loaded cars racing down towards him, with nothing to stop the mad rush, not even an engine. "gee, she's broken away from the loco!" shouted the man at the points. "she's runnin' fast now, but in a while she'll be fair racing. time she gets here, which'll be within the minute, she'll be doing sixty miles an hour. she'll run clear way down to gatun. come right in over the points." he ran to open the switch, so that jim could reach safety, while our hero accelerated his engine in preparation for the movement. then a sudden thought came to his mind. he recollected the passenger train which was coming on behind him. "man," he shouted, "there's a passenger coming 'way behind us! the cars were filled with people when i passed. she's ahead of the dirt trains, and of course does not expect to have a full spoil train running down on this line. she'll be smashed into a jelly." "so'll you if you don't come right in," cried the man, waving to jim frantically. but he had a lad of pluck to deal with. jim realized that between himself and the oncoming passenger train, now some six miles away perhaps, there lay a margin of safety for himself, if only he could run fast enough before the derelict spoil train racing towards him. but that margin might allow him to warn the driver of the passenger train. he took the risk instantly, shouted to the pointsman, and began to back his car. fortunately it was one of those in which the reverse gear applied to all speeds, and, since there was no steering to be done, he was able to proceed at a furious pace. "get to the telephone," he bellowed to the man as he went away. "warn them down the line." then began an exciting race between his car and the spoil train; for the latter was composed of many long, heavy trucks, all laden to the brim with rock debris, consequently the smallest incline was sufficient to set them in motion if not properly braked. now, when the whole line had broken adrift from its engine, and had run on to the culebra incline, the weight told every instant. the pace soon became appalling, the trucks bounding and scrunching along the tracks, shaking violently, throwing their contents on either side, threatening to upset at every curve, gained upon jim's car at every second. "i'll have to jump if i can't get clear ahead," he told himself. "but if i can only keep my distance for a while the incline soon lessens, when the pace of the runaway will get slower. but that man was right; she's coasting so fast, and has so much weight aboard, that the impetus will take her best part of the way to gatun." once more it was necessary for jim to do as he had done aboard the motor launch. his ignition and throttle levers were pushed to the farthest notch. he was getting every ounce of power out of his car, desperately striving to keep ahead. but still the train gained. they came to a curve, our hero leading the runaway by some fifty yards, and both running on the tracks at terrific speed. suddenly the inside wheels of the inspection car lifted. jim felt she was about to turn turtle and promptly threw himself on to the edge of the car, endeavouring to weigh her down. over canted the car till it seemed that she must capsize. jim gave a jerk with all his strength, and slowly she settled down on to her inside wheels again, clattering and jangling on the iron track as she did so. then he glanced back at the dirt train racing so madly after him. "she'll be over," he thought. "she'll never manage to get round that bend at such a pace." but weight steadies a freight car, and on this occasion the leading trucks at least managed to negotiate the curve without sustaining damage. the long train, looking like a black, vindictive snake, swung round the bend, with terrific velocity, and came on after him relentlessly. then, as the last truck but one reached the bend, there was a sudden commotion. the dirt it contained heaved spasmodically and splashed up over the side; it seemed to rise up at the after end in a huge heap, and was followed by the tail of the truck. the whole thing canted up on its head, then swayed outwards, and, turning on its side, crashed on to the track running along beside it. there was a roar, a medley of sounds, while the actual site of the upset was obscured by a huge cloud of dust. "that'll do it," thought our hero. "if we have any luck, that upsetting truck will pull the rest of the cars off the road, and bring the whole train to a standstill." but he was counting his chickens before they were hatched. the cloud of dust blew aside swiftly, and, when he was able to see again, there was the line of cars, nearer by now, leaping madly along, trailing behind them the broken end of the one which had overturned. right behind, the other portion, together with the greater portion of the last truck of all, was heaped in a confused mass on the second track of rails, disclosing its underframe and its two sets of bogie wheels to the sky. "that passenger train must be only a couple of miles from us now," said jim, as he desperately jerked at his levers, in the endeavour to force his car more swiftly along the track. "if i can keep ahead for half that distance i shall manage something, for then the incline lessens. just here she's going faster if anything. if only i could send this car along quicker!" he gazed anxiously over his shoulder, in the direction in which he was flying, and was relieved to discover that the rails were clear. then he took a careful look at the line of cars bounding after him. there was no doubt that the train was nearer. the leading car was within two hundred yards of him, and a minute's inspection told him clearly that the distance between them was lessening very rapidly; for the runaway now seemed to have taken the bit between her teeth with a vengeance. despite the weight of earth and rock in the cars they were swaying and leaping horribly, causing their springs to oscillate as they had, perhaps, never done before. the wheels on the leading bogie seemed to be as much off the iron tracks as on them, and at every little curve the expanse of daylight on the inner side beneath the trucks increased in proportions, showing how centrifugal force was pulling the heavy mass and endeavouring to upset it. it was an uncanny sight, but yet, for all that, a fascinating one. jim watched it helplessly, almost spellbound, conscious that the few moments now before him were critical ones. he unconsciously set to work to calculate how long it would take, at the present rate of comparative progression of his own car and the runaway train, for the inevitable collision to occur. then, seeing the heaving bogies of the trucks, he leaned over the side of his own car and watched the metal wheels. they clattered and thundered on the rails, the spokes were indistinguishable, having the appearance of disks. but at the bends this was altered. the car tipped bodily, the inner wheels left the tracks, and at once their momentum lessened. then, though he could not see the individual spokes, the disk-like appearance was broken, telling him plainly, even if his eyes had not been sufficiently keen to actually see the fact, that the wheels and the track had parted company. "ah!" it was almost a groan that escaped him. in the few minutes in which he had been engaged in examining his own wheels the runaway train had gained on him by leaps and bounds. he could now hear the roar of its wheels above the rumble and clatter of his own, that and the buzz of the motor so busy beneath the bonnet. he cast his eye on either side, as if to seek safety there, and watched the fleeting banks of the chagres river, bushes and trees, and abandoned french trucks speeding past. a gang of workmen came into view, and he caught just a glimpse of them waving their shovels. their shouts came to his ears as the merest echoes. then something else forced itself upon his attention. it was the figure of a white man, standing prominent upon a little knoll beside the rails, and armed with a megaphone. he had the instrument to his mouth, and thundered his warning in jim's ears. "jump!" he shouted. "jump! she'll be up within a jiffy!" within a jiffy! in almost less time than that; there were but two yards now between the small inspection car and the line of loaded trucks. jim could see the individual pieces of broken rock amongst the dirt, could watch the fantastic manner in which they were dancing. he looked about him, standing up and gripping the side of the car. then away in front, along the clear tracks. he thought of the passenger train, and remembered that he alone stood between it and destruction. "i'll stick to this ship whatever happens," he told himself stubbornly. "if the train strikes me and breaks up the car, the wreck may throw it off the rails. better that than allow it to run clear on into the passenger train. ah! here it is." crash! the buffers of the leading truck struck the motor inspection car on her leading spring dumb irons, and the buffet sent her hurtling along the track, while the shock of the blow caused jim to double up over the splashboard. but the wheels did not leave the tracks. nothing seemed to have been broken. the dumb irons were bent out of shape, that was all. "jump, yer fool!" came floating across the air to jim's ear, while the figure of the man with the megaphone danced fantastically, arms waving violently in all directions. but jim would not jump; he had long since made up his mind to stick to his gun, to remain in this car whatever happened; for the safety of the passenger train depended on him. true, a telephone message might have reached the driver; but then it might not have done so. he recollected that at the switch where this mad chase had first begun there was no telephone station closely adjacent. it would be necessary for the man there to run to the nearest one. that would take time, while his own flight down the tracks had endured for only a few minutes, though, to speak the truth, those minutes felt like hours to our hero. bang! the cars struck him again, causing the one on which he rode to wobble and swerve horribly; the wheels roared and flashed sparks as the flanges bit at the rails. the bonnet that covered the engine, crinkled up like a concertina; but the car held the track. jim was still secure, while the second buffet had sent him well ahead. better than all, he realized that he was now beyond the steeper part of the incline, while his engine was still pulling, urging the car backward. if only he could increase the pace, if only he could add to the distance which separated him from that long line of trucks bounding after him so ruthlessly. then a groan escaped him; for along the chagres valley, where, perhaps, in the year a huge lake will have blotted out the site of the railway along which he flew, and where fleets of huge ships may well be lying, there came the distinct, shrill screech of a whistle. jim swung round in an agony of terror. he looked along the winding track and his eyes lit upon an object. it was the passenger train, loaded with human freight, standing in the way of destruction. chapter xiv the runaway spoil train barely a mile of the double track of the panama railway stretched between the inspection car, on which jim was racing for his life, and the oncoming passenger train. glancing over his shoulder he could see the smoke billowing from the locomotive and the escape steam blowing out between her leading wheels. behind him there was the scrunch, the grinding roar, of the long line of steel wheels carrying the runaway spoil train. he kneeled on his driving seat and looked first one way and then the other, hesitating what to do. the rush of air, as he tore along, sent his broad-brimmed hat flying, and set his hair streaking out behind him. his eyes were prominent, there was desperation written on his face; but never once did he think of taking the advice which the megaphone man flung at him. "jump for it! no! i won't!" he declared stubbornly to himself. "i'll stick here till there's no chance left; then i'll bring this machine up sharp, and leave her as a buffer between the spoil train and the one bearing passengers. not that she'll be of much use. that heavy line of cars will punch her out of the way as if she were as light as a bag; but something might happen. the frame of this car might lift the leading wheels of the spoil train from the tracks and wreck her." there was an exhaust whistle attached to his car, and he set it sounding at once, though all the time his eyes drifted from passenger train to spoil train, from one side of the track to the other. suddenly there came into view round a gentle bend a mass of discarded machinery. he remembered calling phineas's attention to it some weeks before. broken trucks, which had once conveyed dirt from the cut at culebra for the french workers, had been run from the main track on to a siding and abandoned there to the weather, and to the advance of tropical vegetation, that, in a sinister, creeping manner all its own, stole upon all neglected things and places in this canal zone, and wrapped them in its clinging embrace, covering and hiding them from sight, as if ashamed of the work which man had once accomplished. jim remembered the spot, and that it was one of the unattended switching stations rarely used--for here the tracks of the railway were less encumbered with spoil trains--yet a post for all that where the driver of an inspection car might halt, might descend and pull over the lever, and so direct his car into the siding. "i'll do it," he told himself. "if only i can get there soon enough to allow me to reach the lever." he measured the distance between himself and the pursuing spoil train, and noted that it had increased. his lusty little engine, rattling away beneath its crumpled bonnet, was pulling the car along at a fine pace. true, the velocity was not so great as it had been when descending the first part of the incline, that leading out of the culebra cut; but then the swift rush of the spoil train was also lessened. the want of fall in the rails was telling on her progress, though, to be sure, she was hurtling along at a speed approximating to fifty miles an hour; but the bump she had given to jim's car had had a wonderful effect. it had shot the light framework forward, and, with luck, jim determined to increase the start thus obtained. "but it'll be touch and go," he told himself, his eye now directed to the switching station, just beyond which the mass of derelict french cars lay. "there's one thing in my favour: the points open from this direction. if it had been otherwise i could have done nothing, for, even if i had attempted to throw the point against the spoil train, the pace she is making would carry her across the gap. why don't that fellow on the passenger engine shut off steam and reverse? ain't he seen what's happening?" he scowled in the direction of the approaching passenger train, and knelt still higher, shaking his fists in that direction. it seemed that the man must be blind, that his attention must be in another direction; for already the line of coaches was within five hundred yards of the points which had attracted jim's attention, and he realized that she would reach the spot almost as soon as the spoil train would. "'cos she's closer," he growled. "if he don't shut off steam, anything i may be able to do will be useless. he'll cross the switch and come head on to the collision." a minute later he saw a man's figure swing out from the cab of the locomotive on which his eyes were glued, while a hand was waved in his direction. then a jet of steam and smoke burst from the funnel, while white clouds billowed from the neighbourhood of the cylinders. even though it was broad daylight, jim saw sparks and flashes as the wheels of the locomotive were locked and skated along the rails. "he's seen it; he knows!" he shouted. "but he ain't got time to stop her and reverse away from this spoil train. if that switch don't work there's bound to be a bad collision." there was no doubt as to that point. the driver and fireman aboard the locomotive recognized their danger promptly, and, like the bold fellows they were, stuck to their posts. "brakes hard!" shouted the former, jerking his steam lever over, and bringing the other hand down on that which commanded the reverse. "hard, man! as hard as you can fix 'em! be ready to put 'em off the moment she's come to a standstill. this is going to be a case with us, i reckon. that spoil train's doing fifty miles an hour if she's doing one. we can't get clear away from her, onless----" he blew his whistle frantically, and once more leaned out far from his cab, waving to the solitary figure aboard the flying inspection car. "onless what?" demanded the fireman brusquely, his eyes showing prominently in his blackened face, his breath coming fast after his efforts; for both hand and vacuum brakes had been applied. "onless that 'ere fellow aboard the inspection car manages to reach the points in time and switch 'em over. guess he's tryin' for it; but there ain't much space between him and the spoil train. there's goin' ter be an almighty smash." thus it appeared to all; for by now men, invisible before, had appeared at different points, and were surveying the scene, holding their breath at the thought of what was about to happen. "best get along to the telephone and send 'way up to gorgona for the ambulance staff," said one of these onlookers. "that 'ere passenger train ain't got a chance of gettin' clear away. she ain't got the room nor the time. fust the spoil train'll run clear over the inspection car, and grind it and the chap aboard to powder. then she'll barge into the passenger, and, shucks! there'll be an unholy upset. get to the telephone, do yer hear!" he shouted angrily at his comrade, overwrought by excitement, and then set off to run towards the points for which jim was making. as for the latter, by strenuous efforts, by jagging at his levers, he had contrived to get his engine to run a little faster, and had undoubtedly increased his lead over the spoil train. he was now, perhaps, a long hundred yards in advance. "not enough," he told himself. "going at this pace it'll take time to stop, though the brakes aboard this car are splendid. i know what i'll do. keep her running till i'm within fifty yards, then throw her out of gear, jam on the brakes, and jump for it just opposite the switch. i'll perhaps be able to roll up to it in time to pull that train over." it was the only method to employ, without doubt, though the risk would not be light. for, while a motor car on good hard ground can be brought to a standstill within fifty yards when going at a great pace, when shod with steel wheels and running on a metal track the results are different. jim's steed lacked weight for the work. though he might lock his wheels, they would skate along the tracks, and reduce his pace slowly. the leap he contemplated must be made from a rapidly moving car. that might result in disaster. "better a smash like that than have people aboard the train killed by the dozen," he told himself. "those points are two hundred yards off; in a hundred i set to at it." he cast a swift glance towards the passenger train, which was now retreating, and then one at the spoil train. he measured the distance between himself and the latter nicely. then he dropped his toe on the clutch pedal, and his hand on the speed lever. click! out shot the gears, while the engine raced and roared away as if it were possessed. but jim paid no attention to it. he let it continue racing, and at once jammed on his brakes. it made his heart rise into his mouth when he noticed with what suddenness the spoil train had recovered the interval between them. she was advancing upon him with leaps and bounds. it seemed as if he were not moving. with an effort he took his eyes from the rushing trucks, and fixed them upon the points he hoped to be able to operate. they were close at hand. his glance was caught by the operating lever. the moment for action had arrived, while still his car progressed at a pace which would have made the boldest hesitate to leap from it. but jim made no pause, more honour to him. he left his seat, placed one hand on the side of the car, and vaulted into space. the ground at the side of the track struck the soles of his feet as if with a hammer, doubling his knees up and jerking his frame forward. the impetus which the moving car had imparted to his body sent him rolling forward. he curled up like a rabbit struck by the sportsman at full pace, and rolled over and over. then with a violent effort he arrested his forward movement. with hands torn, and every portion of his body jarred and shaken, he brought his mad onward rush to a standstill, and, recovering from the giddiness which had assailed him, found that he was close to the all-important lever governing the points. with a shout jim threw himself upon it, tugged with all his might, and jerked the points over. [illustration: "jim tugged with all his might"] meanwhile the thunder of the spoil train had grown louder. the scrunch of steel tyres on the rails, and the grinding of the flanges of the wheels against the edges of the track drowned every other sound, even the singing which jim's tumble had brought to his ears. the runaway, with all its impetus and weight rushing forward to destroy all that happened to be in its path, was within a yard of the points when our hero threw his weight on the lever. the leading wheels struck the points with violence, and jim, watching eagerly, saw the rims mount up over the crossway. then the bogie frame jerked and swung to the right, while the four wheels obeyed the direction of the points and ran towards the side track. but it was when the first half of the leading car had passed the points that the commotion came. the dead weight of the contents--projected a moment earlier directly forward--were of a sudden wrenched to one side. the strain was tremendous. something was bound to give way under it, or the car would capsize. as it happened, the wreck was brought about by a combination of movements. the front bogie of the truck collapsed, the wheels being torn from their axles. at the same moment the huge mass capsized, flinging its load of rock and dirt broadcast across the track. the noise was simply deafening, while a huge dust cloud obscured the actual scene of the upset from those who were looking on. but jim could see. as he clung to the lever he watched the first truck come to grief in an instant. after that he himself was overwhelmed in the catastrophe; for the remaining trucks piled themselves up on the stricken leader. the second broke its coupling and mounted on the first; while the third, deflected to one side, shot past jim as if it were some gigantic dart, and swept him and the lever away into space. the remainder smashed themselves into matchwood, all save five in rear, which, with retarded impetus, found only a bank of fallen dirt and rock that broke the collision and left them shaking on the track. when the onlookers raced to the spot, and the people aboard the passenger train joined them, there was not a sight of the young fellow who had controlled the inspection car and had saved a disastrous collision. "guess he's buried ten feet deep beneath all that dirt and stuff," said one of the men, gazing at the ruin. "i seed him run to the lever. run, did i say? he jest rolled, that's what he did. he war just in time, though, and then, gee! there war a ruction. i've seen a bust-up on a railway afore, but bless me if this wasn't the wildest i ever seed. did yer get to the telephone?" his comrade reassured him promptly. "i rung 'em up at gorgona," he answered. "there's a dirt train coming along with the ambulance and commission doctor aboard, besides a wrecking derrick. that young chap saved a heap of lives you'd reckon?" it was in the nature of a question, and the answer came from the first speaker speedily. "lives! a full trainload, man. i seed his game from the beginning, and guess it war the only manoeuvre that was worth trying. it was a race for the points, and the man aboard the inspection car won by a short head. he hadn't more'n a second or two to spare once he got a grip of the lever; but i reckon he's paid his own life for the work. he war a plucked 'un--a right down real plucked 'un!" he stared fiercely into the eyes of the other man, as if he challenged him to deny the statement; but there were none who had seen this fine display of courage who had aught but enthusiasm for it. there was no dissentient voice; the thing was too plain and palpable. "some of you men get searching round to see if you can find a trace of that young fellow," cried one of the commission officials who happened to come running up at this moment. "if he's under this dirt he'll be smothered while we're talking." every second brought more helpers for the task, and very soon there were a hundred men round the wreck of the spoil train; for the driver of the passenger train had stopped his reverse movement as soon as he saw that all danger for his own charge had gone. then he had steamed forward till within a foot of the inspection car which jim had driven. the latter, thanks to the fact that the brake was jammed hard on, came to a halt some thirty yards beyond the points, and stood there with its engine roaring. but the fireman quickly shut off the ignition. passengers poured from the coaches--for it happened that a number of officials were making a trip to the far end of the culebra cut to inspect progress--and at once hastened to the side of the wreck. but search as they might there was no trace of the lad who had saved so many lives by his gallantry and resourcefulness. "come here and tell me what you think of this," suddenly said one of the officials, drawing his comrades after him to the tail end of the train, to the shattered remains of the two trucks which had overturned at a bend, and which had been trailing and clattering along the track in wake of the spoil train. he invited their inspection of the couplings which had bound the last of the cars to the locomotive. there came a whistle of surprise from one of his friends, while something like a shout of indignation escaped another. "well?" demanded the first of the officials. "what's your opinion?" "that this was no accident. this train broke away from her loco. when she was on the incline because some rascal had cut through the couplings. that, sir, 's my opinion," answered the one he addressed, with severity. there was agreement from all, so that, at the first examination, and before having had an opportunity of questioning those who had been in charge of the spoil train, it became evident that there had been foul play, that some piece of rascality had been practised. "but who could think of such a thing? there's never been any sort of mean game played on us before this. whose work is it?" demanded one of the officials hotly. "that's a question neither you nor i can answer," instantly responded another. "but my advice is that we say not a word. there are but six of us who know about the matter. let us report to the chief, and leave him to deal with it. for if there is some rascal about, the fact that his work is discovered will warn him. if he thinks he has hoodwinked everyone there will be a better opportunity of discovering him." the advice was sound, without question, so that, beyond arranging to get possession of the coupling, which showed that it had fractured opposite a fine saw cut, the party of officials preserved silence for the moment. meanwhile american hustle had brought crowds of helpers to the spot. a locomotive had steamed down from gorgona, pushing a wrecking derrick before it, and within thirty minutes this was at work, with a crew of willing helpers. a gang of italian spademen was brought up from the other direction, and these began to remove the rock and dirt. as to jim, not a trace of him was found till three of the overturned and wrecked trucks had been dragged clear by the wrecking derrick. it was then that the actual site of the lever which operated the points was come upon, the most likely spot at which to discover his body. "we'll go specially easy here," said the official who was directing operations. "though one expects that the man is killed, and smothered by all this dirt, yet you never can say in an accident of this sort. i've known a life saved most miraculously." the hook at the end of the huge chain run over the top of the derrick was attached to the forward bogie of the overturned car, then the whole thing was lifted. underneath was found a mass of dirt and rock which the impetus of the car had tossed forward. at the back, just beneath the edge of the truck, where it had thrust its way a foot into the ground, one of the workers caught sight of an arm with the fingers of the hand protruding from the debris. "hold hard!" he shouted. "he's here. best wait till we've tried to pull him out. the car might swing on that chain and crush him." they kept the end of the wrecked truck suspended while willing hands sought for our hero. a man crept in under the truck, swept the earth away, and passed the listless figure of the young car driver out into the open. jim was at once placed on a stretcher, while the commission surgeon bent over him, dropping a finger on his pulse. he found it beating, very slowly to be sure, but beating without doubt, while a deep bruise across the forehead suggested what had happened. a rapid inspection of his patient, in fact, convinced the surgeon that there was no serious damage. "badly stunned, i guess," he said. "i can't find that any bones are broken, and though i thought at first that his skull must be injured, everything points to my fears being groundless. put him in the ambulance, boys, and let's get him back to hospital." an hour later our hero was safely between the sheets, with a nurse superintending his comfort. by the time that phineas arrived on the scene he was conscious, though hardly fit for an interview; but on the following morning he was almost himself, and chafed under the nurse's restraint till the surgeon gave him permission to get up. "as if i was a baby," he growled. "i suppose i fell on my head, and that knocked me silly. but it's nothing; i haven't more than the smallest headache now." "just because you're lucky, young fellow," quizzed the surgeon. "let me say this: the tumble you had was enough to knock you silly, and i dare say that if you hadn't had something particular to do you would have gone off at once. but your grit made you hold on to your senses. that car, when it overturned, as near as possible smashed your head into the earth beneath it. you'll never be nearer a call while you're working here on the canal. low diet, sister, and see that he keeps quiet." jim glowered on the surgeon and made a grimace. "low diet indeed! why, he felt awful hungry." but no amount of entreaty could influence the nurse, and, indeed, it became apparent to even our hero himself that the course of procedure was correct. for that evening he was not so well, though a long, refreshing sleep put him to rights. "and now you can hear something about the commotion the whole thing's caused," said phineas, as he put jim into a chair in his parlour, and ordered him with severity to retain his seat. "orders are that you keep quiet, else back you go right off to the hospital. young man, there were forty-two souls aboard that passenger train, and i reckon you saved 'em. of course, there are plenty of wise heads that tell us that the driver, when he'd stopped his train, should have turned all the passengers out. quite so, sir; but then it takes time to do that. you might not have opened the points, and the spoil train would have been into them before the people could climb down out of the cars. so the general feeling is that everyone did his best, except the villain who cut that coupling half through. they've told you about it?" jim nodded slowly. "who could have done such a miserable and wicked thing?" he asked. "not one of the white employees." "it don't bear thinking about," said phineas sharply. "no one can even guess who was the rascal. leave the matter to the police; they're making quiet enquiries. but there's to be a testimonial, jim, a presentation one evening at the club, and a sing-song afterwards." "what? more!" jim groaned. "let them take this testimonial as presented. i'll come along to the sing-song." "and there's to be promotion for a certain young fellow we know," proceeded phineas, ignoring his remarks utterly. "one of the bosses of a section down by milaflores locks got his thumb jammed in a gear wheel a week back, and the chief has been looking round to replace him. you've been selected." jim's eyes enlarged and brightened at once. he was such a newcomer to the canal zone that promotion had seemed out of the question for a long time to come. he told himself many a time that he was content to work on as he was and wait like the rest for advancement. "the wages are really good," he had said to sadie, "and after i've paid everything there is quite a nice little sum over at the end of the week. i'm putting it by against a rainy day." and here was promotion! by now he had learned the scale of wages and salaries that were paid all along the canal. such matters were laid down definitely, and were decidedly on the liberal side. with a flush of joy he realized that, as chief of a section, he would be in receipt of just double the amount he had had when working the rock drill. "and of course there'll be compensation for the accident, just the same as in the case of any other employee," added phineas, trying to appear as if he had not noticed the tears of joy which had risen to jim's eyes. for who is there of his age, imbued with the same keenness, with greater responsibilities on his young shoulders than falls to the lot of the average lad, who would not have gulped a little and felt unmanned by such glorious news? consider the circumstances of our hero's life for some little time past. it had been a struggle against what had at times seemed like persistent bad fortune. first his father ruined, then the whole family compelled to leave their home and drift on the caribbean. the loss of his father and then of his brother had come like final blows which, as it were, drove the lessons of his misfortunes home to jim. and there was sadie, at once a comfort and an anxiety. jim alone stood between her and charity. "there'll be compensation for the accident," continued phineas, "and reward from the commissioners for saving that train of passenger cars. you've got to remember that it is cheaper any day to smash up a spoil train than it is to wreck one carrying people. one costs a heap more to erect than the other. so there you saved america a nice little sum. i needn't say that if the people aboard had been killed, compensation would have amounted to a big figure. so the commission has received powers from washington to pay over dollars. i rather think that'll make a nice little nest egg against the day you get married." phineas roared with laughter as he caught a glimpse of jim's face after those last words. indignation and contempt were written on the flushed features. then our hero joined in the merriment. "gee! if there ever was a lucky dog, it's me!" he cried. "just fancy getting a reward for such a job! as for the nest egg and marrying, i've better things to do with that money. i'll invest it, so that sadie shall have something if i'm unlucky enough next time not to escape under similar circumstances. bein' married can wait till this canal's finished. guess i've enough to do here. i'm going to stay right here till the works are opened and i've sailed in a ship from pacific to atlantic." phineas smiled, and, leaning across, gripped his young friend's hand and shook it hard. open admiration for the pluck which our hero had displayed, now on more than one occasion, was transparent in the eyes of this american official. but there was more. jim had caught that strange infection which seemed to have taken the place of the deadly yellow fever. it was like that pestilence, too, in this, that it was wonderfully catching, wonderfully quick to spread, and inflicted itself upon all and sundry, once they had settled down in the zone. but there the simile between this infection and that of the loathsome yellow fever ended. that keenness for the work, that determination to relax no energy, but to see what many thought a hopeless undertaking safely and surely accomplished, had, in the few months since he came to the canal zone, fastened itself upon jim, till there was none more eager all along the line between the pacific and the atlantic. "yes," he repeated, "i'll stay right here till the canal's opened. by then that nest egg ought to be of respectable proportions." a week later there was a vast gathering at the clubhouse, when one of the chief officials of the canal works presented jim with a fine gold watch and chain to the accompaniment of thunderous applause from the assembled employees. at the same time the reward sent or sanctioned by the government at washington was handed over to him. a merry concert followed, and then the meeting broke up. it was to be jim's last evening in the neighbourhood of gatun. "of course you'll have to live in one of the hotels at ancon," said phineas, when discussing the matter, "for it is too long a journey from there to this part to make every day. it would interfere with your work. you can come along weekends, and welcome. sadie'll stop right here; i won't hear of her leaving." the arrangement fell in with our hero's wishes, for there was no doubt but that his sister was in excellent hands. she had taken a liking to phineas's housekeeper, and was happy amongst her playmates at the commission school close at hand. jim left her, therefore, in the care of his friend, and was soon established in his quarters in a vast commission hotel at ancon, within easy distance of milaflores, the part where he was to be chief of a section of workers. he found that the latter were composed for the most part of italians, though there were a few other european nationalities, as well as some negroes. "you'll have plans given you and so get to know what the work is," said his immediate superior. "of course what we're doing here is getting out foundations for the two tiers of double locks. you'll have a couple of steam diggers to operate, besides a concrete mill; for we're putting tons of concrete into our foundations. a young chap like you don't want to drive. though it's as well to remember that foreigners same as these ain't got the same spirit that our men have. they don't care so much for the building of the canal as for the dollars they earn, but if you take them the right way you can get a power of work out of them." the advice given was, as jim found, excellent, and with his sunny nature and his own obvious preference for hard work, in place of idleness, he soon became popular with his section, and conducted it for some weeks to the satisfaction of those above him. nor did he find the work less interesting. the huge concrete mill was, in itself, enough to rivet attention, though there was a sameness about its movements which was apt to become monotonous when compared with the varied, lifelike motions of the steam diggers. rubble and cement were loaded into its enormous hopper by the gangs of workmen, and ever there was a mass of semi-fluid concrete issuing from the far side, ready mixed for the foundations of the locks which, when the hour arrives, will carry the biggest ships the world is capable of building. on saturday afternoon, when the whistles blew earlier than on weekdays, jim would return to his hotel, wash and change, and take the first available car down the tracks to gatun. a concert at the club was usually arranged for saturday night, while on sunday he went to the nearest church with phineas and sadie, and then returned in the evening to ancon. "strange that we should never be able to get any information about that runaway spoil train," said phineas, on one of the occasions when jim went over to gatun. "there's never been a word about it. the police have failed to fathom what is at this day still a mystery. but there's a rascal at work somewhere. there's been a severe fire down colon way, sleepers near pitched a passenger train from the rails opposite the dam there, while one night, when the works were deserted, someone took the brakes off a hundred-ton steam digger, and sent her running down the tracks. she smashed herself to pieces, besides wrecking a dozen cars." the news was serious, in fact, and pointed unmistakably to a criminal somewhere on the canal, someone with a grudge against the undertaking, or against the officials. it made jim think instantly of jaime de oteros, though why he could not imagine. but he was soon to know; little time was to pass before he was to come face to face with the miscreant. chapter xv jaime de oteros forms plans if ever there were a rascal it was jaime de oteros, the spaniard, who, if his past history were but fully known, had left his own native country, now many years ago, a fugitive from justice. armed with sufficient money to obtain an entrance into the united states of america, he had quickly re-embarked upon the course he had been following, and with the gang he had contrived to gather about him had committed many burglaries. then, the police being hot on his track, he had left the country, and had begun operations again in southern america. "that is our information about the man," said the police major, as he was discussing the matter with phineas and jim one saturday evening, when the latter was over at gatun for the usual weekend stay. "the rascal knew that the police in new york state were making anxious search for him, and with his usual astuteness--for the man is astute without a doubt, and is, indeed, well educated--he slipped away before the net closed round him. later we hear of him at various ports along the mexican gulf, and then in the canal zone. tom brings us news of great importance." the big negro stood before them, looking magnificent in his police uniform, and with an air of authority about him which was entirely new, and which caused jim to struggle hard to hide his mirth; for he knew tom so well. severity did not match well with the huge negro's jolly nature. "i'se seed dis scum ob a man," he declared to them all, rolling his eyes. "yo tink tom make one big mistake. not 'tall; noding of de sort. me sartin sure. him come out ob a house in colon. same man, but different. no beard, face clean shaved; but scowl all de same. tom know de blackguard when he see um." "but," said phineas, "if you knew him why did you not arrest him? there is a warrant out for his apprehension." "and me try; but dat spaniard dog quick, quicker'n tom. him slip back into de house and clear out ob de back door. not dere two second later," declared the negro. "and not dere agin when me and sam go some hours after. not come all de time dat we hide up and watch. him vanish into thin air." it was a pretty figure of speech for the negro, and brought a huge smile to his jolly countenance. "vanish right slick away into de mist," he added, as if to give more weight to his words. "and has not been seen by anyone else, before or since," said the major, his face become very serious. "but i believe tom is right. who else could be the author of these many affairs along the line of canal works?" he looked closely at phineas, and from him turned to jim and then to tom. there was indecision on all the faces, though in the hearts of each one there was not the smallest doubt that jaime de oteros was the instigator, even if he did not actually carry out the work. the matter was serious, very serious, without a doubt. "it isn't as if there were one isolated case," said the major. "there have been many, and though so far the running away of spoil trains, the upsetting of wagons, and so forth has not resulted in the killing of our employees, it will do so, perhaps, next time, if we do not take steps to put an end to such matters. the difficulty is to know where to begin. we have men engaged in watching every mile of the track, but they do not all know this ruffian, though we have circulated his photograph; besides, he has altered his appearance. he is the most elusive criminal i have ever had dealings with, and at the same time one of the boldest. but a feeling of revenge cannot alone cause him to stay on here in the canal zone, and risk arrest." if only the major could have known it, there was a good deal more than the desire to pay off an old score to keep jaime de oteros in that locality. the spaniard had now put in at many a port along that part of the world, and had discovered that the canal zone offered finer opportunities to a man such as he was than any other place. "just because there's always money in plenty there," he told the four companions he now had, for he had gathered two recruits to take the place of those who had been lost on the launch. "it is like this, mates. here, on the canal, nearly every soul is at work during the hours of daylight, and though the police have little to do, and therefore plenty of time to watch for people such as us, yet the fact that there is so little crime in the zone puts them off their guard. i'm tired of playing off that score. reckon i'm near even with the lot of them; but there's still a little to do. there's that young fellow who ran the engine aboard the launch, and who was the first to come upon our gang and split it up. he's got to suffer." he looked round at the ruffians assembled about him, and read approval in their eyes. "a grudge is a grudge," said one of them fiercely, dropping his hand to the weapon he carried in his belt. "where i came from an injury done was never paid for till a knife thrust had been given. this young fellow must suffer. how? what is the plan?" jaime shrugged his shoulders expressively, and shook his head. "that's for the future," he said quickly. "i'm thinking it out. i've an idea, a fine idea." into his eyes there came a savage flash which boded ill for our hero, while the brows contracted and the lips slipped back from his sharp teeth. at that moment jaime de oteros, in place of the polished, smooth-spoken man he could pretend so well to be, was actually himself, a villain who knew not the name of conscience, who would stop at nothing, whose savage disposition was capable of carrying out any atrocity. then he smiled suddenly at his comrades, a crafty smile which was meant to convey a great deal. "let it rest for the moment, this idea of mine," he said. "what we've got to talk about is this cash. there's money due within a day or two, money for the payment of the hands engaged on the canal. well, we've made one haul already; we can make another, and then clear for good. this zone will be too hot to hold us once the work's finished. now, let me hear the report. a good general never enters upon an engagement before he has made full arrangements to get clear off in case of things going wrong. well, things will go wrong here--not for us, but for the officials. they'll be real mad, and will do all they know to follow. let me hear what has happened." there was a snivel of delight on the face of the rascal who had formerly spoken, and who now responded to his chief's invitation. "i was to see what sort of a boat there was ready to put out from colon," he said. "i found one that was rather likely. the old pirate she belongs to has been here all his life, and what he don't know of the surroundings ain't worth knowing. he's ready to clear from the harbour, with two of his sons and two others he'll hire, the instant we want him to do so. reckon it'll be nigh about sundown when the time for moving comes." jaime nodded curtly. "about that," he agreed, "well?" "this old pirate likes fishing. he'll watch for a fire signal way up over gatun, and then he'll clear right off with his boat. of course he'll do it secretly, but not too secretly. people'll be allowed to catch a glimpse of men getting aboard, and of the boat putting out. she'll disappear." "ah!" jaime rubbed his hands together, and then began to roll a cigarette with the nimblest of fingers. a smile broke out over his face, and for the moment the man looked almost handsome. "she'll disappear," he giggled. "yes, where? i begin to follow the move." "where? that's for the police to decide. ef they was to ask me at the time i couldn't place a guess. but that old pirate knows a cove, quite handy to colon, where, once a man's lowered his topsail, he can lay hid with his boat from all save those who care to come right into the cove. our man says he'll do a bit of fishing. he'll pass his time with that and sleeping, while the police steam right on, searching for the boat that left colon so secretly. ef they ain't bamboozled, wall, call me a dutchman." there was a roar of merriment from the five ruffians. they lay back in their chairs, and closed their eyes, as if thereby to help themselves to imagine the spectacle of the commission police racing across the sea on a wild-goose chase. indeed it was one of the enjoyments of their particular thieving profession to set the police at naught, and make them look foolish by their own astuteness. and here was an astute plan. "it licks creation," laughed jaime, bringing a fist down with a crash on to the table, and exposing a hand burned brown by the sun, and on the fingers of which more than one ring glittered. "this old man of yours will fool them nicely for us, and while the police are away on the sea, we shall cut off in a different direction. that brings us to the second report. you see i have to be very careful. time was when i saw to all these matters myself; but hereabouts i'm known, and badly wanted. in spite of shaving off my beard i might easily be recognized, as by that nigger. gee! ef he comes up agin me again i'll give him reasons to mind his manners. now, what about the horses?" he turned to another of his comrades, to the second of the two new recruits he had gathered to his band, and looked inquisitively at him. the man was ready with his answer, and blurted it out eagerly, like a schoolboy who longs to make his own voice heard before all others. "horses," said the fellow, a dusky south american, whose swarthy features were deeply lined and pitted. "trust me to pick the right sort when they're wanted. you told me to seek mounts strong enough to carry us across a rough country, and fix a rate to be paid for 'em. i went a little better. there ain't many cattle in this place, so that one hasn't to look far. but along over there," and he jerked his head over his left shoulder, "there's a biggish farm, where there's a dozen mounts. we'll want six, i guess, five for ourselves, and one for the dollars." "seven," corrected jaime suddenly. "seven, my comrade." all looked at him curiously. their chief was not wont to make mistakes, but here it looked as if he were miscalculating. however, jaime smiled serenely back at them. "seven horses without doubt," he said quietly, blowing a cloud of smoke from his lips, and cutting it asunder with a wave of his ringed fingers. "precisely that number." "i don't follow; six is the figure i put it at," came the answer. "unless----" and at the thought the rascal's face lit up with glee, "unless you reckon the dollars'll be too many for one bag." but the leader of the band shook his head, and smiled ambiguously. "seven horses will be required," he said slowly. "tell us more of the business. you arranged the payment?" "i fixed the business in a different manner. i scouted round a little, and soon found that, at nighttime, there were but one man and a woman about the place. the stables are well away from the house, and easy to get at. i fixed that there wouldn't be any payment." there was a cunning expression about his face as he looked round at his comrades, while the lines about his eyes were sunken deeper. jaime rewarded him with a loud "bravo!" "you begin well with us, comrade," he said eagerly. "the report is a good one. but one little matter occurs to me: this farm is near the works, eh? it is connected by telephone?" the other rascal at once relieved him of the doubt. "it lies packed away in a hollow, just on the edge of the zone," he said. "the folks ain't never seen a telephone." "then that matter is agreed upon. we can now begin to decide what each one of us is to do. i'll tell you right now what i had intended. to call away attention from the place where the money's banked we decided to cause an upset pretty adjacent. well, now, the culebra cutting seemed to be the most likely spot of all. i've been thinking and planning. a ruction there could be heard way up and down the line, and would set people running. the point was, how to cause that ruction." there was more than passing interest on the faces of his followers. in their opinion this leader of theirs was a fine fellow, a cunning man, one whom it was an honour to follow. they awaited the details of his plan with eagerness, not to say anxiety. "and how did you fix it?" asked one of the men, proceeding to light his cigarette by means of the candle burning before him. "another train let loose? a shot under the wheels of a passenger coach? a dozen diggers sent scuttling?" there was a snigger on his face, quickly copied by the others. jaime showed his pleasure by smiling broadly. after all, it was one of his pleasures in life to have the praise and high opinion of his following. he pulled at his cigarette thoughtfully, and then proceeded with his plan. "we've played too many of those games already," he said, with a short laugh. "the officials of the canal are always on the lookout. but the plan i fastened on to would have taken their breath away, if it didn't manage to deprive some of them of the same for good and always. i'd been watching those rock drills, and the powder men laying their shots. it seemed to me that once the shots were wired, and connected to the firing cables, a man had only to get to the firing-point and operate the igniter. i got asking questions. i've done a bit on electricity works before now, and i soon saw that the thing was possible. with a little luck i could fire their shots for them." the faces about him showed doubt and a lack of comprehension, for jaime was far more intelligent than any of the other members of his rascally band. "what was the object of firing those shots?" they asked themselves. but their leader soon explained the matter. "it is like this," he said suavely, as if describing an everyday matter: "the shots are laid ready for firing, and when the works are cleared the man who operates the igniter gets to work and explodes them, one by one or in batches, according to the wiring. well, now, if the place is cleared of workers, there's no damage done, though rocks and dirt fly out in all directions. but if there was an accident--if, for instance, i happened to meddle with the igniter before the works were cleared--there'd be a tremendous ruction, and that's what we're wanting." the diabolical nature of his suggestion dawned only slowly upon the minds of his following; but when it did so, when they fully comprehended his meaning, their faces flushed with enthusiasm. each of the five had worked on the canal, and had seen those dynamite shots fired. tons of earth and rock spouted in all directions. that they had witnessed. to remain in the neighbourhood meant certain death for many, injury for not a few, and a commotion which the officials and workers had so far never experienced. there was joy on their faces. they banged the table with their fists, and stretched across to grasp the rascally palm of their leader; but jaime silenced them with uplifted hand. "it sounded right, i grant," he said between the puffs of smoke; "but there was a fly in the ointment. the igniter is kept under lock and key. the place is guarded. these canny americans know that those shots mean danger, and they don't run risks. if i tried the game, the chances are i should be disturbed or taken in the act of trying. so i wiped it out; i started in to think out another plan, something noisy, something that would draw all officials to the spot, away from the place where the money is lying. and at last i fixed it. one of you men will change places with a hand at pedro miguel, where they're building in their foundations for one of the big locks at the end of the culebra cutting. you'll work with the rest till the whistles go at sundown, and then, when the coast is clear, you'll sneak back to the workings. i'll give you the rest of the plan later on; but you'll be the one to create a most almighty ruction, you'll be the one to draw off every official, and while they're busy we others'll get to work at the money. it'll be eight o'clock before we can meet at this farm, and an hour later will take us into the bush. next morning we'll be right away in the swamps, with friends about us, while the police will be following the old fellow, who will put to sea the previous evening." they sat in silence for a while, jaime regarding each one of his band in turn, scrutinizing their faces closely, as if seeking for something in particular. then he fastened upon one of them, and stretched across to grip his hand. "juan is a brave man," he said impressively; "he will take the post of which i have spoken. to him falls the honour of creating such a trouble that those who go for the dollars may be able to take them easily. it is a post worth the having." the rascal greedily accepted it he was one of jaime's old hands, and had complete confidence in his chief. moreover, he had now helped him in so many risky operations that fear did not enter into his calculations. why should it, indeed, seeing that all others would be in ignorance? the plot was being hatched in secrecy. none would know that anything was to happen until the moment arrived. the hard-working officials of the canal would be unable to recover from their astonishment before he and his friends were gone. juan drank deeply from the cup before him, and replenished the vessel from a stone jar standing on the table. "it is settled; whatever the plan, it is accomplished," he said with the greatest assurance. "then we have merely to arrange the parts for the others. miguel sees to the horses. our friend alfonso, who made the arrangement with the boatman, will be with miguel, and will light a flare above gatun at seven in the evening, or sooner if he discovers that there is a commotion. the two will then go to the farm, take the horses, and ride towards ancon. there is a spot at the bottom of a rocky hill, where the road sweeps sharply round into the valley. my friends, we have all been there before. it is there that we will meet when the work is finished. pedro and myself will take the money, then pedro will carry it to the horses. but i ought to have said that alfonso and miguel will not ride towards ancon with all the horses. they will leave three at the back of gatun, at a spot we can arrange upon. there pedro will take the money and load it on one of the horses. he will wait for me; i shall come, and then we will ride to the place of meeting." there were inquisitive glances thrown at the man by his comrades. the question of the seventh horse again occurred to them. jaime smiled when he remarked their curiosity, and busily employed himself in rolling a cigarette. it pleased him to watch his comrades as they endeavoured to fathom his purpose. "you ride to join pedro after a while then?" queried the rascal juan. "what keeps you? ah, i see it! a private grudge--that young fellow." jaime nodded easily, and smiled openly upon them all. "i have still some work to accomplish," he said slowly. "you would not ask me to leave this place allowing something to remain unfinished? think for a moment. we were comfortable and content here till that young dog pried into our secrets. and what resulted? three of us were arrested, and should have been hanged perhaps by now had we not broken out of prison. two of our comrades were followed, and, though they were not killed, we have had news that they were badly wounded. in addition, our game here was spoiled for the time being. the officials locked their money up tighter than ever, so that we had to move elsewhere in order to earn a living. but that is all changed now; we are getting even with the fellows. already we have caused them much trouble, and now we will skin them of every dollar, damage their works, and give this young dog such a lesson that he will never interfere again. good! it is fine to feel that the day of reckoning has come at last. juan, pass the bottle. with plans like these to act upon a man requires a fillip." far into the night they sat discussing their rascally movements, and the following day found all but jaime abroad and active. that very afternoon, in fact, alfonso brought them information that a ship had come into colon bearing specie for the officials, money with which to pay america's army of workmen. "i watched it unloaded," said the rascal, glee on his face. "there were boxes of silver and a huge mass of notes; for of course wages are paid in paper. all the better for us, my friends. paper is easy to carry, and is still valuable. they can publish the numbers of the stolen notes as much as they like, but still we can get value for them." "and the destination of these boxes?" asked jaime anxiously. alfonso told him with pride. he had followed the consignment, and had seen it deposited at the door of one of the official offices. he had seen it carried in, and drew a plan of the building. "then to-night," said jaime, pulling at the inevitable cigarette. "juan has already gone across to pedro miguel. and you--you have made full arrangements with the boatman?" "full and complete; there will be no hitch to-night," cried alfonso, banging the table. a stranger happening to take rail at colon on this day would have been utterly astounded had he been informed that there was to be a commotion that very evening. for the trip along the whole length of the panama railway would have shown him armies of men and officials engaged methodically with their work. the busy scene of smoking steam diggers, of rock drills, and hustling spoil trains would have resolved itself finally, when his eye was at last accustomed to the vastness of it all, into a scene of order and method, into a gigantic undertaking which occupied the wits and strength of all whom he saw. he would at last have appreciated the fact that those vast works at gatun, and between it and limon bay, had a direct connection with that enormous cutting which occupied the time of such an army of delvers at culebra, though twenty odd miles separated the two, and that throughout the length of the panama zone, stretching from north to south of the isthmus, the work undertaken by any one man had some special relation to that appointed to another. moreover, that, in spite of distances, in spite of the fact that the undertaking seemed to be progressing piecemeal at widely separated intervals, yet each and every part was a portion of the whole, a necessary portion, where the work in hand was conducted with a hustle and method truly american, and with a swing which augured for success. but of commotion there was not a sign. that traveller could not possibly have guessed that the evening had a disaster in store for the people who worked beneath his eye. it was precisely half-past five on this special evening when a terrible explosion shook every one of the wooden buildings at ancon, and caused the verandas at gorgona to shake as if they would tumble. a vast flame seemed to leap into the air, there came a thunderous report, that went echoing down the chagres valley, and then dust and debris obscured the sky in the direction of pedro miguel. the serene face of this portion of the zone, lit a second or so before by a wonderful moon, was obscured as if by the work of a volcano. instantly men poured out from the commission hotels, and stood in the street of ancon and the nearest settlement, asking what had happened. "guess it's the dynamite store gone off suddenly," cried one, his hands deep in his pockets, a pipe in his mouth. "hope none of the boys ain't hurt, nor the works neither. it's been a bad blow-up anyway." it was an hour later before details filtered through, then, all along the line, it was learned that an attempt had been made to wreck the foundation of the lock at pedro miguel. "another of them anarchistic attempts," growled one of the men. "guess this is too almighty queer fer anything. here's spoil trains been sent runnin' down from the cut, and the same with diggers. sleepers and suchlike laid on the rails in order to throw passenger trains off the metals, fires, and what not. this is the limit." "it's one of the most serious difficulties we have had to face, boys," said one of the canal officials, coming upon the group of men at that moment. "i've just come along from the dock at pedro miguel, and there isn't a doubt that some rascal endeavoured to blow the whole place to pieces. it's jim partington's section, and he'd left everything safe and sound. there wasn't a rock drill working there, and hasn't been this three weeks past. consequently there weren't any dynamite shots; but a man was seen creeping down that way soon after sundown. guess he'd fixed to place his bomb right in the trench where the foundations are being laid; but something went wrong with it. he was blown to pieces; there were only scraps of him to be found." there was a grunt of satisfaction at the news; the men felt that such a fate was only just retribution. "but what damage has been done, boss?" asked one of the men anxiously, as if the success of the canal depended on the answer. "none; in fact the explosion seems to have helped us. young jim partington tells me he was making a requisition for a rock drill this coming week, as there was a heap of stuff to break down before the diggers could get at it. well, he's saved the trouble. that explosion brought tons of stuff away, and now there's hardly need for a rock drill. of course you've got to remember that it's dark 'way over there, and a man can't fix exactly what may have happened. but we made a quick, and, i believe, thorough survey of the place, and i should say that i've told you everything. this blessed cur who has been worrying us these weeks past has come by his deserts at last." there was, in fact, not the smallest doubt that the rascally plot of jaime and his followers had failed at the very beginning. juan, who had accepted the post of honour, had disappeared from the scene swiftly and terribly. he had been hoist by his own petard, and, as the official had stated, there was little left to show that he had actually existed. but still there was jaime to reckon with, jaime de oteros and his fellows, and the reader need feel little surprise when he hears that, later on in the evening, there was another disturbance. it was discovered that the pay offices had been burgled, and that a vast sum of money had been removed. then came an urgent telephone message to ancon. the instrument at the club rang loudly and continuously, causing one of the men to go to it instantly. jim, who had just returned from an inspection of his section, where the explosion had taken place, sat at a table near at hand, and, though there was no reason why the telephone should be calling him more than any other, he watched his comrade and listened. "what's that? say, who are you?" he heard the man demand. then he suddenly looked over his shoulder, and if ever a man bore a startled expression it was this one. "say, jim, there," he called out, "they're ringing you from gatun. it's phineas barton; there's trouble down there as well." jim was beside him in a moment, the receiver to his ear; and at once he recognized phineas's voice, but strangely altered. "yes?" he asked as coolly as he could, though something set his heart thumping. "it's jim at this end." "then come right along without waitin'. we've trouble down this end. bring a shooter; i'll tell you about it when you arrive. the police major is here waiting." it was serious news, whatever it was, for phineas's voice proved it. jim crammed his hat on to his head, raced back to his quarters and snatched a mackintosh, a revolver, and a spare shirt, and then ran down to the railway. he found a motor inspection car awaiting him, with a couple of policemen in it, one of whom was tomkins. "you kin get along with it," said the latter curtly, addressing the driver. "and we ain't nervous, so let her go as fast as you're able. jim, there's a regular upset from end to end of the zone, and i'm beginning to get through with it. that explosion was a blind, meant to occupy our attention while those rascals, for there's more than one of 'em, robbed the pay office. but that ain't all. they were up to some other sort of mischief down gatun way, and the major 'phoned through to us to come along that second. we were to bring you, too; so it seems that you've something to do with the business." let the reader imagine how jim fretted upon that quick journey. he wondered why he should have been called, and how the matter could specially interest him. a thousand ideas flashed through his busy mind, and were banished as unsatisfactory. it was not until the motor raced into gatun, and he caught a glimpse of phineas's face, that he realized that the matter must be particularly serious. his friend took him by the hand and held it. "jim," he said, and his voice broke ever so little, "those scoundrels deserve hanging. we were right in thinking that jaime de oteros had to do with the business, and i guess he'd made up his mind to get even with you for finding the gang and getting it broken. he settled to blow up your section, then he broke into the pay office, and last of all, to pay you out properly, the ruffian slank down to my quarters. sadie was indoors, of course----" jim staggered backwards. he had never even thought of sadie in connection with this disaster. the fear that she had been injured, perhaps killed, caused his cheek to pale even beneath the deep tan with which it was covered. "get on," he said a moment later, pulling himself together with an effort. "sadie was indoors. yes. that villain----" "that villain had fixed to abduct her. we were all outside, watchin' for another explosion. this jaime, or one of his men, slipped in at the back, seized the girl, and got clear off with her. lad, it's a real bad business." jim held to the rails of the station. his head swam; he felt giddy, while the beating of his heart was almost painful. he was utterly unmanned for the moment. he, jim partington, who had faced so many dangers smiling, was utterly prostrated by the news imparted to him. then, like the brave fellow he was, he threw off the feeling of weakness with a sharp shrug of his shoulders, and in a moment became his old self, cool and self-possessed, as he asked shrewd questions shortly and sharply. "you will follow, of course?" he asked the major. "you can guess so. this time nothing shall turn me back." "then i can come?" "glad indeed to have you, my boy. we'll move the instant we get information. i've men making enquiries down at the port, while your negro, sam, has gone off with a lantern. better start on the right track than start early. let's get in and have some supper." it was one of the most anxious meals jim had ever attended. he was eager to set out in search of his sister, but realized all the time that a wrong start might be productive of great delay and failure. "but sam will hit their marks if anyone can," he told himself. "then i'll follow wherever the tracks lead. sadie shall not stay in that man's hands an instant longer than i can help it. and if i catch that jaime and his fellows----!" his fingers came together; his two hands were clenched beneath the table. at that precise moment good-natured jim felt that he was capable of anything. chapter xvi the major forms his parties never before, perhaps, had the telephone system in the panama canal zone been so busily employed as on the night of sadie's abduction. the bell of the instrument in phineas's quarters seemed to ring without cessation, while the police major had his ear glued to the receiver by the ten minutes together. "a crafty set of dogs," he declared, after one of these long conversations with his office at colon. "they laid their plans most elaborately, and made every preparation to throw dust in our eyes. that explosion way over at pedro miguel wasn't the only little bit of by-play. it seems that they engaged a boatman to steal away from colon this evening, and give us the impression that they were aboard; but that huge negro tom put a spoke in their wheel. he happened to be in colon, and reported to the office at once that he had seen a fire signal up by gatun, way behind this house." "and guessed it was meant for someone down by the sea?" asked phineas, rising from his seat at the receipt of such important information. "major, this jim and his servants have done good service to our people here. i'm glad that tom has shown himself such an excellent constable." "he's one of the exceptions one finds amongst big men," declared the major. "he's sharp, as sharp as a needle, for all his smiles and easy-going manner. he spotted this flare way back behind us, and looked well about him. he reported, a matter of two hours ago, that a boat had put off with some four men in her. two of the crew at least he knew to be loafers about the streets of colon, and one was the owner, a man of bad repute. still, the fourth might have been one of the rascals we are after. so i sent out a steam launch, and her report has just reached me." "well?" demanded phineas shortly, while jim leaned forward anxiously. "it wasn't one of the rascals; it was a blind, as you've intimated." the police major nodded promptly. "number two of the schemes of those rascals has failed. my people have just returned, and the sergeant has 'phoned me the news. he overhauled this boat and went aboard her. the fourth individual was another well-known character from colon, while the owner of the craft, thinking perhaps that he would get into trouble, and hoping to set matters right for himself, admitted that he had arranged to slip off when a fire signal was lighted. the sergeant left him out there to go where he liked, and steamed back as fast as his engine would carry him. this time the pursuit will hardly be by way of the atlantic." "but perhaps by way of panama, on to the pacific," suggested phineas. "or into the bush; that's where i imagine they may have gone," said jim. "it seems to me that we have every reason to suspect that that is the course they will have followed." his two companions in the room looked steadily at him. before now they had known our hero to give common-sense solutions when there was a difficulty, and all through, since the moment when they had first known him, he had proved himself to be possessed of a level head, of that sharpness and shrewdness for which the american is notorious. it was therefore with a feeling of interest that they waited for him to speak. "every reason to think they've gone into the bush," repeated the major. "i own that i have thought of the matter; but then, we all know the bush. it isn't everyone who would willingly make a journey through it; for fever frightens them, and besides, once you get a little distance from the zone, there are natives. there aren't many men who can tell us much about the latter. of course it's part of my business to have found out something; and i have ascertained that while some are friendly enough, there are others who could not be trusted. they would kill a white man for the clothes he stood up in. then why do you consider that they have gone by way of the bush?" jim stood up and walked the room backwards and forwards. nerves were not things that he had much acquaintance with, but the reader can well excuse him if on this occasion he was fidgety. in fact, it was as much as he could do to keep quiet. he longed to rush off and make some sort of effort. it was only his solid good sense that restrained him, the good sense that showed him clearly how a false start, pursuit along a wrong line, might throw the game entirely into the hands of the miscreants who had abducted sadie. it was for her sake that he stayed in the room, fidgeting at the delay, but waiting, waiting for some definite information to show him where the tracks of the fugitives led. and in his own mind he had traced those tracks. "it seems clear to me, though of course i may be entirely wrong," he said as he paced the room. "but those fellows have been proved to have had dealing with the natives. the last time we chatted about the matter you, major, told us that you had certain information that they had been selling guns, powder, and spirit to the natives along the coast. then see how those fellows we chased across the lagoon made friends with the inhabitants of that part. it's perfectly plain that they had been trading over there. that being the case, and perhaps because the police have been careful to watch the various launches down at port limon, these men decided not to fly by way of the ocean. they thought that the bush offered better chances; but their destination is the same. they are making for those parts where we did our fighting, and once they have joined that tribe they imagine they will be safe." the argument seemed to be clear enough, and for a while the major stood by the telephone thinking deeply. and the more jim's suggestions filtered through his mind, the more sure did he feel that there was something substantial about them. at length he almost took it for granted that the course outlined by our hero was actually the one which the miscreants were following. then the question arose: how could the police best deal with the matter? "see here, jim," he said, after a while. "i believe you've just hit the right nail on the head. let us suppose that these men have gone by the way of the bush, with the idea of joining hands with that tribe. what course do you advise for those who follow?" jim gave his answer promptly. in fact, as the others admitted, there could be little doubt as to the procedure to be adopted; but all depended on one particular. "how many men will you employ?" asked jim. "as many as are wanted. a dozen of my own men for certain, and i can get a draft from the force of marines who are garrisoning the canal." "then i say that we ought to go in two parties. i with others will take horses and push on through the bush, where sam will be able to lead us; the second party should make round by sea, cross the lagoon, and join hands with us there. we shall, in that way, be able to take them between us, and if one party is attacked first of all, it has the knowledge that the other will come to support it." the major at once went to the telephone, and rang up his office. the plan suggested seemed to him to be one of such common sense that it needed little argument to convince him. therefore, within ten minutes, the officials down at colon were making preparations. "meanwhile, those who are to follow by way of the bush had better be making preparations," said phineas, who was nothing if not practical. "what have you to say, major?" "just this, that i shall support you in every way. i shall command the party which goes by sea, and jim here had better take the other. tom and sam can go with him, as well as tomkins and four or five other constables. you see, we can't send many round that way, for horses are scarce hereabouts. theirs must be in every sense a cutting-out expedition. i take it that jim made his suggestion with that in view. what he wants to do is to rescue his sister. after that he will assist us if possible, once he has made sure the girl is in safety." "then let us set to work with food and other things," cried phineas. "look here, jim, i can see that you're just fidgeting. come along with me; it'll settle you a little to have something to do." they went off to the kitchen promptly, and with ching to help them quickly filled a sack with eatables. meanwhile the major again had recourse to the telephone, had detailed the four men who were to accompany jim, and had asked for rations, arms, and ammunition. "not forgetting quinine," he told jim and phineas when they returned. "if you'll take my advice you'll make every man of the expedition, white or black, swallow two grains daily, just as a precaution. you can't be too careful, especially if it happens to rain, as is probable." it was wonderful how quickly all their preparations were completed; so much so that when, an hour later, the diminutive sam returned, jim and his whole party were collected at phineas's quarters. the four policemen had come up with ten horses all ready saddled and bridled. "and we're lucky to have them," declared the major. "i'm giving you ten mounts, so that, although there will be only nine of you, you will have a beast to carry blankets and ammunition. the men will carry their own rations, which will last for almost a week. by then you will have to fend for yourselves if you do not happen to reach us; but you should manage that. the spot where our action took place is barely forty miles distant. of course, when you rescue the girl, you will put her on the spare horse. now let us interview sam." the little fellow was ushered into the room, still carrying his lantern. sam's face was sternly set, while his whole expression showed eagerness and determination. indeed the little negro would have done anything for sadie and for our hero. he put the lantern down on the floor and pulled off the sack which covered his shoulders. "got um!" he cried jubilantly. "dem fellers tink dey fool de lot ob us nicely; but sam tink otherwise. he get on de track ob one ob de men at once, just as once before. any fool able to follow; sam manage him blindfold. him take sadie way along at the back of gatun, den him come to a spot where horses waitin'. dere are three. sam count 'em. dey ride along towards ancon, and me run all de way, followin'. dere dey meet two oders, and strike right off for de bush. i come back runnin'; time we was after dem scum." they gave the little fellow meat and drink instantly, for he was exhausted after his efforts. then the whole party mounted, phineas riding beside jim, and just as the light was breaking they cantered over the edge of the canal zone and plunged into the bush. "sam'll go ahead," said jim promptly, reining back his mount. "tomkins and i will ride next; then, some twenty yards behind us, tom and ching, with two of the constables. phineas, you take the rear with the last of the police, and ride within twenty yards of the main party. by dividing up like that we stand a better chance in case they try to surprise us. now, sam, we want to get ahead as fast as possible. the moon went down early last night, and though it will have helped those rascals at the beginning, they will have been forced to camp after a time. if, as i imagine, they believe that we are not likely to follow through the bush, in fact that they have covered their trail, and sent us off after that boat, they are not likely to push along very fast. that will be our opportunity; by making the pace we may come up with them." sam was like a dog as he followed. there was not the smallest doubt that the little fellow was gifted with the most wonderful power of observation, and with it that of deduction. for now that the sun was up, and the light strong, he led the party at a trot, never even requiring to climb out of his saddle. dressed in tattered garments, which were still drenched with the rain that had fallen upon him during the previous night, the diminutive negro looked wonderfully woebegone; but that was from behind. one must not always judge by the condition of a man's garments; for seen from the front the little fellow was evidently very much alive. that same intent expression was on his face, while his piercing eyes were glued to the track. it was half an hour later when he threw up his hand and slid from his saddle. "camp here, dem scum," he announced as jim rode up. "four ob de rascal, and missie. yo not tink so? den see here; dem's her footmarks." the most unbelieving person would have been convinced, for the ground bore undoubted witness to what had happened. it was thickly marked by horses, while near at hand the animals had been tied to the branch of a tree hanging close to the earth. a little camp had been formed within a few yards, and in and amongst the bootmarks of jaime de oteros and his fellows were the smaller shoe impressions of sadie. jim glowered upon them; his lips came firmly together, and with the impetuosity of youth, which brooks no restraint, he set his party in motion again. but when another two hours had passed sam declared that the fugitives were still far ahead. "yo watch de hollows de horses make," he said to jim, inviting him to join him on the ground. "it rain hard for ten minutes two hours ago, yo remember." our hero had not failed to recollect the fact. it was one of those little cloudbursts so often experienced in the neighbourhood. a sharp, heavy shower had fallen, and then the clouds had cleared away as if by magic, leaving a fine sky, with the sun floating in it. "but how can you say from that shower that they are still far ahead?" he asked the little negro. sam screwed up his eyes before he answered, and then bent over one of the hoof impressions. "dere's water here, in de hole," he said. "suppose no hole, den no water. run 'way along de ground. ebery one of dese marks here when dat shower come, and de water fill um. yo not tink dat? den look here; dis horse go close under a tree, where de sun not manage to reach. what now do you tink?" jim was wonderfully troubled. he had often read and heard of the ways of trackers, and had imagined the art not so difficult; but here was a poser. jim showed him the hoofmarks of one of the beasts ridden by the fugitives, pointing out that they lay beneath the shadow of a tree, and asked him wherein lay evidence that the fugitives were far ahead. it was a conundrum; he shook his head impatiently. "read it for me, sam," he said, "and quick about it. how far behind them do you reckon we are?" "tree, four hour p'raps. i tell like dis; dese marks here two hour ago, when de rain fall. dat sartin'; but yo look at de water in de holes. where de sun able to reach it it almost gone, sucked up into de sky. dat take little time, longer dan two hour. under de tree de holes full to de top, 'cos dey dere like de oders when de rain fall, and de sun not able to reach 'em. dose men travelling quick." "then so will we. forward," commanded jim. "better go slow and sure than fast and knock up the horses," cautioned phineas, riding up beside him. "jim, if you'll take my advice, you'll set a steady pace, and keep going at it for the hour together; then give the animals a rest for ten minutes. in the end we'll cover the ground quicker than those rascals, supposing them to be riding on direct without halting." it was undoubtedly good advice, and our hero took it. he found it hard to curb his impatience, for he was eager to rescue sadie from such wretches. but he was sensible enough to recognize good advice when it was given, and promptly issued his orders. "see here, tomkins," he called out. "you come along with the main party. i'll go ahead with sam, and one of your men can take your place. then, in case there's need to change our plans, i shall be right at the head and able to stop the party." they pushed on after that at a steady pace, covering ground which for the most part was only thinly studded with bush, and stretched out flat and level before them; but some five miles ahead a range of hills and broken ground cropped up before them, hiding the country beyond. "perhaps we shall be able to catch a sight of those rascals from the top," thought jim, as he rode along in a brown study. "in any case there's much to be thankful for. that rainstorm has softened the ground and made it easy to follow; a little more this afternoon, or when the night falls, would give us a fine line for to-morrow." some two hours later they emerged at the top of the hilly ground, still on the tracks of the fugitives, and at a sign from sam dropped from their horses. "stop here," he said at once, raising a warning hand. "not show up above de skyline, else p'raps dem scum see us. yo wait little while for me to squint all round; but not t'ink i be able to see um. de bush down dere very dense." it was precisely as he had said, for as jim laid himself flat in a tangled mass of brier on the summit of the ridge, and wormed his way forward till he was able to obtain a clear view beyond, he saw that the country down below was green with jungle. a vast sea of waving treetops lay below him, broken only here and there where rocky ground effectively opposed the irresistible march of creepers and verdure. the sight was, in fact, most beautiful, for the leaves shimmered and displayed a thousand different shades of green beneath the sun's rays, while, far off to the left, there came the gleam and scintillation of light falling on water. "de lagoon," declared sam without hesitation, tossing a finger to the front. "not able to see de entrance, ob course, 'cos it too far away, and trees hide um; and not able to see where de riber lie for de same reason. but dat de lagoon. sam stake him hat on it." "and those men we are after?" asked jim, his eyes searching every foot of the huge green vista. "dey down dar somewhere. not see um wid all dose trees; but dere fo' sure. to-morrow we come up with them." our hero lay for a while gazing all round and thinking deeply. the sight of the lagoon shimmering and flashing beneath the sun had reminded him of those natives with whom the two rascals they had formerly followed had struck up an acquaintance. jim remembered that it was more than a simple acquaintance, for it had since been proved that jaime de oteros and his gang of evildoers had for long carried on an illicit trade in guns and spirit with the tribe in that neighbourhood. obviously they were making in that direction to join hands with them, and, once there, how was sadie to be recovered? "it will be harder than i imagined," he told himself despondently. "once these men reach the natives with their prisoner, nothing but a battle royal and the defeat of the tribe can save her. if only i were near enough to come upon them before they could reach their friends." again he lay silent and thinking, till sam looked at his young master wondering. "not good lie here and stare," he said. "dat not de way to save de missie. s'pose we make right way down de hill and get into the jungle. dey down dere, i say. to-morrow dey come up wid the black men we fight wid way ober by de lagoon." "and once there sadie is almost lost to us," cried jim, a tone of bitterness in his voice. "see here, sam, i'm going to make a big effort. tell me, can those fellows travel once the night falls? can they push on towards those natives?" "dat not easy," came the answer. "sam not tink dey try to do so. for why? i tell yo. what fo' need hurry when dey tink no one follow? back away near de canal dey ride fast, 'cos p'rhaps someone discober where dey gone, and follow quick; but dey seen no one to-day. dat i sure ob, 'cos dere tracks have never stopped fo' once; so dey t'ink dey got heaps ob time and all de jungle to demselves. why den hurry, and bash de head against a tree in de darkness? dat not good enough fo' anyone; dat all tommy nonsense." "then i shall do it." jim stretched his head farther from between the brambles and stared down into the jungle beneath, as if he were trying to penetrate it to the tree roots. as for sam, the little fellow started, and looked queerly at his master, as if he half thought that anxiety and excitement had unhinged his mind; but jim returned his gaze coolly, and once more repeated the statement. "then i shall do it," he said. "listen here, sam, and tell me what you think of the idea. you admit that these men will camp for to-night, satisfied that they are not followed, and that they can easily reach their native friends to-morrow. once there, you can see that sadie will be surrounded, and that rescue will be almost impossible. well now, i'm going to push along through that jungle as quickly as horses can take me, and as quickly as the undergrowth will allow. this evening, the instant night falls, i shall go on on foot, taking the lantern. there's not much danger of the light being seen with all those trees about, and there is a good chance of being able to come up with the fugitives. if i do, i'll snatch my sister away, and return towards our party, who will mount and ride at the first dawn." the little negro gasped as he heard the plan outlined. it was not that the danger of such an attempt staggered him; it was the shrewdness of the suggestion. he pinched himself as punishment for not having produced it himself, and turned upon his master with a flash in his eye which showed his pleasure. "by lummy, dat fine!" he cried. "dat de only way to do um. s'pose dem scum camp as i say--i shore dey do it. but s'pose dey don't, and ride right on, den no harm done; but if dey camp, den yo have de one chance of savin' missie. ob course i hab to go with yo; yo not able to follow de trail widout sam. and tom extry strong, and able to creep along right well, in spite of his size; besides, he able to carry missie once we have managed to rescue her. den ching know de ways ob de jungle; he mighty fine fighter. him----" jim stopped the garrulous little fellow with a movement of his hand. suddenly his finger shot out from the brambles, and he pointed towards the huge sea of waving palms and forest trees, all thickly clad in green. but it was not the jungle to which he drew sam's attention; it was a wide patch of yellowish-white that cropped up amidst the green some miles away, direct in the line of the lagoon. "watch that spot," he ordered curtly. "i saw something moving, but the distance is too great for me. what do you see?" eagerly he awaited the answer, but it was more than a minute before the negro ventured to open his mouth. he plucked jim by the sleeve and drew him backward, sliding through the briers himself as if he were a snake. "dat extry lucky," he suddenly whispered, when they had withdrawn from the skyline, and as if he were afraid someone beyond would overhear him. "dat special fortunate, i tell yo. fo' down dere on dat patch am de mens we follow. yo see de little game, eh? not see um? den i gib yo dere reason. dem scum now well away from de canal, and ride hard all de while. dey say to demselbes: 'stop little bit here, let de hosses hab a rest while watch de hill. if police follow, den sure to come by de way of de tracks we leab. good! we see um come ober de hill. if dey come, we mount and push along; if not, take him easy, ride 'way on a little, and den sleep." "then we will take good care not to show ourselves; but advance we must," cried jim. "see here, sam, find a way over for us where we can pass without anyone being able to see us. if necessary i'll push on with a small party afoot and leave the horses to come later; but i'd rather take the whole lot on their mounts, because then we shall be able to get nearer to those ruffians. look around and choose a likely spot." he crept back to the party, while the negro stole off along the ridge, keeping well away from the skyline. in ten minutes he was back with them, his face shining under the sun, a hopeful smile on his lips. "come 'long, and lead de hosses," he whispered. "sam make along de side ob de hill and find a place where we can slip to de bottom; but not ride. ground very rough and full ob stones and holes." they followed him in silence, each man leading his own horse, while the huge tom led also the beast which carried their blankets and ammunition. and a very business-like party they looked as they filed away amongst the bushes; for each one carried a rifle slung across his shoulders, the muzzle sticking up well above his head, while a pouch attached to the belt about his waist was filled with cartridges. khaki clothing was chiefly worn, for since the british introduced the colour many nations have adopted it for their uniforms. water bottles were slung to the belts, and every member of the band was provided with a revolver. "best take 'em," said the major, just before the expedition started. "i grant that a rifle is useful most anywhere; but there are times when it is apt to get into the way, and in case such a time should turn up you'd better carry shooters." "halt! not come too fast," said sam suddenly, when he and jim had arrived at a rocky crevice which broke its way into the side of the hill. "plenty hole-and-corner 'way in here, and mind yo go very careful. yo chinaboy, don't yo smile as if yo was clever'n anyone; yo hab a bad fall if yo not extry cautious." a grim smile lit the usually saturnine face of tomkins, the surly policeman; and indeed anyone could have been excused for merriment. for sam's importance, his high-flown language, to which we cannot here venture to give outlet, and the quick way in which he flashed round upon the harmless chinaman, was most amusing. however, tom quickly silenced the little fellow. "yo leab dis chinaboy alone," he cried, looking fiercely at sam, but showing his teeth in a grinning smile for all that. "yo look to yoself, little man. if dere holes way in dere, p'raps yo fall into one; den lost fo' good. no sam to be found. all de boys call out hooray! yo get along, young feller." that set tomkins grinning more than ever. to do the man but common justice, he was an excellent fellow at heart, though his taciturnity and the shortness and crispness of his remarks made people consider him to be surly. no one saw the humour of the thing sooner than he did, and no one was more ready to smile. he turned upon the two negroes a scowl which would have scared them, had they not been accustomed to the constable, "see here, you two sons of guns," he cried, "there'll be something bad happenin' ef we have more of your lip. get in at it; we ain't here to listen to darkies chatterin' as if they was monkeys." sam glowered upon the man, and looked as if he would be glad to do him an injury; but tom gave vent to a roar, and, dragging his horses after him, stood to his full height within a foot of tomkins. it looked for a moment as if there was to be a fracas, for the two men, white and black, glared at one another furiously; but no one could expect the jovial tom to wear such an expression for long. he burst out laughing, and, swinging round, placed himself side by side with tomkins. "oh, yo heard dat?" he called out. "he tink us like monkeys. den yo say, massa jim, who de most handsomest, tom or tomkins." but jim was in no mood for jesting. he sent the huge tom to the rear with an impatient movement of his hand, and then bade sam push forward. a moment later he was following, holding his horse by the bridle. for the next half-hour silence again settled down upon the party, though in place of the sound of their voices there came the slither of hoofs on rocks, the crash of boulders falling, and now and again a sudden exclamation as a man just saved his animal from falling; for the gully which sam had found and selected was rough, to say the least of it. probably in the wet weather it was nothing but a watercourse. now it displayed huge holes where the rains had washed the soil away, while every few feet the members of the party had to negotiate boulders, sometimes causing their animals to squeeze round them, and at others having to urge them over the obstruction. finally they all arrived at the bottom, where they were thickly surrounded by jungle. "forward," said jim at once, seeing the whole party mounted. "i suppose the first thing is to get back on the track, and then ride for that yellowish-white patch where we saw figures moving. perhaps we'll get there before those rascals leave; if not, we can but follow." some three hours later, after making but slow progress through a jungle which was very dense in parts, and after having crossed a stream, the bed of which was soft and boggy, they came to the rocky part where no vegetation had succeeded in growing. it was almost dark then, and experience told them that within a few minutes it would be impossible to see more than a foot or two before them; for in jungle countries, even under a brilliant moon, the shadows beneath the trees are of the densest. no light can penetrate those thick masses of leaves and the thousands of gaily flowered creepers which cling to the branches. here and there, perhaps, where the leaves give back from one another, or where a veteran of the forest has fallen to the ground, some few rays will filter through, making the trunks beneath look strangely ghostly, but for the most part there is dense darkness, the kind of darkness which one can almost feel. "here we camp for the night," said jim, slipping from his saddle. "tomkins, i am going ahead with the two negroes and the chinaman. i leave mr. barton in charge of the whole party remaining; but of course, if there is fighting, you will handle your men. see here, i'm going to try to come up to the camp those fellows will have formed and snatch away their prisoner. whatever happens, ride at the first streak of light and follow our tracks; we'll take good care to make them clear and open. tom shall blaze the trees as we pass." some fifteen minutes later, having meanwhile partaken of a hurried meal, jim, with sam and tom and ching, slipped away from the little camp where their friends were lying. for a minute, perhaps, the gleam of the lamp that sam carried remained visible; then the jungle swallowed it effectually, so that presently our hero had disappeared entirely. he was gone on an expedition which might bring success or failure, and which in any case meant danger for him and his little party. chapter xvii on the track of miscreants to those who have had no experience of the jungle, who happen never to have passed a night in such tropical forests as those which clothe the ground about the isthmus of panama, the deadly silence that pervades everything is perhaps the most noticeable feature of all. it is almost terrifying in its intensity, and with dense darkness to help it is apt to awe even the boldest. and when, as happens so often, that silence is suddenly and most unexpectedly broken by the call of some prowling wild beast, when a sharp hissing sound and a rustling amongst the fallen leaves near at hand tells of a creeping snake, then indeed the nerves tingle, the novice feels a strange sensation about the roots of his hair, while perspiration gathers thickly on his forehead. yes, the bravest are awed. even the old hand, the experienced hunter, holds his breath and halts to listen, his senses all alert, ready to defend his life against danger. so it was with jim and his friends. one only was accustomed to the jungle; and for a while, after diving into its darkness, they were overawed by its deathly silence at one moment, and at another moment by the weird calls which came to their ears. the lamplight shining on tom's face demonstrated the fact that he was trying to smile; but it was an uneasy and an unnatural movement. "by de poker," he gasped, "but not like dis at all! de leaves whisper murder. de branches ob de trees call out and say: 'take care'. tom all ob a shiber." "he, he, he! yo not like him, dis forest," grinned ching, though, to tell the truth, the chinaman's slanting eyes were moving restlessly from side to side, in a manner which denoted fear. "yo hold de hand ob dis chinaboy; den feel braver. no harm come when ching near. yo come along wid me, tom." his bantering tones caused the huge negro to change his smile for a scowl. he stretched out a hand and slowly doubled up the fingers, as much as to say that he could with pleasure take the chinaman in one hand and crush the life out of him. he began to exclaim, but jim cut him short. our hero brushed the sweat from his forehead, and swung round upon the two. "silence, you babies!" he exclaimed. "a sound travels far in the jungle, and who can say how near we are to those villains we are searching for? silence! follow in single file, and take care that you do not tread on fallen branches and twigs. i have often heard it stated that the snap of a broken twig can be heard as plainly as the report of a pistol. guess it's true, too." "but dere no fear jest now, massa jim," interrupted sam, his little eyes twinkling in the light of the lamp which dangled from his finger. "still, all de same, dat lubber ob a tom better take care and keep him mouth shut. him never can speak soft; him shout and bawl. him a great, big, hulkin' bull, i reckon." that brought the big negro to the point of explosion. after all, it was an event of every day for these three faithful fellows, who had clung so well to jim, to banter one another, and for that bantering to turn mostly against tom. it was the fate of the ponderous fellow often to be the butt of his comrades, to provide them with a ready cause for wit at his expense, and always with the certainty that tom would swallow the bait and lash himself into a pretended fit of anger, in which he threatened terrible things, gesticulated, and roared, and often enough shook his huge fists and bared his fine white teeth in a manner which would have disturbed the courage of a bold man, but which, with ching and sam, who knew him so well, or with our hero, merely resulted in roars of laughter and in further banter. however, this was not the time for such fun and frolic, and jim put a stop to the noise promptly. "come," he said; "guess we've got sadie to think about. that's better than badgering one another." at once there came a serious look across the faces of his followers. their eyes shone more brightly, while tom gave vent to an exclamation, striking himself across his broad chest at the same moment. "i's ought ter be kicked," he said indignantly. "yo see, tom not say anoder word till missie found. but den, ha! yo take care, tom smash dem rascals. knock 'em all into cocked hat; make jelly and jam ob dem." all his pretended ferocity was turned upon the rascals who had abducted sadie; and to look at him as he spoke there was no doubt, remembering the huge negro's prowess in former scuffles, that he would be as good as his word. but sam was already moving ahead, and jim fell in immediately behind him. with the chinaman as third man, and tom bringing up the rear, the party pressed on as rapidly as possible through the forest. nor did sam seem to find any difficulty in holding to the track. his sharp eyes were bent for ever on the ground, while his lamp swung this way and that, lighting the hoofmarks made by the horses of jaime de oteros's party. and as they went, tom, armed with a heavy knife, blazed the trees to the left, to afford a guide to those who were to follow. it was half an hour before the silence amongst them was broken; then sam came to a sudden stop, and drew jim towards him. "dey get off de hosses here," he whispered. "jungle growing so low, dey couldn't sit in the saddle any longer. now, yo watch extry close, and i show yo what happen. here one, two, three, yes four ob de scum. four ob de villain, sah, and here am anoder mark. dat missie; yo see how small it am? den i's sure dat missie. she walk between de rascal; two go in front, each leading a hoss. no; one ob dem hab two hosses. den missie; she not hab a hoss. den two oder blackguard, one wid two hosses." it seemed clear enough to sam, though for jim the reading of these elusive signs was a somewhat different matter; but by dint of following sam's indicating finger, and with the help of a little imagination, he was able to make out the various signs. indeed, once the whole had been shown him he began to wonder how it was that he himself had failed to light upon them at once. however, a couple of hundred yards farther on, when they came to a halt once more, he was again at as much of a loss as before, and was glad to have sam's help to read what the ground beneath the jungle had written upon it. "six hosses," he said. "one for each of the four men, one for sadie, and a spare." "for de swag," suggested sam. "dey's robbed de people ober at ancon." jim remembered the fact, though till that moment he had lost sight of it; for all his interest was, very naturally, centred in sadie. in his eyes that was the maximum offence jaime and his rascals had committed. "we'd best go very quietly now," he whispered to his companions. "if they have dismounted, as the marks show, and if the jungle continues to get thicker, as we can tell for ourselves is the case, why, guess they'll soon come to a halt and camp. that'll be our chance." "halt any time," answered sam, stopping for a moment and facing round with brightly shining eyes. "dey camp when dey find de right spot. not care to lie out here in de jungle. dat not do; p'raps some beast come along and gib trouble. dey wait till dey find an open place, den spread de blanket, boil de kettle, eat, and sleep. sam know; him libed in a jungle country before now." he was filled with assurance, fortunately for jim and his comrades, for otherwise there was no doubt that without a guide they would have lost the track and themselves many times before this. seeing the difficulty of making a straight path through this trackless forest, it became evident to jim before long that jaime and his comrades, like sam, must have had experience of the jungle. indeed, had he but been aware of it, the ruffian who commanded the rascally band was an excellent leader in more ways than one. putting aside his vindictive and cruel nature, which seemed natural to him, the man was exceedingly clever and cunning, as he had proved to the police of many a port along the gulf of mexico. but he was as accustomed to the wilds as to a city, and had indeed during the past two years found that safety, complete security from arrest in fact, lay in the jungle. he had made himself at home in it, had discovered the ways of trackers, and, thanks to his own hardiness, had so far defied fever. he was, then, just the man to lead a band across the isthmus, and the straight line which his trail had held all along showed that no novice was at the head of affairs. but in one particular he failed. jaime had been too successful; he had for so long successfully hoodwinked the police, and had robbed with such little interference, owing to his wonderful astuteness, that he had become too sure of himself, and, as a natural consequence, had become careless. at this very moment he imagined that no one was in pursuit. he had waited on that open patch of ground where jim's comrades were at this moment encamped, and had kept a watch on the top of the ridge. the fact that he had seen no one crossing it had convinced him that all was well, that the scheme of the boatman who was to put to sea from colon had again put the police on a false track. and at once he had neglected further precautions. "we'll jest run ahead through the jungle," he told his followers, "till we've put a good belt of it between us and the ridge. then guess we'll take a fine sleep, and so be fresh by the time we come to the end of the journey. gee! what a commotion there'll have been 'way down by ancon! that explosion fairly shook the whole isthmus; but why juan never came along is more than i can say, onless he was captured." "or blown sky-high with his bomb," ventured one of his fellows. "blown up by his own bomb! don't you think it," came from jaime. "juan is too clever by half to do a thing like that. most like he found himself cornered, and unable to come to our meeting place; so he's lying hid up somewhere, and when he gets the chance will make across to join us. see here, boys, we'll take a fine rest when we get to those natives. we'll lie up for a month, till things get blown over a little, and until people have begun to forget that dollar notes were taken; then we'll get aboard the launch, steam out from the lagoon, and take one of the passing traders. there won't be no difficulty about that. guess we're armed, and the folks aboard the traders don't carry a weapon. once we've got a boat, we'll sail to the nearest port, tranship to new orleans, and from there to france. paris will take every dollar we have, even though the numbers of the bills have been published. in six months' time we shall have enough to make a tidy sum for each of us when the stuff's divided." he led his little following through the forest till they arrived at an open, rocky space, where the blackened ground showed that a fire had been made on a former occasion. indeed it was a spot which jaime knew well, for he had travelled this route many times now. here saddles were taken from the horses, while the beasts were given a drink at a tiny stream which trickled from the rocks; then they were tethered to long ropes, which would allow them to graze. sadie was not treated unkindly. indeed, hardened villain though he was, jaime had some pity for the child. he had her placed near the fire, and saw to it himself that food and drink were given her. "you'd best get settled down in one of the blankets and take a sleep," he advised. "i ain't goin' to put any ropes on you, and i'll tell you why. if you were to try to make off into the jungle, you'd just get lost, and there's wild things in the forest that would scare the life out of you; so be sensible, and take a sleep." sadie was, in fact, far too frightened by her surroundings to venture to move. to speak the truth, the trying scenes through which she had passed had practically unnerved her, though the child had plenty of courage; but she was a sensible child too, and saw the futility of attempting escape at this moment. as to jim and his little band, they had no idea where the party they were in pursuit of had camped, if, indeed, they had camped at all. they pressed on slowly through the jungle, sam leading with the lantern, and tom bringing up the rear, slashing a tree every few paces as he passed. it was perhaps an hour later before the little negro came to a sudden halt, and lifted his head in the air. "smell hosses!" he whispered, snuffing at the breeze for all the world as if he were a dog. "sartin sure i smell hosses!" promptly his hand went to the lamp and extinguished it. jim heard the catch click to, and found himself in utter darkness. but though he held his head erect, and sniffed with all his power, he could detect nothing but the strong, aromatic scent of some tropical creeper clinging to the trees near at hand, and supporting from the finest tendrils some magnificent blossoms. "horses? you're sure?" he asked. "sartin sure," came the confidant whisper. "listen to dat!" through the silence of the forest there came of a sudden a dull cough, and then a loud neigh. it was followed by a second, and then, faintly to jim's ears, but with startling loudness to sam's, there came the sound of stamping. "i'se tell yo' all about it," whispered the little negro. "one ob de hosses restless; de flies trouble him. he cough fust ob all, den he neigh. now he stampin'. dat all simple, simple as a b c. but him very close; too close. s'pose dem scum hab seen de lantern." they crouched in the jungle in death-like silence for the space of ten minutes, fearful lest what sam had suggested were the case; but though they listened there came no other sound than the stamp of the restless horse which had first attracted their attention--that and an occasional cough from the same animal. as to sam's statement that he could smell horses, a statement which must have been true, and which had undoubtedly saved jim and his party from blundering into the enemy's camp, our hero could not even now detect the characteristic smell. nor could ching nor tom. "but dem dere all de same," whispered sam, chuckling at the recollection of his own sharpness, "and precious near too. what yo do, sah? wait here and listen." "no; i shall creep forward at once. we'll all go, for if we were to divide we might never find one another. wasn't there a moon when we started?" sam took his young master by the sleeve and pulled his arm towards the right, to a spot where the trees gave back from one another, and a long ghostly stream of pure white light broke in from above and bathed the tree trunks. "what dat say?" he asked. "yo can see fo' yoself dat dere's a moon; but down here dark as a ditch, black as de hat. out in de open splendid light; see to read if yo like to." "then we may be able to see them. lead along, sam; clear the ground before you as much as you can." they set forward again, this time on hands and knees, and slowly, inch by inch, approached the clearing where jaime had made his camp. not that they could see it yet; but sam proclaimed the fact that they were nearer with his usual assurance. "tell dat by the sniff ob de hosses," he said shortly; "anyone can say dat fo' sure. in ten minute yo see dese scum, and den know what to do." true enough, that number of minutes brought the whole party to the edge of the jungle, though as to their knowing how to act, that was a very different matter. jim stared out into the open, and saw there five figures, huddled within a few feet of one another, wrapped from head to foot in blankets. farther away were the horses, half-hidden in the shadow cast by the far edge of the jungle, while to one side was a pile of bags and kit, amongst which were the saddles. and little by little, as the scene unfolded itself to our hero, and from gazing at the whole he was able to concentrate his attention on each individual item, he was able to decide which of the five figures was that of his sister. "she lies to this side of what has been a fire," he told himself, "while those rascals are on the far side. that is in our favour at any rate; but to reach her will be a bother. how's it to be done?" once more his eyes passed round the clearing. they went from the figure of sadie to those of the band of ruffians, and from the latter to their saddles and other possessions. then they passed to the horses, and so round the edge of the clearing till he found himself leaning far out from the undergrowth and staring into the faces of his own followers. there was sam's, his eyes twinkling as ever in the moonlight, every feature denoting eagerness, while the broad line across the forehead, and beneath the tattered peak of his dirty cap, seemed to show that he, too, was puzzling his brains as to how to act. and there was ching's oriental countenance next to sam's, the slant-like eyes gazing upon the scene as if it were one of the most ordinary, as if he could see nothing before him to arouse unusual interest, nothing to disturb his accustomed equanimity. the man was actually toying with the end of his pigtail, as if he could find nothing better to do. but who could really read those features? not jim, nor sam, nor tom; not even a european accustomed to china and its natives. the face was inscrutable; those blank, immobile features hid a mind which, for all its seeming somnolence, was working fiercely, relentlessly, and shrewdly to provide a solution for this difficulty. for ching was possessed of a doglike faithfulness; he would gladly have given his life for that of "the missie" or for that of his master. and tom--what did his expression show? the thick lips were moving as jim looked, while the alæ of his wide nostrils were dilated widely, pulsating as if with excitement. the usually merry, childish face was set with an expression so severe that our hero was astonished. it brought a gulp to his throat as he suddenly realized to the full what he had known now for so long, that these three men were such true comrades. then back went his eyes to the figure of his sister. "i'll risk it," he whispered to himself. "i'll creep out there and bring her back with me. but supposing they awake, supposing jaime or one of the others suddenly sits up and lets drive with a shooter?" his hand dropped to the butt of his own weapon, and for a while he crouched in silence. across his mind there flashed a scheme which might help. there were the horses; he could send sam or ching across to them and cut them adrift. he could make it appear that an attack was to take place from that quarter. then he banished the idea just as swiftly. "wouldn't do," he told himself; "they'd sit there in the centre and shoot. they would still be close to sadie, and could hit anyone who attempted to reach her. it's got to be done in some other manner." he did not forget that jaime and his comrades had already a reputation as marksmen. now that he and his fellows had actually reached the gang, and were so near to success, jim swore that he would not ruin everything by acting hastily. better, far better, sit there for a while than act on the spur of the moment and lose his own life and that of his helpers in place of effecting a rescue. it was ching who came forward with a cunning suggestion. "not move now, massa jim," he whispered. "dey not dead fast asleepee. yo waitee little while, den creep in, and ching come along wid yo. we go round to de top side ob de clearing, and creep along de hollow. all open here; but dere, shut in; keep away de bullet." jim stared in the direction indicated, and made out by the shadows that a hollow ran across the rocky ground from the northern side, till it actually reached the edge of the tiny camp which harboured the sleepers. in fact, though he was ignorant of it at the moment, this was the watercourse which, beginning still farther to the north, at the foot of some rough rocks, carried a stream right across to the southern side of the clearing. instantly he decided to follow the advice given. "see here," he said, calling his three comrades round about him till their heads were as close as possible. "ching has given good advice. i shall go across to the far side in the course of an hour. that should be giving them long enough to get dead sleepy." "dey sleep like pig den," agreed ching. "not wakee so easy." "then i shall creep along that channel, and ching with me. you two, tom and sam, will lie just here, where you can see everything, and will be ready to shoot if there's trouble. but i hope there won't be that; we ought to be able to retire up that gully without disturbing the gang. if they do rouse, we shall still have a good chance, for the sides of the channel will protect and hide us. so bear this in mind, even if they suddenly get up, don't shoot unless you see that they have discovered us in the gully. then pepper them for all you are worth." "golly," exclaimed tom, his eyes wide open with amazement, "dat a real fine business! but what yo do supposin' dey discober yo?" "i shall creep back along the watercourse or gully, whatever it happens to be, while ching will fire at the ruffians. then we will all come along here. don't forget that, once we are hidden in the jungle, silence is most required. a noise would bring bullets." the three heads nodded vigorously, while muttered exclamations came from the negroes. then sam asked a question. "yo and ching creep along way ober dere. dat right," he said. "yo wake de missie, and go back extry quick. dat right also. what ching do?" jim was ready with his answer, and flashed it at them. "ching goes for a special reason," he said. "i happen to have had a report from the police major before i left gatun. you will remember that a huge number of american notes were stolen. they were tied in bundles, and wrapped in waterproof paper, then the bundles were locked in boxes. jaime and his villains broke the boxes and carried away the bundles. if those two objects out there are not the very ones we are talking of, why, call me a donkey." out went his finger and he pointed to the piled-up saddles and other articles which the gang had brought with them in their flight. the moon fell clearly on them all, giving every item a sharp outline; but it fell darkly on two of them, for the simple reason that they were covered in black material. without doubt the bundles were those containing the notes filched from the commission offices, notes which jaime and his rascals hoped to convert into silver dollars one of these days, and so procure a fortune. tom gasped, sam's eyes looked as though they would fall from his head, while the chinaman gave vent to a sniggering giggle. "yo am velly cleber, mass jim," said tom simply. "dem bundles de swag fo' sure, and, by lummy! me see what yo up to. yo goin'----" "ching is going right now to bring 'em along with us," declared jim in an excited whisper. "if we can take sadie from 'em, why we'll rob the rascals of their booty also, i guess. and, gee! won't they be mad when they discover what's happened. but, boys, see here. our job is to get away and leave them none the wiser. we want to clear off through the forest back to our people, for you may be sure that jaime and his men will be mad when they learn how they've been fooled. so silence is important, and you'll see to it." as if by common consent they ceased whispering to one another, and for the better part of an hour lay still in the jungle, only their heads protruding. and during all that time not one of the blanketed figures lying in the open moved so much as an inch, though there was an occasional snort or a gentle stamping from the horses. "guess it's time," said jim suddenly. "those fellows haven't moved an eyelash since we watched, and there's not a doubt but that they're properly wearied and worn out by all that they've been doin'. tom and sam, you know what's wanted. give us a whistle as we come back, and then be ready to make off through the forest." they wasted no more words. jim went off at once on hands and knees, and, discarding the shelter of the undergrowth, made his way just within the margin of the clearing. after him came ching, his pigtail gathered into a round coil beneath the billycock hat that he always insisted on wearing, and which, indeed, has for long been a favourite with the chinaman. otherwise the man was dressed in his native costume; for here, again, the wily chinee shows his astuteness. indeed, john chinaman has proved to himself that his own clothing is infinitely more comfortable than european when he is located in a hot climate, and he adheres to it rigidly. not a sound did the man make as he crept along, while jim could not have been accused of want of caution. he carefully set aside all sticks and stones, and all fallen leaves, and never moved unless he were sure that the path was clear before him. all the time, too, he kept swinging his eyes round to the centre of the clearing. it seemed ages before he and his companion reached the northern side; but at last they were at the point where their attempt at rescue was to begin in earnest. at their feet lay a pool of water, and from it a gully some four feet deep ran right out into the open. "couldn't be better," whispered jim. "we can get along on hands and knees, or wade through the water; but i hope there's little of the latter, as the splashing might be heard. don't forget, ching; once i have my sister, you snatch the bundles." he waited to see the chinaman nod, and then at once pressed on into the gully. within a few seconds he had an agreeable surprise. only a tiny stream was trickling down the very centre, insufficient, in fact, to cause any splashing, though the size of the gully itself, its smoothly worn walls showing so clearly in the moonlight, demonstrated the fact that when the rains fell, and the wet season was in progress, a torrent went gushing along the channel. but now it was almost empty, while the moon rays, falling obliquely upon one bank, cast a shadow more than halfway across the gully. "step along here," whispered jim, pulling the chinaman on to the side which lay in the shadow. "and one more warning. supposing those men suddenly wake, and look around for us. just lie as still as a mouse until you are sure they have spotted us in this channel. then it'll be time for shooters." once more the chinaman nodded, and the moonlight falling on his face at that moment showed our hero, if he had had any doubts, that here he had a most excellent ally. for the same expressionless features gazed at him. there was not so much as the smallest trace of fear or excitement about ching, the chinaman. "forward!" jim whispered the word, and promptly proceeded along the edge of the channel. bending low, so that he was altogether hidden, he halted every ten paces, to glance across at the motionless figures of the robbers; but there was not a movement from them till he was within some fifteen feet of his sister. then, suddenly, one of the figures rolled over. a moment later the man was sitting up, still swathed in his blanket. he leaned his weight on one hand, and cast his eyes in a wide circle round the clearing. a horse stamped heavily, and coughed, and at the sound the man slowly shook the blanket from him. jim watched as he dropped the covering and climbed sleepily to his feet. the fellow gazed at the moon, and then, as if the soft, silvery light had affected him peculiarly, stretched out his arms widely, rose on his toes, and yawned loudly. at that a second figure moved. the man rolled over; then, to jim's relief, he snuggled down into his blanket, as anyone does who has been disturbed, and who desires to rest further. in a moment he was as motionless as formerly. "gee! jaime of all people," said jim suddenly, beneath his breath. "that's bad for our business. i thought i recognized the rascal." his hand went to his revolver, for he was tempted to use it; then he sank still lower into the gully. for jaime it was who had risen; the rascally leader of the band stretched himself and yawned again in the moonlight. he drew something from a pocket, and, to his disgust, jim saw that he was rolling a cigarette. indeed the spaniard was never awake but he was smoking. the habit had grown upon him so that now once his fingers were idle they always slipped into his pocket. it was a marvel to watch how nimbly they plucked the shreds of leaf, how they rolled the whole to a correct length and thickness, and how rapidly a cigarette was completed. in less than a minute now there was one between his lips. jaime stepped slowly across to the blackened ashes of the fire, stirred them with his foot, and selected a brand from the very centre. it did not even glow red, but he managed to obtain a light from it. then a horse coughed suddenly, and once more jaime swung round. "flies at them," jim heard him declare. "nothing more; there's no one but ourselves hereabouts." he strolled to and fro for some ten minutes, while jim's impatience grew almost unbearable; then he stood regarding the bundled blanket beneath which sadie was sleeping. a moment later he stepped across to the two parcels which contained the stolen notes, and a gleam of triumph swept across his bearded features. "riches!" he growled. "the finest haul we have ever made. if things go on like this america'll find it'll cost her a heap more to build that canal than she looked for. helloo! that horse again. it's flies for sure." the same beast stamped again, and whinnied. jim could see its legs moving. it swayed to one side, and bumped into the next animal, causing the latter to kick and squeal angrily, while the one who had caused the commotion responded with a savage bite which caused the other poor beast to squeal again still louder. the noise and commotion set jaime off in their direction. jim watched him as he sauntered down towards the horses, and waited till he had reached them. "ready?" he asked, swinging swiftly round upon the chinaman. "then forward. seize the bundles; i will take sadie." in an instant he had crept from the gully, and with ching close behind him slid at once towards his sister. chapter xviii rescue by moonlight "golly! him must be mad! yo see him? yo see de master come out ob de hollow den? by de poker, but him scared right clean off him head. sam, i tells yo him mad. him blind; him eberyting yo like to think ob." the huge negro tom gripped at the ground on which he lay with his strong fingers, and writhed beneath the covering of undergrowth. his staring eyes passed from the crawling figure of jim to that of the chinaman, and then slid away to regard the horses on the far side of the clearing. back they came to sam's face, as he lay beside him, and there they rested eagerly, as if seeking some consolation. but the little negro was just as scared as tom. he, too, had watched the figure of jaime de oteros rise from its blanket, he had kept his eyes on the robber chief as he stretched and yawned beneath the moon, and more than once sam's hand had slid down to his revolver. then he had stared at the man as he strolled away towards the horses. "now," he told himself, "am the time for massa jim." and then a second later: "no. not do now. dat scum turn and see um; then not hab time to creep away. hab to rush, and dat spoil eberyting. yo stop still and shut yo ugly mouth," he exclaimed, turning angrily upon his comrade. for the over eager and less crafty tom was grunting and groaning as if he were in pain, and sam was fearful that the sounds might betray them. "yo lie still dere and wait till yo's told to speak," he commanded. "little bit more, and yo wake ebery one of de rascal; den see massa jim cut to pieces. fine dat, eh? yo great big silly." tom nearly exploded with anxiety for his young master and indignation at sam's words. he stifled his groans with difficulty, and, so as to hold himself in as it were, and keep control over his feelings, he dug his fingers deep into the ground, and tugged heavily. meanwhile jim had not been idle. with an eye always on the horses, and the figure strolling round them, he stepped briskly across from the gully, his back bent double, his figure close to the ground. it seemed an age before he reached the blanketed figure which he believed to be sadie, though as a matter of fact only a few seconds had passed. he was in the act of stretching out his hand to touch her when ching suddenly arrested the movement. "no, no, no," he whispered urgently. "not missie; look at de boot." jim did so, and the sight staggered him. he went pale for the instant; for the boot was large, and bore a spur at the heel. it obviously belonged to one of the miscreants, and distance had deceived him as to the size of this figure. hurriedly he looked at the others. one turned, the one nearest to him, rolled over on its side, and then suddenly sat up. the blanket fell back from the head and shoulders, and then, to his delight, there was sadie, her long hair streaming about her shoulders. "sadie, sadie," he whispered ever so gently, and to his surprise, instead of showing astonishment, his sister merely smiled at him, shook off the remainder of the blanket and stood up. "come," whispered jim. "come with me." he beckoned to her, and, stepping swiftly across to where she stood, took her by the arm. within a minute he was hurrying her into the gully which had allowed him and the chinaman to approach so close to the group without danger of being seen. [illustration: the rescue of sadie] "jim, i knew you'd come," whispered sadie bravely, clinging to her brother as if he alone stood between her and the miscreants who had taken her from gatun. "ever since that horrid spaniard came to mr. phineas's quarters and forced me to accompany him, i guessed that you would follow and rescue me. but, oh----" she was beginning to sob, now that the greatest part of the danger seemed to have passed. her voice trembled; but jim silenced her firmly and kindly. "hush!" he said. "not a sound, lest they hear us. guess we've friends close at hand, and in a little while we shall be with them. stop here a moment; we must wait for ching." he peeped out of the gully and watched the chinaman bending over the bundles that contained the precious notes which jaime and his comrades had stolen. then he found it hard to repress a shout of warning; for the figure which he had taken for that of sadie, the man wearing the boot with the spurred heel moved. then the man sat up suddenly, and rubbed his eyes. a moment later he was regarding the chinaman's back, endeavouring, no doubt, in his half-awake state, to determine who it could be. as for ching, he seemed to have forgotten all about the gang of desperadoes. jim could have kicked him for being so irritatingly slow, and to all appearances careless; but he could not read the thoughts passing through the chinaman's brain, nor guess what it was that delayed him. a moment later, however, he became aware of the fact that if his follower were to carry out the orders given him he must bear away from the enemy's camp more than had been arranged for. for the two dark-coloured bundles were wound about with rope, through which a chain had been passed, and the latter had been locked to an iron bar passing across the top of a form of pack saddle. as jim looked he saw ching whip out a knife, and deliberately set to work to sever the strands of rope. but by then the man behind him was fully awake. he started to his feet with an exclamation, that caused ching to swing round on the instant. a second later a shot rang out, and our hero saw his follower stagger backwards and tumble across the bundles. "stay here; don't move an inch," he commanded sadie. "i'm going back to help him." but whatever help he could have given would have been useless to the chinaman by the time jim could have arrived; for the rascal who had fired followed up his attack by rushing towards the fallen chinaman. jim saw him bend down swiftly, and then, just as swiftly, he went reeling to one side; for ching had risen. like a greyhound set loose he sprang upon his enemy, and the moon shining down upon the whole scene flashed upon something in his hand. ching had used his formidable knife. the chinaman, it appeared later, when he was able to give his tale, had merely feigned to be hit. he had waited for the man to come closer, and then had stabbed him. now he finished the work he had begun with a swiftness which was appalling. he was close to his man in an instant, showing an agility of which jim had never suspected him capable before, and quick as a flash the knife went home, sending the robber thudding to the ground. "back! run!" shouted jim, for there was now no need to keep silent. "back here, and let us get to cover quick!" "i coming, allee lighty," came the laconic answer. ching swung the two bundles across his shoulder, bearing the pack saddle with them, and ran swiftly across to the channel; but as he ran the two remaining figures beside the blackened ashes of the fire sprang to their feet, and shots rang out loudly. there came a loud thud as one of the bullets struck the pack saddle, then ching was out of range. "allee lighty, massa jim," he sang out coolly. "ching here; him follow." and our hero waited for no further information. he took his sister by the arm and hurried her along the gully. "bend low," he urged her as they came to the end. "then run into the jungle; i shall be just behind you." in a moment or two they were speeding across the open, across the rocky ground which intervened between themselves and the forest, and with a gasp of relief jim felt that the branches and leaves had closed over them. "you there?" he demanded of the chinaman. "allee lighty, massa," came the laconic repetition. "then lead the way; you know it." he gripped ching by the end of his pigtail, for the chinaman handed him that article promptly, realizing, perhaps, that it was well suited for the purpose; then, holding sadie with the other hand, he followed close on ching's heels. in that order they came within a few minutes to the spot where tom and sam were lying. "missie! de lord be praised!" exclaimed the former with a sob of relief, taking the child in his arms in his delight at her deliverance. then he swung her up on to his shoulder in preparation for the flight which must now commence. as for sam, though none the less demonstrative where sadie was concerned, he knew well enough that the safety of the party depended in no small measure on him. "massa jim," he called gently. "dis way; yo come 'long o' sam. him hab de lantern all ready lighted, and hidden way ober here. yo come right 'way at once, before dem debil see yo. dey makin' dickens of a hullabaloo." jaime and his comrades were indeed creating an abundance of noise, and for a while amused themselves by blazing away with their weapons into the forest. and, as fortune would have it, the leader of the gang went within an ace of being slain by one of his own following; for it will be remembered that a fit of restlessness had caused jamie de oteros to rise from his blanket and go down towards the horses. the crack of his comrade's revolver had set him running back towards the camp, and it was at that critical moment that a second follower, springing to his feet, and as yet not fully awake, nor alive to the circumstances of the matter, took him for an enemy and fired point-blank at him. with a shout jaime reached the man, and floored him without hesitation; but being unable to trace at the moment what had actually happened, or where those who had intruded in the camp had disappeared, he joined his fellows in firing wildly in every direction. then, with an angry shout, he stopped the fusillade. "this won't help us," he exclaimed. "let us decide what has happened. ah, pedro is killed! strange, he often had an idea that a man would stab him. i saw a man dressed as a chinaman strike at him." "it was a chinaman," declared miguel. "i saw him distinctly. i fired direct at him, but the bullet drilled a hole through the pack saddle." "pack saddle, man! pack saddle!" shouted jaime, a horrible suspicion crossing his mind. "what do you mean?" miguel felt frightened for the first time for many a day. jaime glowered at him and toyed with his revolver, as if he would willingly shoot him if his answer were not satisfactory; then he blurted out the truth. "why, the pack saddle with the two bundles of notes chained to it," he said sullenly. "the chinaman stole them." "and you let him go free! gurr!" jaime stamped in his anger. he kicked the ground as if it had done him some injury. then he stepped across to the spot where the five figures had been stretched when jim and his friends first looked into the clearing. "the girl?" he demanded. "she has gone too? with the chinaman?" "with another man. i just caught a glimpse of him; he was standing in the centre of the hollow that carries the stream." slowly the matter dawned on jaime in its true light. he came to see that this attack was not what he had at first suspected--a sudden raid made by natives living in the forest, a raid led by some stray chinaman, who had taken service with them. it was an organized raid, an attack made by those men from colon. in a flash he realized that his carefully laid schemes had come to naught, that his track through the forest had been discovered, and that already his enemies were about him. the thought sent the blood flying from his swarthy face till the skin looked ashen grey and lifeless. he growled out violent exclamations beneath his breath, and for a while paced to and fro restlessly. then--for custom is so strong that few can resist it--the fingers of his right hand dived into his pocket, and within a moment he was rolling a cigarette. "i see this," he said at last, when the weed was lighted, and he had puffed some clouds of smoke into the air; "the men who just now took the girl away, and stole our money, were not strong enough to capture our whole party. we were but four, so that we may argue that their numbers were no greater. it follows that if we get on their track and pursue we may find ourselves the stronger party, and so may retake our possessions. i will tell you something. i feared some sort of trouble, and before we set out on this journey i forwarded a warning to our friends the natives. i asked them to come towards the zone, so as to meet us. they will not be far away; to-morrow we may meet them. then they will pick up the tracks of these rascals and follow. to-morrow will be soon enough, for none but a native can pass through the forest swiftly in the darkness. besides, these men who attacked us will be tired; and, also, they have the girl with them." in the course of a life which had been evilly spent almost from the beginning jaime de oteros had met with much good fortune. on this occasion he seemed to be in luck's way as much as ever. for those two shots fired in the clearing had reached the ears of the party of natives waiting his arrival, and to his huge relief they put in an appearance within some twenty minutes of jim's retreat into the jungle. "get the lamps lighted at once," commanded jaime, beckoning the native chief to come to him, and addressing him as if he--jaime himself--were king of the race. "now, my friend, let us have the best trackers, and put them on the trail of these people. there must be no delay; take care of that. i'll give fifty guns, with powder and bullets, if we retake the girl and the booty these rascals stole from us." the promise of such a rich reward caused the chiefs eyes to dilate, and at once he set his men to accomplish the task before them. within the space of a few minutes the sharp eyes of the natives had discovered the track made by jim and ching as they escaped with sadie. swiftly it was learned that two others were of the party--one a small man, and a second of abnormal proportions. then the chase began in earnest, jaime and his comrades following the party, while three of the natives came behind with the horses. so rapidly, in fact, did the trackers amongst the tribe who had come to jaime's help pick up the trail left by our hero, that but a couple of miles separated the two parties. indeed, within half an hour of jim's entering camp, and being greeted by phineas and the others, tomkins reported that he had seen a lamp swinging in the forest. sam declared within the minute that he could hear men moving, while hardly had the words left his lips when a number of men burst into the moonlit opening. there came at once a sharp fusillade, while bullets spluttered about the heads of jim and his comrades. then tomkins shouted, and without a second's hesitation threw himself face downward on the ground, and jerked his rifle into position. "get down close, every mother's son of you," he called out, while the lock of his weapon clicked sharply. the butt came to his shoulder, his cheek fell upon it, and then a stream of flame issued from the muzzle. nor were his comrades slow to follow his example. before the enemy were halfway towards them all the members of the party save jim and sadie were using their rifles. "they'll never face a fire like that," called out our hero, standing to his full height and watching the horde of natives rushing forward. "keep peppering them. i will look for some spot where we can get shelter." he took his sister with him, and clambered towards the centre of the rocky elevation which cropped up in the middle of the clearing; then he shouted again. "mr. phineas," he called out. "aye, aye," came back the cheerful answer. "we drove 'em off easy. guess they've left a few kicking the dust down there." jim had, in fact, seen the swarm of natives, with three white men amongst them, suddenly turn tail and run, and his watchful eye had also observed the figures lying prone not far from the edge of the forest. but he had some intelligence of his own to communicate, and shouted back to phineas. "bring the whole party right away up here," he said. "there are boulders hereabouts which will shelter us and help to keep off their bullets. make a run for it; bring all our baggage." he left sadie in a large hollow on the summit of the eminence, and returned to his comrades. by then bullets were coming thick from the depths of the jungle, and here and there queer little jets of dust spurted up from the ground, while there was a strange whistling in the air. but our hero had been under fire before, and took not the smallest notice of the missiles. he reached the camping ground which he and his friends had been occupying but a short while before, and at once snatched up the two black bundles which contained the store of notes which jaime and his rascals had stolen. then, waiting to see that the others were already running up the hill, he followed swiftly, the huge tom bearing a case of ammunition just before him. two minutes later all were under cover. "what now?" said phineas, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "i never did come across such a fellow as you are, jim. always getting into scrapes, and dragging your friends into them with you. but what now? here we are under cover, and i ain't so sorry. but there must have been fifty of those natives down below, as well as the three white men. jaime and his crew, i suppose?" "jaime for sure, and sorry he'll be that he ventured to follow," answered jim curtly. "i tell you straight, that fellow has been no end of a bother to me. and now, to add to all the mischief he's done, he deliberately fires at sadie. luckily the bullet just missed her. but there you are! i say he'll live to be sorry. i'll teach him a lesson this time that he won't forget." they were big words, spoken in a moment of intense vexation; but big words for all that, as jim was the first to acknowledge when his temper had cooled a little. here was his slender little party surrounded, and the enemy were by no means to be laughed at; for jaime and his comrades had been busy on those occasions when they had been away from the panama zone. they had done a big trade in rifles, or, rather, in obsolete muzzle loaders, with which almost every one of the natives accompanying them was armed; while the latter began to prove already that, obsolete though their weapons might be, they could at that range make fine practice with them. indeed, every second now a ball struck the boulders behind which jim and his friends were crouching, while before many minutes had passed the shots came from almost the entire circle of jungle. the party who had come to rescue sadie was, in fact, practically surrounded. "which don't say as they're goin' to take us," growled tomkins, who was endowed with splendid pluck. "now that we've got this shelter, and each man has selected a spot from which to fire, i guess we'll give a good account of ourselves. but what are the orders?" he appealed as if by custom to our hero, and jim answered promptly. "we lie just as we are," he said. "i see that each one has taken up a position, and the only alteration i can suggest is that the four policemen separate and place themselves between the others. they are used to rows more than we are, and will be able to give advice. for the rest, reckon we'll sit tight." "sit tight!" echoed phineas, somewhat at a loss. "just lie as we are, and never give them a shot back unless a man exposes himself. when'll the moon go down?" it was a question of some importance, and our hero breathed more freely when he heard that the morning would come and still find the moon in the sky. "then we shall have light right through," he said in tones of relief. "don't forget; not a shot unless you see a man. just lie still under cover. ching, guess you could manage to light a fire and get some grub cooking." the chinaman smiled on them all. cooking, after all, was his forte, not fighting, though he was no laggard where that was concerned, having already shown that he possessed courage. he rose from his prone position, re-arranged his pigtail, and set about the preparation of a meal for the whole party with just the same calmness and method as he was wont to employ in phineas's kitchen. within five minutes he had collected sufficient driftwood to make a fire, and had laid it at the bottom of a little hollow. in double that time he had a billy slung over the flames, so that very soon a most appetizing steam pervaded the place. then he wagged his head in a manner all his own and declared that the meal was ready. "and we for it," said jim, rising from the position he had taken beside tomkins. "see here, ching. dish out an allowance for each man, and bring it to him. it won't do to leave our stations. we'll grub right where we lie, and so be ready." it was a wise precaution to take, for none could say when the enemy would attempt a second rush. meanwhile bullets streamed from the jungle, now from this point, and then from that, a splash of flame lighting up the dense shadows for an instant. but of late the firing had become far less rapid, while the characteristic crack of the mausers which jaime and his rascals employed had ceased altogether. "simply showing that they are otherwise engaged," said jim, discussing the affair with phineas and tomkins. "they are, no doubt, hunting for a likely spot from which to make a charge; and to my mind there's one spot above all others which they are likely to select. look away over here. this rocky eminence runs on into the jungle, so that a band dashing out there would not have to come uphill. it's level ground all the way. again, it happens to be a shorter cut from the jungle, and will give us less time to put in our shots. that's my opinion." tomkins surveyed his surroundings in silence for some little while, as he ate his steaming rations methodically and unconsciously. he showed not the smallest trace of alarm, though he must have known, better perhaps than any of the others, how desperate were the fortunes of the party. but the man had such a reputation for brusqueness and straight speaking that jim felt sure that if he disagreed with what he had just expressed as his opinion, tomkins would promptly say so, and that with the utmost bluntness. "guess you'd better make a change in the posts we're filling," he said at last. "ef there's a rush, it'll come from 'way over there where you've been pointin'. that bein' so, better fix it to pour in a fire that'll choke 'em. there won't be too much time, and it'll want to be magazines, and shooters to follow if they get within distance. pity we couldn't place a mine to blow 'em to blazes, or have a gun to shoot direct at the varmint. but guess our rifles'll make hay with 'em; the boys here'll make them niggers sit up lively." he relapsed into a moody silence, and went on eating his meal, his eyes roving along the edge of the jungle; but he was ready as soon as jim called him. our hero placed the four police behind a mass of boulders facing the part from which attack was feared, and then stationed tom and sam and ching behind them. "you'll just lie here with mr. phineas," he said, "and if there's a rush you will be ready to come to the help of the one who's most attacked. you can see that the policemen are three yards good from one another, so that it may well happen that one will be more pressed than his comrades. for the rest, you'll keep an eye all round, and look after sadie." very quietly the men moved into their positions, crouching low as they went, so that the enemy might not see them. then, each man having selected a niche through which he could fire, and jim also having discovered one for himself in their centre, all lay absolutely still, awaiting developments. "look out for trouble, boys," sang out our hero a good half-hour later. "their bullets are beginning to come along again, and i should say that we guessed right when we decided their rush would come from over in this direction. do you hear that? a mauser for sure, and there's another and another. that shows where the leaders are." tomkins, who lay next him, gave vent to a hoarse chuckle. "that 'ere jaime thinks he's a fine dog, he do," he called back. "see what trouble he took to throw us off the scent from the beginning. now he's manoeuvring a rush, and telling us just where we may expect it because he must go and blaze with his own rifle. ah! that was a man; i saw him come from the jungle direct before us. gee! the game's beginning." the words had hardly left his lips when a couple of dark figures leaped from the cover, brandishing weapons over their heads. an instant later twenty dusky natives had joined them, while in their centre were the figures of three white men plainly distinguishable under the moonlight. there came a loud shout across the clearing; then, as if shot from the same gun, every one of the figures bounded towards the spot where jim and his friends were lying. "magazines," growled tomkins, dropping his cheek on to the butt of his weapon. "let 'em have it." "fire!" shouted jim. bang! his own rifle was the first to discharge a missile; but the others followed swiftly, and within the minute five men were engaged in sending a shower of bullets at the enemy. never before had jim worked so energetically. no sooner was the trigger pressed than his hand gripped the bolt and threw it open. click! the empty case flew back over his shoulder, while another rose from the magazine as if by magic to replace it. bang! he pushed the lever home, and down went his eye to the sights so quickly that it never seemed to have left them. as for the enemy, they came forward at an astounding pace, without pause or hesitation. in spite of the number which fell out of their ranks and went crashing to the ground, the remainder came on steadily. then a second party followed, as if to reinforce their comrades. phineas gave a shout instantly. "get along into the firing line, boys," he called to ching and sam and tom. "i'll stop back here and make sure that none are trying to come from behind. then i'll join you." "you can go now, mr. phineas," came in a quiet voice from close beside him, and, looking down, he saw sadie, her cheeks pale perhaps, but her eyes and her lips steady. "go," she said. "i will watch behind you, and will call if there is need." phineas gripped her hand promptly, and ran forward. by then his own little party had joined jim's, and were aiding them with their rifles. indeed the rattle of the weapons was deafening, while anyone could see that the enemy were suffering. but the natives hardly seemed to know what fear was, while jaime and his fellow robbers showed splendid pluck. nothing stopped them. they leaped over the bodies of their fallen comrades, and came racing forward, their eyes blazing, their weapons brandished over their heads. in an incredibly short space of time they were within ten yards of the spot where the defenders lay. "time for revolvers," shouted jim. "up on your feet--revolvers and clubbed rifles!" the scene which followed was almost too rapid for description, for the leaders of the attacking party threw themselves on jim and his men with a ferocity and a quickness which were appalling. revolvers snapped on every hand, while two of the policemen clubbed their rifles and dealt swinging blows. it was left to the huge tom to relieve the situation. rifle in hand, he sprang over the intervening boulders and launched himself upon the attackers with a howl of rage. his huge mouth was opened wide, displaying a set of formidable teeth, while his muscular arms swept the rifle round in huge circles, laying the enemy low for all the world as if it were a scythe. then he pursued his old and favourite tactics. he hurled the weapon at one of the white men, and, leaping forward, gripped jaime round the waist. the rascal was whirling in the air in a second, and within the space of three had been thrown into the centre of his supporters. "bravo, tom, bravo!" shouted jim, rushing to join him, with ching and sam close at hand. the enemy were more terrified by tom's presence and appearance than by all the bullets. they turned as jim came forward and fled for their lives, dragging jaime with them. a minute later the defenders were behind their boulders once more, breathing heavily, while the fusillade of musket balls had again opened from the fringe of the jungle. still the enemy were not beaten. as the dawn came they showed at the edge of the forest, and with shouts of triumph announced that they had received reinforcements. indeed, within a few minutes jim saw that at least a hundred men were crouching just within the shadow. then there came another shock, which set his heart palpitating. "more of the varmint," suddenly announced tomkins, swinging round and pointing to a spot behind the party, where, up till now, they had seen no enemy. "gee, if there ain't two hundred against us!" he dashed across the hollow, threw himself on his face, and levelled his rifle. but he never pulled the trigger: jim stopped him peremptorily. a single figure suddenly pushed to the front of this second mob of natives, and advanced a few paces bearing a white flag. he waved it and shouted. then, followed by his men, he came running towards jim and his fellows. chapter xix jim meets with a surprise it was an exciting and an anxious moment for jim and his comrades as they saw the strangers bounding towards them, and for one brief instant our hero hesitated, wondering whether he ought to respect the white flag which the leader of this new band bore. he had already arrested tomkins's intention of firing on them, and now peremptorily restrained the others. "stop!" he shouted. "not a shot. i believe they are friends. why, as i live, if that isn't a white man at their head!" but the light just now was not so good as it had been. the moon was waning, and the dawn half broken. in consequence, though the party anxiously watching the strangers from the rocky eminence could make out their numbers, and each individual member of the band, they could distinguish nothing more than that. phineas drew in a deep breath. he had learned to trust jim's judgment, but on this occasion he feared greatly that he was making a gigantic error. "gee!" he cried in anxious tones. "supposing they are enemies like the rest. they will cut us to pieces. get ready to shoot, you men." "by de poker, but if dey not friends, den tom talk to them same as he talk wid de oders," growled the negro. "but me tink massa jim right; massa jim neber make mistake." it was like the huge fellow to support his young master, of whom he had an absurdly high opinion; but sam and ching were just as emphatic. "not need fear rumpus any longer," said the former, dropping the butt of his weapon to the ground. "massa jim know what him talking about. no flies on him anyway." "he, he, he! velly nice for dis party," lisped the chinaman. "a minute ago me tink soon hab ebelyting ober. soon be chopped to little pieces, same as ching chop de meat for de stew. but now ebelyting jolly. yo see precious soon. ching knowee well dat dat a white man. him seen him before; him know de movement of him legs. him and ching great friends some time ago." could it be true? even jim, as he anxiously watched the approaching band, and with no little doubt as to their friendly intentions, could not fail to observe that the leader, who in the dim light had the appearance of being a white man, certainly walked in a manner with which he was familiar. the swift fling of the legs reminded him of someone; but whom? where had he known that someone? that was the question. less than a minute later he was staggering backwards as if someone had struck him a heavy blow. as for the strangers, there was now no doubt that a white man led them. a tall, thin young man, with somewhat cadaverous cast of countenance, halted within ten paces of the party, still waving his white banner, and gave vent to a cry of astonishment, a cry which jim echoed. then sadie, half-hidden behind the men of her party, pushed her way resolutely through them, ran forward, and gazed at the man. in an instant she had thrown herself upon him. "jim!" she screamed; "it's george, george come back to life! george alive, when we thought he was dead in the jungle." [illustration: "it's george, george come back to life!"] the meeting staggered our hero. he could hardly believe that it could be his brother, he whom they had lost in the jungle now so long ago. even the strong grip which george gave him failed to convince. "how's it happened?" demanded jim. "we settled that you were dead, that the fever had killed you, and that you had fallen in some hollow in the jungle. who are all these men here? how is it that you have turned up right away at the very instant when help is wanted? my head is all of a whirl: i guess i'm getting silly." "then you needn't blame yourself," came george's answer. "reckon you'd be a strange fellow if you weren't a little bit overcome by my turning up after you'd given me over for dead. but, see here, jim; i'm your own brother george right enough, though how it comes that i am still alive and kicking is a long story. as to how i arrived here on time, that's much simpler. the natives i have been living with are at daggers drawn with a tribe over by the lagoon, and have been greatly troubled because some beggarly european rascals have been selling guns and powder to them. for three months past i've been a kind of king amongst them, and of course i've taken steps to have that other tribe watched. well, we heard that an expedition was coming this way. we shadowed the natives through the forest, and then heard a shot. later we followed again, and then there was heavy firing. i made out your party from the edge of the jungle, and i reckoned that i would help. of course i couldn't tell who was in the right. i only knew that the natives who are enemies of ours were attacking a small party, and so i decided to help the weaker side. here we are, seventy of us in all, and quite sufficient to make short work of those fellows. now tell me all about the bother." as rapidly as possible jim told him how jaime and his rascally comrades had abducted sadie, and how he had followed. "it's a precious long yarn, like yours," he laughed, gripping george's hand for the twentieth time, for even now he found it hard to believe that this good news was actually and really true. "but, to begin with, i took a job on the panama canal." "won a job is truer, i guess," interrupted phineas, who was beaming on our young hero and his long-lost brother. "won a job on the panama canal, sir. let me tell you that this young jim of yours has done mighty well since you took it into your head to clear off into the jungle. to begin with, he started right off for new york; for he had to find a job somewhere. then there was a collision. the ship foundered, and i was left aboard her when the crew took to the boats. jim there swam out and saved me. give you my word, the risk he ran makes my hair stand on end even nowadays. of course i was grateful. after all, life's pleasant to a man working on the canal; there's a real interest in it. i offered to get our young friend a job, and house his sister. that's how the business started. he won the job, siree; won it outright and by as fine a show of grit as ever you could come across." george's sallow, fever-haunted face brightened at the words: he stretched forward a hand to grip his brother's, and then to take that of phineas. "it's the one thing that has troubled me ever since i was lost in the forest," he said feelingly. "there was always sadie, and what had happened to her. i knew that jim and the boys would stick to her and support her; but the willingness to do so doesn't make it always possible. guess i owe you a lot, mr. phineas, and jim's my own brother. i always knew he had grit." "see here," burst in phineas, who seemed to have suddenly found a loose tongue, "you don't owe me a cent's worth. i'll get ahead with this yarn, for this young jim ain't likely to give it all. and ef i wasn't to tell every word, there's tom and sam and ching would soon see that the news reached you. eh, boys?" in the fading moonlight tom gave an expansive, seven-foot grin, and wagged his head. sam's little eyes twinkled brightly, while the chinaman undid his pigtail, and coiled it again, glancing from one to the other. "if you not guess dat mass jim play de game, den you velly stupid, sah," he said. "but you know him from de days when we were all on de salvage boat. massa jim a demon to work, and never know what it am to fear." "listen to this," went on phineas, wagging a finger at the three, to silence them. "there were a number of spaniards aboard the boat that foundered. they fought for the boats, and jim and tom had a stand-up fight with them, supporting the captain and crew thoroughly. well, jim here knocked a rascal down, who, it turned out, was one of a gang of ruffians who had been infesting ports along the gulf of mexico, and who of late had been carrying on their evil practices on the canal zone. this rascal was brought back to colon with the others, and the gang began operations again. but this particular man imagined he had a grudge against jim. he deliberately fired at him one night when in my quarters. of course we followed, that is, jim and his boys did. they tracked the fellow to a house where the gang were situated, and as a result, when the police arrived, three of the gang were taken, though not until jim had nearly lost his life. two got away, and the police followed right away along the coast, across a lagoon to the jungle 'way ahead of us. there was a fight between themselves and the native tribe these rascals had taken refuge with, while the two men were killed or severely wounded. back comes jim, takes on a special job on the works, and then gets mixed up with the remainder of the gang. they play all sorts of tricks, and finally rob the commission offices, and, as a special mark of their hatred to jim, abduct sadie. there we are, siree. right down to the present moment. jim and the boys went off this very evening, crept up to the gang, and brought away the girl and the plunder. you've seen what followed." the sallow face of the man who had so suddenly joined the party lit up again, while he regarded his brother in a manner somewhat different from that he had been accustomed to aboard the salvage boat. for then jim had appeared as only a boy to george. but now it was as a man that his brother found him, a young, strenuous, self-possessed man, who, without a shadow of doubt, had been winning the golden opinion of those with whom he had come in contact. in place of being stranded by his past misfortunes, and finding life a struggle, george had now learned that jim was prospering, that he had won a lucrative job on the canal works, and later, when phineas was able to speak further with him, that there were many amongst the officials who predicted that our hero would rise high, and would, when he was a little older, fill a position of responsibility. "and so you rescued sadie, and took their plunder from them!" gasped george. "that's a good beginning, and those bodies lying out there show that your party has done well in the attack. now let me give a little further information. guess those rascals you followed across the lagoon were wounded only, for our tribe have had certain news that two white men were with their enemies. guess they've come along with this second party, and have now joined hands with the men you tracked to this spot. who's leader here?" phineas jerked his head in jim's direction, while tomkins, who had stood near at hand all the while, grinned ever so little. "young, ain't he?" he asked, in his usually blunt manner. "but there ain't no flies on him, siree. he's shown us how to move, has mister jim." "then what do you propose? stay here and build up a barricade of stones, or attack the enemy boldly?" asked george. jim did not answer for the moment. he knew that even now that his party had been so well reinforced it was smaller in numbers than the enemy. to march out across the open would certainly lead to great loss, for most of the natives with jaime and his ruffians were armed with firelocks. on the other hand, there was not much to be gained by staying in their present position, for that would carry them no nearer to safety. unless---- to the surprise of all he suddenly struck his thigh with the palm of his hand, and gave a shout of triumph. he was in the very act of telling those who stood around what plan he suggested, when a rifle snapped from the forest, and a bullet whistled just overhead. then a storm of balls came swishing out over the open, and were followed by the appearance of the enemy. they swarmed from the shadows, massed in one corner, and then, to the thunderous beat of native drums came racing forward. "back to your places," shouted jim. "fire as soon as you are in position. george, how many of your men are armed with guns?" "thirty at the most; they trust to spears and a long curling knife." "one more question; did those rascals see you join us?" "certain to have done so," answered george. "but whether they have a correct idea of our numbers is an altogether different matter." "then line up all the men without guns at the back of the firing party. when i give the word, lead them out against the enemy; we must drive them back whatever happens." the ten minutes which followed were full of movement, and were, in fact, more than strenuous; for jaime was desperate. he was furious to have been worsted so easily, and, reviewing the whole affair, it made him tremble with rage when he recollected that all his carefully made plans had come to naught. the greatest blow of all was that the treasure which he had stolen had been taken from him, and that by four men alone, simply because he himself had relaxed his usual caution. it was therefore with shouts of rage that he led the enemy. dashing forward at the head of some hundred and fifty of them, he urged them on in spite of the bullets which hissed through their ranks. he himself seemed to bear a charmed life; for though tomkins made more than one effort, he failed signally to bring the robber chief to the ground. always his bullet struck the man on one or other side, or him who was following. "thunder!" shouted the policeman at last, angry at his want of success. "that's the fifth time i've drawn a bead on him and missed. see if i don't do it this time. it's the only thing that'll save us." he leant his cheek against the butt of his rifle with more than usual care, and pulled steadily on his trigger. then he jerked the weapon backward with an exclamation of disgust, and rapidly pushed a charge of cartridges into his emptied magazine; for jaime was still untouched. the bullet intended for him had struck one of his white followers, and those who watched saw the man pitch forward with arms and legs outspread, and come with a thud to the ground. nor did he move a muscle afterwards. by then jaime and those with him were within twenty yards of the eminence. "ready?" asked jim, placing himself beside george at the head of his natives, while the ever-watchful tom came sidling up to him, his rifle gripped in his enormous hands. "then charge!" george shouted. a man amongst the natives blew on a horn, while another beat a drum. then some forty of them launched themselves past the firing line, and fell upon the charging enemy furiously. at once it became evident that the fight was to be one to a finish. the men who had followed george had without doubt the greatest hatred for those others, and for that reason fought with a ferocity which was terrible. shouts of consternation came from the enemy at their sudden appearance. men in rear turned and fled, while those in the van came to a halt. jaime turned and beckoned to them. in the short space at his disposal he threatened his followers. then he and those with him were overwhelmed. in one brief minute the rush of jaime and his supporters was converted into a mad retreat, with a band of dusky men in rear of them slashing and cutting desperately. as for jim and george, they were carried forward by the natives, and, with the lusty tom beside them, thrust their way far in amongst the flying enemy, striking right and left with their rifles. nor was tom satisfied with that. the negro was possessed of enormous strength, and nothing could resist him. he dashed far beyond his comrades, discarding his rifle. his ponderous fists shot out in every direction, flooring the enemy; then, catching sight of jaime struggling amidst the natives, and possessed, it seemed, with the same terror which had suddenly assailed them, tom leapt at him, covering the ground in enormous bounds, and easily clearing a path before him. in a trice he was level with the robber, and though the latter turned and endeavoured to bring a weapon to bear on the negro, the gallant tom was too quick for him. he had him by the collar in an instant, the fingers of his right hand encircled the back of the neck, causing the wretch to drop his revolver and shriek. then, just as had happened earlier on, the man was swung like a bale into the air, and was whirled above the heads of the others. "by de poker, but dis time yo not get 'way!" bellowed tom, mad with excitement. "yo not get back to dem scum to lead dem against missie sadie. see here, me break yo neck if yo move. me crush ebery bone in yo body. yo hear dat? den keep quiet or me pound yo to a jelly." the miserable fellow was not able to move so much as a finger, so firmly did tom grip him; and if he imagined that his comrades would help him, he was much mistaken. for they were terrified, and fled back to the forest with george's men hanging on behind them. indeed, in five minutes there was not a trace of the enemy, save the numerous bodies which lay in the open. there was only jaime de oteros, a prisoner now, cringing at the feet of our hero, and looking askance at the panting men about him. "now, sah," said tom, drawing in a deep breath, "not want dis scum any longer. suppose we hang um straight off and so save heap ob trouble." "tie him up fast, and set a watch over him," commanded jim promptly. "now, george, i'm ready to give you my plan for the future. i was about to do so when the enemy charged. but, first, are they likely to leave us?" george shook his head promptly, then exchanged a few words with one of the natives who was evidently of some importance. "they will stay there in the forest," he said at last. "they have the great advantage of possessing rifles, and guess they still far outnumber us. so they'll lie there in hiding, and pepper us whenever we show a finger. if we go out to attack them, they will break up and move away; but if we attempt to make for colon, they will hang on our flanks and kill us little by little." "then we'll keep them hanging about in the forest. see here, george," said our hero eagerly. "this party of mine was to be merely a sort of cutting-out expedition. we rode hard in order to come up with this ruffian jaime, and rescue sadie. the main party was to steam to the lagoon, and there attack the natives. they were then to endeavour to join hands with us. seems to me we have an excellent chance of a combined movement. we stay here, and make pretence that we dare not move. meanwhile you send off a couple or more men to our other party. when could they reach us?" "to-morrow morning, perhaps a little earlier. gee, this is a good plan! the head of the lagoon is only a bare twenty miles from us. my men could reach the spot by late this afternoon. your other party would march right off, and, allowing for the difficulties of getting through the jungle, could be here even earlier than i said. it's a fine move; fine, and will be just the thing to put an end to this matter." "and your men could start at once, and leave without the enemy being the wiser?" once more george appealed to the native chief, and presently returned to his brother. "they shall go at once. we will send two parties, consisting of three men each. they will slip away from this spot without anyone seeing them, and will each bear the same message. they will march back with your people, and will crawl in here to let us know of their arrival." jim called phineas and tomkins to him, and discussed the plan with them for a few moments. then, as all agreed with it, george nodded to the native. almost instantly six men stood forward from amongst the seated throng, their eyes shining in the sunlight, for by now broad day was upon them. a few guttural words were spoken, then, one by one, the natives wormed their way from the eminence. jim could hardly have believed it possible that men could leave the spot without watching eyes discovering them; but he had never watched such natives as these before, nor seen how it was possible to take advantage of hollows and boulders. "gone!" said george, at length, giving vent to a sigh of satisfaction. "now i suppose we can settle down to the ordinary life of those who are besieged?" "which reminds one of breakfast. ching!" shouted our hero. "breakfast for our party, and slippy with it," he commanded, when the chinaman had put in an appearance. "i suppose your natives will fend for themselves, george?" "they are almost vegetarians," came the answer, "and each man carries sufficient with him to appease a hearty appetite and to slake his thirst. that's the best of their diet. it supplies food and drink at the same moment. and talking of vegetarians reminds me of myself; you remember i was down with fever?" "and dived overboard when delirious," jim nodded. "and swam like a maniac till i reached the jungle. well, i must have raced through it for a couple of miles or more before i came to a stop. at last i dropped down in the very middle of a camp formed by these natives. i was dead beat, raving with fever, and as weak as a child. by all accounts, too, guess i had hardly a shred of clothing left on me, and my skin was torn by brambles. by good luck, anyway, i had stumbled amongst natives who had met white men before, and had no particular dislike for them. in fact, they have an absurdly high idea of them. they treated me like a brother. they looked upon me from the first as if i were a great chief, and fed me with fruits taken in the forest. and it seems that fever is not unknown amongst them. you see, they don't inhabit the swamp lands, so they do not often come in contact with malaria. guess they ain't acclimatized to fever the same as other natives who live on the lagoons; in consequence they get attacks whenever they come down to the water, and have learned how to treat their patients. i mended slowly. for weeks i couldn't walk, and had to be carried on a form of stretcher; but i shook off the fever. life became altogether more pleasant, and though, of course, i was longing to get back to settled parts, so as to rejoin you and sadie, yet, while i was tied by weakness, i admit that i found life pleasant, and kinder hosts i could not have wished for. at last i was about strong enough to travel, and had already arranged for an escort to take me to colon when this affair turned up. gee! it's the strangest thing that ever happened. to think that in place of discovering you in new york, or somewhere in the states, you should have run up against me out in this jungle!" they chatted for long over their breakfast, jim learning every detail of his brother's life, while george gathered a good deal of what had happened at colon. but from phineas he heard fuller particulars. "you can't expect the lad to talk about himself," he told george. "it's dead against his modest nature. but he's done fine. he's shown real grit from the beginning, and alongside of it a determination to get on and a common sense that was bound to win advancement. he's earning good wages. jim is well enough off at this moment to offer you a home, and can support you till you also are earning wages. mark this too: if we come out of this soundly, and jim gets back to colon with those dollars, the commission will have heaps of praise and thanks to give. shouldn't wonder if it resulted in further advancement. i know he's young; but guess that don't matter. america's a go-ahead country. she don't reckon a man to be a solomon just because he's old and wears hair on his face, no more than she reckons that a youngster without a line on his lip is clear out of sense. she judges a man by what he does, and gives her favours without thought of years and appearance. well, here's jim young enough we'll allow; but he's done things. his name's known better than the police major's from end to end of the canal works. he's come out trumps on every occasion, and if he wins home now i say it'll be a triumph." let the reader imagine george's amazement at all he heard, for he had always looked upon jim as too young for serious consideration. and here he was, a man in effect, though hardly come to that station in point of years; but a man for all that, and already occupying a fine position. it afforded food for thought, and for long george sat sucking the stem of the pipe which tomkins had generously loaned to him. and all the while bullets flickered from the jungle; they clipped corners from the boulders, smashed heavily against trees on the far side of the clearing, or sent spurts of dust into the sunlit air. it was an occupation, in fact, to watch the result of the enemies' efforts, and to speculate on the effect of the next shot. but it was an occupation also which was apt to become monotonous. men fell asleep, in spite of the bullets, and only wakened now and again when the thumping of a native drum warned of a possible rush; but though the enemy massed at times, and seemed on the point of charging, they never actually came into the open. they contented themselves with more or less continuous firing. "which don't hurt a fly, and only makes a chap hungry," said tomkins, as he lay on his back in the shelter cast by a boulder. "but guess we shall want to be careful once the darkness comes. if there's a bright moon it'll be right enough; if not, there'll be ructions." the hours dragged by slowly, and at length evening arrived. jim looked overhead anxiously, and noted that thick banks of clouds were floating in the sky, while the moon would not rise for two hours. "it'll be dark in an hour," he said, stretching himself beside phineas and his brother. "i've been talking to tomkins, and he agrees with me that the most dangerous time will be before the moon rises, which means that the enemy may attack immediately night comes. have either of you a suggestion to offer?" "just this," answered george. "as soon as it is sufficiently dark we'll send my fellows into the jungle across there. they'll be back within five minutes with as much firewood as we want. then we'll lay a pile some twenty yards from our position, and so all round this eminence. once in position we'll set fire to them, and the glow should last till the moon helps us." the scheme found approval with jim and phineas at once, so that, as soon as it was dark enough, george sent a dozen of his natives creeping into the forest. they were back within a few minutes, and at once others helped them to place the wood they had brought in piles all round the eminence. the last match was being lighted when the silence of the forest was suddenly broken by the beating of a drum. and then a horde of natives launched themselves into the clearing. chapter xx success to the panama canal even in the machinery shops at gorgona jim had never listened to such a din as came from the charging enemy as they burst from the cover of the forest; for a dozen native drums were being thumped, horns were sounded, while each individual shouted and shrieked at the pitch of his lungs. it seemed, indeed, as if jaime's followers imagined that the racket would scare the defenders and help them towards victory. the giant tom, standing over the captive, saw his eyes scintillate, while jaime half rose to his feet; but in a moment he was cowering again. not because tom scowled at him, and stretched forth a hand, but because the native placed to guard him flourished his long knife before the prisoner's face. "so, yo know what to expect if yo try to escape," said tom. "i leave yo wid dis friend while i go to teach those scum manners. yo move one little piece, and see how nicely he cut yo to tiny bits." he indicated the native with a wave of his hand, then went off to the firing line, swinging his rifle as if it were a toy and weighed but a few ounces. meanwhile the defenders had opened fire upon the enemy. "steady does it, boys," sang out tomkins, who was a tower of strength to jim and his friends. "use your magazines, but see that every shot tells. it don't do to fire and miss every time. let each bullet find its man. it'll bring them to a halt sooner than anything." but there are limits to the powers of such a small force as jim commanded; for though george's natives who were armed with guns blazed at the enemy, it was clear that they missed their aim more often than not. then, too, the light was tricky. the flickering flames cast by the circle of fires served to show the figures of the enemy; but here and there were black shadows, and the rifles had to catch their men as they raced across the lighted parts. in consequence the host of attackers soon approached the eminence on which the defenders had taken their stand. they were abreast of the fires in two minutes, and, at a shout from jim, george prepared to launch his second party of natives at them. "wait till they have almost reached us," cried jim; "then let them go. call to the others who are firing with their guns to join in the charge. this time every man will have to be employed." the situation was indeed very critical, for the enemy had advanced in full strength, while the fitful light had helped them. in the space of a few seconds the leaders were within a yard of the boulders behind which tomkins and his party were lying, and rifle practice was no longer possible. george shouted. his natives gave vent to a hoarse bellow, while the man with the drum thumped it madly. then some seventy black figures leaped over the boulders, and there began a hand-to-hand contest, the ferocity of which can hardly be described. the two bodies of men, attackers and attacked, swayed this way and that. some of the enemy even managed to leap over the boulders and gain the inner circle, only to be shot down instantly by jim and his friends. then, when matters had become desperate, and the din was deafening, shouts were heard from a distance. sam dashed up to jim, his face working with excitement, his eyes blazing. "friends comin', sah," he bellowed. "i see dem run from de forest. dey charging from behind; dey policemen." whoever they were, the rear ranks of the enemy quickly discovered their presence, and turned to face them. then across the clearing there came the sound of cheering. a loud command rang out, and in a trice a strong body of men had hurled themselves against the enemy. not a shot was fired; for to have done so would have been to have risked shooting jim and his party. but long, gleaming bayonets were at the ends of the rifles, and the strange weapon played havoc with the natives. the shouts of those in rear reached their comrades in front, and caused them to turn away. then, for some five minutes, the enemy were caught between two forces, george's natives using their knives with terrible purpose. a few moments later and those of the enemy who were left turned tail and fled to the forest, pursued by volleys. have you ever heard excited men cheer, men who had hardly expected to be alive at that moment? that is how jim and his men cheered. they set the jungle ringing, they dashed out into the open and wrung the hands of the police major and his party, and then they sat down and roared at the antics of george's natives; for the latter were filled with triumph. undoubtedly they had fought most bravely, and had proved the salvation of jim and his tiny party; but in doing so they had gained their end. they had broken the power of the tribe which had threatened to molest them, and which had been so plentifully supplied with muskets by jaime and his men. george's hosts had broken their power for evil, and had themselves now become possessed of the weapons; for the enemy had cast them to the ground as they fled. "gee! what a sight!" cried the major, as he surveyed the scene, now that the moon had risen and lighted the clearing. "there's a heap of men killed, and i'm told that amongst them are four white men. but jaime isn't there. the scoundrel who led the robbers, and caused all this trouble, has had his usual good fortune, and managed to get away." jim smiled, and winked in tom's direction. then he nodded to ching, and at the signals the two fine fellows darted away to the back of the camp. "major," said our hero a moment later, as he saw tom and ching returning, "allow me, first of all, to present you with a prisoner. he is tom's capture, and was snatched from the midst of his men. allow me to introduce jaime de oteros." his pluck evaporated, all his assurance gone, jaime stood with tom's grip on him as if he feared that the next moment would be his last. his knees knocked together, his lips trembled, while his shifty eyes looked askance at the negro. "dere you am, sah," cried tom, lifting his prisoner by the arm as if he were a toy. "dis am de scum dat cause all de trouble, dat dare to capture missie." for a full minute the major regarded jaime; then he spoke quietly. "jim," he said, "it's you who should have the post of police superintendent, for this is a most important capture. tom, too, has done finely; finely, i say. but in capturing this man you give us the opportunity of bringing him to his deserts, and so making absolutely sure that no other people shall be victimized. more than that, perhaps, you give the commissioners a chance through him to recover the money he has stolen." jim signalled to ching, and at once the chinaman approached the party, his pigtail swinging out behind him. on his broad shoulders two black bundles were supported, and these he dumped upon the ground at the major's feet without the smallest ceremony. indeed he might have been handling merely a parcel of clothing. "why! what are these? where's that description?" the police officer dived into an inner pocket, but jim saved him the trouble of referring to the description of the missing property. "see here, major," he said, "ching and i had a bit of fine fortune. when we crept into jaime's camp to rescue my sister we brought away at the same moment these two packages. we knew the dollars stolen were wrapped in black waterproof paper, and we guessed clean off that these were they. since then i have opened both in mr. phineas's presence. there ain't a doubt as to what they contain." the major could have hugged our hero. his delight was more than evident. the sight of the recovered treasure took his breath away, and sent him spluttering and coughing. then he began to laugh. he rocked from side to side, holding his flanks, till the tears ran down his cheeks. and tom joined in with him. the huge negro's face broadened, his mouth expanded till it was a veritable cavern, then he bellowed with laughing, shaking in every limb, and almost knocking the breath out of his prisoner's body. "gee! it do take eberyting, don't it, major, sah?" he shouted, when at length he could control himself. "here am dis scum dat cause all de trouble. him ride off from de canal works tinking he made fools of all ob us. but he hab to reckon wid very wise people. massa jim dere to stand in him way, and yo too, sah, i reckon. see what happen. all him friends killed, and, lummy, dat a good t'ing for 'em. missie am taken from de ruffian, and den, on top of all, he lose ebery one of de dollars. oh, dat too sweet altogether! him should be very happy now, for when him hanged he hab nothing to lose but him life, and dat ain't worth countin'." the huge fellow went off into another loud guffaw till jim stopped him. as for the major, he had now become more serious. warmly he congratulated jim and his comrades on their prowess, while george came in for a particular friendly greeting. "guess there'll be shouts when we get back to the canal works," he said at length; "and the sooner we go the better. are your party too tired to march in the morning?" "they'd rather set out soon than stay here much longer," came the answer. "we've still some hours before morning, and if you and your men will settle matters here, and see to the burial of those who have been killed, my party will take a sleep, which will put them on nicely. it will be the first time many of us have closed our eyes since we parted from colon." a little while later a number of figures were snoring in their blankets, while the natives whom george had brought aided the major's party. wounded men were attended to. palanquins were made for those amongst their number who were unable to walk; and fortunately there were only three in the major's party, while jim's had come through the ordeal scathless. as to the men who had suffered damage amongst george's natives, arrangements were made for them to stay in the clearing till their comrades returned. at an early hour on the following morning the whole party set out for colon, a dozen of the police going by way of the lagoon, where they would pick up the long launch which had brought them, while the rest--jim and the major amongst the party--rode through the forest. about noon on the following day they reached the summit of a ridge overlooking gatun, and at once cheered loudly. "ain't it a sight for sore eyes?" cried phineas, his face shining in the sunlight. "you'd hardly expect to see men 'way over there, working as if time was pressing. but see 'em. gangs at the dam, gangs on the railway, and hundreds hidden from sight in the valley, or 'way up at culebra. and watch the smoke from the diggers, the locos, and the drillers! it's good to think that it's all american, and that things are going smoothly." "thanks to the fact that a rascal has been captured," ventured the police major. "don't forget that, please. the best of energies may be brought to naught if there is a rascal secretly at work attempting to wreck matters. things were getting to look bad when our prisoner made his last little effort. but jim has seen to that. say, lad, was it a section you were bossing?" our hero coloured and admitted the fact as if he ought to be ashamed of his advancement. "ah, well," went on the major, smiling slyly, "guess there's other billets going! but there's gatun: i'll send the sergeant along with jaime to the station, and then we four will ride to ancon. there i can report, and hand over the dollars." need the reader wonder that the return of the party caused a huge sensation? indeed the excitement nearly caused a stoppage of work along the zone, a matter almost without precedent. for the hustle and perseverance of the white employees is something out of the ordinary. the fever to press on with an undertaking in which their own personal honour becomes, sooner or later, helplessly involved will hear of no delay, and thrusts aside all obstacles. but the news 'phoned up and down the zone was really too entrancing. jim's name was soon on every man's lips, while even stolid officials cheered when they heard that the gang of robbers was destroyed, the leader captured, and the dollars recovered. besides, sadie was back again, and that caused the utmost satisfaction, her abduction having roused the anger of the workers. a week later found jim promoted to a still more responsible position, while a reward in money was handed to him, and to his three trusty servants. with the help of phineas and other people george obtained a post amongst the employees, and should you happen to call in at the isthmus, there you will find him and his brother, as eager as their comrades. for strenuous work is the order of the day, and every day, along the fifty miles of works. let americans not forget it. let those who can, pay a visit to their kith and kin slaving at the vast project their country has commenced on, and bear in mind that the spirit of dogged courage, of common sense and energy, which won advancement for the hero of this narrative, is possessed by one and all of the workers. for those others, the more numerous body, who for business reasons and others are unable to visit panama or colon, we say, let them obtain the fullest information as to the giant canal which is building there. the day is coming, is indeed getting very near at hand, when america will achieve a triumph, and when it will behove each and every citizen to know every detail, so that the boys and girls of the race, the future citizens of america, always eager for knowledge, may be told how the triumph was accomplished, how thousands laboured and slaved for years far from the sight of their fellows, and how by dint of superhuman effort, by astuteness and most praise-worthy perseverance, they brought their task to a successful termination. for ourselves we long for the day when we may board a steamer and voyage on her decks from the atlantic up through the giant locks of gatun to that vast lake which will extend to obispo, and from thence steam through the cutting at culebra, finally descending through the locks at pedro miguel and at milaflores to pacific level. we look forward to that great day, knowing that none will admire more than we shall the work which jim and thousands of others will have helped to accomplish. as for jim himself, we wish him all prosperity. he is a true american. idleness he does not know, while a strenuous life attracts him. our hero is made of the stuff which forces difficulty and danger aside cheerfully, and which points without hesitation the road to success. * * * * * printed in great britain _at the villafield press, glasgow, scotland_ * * * * * by captain f. s. brereton the great aeroplane. a thrilling tale of adventure. a hero of sedan. a tale of the franco-prussian war. how canada was won. a tale of wolfe and quebec. with wolseley to kumasi. the first ashanti war. roger the bold. a tale of the conquest of mexico. with the dyaks of borneo. a tale of the head hunters. foes of the red cockade. a story of the french revolution. a knight of st. john. a tale of the siege of malta. indian and scout. a tale of the gold rush to california. john bargreave's gold. adventure in the caribbean. roughriders of the pampas. a tale of ranch life in south america. jones of the th. a tale of the battles of assaye and laswaree. with roberts to candahar. a tale of the third afghan war. a hero of lucknow. a tale of the indian mutiny. a soldier of japan. a tale of the russo-japanese war. under the spangled banner. the spanish-american war. in the king's service. a tale of cromwell's invasion of ireland. in the grip of the mullah. adventure in somaliland. with rifle and bayonet. a story of the boer war. one of the fighting scouts. a tale of guerrilla warfare in south africa, the dragon of pekin. a story of the boxer revolt. with shield and assegai. a tale of the zulu war. a gallant grenadier. a story of the crimean war. london: blackie & son, limited, old bailey, e.c. "the united seas" by robert w. rogers [illustration: publisher's seal] blessed are the pathfinders who do not fear the seas, for they have discovered that the very waters are moving toward freedom an interpretation of the opening of the panama canal, commemorated by the panama-pacific international exposition. copyrighted by robert w. rogers all rights reserved in all languages. introduction. vision, the need of the hour we are living in a day when it would almost seem that the person who does not value vision is neither helpful nor wise. for it is a day when the people everywhere need an essential vision in order that they may gain courage to settle down to constructive effort after the close of the world war. in other words there are multitudes who feel that there is a far deeper significance to the opening of the panama canal as commemorated by the panama-pacific international exposition than what appears on the surface. there never was an exposition like it. there never will be another similar to it in the future. simply because there seems to be something written between the lines. it is an exposition in which it appears to be natural for the sanest men to be prophetic--one in which men not only behold the star of faith but also feel that the star is calling them to move toward something better, even if they have to grope their way. an obscure vision seems to be in the sky of hosts of people and they are anxious to hear the interpretations of men who are brave enough to suggest one. they are asking what does the peculiar inspiration of this exposition mean? this book in which the commemorative chapters are written in rhythmic prose--for which the author need make no apology, in as much as whitman and others have already blazed the way for independence of poetical expression--is given to the public with the sole object in view of conveying a message that has impressed the mind of the author. for among the many kind expressions of commendation on the prose-poem, "the united seas," none has been more appreciated than that given by david starr jordan in these words, "your prose-poem has a strong message and many striking lines. i shall be glad to see it published." josiah strong in one of his most recent books entitled, "the new world life," says: "socrates in the phoedo compares the people of his day, to whom the lands about the aegean were the whole world, to ants and frogs about a marshy pond. where would one find a more fitting comparison for people of the same sort in our day? the development of a world life bids us pry out our horizon and learn to think in world terms. facts are god's alphabet from which we may decipher tendencies and tendencies are prophetic." and this prying out of the horizon from the nation to the world--as the viewpoint of the sons of the pilgrims has been widened from a new england to a continental scope--is one of the highest responsibilities and duties of our day. please remember then that the object of this book is to help others glimpse the vision. you may say that there is no practical power in vision. but we have been following the lure of the golden age and the holy city for centuries. visions are the only powerful things in life. and this is what the people everywhere need now; not only practical instruction but also a vision of something grander and better than what they now have, in every land; so that they will be inspired to action. i repeat it: the most necessary thing for america, the waring and neutral nations of the hour is a powerful vision of what ought to be and what can be. men ought to arise in every country and give the people the vision. so go forward, o book, not for the sake of displaying any merit of words. but because you are winged by the mighty inspiration of the hour. speed on and in some slight way help our international statesmen and advocates of peace to carry their message to the peoples from the nations about the seas. _dedicated to my good wife, a lover of flowers, mountains and sea_ table of contents i--the united seas page flowers on all shores the united seas the words of an eastern sage ii--the vision of the builders brilliants from the tower of jewels the jewel city the voices of two cities iii--the coast the threshold of vision our pacific sea iv--the mariner's new inspiration the first trip through the canal the ancon the altruism of col. goethals v--world pioneers land and sea breezes the pioneers of the world the olive branch as an emblem of world peace essential democracy a prayer for world citizens vi--world citizens precepts for world citizens beatitudes for world statesmen the world's neighborhood vii--the sea's highest decree what are the seas about the altruism of the sea viii--helps to interpretation how to become a world citizen the key to the vision balboa a new inspiration for literature ix--sea to land from sea to tree and fruit the olive in biblical history the modern parable of the orange tree i the united seas flowers on all shores not long after the opening of the panama-pacific international exposition, blossom day, an annual feature in california life was observed, to be followed later by nature's offering of flowers on the shores of all nations. here are some blossoms: * * * * * flowers speak in all nations of hope to the fainting heart. and in the nation where flowers degenerate man cannot live. * * * * * "i believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journeywork of the stars and the running blackberry would adorn the parlors of heaven and a mouse is miracle enough to stagger sextillions of infidels." --whitman. * * * * * who am i and who are you to shun the sea-born rain when trees and flowers and birds are made merry by it and never think of shelter.--adapted from quayle. * * * * * "flowers and fruits are always fit gifts because a ray of beauty is appreciated all over the world; because the language of the flower can be understood in any land."--comfort guild. [a]the united seas the wise men from every land, believing that unseen good is often with great events allied unawares, must be asked to unfold the meaning involved in the uniting of the earth's greatest seas. * * * * * for after aeons of isthmian neighborliness and ages of barrier'd friendship, herculean genius has removed the mountain and stubborn nature has yielded to the union of the pacific with the impetuous atlantic, to be commemorated with an apocalypse of light and color, by the races assembled at the golden gate, within the natural sanctuary of our bay, cathedralled by the mountains and the arching blue sky built o'er immensity. * * * * * the petty shylocks have not been invited to be there with unfilled bags for gold, nor the sordid traffickers in human flesh, to daily swarm a city's pits of hell and by a lewd commerce augment their filthy gains. sad wretches! they that holy hour would misfit and defame. for their hands, the jewels could finger and the pageantry their eyes could observe but their souls could never divine the sublime thought of the bridal of two vast seas. * * * * * so give way, blind temporizers! for the seers and prophets have seen our star and have arrived rightly to interpret the emotions struggling for utterance in that unusual hour. in these ominous words, silencing all speech: "the human mind is leaving the log cabin and statehouse to enter 'the parliament of man,' the federation of the world." * * * * * so the true from every land, vast armies of welcome guests, they come!-- the sons of kings and nobles and the late-increasing hosts of freemen, so innumerable, to see the passing of provincial national life. * * * * * and our imagination now hears the mighty tread of pilgrims, and sees this western paradise bestirred in final preparation for its festive attire-- our rocky's wide slope, within its hidden laboratories, by some chemical's new magic hastening to make more enchanting its coast-wide tribute of flowers; if possible more stately its redwoods, more mighty its hills; and our stars in the heavens are brightening their lights to welcome the long caravans from the nations, the ships from all the seas,-- to a ceremony epochal, from dawn into days worthily prolonged. * * * * * for the silvery queen of night will tarry in a veiled appreciation until the powerful king of day comes resplendent from the east, in a new vernal splendor, while the globe, electrified and cabled into hearing, with its armies momentarily halting in embarrassed meditation, will quiver with attention at the dawn of that momentous day when it is authoritatively announced: that the tumultuous atlantean stalwart, the first born of the east and the interminable austral ocean, gentle empress of the west, have been joined in the tidal grasp of a spheric wedlock uniting two hemisphere estates. sure to be conducive to international progress, prophetic of a planetary brotherhood, and bravely resolute for world-peace. * * * * * yes, in spite of war and carnage, the invincible human spirit will then escape the thralldom of a temporary despair; for in this land of hope and courage, which is a prophecy of the world to be, where the strong sons of freedom's pioneers still breathe a bracing air, and drink a freeman's water fresh from every hill--and not human blood with warring kings-- here, the vision so transforming, the vision of our fathers, will become the vision of all the sons of men! * * * * * here, where reason and not hate is peculiarly creative, where the intelligence of peace is so successful--and not the blind force of retrogressive men-- here, the new spirit of world democracy, still youthful like david, must be strengthened to slay the european goliath; to defy mar's staggering bluff and check the antiquated ambition of war. for not only will the vision of our fathers become the vision of all the sons of men, but the resolution of their heroes is also to become the purpose of the race! * * * * * so, the wise men, they too have come! not to finger, nor to trifle; undismayed by war or ignorance, loyal advocates of unfailing providence, cabined not by years nor decades-- they look out upon the ages and can trace historic movements; and for them a thousand years is no longer than a day. * * * * * they look northward toward ambition; they look eastward toward a manager; they look westward toward a holy city; they look southward toward an isthmus; they look inward and declare, "man was born to grow, not stop!" they look throng-ward, to interpret the strange spell overcasting seers and doubters, and exclaim: "the international mind subconscious is struggling successfully here to become conscious. yea, take the scales from your eyes and you will see that the mind of man is becoming broader and your brotherhood from a race is to be freed as the pilgrims from the nations become the pioneers of the sphere-- as they catch the prophet's vision, the son of man's distant vision of an essentially united earth, when they begin to think the world-thoughts, irresistibly inspired by the spheric union of jehovah's two vast seas." * * * * * for the universal father, the god of the united seas, he is still the lord of all might. and his strength is in genius, in love and in truth. the words of an eastern sage charles francis adams, whose grandfather was one of our early presidents and whose father was a minister to london before the civil war, felt with overwhelming reality the inspiration of the world vision. mr. adams, a man of sound judgment and of importance and distinction, a month before his recent death, in writing about the european war, made the following sage remarks: "we suddenly find ourselves thrown back an entire century. again we are confronted by 'paper and blockades' on an almost unprecedented scale, and by 'milan' and 'berlin' decrees, with 'orders in council, in reserve and in response thereto. "such a situation has got to work itself out; and, in my belief, can do so only through the complete exhaustion of those more immediately engaged. when that condition of exhaustion is fully developed the neutral powers, if in the interim they have held themselves in reserve, will be in a position effectively to intervene. the whole sea usage of nations, commonly known as 'international law,' will then have to undergo a process of fundamental revision. the basic principles only will be left; and a new system, which will include in my belief a world federation, an organized judicial tribunal and an international police must be evolved. "this is a large contract; and yet the task is one to which both legislators and publicists cannot, i think, too soon or too seriously address themselves. a great educational process is involved, and cannot be prematurely entered upon; but the time and mode of action and concrete outcome are as yet hardly foreshadowed. under the condition, therefore, which i have thus sought to outline, it seems to me that the present is a time when those who think and feel as i do should possess their souls with patience." these are strong words. and although the time has not yet come when the definite line of action can even be foreshadowed, the people must get his inspiration. he believes that there will be a revision of international law and as has been said that there will be a world federation, a united states of the world to give expression of its rulings through an international court, with its decrees enforced by an international police force. it is going to take the sagacity of strong men to bring this stupendous achievement to pass. but because thoughtful people are beginning to think in this direction, this magnificent ideal is not an impossibility. it is to be prayed for, expected and worked for. and in every land the vision should now be given to the people. footnote: [a] an interpretation of the panama-pacific international exposition, written before the opening on february th, . ii the vision of the builders brilliants from the tower of jewels if god is light, edison and his disciples must have glimpsed some of his glory. * * * * * "they shall splash at a ten league canvas with brushes of comet hair."--kipling's words that might be used in describing jules guerin's masterful work in painting a thousand acre canvas. * * * * * "fair city of the sun, laved by the blue seas, glowing like a topaz within a setting of dark cradling streets, that rose tier on tier around it."--whitaker's impression of the exposition received upon entering the golden gate from the sea. * * * * * the creamy surface of the tower of jewels is studded with , great glass jewels made in austria and safely landed in this country, which with the floods of light diffusing from concealed sources, creates an illumination that is peculiarly impressive against the background of the night's sky and often makes the exposition grounds lighter by day than by night. * * * * * if whitman was right when he said "dazzling and tremendous how quick the sunrise would kill me, if i could not now and always send sunrise out of me," then we do not exaggerate in saying that the sunlight has partly spoken through the builders of the jewel city. the jewel city mystically inspired, amazingly patient, tireless suppliants for the vision you have caught the ray of a true, a far distant light. and these palaces and pillars let them crumble when they their days have fulfilled. for in mind and in soul you have agonized and struggled, until triumphantly you have evoked the very stones into utterance. and through that which decays you have spoken the eternal and the undecaying thought. * * * * * well done, master-minded builders. for the world mind, geographically at least, it has conquered! and through this miracle of color companioning the hosts of the nations about the universe's court, with a modern prometheus banishing the night, you are radiating the contagion of the triumph to the land and the sea. for looking southward in a vision-- the architects and sculptors have seen the first rush of the hemispheric waters, victoriously intermingling. and lo, the inspiration of an isthmian genius has here become the inspiration and joy of a race. * * * * * and the races-- hear the dialects, see the people-- now catching the world thought they hunger for brotherhood. and even while they laugh for brotherhood they pray for they are groping and inaudibly they are praying for more planetary builders, to express the growing consciousness of the international mind, as here materially in stone and in mortar, so invisibly in governments and a new world order, and in a brotherhood, large minded and interracial in its scope. * * * * * and we believe that the god of the united seas will hear their petition in his way. for as intently we gaze, we can see that this apocalypse of light and color, directing upward and sympathizing throng-ward prophesies that the races are divinely to be led into essential unity. * * * * * and even more, o path-finders! [b]we seem to see, the very pillars--emblematic of a holy shaft of light--gathering here. radiating not only towards the skys; but also hovering, hovering, hovering, as if preparing, when the festive days are o'er. to guide to democracy's sacred task across the highways of the seas. the voices of two cities two cities on the western coast are heralding to the world the triumphant completion of the panama canal. and if a certain writer is right in saying that there are seven wonders of the modern world--telephone, wireless, aeroplane, radium, and antisceptics and antitoxins, spectrum analysis and x-rays--as there were seven wonders of the ancient world, we can well add that the panama canal is the eighth modern wonder and that it is the wonder of all wonders, ancient and modern. and it is well that nearly a year is to be given by both cities to the commemoration of this event in order that the whole world may fully feel the significance of this remarkable engineering feat to its whole life. the panama-pacific international exposition held at san francisco, from february to december , , is the national celebration authorized and sanctioned and partly financed by the government of the united states, the total investment being $ , , . the exposition area covers acres of ground, having a frontage of two miles on the bay immediately inside of the golden gate. the grounds are divided into three main divisions; the foreign section nearest to the golden gate, the central portion with its exhibit palaces and great tower of jewels rising feet high and the eastern section for rest and amusement. in keeping with the world consciousness four courts are found on the grounds; the court of the four seasons; court of the universe; court of abundance; court of palms; court of flowers. every state and territory in the union has made exhibits and in spite of the world war more than forty foreign countries are represented and co-operating in the commemoration of this most historic event. the panama-california exposition is held at san diego, california, throughout the year , for which the sum of $ , , was raised. the grounds are embraced within a fourteen-acre park, known as "balboa park," being at the very heart of the city of san diego. the exposition is international in its scope and has exhibits from all the american countries and from some of the european and oriental nations. it has an exhibit showing the progress of man from primitive times up to the present; and also some beautiful floral and horticultural exhibits, which are making both of the expositions most attractive, many of the tourists going south from san francisco in order that they may participate in both celebrations. footnote: [b] an impression caught while crossing the bay at night. iii the coast the threshold of vision the following prose-poem is written from the viewpoint of the national spirit, pressing toward the world vision which directly controls the thought of the previous prose-poem. for the golden gate, especially during the exposition is for the quickened soul the portal--the pulling aside of the curtain through which one gets the world vision. the title, "our pacific sea" might well be interpreted: our--democracy. pacific--nationality. sea--verging into the world-vision. here on this shore--as prophets are, of course, doing elsewhere--we are putting our feet on the rock and looking out over the waters and into the skys. with san diego, which is even nearer to the canal, our whole coast is peculiarly susceptible to world thought at this time. and the people who come here may forever after have an outward and upward look in their lives. much has been written concerning the flowers, hills and climate of california, but at this time, when the world is looking toward our coast, would that more writers would reveal the thoughts that have been inspired in their minds by the sight of our great western sea. the prose-poem itself is a denial of the thought that the pacific is a monotonous calm--an appreciation both of its storms and serenity written after several visits to the beach in which both moods were displayed. the first three verses, the prelude, describe the impression made by the movement of the boisterous sea landward, upon the observor when first arriving at the shore. our pacific sea the raging of our sea! the defiant roar of its attack on rock, cliff and shore, spreads the contagion of a mighty courage, springing from the resolute deep. * * * * * the voices from our sea! like an unending processional stealing on the soul from the double blue afar, the eternal bass of nature's choir, a power-inspiring undertone from profundity. * * * * * the laboring and heaving of her waves like the toiling of all humanity at its task, braces the will with the story of our faithful ocean's endless day. * * * * * o, great pacific! often calm as a sea of glass, who durs't say that thou cans't not live and bestir thyself with boisterous life; that thou cans't not with growing fury hugely to thy defense arise, when rebuffed by wind, by rock and cliff. thy deep is not an incessant, idle sleep! thou cans't heave and leap and live with ponderous life, until thy waves, up from the bottom turning, are all afoam with terrible rage, their salty crests mounting on tangled spray and raining back to sea a million opals. * * * * * we love our sea and thy reserve of strength, for thou art indeed the favorite of our god, for when the son of man spoke to the snarling waves, thou of all waters didst best obey and heed the master's mandate, "peace be still." but he commanded not eternal quite and thou art somewhat falsely famed. for when necessity's hour arrives, thou with all violent seas canst throb from deepest heart; with unrestrained power plunging to climb the skys, crushing against the rocks-- sublimely tempestuous, majestic in rage, in fury glorious! * * * * * and after the waters' landward assault, to-day we can better ascend to observe the ocean's peace. and here, great sea!-- how naturally hovers infinity over that hemispheric calm, as from this rocky, shore-projecting cliff we behold thy endless expanse over meridians and the world, into and behind the sky--vast, serene, stupendous. and as we gaze and worship and pray, drenched with omnipotence, we dare with highest emotions declare that god, not once but always, walks the seas. * * * * * o life giving fount, a resurrecting breeze, we cling to our sea, an army of men in cities and fields, on streams and on hills, because thou dost live and let live. for daily thy breath kisses our shores with beauty and life, thy varying moods are an unspeakable comfort to all manly souls. for thy grandeur holds an invisible gate of gold, through which sails a celestial mariner, the spirit of our father, god. * * * * * o visitors to these enchanted shores, join the brotherhood of the brothers of the sea-- not dreamers, but heroic men, who love our rock-ribbed, templed hills and gigantic trees, but better yet, our sea! take the shoes from off thy feet, for here thou art on holy ground before nature's truest angelus, to feel the awe of power, to think as deep as truth, and leave a noble soul to uplift the homes of friends. * * * * * and deep-eyed patriots, on every shore and from every inland city, vale and hill, look out and up, and live! in spirit journey abroad over latitudes and longitudes, the equator and the sphere, to mingle with the vision'd souls of men who gaze far out on our pacific sea toward the slowly rising essential republic of the world. * * * * * fear not, move out in ship, in thought and plan-- brave men, move out! for on the waters of the earth's vast deeps brotherhood has faith in fatherhood. and the god who bound together the colonies on our new england shores will bind together the nations about the seas, through fearless men of faith moving toward the best the alluring best that is still to be. "the fact that man has discovered no celestial body which contains elements other than those of the earth is more than a hint of the unity of creation" and its movement towards a single purpose.--adapted from josiah strong. iv the mariners' new inspiration the first trip through the canal on august , , the steamship ancon made the first regular, continuous trip, with a complete cargo, through the canal, the steamer cristobel making an experimental journey a few days previously. the ancon, with colonel goethals on the bridge, left colon on scheduled time, passed through the locks and within ten hours entered the waters of the pacific at panama. and twenty-four hours after a small fleet of ships of commerce made the passage of the canal, the opening of which the world is now celebrating on the pacific coast. the commendable spirit displayed by america in the opening of the canal is an indication of what may be expected in the future as far as the united states is concerned in perfecting equitable plans for international co-operation. the new york world puts it clearly in these words: "today the canal lies open to all the nations of the world upon equal terms. the united states has acted with entire good faith, and in the observance of its treaties discriminated against none and reserved no exclusive rights to itself. beyond the collection of tolls, which are uniform to ships of all flags, it has assumed none of the privileges of national ownership at the expense of friends and rivals in trade. it has achieved a moral triumph no less impressive than the material victory won by its engineers over nature in the piercing of the isthmus." the ancon sail through, ancon, most prophetic ship hastening from the heavy sobbing of blood-stained seas. for thou art more than keel and hull, than armor bearer and a man freighted deck thou shoulds't be the mayflower of the coming democracy of the world. * * * * * looking through the vista of this earth-rent canal--a telescope, mirroring a city in the western skys-- clearer, clearer, clearer, becomes the vision of the alluring ideal halloed by a glowing sun. nearer, nearer, nearer doest thou sail, until now behold thou doest glide out onto the pacific, secure in peaceful freedom. until the eastern war clouds being dispelled, on, on, on thou canst sail into the haven of the essential republic of the world. the altruism of col. goethals there is no more beautiful example in history of international altruism than that displayed by col. g. w. goethals, who will for all time be remembered as the one who successfully completed the panama canal. and if all men were like him in spirit the brotherhood of the nations would begin tomorrow. for when the national geographic society honored col. goethals with the presentation of a medal, at its ninth annual banquet held at washington, d.c., which was attended by the president of the united states, his cabinet and the diplomatic representatives of every great foreign nation, these are the words--entirely free from american provincialism--that the eminent engineer used in responding to the presentation of the medal by president woodrow wilson: "mr. president, it is an easier task to build the panama canal than it is for me to find words to express appreciation of the honor conferred upon me by the national geographic society and the distinguished manner in which the presentation of the medal has been made. this medal represents the satisfaction of the national geographic society at the practical completion of the canal and its approval of the services rendered. "those services are not only individual services but national services. the french were the pioneers in the undertaking. but for the work that they did on the isthmus we could not today regard the canal as practically completed. but for the english we probably would not have known the means of eradicating malaria; the death rate would have been great. among individuals we have national representatives in the spanish and the english in our laboring force. "the canal has been the work of many, and it has been the pride of americans who have visited the canal to find the spirit which animated the forces. * * * and so in accepting the medal and thanking the national geographic society for it, i accept it and thank them in the name of every member of the canal army." goethals is truly a world citizen. and the national geographic magazine well defines his spirit in these terse words describing the completion of the canal: "atlantic--goethals--pacific." v world pioneers land and sea breezes the land is better for the sea, the ocean for the shore. --larcom. * * * * * "the tide is rising, let the land be glad. the breathless, rollicking, happy tides, whose comings are in truth the gladness of the world!"--quayle. * * * * * how much earth's flowers, hills, valleys and human life owe to the sea breezes. and how indispensable are the clear mountain streams to the sea, in pouring fresh water into its salty heart. * * * * * how joyful are the waters, when the earth yields up its hosts of travellers, merchants, ambassadors, missionaries, educators, homeseekers and international statesmen to relieve the lonesomeness of its wide-flowing deep. all hail to the many ships that pass by sea! * * * * * "the earth is rude, silent and incomprehensive at first-- be not discouraged--keep on--there are divine things well enveloped; i swear to you there are divine things more beautiful than words can tell." --walt whitman. the pioneers of the world o far-seeing seers, looking over the shoulders of empires and nations, unconsciously dwarfed with prejudice, telescopic in vision, down the vista of the centuries, you know not how far and deep you thought, nor what beginnings you wrought; for we hasten to crown you, the world pioneers. * * * * * call the roll of the men whose minds have companioned with the globe! who were these staunch henchmen of a race, getting their inspiration from a pillared cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, and negotiating with the continents and seas of an earth? who were these world pioneers? * * * * * courageous magellan, you were the first of the spheric heroes, who with your fifteen braves looking out from an isthmian cliff, civilization's bleakest frontier, out upon an untrailed, unsailed, trackless deep, was the first to push away from an astec--hugged shore, and send westward your creaking craft so mightily propelled by an explorer's tireless heart, that when at maclan island the red man's arrow struck you to the earth, the mighty spirit of your immortal soul so fired your companion's wills, that they with invincible force encircled the globe-- past the celestial empire, doubling cape good hope and into seville roads, they came! the first to complete the voyage about the sphere! the first to exclaim, "the world, the world." * * * * * and inconquerable cyrus field you were one; who by linking valentia and new foundland, awakening to mutual speech two continents that were mutually dumb,-- was, in spite of repeated breakings and the cowardly desertion of avowed friends, the first, o indomitable knight of a world's progress, to successfully lay the atlantic cable. the first to start a conversation between two hemispheres and with initial message to yonder shores proclaim: "europe and america are now by telegraph united to god be glory, in the highest and on earth peace and good will toward men." indispensable pioneer, you wedded the continents as goethals united the seas. and now the voice of man is naturalized to a sphere. it can be heard through the nations, around the world. whether caucasian or mongolian--he can talk about the globe. * * * * * and distance-vanishing fulton, you were one; who--launching upon the waters the first steam-propelled ship, the cleremont, from who's experimental hull leaped into existence the savanah, the great eastern and britannia, each moving faster, faster than the one before-- was the first to draw together the continents, like some colossus with a shortening cord of time until from coast range to distant shores and from distant shores to coast range each new speeding steamer brings us closer, making more certain the intermingling of the races preparing for the brotherhood of man. * * * * * and great augustine, dissolute as a youth but angelic as a man, you were one; who--the humblest and the quickest to recognize that since the day of christ all noble men were sent, and that constrained and resolute with paul and with peter they had gone-- was the first--thank god you appeared--to marshal the good men for conquest, to organize into missionary ranks the vision'd souls of the church, dispatching spirit-armored heroes from rome to early england's soil and preventing the annihilation of christian hope and truth. * * * * * noble prophet! little did you know, o augustine, what you had done. unbrazened in the face, illuminated with the divine, with the crystal eye of goodness looking light and health into pagan nights, and cowering lust's mountain hurling hosts, followed by new recruits, since then the ranks have grown. men have come one by one and year by year until fifteen thousand heralded volunteers and ninety thousand native workers now can be seen from glad heavens missionary ridge, offering light and character on heathen fields! far-reaching, sea-exploring, colonizing england in its youth saved for enlightenment! christ inspired it! but you achieved it! and today, as the oceans and the continents are united, so five hundred and sixty-five million followers are gradually demanding that the races and the peoples in essential christianity--the good recognizing in other faiths--shall be one. * * * * * and mind-emancipating luther, thou art one-- fearing only god and truth. hating naught but sham and falsehood! for traveling back from our day into medieval darkness-- (the chains, hear them rattle! but also hear them snap in a true reformers clutch causing multitudes to rise from superstition and stand upon their feet, erect in the freedom of a simple faith)-- we there behold the pioneer of intellectual freedom, a simple monk, commanding the low-browed ignorance of a whole dark continent to think, awakening the western world to science, to true religion and to thought; until the mind of the sullen masses of europe now is brooding, and in america it is voting, while the public mind of the world is becoming more and more habituated to reason for international concourse. for the bible, the rocks and the skys are unchained, because luther lived and honestly dared for the truth! * * * * * these are the men--inspired by him who altered times calendar and began an easter day-- who took epochal steps for the world's conquest. that directly achieved in encircling the globe. but there are others, a host of others, worthy, noble, world pioneers. * * * * * o indispensable pioneers, see them moving out in history, just as bravely, just as necessary, often giving inspiration to the first, most of them impelled forward by columbus and copernicus-- the inspirers of explorers, the pioneers of the pioneers. * * * * * consecrated to humanity and the world, look backward and see the host of sphere-ward moving men; see the explorers--with columbus, balboa, drake, desoto opening up a new west. see the scientists--darwin, spencer, huxley, daring to say that god is in life. see the philosophers--aristotle, plato, hegel, kant and eucken. see the missionaries--judson, carey, thomas, livingstone, moffat and morrison. see the inventors--stevenson, watt, marconi, edison and bell. see the patriots--solon, savonarola, cromwell, henry, lincoln and gladstone. mighty huers through the forests,-- see them laboring for a nation in some special task or knowledge, but incidentally and emphatically for the world. * * * * * and turn your eyes from the past to the present to observe your own world inspired sons! see them moving toward the international congress and the hague, the greatest educators, ambassadors and financiers, see them increasing in their numbers, for they also will be counted with the world pioneers. * * * * * o copernicus, we hail thee for announcing to timid minds that the earth, "it is a globe." o kepler and newton, we celebrate you for asserting it is true. o galileo, we honor and respect you for looking superstition squarely in the face and before highest potentates declaring: "but nevertheless it does move!" we commemorate you all master-minded men, who have announced, and explored and unified the globe. surely these are not pygmies nor dwarfs. but in achievement, they are titans, they are giants, they are the immortal pioneers of the world. * * * * * and these lives moving forward, have they all been lived for naught! no! a thousand times no, o far-sighted men, now enlisting for new world movements! speak the message of the united seas with at least a prophetic international preamble and announce the coming of essential democracy for the world. [c]the olive branch as an emblem of world peace in history the olive has been nobly emblematic of three virtues--peace, purity and industry with its attendant prosperity. and i mention these three virtues for which the olive stands because we will never in the world establish peace unless it is preceded in community, state and nation by virile-mindedness, which is the very secret of industry and prosperity wherever they are found. whenever the greek looked out at a foothill mantled with an olive orchard, gently waving in the distance, a sea of bluish-green leaves; or seized upon an olive branch, he was reminded of the fact that no man was worthy of a crown of olives unless he was right-minded, peace-loving, and industrious. for, the placing of a crown of olive twigs on the brow of a person was the highest distinction that could be bestowed on a citizen who had merited well of his country. not only were the noble-minded statesmen and poets thus honored, but also the athletes who, by scrupulous care and development of the body, gained physical victories at the olympic games. the harmless and commendable victories of peace always result from well-developed manhood. and so on the last day of these games the victor received, in front of the temple, the crown of wild olives gathered from the sacred tree. for the olive was sacred to minerva, the goddess of wisdom and therefore of purity, peace and prosperity. among the romans also it had a similar significance. the olive crown of the roman conqueror at an ovation and those of the equites at the imperial review, alike typified the gifts of peace that, in a barbaric age, could be secured by victory only. i say all history has associated the olive with these three superb virtues, wherever the olive tree has grown. but if secular history has offered the olive branch to the conqueror in honor of a peace secured through contest or war, the surprising thing about the olive in biblical history is that it represents peace as coming directly to an individual, community, or nation because of a christian-mindedness--a type of mind that is controlled by reason, justice, love, intelligence, and purity of thought. for, what do these striking verses in the prophet zechariah mean?-- "'what sees't thou? and i said, i have looked, and behold a candlestick all of gold with a bowl upon the top of it and his seven lamps thereon. "'and two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereon'." what do these beautiful verses mean? simply this,--that the source of all peace, individual and international, is that type of mind which christ and christian statesmen have. the two olive trees, one on each side of the candlestick, stand for christian character--one for the stern moral character of the prophet, the other for the mercy of the true religious teacher. and the candlestick stands for work, for service for mankind and the nations. and as both of the olive trees supply the light with oil, so we are not to seek for peace on earth with the sword, but by increasing the number of men whose service for humanity is controlled by christian morality and justice, mercy, and kindness. these are the men who will bring peace. god increase the number! these are the men that providence can use to correlate the nations into essential democracy. these are the men who are worthy of a crown of olives! these are the men that we must depend upon to correct the compass of the ship of the world, as it moves forward against the besetting fury of antagonistic waters, bearing its prow day by day and year by year against the unwearied enmity of hateful waves, until it reaches the haven of essential international peace. [d]the inevitable drift for the earth-- the white enfolded, or green easter world, warmed by nature's heart into a new bursting life-- like the universe, the earth is a perfect spherical creation, and because the world is a sphere, the most perfect of figures, animated and endowed with purpose and reason, it is therefore much better than all other forms. * * * * * and so man, with humanity-love and reason gifted, feeling that he is a part of all that thrills in sod, sky or sea, developed, demands the fullness of the globe's life as his home. and to look not beyond a continent or nation, is barbaric, retrogressive and sinful; for he that said, to the child of every race, "be thou perfect," thereby also commands to be naturalized to the sphere. and this, o armies and bigots is the inevitable drift! essential democracy it may be helpful to relate, in just a word, what is meant in this volume by essential democracy, essential united earth and similar expressions. springing from the christian idea that all men are created equal in the sight of god, in opportunity, it stands for that type of society in which the essential power of government is wielded by the mass of the people. the one thing that it is important to remember is that a monarchy or an oligarchy is not necessarily an antithesis of democracy--only absolutism in the form of a monarchy or oligarchy or plutocracy is an antithesis to democratic principles. many governments which live under the standard of a republic are not democratic in spirit at all. mexico has virtually been a despotism. the spanish-american states, especially until recent years, were nothing but a specie of military tyranny. and france has often been only a bureaucracy in structure and in state. by essential democracy we mean the gradual triumph of the principles which emphasize the equality of man before god, and which are everywhere coming into increasing recognition throughout the world. one author says that before the middle of the nineteenth century all the great european states, with the exception of russia and turkey, had adopted a constitution limiting the power of the crown "and investing a considerable share of political power in the people, and in most of them a representative legislature of the parliamentary or british type was adopted." while in switzerland, norway and sweden alone on the continent democracy has reached a type of true efficiency. and these triumphs must be remembered by the people for the sake of future inspiration and courage; and because it may help one to interpret the present european war as an agony incident to the progress of growth. it is true that the victory of the principle of democracy has been checked by the persisting of the military spirit in europe and the wonderful industrial expansion in both europe and america. in england also the triumph "has been delayed by the prevalence of aristocratic traditions which still grant privileges and rights to a social class based on berth and inherited wealth." while in american the simplicity of the colonial life and the absence of the people from the aristocratic classes of europe promoted a vigorous and commanding growth of the democratic ideas. and this is why the nations of the world in their struggle for democracy are looking to america, because she has the most nearly of all nations realized the democratic ideal. in light of what has already been accomplished, how inspiring then becomes the lure of the ideal of world democracy. essentially it is splendidly possible. the people crave it because it is god-born. they love to think and work and vote for that far-off divine event. and more than that the words, monarchy and oligarchy, are so out of date that they are anxious to be in spirit and letter citizens of a republic. and wherever the leaven is working thrones are in danger, because great things are going to happen on this god-guided globe, in the interest of humanity. let it be remembered that there are fifty recognized governments in the world; and that of this number twenty-six are republics, twenty limited monarchies, with democratic features, and only four absolute monarchies. the very thought of this is an inspiration and shows that all the nations are rapidly moving in the direction of essential world democracy. a prayer for world citizens our father, who art in heaven--the god of humanity--hallowed be thy name. thy kingdom come, thy will be done in the whole earth as it is in heaven. give the nations this day their daily bread; and forgive them their trespasses as they forgive the nations that trespass against them. and lead them not into the temptation of conquest or self aggrandizement, but deliver them through their rulers from this evil. for thine is the world kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. amen. at the congress of religions held at the world's fair at chicago in , when the question came up as to what would be an appropriate devotional appeal to be used in opening the congress, the representatives of every religion and faith of the world unanimously agreed that the lord's prayer found in the sermon on the mount would be acceptable to all. and the one given above is an adaption from the lord's prayer, given in order that it may be seen how well its spirit could be adapted to world democracy. footnotes: [c] an address delivered in the interest of the peace movement a week previous to the observance of "california ripe olive day." [d] suggested by the words of timaeus of locris. vi world citizens [e]precepts for world citizens never allow the glory of the world vision to keep you from performing your daily duty, be it humble or great; remembering that you are a part of the whole and that the fullness of the world's life will not be expressed if one member of the body fails to perform its function. remember that vision is worthless unless it helps you to take hold of the handle of service with a firm grasp and a new enthusiasm; but also that it is necessary to enter into the spirit of the world vision a few moments at the dawn of each day. * * * * * do not be deceived into looking upon national bigotry as patriotism. for the interests of humanity are always primary to the interests of the nation. what is good for the whole world is good for each continent and government. * * * * * begin to urge a national individualism among established nations which insists less on rights and more on duties; which recognizes that the greed for territory is the "original sin of the nations." god divided the world into nations so that they might help, not destroy each other; and when they admit this they will begin to inaugurate essential world democracy. * * * * * cultivate the spirit of "give and take"; recognizing that there is good to be absorbed from other nations into the international life as well as from your own. do not labor for a world peace which is to depend on "treaties, or skillful diplomacy or mutual fear and equal preparedness for war;" but for one which is based "on the common interests and sympathies and on the mutual needs and services of a world organism, in which each nation is a member of a world body-politic." * * * * * urge a more mature development of an international conscience; remembering that an ethical standard can be established for the world as it was evolved from the individual to the tribal and then to the national standard of ethics. * * * * * do not forget that a man of another race is not a different kind of animal than yourself. for one has well said: "the strangest thing to me is that people who are so different are so much alike." * * * * * encourage the spread of the new knowledge which has given to us a clearer understanding of disease and through eugenics a vital interest in those racial qualities which shall improve future generations, remembering that when the bodies and minds of the races are at their best they will be more open to reason and more cordial to the spirit of harmony among the nations. * * * * * do not be too much alarmed about the talk of foreign labor, or interracial marriage. but take up the torch of enlightenment and fulfill today's duty, remembering that in due time the co-operative council of the occidental and oriental mind will see that all problems are justly solved according to the best interests of the whole race. * * * * * insist that as soon as possible there be inaugurated a permanent international court at the hague, which shall be endowed with the power to act as well as discuss, in behalf of the interests of the whole world. * * * * * finally, put on the whole armor of a faith in a deity which is not tribal nor national but the god of humanity, that you may be able to defeat prejudice. stand, therefore, having your manhood girt about with a broad intelligence; having on the breastplate of righteousness wrought from the essential morality of the races. having your feet shod with the gospel of world peace, your judgment made discreet with the gospel of contact and your soul made heroic for service by an invincible faith in a better humanity, such as was possessed by the son of man. beautitudes for world statesmen blessed are the poor in spirit. for in leaving the prejudice of restricted nationalism they will gain the inspiration of the world view and possess more of the kingdom of heaven. * * * * * blessed are the meek, those possessing the childlike but world view point of christ, for they shall inherit the environment of the earth. * * * * * blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. for the ethics of true religion is to be sifted from the chaff of superstition, and righteousness is to cover the whole earth as the waters cover the seas. * * * * * blessed are the merciful nations. for they shall obtain mercy in return from other nations, and learn that impulsive retaliation is too costly and that patient and honorable conciliation makes for world peace and national prosperity. * * * * * blessed are the peacemakers. for now that the nations have entered through the united seas into a neighborhood; they--by encouraging disarmament and teaching the gospel of contact as well as good will--will hasten the day when the nations can live together without war in the spirit of council and peace. * * * * * blessed is he who is persecuted by people whose minds are filled with race prejudice, national pride and selfishness; for he has discovered the secret of seeing good in all nationalities, of detecting the soul behind the color, and shall be honored by humanity as a pioneer of international brotherhood. * * * * * blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for so persecuted they him who said "go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven and in the councils of the world. * * * * * blessed are the pure in heart. for they shall see god as transcendant and immanent in the resurrected christ. they shall find his spirit in all life and behold his glory wherever they journey throughout the wide world. * * * * * blessed is this noble brotherhood of manly souls. for ye are not only the salt of the school, the city, the state and nation; but also of the earth. yours is not the light of bigoted patriotism. but ye are the light of the world. and your city placed upon a hill cannot be hid. * * * * * blessed are these pathfinders who do not fear the seas, for they have discovered that the very waters are resolutely moving toward freedom; and they are being led forward by a pillar of light into the promised land of the essentially unified races. the world's neighborhood remember that a new world neighborhood has been created, bringing important points on the globe into closer proximity by one-half to two-thirds of the former distance, through the short route of the panama canal. * * * * * therefore, a new commandment is given to each nation, namely, "to love thy neighbor as thyself," by entering by thought and co-operation into such policies as will make for the best interest of the entire new world neighborhood. * * * * * do not think that other nations are unapproachable. but remember that north and south america, with all europe, "are more closely related in point of time and common interests than were the original thirteen states when the necessities of commerce forced them to form the compact of the union; that the two geographical extremes of the colonies were as far separated as berlin and the barbary states or as london and the black sea." * * * * * do not think that the short route through the canal is merely a path for commerce's ships, or only a highway for navies or state dignitaries; but remember also that it is a short route to the hague and international congresses. * * * * * and do not fail to recall that brave men opened up this international highway--not through forests or smoking prairies, but through mountains, swamps, rocks and hills--in order to hasten the day of essential world democracy. * * * * * so think clearly enough and you will surely see that the completion of the panama canal is virtually the discovery of a basis of essential world unity. he who walks by land or sails by sea can now read the will of god. * * * * * with increasing numbers we are now arriving at the day that whitman speaks of in the following words: "the main shapes arise! shapes of democracy total, result of centuries shapes ever projecting other shapes, shapes of turbulent manly cities, shapes of the friends and home-givers of the whole earth, shapes bracing the earth and braced by the whole earth." * * * * * the key that is in tune with all other keys of its own instrument is in tune with all harmony on the earth. and the man that has attuned his life to justice and liberty in the community in which he lives is in accord with freemen in every land, loves the vision of world-wide liberty and prays for its realization. * * * * * tagore, the hindu poet, says: "i have learned though our tongues are different and our habits dissimilar, at the bottom our hearts are one. the monsoon clouds, generated on the banks of the nile, fertilize the far distant shores of the ganges; ideas may have to cross from east to western shores to find a welcome in men's hearts. east is east and west is west--god forbid that it should be otherwise--but the twain must meet in amity, peace and mutual understanding; and their meeting will be all the more fruitful because of their differences; it must lead to holy wedlock before the common altar of humanity." footnote: [e] i am indebted to josiah strong for some of the suggestions in these precepts. vii the sea's highest decree what are the seas about? the deeper one goes into the subject of world democracy the more one is convinced of the necessity of calling to one's aid the help of true religion in formulating a world consciousness. walt whitman, whom many may regard as somewhat unwise in some of his utterances, was absolutely right when he intimated that world democracy could not be formulated without religion. and today there is nothing that is going to help people so effectively to grasp and feel at home with the ideal of an essential union of the nations, as the modern teaching of the immanence of god. if we are a part of the whole world, and if god is in the seas as well as the flowers and hills then we will not dread them, for they are our inspiration and helpers. not only does the teaching of the immanence of god in the seas help the nations into closer fellowship. but what is more than that, it helps the soul of man to find in the waters a purpose. the seas themselves seem to be up to something. no man felt this secret of nature with keener appreciation than the late prof. j. j. blaisdell of beloit college, wis. for in one of his lectures, the notes of which, i still have, he says: "nature is expressive of a purpose. and no one has gotten the good of nature until he has got the momentum of the mighty work that it is working. its face is steadily set forward. it is not static. it is not a current running down. it is an achievement. when you stop and think of it you are led to reflect that its onward movement is so stupendous toward the working out of a far off divine event that if you should throw yourself across its track you would be annihilated in a moment. "i have stood on the shore of lake michigan on a stormy day in december and the rhythm of that lake seemed to be the echo of the march of the universe treading its victorious way into the future. it is about something--its face is steadfastly set to go to jerusalem. the firmness of great souls is but its child and copy; and responded to, it is the breeder of great souls. "now until we become alive to the expressiveness of purpose in nature, a purpose expressed in feeling and ready to lackey man in his pilgrimage, we fail to understand nature and lose much of the blessedness of living in this world. "and my simple question is, how comes about this expressiveness? why, simply there is a person who is projecting himself through this embodiment and it is the revelation of him, just as our friends' ways express the person of the friend behind them." how grand are those words! and how helpful to men who desire the very co-operation of the seas in fulfilling their plans in unifying the races! for if prof. blaisdell was thus inspired with the thought of the co-operation of the waters of lake michigan with the historic purposes of man, what should the true freeman feel as he looks out over the pacific? i can only tell you what i have felt in the words on the following page: the altruism of the sea free from the intrusion of littleness, standing on the shores of our great western sea, my groping thoughts, o sea, now grapple with thy tempestuous waves. my ecstatic soul argues with thy gales for an interpretation of the message flowing clean and strong from the "million-acred meadows" of the out-lying seas. my straining ear listens to the clamorous, reiterating almost uninvokable voice of thy tides. for able to speak to man, like brooks and flowers, i am inquiring, what you are about, the knowledge of your place in the amelioration of the world? * * * * * and lo, now nature's cord is struck, the secret word is caught, and this is what i hear as again i plead, "thou are not a purposeless, lifeless plangent deep. o great sea, who's purpose doest thou fulfill? what are thou almightily about, what doing?" * * * * * "doing!" seems to murmur its sustained voice with its rhythmic storming of my soul, "doing! i am doing what man is doing, what the nations are evolving, what the eternal, creative spirit living within me is urging, i am resolutely moving--crest, wave, tide and ponderous deep in sympathy with world harmony, toward democracy. moving from ponderous deep, tide, wave and crest toward distant lands. eager--so providenced--to carry to all pagan shores, the ships, the statesmen and the life giving trade winds of democracy." * * * * * "it is true, astonishingly," i said, "yes now i sense it and i feel it. and what an unconquerable will, what a purpose! the very shores, they tremble with its resolution, for with man even the seas are sympathically for freemen at work!" * * * * * and then looking outward and skyward, the god of our sea going fathers, the spirit of the very god of hosts, awoke this stronger message to my thought: "fear not, o sons of pilgrims for the waters engulfed not columbus' freemen when they sailed a shoreless sea, nor was the mayflower immeshed in the black jaws of an angry deep. and yours are ships of fate! he who omnipotently palms the oceans pilots them. to let them pass--o ships--to bear them safely on, the tides, the storms and the winds are stayed. * * * * * "move on, move on befriended by an illimitable peace. move on, move on to every slave desecrated shore! move on, the harmless, but forward momentum of these tides will take you on and on. for the creator worketh hitherto and they must work. for he hath given "to the sea his decree." move on to hindu, confucian and teutonic shores. o ships of freemen, sail on!" "winnow me through with thy keen, clean breath wind with tang of the sea." --ketchum. viii helps to interpretation how to become a world citizen to become a good world citizen, it is not necessary to distribute oneself by travel everywhere--although travel is most valuable--any more than it is absolutely necessary for a worthy citizen of the united states to cross the continent or have homes in both california and new york, desirable as that may be. nor would one lose any interest in his nation--remembering that only a bigoted and selfish nationality does harm; and that even in a federation of the nations of the world each individual nation, like each individual state in the union, would have its own interests and would have to do its part towards expressing the life of the whole. of course with the realization of a federation of the world in the future, there would be public world citizens as well as private world citizens, just as there are public and private citizens in every nation; and the public world leaders should necessarily have a higher training, a wider experience and a broader travel than the private world citizen, judging from the standpoint of leadership alone. but independent of these things it should be remembered that every man--private or public--can acquire full world citizenship by learning to think in world terms and developing the world consciousness which makes you feel that you are a necessary part of all that exists. and this can be done by developing an unprejudiced love for humanity, by persistently opposing war, by keeping in touch with world statesmen and reading world literature, by acquiring a love for nature and the seas which comes from a faith in god, by helping to unify the world's languages and religions, by advocating constantly a central world government for the nations, by traveling when one can and by making it as easy for people to travel as possible, by attending all public meetings that deal with international movements, by never losing sight--especially in the hour of perplexity, ridicule and hardship--of the world vision which is championed on these pages and by becoming sanely religious so that you will feel that the same good spirit throbs in your breast that quickens the whole universe into harmony and beauty as well as every flower and living thing on the globe. here are some of the exceptional world citizens. hear them talk in their own words: whitman: "there is no trade nor employment but the young man following it may become a hero, and there is no object so soft but it makes a hub for the wheel'd universe, and i say to any man or woman, let your soul stand cool and composed before a million universes." * * * * * browning's christian creed: "that face far from vanishes, ever grows or decomposes only to recompose become my universe that feels and knows." * * * * * emerson-- "i am the owner of a sphere of the seven stars and solar year of caeser's hand and plato's brain of the lord christ's heart and shakespeare's strain." * * * * * and so the star that shines from above moves on, calling all noble souls to move out by sea and land--with the god who shepherds us with his love and joy everywhere as the guide--to the grandest work of human history, the work of essentially unifying the globe. and as they go forward with this stupendous task, they will not forget to pluck the flowers by the wayside, look into the faces of children and take the hand of their fellows; but rather they will do it with a grander simplicity and a better humanity. the key to the vision the very last and most important thing that must be said on the subject of world consciousness is that man himself is the key to the vision--is that man is the fullest expression of god and that man can conquer nature and build nations, republics and a world democracy. the immanence of god in man is the secret of sanity and balance in the study of this question and also the power that is going to make the vision a reality. and i have purposely refrained from saying anything about the superb position that man holds in this mighty work in order that you might feel the grandeur of the world vision through the power of the seas; might feel the awful majesty of the vision, its divine glory--in order that people might be arrested and caught up in its mighty enthusiasm--before discovering that the secret of bringing it to pass is the wholesome secret of a simple human life. o wonder of wonders, the simple key that balances our thought and puts our feet on the earth in this hour of tremendous vision is in man himself; is right here in our own lives--is in the engineer, the educator, the missionary, the preacher, the financier, all of whom can rise superior to nature and gain dominion over the earth. let me express what i mean in the following on "balboa" who is so intimately associated historically with the panama canal and with the pacific ocean, as its discoverer: balboa can a man discover a sea? can a human eye that's sealed by a night and sun-dazed by day discover a sea? discover, o discover a far-going, a far-coming endless, sky-meeting, infinitely finite sea? could a balboa discover a sea? * * * * * yes-- a dew-drop can orb a sun. a telescope can enfold the stars of a sky. a pure heart can incarnate god. and an eye opened by fate, visioned by providence, looking out from a panama peak can discover an endless sea! * * * * * and great explorer--could you arise and speak-- how did you feel when you discovered a sea? did you feel like a babe first opening its eyes from marge to marge on heaven's blue skys? did you feel like a mariner sailing the ship of the earth out through the gates of the dawn? did you feel like a soul just escaping from its clay out into the joy of the freedom of space into a home built from the light of the suns? looking, looking, looking far outward, how did you feel when you first saw the sea? descending, walking towards the shores, approaching the waters; how did you feel when, with the ineffable shock of a glorious discovery, you first touched the sea? * * * * * and great explorer--could you but speak-- what would you say to a whole coast with pilgrims from all the world inquiring of thee? what would you say, standing now at the mingling of two vast seas. looking west, west, west until west becomes east, looking east, east, east until east becomes west, you could not declare consistently that this is for england, for germany or america alone. but inspired by the thought of the hour, we feel sure you would exclaim: "i--the first to touch both the hemispheric waters-- hear me, all nations, o hear me, claim the intermingling oceans for 'the republic of the united seas.'" * * * * * yes a man can discover a sea and also cross a sea and also chart a sea and even unite the seas, and civilize and uplift all the people in the nations bordering and tributary to their shores. made in the image of god, a little lower than the angels. he can gain full dominion over its wide flowing waters, and on the pillars of courage build essential, earthwide democracy. * * * * * strong men, this, then is the hour's decree! look upward in faith, move outward in service from the harbor of the present to the wide-emancipating future that is to be. a new inspiration for literature a new inspiration for literature is at hand. the times, with its mighty impetus for world movements, more than ever demands a class of literature that has at its heart the world consciousness. and the man that is to write the literature, it seems to me, must familiarize himself with three master-minds: walt whitman, who chatted in terms of world democracy and whose spirit was as readily attuned to the earth as to the dew drop and flower. homer, the blind bard of greece, the masterful interpreter of the power of the oceans, who talked about the seas as easily as the ordinary man converses about village events. christ, the child-like but universal minded leader of the human race, who has quickened men to move toward the essential unity of the races and nations. literature can now come to its own as never before. writers of fiction now have a new and superb opportunity of introducing a majestic back ground to their stories. men everywhere feel the lure of a new inspiration. they want to talk and write in grander terms, bringing new glory to the simple and common place. and they are sure to break forth in the song of a better literature, orchestral with the spirit of world consciousness and broadly sympathetic with the yearning for essential world democracy. commerce, science and religion are active in world movements, and what a mighty help it will be toward the realization of the ideal when many writers of fiction and poetry, as well as of history and politics, begin to take advantage of this opportunity. i can think of no higher calling that can engage the attention of man than that of trying to express the inspiration of these days in a worthy literature; which shall be majestically spiritual, and will tell what the unscaled eyes see, microscoped and telescoped to find the message of nature and history thrilling with a divine life. and when the masses who have not had the opportunity to travel, catch the spirit of a world patriotism and learn to think and talk in world terms--interested not only in their city, their state, their nation, but also in their world movements,--then a world government unifying the nations will be more easily formulated. i say, when the people once glimpse the vision of world peace, world harmony (or democracy) in its full grandeur, a spirit will be aroused that all the warring kings and illegitimate trusts on earth cannot check! david starr jordan well says in a most capable and thorough series of articles on "how to end war" that "people under the stress of immediate excitement might vote for war, especially if told of some vicious aggression." how true that is! and we should also add that there is a cure, a substitute for this false excitement. for the excitement about war is only coarse vaudeville in comparison with the noble passion that takes hold of men's lives when they become interested in the struggle and movements that make for world harmony. and to create this higher enthusiasm--which can never be quenched when once it is kindled in a man's heart--the constructive workers need the co-operation and help of the deepest and clearest visioned men of letters in every nation. the task of reconstruction will be so stupendous that the orator, the press, the writer, must be enlisted to bring the vision to the people so that they and their rulers can be more readily led by the constructive international statesman into essential world democracy. and it is the uniting of the two hemispheric seas that so irresistibly suggests the essential union of the nations. there never was an exposition held, nor ever will be, affording such a vision of world unity; not only because of the union of these two oceans associated with this event, but also because of the world war, which cannot avoid being interpreted by some of the most penetrating thinkers as the darkness before the dawn. any man of clear vision who stands with goethals at the mingling of the two hemispheric bodies of water looking through the clouds of war cannot help but speak prophetically. the world has been brought together geographically. it will also be brought into essential harmony politically and racially. the new proximity of the nations created by the canal demands it. and above all, it is the inevitable drift of things. blessed then are the people that have the vision! and twice blessed are those who give it to others! and above all, blessed are the men who are laboring to make the vision a reality! ix sea to land from sea to tree and fruit the following two chapters were prepared for special occasions commemorative of typical california life. the one on "the olive in biblical history" was written by the author in compliance to a request from "the california ripe olive day association" to be used in the observance of the first california ripe olive day, march st, , at the panama-pacific international exposition. the chapter on "the modern parable of the orange tree" was delivered as a special address at porterville, california, just previous to the beginning of the harvesting of the golden fruit in that section, and is in keeping with "orange day" as observed at the exposition. and it is well for us to close the book with these chapters for the world view only helps us to appreciate the inland beauty more, and the valleys with their restricted vision only prepare us in return for the world enterprises again. the olive in biblical history in the old testament times the olive was recognized as the "fruit of fruits." but during the hurry and rush of western progress a gross oversight has been committed, especially on the part of the american people, in failing to fully appreciate its value; and as a result the olive has not as yet gained its true leadership here among the elect of the trees, composed of the orange, pear, apple, pomegranate, fig, and date. but the oversight has been discovered by the pioneers of the olive industry in america, and the signs of the time indicate that the olive will be known here as it was in the holy land. and, with the unprecedented developments in the ripe olive industry, it has an opportunity of becoming even more favorably known than ever before. by a careful study, recall the place that the olive held in the old promised land and you will get a faint idea of what we mean by the rediscovery of the olive in this new promised land situated here on the coast of our western empire. where the olive originated, we do not know. some think in syria. others are not afraid to say that it is as old as man himself. for not only did it grow previous to the flood, as is indicated by the dove bringing an olive leaf to the ark. but some actually maintain that it was one of the trees that grew in the garden of eden, wherever that may have been. and whether such an assertion is far-fetched or not, there is absolutely no reason why this wonderfully fruitful tree should not have been one of the very first trees appearing on the globe for the sustenance of human life. but wherever it came from, of this bible students are absolutely certain--that it was the most popular tree in the promised land. indeed, it seems to have been one of the inducements that led the children of israel escaping from egyptian captivity to move toward canaan, the land of promise with an irresistible expectancy. for the promised land that they were to enter is described--a description which would most accurately apply to our own california--vividly in the bible as follows: "for the lord thy god bringeth them into a good land, a land of brooks and water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills. a land of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, of olive and honey." and not only were these freemen from egypt encouraged by the fact that they would find the olive with other trees flourishing in the promised land; but they were also commanded, according to the author of deuteronomy, to recognize its superior importance and cultivate it everywhere, in these clearly put words: "thou shalt have olive trees through all thy coasts." and today the very names of different localities in palestine, such as the mount of olives and gethsemane--that is, gath-semen, which means the "oil press"--indicates the love of those people for the beautiful olive groves, which gently nodded at each other across roads and lanes when wooed by the winds, even as they do in california, this newer land of promise. no one saw how conspicuously and romantically the olive was associated with the early bible history of these people, as well as the prophet jotham, who spoke the famous fable of the olive--in which he unmistakably infers that people should recognize it as the most important of the fruits--in these striking and beautiful words, found in the book of judges: "and jotham went and stood on the top of mount gerizim and lifted up his voice and said, 'hearken unto me, ye men of shechem. * * * the trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them and they said unto the olive tree, "reign over us" (or, as one of the versions so suggestively translates the hebrew, "wave your branches over us").'" the olive also held a most conspicuous place in the religious life of the peoples of the promised land. indeed, in the building of solomon's temple years after the babylonian captivity, the olive wood was honored by being used in completing the most sacred parts of the edifice. the cherubims, the sacred symbols of divine wisdom, one on each side of the oracle and each with wings five feet long extending over the temple walls, were made of the olive tree. in fact, the book of first kings shows that the olive wood was built into most of the conspicuous parts of the temple, in these definite words: "and for the entering of the oracle, be made doors of the olive tree; the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall. so was also made for the door of the temple posts of the olive tree, a fourth part of the wall." not only was the olive given a primary place industrially and religiously; but it was also pressed into service on festive occasions of joy, commemorating historic events. it was used at the great feast of the tabernacles, in constructing the booths, made principally of olive branches, intermingled with branches from other trees. and when spring hangs her infant blossoms on california's thousands of olive trees, rocked in the cradle of the western breeze, we will not fail to understand why nehemiah reminds us of the early jews' deep appreciation of the olive branch as a symbol of joy, in these words: "so the people went forth and brought them olive branches (with pine and myrtle) and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts. and all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths and sat under booths, and there was very great gladness." and the psalmist himself must have been inspired by the joy that came from the prosperity of these olive groves, when he wrote, in the one hundred and twenty-eighth psalm: "for thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands, happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. thy children shall be like olive plants round about thy table." indeed, with the greeks and romans, the israelites found that there was no tree that could be used for so many purposes as the olive--its fruit for food, its wood for costly decorations, its branches and blossoms for festive occasions, and its oil for medicine and light. for not only was the olive itself used, but the oil was also used for the anointing of the bodies of the sick, the captive and the dead. and the oil was likewise valued for illuminating purposes in the lamps and vessels in the tabernacle. and how highly they regarded it, we can fully understand by reading these words from leviticus: "command the children of israel that they bring in to thee pure oil of olive beaten for the light to cause the lamps to burn continually." there was no spot in all of palestine that christ loved to frequent more than the mount of olives, to which he retired for meditation and rest. and why was this? it may have been because of the general outlook that he gained upon nature; which is doubtless true in part. but it was not the primary nor exclusive reason why he resorted to the mount of olives. for if there are tongues in trees, as well as sermons in stones, i thoroughly believe that those beautiful olive groves must have said something to his observing mind. what was it? why did he go to the mount of olives? perhaps it was because the olive is the symbol of peace. as ovid said, "in war the olive branch of peace is in use." so the olive groves which the poet browning says "have the fittest foliage for dreams," may have helped him in coming from the turmoil of jerusalem to regain calm and self-control for a warring soul. or, as he walked through the orchards, noticing that each tree was sympathetic to the rest and that each appeared to be a neighbor to the rest, he may have been inspired by thoughts similar to those of the eloquent naturalist who said, "the trees live but to love and in all the groves the happy trees love each his neighbor." and as a result he found it more possible to return to his work with a quickened love for his fellow-men. or perhaps suggestions for chivalrous meekness came to him as he observed the gray foliage of the trees modestly glistening in the sunlight. it might have helped him to say, "blessed are the meek." it may have been that the inspiration of timeless time, the power of eternal years, was awakened in his thought by the knowledge of the marvelous age of those trees. he may have known that well cared for trees will live for three hundred years and even longer. for so great is the olive's hold on life that even when a dying tree is cut down close to the ground, its vigorous root will give birth to still another tree. or it may have been that the mount of olives, clothed with green beauty, like many of our own olive-planted foothills, helped him more to find the spiritual inspiration of nature than a trip to some other, bald and naked, mountain; helped him to say: "all are but parts of one stupendous whole whose body nature is, and god the soul; great in the earth as in the ethereal frame; warms in the sun, refreshes in the breeze, glows in the stars and blossoms in the trees." all these inferences may be true and doubtless are in part. but--if i dare say it--it seems to me that the primary lesson that christ learned in frequenting the mount of olives was the importance of fruitfulness of life. for the predominant characteristic of the olive is fruitfulness. so much so that spencer in his "faerie queen" speaks of the warlike birch--"the beech for shafts," "the ash for nothing ill," "the willow for forlorn paramours;" but always and every time, he speaks of the olive as the "fruitful olive." and this is the reason why the olive should wave its branches over the other trees. for, like manna, it is a composite growth--a food, a fruit, a medicine. always fruitful for a three-fold end; and never failing to be prolific, the trees bearing even for centuries. and this is why the prophet jotham reports the trees as first urging the olive to become king; and why he felt disappointed when the olive tree, in the beginning, refused, saying: "should i leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor god and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?" for, according to the fable, the trees after consulting the fig and vine were finally compelled to temporarily enthrone the worthless bramble as king, even as israel had selected the most incompetent man for ruler, instead of choosing the most efficient statesman who was available. but justice and good judgment would not long tolerate the rule of a worthless potentate. so they ultimately succeeded in enthroning a worthy king, in throwing away the bramble and finally crowning the olive to wave its branches modestly but worthily over the other fruit-bearing trees. the modern parable of the orange tree it is most appropriate at this season when california is just beginning to harvest its "golden crop" to open wide our eyes and find the message of these beautiful fruit bearing trees. for the christ, who's mind was quick to pronounce a curse on idleness in the parable of the barren fig tree, would no doubt have been just as alert to have emphasized worthy success by speaking a parable of the orange tree, had there been orange groves in palistine then as there are today. but there were no citrus trees in the holy land when he walked its highways and crossed through its orchards. hence the religious worker of today has the advantage over the founder of our faith of a visual acquaintance with this luxuriant tree. indeed this fruit has, because of its color, become the most attractive of all fruits in modern life, so universally in demand that it seems to me that the orange itself has and is still seeking interpreters. so if, with ruskin, we can only "open our eyes and see things"--see through and back of things, i am sure that we will clarify the vision of our souls and find emphasized some abiding truths in a new parable of the orange tree. it would be informing to speak of the first orange fruit found in america--to tell in detail how the spanish explorers gave the citrus fruit to the indians of florida, who in eating it dropped the seeds in the soil, making possible the wild orange groves now beautifying the valley of the indian river. for this is the romantic story of the origin of the orange tree in america. or it would be keenly interesting to every californian to read about the arrival of the franciscans in the southern part of our state, who established twenty missions in the rear of each of which was a garden where the orange, olive and fig were planted and bore fruit. because this explains the inception of the industry in our great commonwealth and puts into our hand the key which unlocks the entrance to these modern gardens of hesperides--these orange belts now scattered throughout our state. or in this day when scholars are feverish to learn the origin of things, we could speak of the world's first orange trees which were found in india. from the two original spices--the bitter and sweet--which were first discovered there, we could trace the evolution of the one hundred different varieties of the citrus fruit which are found in the world today, the original fruit being imported by merchants from india into china in the ninth century and into europe in the fifteenth century, and then finding its way to america during the period of spanish exploration. but we prefer to be interpretive, to come closer home than this. we prefer to consider these fruit bearing orchards as an object lesson immediately at hand and to think of the labor and activity of the people co-operating with nature's forces that have made this golden crop about to be harvested possible. thus recognizing at once the suggestion coming so eloquently from these trees that, the fundamental secret of all growth in character as well as in nature is adaption to environment and service, not the passive submission of calvinism alone, nor the uncontrollable egotism of an unrestrained arminianism, but the union of both, the working of god with man--spiritual co-operation, the most helpful phrase in modern religious thought. so with this primary principle as a premise let us try to interpret in detail the new parable of the orange tree. for the man that has learned its parable has found, as dr. mcclaren would say, the secret of a fine soul culture. some days past as i stood upon an elevation commanding a view of that great area of eight thousand acres of orange groves, spreading off into the distance with its wide expanse of tree tops blended into a continuous luxuriant green and its myriads of ripening oranges nestling in the deep green back ground, like countless numbers of gold fish at the surface of a sea or like circular stars in some new sky, these were the three suggestions that came to me as i tried to learn its beautiful parable. first, the secret of a refined christian character is an abiding sense of the reality of god, as revealed in christ. for the finest spirits, the deepest minds and the most arresting personalities from gladstone and lincoln down to the ordinary citizen, have been those that have drawn their inspiration and thought from hidden sources. just as the fruit and leaves of these trees receive their rich color from the sunbeams and absorb their health from the moisture coming from the heart of god's hills, so the cultured souls of history have received their winsome illumination of personality from a light that shineth neither by land nor sea. we realize that these trees could not grow where there is limited sunshine and a restricted water supply. neither can men find moral maturity and health until they possess that type of mind which is characterized by spiritual reality. we know that california's far-famed orange orchards would not be possible without incessant sunlight; and that our golden fruit would never again pass through the golden gate to the markets of the world, if the sun did not appear to shower down upon our orchards its magic beauty gathered in its own paradise beyond the gates of the morning. but tennyson, who had a sane knowledge and appreciation of the sun of righteousness, was also well aware of the secret of a beautiful life when he said of those who had not discovered it, "for what are men better than sheep or goats that nourish a blind life within the brain, if, knowing god, they lift not bands of prayer both for themselves and those who call them friend?" at first i could not understand why the owners cultivated their orchards so incessantly. but when i was told by one of the experts that continual pulverizing of the soil made the moisture more accessible to the roots, permitted the oxygen of the air to find its way to the tree, and liberated the nitrogen in the soil so that it would be absorbed, then i saw clearly that there was a scientific reason for the constant harrowing; and felt that it might be very practical to demand that we deepen our convictions so that we can go into the fields of human life equipped with the mighty contagion of something to say that will go deeper than the ears, to harrow the inner life of patronizing listeners. for without the prophet whose harrowing words opens up a way to the nerve of conscience and quickens the deeper emotions of the soul men will not become eager to receive truth and the masses will remain proselytes of mammon and low ideals. indeed the irresistible characters in religious service like the great singers are those who have had their hearts broken; but at the same time and as a result, their interest in righteousness deepened and their wills nourished and strengthened. these trees are peculiarly beautiful and strong because they send their roots into a well prepared soil thrilling with the liberated elements of life and their branches into god's air to woo the purity of the sunlight. and the young who are to lead us safely in the future are those whose souls have been cultured by helpful and trying experiences--those who have been taught to think deeply, to see far in vision and to act bravely because the conviction of truth and experience has liberated from the subconscious mind--or the subsoil of their lives--those elements which send through the whole man the iron of the prophet and the revealed wisdom of the apostle. one of the strange characteristics about the orange is that the tree is unusually sensitive and the fruit very hardy. indeed the tree can be blighted by a frost that will not injure deciduous fruits so that it must be planted in localities protected by a warm climate and god's hills, and often watched and tended like an infant child. but the orange itself, which is so hardy, has an advantage over many other varieties of fruits and can be shipped into any market in the world. for the citrus fruit is not perishable in the same sense that the plums and peaches are and after being removed from the trees may be kept for weeks with advantage without being destroyed by decay or losing its beauty. i say this is rather unusual. but, to mention the second lesson of the parable, it is no stranger than the guiding of youth through the formative years into a maturity, morally beautiful and capable of vision. and it is only as the home and school, the church and state watch over these sensitive periods, protecting the young from the blights of the frosts of skepticism and sensuality that their lives will mature into characters as golden and hardy as our native fruit. sane, honorable evangelism never excludes christian nurture any more than the sunlight obviates the necessity of soil cultivation. the orange tree, it is true, does not tower in height and conspicuous leadership like the giant sequoias and redwoods--although it is said that the bitter specie of the tree occasionally acquires considerable diameter and that the trunk of one near nice still standing in became so large that two men could scarcely embrace it. the citrus tree does not tower like babel. but better yet, it simply bears fruit for food--which the giants of the forest fail to do--like the strong men who prefer only to be reliably useful. and this third thought suggested by our object lesson is most apparent. for with the instinct of good americans we hasten to declare that the sight of these trees all comparatively of the same height and vibrant with the same beauty and glow of health does not suggest a monarchy, an aristocracy or even a plutocracy but rather a successful democracy; not only one of an equality of rights, because they all have access to the same sunlight and soil, but also an equality of duty because they all seek to bear fruit--a commonwealth in which every private citizen is capable of being an uncrowned king. this must have been the lesson that ruskin interpreted from nature when he said: "a forest of all manner of trees is poor, if not disagreeable in effect, a mass of one species of trees is sublime." and thus as i stood on the highest foothill overlooking these valleys, these were the most important thoughts that were suggested to me by what i saw--the necessity of these three qualities in the forming of mature character, faith in god, the guidance and protection of friendship and education for youth, and useful service, all of which condensed into a single phrase means the co-operation of god with man in producing the beautiful fruit of a refined, symmetrical life. and then it dawned upon me that a number of other men had also learned parables from the trees. for as i looked over that great expanse of orchards to the south, detecting the irrigating streams flowing among the trees, with patches of the barren desert appearing here and there in striking contrast, the results of an abiding faith in god came to me in the words of david: "blessed is the man that walked not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. "he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season, his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." and finally as i descended the foothill and came long side of an orchard and saw a barren, scrubby trunk next to a splendid orange tree vigorous and laden down with fruit, the words of christ pressed to my lips for utterance: "by their fruit ye shall know them. * * * a good tree cannot bear evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bear good fruit." it was then that i said to myself, why should not all men observe and find the helpful parable in this favorite california tree. because we are more than mere animals we should rebel against hearing the terrible parable of a barren fig tree pronounced on our lives. but if we profit by the thoughts suggested by a modern parable of the orange tree, then our spirit will be as beautiful and wholesome as the eternal green of its leaves, our character as golden as its fruit and our deeds as numerous as its blossoms, for often the new blossoms appear before the ripe fruit has been picked from the branches. * * * * * transcriber's note punctuation has been standardised. asterisms retained as in the original text. all other errors and inconsistencies have been retained except as follows; (the first line is the original text, the second the passage as currently stands): decipher tendencies and tenencies are prophetic. decipher tendencies and tendencies are prophetic. will be another similiar to it in will be another similar to it in nor the sordid traffickers in human fllesh, nor the sordid traffickers in human flesh, that the tumultous atlantean stalwart, that the tumultuous atlantean stalwart, the raging of of our sea! the raging of our sea! aristotle, palto, hegel, kant and eucken. aristotle, plato, hegel, kant and eucken. man was worthy of a crown of olives unles man was worthy of a crown of olives unless and that the fullness of the worlds life and that the fullness of the world's life the torch of enlightenment and fulfilll today's the torch of enlightenment and fulfill today's in the hour of perplexity, redicule and hardship in the hour of perplexity, ridicule and hardship the god who sheperds us with his love the god who shepherds us with his love earger--so providenced--to carry to all pagan shores, eager--so providenced--to carry to all pagan shores, i thorougly believe that those beautiful i thoroughly believe that those beautiful jerulsalem to regain calm and self-control jerusalem to regain calm and self-control or, as he walked though the orchards, or, as he walked through the orchards, the two original spicies--the bitter and sweet the two original spices--the bitter and sweet has an adavantage over many other varieties has an advantage over many other varieties the panama canal [illustration: _clinedinst--washington, d.c._ col. george w. goethals, u.s.a., chairman and chief engineer isthmian canal commission.] the panama canal a history and description of the enterprise by j. saxon mills, m.a. barrister-at-law with maps and illustrations thomas nelson and sons london, edinburgh, dublin, manchester, leeds paris, leipzig, melbourne, and new york preface. the literature on the subject of the panama canal is rather dispersed. a full and entertaining history of the project will be found in mr. w. f. johnson's "four centuries of the panama canal" (cassell and co., ), a work to which i am greatly indebted. dr. vaughan cornish has given the results of much research and several visits to the canal in "the panama canal and its makers" (t. fisher unwin, ), and in several lectures, especially one before the royal colonial institute, june , . an inexhaustible mine of information will be found in mr. emory r. johnson's official report on panama canal traffic and tolls (washington, ). the report on the trade and commerce of the republic of panama for the year , by mr. h. o. chalkley, acting british consul at colon, contains useful information. a valuable series of articles on the panama canal appeared in _the times_ of . the _national geographic magazine_ of february contains an authoritative article by colonel g. w. goethals, chief engineer of the canal, and the number for february an interesting appreciation by mr. w. j. showalter. in _scribner's magazine_ for february , mr. j. b. bishop, secretary of the isthmian canal commission, writes a very useful paper on the sanitation of the isthmus. in his recent work on south america mr. bryce devotes one of his delightful chapters to the isthmus of panama. a chapter on the panama canal will be found in mr. a. e. aspinall's "the british west indies," and many references in mr. c. g. murray's "a united west indies." i must thank mr. g. e. lewin, the librarian of the royal colonial institute, for his unfailing help and courtesy. bushey, . contents. preface date history of the canal i. the secret of the strait ii. canal projects iii. the clayton-bulwer treaty and the suez canal iv. the french failure v. the hay-pauncefote treaty vi. the united states and colombia vii. a miniature revolution viii. the battle of the levels ix. man and the gnat x. life at the isthmus xi. the problem of construction xii. the culebra cut xiii. the locks xiv. the completed canal xv. panama and the isthmus xvi. the new ocean highways xvii. the canal and the americas xviii. the canal and the british empire xix. the new pacific appendix i.--hay-pauncefote treaty appendix ii.--panama declaration of independence appendix iii.--hay-bunau-varilla treaty clauses - and appendix iv.--proclamation as to canal toll rates list of illustrations. col. george w. goethals, u.s.a. _frontispiece_ chairman and chief engineer isthmian canal commission. col. william c. gorgas medical department, u.s. army, head of the department of sanitation, ancon. culebra cut, from west bank gatun locks, looking south-west gatun upper lock, looking north gatun upper lock--west chamber pedro miguel locks date history of the canal. conquest of constantinople by turks columbus's first voyage columbus discovers bay of limon rodrigo de bastidas, balboa, and la cosa reach the isthmus columbus's fourth voyage, vainly seeks the strait balboa sights the pacific sept. , pedrarias founds the old town of panama magellan discovers the straits that bear his name - gonzalez de avila discovers lake nicaragua the quest of isthmian strait given up as hopeless _circa_ gomara appeals to charles v. to construct canal drake sights the pacific philip iii. directs surveys for darien canal english seize jamaica henry morgan destroys old panama paterson's settlement at panama spanish surveys of tehuantepec and nicaragua and von humboldt's residence in central america - panama declares its independence and joins new granada overtures made by central america to united states for canal goethe's prophecies dutch canal concession from nicaraguan government abandoned british honduras annexed by great britain united states treaty with new granada clayton-bulwer treaty panama railway opened to traffic dickinson-ayon treaty between united states and nicaragua president grant recommends canal under united states control appoints interoceanic canal commission suez canal opened la société civile internationale du canal interocéanique founded grant's commission reports in favour of nicaraguan route the de lesseps company formed company starts work bankruptcy of french company new panama company formed construction work at nicaragua - ferdinand de lesseps died hay-pauncefote treaty spooner act panama revolts from colombia hay-bunau-varilla treaty american occupation of isthmus begins completion of canal formal opening the panama canal. chapter i. the secret of the strait. it was either very careless or very astute of nature to leave the entire length of the american continent without a central passage from ocean to ocean, or, having provided such a passage at nicaragua, to allow it to be obstructed again by volcanic action. this imperviousness of the long american barrier had, as we shall see, important economic and political results, and the eventual opening of a waterway will have results scarcely less important. the panama canal will achieve, after more than four centuries, the object with which columbus spread his sails westwards from the port of palos--the provision of a sea-route westwards to china and the indies. the capture of constantinople in by the turks interrupted the ancient trade routes between east and west. brigands held up the caravans which plodded across the desert sands from the euphrates and the indus, and pirates swarmed in the mediterranean and red sea, intercepting the precious cargoes of silks and jewels and spices consigned to the merchants of italy. the eyes of all europe were turned to the atlantic, and an ocean route westwards to india and the orient, the existence of which had been fabled from the days of aristotle, became an economic necessity. columbus, as every one knows, died in the belief that he had discovered this route, and that the lands he had visited were fringes and islands of the eastern asiatic continent. the geographers of those days greatly exaggerated the eastern extension of asia, with the result that the distance from europe to china and india was underestimated by at least one-half. this was a fortunate mistake, for it is improbable that if columbus had known that cathay and cipangu (japan) were a good , miles westwards from the coast of spain he would have ventured upon a continuous voyage of that length in the vessels of his time. it was in his fourth voyage ( ) that columbus first reached and explored the coastline of the isthmus and central america. he was apparently not the first to land on the isthmus. that distinction belongs either to alfonso ojeda, who is said to have reached "terra firma" earlier in , or to rodrigo de bastidas, who, we are told, set sail from cadiz with la cosa in , and, reached the isthmus somewhere near porto bello. about the doings of columbus on the mainland we get some detailed information from the portuguese historian and explorer of the sixteenth century, galvano. it is interesting to read that the great navigator visited the exact spot where the newly-constructed canal starts from the caribbean coast. from the rio grande, we read, columbus "went to the river of crocodiles which is now called rio de chagres, which hath its springs near the south sea, within four leagues of panama, and runneth into the north sea." it was this same river, as we shall see, that became the feeder of the canal when the high-level scheme was adopted. so far out of his reckoning was columbus that at panama he imagined himself to be ten days' journey from the mouth of the ganges! one of his objects, as we know from his own journal, was to convert the great khan of tartary to the christian faith, and this entanglement in what he called "the islands of the indian sea" was a sore hindrance to that and all his other purposes. he began that search for the strait which engaged the attention and tried the temper of spanish, portuguese, and english navigators for the next thirty years. he had heard from the natives of the coast of "a narrow place between two seas." they probably meant a narrow strip of land as at panama. but columbus understood them to mean a narrow waterway, and rumours of such a passage no doubt existed then, as they still do among the isthmian tribes. he must also have heard accounts of the great ocean only thirty miles away, and it is rather surprising he should not have made a dash across and anticipated balboa and drake. in may , however, he quitted the "terra firma" without solving the great secret, and he never returned to the mainland. he died in , still in complete ignorance of the nature of his discovery. he knew nothing of the continent of america or of that seventy million square miles of ocean beyond, to which magellan gave the name of "pacific." the holy grail itself was not pursued with more persistence and devotion than this mythical, elusive strait by the navigators of the early years of the sixteenth century. the isthmian governor sent out from spain went with urgent instructions to solve the "secret of the strait." in balboa set himself to the great enterprise. if he could not discover a waterway he would at least see what lay beyond the narrow land barrier. from coibo on the gulf of darien he struck inland on september with a hundred indian guides and bearers. it is eloquent of the difficulties of the country which he had to traverse that it was not until september that he won, first of european men, his distant view of the nameless and mysterious ocean.[ ] it was he, and not cortéz, who "with eagle eyes, stared at the pacific." "and all his men looked at each other with a wild surmise, silent upon a peak in darien." cortéz was himself a persistent searcher for the mythical strait. he wrote home to the king of spain saying, "if the strait is found, i shall hold it to be the greatest service i have yet rendered. it would make the king of spain master of so many lands that he might call himself the lord of the whole world." these vain attempts had very important results. they led incidentally to the exploration of the whole coastline of the american continent. for example, jacques cartier, who was sent out by the king of france about this time to find "the shorter route to cathay," searched the coast northwards as far as labrador and thus prepared the way for the planting of a french colony in canada. at last, in , a sea-passage from the atlantic to the pacific was actually discovered by the first great circumnavigator, magellan, but it was far away from the narrow lands between north and south america. through the perilous straits that have ever since borne his name at the southern extremity of the continent, magellan pushed his venturous way into the great ocean beyond. but even magellan had no idea that a few miles south of his strait the land ended and atlantic and pacific mingled their waters in one great flood. that truth was accidentally discovered by the english drake more than fifty years afterwards ( ). drake had been driven southward by stormy weather when he made the discovery which almost eclipsed in its importance even magellan's exploit. in his exultation, we are told, he landed on the farthest island, and walking alone with his instruments to its extremity threw himself down, and with his arms embraced the southernmost point of the known world. from that point drake sailed up the western coast of south america, engaged mainly in his favourite pursuit of "singeing the king of spain's beard"--capturing, that is, the treasure-ships bound to panama. but he did not forget the more scientific duty of searching for the strait. far northward he held his course, past the future california, till he must have been off the coastline of what is now british columbia, ever hoping to find the pacific outlet of the famous north-west passage. but always the coast trended to the north-west, and drake, giving up the quest, turned his prow westward and continued his voyage of circumnavigation. but we are over-running our dates and must return to events at the isthmus. it was about the year that the non-existence of a natural waterway became recognized. and no sooner was this fact accepted than projects for an artificial canal began to be put forward. it was clear to the geographers and traders of those days that an isthmian route westward offered great advantages to the routes _via_ the cape of good hope, magellan straits, or the problematical north-west passage. footnotes: [ ] the eminence known as "balboa hill" in the american canal zone is certainly not that from which balboa first sighted the pacific, though very likely a tradition to that effect will now gradually be established. chapter ii. canal projects. it appears that the honour of first conceiving and proposing the project of an artificial waterway through the isthmus belongs to Álvaro de saavedra cerón, a cousin of cortéz, who had been with balboa at panama. cerón had been for twelve years engaged in the search for the strait, and had finally begun to doubt its existence. his thoughts turned to the isthmus at panama, where the narrowness and low elevation of the land seemed to offer the likeliest chance of an artificial canal. we learn from the old historian galvano that cerón prepared plans for the construction of a waterway there--almost precisely along the route chosen for the american canal nearly four hundred years later. cerón's death, however, put an end to this early project. it is interesting to find the portuguese historian galvano, who flourished in the middle of the sixteenth century, mentioning four possible routes for the canal--namely, darien, panama, nicaragua, and tehuantepec. the choice, however, quickly confined itself to the panama and nicaraguan lines. the reader may feel some surprise that at such an early date as this an engineering project should be seriously considered which was only accomplished in the end by the wealth and mechanical resources of one of the greatest of modern powers. the explanation is that the tiny vessels of the early sixteenth century could have taken advantage of the natural rivers and lakes in the isthmus, especially those on the nicaraguan route, and that far less artificial construction would have been necessary than in these days of the mammoth liner and warship. charles v., king of spain, seems to have been quite alive to the importance of these canal projects. in he directed the governor of costa firme, the old name for the panama district, to survey the valley of the chagres, the river which supplies the water for the upper reaches of the american canal. this gentleman, however, seems scarcely to have shared the royal enthusiasm. he may be supposed to have known the isthmus at these points very well, and his scepticism about the prospect of canal construction there in those days was not wholly groundless. the spanish historian gomara, who wrote a history of the indies in and dedicated it to charles v., declared a canal to be quite feasible along any of the four routes mentioned by galvano. it is true he recognized obstacles. "there are mountains," he wrote, "but there are also hands. if determination is not lacking, means will not fail; the indies, to which the way is to be made, will furnish them. to a king of spain, seeking the wealth of indian commerce, that which is possible is also easy." but charles v. died without making any practical advance in this enterprise, and a rather remarkable reaction took place under his successor, philip ii. it should be noted that by this time a permanent roadway had been established across the isthmus from panama to porto bello, along which the spanish treasure-convoys passed from sea to sea without much interruption. the rapidly growing power of the english at sea made philip fear that, if a canal were built, he would be unable to control it, and would probably lose his existing monopoly of isthmian transit. so he issued a veto against all projects of canal construction. he even persuaded himself that it would be contrary to the divine purpose to link together two great oceans which god had set asunder, and that any such attempt would be visited by a terrible nemesis.[ ] so his majesty not only forbade all such schemes but declared the penalty of death against any one who should attempt to make a better route across central america than the land-route between panama and porto bello. in course of time the king's beard was so horribly singed by english navigators and adventurers in the caribbean sea that the atlantic end of the overland trail became almost useless, and the spanish argosies were compelled to sail homewards round the far magellan straits. but in , as we have seen, sir francis drake ("el draque" as he was called by the terrified spaniards) had suddenly attacked, captured, and scattered the spanish ships off the pacific coast of south america. so the isthmian land-route was once more resumed, and it took the spaniard all his time to hold that open. for many years no progress was made with the idea of an isthmian canal. war between england and spain was the natural order of things in these central american regions. in the english seized jamaica, and soon afterwards established themselves on the coast of honduras and nicaragua. the old city of panama, of which only a picturesque church-tower remains to-day, had been founded by a spanish governor named pedrarias in . in the city was destroyed by that wicked welsh buccaneer, sir henry morgan. the town was rebuilt two years later by alonzo mercado de villacorta, five miles west of the old site. the project of a canal across the isthmus was never allowed entirely to disappear. in a very determined attempt was made to plant a british colony on the isthmus at darien, a little east of the panama route. the pioneer was william paterson, a scotsman, who founded "the company of scotland trading to africa and the indies." sir walter scott, in his "tales of a grandfather," thus describes the project:-- the produce of china, japan, the spice islands, and eastern india, brought to the bay of panama, were to be transferred across the isthmus to the new settlement, and exchanged for the commodities of europe. in paterson's enthusiastic words, "this door of the seas and key of the universe will enable its possessors to become the legislators of both worlds and the arbitrators of commerce. the settlers at darien will acquire a nobler empire than alexander or cæsar, without fatigue, expense, or danger, as well as without incurring the guilt and bloodshed of conquerors." so , settlers set sail from leith in july , no doubt with a high hope and courage. in november the expedition arrived and established itself at a point of the coast still called puerto escoces, or scotch port, in caledonian bay, also named from the same event. "new edinburgh" and "new st. andrews" were founded, but the settlers soon got into difficulties. the climate was intolerable, and the project was opposed from the outset by the english and dutch east india companies, who were alarmed on the score of their own exclusive rights, while spaniards and indians were a perpetual menace. broken down by these adversities the original settlers left the place, but were succeeded at once by another company which, after some successful fighting with the spaniards, were compelled by the superior forces of the enemy to evacuate the settlements in the year . it is possible that if this attempt at colonization had been made after and not before the union of scotland and ireland it would have met with much less opposition in england, perhaps would have received government sympathy and support. in that case the isthmus would have been added to the british dominions, and a waterway might have been constructed under the british flag. it should be added that paterson, who had personally surveyed the isthmus, positively declared that the construction of a canal was a feasible undertaking. during the eighteenth century, though surveying was carried out in many parts of the isthmus by european engineers, the project of a canal was never seriously taken up. it may be remembered that in our own nelson was at nicaragua, annexing the lake and getting control of the interoceanic route in this region, but doing little more than injuring his own health. with the nineteenth century, however, events began to move at the isthmus. the great scientist, alexander von humboldt, spent the first few years of the new century in mexico and central america. in his "political essay on new spain" he described the impervious isthmus, "the barrier against the waves of the atlantic," as for ages "the bulwark of the independence of china and japan." the absence of any water communication at the isthmus between the two oceans has indeed had highly important political and economic results. it kept east and west far asunder. it removed the west coast of north america from the colonizing rivalries of the old world. england and the united states seemed for long ages only semiconscious of their territories on the pacific which were awaiting colonization. even in recent times very few emigrants from europe, who went out with the intention of going far west, penetrated much further than chicago or manitoba. population and industrial enterprise were concentrated in the east of canada and the united states, and have only begun within modern times to move effectually westwards. england was indeed so indifferent about her territories along a far coast, which could be reached only round the horn or by an almost impossible land-transit, that in the settlement of the oregon boundary in the middle of last century she accepted a canadian frontier-line much further north than would otherwise have contented her. she had at least as good a right to california and the territories to the northwards as the descendants of her revolted colonists. the absence of a waterway at the narrow lands secured to the united states and to england their expansion westwards, but imposed on the westward movement a very slow and gradual pace. one result of the new canal will be a very rapid development of these pacific slopes, especially those of british columbia. the effect on south america of this complete severance of east and west has also been very important. the republics on the pacific have been sheltered as much as possible from european influences. immigration has been naturally restricted, the population, especially that of chile, kept free from negro admixture, and the development of the countries effectually checked. the opening of the canal will, of course, have a contrary effect all along these lines. but, to return from this digression, humboldt described six routes in central america where a canal would be practicable, including that which was afterwards adopted at panama. he investigated and discussed many physiographical questions in connection with the subject. there had arisen a general belief that the level of the pacific was much higher than that of the atlantic, and that a sea-level canal would therefore be impossible. humboldt declared against this theory. but it is curious to find him favouring the idea that the construction of a tide-level canal might have the effect of diverting the gulf stream from our shores, and thus making the climate of our british islands much more rigorous and inhospitable. the researches of humboldt in the west indies and central america much interested the scientist's great fellow-countryman, goethe. a passage from goethe's "conversations with eckermann" is worth quoting as an example of prophecy wonderfully fulfilled:-- humboldt [said goethe] has with great practical knowledge mentioned other points where, by utilizing some of the rivers which flow into the gulf of mexico, the end could perhaps be more advantageously attained than at panama. well, all this is reserved for the future, and for a great spirit of enterprise. but so much is certain: if a project of the kind succeeded in making it possible for ships of whatever lading or size to go through such a canal from the gulf of mexico to the pacific ocean, quite incalculable results would ensue for the whole of civilized and uncivilized humanity. i should be surprised, however, if the united states were to let the opportunity escape them of getting such an achievement into their own hands. we may expect this youthful power, with its decided tendency westwards, in thirty or forty years to have also occupied and peopled the extensive tracts of land beyond the rocky mountains. we may further expect that along the whole pacific coast, where nature has already formed the largest and safest harbours, commercial cities of the utmost importance will gradually arise, to be the medium of trade between china, together with the east indies, and the united states. were this to happen, it would be not alone desirable but even almost necessary that merchantmen as well as men-of-war should maintain a more rapid connection between the west and east coasts of north america than has previously been possible by the wearisome, disagreeable, and costly voyage round cape horn. i repeat, then: it is absolutely indispensable for the united states to effect a way through from the gulf of mexico to the pacific ocean, and i am certain they will compass it. this i should like to live to see, but i shall not. secondly, i should like to live to see a connection established between the danube and the rhine. but this, too, is an undertaking so gigantic that i doubt its being accomplished, especially when i consider our german means. thirdly and lastly, i should like to see the english in possession of a suez canal. these three great things i should like to live to see, and it would almost be worth while for their sakes to hold out for some fifty years. many projects for canal construction, chiefly by the nicaraguan route, were started and failed during the first half of the nineteenth century. the second decade of that century witnessed the revolt one by one of all the spanish provinces in central and south america. the colombian confederation, comprising venezuela, ecuador, and new granada, achieved their independence in . panama quickly followed, and allied itself with new granada (now colombia). in the central american envoy to the united states urged the american government to co-operate in the canal enterprise with the states he represented. the result was that henry clay, the american secretary of state, ordered an official survey at nicaragua, and scheme followed scheme in quick succession. in the king of holland was granted a canal concession by the nicaraguan government. this enterprise was frustrated by the outbreak of the revolution in the netherlands and belgium. it would be tedious to enumerate the many projects started during the following years. but it is worth recalling that louis napoleon bonaparte, who was then a prisoner in the fortress of ham, became interested in the subject, and while still a captive obtained a concession and franchise for a canal company from the nicaraguan government. he published a pamphlet on the isthmian canal question which aroused a good deal of attention, though its author's interest was soon diverted to political events nearer home. a passage from his little book is interesting for its strong advocacy of the nicaraguan route by the san juan river and the lakes:-- the geographical position of constantinople rendered her the queen of the ancient world. occupying, as she does, the central point between europe, asia, and africa, she could become the entrepot of the commerce of all these countries, and obtain over them immense preponderance; for in politics, as in strategy, a central position always commands the circumference. this is what the proud city of constantine could be, but it is what she is not, because, as montesquieu says, "god permitted that the turks should exist on earth, as a people most fit to possess uselessly a great empire." there exists in the new world a state as admirably situated as constantinople, and we must say, up to this time, as uselessly occupied. we allude to the state of nicaragua. as constantinople is the centre of the ancient world, so is the town of leon the centre of the new, and if the tongue of land which separates its two lakes from the pacific ocean were cut through, she would command by virtue of her central position the entire coast of north and south america. the state of nicaragua can become, better than constantinople, the necessary route of the great commerce of the world, and is destined to attain an extraordinary degree of prosperity and grandeur. france, england, and holland have a great commercial interest in the establishment of a communication between the two oceans, but england has more than the other powers--a political interest in the execution of this project. england will see with pleasure central america becoming a powerful and flourishing state, which will establish a balance of power by creating in spanish america a new centre of active enterprise, powerful enough to give rise to a feeling of nationality, and to prevent, by backing mexico, any further encroachments from the north. the idea of a trans-isthmian canal seemed likely in the 'fifties of last century to prove a cause of discord, if not of war, between england and the united states. under the rather "pushful" foreign policy of lord palmerston, england rapidly increased her influence and possessions in central america. in "british honduras" was practically constituted a british colony, and british influence was subsequently extended into nicaragua and mosquitia, thus covering the favourite route for an isthmian waterway. the united states were establishing themselves on the pacific through their encroachments on mexico. in they acquired the states of california, nevada, arizona, and new mexico, and naturally began to attach more importance to the canal project and to feel more sensitive as regards rival ambitions in central america. soon after they had acquired these pacific territories, began the great rush for gold to california, and some shorter way from east to west became necessary than the sea-trail round the horn or the weary wagon-trek over the broad north american continent. already in , before the mexican war and the discovery of gold in california, the united states had made a treaty with new granada, by which the former secured rights of transit over the isthmus "upon any modes of communication that now exist or may hereafter be constructed," and by which they guaranteed the sovereignty of new granada over all the territories at the isthmus. it was under this treaty that the panama railway was constructed which brought the town of colon (formerly aspinwall) into existence, and was subsequently taken over by the united states government. this railroad made the isthmus for the first time a highway of world-traffic. it had a monopoly of isthmian transportation, and was able to make any charges it pleased. steamship services to the southern and northern coasts of america from panama were developed, and the railway succeeded so well that it paid down to an average dividend of per cent. it was bought by the first french panama company for the outrageously high sum of £ , , . the existence of the railway really determined de lesseps' choice of the panama route, and the immense amount of excavation done by the french had a great deal to do in turn with the american choice of the same route, so that the construction of the panama railway was a highly important event at the isthmus. the united states took over the railroad from the french with the unfinished canal, together with a steamship service from colon to new york, owned by the railroad. the rivalry between england and the united states along the nicaraguan route became so acute and dangerous that a very important treaty was concluded between the two countries in , when we may say that the panama canal question entered the domain of modern politics. the clayton-bulwer treaty, so-called from mr. john m. clayton, the american secretary of state, and sir henry bulwer, british minister at washington, who negotiated it, held the field for fifty years, and became the subject of endless discussion between england and the united states. footnotes: [ ] herodotus tells a story how the people of knidos were forbidden by the delphic oracle to make a canal through the isthmus, along which their persian enemies could advance by land to attack them. the oracle said that if zeus had wished the place to be an island he would have made it one. there is a curious resemblance between this story and that related in the text. chapter iii. the clayton-bulwer treaty and the suez canal. the treaty of was concerned primarily with a canal along the nicaraguan route--that is, as the preamble expresses it, a canal "between the atlantic and pacific oceans by way of the river san juan de nicaragua and either or both of the lakes of nicaragua or managua to any port or place on the pacific ocean." but as article viii. says, it established "a general principle" relating to any waterway across the isthmus between north and south america. the two contracting parties undertook in the treaty that neither should "obtain or maintain for itself any exclusive control over the said canal," or "maintain any fortifications commanding the same, or in the vicinity thereof," or "occupy, or fortify, or colonize, or assume, or exercise any dominion over nicaragua, costa rica, the mosquito coast, or any part of central america." this agreement, as i said, subsisted for fifty years, but it was scarcely concluded when it was found inconsistent with the growing importance and ambition of the united states, where a demand quickly arose for an american-owned canal. again there followed a series of schemes for canal construction at various points of the isthmus. for example, dr. edgar cullen created some excitement in england in the early victorian days by giving a very favourable account of the caledonian route across the isthmus at darien, in a lecture to the royal geographical society. the doctor was received by the young queen and the prince consort, a corporation was formed, and an engineer sent out to make surveys from caledonian bay. a british and a french man-of-war were dispatched to the isthmus to make investigations. but the surveyor was driven from caledonian bay by local tribes, and so went on to panama, giving a favourable report of that route on his return to england. but nothing came of these incidents, and the american civil war in the early 'sixties diverted the attention of the united states from isthmian affairs. at the end of the war american interest revived, and public opinion set more and more against the idea of sharing a canal with any other power. in president grant gave the first public expression to the demand for an american canal under american control. "i regard it," he said, "as of vast political importance to this country that no european government should hold such a work." later, in an article in the _north american review_, he said, "i commend an american canal, on american soil, to the american people." just before the president's declaration of policy the united states had concluded an important treaty, known as the "dickinson-ayon treaty," with nicaragua, securing a right of way for a canal over the nicaraguan route; and, just afterwards, president grant appointed an interoceanic canal commission which investigated four routes for a canal, and finally, in , reported unanimously in favour of the nicaraguan route from grey town to the san juan river, to lake nicaragua, through the rio del medio and rio grande valleys, to brito on the pacific coast. in an event occurred which was to have a very decisive effect on isthmian affairs--the opening for traffic of the suez canal. these two isthmuses in the eastern and western hemispheres have some obvious features in common. they both link two vast continents and form a barrier between two oceans or oceanic systems. they are fairly equal in breadth--suez, sixty miles, and panama about fifty-four. the shortest line across each runs almost exactly north and south. and they were both until recent times uninhabited country. but there are many dissimilarities. the isthmus at suez is a flat and sterile desert; that at panama is hilly and covered with an almost impenetrable jungle of tropical vegetation. again, suez is a healthy district, whereas panama was, until recent years, a pest-house as deadly as sierra leone or the guinea coast. mr. bryce in his charming book on "south america" compares these two inter-continental causeways from a more historical point of view. he writes:-- a still more remarkable contrast, between these two necks of land, lies in the part they have respectively played in human affairs. the isthmus of panama in far-off prehistoric days has been the highway along which those wandering tribes whose forefathers had passed in their canoes from north-eastern asia along the aleutian isles into alaska found their way, after many centuries, into the vast spaces of south america. but its place in the annals of mankind, during the four centuries that have elapsed since balboa gazed from a mountain top rising out of the forest upon the far-off waters of the south sea, has been small indeed compared to that which the isthmus of suez has held from the beginning of history. it echoed to the tread of the armies of thothmes and rameses marching forth on their invasions of western asia. along the edge of it israel fled forth before the hosts of pharaoh. first the assyrian and afterwards the persian hosts poured across it to conquer egypt; and over its sands bonaparte led his regiments to palestine in that bold adventure which was stopped at st. jean d'acre. it has been one of the great highways for armies for forty centuries, as the canal cut through it is now one of the great highways for commerce. the turn of the isthmus of panama is now come, and, curiously enough, it is the isthmus of suez that brought that turn, for it was the digging of a ship canal from the mediterranean to the red sea, and the vast expansion of eastern trade which followed, that led to the revival of the old designs, mooted as far back as philip ii. of spain, of piercing the american isthmus. thus the comparison of the two isthmuses becomes now more interesting than ever, for our generation will watch to see whether the commerce and politics of the western world will be affected by this new route which is now being opened, as those of the old world have been affected by the achievement of ferdinand de lesseps. it will be seen from this quotation how the completion of the suez canal affected the panama project. lesseps, fresh from his success at suez and not contented with his great achievement there, was easily attracted by the schemes which were afoot for constructing a ship canal at another land-barrier which, like the isthmus at suez, had obstructed the quickest lines of communication between east and west. in a corporation was established, called "la société civile internationale du canal interocéanique," for the purpose of promoting canal schemes on the lower isthmus. its head was lieutenant lucien napoleon bonaparte wyse, who easily obtained a canal concession at bogotá from the colombian government. in an international engineering congress was assembled at paris by lesseps, whose partisans compelled a decision in favour of the panama route. but the united states, determined by this time to construct a canal for themselves without any joint control or international guarantee of neutrality, opposed the french scheme from the outset. no amount of bluff from the french promoters affected this opposition. the american people had indeed some right to complain. the colombian concession to the french was quite inconsistent with the treaty of between this south american republic and the united states. this treaty lesseps tried to induce colombia to abrogate, and every effort, fair and foul, was employed to overcome the american objection to the scheme. in lesseps was fêted at a public banquet at new york, but even the personal presence of the great man failed to have the desired effect. president hayes addressed a strong message to the senate on the subject, a few passages of which are interesting as showing the very decided views now held by the american government and people:-- an interoceanic canal across the american isthmus will essentially change the geographical relations between the atlantic and pacific coasts of the united states, and between the united states and the rest of the world. it will be the great ocean thoroughfare between our atlantic and our pacific shores, and virtually a part of the coastline of the united states. our mere commercial interest in it is larger than that of all other countries, while its relation to our power and prosperity as a nation, to our means of defence, our unity, peace, and safety, are matters of paramount concern to the people of the united states. no other great power would, under similar circumstances, fail to assert a rightful control over a work so closely and vitally affecting its interests and welfare. without urging further the grounds of my opinion, i repeat, in conclusion, that it is the right and the duty of the united states to assert and maintain such supervision and authority over any interoceanic canal across the isthmus that connects north and south america as will protect our national interests. this, i am quite sure, will be found not only compatible with, but promotive of, the widest and most permanent advantage to commerce and civilization. the reader will see that all this is inconsistent with the clayton-bulwer treaty, under which the united states had actually undertaken to claim no such exclusive control as was now desired. lengthy negotiations were now set on foot with england for the abrogation of a treaty which forbade the united states to build a canal of their own and prevented them from effectually opposing the french scheme. lord granville, however, saw no reason why england should abandon the treaty solely in the interests of the united states, and the negotiations were fruitless. meantime the french persisted in their undertaking. their canal was to be tide-level, twenty-eight feet deep, costing £ , , . a corporation entitled the compagnie universelle du canal interocéanique de panama was formed in , and in the same year the work of construction was begun. so it looked as though the americans were to lose all chance of constructing an isthmian canal under their own control. events, however, were to decide otherwise. chapter iv. the french failure. the french company began work on the isthmus in february, and such a rake's progress set in as the world has seldom seen. the name of ferdinand de lesseps inspired such confidence that plenty of money was forthcoming from the french people. a great deal of it was subscribed by small investors who could ill afford to lose their savings, and no fewer than , women took shares in their own names. the beginning of the excavations was celebrated with a "gala" performance in the little theatre at panama, among the artistes being sarah bernhardt. then began a drama or a melodrama of extravagance and profligacy lasting seven years. money was poured out like the torrential flood-waters down the river chagres. i have mentioned the exorbitant sum which the company paid for the panama railway. all the expenditure was on the same scale. princely salaries were paid to the managers and directors, and elegant mansions erected for their accommodation. building operations--warehouses, hospitals, hotels, etc.--were carried on "regardless." mr. w. f. johnson tells of a man who owned thirty acres of land useful mainly as a breeding-place for mosquitoes, but lying right across the route of the canal. it was worth perhaps dollars. the man demanded just a thousand times that sum; the colombian courts awarded it, and the french paid it. for one great mistake the french made was that they failed to secure a canal zone in which they would have exercised full powers of administration. they began to build their canal on colombian territory, under colombian control, and the consequence was that they were fleeced on every side. probably this mistake was inevitable, as the united states would have vetoed any territorial concession by colombia to france as a transgression of the monroe doctrine. the isthmus rapidly degenerated into a moral as well as a climatic pest-house. froude described the condition of things at panama in one terrible sentence: "in all the world there is perhaps not now concentrated in any single spot so much swindling and villainy, so much foul disease, such a hideous dung-heap of moral and physical abomination." in fairness, however, it must be said that lesseps himself cannot be held directly responsible for this state of affairs. he lived in paris, and had probably little notion of what was happening at panama. he furnished an example of the proverbial effects of too much success and prosperity. he seems to have become a superstitious believer in his own star, and to have thought that nothing could fail with which he was associated. still less can the french nation be blamed for the wild doings of their representatives at the isthmus. and there is at least one redeeming feature in the conduct of this enterprise. in the midst of the moral and physical abominations that infested the isthmus during the french occupation, the engineering work went on steadily and conscientiously. much of the french work was available for the americans when they took over the task, and the engineers of the united states have always testified generously to the excellence of the french excavation and construction along the canal route. it must be carefully noted that the french canal was to be sea-level like the suez, corinth, and kiel canals. the construction of such a waterway differed in many important ways from that of the high-level lock canal which the united states have completed. to understand this we must consider briefly the character of the country which lies between panama and colon. the dominant and decisive features of the isthmus at this point are the chagres river and the culebra mountains. the chagres enters the caribbean a little west of colon. its valley runs right across the isthmus south-south-eastwardly towards panama for about twenty-six miles, then, at a place called bas opisbo, suddenly swerves away to the north-east into the trackless and jungle-clad hill country. this valley is the only transverse trench which the isthmus affords at this stretch, and it has always fixed the attention of surveyors looking out for a canal site. if the isthmus had been a rainless desert like that of suez, a canal could have been constructed by a further preparation of this river valley and some heavy excavations along the nine-mile reach from obispo to the pacific. the sea would then have been admitted, the ebb and flow of the pacific (the atlantic shore is almost tideless) being regulated by a tidal lock. but the problem is not nearly so simple. the isthmus is one of the rainiest places in the world, enjoying on the atlantic side inches of rain a year. at panama the rate is much smaller, not more than inches. in the central hills the rainfall averages to inches. the average number of rainy days in the year is at bohio (inland on the atlantic side), at colon, and at panama. the reader must not imagine a perpetual downpour or drizzle. the rain comes down in thundering tropical cataracts, leaving spaces of fine weather between the storms. still, the isthmus is undoubtedly rainy and damp, and it is this humidity which makes the climate so trying, though the variations of the thermometer are by no means extreme and the average air temperature not particularly high. for example, the average temperature at panama ranges from . fahrenheit in november to . in march--that is, during the hottest time of the day, from two to four o'clock p.m. the coolest time is from six to seven a.m., when the average temperature ranges between . in january to . in june. the yearly average daily temperature is . . the thermometer seems never to have recorded degrees fahrenheit at panama, whereas has been touched even at washington. but to return to the chagres river. the tropical rains convert this stream very quickly into a raging torrent. the chagres is capable of rising over forty feet in twenty-four hours. if the chagres valley was to be the site of the canal, as was obviously necessary, how did the french propose to "care for" this tremendous and capricious flow of water? mr. johnson remarks that "those who have seen the antics of the chagres under the stress of a characteristic isthmian rain must be pardoned if they regard the harnessing of the chagres to the canal as something much like the harnessing of a mad elephant to a family carriage." the only course open to the french with their sea-level project was to divert the chagres with its twenty-six tributaries, chief of which are the gatun and the trinidad, from its old valley into another channel, along which it could rage as it pleased on its short journey to the caribbean. this would have been a tremendous, though probably not an impossible, task. the new panama company, which took the french work from the lesseps company in , dropped the tide-level in favour of a lock or high-level canal, and adopted the plan of a dam across the river valley at bohio, creating a lake above this point and discharging the flood waters to the level below by means of a spillway in the adjacent hills. we shall see later how the americans adopted the same principle but modified it in practice. so much at present for the chagres problem. the other main feature of the isthmus is met with about the point where the river suddenly changes its direction--that is at bas obispo, or gamboa, about nine miles from the pacific outlet. here are the hills, the backbone or "continental divide," averaging over feet high but rising to much higher points, which connects the cordilleras of south with the sierras of north america. for eight or nine miles the canal must run through this central barrier on its way to the pacific. the earliest french notion was for a ship tunnel--a project perhaps never seriously contemplated. the only other course was to cut right down through this hilly country. that was a tremendous undertaking, which required, even for its inception, a good deal of the faith which is said to be able to "remove mountains." we shall look more closely at the famous "culebra cut" when we come to the american canal. most of the work of the french companies consisted of the dredging of the sea-level channels at the atlantic and pacific ends. but they drove a pretty deep furrow as well through the culebra mountains, excavating in all about , , cubic yards. with their sea-level scheme the french had, of course, a bigger proposition before them at the hills than their american successors. they would have had to cut right down below sea-level, whereas the bottom of the cut in the american lock-canal is forty feet above that level. considering the difficulty the united states engineers have had with "slides" and "breaks" along the sides of their cutting, one suspects that the much deeper and narrower channel of the french would have proved impracticable. the french scheme gave a width to the channel at this point of only feet, while the bottom width of the american canal is feet. the french work at the "cut" was all utilizable by the americans, who, though with different machinery, adopted the same general method of excavation. in the french company suspended payments and went into bankruptcy. the canal was completed to the extent of about two-fifths, and had already cost nearly £ , , . it was said at the time that about one-third of this sum was spent on the canal, one-third wasted, and one-third stolen. the original capital with the eight subscription lists between and produced nominally £ , , , but actually only £ , , , the loss in discounts, etc., amounting to £ , , . the collapse of the company was followed by investigations and trials in france. ten senators and deputies, together with the directors, were brought to trial. ferdinand and his son charles de lesseps were, among others, condemned to fines and imprisonment, but the sentences upon the lesseps were never carried out. neither the son nor the father was probably responsible for the iniquities which had marked the history of the company. the genius who had created the suez canal was indeed completely broken down by the tragical conclusion of his second venture, and died in in a condition of mental and physical collapse. but financial profligacy was not the only cause of the french failure. disease and death fought against the enterprise from the first. yellow fever and malaria caused as much mortality among the french employees as would suffice for a great military campaign. sir ronald ross, the great expert in tropical diseases, was told in , when at the isthmus, that the french attempt cost at least , lives. this may have been an over-estimate, but there is no doubt that the mortality was terrible, and would probably have brought the french operations to an end even if greater economy and honesty had prevailed in the administration. it must not be supposed that the french made no provision for the victims of these endemic diseases. excellent hospitals were built at ancon, near panama, at a cost of over a million of money; while those at colon cost more than a quarter of a million--in both cases about three times a fair and honest price. at the time of the french occupation of the isthmus nothing was known of the real nature and cause of yellow fever and malaria, of the manner in which they are transmitted, and the only effective means of prevention. all the recent and marvellous advance in scientific knowledge of these diseases was available when the americans began their work, and was applied with the greatest efficiency and success. medical science, quite as much as engineering skill, made a panama canal possible, and we shall have a good deal more to say on this subject when we come to describe the american operations. let us not forget, then, that despite their failure the french did a great deal of good work, which they passed on many years afterwards to their american successors. a quantity of the french machinery, tools, and hardware was also available. it is true that among this was included a large consignment of snow-shovels (for use at sea-level less than degrees from the equator!), and a quantity of petroleum torches for the festivities which were one day to celebrate the completion of the canal. but a great deal of the plant was in good condition. the extravagance and corruption which prevailed at the isthmus during the first french company were almost incredible. but it may be doubted whether any other nation could have succeeded in the 'eighties of last century where the french failed. chapter v. the hay-pauncefote treaty. in a new corporation, known as the new panama canal company, took over all the assets of the de lesseps company, including the railway, and the work of construction was continued, or at least not wholly interrupted. meanwhile the people of the united states were not greatly displeased at the collapse of the great french enterprise. they became more and more determined to construct an american canal under american control. the nicaraguan route was still favoured by many as compared with that at panama. in a surveying party was sent to nicaragua, and the next year the maritime canal company was established to promote the building of a canal there. it is important to notice this particular scheme, for under it work was actually begun. wharves, warehouses, and a breakwater were constructed at greytown, a railway was built, and some progress made with the canal itself. outside the panama route this was the only actual work of canal construction performed in isthmian and central america. the project failed owing to the great depression of trade which occurred in and the impossibility of getting more capital. it should be noticed that these projects of constructing an american canal at nicaragua quite independently of great britain were right in the teeth of the clayton-bulwer treaty of , which still remained in force. most sensible persons saw that the first preliminary to an american canal was to get this treaty abrogated or modified. but this purpose and canal schemes in general were delayed by the outbreak in of the spanish-american war. this was a naval war, and the united states were to feel the inconvenience and danger of having no sea communication between their eastern and western coasts except _via_ the far southern extremity of the continent. united fleet action over the whole theatre of the war was rendered impossible. an event soon occurred which finally completed the conviction of the american people that, in the words of president grant, "an american canal on american soil" was a national necessity. at the beginning of the war the battleship _oregon_, one of the finest ships in the united states navy, lay off san francisco. she was not wanted there, but she was very badly wanted at the west indies, the main scene of the naval struggle. to get there the _oregon_ had to sail , miles round cape horn instead of , miles _via_ a panama canal, if there had been one. everybody in the united states knew that the precious warship was making that perilous journey exposed all the way to the attack of the enemy. if she had been lost, the course of the war might have been very different, and even the delay of this long passage was a serious consideration at so critical a time. however, the vessel arrived safely and in a record time off florida, and the suspense and anxiety of the american people were changed into jubilation. but "never again" was the moral they drew from this painful and exciting experience. at the end of the war a fresh canal campaign broke out in congress, the claims of nicaragua and panama being urged by their respective champions. the outcome of this rivalry was the appointment of a commission, the third of the kind, to go to the isthmus and investigate both nicaragua and panama. we shall have something to say about the report of this commission, which was issued in december . but already, before that appeared, negotiations had been set on foot between the united states and great britain with regard to the clayton-bulwer treaty. allusions to the subject by mr. m'kinley in his second message to congress had brought the question prominently before the people of both countries. the president had spoken thus:-- that the construction of such a maritime highway is now more than ever indispensable to that intimate and ready communication between our eastern and western seaboards demanded by the annexation of the hawaiian islands and the prospective expansion of our influence and commerce in the pacific, and that our national policy now more imperatively than ever calls for its control by this government, are propositions which i doubt not the congress will duly appreciate and wisely act upon. it is obvious that the annexation by the united states of hawaii and the philippines, the beginnings of an american oversea empire, had greatly strengthened the case for a canal owned and controlled by the united states, and bringing the eastern coasts, the governmental centre of the states, into far more direct communication with these new acquisitions in the west. mr. m'kinley's pronouncement was soon followed by conversations between mr. john hay, the american secretary of state, and lord pauncefote, british ambassador at washington. the result was a treaty which was laid before the senate in february . this first attempt, however, was unsuccessful. the american people were annoyed to find that it did not abrogate the clayton-bulwer treaty, but left the united states with something very short of that independent control which they desired. amendments were introduced, and, so altered, the treaty was ratified by the senate on december , . but in this new shape it proved unacceptable to the british government, and it was permitted to lapse; lord lansdowne, however, suggesting that another attempt at agreement should be made. it may be asked why great britain, who had hitherto taken the view that it had nothing to gain, and perhaps much to lose, from the reconsideration of the clayton-bulwer treaty, should now have been so willing to bring it under review. there was a variety of reasons. the government of the united states had protested for nearly fifty years against the agreement, and this pertinacity, together with the changed conditions since the spanish-american war, may have weighed with the british government. then the alaskan boundary question was at that time still under discussion between the two countries, and a settlement was proving difficult. an obstinate resistance to the united states over the canal question might have continued that deadlock indefinitely. at this time, too, england was at the beginning of the boer war, and finding that business a good deal more intricate than she had expected. the sentiment of anglo-american friendship had also grown much warmer since the days when lord granville had repulsed the advances of mr. blaine. in november a new treaty made its appearance. this was ratified by the senate without amendment, and was ultimately concluded between the two powers, being known as the hay-pauncefote treaty.[ ] it is very important to note the provisions of this treaty, because it establishes what is known as the political "status" of the new canal. the hay-pauncefote expressly supersedes the clayton-bulwer treaty and provides for the construction of a canal (mentioning no particular route) "under the auspices of the government of the united states," which country is "to have and enjoy all the rights incident to such construction, as well as the exclusive right of providing for the regulation and management of the canal." it adopts the principles of "neutralization" which were embodied in the treaty of constantinople of in connection with the suez canal. both treaties provide for:-- . freedom of transit in time of peace or war for the vessels of all nations. . freedom of the canal and its terminals from blockade. . a code of procedure for war-vessels entering or leaving the canal. no special reference is made to the question of fortification, but the united states are to be at liberty to maintain such military police along the canal as may be necessary to protect it against lawlessness and disorder. a treaty, however, subsequently concluded between the united states and the republic of panama (known as the hay-bunau-varilla treaty) contains the following provision:-- if it should become necessary at any time to employ armed forces for the safety and protection of the canal, or of the ships that make use of the same, or the railways and auxiliary works, the united states shall have the right, at all times and in its discretion, to use its police and its land and naval forces or to establish fortifications for these purposes. but the most important provision of all related to the question of the charges and other conditions of traffic through the canal. the meaning of the section seems plain enough, though it became a subject of rather acute controversy:-- the canal shall be free and open to the vessels of commerce and war of all nations observing these rules, on terms of entire equality; so that there shall be no discrimination against any such nation, or its citizens or subjects, in respect of the conditions and charges of traffic, or otherwise. such conditions and charges of traffic shall be just and equitable. this provision is reaffirmed in article xviii. of the hay-bunau-varilla treaty. there is no doubt that the british government regarded this promise of equal treatment as some compensation for the surrender of those rights of joint construction and control which great britain enjoyed under the clayton-bulwer treaty. in fact, mr. hay, in a memorandum he sent to the senate committee on foreign relations, described the treaty as a sort of contract between great britain and the united states by which the former gave up those rights just mentioned in return for the "rules and principles" included in the new treaty, the chief among these being, of course, the provision about equality of treatment for all nations. it was, therefore, a surprise when the united states government decided that the expression "all nations" did not include the united states themselves, and that it was quite open to them to give preferential treatment to their "coastwise" traffic. under the term "coastwise" the united states include the sea-traffic not only between ports along a continuous coast, but between such points as san francisco or washington and the philippine islands. as a matter of fact, an amendment proposed by mr. burd in the senate, reserving to the united states the right of favouring its "coastwise" traffic, had been defeated, when the new treaty was under discussion. but, leaving these controversial questions, the most important thing for us to notice is that the panama canal has what is known as an "international status." it is not quite the sole and absolute property of the united states in the sense in which the kiel canal belongs to germany, the corinth canal to greece, and the amsterdam or north sea canal to the netherlands. its status is governed by treaties which impose certain obligations and restrictions upon the united states and lay down certain rules of administration. it was intended at first to make the status of the panama and the suez canal identical. but there are considerable differences. the "neutrality" of the suez canal is guaranteed by all the powers of europe, that of the panama canal by two only, england and the united states, and it is safeguarded and maintained by the united states alone. then the suez canal is and must remain unfortified, while the panama canal will be strongly fortified by the united states. the reader may wonder what precisely is meant by the word "neutral" as applied to the new waterway. the position will be as nearly as possible that indicated by dr. vaughan cornish in the following passage:-- if there be a war in which the united states is not a party, the canal will be used by belligerents in exactly the same way as was the suez canal--for example, in the russo-japanese war--and the government of the united states has pledged itself to see that such neutrality is preserved. but if there be a war in which the united states is a party, the circumstances of fortification and operation by the united states in fact render it impossible for the other belligerent to use the canal, and are intended to have that effect. this being so, the united states is preparing to defend the canal from attack. thus it is important to the proper understanding of the undertaking on which the united states government has embarked that we should clearly realize that the canal is only neutral in a restricted sense.[ ] as a matter of fact the status of the panama canal lies somewhere between neutralization and american control. the hay-pauncefote treaty also lays down the rules which are to be observed by the ships of war of a belligerent using the canal and the waters adjacent to the canal--that is, within three marine miles of either end. they are similar to those in force at suez, and need not be repeated here. footnotes: [ ] appendix i. [ ] "the panama canal and its makers," pp. , . chapter vi. the united states and colombia. those citizens of the united states who thought that with the disappearance of the clayton-bulwer treaty all the difficulties in the way of obtaining a canal of their own had also disappeared were doomed to a severe disappointment. they had not reckoned with a south american republic on the verge of bankruptcy and suddenly presented with a glorious opportunity to fill its empty treasury. two preliminaries were necessary before the united states could settle down at the isthmus of panama to the work of canal construction. they had to purchase the concession, the unfinished works and the other assets of the new panama company, at as reasonable a price as they could obtain; and, secondly, it was necessary to conclude a treaty with colombia, securing to the united states on satisfactory terms the perpetual control of a strip of territory on the isthmus from sea to sea within which the canal could be constructed. the first of these undertakings presented, as it turned out, no great difficulty. the new panama company had begun to despair of its own ability to get a canal finished across the isthmus, and to realize that their best course was to transfer the whole business to the united states. this disposition had been greatly strengthened by the report of the third canal commission, issued in december . probably the members of the commission were convinced of the advantages of the panama route and the desirability of continuing the work of the french engineers. but they were shrewd people. they dwelt in their report on the improbability that the new panama company would sell its property to the united states, and on the difficulty of getting the colombian concession transferred. they decided, therefore, that "the most practicable and feasible route for an isthmian canal to be under the control, management, and ownership of the united states is that known as the nicaraguan route." the commission probably foresaw the effect such a decision was likely to have on the directors and shareholders of the new panama company. if an american canal were constructed at nicaragua, all the property and work of the company at panama would be thrown on the scrap-heap. the company estimated the value of its property at $ , , , a price which the commission, representing the american government, declined to look at. the commission thought $ , , quite enough for the property, and so completely were the americans master of the situation that that price was agreed upon in january . the commission thereupon issued a supplementary report, which reversed the former decision and recommended the panama route and the purchase of the french property. then arose in the congress of the united states a tremendous conflict between the nicaraguans and the panamanians, the champions of the two routes which had so long been in rivalry. the former party insisted that panama was farther from the united states than nicaragua, and therefore the journey from the eastern to the western seaboard of the states would be longer. they argued that panama was unfavourable to sailing vessels on account of the prevailing calms on that coast; that it would be easier to deal with costa rica and nicaragua than with colombia; and that nicaragua was "the traditional american route" as compared with the frenchified panama. the claims of the old darien route were also advanced. this was probably done by american railway people who were against any canal, for the darien route would have involved a rock tunnel five miles long and three hundred feet broad, the attempt to achieve which would probably have ended all canal adventures at the isthmus. from these discussions emerged the celebrated "spooner bill," under which the panama canal has been constructed. it empowered the american government to secure the rights and property of the panama company for not more than $ , , ; to obtain from colombia the perpetual control of a strip of land, not less than six miles wide, in which the canal should run; and then to proceed with the work. but if it should prove impossible to come to terms with colombia and the new panama company, then the nicaraguan project was to be revived. we shall see how, in the sequel, this latter proviso came very near fulfilment. but, as a matter of fact, the spooner bill marks the end of the great battle of the routes which had lasted for four centuries. the purchase price of the new panama company's property was happily settled, but the purchase was of course conditional on the conclusion of a satisfactory agreement between the united states and colombia. it was no use for the united states to acquire unfinished canal-works if they were to be prevented from continuing and completing them. the situation was interesting. the republic of colombia was extremely "hard up." its currency was debased, its treasury empty, its debt rapidly increasing through a large annual deficit. the government, if one may so express it, of the colombian republic was therefore not likely to overlook the chance of "making a bit" out of the necessities of the bigger and richer republic farther north. the united states wished to get their concession as cheaply as possible; colombia wished to sell as dearly as possible. this is not infrequently the case with buyers and sellers; but colombia pushed her haggling a little too far, and in the end very badly overreached herself. the united states began by proposing terms on which they might obtain the desired strip of territory. the conditions were carefully laid down. the territory was to remain under colombian sovereignty, but to be administered by the united states. sanitary and police services were to be maintained by both governments jointly. colombia was to police the zone, with the help of the united states if necessary. but the business terms were chiefly interesting to colombia. the united states were to pay colombia a bonus of $ , , in cash, and after fourteen years an annuity of $ , . these terms, which were not ungenerous, the colombian minister at washington declined to accept. a brilliant idea had, indeed, struck the statesmen of the colombian republic. they had remembered that the concession to the panama company lapsed in october , and that all its property that could not be carried away would revert to the colombian government. only defer any agreement with the united states till then, and the $ , , to be paid to the new panama canal company by the united states would drop like a golden nest-egg into the empty exchequer of the colombian republic. it was a brilliant idea, but the colombian method of pursuing it was rather too crude and obvious. in order to meet the colombian government the united states improved their offer, considerably increasing the bonus and making other changes. an agreement, known as the hay-herran treaty, was actually arranged between the united states and colombia, the latter represented by her minister at washington, dr. tomas herran. this treaty, before it became operative, had to be ratified by the congress of colombia, and the president of that state took care that a congress should be elected which would do no such thing. meantime all kinds of influences, secret and open, were at work. the german "colonial party" had become interested in the question, and had conceived the possibility of germany, rather than the united states, succeeding to the french concession. it is quite certain that the united states would have resisted any such proceeding, if necessary by actual war. there is little doubt, also, that the party in the united states which had supported the nicaraguan scheme were throwing every obstruction in the way of a satisfactory agreement between the big and the little republic. the reader may guess what was the anxiety of the new panama canal company during all this diplomacy and intrigue. they knew that the completion of the sale of its property to the united states depended on an agreement being concluded between that country and colombia; and they also knew that unless they sold before october , they would have practically nothing to sell, because the franchise and possessions of the company would be forfeited to the colombian government at that date. it would be better to sell on the best terms they could obtain to germany or anybody else before the fatal day arrived. meantime the united states brought every force of argument and menace to bear on the colombian government. secretary hay sent urgent dispatches to the american minister at bogotá. he reminded colombia that the decision to adopt the panama route was not irrevocable. the spooner law authorized the american president to await only "a reasonable time" for an agreement with colombia. having waited so long, he was able and indeed bound to resume the nicaraguan project. when the colombian congress duly rejected the hay-herran treaty in august , the new panama company became very seriously alarmed. other offers of purchase were renewed, and the situation became critical for the united states. the american counsel for the company, mr. william nelson cromwell, who had done his utmost to promote the agreement, had the utmost difficulty in keeping his clients to their compact with the united states. he made a hurried trip to paris, where he said something which had the desired effect. there is no reason to believe that mr. cromwell took any part in the surprising events which were soon to alter the entire situation. but he had heard the proverbial "little bird," and the tidings he passed on brought the new panama directors to the desired mood of patience and expectancy. colombia meanwhile kept on marking time. she suggested that a new treaty should be negotiated between the united states and colombia, to be ratified by the colombian senate some time in . that would have put the clock forward splendidly, but the device was duly understood at washington. in october a committee of the colombian senate reported to the senate a recommendation that no agreement should be concluded with the united states until the french concession had lapsed. this recommendation was not acted upon by the colombian senate, nor yet were any steps taken towards the negotiation of a new treaty. the american government gave a generous interpretation to the "reasonable time" specified in the spooner bill, and kept on waiting in the hope that the colombian congress would still change its mind and ratify the hay-herran treaty, whose terms, as we have seen, were liberal to the colombian republic. but when the congressional session at bogotá came to an end on october , , without any further action over the hay-herran treaty, the americans concluded that the whole business was over so far as negotiations with colombia on the panama question were concerned. obviously the only course was to turn to the nicaraguan alternative. and the colombian government no doubt thought it had won the day by sheer force of astute statesmanship. then came a coincidence more astonishing than any since the day when mr. weller, senior, upset the eatanswill outvoters (purely by accident) into another canal. the panama revolution broke out, and the united states suddenly and without further difficulty obtained all they wanted of the isthmus. and colombia? she lost every stick and stone of the canal which was to have been hers in october , never made a farthing on a panama deal, got no thanks from germany or anybody else, and lost a whole province into the bargain. such were the results of very astute statesmanship at bogotá. chapter vii. a miniature revolution. it was not to be expected that panama, one of the constituent provinces of the united states of colombia, would be very enthusiastic about all this haggling and intriguing at bogotá. panama asked for nothing better than that a rich and powerful country like the united states should continue the french enterprise and carry it through. the canal would run right through the province, and would bring it into the main stream of the world's traffic and commerce. no doubt the central government at bogotá would skim off as much as possible of this new wealth and prosperity at the isthmus; but even so, panama would reap a great advantage from the running of this new and much-frequented highway of communication between east and west through its territory. the dealings of the central government with the united states had roused a growing disgust and resentment at the isthmus. the relations between the province of panama with new granada and its successor colombia had been very chequered ever since the revolt of the spanish colonies in central and south america in the early years of last century. panama declared her independence in , and allied herself at once with new granada. but troubles began forthwith. again and again the isthmian province seceded from new granada or colombia, and was induced to return by promises of more favourable terms of union, these always remaining unfulfilled. in his annual message to congress in , president roosevelt enumerated some fifty-three "revolutions, rebellions, insurrections, riots, and other outbreaks" that had occurred at the isthmus in fifty-seven years. not long before these difficulties between the united states and colombia, panama had received a new constitution which was far from satisfactory to the people of the province. there was in truth little to be gained by a continued allegiance to the government at bogotá. some idea of the depths to which colombia had sunk through a long course of bad administration and corruption may be gathered from a passage in the official address of dr. marroquin on his becoming vice-president of colombia in . he said:-- hatred, envy, and ambition are elements of discord; in the political arena the battle rages fiercely, not so much with the idea of securing the triumph of principles as with that of humbling, and elevating persons and parties; public tranquillity, indispensable to every citizen for the free enjoyment of what he possesses either by luck or as the fruit of his labour, is gradually getting unknown; we live in a sickly atmosphere; crisis is our normal state; commerce and all other industries are in urgent need of perfect calmness for their development and progress; poverty invades every home. the notion of mother country is mistaken or obliterated, owing to our political disturbances. the conception of mother country is so intimately associated with that of political disorders, and with the afflictions and distrust which they engender, that it is not unusual to hear from one of our countrymen what could not be heard from a native of any other country: "i wish i had been born somewhere else." could many be found among us who would feel proud when exclaiming, "i am a colombian," in the same way as a frenchman does when exclaiming, "i am a frenchman"? this was a cheerful pronouncement for a people to hear from the lips of a man who was just assuming high office in their midst. it suggests some further reasons why the panamanians should have so readily asserted their independence once more when the negotiations between colombia and the united states fell through. long before that happened, before the colombian congress which was to deal with the hay-herran treaty had assembled, a much-respected citizen of panama, dr. manuel amador (guerrero), had written to the colombian president warning him that serious consequences would follow at panama if that treaty were not ratified. for answer the central government foisted on panama a candidate for congress who was well known as an enemy of the united states and of the isthmian canal scheme. representations to the government at bogotá were useless, and panama saw the prospect of a canal being constructed through her territory fading into distance. then it was that an eminent panamanian, josé agustin arango, a senator at the colombian congress of , who had vainly urged the ratification of the hay-herran treaty, conceived the idea that panama might declare her independence and then make her own treaty with the united states regarding a trans-isthmian canal. it soon turned out that the same idea had struck many others, and a junta of zealous conspirators was quickly formed. señor arango chanced to meet dr. amador one day at the offices of the panama railroad, and unfolded his revolutionary design to that gentleman. the doctor proved highly sympathetic. there was indeed no difficulty in finding adherents. señor arango, dr. amador, and c. c. arosemena undertook the conduct of the movement, and among the other leaders were señor arango's sons and sons-in-law, nicanor a. de obarrio, federico boyd, tomas and ricardo arias, and manuel espinosa. a very important person, general esteban huertas, commander of the troops in panama, was easily enrolled, as were also alcaldes, chiefs of police, and other important officials. the first thing to do was to sound official opinion in washington as to what treatment the revolted province might expect from the american government. moreover, revolutions cost money, and supplies must be obtained from somewhere. so dr. amador and ricardo arias were deputed to go to the united states. there they called on mr. cromwell, the counsel of the new panama company, who gave them very little encouragement. moreover, they were carefully "shadowed" by colombian agents, so that they were able to cable to their expectant friends at the isthmus only the single depressing word, "desanimado" (disappointed). then dr. amador called at the office of a panamanian friend and sympathizer, joshua lindo, and asked for counsel in his difficulties. mr. lindo at once suggested that the likeliest person to help was mr. bunau-varilla, who had been chief engineer under the french canal company. it is interesting to know that this gentleman had been a fellow-student of alfred dreyfus, and had given effective help in the campaign which ended in that officer's liberation from the island prison not so very far from the isthmus of panama. unfortunately, said mr. lindo, mr. bunau-varilla was in paris; but even as the friends deplored his absence the telephone rang, mr. lindo answered the call, and lo! mr. bunau-varilla announced his return to new york. such a coincidence might well seem providential, for mr. varilla proved a friend in need and in deed. he promised the necessary funds as well as other practical help, and asked for only one return--that he might be appointed minister of the reconstituted panama to the united states for just so long a time as was necessary for the arrangement of the new treaty between the two countries for the construction of the isthmian canal. it is not surprising, therefore, that the next telegram sent home by the revolutionary agents was more cheerful. it consisted of the single word "esperanzas" (hopes). dr. amador now made some efforts to ascertain the sentiment and intentions of the united states government. he called on mr. hay, the secretary of state, at the state department. now it is obvious that when a gentleman calls at a foreign office and announces himself as a conspirator against a government with which that office has friendly relations, the visitor cannot expect much practical help and sympathy. but the authorities at washington, whose nerves were raw from the prolonged struggle with colombia, would scarcely have been human if they had not felt a secret joy at a movement which promised such an ample retribution on colombia and so easy a settlement of the panama problem. dr. amador was politely informed that he must pay no more calls at the department. but he had seen and heard enough to assure him that the united states would at least remain neutral, and, if the revolution succeeded, would conclude a canal treaty with the new republic. he felt that there were two very important conditions to be fulfilled. firstly, the revolution must be effected without bloodshed, for public sympathy in the united states would be alienated by any fighting or violent disturbance. the conspirators were also not without a certain natural solicitude for their own skins. secondly, there must be a brand-new government ready to take the place of the colombian administration so soon as this was abolished. the scene now changes to the isthmus. the conspirators were inclined at first to be sceptical about dr. amador's report of the probable attitude of the united states, but on november , , the arrival of the american gunboat _nashville_ at colon reassured them. the _nashville_ had come, as american men-of-war had frequently come in the past to colon or panama, not to take sides with any party in a scrimmage, but calmly and impartially to maintain order and keep transit open at the isthmus, in accordance with treaty obligations. the orders to the _nashville_, as subsequently to the _boston_ and the _dixie_, were these:-- maintain free and uninterrupted transit. if interruption threatened by armed force, occupy line of railroad. prevent landing of any armed force with hostile intent, either government or insurgent, either at colon, porto bello, or other point.[ ] a similar order was sent to rear-admiral glass at acapulco, who was to proceed to panama with the same object. but the coming _coup d'état_ was known at bogotá as well as at washington. the date fixed for the outbreak was november . general huertas was to be ready with his troops, and the signal to be given by the blowing of bugles by the firemen. but the colombian government at last decided to act, and on november the steamer _carthagena_ arrived at colon, having on board general tovar with a force of about four hundred and fifty men. the commander with three other resplendent warriors, generals castro, alban, and amaya, at once took train for panama; while their troops, many of whom had brought their wives, camped out in the streets of colon. these events were duly telephoned to panama. the news reached dr. amador and his friends at ten o'clock, just an hour before the arrival of the colombian officers. it was "a crowded hour of glorious life" for the conspirators, some of whom found the excitement too much for their nerves, disappeared from the scene, and gave up the conspiracy business altogether. but the leaders were of better mettle, and while the trans-isthmian train was rapidly bringing the representatives of the established government to panama a good many plans were discussed. the desperate nature of the occasion may be gathered from the fact that one of the proposals was to drug the colombian officers, and when thus disabled convey them to durance vile. in great perplexity dr. amador sought general huertas; but he had put on his dress uniform and gone to the station to meet his superiors. so matters were to be allowed to take their own course. at eleven o'clock a gush of glittering uniforms, fifteen in all, counting the generals and the staffs, descended upon the panama platform. one might almost have expected them to advance to the footlights and announce their arrival and intentions in a four-part chorus. here obviously were the properties, the stage scenery, and the artistes, principals and chorus, of a first-rate comic opera. in the harbour lay three colombian gunboats whose political views were not fully ascertained, though it was thought the commanders had been won over to the revolutionary cause. the new arrivals were welcomed by general huertas and conducted to headquarters, while the conspirators, no doubt with quickened pulses, awaited subsequent events from a distance. the colombian officers wished to be conducted forthwith to the fortifications and the sea-wall. now this was precisely what general huertas, whose heart beat loyally under his official gold braid to the cause of freedom and independence, wished to avoid, and for two reasons: firstly, it would have been easy for the federal generals to signal to the gunboats in the harbour and thus get command of the entire situation; secondly, on that same sea-wall there were some modern quick-firing guns, behind which even fifteen men might quickly get the whole city at their mercy. so general huertas determined that on the whole he would conduct his guests anywhere but to the sea-wall. he suggested that there were better ways of spending the hot hours of the day than in going round fortifications in stiff and sweltering uniforms. after luncheon, followed by a little siesta behind sun-shutters, would be a better time for the business of inspection. the generals were probably both hot and hungry, and they allowed themselves to be persuaded. but even as they lunched their suspicions seemed to have awakened. some one, it is said, warned them of the trap into which they had walked. and moreover, why did the bogotá troops not arrive from colon? what exactly happened is not recorded, but it is a fact that the generals suddenly insisted on the panama troops being paraded and themselves being conducted to the fortifications. general huertas made some excuse for leaving the luncheon room, and outside the door found dr. amador, the respectable physician of panama, now an arch-conspirator, though without the black mantle and stiletto. "the contrast between these two men," writes mr. johnson, "was most striking. the one was advanced in years, venerable and stately in aspect, and yet impetuous as youth. the other was only a boy in stature and scarcely more than a boy in years, yet at the time deliberate and dilatory. the latter, however, quickly responded to the zealous initiative of the former. 'do it,' exhorted dr. amador in an impassioned whisper, 'do it now.'" the business was soon over. huertas ordered out his soldiers, who knew well enough what was going to happen. then, as the military swells from bogotá came on the ground, the little general gave the order, the rifles were levelled on the colombians, and they were walked off to police headquarters and safely locked up. then governor obaldia was also arrested and taken to prison, but this was only a formality. he was an ardent conspirator, but as he represented the central government, it was thought desirable to perform the symbolical act of arresting and deposing him. he was at once released. there was now no going back. the next step was to announce the fact of the revolution to the gunboats, in the harbour, which were still a doubtful factor. two of them, the _padilla_ and the _chucuito_, remained silent; but the third, the _bogotá_, sent word that if the generals were not released by ten o'clock it would turn its guns on to the city. the generals were, of course, not released, so at ten o'clock the _bogotá_ launched three shells into the city. one of these killed an unfortunate and innocent chinese coolie near the barracks, and that was the only casualty that occurred during the whole course of the great panama revolution. then the _bogotá_, that deed of slaughter accomplished, steamed out of the harbour. the next morning the gunboat _padilla_, which had been considering the situation during the night, suddenly made up its mind, steamed in to a snug anchorage under the fortified sea-wall, and hoisted the flag of free and independent panama. the _padilla_ might have been called upon to make good its new allegiance, for a report was spread that the terrible _bogotá_ was returning to bombard, this time to good purpose. so a letter was drawn up by the consuls of the united states, great britain, france, germany, italy, spain, holland, ecuador, guatemala, salvador, denmark, belgium, cuba, mexico, brazil, honduras, and peru, protesting against the bombardment of a defenceless city without due notice to the consular corps as contrary to the rights and practices of civilized nations. what answer the justly enraged commander of the _bogotá_ would have returned to this rather representative address cannot be known, for the _bogotá_, no doubt unnerved by the sensation of casting three live shells into a live town, never returned to witness the devastation it had wrought. what in the meantime was occurring at colon? why had the colombian soldiers not flown to the rescue and vengeance of their captured officers? the explanation is simple, though perhaps unexpected--they could not pay their railway fares! after the departure of the generals for panama on november , colonel torres, who had been left in charge of the government troops, demanded a "special" to take them across the isthmus. the superintendent of the line intimated that specials were procurable, but that fares must be paid. and the fares of persons ran into money, in fact nearly $ , in gold, or quite a little wheelbarrowful of the depreciated colombian silver. anywhere but in panama or ruretania the plea of state necessity, which in presence of the needed no demonstration, would have procured some concession from the railway authorities. but the railway rules provided for no such emergencies. no fare, no journey--that was the immutable railway law, and colonel torres had to lead his men back to their street encampments. it is one of the many remarkable coincidences at this juncture that the telegraphic and telephonic system also broke down, the wires refusing to transmit any messages from colon to the officers at panama. at last, on november , colon received the news of the revolution and the impounding of the colombian officers. some little impatience then appeared among the colombian troops. they actually threatened to seize the railway and go across in spite of regulations. also it was rumoured that colonel torres, losing for a moment his self-command, threatened to kill every american citizen in colon unless his fellow-officers were at once liberated. at any rate, that rumour was duly reported to the commander of the _nashville_, who, on the strength of it, at once landed fifty bluejackets to preserve the peace of the town. the commander also wrote to the alcalde of colon and the chief of the police, giving the gist of an official order he had received from washington. the order pointed out that to allow the passage of colombian troops from colon to panama would excite a conflict between the forces of the two parties, and would thus interrupt the free and open transit of the isthmus which the united states was bound to maintain. the commander had therefore instructed the superintendent of the railways to afford carriage to the troops of neither party. never was officer so outrageously impeded in the performance of his obvious duty as colonel torres. and right in the middle of the situation thus created the _carthagena_, which had brought the colombian troops to colon, sailed demurely home. in a few days there assembled some nine or ten vessels of the united states navy at colon or panama. on november it was announced that the united states would permit the landing of no forces hostile to panama within fifty miles of the city of panama or anywhere at all on the caribbean coast. was not the united states government compelled by treaty obligations to preserve peace, the paying of fares, and "free and uninterrupted transit" at the isthmus? how unreasonable to suggest that the great and grown-up republic was protecting and taking the side of the little baby republic which had just been born at panama! but the soldiers encamped with their wives in the streets of colon were becoming an inconvenience, and it was highly desirable to remove this substantial lump of grit from the machinery of revolution. the commander of these troops himself helped to effect that object. he, in fact, offered to take his little army away in return for a satisfactory honorarium. the panama treasury fortunately contained at that time a sum of $ , in debased colombian coinage, worth about $ , in gold. a little of this might well be expended on clearing the country of the colombian troops. the commander accepted $ , in gold, and quickly bundled the loyal troops and their spouses on board the royal mail steamship _orinoco_ for passage homewards. he himself did not propose to return home and report himself. his scheme was to go to jamaica and spend his suddenly acquired wealth in "that loveliest of the antilles." then a cruel thing happened. the got wind of the bargain their commander had made with the panama government, and by a swift logical process concluded that the $ , which had been paid for their departure belonged to themselves as well as to their commander. so they laid hands on the hapless officer and took all the money from him. we may imagine the annoyance of the gentleman who had betrayed his country, dishonoured his name, and then lost the "tip" which had made it all worth while. his subsequent proceedings are nowhere recorded. just after the colombian troops had set sail homewards a special train arrived at colon bringing the captive generals, who had promised to go home without further fuss. they left colon on november , so that they had plenty of time to contemplate the beginnings of the new régime in panama. all kinds of reports began to arrive about the intentions of the government at bogotá. a naval expedition was said to be on the way from buenaventura, but the united states navy had instructions to take care of any experiments of that sort. then the news came that a land expedition was approaching along the isthmus. that would have implied a real triumph of original exploration. it would have meant clearing a road for troops through impenetrable jungle, through which it is hard to cut the narrowest track by means of the machete or the long spanish cutlass. the untamed san blas indians, who permit no white man to spend a single night in their territory, would have mobilized against the invasion, and so would the wild cats and anacondas and monkeys, who share with the indians the sovereignty of that tangled wilderness. the revolution was an accomplished fact, and colombia could do nothing but accept the inevitable and reflect on the disappointment of her golden dreams. the revolutionists had been ready with their constitutional arrangements. the municipal council of panama had met immediately after the _coup d'état_. it was unanimously voted that panama should be a free and independent republic, and a provisional ministry was at once appointed. these proceedings were ratified the same afternoon at a mass meeting of the people of panama held in the cathedral square. a formal manifesto was also issued, constituting a declaration of independence and a justification of the revolt. it opens magniloquently: "the transcendental act that by a spontaneous movement the inhabitants of the isthmus of panama have just executed is the inevitable consequence of a situation which has become graver daily." it goes on to set forth the grievances of panama under the colombian connection and the events which had led to the revolution. it ends in an almost pathetic note:-- at separating from our brothers of colombia we do it without hatred and without any joy. just as a son withdraws from his paternal roof, the isthmian people in adopting the lot it has chosen have done it with grief, but in compliance with the supreme and inevitable duty it owes to itself--that of its own preservation and of working for its own welfare. we therefore begin to form a part among the free nations of the world, considering colombia as a sister nation, with which we shall be whenever circumstances may require it, and for whose prosperity we have the most fervent and sincere wishes.[ ] by november the new government had settled down so steadily to its work, and so obviously commanded the adherence of the whole people, that it received formal recognition from the united states in these words:-- as it appears that the people of panama have, by unanimous movement, dissolved their political connection with the republic of colombia and resumed their independence, and as there is no opposition to the provisional government in the state of panama, i have to inform you that the provisional government will be held responsible for the protection of the persons and property of citizens of the united states, as well as to keep the isthmian transit free, in accordance with the obligations of existing treaties relative to the isthmian territory. we need not dwell upon the desperate efforts made by the colombian government to retrieve the situation. a respected colombian, general reyes, was sent to washington to offer to revive the old hay-herran treaty, with modifications greatly in the american interest, if the united states would help to restore colombian sovereignty at the isthmus. but all was in vain. colombia must lie on the bed she had made, and before the end of the year the new republic had been recognized by all the leading powers of the world. the new government was true to the undertaking on the strength of which mr. bunau-varilla had given his help and support to the movement. on november he was appointed minister of panama to the united states, and on november the hay-bunau-varilla treaty[ ] was signed at washington, which finally placed the united states in a position to begin the work of canal construction at the isthmus. footnotes: [ ] see "four centuries of the panama canal," p. (w. f. johnson). [ ] for full text of declaration see appendix ii. [ ] appendix iii. chapter viii. the battle of the levels. by the hay-bunau-varilla treaty the united states guaranteed and undertook to maintain the independence of the republic of panama. the new republic granted to the united states in perpetuity the use, occupation, and control of a strip ten miles wide and extending three nautical miles into the sea at either terminal, with all lands lying outside of the zone necessary for the construction of the canal, and with the islands in the bay of panama. the cities of panama and colon were not embraced in the canal zone, but the united states assumed their sanitation and, in case of need, the maintenance of order therein. all railway and canal property rights belonging to panama and needed for the canal passed to the united states, including any property of the railway and canal companies in the cities of panama and colon. the works, property, and personnel of the canal and railways were exempted from taxation in the cities of colon and panama as well as in the actual canal zone. free immigration of the workers and free importation of supplies for the construction and operation of the canal were granted. provision was made for the use of military force and the building of fortifications by the united states for the protection of the transit. the united states were to pay $ , , down on exchange of ratifications and an annuity of $ , , beginning nine years from the same date. it will be noticed that the united states enjoyed in the canal zone all the rights, though not the name and title, of sovereignty. the treaty was finally ratified on february , , and four days later the first isthmian canal commission, consisting of seven members, was appointed by president roosevelt to arrange for the conduct of the great enterprise. careful instructions were given to the commission. the isthmian canal commission were authorized and directed:-- first.--to make all needful rules and regulations for the government of the zone, and for the correct administration of the military, civil, and judicial affairs of its possessions until the close of the fifty-eighth session of congress. second.--to establish a civil service for the government of the strip and construction of the canal, appointments to which shall be secured as nearly as practicable by merit system. third.--to make, or cause to be made, all needful surveys, borings, designs, plans, and specifications of the engineering, hydraulic, and sanitary works required, and to supervise the execution of the same. fourth.--to make, and cause to be executed after due advertisement, all necessary contracts for any and all kinds of engineering and construction works. fifth.--to acquire by purchase or through proper and uniform expropriation proceedings, to be prescribed by the commission, any private lands or other real property whose ownership by the united states is essential to the excavation and completion of the canal. sixth.--to make all needful rules and regulations respecting an economical and correct disbursement and an accounting for all funds that may be appropriated by congress for the construction of the canal, its auxiliary works, and the government of the canal zone; and to establish a proper and comprehensive system of bookkeeping showing the state of the work, the expenditures by classes, and the amounts still available. seventh.--to make requisition on the secretary of war for funds needed from time to time in the proper prosecution of the work, and to designate the disbursing officers authorized to receipt for the same. the work of this commission was not wholly satisfactory, and in april another was appointed, which was ordered to meet at panama quarterly, the first commission having conducted its operations from washington. the first two and a half years of the american occupation were spent mainly in preparing for the great task. one very important question had now to be finally decided. the battle of the routes was over, and now began the battle of the levels. we have seen that the french began with the idea of a tide-level canal. the new panama canal company had changed to the lock or high-level plan, but the french had not advanced in their work to the point when the one or the other scheme must be definitively adopted. the excavation they had carried out was all available for either type of canal. but the americans had now to come to a decision. a few more words about the main physical features of the isthmus are necessary for the reader to understand the nature of the problem. the two most important factors in the problem, as we have seen, are, firstly, the river chagres with its tributaries, the trinidad, gatun, and twenty others; and, secondly, the range of low hills on the pacific side through which any canal from colon to panama must pass. the river chagres is a great mountain torrent which enters the caribbean sea a little west of colon. the canal follows its course inland for about miles, when the river valley turns sharply north-east and the canal continues straight on to the pacific. the chagres is not a river to be despised. the rainfall on the isthmus is very heavy, especially on the atlantic side, where inches per annum have been recorded. the isthmian rivers are all liable to quickly-swelling floods, the chagres at gamboa having been known to rise -½ feet in twenty-four hours. the two different types of canal involve equally different methods of dealing with this formidable stream. it must either be harnessed to the work or firmly and finally shut off from any interference with the canal. de lesseps, who had chosen the tide-level scheme, proposed to turn the chagres and other rivers into diversion channels, so that they could get safely to the sea without crossing the line of the canal or having any connection with it. this would have involved a work of excavation and construction scarcely less gigantic than the building of the canal itself. on the other plan, the chagres and its tributaries would be made the feeders of the upper reaches of the canal. so far from being politely shown off the premises, the question rather was whether they would be able to supply sufficient water all the year round for the needs of the canal. then this harnessing of the chagres meant the taming of its waters in a huge artificial lake, in which the impetuous current would be quenched and through which the dredged channel of the waterway would run. the new panama company had recommended the construction of a huge dam for this purpose at bohio towards the atlantic end of the canal, and this plan had been adopted by the first american isthmian commission, which issued its report in . i may add that the spooner act, which authorized the construction of a canal, also contemplated a lock or high-level waterway. as we shall see, bohio was not in the end adopted as the site of the big dam, but gatun, where it is now constructed, with its concrete spillway carrying away the overflow waters of the lake down the old chagres channel to the near atlantic. i need not say that these were two very different ways of "caring for" the chagres and its affluents. the tide-level canal would also, of course, be supplied with sea-water, while the high-level will be a fresh-water canal. colonel goethals, the chief engineer of the canal, anticipates rather a curious result from this latter circumstance. he thinks the bed of the upper reaches of the canal will in course of time be quite paved with the barnacles washed by the fresh-water from the bottoms of the great ocean-going vessels passing through the canal. the second physical feature is the hill country or the "continental divide" which the canal enters near the point where the chagres river crosses its course. here runs the famous culebra cut, the nine-mile-long artificial canyon, the biggest excavation in the world. now the highest elevation of these hills along the centre line of the canal was feet above sea-level. the bottom of the canal at the cutting is feet, so that the vertical depth of the cut on the centre line is feet. the engineers of the tide-level scheme would have had not only to excavate feet deeper--that is, to feet below sea-level--but to make the cutting immensely wider in order to avoid the danger of disastrous landslides. this would have meant an enormous amount of additional work, as well as expense. nevertheless, the controversy between the two principles was very warmly and equally sustained. it may be mentioned that mr. bunau-varilla was an especially ardent advocate of the tide-level scheme. in fact, he was not for calling the waterway a canal at all; he would have christened it "the straits of panama." however, a decision was necessary, and in a board of consulting or advisory engineers was appointed, mainly to consider whether the canal should be constructed at high-level or sea-level. five members were appointed by european governments, and the president was major-general george w. davis, formerly of the united states army. the instructions given to this board by president roosevelt will afford a very clear idea of the problem it had to solve:-- there are two or three considerations which i trust you will steadily keep before your minds in coming to a conclusion as to the proper type of canal. i hope that ultimately it will prove possible to build a sea-level canal. such a canal would undoubtedly be best in the end, if feasible; and i feel that one of the chief advantages of the panama route is that ultimately a sea-level canal will be a possibility. but while paying due heed to the ideal perfectibility of the scheme from an engineer's standpoint, remember the need of having a plan which shall provide for the immediate building of a canal on the safest terms and in the shortest possible time. if to build a sea-level canal will but slightly increase the risk, then, of course, it is preferable. but if to adopt the plan of a sea-level canal means to incur a hazard, and to insure indefinite delay, then it is not preferable. if the advantages and disadvantages are closely balanced, i expect you to say so. i desire also to know whether, if you recommend a high-level multi-lock canal, it will be possible, after it is completed, to turn it into or substitute for it, in time, a sea-level canal without interrupting the traffic upon it. two of the prime considerations to be kept steadily in mind are: first.--the utmost practicable speed of construction. second.--practical certainty that the plan proposed will be feasible; that it can be carried out with the minimum risk. the quantity of work and the amount of work should be minimized as far as possible. there may be good reason why the delay incident to the adoption of a plan for an ideal canal should be incurred; but if there is not, then i hope to see the canal constructed on a system which will bring to the nearest possible date in the future the time when it is practicable to take the first ship across the isthmus--that is, which will in the shortest time possible secure a panama waterway between the oceans of such a character as to guarantee permanent and ample communication for the greatest ships of our navy and for the larger steamers on either the atlantic or the pacific. the delay in transit of the vessels owing to additional locks would be of small consequence when compared with shortening the time for the construction of the canal or diminishing the risks in its construction. in short, i desire your best judgment on all the various questions to be considered in choosing among the various plans for a comparatively high-level multi-lock canal; for a lower level, with fewer locks; and for a sea-level canal. finally, i urge upon you the necessity of as great expedition in coming to a decision as is compatible with thoroughness in considering the conditions. the board went to the isthmus and investigated the subject with great care. in january they issued three reports. a majority of eight to five pronounced in favour of the sea-level scheme "as the only one giving reasonable assurance of safe and uninterrupted navigation." "such a canal," it said, "can be constructed in twelve or thirteen years' time; the cost will be less than $ , , ; it will endure for all time." the minority were just as confidently in favour of a high-level canal. they concluded:-- in view of the unquestioned fact that the lock canal herein advocated will cost about $ , , less than the proposed sea-level canal; believing that it can be built in much less time; that it will afford a better navigation; that it will be adequate for all its uses for a longer time, and can be enlarged, if need should arise, with greater facility and less cost, we recommend the lock canal at elevation for adoption by the united states. the third report was made by the chief engineer, mr. stevens, who, quite apart from all considerations of expense, was strongly in favour of the high-level plan. the three reports were considered by the canal commissioners, a majority of whom ultimately agreed with the minority of the advisory board. they admitted that a sea-level canal was ideally the best, but considered that the cost of making such a canal sufficiently wide would be prohibitive. they declared therefore for a lock canal at an elevation of feet above sea-level. they gave their decision thus:-- it appears that the canal proposed by the minority of the board of consulting engineers can be built in half the time and at a little more than half the cost of the canal proposed by the majority of the board, and that when completed it will be a better canal, for the following reasons: . it provides greater safety for ships and less danger of interruption to traffic by reason of its wider and deeper channels. . it provides quicker passage across the isthmus for large ships or a large traffic. . it is in much less danger of damage to itself or of delays to ships from the flood-waters of the chagres and other streams. . its cost of operation and maintenance, including fixed charges, will be less by some $ , , or more per annum. . it can be enlarged hereafter much more easily and cheaply than can a sea-level canal. . its military defence can be effected with as little or perhaps less difficulty than the sea-level canal. . it is our opinion that the plan proposed by the minority of the board of consulting engineers is a most satisfactory solution of an isthmian canal, and therefore we recommend that the plan of the minority be adopted. in february the president referred the question for final decision to congress. in his message on the subject he spoke thus:-- it must be borne in mind that there is no question of building what has been picturesquely termed "the straits of panama"--that is, a waterway through which the largest vessels could go with safety at uninterrupted high speed. both the sea-level canal and the proposed lock canal would be too narrow and shallow to be called with any truthfulness a strait, or to have any of the properties of a wide, deep water strip. both of them would be canals, pure and simple. each type has certain disadvantages and certain advantages. but, in my judgment, the disadvantages are fewer and the advantages very much greater in the case of a lock canal substantially as proposed in the papers forwarded herewith; and a careful study of the reports seems to establish a strong probability that the following are the facts: the sea-level canal would be slightly less exposed to damage in the event of war; the running expenses, apart from the heavy cost of interest on the amount employed to build it, would be less; and for small ships the time of transit would probably be less. on the other hand, the lock canal, at a level of feet or thereabouts, would not cost much more than half as much to build, and could be built in about half the time, while there would be very much less risk connected with building it, and for large ships the transit would be quicker; while, taking into account the interest on the amount saved in building, the actual cost of maintenance would be less. after being built, it would be easier to enlarge the lock canal than the sea-level canal. the law now on our statute books seems to contemplate a lock canal. in my judgment a lock canal as herein recommended is advisable. if the congress directs that a sea-level canal be constructed, its direction will, of course, be carried out. otherwise, the canal will be built on substantially the plan for a lock canal outlined in the accompanying papers, such changes being made, of course, as may be found actually necessary. in june congress finally decided for a high-level canal, and the controversy was officially closed. but the friends of the sea-level scheme were by no means silenced. whenever any serious difficulty occurred in the construction of the canal on the lock principle their voices were heard again. in fact, the conflict cannot be said to have ended until , and even then it is not certain that the sea-levellers modified their convictions. chapter ix. man and the gnat. almost at the beginning of their great task the americans were faced with a problem which involved the success or failure of the whole enterprise. i have said something about the climate and health conditions at the isthmus. it is fairly certain that yellow fever and malaria would have wrecked the french undertaking even if there had been no other obstacles to its success. it is not less probable that if the americans had been in no better a position to wage war with these plagues, their work at the isthmus would also have been in vain. the french had built excellent hospitals and provided efficiently for the comfort and recovery of those who were stricken with these diseases. but being totally ignorant of the sources and method of transmission of malaria and yellow fever, they could do nothing effectual in the way of prevention and eradication. they could only take the individual victim when they found him and do their best to cure him. they still believed that malaria was produced by climatic conditions, by marshy emanations, mists, and so forth. the fleecy clouds which gather round the isthmian hills in the rainy season were given the very undeserved title of "the white death" by the french workers at the isthmus. yellow fever, again, was just as mistakenly attributed to the climate, and especially to filthy ways of living. it is not surprising that, with these misconceptions, medical skill should have been almost useless during the french occupation, and that the employees at the isthmus should have died in their thousands. but since the days of the lesseps company, science had thrown a flood of light on the nature of these tropical scourges and the secret of their transmission. as these medical and scientific pioneers made a panama canal possible, though their names are not directly linked with its construction, we may look back for a few moments at their triumphs of discovery. the credit for first discovering that malaria is not due to poisonous emanations or contagion but is carried from people infected with the disease by the _anopheles_ mosquito belongs to major (now sir) ronald ross, formerly of the indian medical service, who devoted himself to this subject during the last years of the th century. by a series of experiments he proved that malaria is due to the presence in the human blood of an organism which is conveyed from person to person by this mosquito, and that the mosquito is harmless unless it has become infected with the germ by biting a person who has caught malaria. the value of this discovery was soon shown by practical applications. major ross was engaged by the suez canal company to deal with the malaria which had become firmly established at ismailia, a little town of , inhabitants on that canal. no fewer than , cases had been supplied in one year by this small population. the new methods founded on the new discovery proved so effectual that in three years the disease was stamped out, and there has been no relapse ever since. the same results were achieved at port said. now, if malaria is thus caused by mosquito bite, there was some _à priori_ reason for thinking that yellow fever might be transmitted in the same way. at any rate the insect was again laid under a very grave suspicion. the opportunity for studying this further question was afforded during the spanish-american war, when a serious outbreak occurred among the troops occupying havana, in cuba. the doctors were quite unable to deal with this most terrible of all diseases. knowing nothing whatever of its cause, their treatment of it could be only experimental and casual. so a board of inquiry was formed consisting of four army surgeons serving in cuba--walter reed, james carroll, jesse w. lazear, and aristides agramonte. the experiments were begun in june , and continued into the next year. of these four, dr. agramonte was not liable to the disease, and dr. reed was called away on duty to washington. the other two determined to experiment on their own persons rather than risk the lives of other people. dr. carroll first allowed himself to be bitten by the mosquitoes, not the _anopheles_ but another variety known as the _stegomyia_. he fell ill with a bad attack of yellow fever, which very nearly cost him his life. later, in the yellow fever hospital, dr. lazear deliberately allowed a mosquito to feed on his hand. in four days he was down with the disease in so acute a form that he died of it--a true martyr, if ever there was, to the cause of science and the welfare of mankind. these and other experiments proved conclusively that yellow fever, like malaria, is transmitted by mosquito bites, but it was still uncertain how soon after biting an infected person the mosquito becomes itself harmful and how soon a person stricken with malaria is able to infect a healthy mosquito. so further experiments were necessary, and volunteers were invited to offer themselves for this service. everybody in the army knew what had happened to doctors carroll and lazear, but in spite of this plenty of willing martyrs appeared. the first to present themselves were two young soldiers from ohio, john r. kissinger and john j. moran. dr. reed talked the matter over with them, explaining fully the danger and suffering involved, and stating the money consideration offered by general wood. both young men declared that they were prepared to undergo the experiment, but only on condition that they should receive no pecuniary reward. when he heard this declaration, dr. reed touched his hat with profound respect, saying, "gentlemen, i salute you!"[ ] kissinger took the disease from the mosquito bites, and recovered. a room was prepared for moran, a sort of mosquito den into which fifteen gnats, all suffering from yellow fever, had been admitted. major reed describes what happened:-- at noon on the same day, five minutes after the mosquitoes had been placed therein, a plucky ohio boy, moran by name, clad only in his night-shirt and fresh from a bath, entered the room containing the mosquitoes, where he lay down for a period of thirty minutes. within two minutes of moran's entrance he was being bitten about the face and hands by the insects, that had promptly settled down upon him. seven, in all, bit him at this visit. at . p.m. the same day, he again entered and remained twenty minutes, during which time five others bit him. the following day, at . p.m., he again entered and remained fifteen minutes, during which time three insects bit him; making the number fifteen that had fed at these three visits. on christmas morning, at a.m., this brave lad was stricken with yellow fever, and had a sharp attack, which he bore without a murmur. but still the demonstration was not complete. it was necessary to prove by equally undeniable evidence that yellow fever is not conveyed by contagion with the clothes and persons of infected people. these experiments were even more trying and heroic than those which preceded. a small wooden hut, by feet, was prepared, and into this was stored a large amount of bedding and clothes which had been used and worn by persons suffering from the fever. the building was carefully guarded against the intrusion of mosquitoes, and a temperature of seventy-six degrees, with a sufficient moisture, maintained. for twenty consecutive days dr. clarke and his men went into this room, handled, wore, and slept in the contaminated clothing, although the stench was so offensive as to be almost appalling. they emerged from the ordeal in perfect health, proving beyond possibility of dispute that the disease was not contagious, and that the mosquito was the sole method of transmission. when distributing the credit for the new channel of world-traffic through the isthmus of panama, let us not forget dr. lazear who sacrificed his life and the many others who cheerfully risked their lives to establish truths and facts without which the construction and continued operation of the canal would almost certainly have been impossible. one mosquito may look very much like another, but the _stegomyia_ and the _anopheles_ differ in many important respects. the latter finds its most favourable breeding-places in stagnant pools of fresh water, such as are left by the heavy rains of the isthmus. it is essentially a gnat of the country-side. the _stegomyia_, on the other hand, inclines to a more frivolous town life. cisterns and tanks and other receptacles for storing water are his favourite haunts. in length of life and power of flight the species also differ, though these details are not yet fully ascertained. the _stegomyia_ is said to live three months. dr. cornish states that it becomes dangerous only by attacking man during the first three days of yellow fever, and that, even then, twelve days elapse before its bite is infectious. six days after a man has been bitten by an infected _stegomyia_ he falls ill with yellow fever, and for the next three days he is capable of transmitting it to the healthy mosquito. mr. bishop informs us that if there is no fresh case of yellow fever within a period of sixty days after the latest one in an epidemic, it is a safe conclusion that the disease has been stamped out, because there is no mosquito alive to carry the parasite. after a period of ninety days all doubt on the subject is removed.[ ] if a community, therefore, which has thus got rid of its last case of yellow fever could be completely isolated, yellow fever could never possibly return. it could only be reintroduced from outside. it should be possible, with a proper system of sanitation and quarantine, to free any district entirely from this awful scourge. the case of the _anopheles_ and his little contribution to human suffering is very different. whereas the victim of yellow fever either dies or gets better and quickly ceases to be a source of infection to the mosquito, the victim of malaria seldom dies of the disease, but he remains infectious to the _anopheles_ for three years. the disease does not simply attack new-comers or white people. natives of the isthmus and the west indies are subject to it, and, indeed, seem to be in a chronically malarious condition. it is said that per cent. of the population of the isthmus were found in - to have the parasite of malaria in their systems. it is difficult to estimate or imagine the part played by this widespread malady on conditions of life and civilization within the tropics. sir ronald ross, the greatest living authority on the subject, made some interesting remarks in an address at the royal colonial institute in january of this year. he said:-- nothing has been more carefully studied of recent years than the existence of malaria amongst indigenous populations. it often affects every one of the children, probably kills a large proportion of the new-born infants, and renders the survivors ill for years; only a partial immunity in adult life relieves them of the incessant sickness. here in europe nearly all our children suffer from certain diseases--measles, scarlatina, and so on. but these maladies are short and slight compared with the enduring infection of malaria. when i was studying malaria in greece in , i was struck with the impossibility of conceiving that the people who are now intensely afflicted with malaria could be like the ancient greeks who did so much for the world; and i therefore suggested the hypothesis that malaria could only have entered greece at about the time of the great persian wars. one can scarcely imagine that the physically fine race and the magnificent athletes figured in greek sculpture could ever have spent a malarious and splenomegalous childhood. and, conversely, it is difficult to imagine that many of the malarious natives in the tropics will ever rise to any great height of civilization while that disease endures amongst them. i am aware that africa has produced some magnificent races, such as those of the zulus and masai, but i have heard that the countries inhabited by them are not nearly so disease-ridden as many of the larger tracts. at all events, whatever may be the effect of a malarious childhood upon the physique of adult life, its effects on the mental development must certainly be very bad, while the disease always paralyzes the material prosperity of the country where it exists in an intense form. the isthmus of panama was beautifully adapted to the breeding of the _anopheles_ and the widest dissemination of malaria. in fact, the canal zone taken over by the americans was perhaps the most malarial strip of territory in the world. the heavy rains leave the country covered with those marshes and pools from which these little ghostly insects are always rising in swarms, ready to carry the germs of disease from the sick to the healthy and thus perpetuate and extend the domain of this distressing malady. the reader will notice that, as the yellow fever victim is only infectious to the mosquito for three days, while the malarial person can convey the poison for three years, it is a much more practical problem to eradicate yellow fever than to stamp out malaria. it is true the causes of malaria are now fully known and the only effective methods of propagation ascertained. if one could isolate all malarial patients, including all who are capable of transmitting the disease, in buildings screened with fine copper-gauze to keep out the mosquitoes and thus gradually diminish the area of infection to vanishing point, it would not be necessary to deal with the breeding-places of the mosquitoes, and man and the gnat might live together in perfect amity. but with fifty and even seventy per cent. of the people malarially infected, such a heroic course is obviously impossible, and one can hope only to diminish to a considerable degree the prevalence of the disease. the first two and a half years of the american occupation of the isthmus was spent in looking round and preparing for the great work. it soon became evident that the most pressing and immediate task was one of cleaning up and sanitation. in july , colonel w. c. gorgas, whose name will always be associated with the triumphs won over disease at the isthmus, became the head of the department of sanitation under the canal commission. he quickly recognized that everything depended on the efficiency and success of his own department. "the experience of our predecessors," he wrote, "was ample to convince us that unless we could protect our force against yellow fever and malaria we would be unable to accomplish the work."[ ] when the americans took over, yellow fever, though present, was quiescent, but the figures began almost at once to mount up. in december there were six cases on the isthmus and one death. in january there were nineteen cases and eight deaths, seven and one respectively among the canal employees. in may there were thirty-three cases, twenty-two on the canal, with seven deaths in all, including three employees. in june there was an alarming advance. sixty-two cases occurred on the isthmus, thirty-four of them among the employees. there were nineteen deaths, six on the canal. something like a panic then set in among the americans engaged on the canal works. many threw up their positions, and the homeward-bound steamers were filled with employees fleeing from this real "yellow peril." in the annual report of the commission for we read:-- a feeling of alarm, almost amounting to panic, spread among the americans on the isthmus. many resigned their positions to return to the united states, while those who remained became possessed with a feeling of lethargy or fatalism, resulting from a conviction that no remedy existed for the peril. there was a disposition to partly ignore or openly condemn all preventive measures. the gravity of the crisis was apparent to all. this loss of moral tone was the most dangerous symptom of all. a feeling of "let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die" gained possession of the canal workers, and in the indifference of despair many tore down the nettings over the windows of the canal building and began to neglect all the sanitary precautions enjoined on them by the department. evidently a calamity was in prospect which would have brought to an end, perhaps for ever, american canal ambitions at the isthmus. the restoration of public confidence and sense of responsibility seems to have been due largely to mr. charles e. magoon, governor of the canal zone. he set himself to rebuke and remove the morbid bravado then prevailing. "he began by frankly and publicly declaring that he, personally, was afraid of the fever, and that in his opinion all non-immunes who professed not to be afraid were 'talking rot!' then he ordered all the window-screens to be repaired and kept in place, and announced that if any man was caught leaving them open or tearing holes in them, something uncommonly unpleasant would happen to him. now when a man of judge magoon's mental and physical stature admits that he is afraid, any lesser man is a fool to say he isn't; and when a man of judge magoon's resolution gives an order and prescribes a penalty for its violation, that order is very likely to be obeyed."[ ] [illustration: _clinedinst--washington, d.c._ col. william c. gorgas, medical dept., u.s. army, head of the department of sanitation, ancon.] governor magoon arrived at the isthmus in may , just as the yellow fever epidemic was reaching its climax. from that moment he and colonel gorgas, to whom he gave the most complete support, set themselves to fight the fever. the first thing to do was to get all the patients within screened buildings, whether the hospital or their own homes, so that no _stegomyia_ mosquitoes could saunter in and take the poison. then the towns of colon and panama were handed over to a campaign of spring-cleaning such as the world has never witnessed. then the canal building was thoroughly fumigated with pyrethrum powder or sulphur, and not simply the official building but every single house in the city of panama was similarly disinfected. dust and refuse were everywhere burnt. a very efficient system of inspection was adopted, and a rigid quarantine enforced against all foreign places whence the yellow plague could be imported into the zone. but more important than the immediate expedients were the more permanent sanitary improvements carried out in colon and panama. these towns were repaired with brick or cement, and provided with what they had never yet enjoyed, a proper system of drainage. waterworks were also constructed outside the towns, and a supply of pure water made available for every household. hitherto water had had to be stored during the dry season in tanks and cisterns, in which the _stegomyia_ mosquito revelled exceedingly. these were now no longer necessary, and stagnant water, wherever it collected in the town, was drained away. in order to expedite these splendid reforms, governor magoon withdrew the workers from the canal and concentrated all efforts on the sewers and waterworks. so speedily was the work carried forward that the water was turned on for public use from the main in the cathedral plaza on july . the results of this drastic campaign were soon apparent in the dwindling of the yellow fever returns. in july there were still forty-two cases and thirteen deaths on the isthmus, with twenty-seven cases and ten deaths among the employees. august showed a great improvement, with twenty-seven cases and nine deaths on the isthmus, and twelve cases and only one death on the canal. the improvement continued through september, october, november, and in december only one case was reported on the isthmus and one on the canal. three months having elapsed since the last case, and, therefore, every _stegomyia_ which could possibly be infected with malaria having departed this life, the epidemic was entirely past and over. as i have pointed out, there cannot possibly be any return of it under these conditions unless the infection is brought from without. and if any new cases are at once isolated and screened from afternoon calls of the mosquito, the outbreak may be easily and infallibly suppressed. we may say, therefore, that the yellow spectre at the isthmus has been shorn of all its terrors. malaria is, however, a very different proposition. a corresponding crusade has been carried on for six years against the little _anopheles_ gnat, the little criminal who carries the malarial poison. his happy breeding-grounds are in open country marshes and pools, and there is no lack of these in the canal zone. it was impossible to deal with the entire three-quarters of a million acres of that territory, but wherever the canal workers were settled determined war was waged against the mosquitoes. it should be remembered that the _anopheles_ can fly only about a hundred or two hundred yards. the jungle was therefore cleared away for a few hundred yards round each village and settlement, marshes and pools in this area were drained off, and into all the ditches where stagnant water had collected oil was poured, which so effectually turns the mosquito's stomach that it never recovers. some , acres of the zone were thus treated, and of course the regulations as to house-screening applied to malaria no less than to yellow fever. the employees were also supplied freely and generously with quinine. the result has been not the eradication of malaria, but the reduction of the cases to about one-third the number at which they stood in . yet even so, among the , employees on the canal during the year ending june , , there were , malaria cases in the hospitals, with deaths, of these being white people. the heavy rainfalls at the isthmus will probably prevent the complete sanitation of the country in this respect, for the simple reason that the destruction of the _anopheles_ mosquito or the eradication of the malarial germ can never be complete. there will always be people going about with the malarial organism in their blood, and always _anopheles_ mosquitoes ready to become infected with it and to carry the infection about. but, as we have seen, much can be done by the means described to reduce the ravages of the disease. in , out of a working force of , , there were , cases of malaria. we have seen how this figure had been brought down in . in it was almost certain that any white person coming to reside at the isthmus would catch malaria. now it is quite possible to live there in perfect health, quite free from any malarial infection. it may be useful to mention that the entire death-roll among the employees on the panama canal and railway from the american occupation down to june , --that is, about eight years--was , , of whom were americans. of this total, , died of disease and , from violence or accident. during the same period american women and american children died.[ ] sir ronald ross, as i have said, was told by the british consul at panama in that the french lost in the nine years of their occupancy some , lives, principally from malaria and yellow fever. this may be an over-estimate, but there is no doubt that the american figure shows an enormous improvement on the french. it is easy to conclude that what has been done in sanitation at the isthmus of panama may be done anywhere else in the tropics, where malaria and yellow fever prevail. that may be true, but we must also remember that the work of panama had behind it all the wealth and resources of a mighty republic of , , citizens. the expenditure on these hygienic purposes at the isthmus has been enormous, though not a penny has been wasted. down to the end of december, , the total outlay of the department of sanitation was $ , , . waterworks, sewers, etc., accounted for another $ , , , so that we get a grand total expenditure on sanitation of $ , , . this will certainly rise to $ , , before the canal is finished, so that for the ten and a half years of its construction there will have been an annual expenditure for all health purposes of $ , , . it is not likely that there will be many tropical areas of this kind with so large a sum available for the luxury of scientific sanitation. again, it must be noticed that the administration had special advantages at the isthmus. it exercised something like military authority. it had absolute powers of deportation, and could enforce its regulations as it pleased. and in considering the statistics it must also be borne in mind that not only the physical but the moral and mental health of the work-people at the isthmus was promoted in every way. we shall look into the life of the panama construction camps in the next chapter. the social interest and amusement provided for the employee must have counted for something beside the sewering and screening and mosquito-hunting. all the same, the success achieved at panama is full of hope and promise for tropical life in the future. colonel gorgas writes encouragingly:-- i think the sanitarian can now show that any population coming into the tropics can protect itself against these two diseases (malaria and yellow fever) by measures that are both simple and inexpensive; that with these two diseases eliminated life in the tropics for the anglo-saxon will be more healthful than in the temperate zones; that gradually, within the next two or three centuries, tropical countries, which offer a much greater return for man's labour than do the temperate zones, will be settled up by the white races, and that again the centres of wealth, civilization, and population will be in the tropics, as they were in the dawn of man's history, rather than in the temperate zone, as at present. apart from the question of disease, it is far from certain that the white man can ever remain as "fit," as capable of bodily labour, in equatorial regions as in his native temperate conditions, or that his descendants will also maintain the same standard of health and strength. ordinary non-professional opinion would perhaps discount colonel gorgas's forecast as a little too optimistic. footnotes: [ ] "sanitation of the isthmus." mr. j. b. bishop in _scribner's monthly_, february . [ ] _scribner's monthly_, february , p. . [ ] _journal american medical association_, july , . [ ] "four centuries of the panama canal." [ ] see _scribner's magazine_, february , p. . chapter x. life at the isthmus. before we go on to describe the canal and its method of construction, we must look at the sort of social life and civil administration which has prevailed since the americans arrived. construction camps in tropical climes are not usually distinguished for order and good morals. the americans determined to make an exception at panama. they had a perfectly free hand and the enjoyment of all sovereign rights at the isthmus, and were able to construct a brand-new little state on the most approved and ideal principles. we have seen what instructions were given by president roosevelt to the first commission. an entire administrative system had to be established within this little plot miles wide and long. laws had to be framed and civil government established, with all the needful accessories of judicial courts, police force, fire-brigades, customs and revenue service, post-offices, public works and financial department. the administration carried what is known as "paternalism" to all lengths. that is, it did all the catering and providing itself, and left little or nothing to private companies. of course, everything had to be imported, for the little territory itself produced nothing. whole villages and settlements with all the accessories of social life had to be built along the line of works. over , structures, including offices, hospitals, hotels, messes, kitchens, shops, storehouses, and living quarters, were constructed, and more than , buildings taken over from the french, which were made available by necessary repairs. colonel goethals gives us a brief insight into the work of the commissary department of the panama railroad:-- the commissary department of the panama railroad company was enlarged until it is now [ ] a great department store, supplying to the employees whatever may be necessary for their comfort and convenience. manufacturing, cold-storage, and laundry plants were established, and turn out each day about tons of ice, , loaves of bread, , rolls, gallons of ice-cream, , pounds of roasted coffee, and , pieces of laundry. four or five refrigerator cars, loaded with meats, vegetables, and such fruits as can be obtained, are sent out on the night freight to distant points, and every morning a supply train of about cars, of which number six to eight are refrigerator cars, leaves cristobal at . to distribute foodstuffs and laundry to the local commissaries along the line, where the employees make their purchases, and where the hotels, messes, and kitchens secure their supplies for the day. a graphic and representative picture of one of the construction settlements along the canal was given by the correspondent of _the times_ at panama.[ ] he chose "emperador," or "empire," as the typical village. this is the headquarters of the central division of the construction work, and is situated about halfway along the great culebra cut. the correspondent writes:-- according to the census just completed, it contains , inhabitants, of whom , are whites, , negroes, , mestizos, chinese, and east indians. north of the main street is a section called the "native town," apparently because it is inhabited by natives of other countries than panama, but really because here was situated the native hamlet alongside which the french built their construction camp in . it is occupied by the part of the population not employed by the government, and here are the american saloons, the spanish _cantinas_ and restaurants, chinese shops, east indian fancy-work shops, and negro tailoring and shoemaking places. on the south side of the american settlement are the labour "camps," consisting of barracks and eating-places. all the buildings are of wood, constructed to last not over ten years; and none are large, excepting the administration buildings and the club-house. on three sides of the village are the huts of the labourers who prefer the half-jungle life with its freedom; and here, with discomfort and squalor and liberty, is the only picturesque part of the settlement; all else is orderly, of one pattern, almost smug. on the fourth side the village is limited by the canal itself. in the centre of the village is the commissariat, where the canal and railroad workers buy their food and clothing. here congregate every morning the housewives of the village to do their shopping, and at night, after work, the men, to complete the family purchases. there is a similar store in each canal village--eighteen in all. the commissariat does away with the middleman's profit and buys in such large quantities, and for cash, that it obtains the lowest prices, while the many ways in which the materials purchased can be used prevent waste. if there is cause for complaint on the part of any class in the canal workers, that class is the bachelors, for they are discriminated against in the matter of quarters. but good provision is made for their meals, at the so-called "hotels" for the white employees, and the messes and kitchens for spanish and negro labourers. another remarkable evidence of how the canal administration stands _in loco parentis_ to all its work-people is that it has provided twenty-six churches and maintains fifteen ministers of religion. this is interesting because it shows how the state, when conducted on common-sense principles, may provide for religious instruction without causing any offence or inflicting any injustice. the administration treated all denominations with perfect impartiality. of the fifteen ministers it supported, four were episcopalian, four baptist, three roman catholic, one wesleyan, and one presbyterian. but this was not the entire provision of churches and chapels on the isthmus. there were fourteen other churches not under direct government control, but assisted by the government in many ways. of the forty in all, thirteen were episcopalian, seven baptist, seven roman catholic, two wesleyan, and eight undenominational. as i have pointed out, the moral sanitation of the isthmus was cared for as well as the physical. for example, in september , a man living in the canal zone was charged with running a roulette table. he pleaded that he owned a concession from the republic of panama. that excuse was not allowed, and he was sentenced to fine and imprisonment for transgressing one of the canal zone laws. gambling, which had always been one of the panamanian vices, was quite forbidden within the zone. remembering the descriptions given of the state of morals at the isthmus during the french occupation, one cannot help being struck with the contrast afforded by the american regime. criticisms of the canal scheme, of climatic and social conditions in the zone, appeared in the early days from time to time. mr. johnson quotes an example which is so amusing as to bear repetition:-- a land as feverish to the imagination as to the body is panama. it is a land making a fitting environment to the deeds of conspiracy, piracy, loot, cruelty, and blood that have principally made its history for centuries. this gloomy, god-forsaken isthmus is a nightmare region. one descriptive writer has truly said of it that it is a land where the flowers have no odour, the birds no song; where the men are without honour and the women without virtue. he is not far wrong. the birds, brilliant as is their plumage, have no musical notes. the dense forests teem with bright-hued parrots, parroquets, and other birds, which squeak and scream but do not sing. there are beautiful orchids to be found in the swamps and jungles--fair to look upon, but they have no odour. the oranges have green skins instead of golden, the plantains must be fried to make them fit to eat, the reptiles and insects are often venomous, and myriads of parasites are ever ready to invade the human body and bring disease and death. in the atmosphere itself is something suggestive of the days of the old pirates and their fiendish cruelties and orgies. there is no life in the air; it is depressing, damp, miasmatic, and intensely hot. for a great part of the year thunder-showers succeed each other all day long and half the night, with sheet lightning all around the horizon after dark. there is practically no twilight, day passing almost instantly into night. it is no wonder that this uncanny land has made its residents degenerate into plotters, revolutionists, murderers, and thieves. its aspect is one of darkness, treachery, and curse. president roosevelt had something to say on these recurring criticisms in a message to congress in january . he wrote:-- from time to time various publications have been made, and from time to time in the future various similar publications, doubtless, will be made, purporting to give an account of jobbing or immorality or inefficiency or misery as obtaining on the isthmus. i have carefully examined into each of these accusations which seemed worthy of attention. in every instance the accusations have proved to be without foundation in any shape or form. they spring from several sources. sometimes they take the shape of statements by irresponsible investigators of a sensational habit of mind, incapable of observing or repeating with accuracy what they see, and desirous of obtaining notoriety by widespread slander. more often they originate with or are given currency by individuals with a personal grievance. the sensation mongers, both those who stay at home and those who visit the isthmus, may ground their accusations on false statements by some engineer who, having applied for service on the commission and been refused such service, now endeavours to discredit his successful competitors, or by some lessee or owner of real estate who has sought action or inaction by the commission to increase the value of his lots, and is bitter because the commission cannot be used for such purposes, or on the tales of disappointed bidders for contracts, or of office-holders who have proved incompetent, or who have been suspected of corruption and dismissed, or who have been overcome by panic and have fled from the isthmus. every specific charge relating to jobbery, to immorality, or to inefficiency, from whatever source it has come, has been immediately investigated, and in no single instance have the statements of these sensation mongers and the interested complainants behind them proved true. the only discredit adhering to these false accusations is to those who originate and give them currency, and who, to the extent of their abilities, thereby hamper and obstruct the completion of the great work in which both the honour and the interest of america are so deeply involved. it matters not whether those guilty of these false accusations utter them in mere wanton recklessness and folly, or in a spirit of sinister malice to gratify some personal or political grudge. the soundness and purity of the canal zone administration has long ago been established beyond all question and cavil. the americans have given an example to the world how a great work of this kind, involving the gathering together of a large multitude of workers from many races and nations, may be carried on without those moral and physical evils which have marked too many enterprises of the kind. in fact, the way in which the americans have arranged and controlled the life of the canal zone stands quite as much to their credit as the skill and determination they have shown in the actual construction of the canal. but we have said nothing yet about the workers themselves on the canal. the americans, on taking over the work from the french, found about west indian negroes engaged in excavating the culebra cut. from this contingent as a nucleus a much larger army of workers was built up. the numbers rapidly grew. in december there were , employees; in , , ; in , , ; the highest figure being reached in , when there were , workers available for duty. of the employees, speaking roughly, one-seventh have been white americans, all, of course, skilled workers, one-seventh european labourers, and five-sevenths west indian negroes. the british west indies, especially barbados, have continued to be the main source of labour supply. but the west indian at the outset left a great deal to be desired in his work and efficiency. in complaints were made on the subject by the chairman of the canal commission to the president of the united states. in the chief engineer reported:-- the criticisms of the character of the common labour which were made in last year's report still hold good. our labour consists almost entirely of west indian negroes, and their efficiency is very low, although we have a few of this class who are fairly steady workers--by this it is meant that they average to work all the time, but the great body of them do not. the majority work just long enough to get money to supply their actual bodily necessities, with the result that, while we are quartering and caring for twenty odd thousand of these people, our daily effective force is many thousands less. preliminary steps have been taken toward securing a large number of spanish labourers direct from the north-west provinces of spain, also for the securing of a trial shipment of cantonese chinese, as it is believed that the introduction of labourers of different nationalities will be beneficial. the chinese project was frustrated through the influence of trade unions in the united states, backed up by representations from the pacific coast states. the west indian labourer quickly began to earn a better report. it was found that his inefficiency was largely due to insufficient and improper food. he speedily improved when turned on to the generous and nourishing diet provided in the zone. in order to be certain that he had the full advantage of the provided meals, the price of them was very wisely deducted from his wages. moreover, the american foremen soon began to learn that the men from barbados, trinidad, and elsewhere were british subjects and could not be treated as though they were southern state "coons." with a better understanding and more sympathetic treatment of the black employees, much more work was got out of them, and a good deal of the credit for the building of the panama canal is due to the , workers[ ] who have been recruited mainly from the british islands in the west indies. but the southern european contingent has been found to be excellent material. it was thought that the work-people of spain, italy, and greece would take more easily to navvying work in the tropics than people from more northerly regions of the temperate zone. the results were, on the whole, satisfactory. the greeks were, it is true, not equal to the italians or the spaniards, and very few of them were recruited for canal work. the italians, also, though several thousands of them were engaged, proved rather hard to handle. they were bitten with collectivist ideas, and inclined to act on trade union lines. the spaniard was, in every way, the most satisfactory workman introduced from europe. he was taken in an unsophisticated state directly from his village in galicia or castile. he was tractable and orderly, and quick and ready to learn. hard labour under the tropical sun and in the hot damp of the isthmus seemed to have no exhausting or enervating influence whatever upon him. the spaniard shows no sign of settling down on the isthmus. he either goes home with his savings or on to railway work in brazil. some , have been directly recruited, but this number does not include all the spanish labourers whose muscle has helped to the completion of this great work. a word or two should be said about the wages earned on the canal. the west indian recruit was offered -½d. an hour for common labour and an eight-hour day, in addition to free quarters, medical care, and repatriation. meals were supplied to him at the rate of s. -½d. per day. later the pay of all not under contract was reduced to d. per hour, and the price of the three meals to s. -½d. negro artisans, such as carpenters, masons, blacksmiths and others, of whom there were some , employed in connection with the canal works, received pay varying from d. to d. per hour. there were in , negro artisans receiving d. an hour or more, while received s. an hour, and the work was constant. the european labourer, in addition to free quarters, received $ . per eight-hour day, and more for overtime work. he was charged cents a day for his three meals, which left him a minimum net wage per day of $ . , or a little less than thirty shillings a week. many, however, received more, and a good number of spanish work-people must have gone home with a nice little nest-egg in their pockets. the skilled labour was done almost entirely by united states employees, though the "gold roll," as it was called, included at first some europeans. the pay was excellent, the social life, with its gymnasia, billiard-rooms, concerts and so forth, attractive, and the commissariat, with its three good meals at a fixed charge, quite up to the standard of a good hotel. the billets on the isthmus were therefore popular, and about , americans on an average have been in employment there. as i have pointed out, the responsibility for the construction of the canal was vested in the president of the united states, who acted through an executive commission resident in the canal zone. the work was organized in a large number of departments, each responsible for a big task. these were excavation and dredging; locks and dams; machinery and buildings (also responsible for paving and other improvements in colon and panama); labour, subsistence, and quarters; material and supplies; sanitation (responsible also for hygiene in panama and colon, which towns are technically outside the zone); civil administration; the panama railroad. there were also some smaller divisions, such as accounts and an office of a purchasing officer in washington, nearly all the supplies for the canal being obtained in the united states. it should be added that the republic of panama is responsible for the policing of the two big towns, but the department of civil administration of the panama canal commission employed police, of which were native west indians. this busy hive of labour will soon present a very different aspect. with the approach of the canal to completion the numbers of the workmen will gradually be reduced. a drastic process of sifting and selection will be carried out among the americans employed on the works. only about , men will be necessary to operate the canal, when it is in full working order. these will be established at the locks and other important points. in fact, the canal authorities recommend a complete depopulation of the isthmus except, of course, the terminal cities and the operating stations on the canal. otherwise, they think, a large expense for sanitation will be necessary which might thus be avoided. but the question of defence must not be forgotten. it will certainly be found advisable to maintain a pretty large american garrison at the isthmus, and to the population we have mentioned perhaps even , american troops must be added. the busy scenes still prevailing in the canal zone will now soon have disappeared like a dream, and the future traveller who looks from the ship-rail over the shining waters of gatun lake or beyond to the vast and silent tropical forest will have difficulty in reconstructing the spectacle which the narrow lands presented during the ten strenuous years of construction. footnotes: [ ] _the times_, september , . [ ] this is the figure of official recruiting. very many more came to the isthmus of their own accord. chapter xi. the problem of construction. we may now begin to consider the canal itself, the problems which its designers had to solve, the methods of construction, and the features of the completed work. as we have seen, the first two and a half years were a time mainly of preparation for the titanic enterprise of excavation and construction. in fact, it might have been better if the work during that period had been entirely restricted to scavenging, sewering, and so forth. the labourers were hurried a little too fast to the isthmus, before the isthmus was properly cleaned up to receive them. hence the yellow fever panic and difficulties which might have been avoided. the people of the united states were responsible for this over-haste at the start. the great thing, they cried, is to "make the dirt fly." they wanted evidence that the steam-navvies were actually at work in the bed of the canal and that the task was well in hand. in fact, the public at home took an interest in the canal operations which was sometimes embarrassing. some newspaper man at the isthmus would report an accident or unforeseen difficulty, probably with a good deal of exaggeration, an anxious excitement sprang up among the people, and special commissions had to go to the isthmus in order to investigate the true state of affairs and if possible restore confidence at home. as the reader knows, the americans had no clean slate on which to write at panama. they succeeded two french companies which had been at work for twenty years. true, the new panama canal company which succeeded the lesseps company had not greatly perspired over the undertaking. it had kept a certain amount of work going, chiefly in order to maintain its concession. all the same, the french had ploughed a pretty deep furrow between colon and panama, and much of the work they had done was fortunately available whichever type of canal should be adopted, high-level or tide-level. they had carried out a good deal of dredging for the channel through the tidal flats at either end of the canal, and they had made a very visible impression on the "continental divide" at what is known as the culebra cut. altogether the french companies excavated , , cubic yards. the americans inherited from their predecessors a large amount of machinery and tools, in addition to a great deal of work well done. much of the machinery, even of the lesseps company, was found to be in serviceable condition, and operations could be continued with it, though the extent and efficiency of the plant was, of course, as time went on, greatly increased. the main problem which the american engineers had to solve was how to deal with the chagres river. on the tide-level scheme, that violent and capricious stream, which in the rainy season was navigable for half its length of miles, would have had to be diverted into another channel or ponded back in its upper waters by a high dam at gamboa, some of the overflow of which might perhaps have been permitted to pass into the canal. but, as we have seen, the chagres would have to be utilized and at the same time controlled if the high-level plan was adopted. a river which is capable of rising -½ feet in twenty-four hours needed a great deal of regulation and discipline before it could be used as the feeder of the upper reaches of a lock canal. the only way to do this was to diffuse its waters over a vast artificial lake which it would keep full, but in which its floods and current would be effectually tamed. this could only be done by a huge dam intercepting the course of the river in its lower reaches, at some point before it entered the caribbean sea. when the new panama canal company changed its plans and decided for an elevated waterway, it was intended to construct such a barrier at bohio, a point much higher up stream than gatun, the site ultimately chosen by the american engineers. the isthmian canal commission which reported in , also arranged for a dam at bohio to control the chagres river. on this plan the river would have been intercepted much higher up, and the artificial lake would have been much smaller. but when the americans finally decided on the high-level type in , the site of the proposed dam was shifted from bohio to gatun, nearer the river's mouth, which involved the inundation of a much vaster area of country. this position for the dam was first suggested by a french engineer, godin de lépinay, who, in a paper read before the congress of engineers in paris in , advocated a lock canal with a dam controlling the chagres river at gatun. this, then, was the biggest problem peculiar to the high-level scheme, for the cutting through the "continental divide," though an even more titanic labour, would have had to be accomplished whatever type of canal had been adopted. no feature of the construction has been subject to so much criticism and anxious solicitude as this gatun dyke. on it depends the maintenance of gatun lake and the supply of water for the canal. if the dam fails, everything fails. the real cause of the difficulty was the foundation upon which this big artificial hill had to be laid. the great dam at assouan in egypt is based upon the eternal granite, upon which masonry of natural stone is built. it is, therefore, part and parcel of the solid framework of our planet, and will probably last as long. the gatun dam is, however, founded upon the alluvial deposits of the chagres river. this alluvium consists of gravel firmly cemented with mud and clay, and is unquestionably water-tight. these deposits go down in places to a depth of feet before the solid rock is reached. the dam had, therefore, to be laid down on the top of them. now this foundation, though water-tight, is soft. it would have been impossible to place upon it a massive structure of rock or concrete. the deposits would have given way under its weight. the only plan was to dump down in the valley an earthen dam, making it very broad so as to distribute the weight over as large a space as possible of the alluvium underneath. a steep slope would have been impossible, for the weight of the central portion would have pushed the clay and gravel outwards, and the whole mass would have subsided. the earth-dam was to block the valley through which the chagres had hitherto flowed uninterruptedly to the sea. this valley is a mile and a half wide, and this is, therefore, the length of the dam. its base is , feet wide. it is feet through at the surface of the water, feet wide at the top, and was to be feet above sea-level. the last figure has, it seems, been brought down to feet, which will be an advantage, as the weight upon the foundations will be proportionately less. in the middle of the dam the level of the lake is controlled by a channel called the "spillway," with walls and floor of concrete, by which the surplus waters will be sluiced off into the old bed of the chagres river and so passed on to the sea. the entrance to this channel is closed with falling gates or doors. this safety-valve will no doubt be capable of dealing with the biggest and quickest rise of the lake-level that is ever likely to take place. it can pass off , cubic feet of water a second, the water issuing at a speed of feet a second. but, to complete the security, the big culverts of the mighty gatun locks close by can be turned open, and , cubic feet a second carried off there. indeed, as regards the gatun lake the anxiety, if there be any, is that the water-supply will be insufficient rather than dangerously excessive. the level of the lake is to be kept at feet above mean sea-level--that is, the dam, or a considerable length of it, will be exposed to what is called a "head" of water of feet. the lake itself will be square miles in extent. there have been many rational anxieties on the sufficiency of the dam. a certain american senator, however, who visited the works during the construction, worried himself rather unnecessarily on this last figure. colonel goethals was showing a congressional delegation round the works, and in the course of the survey they came to the dam with the broad expanse of water behind it. "colonel," he said, "how is it that so small a body of earth as the gatun dam can hold in check such a tremendous body of water as the gatun lake?" the chief engineer explained that the pressure of a body of water is determined by its height and not by its volume. the inquirer seems not to have been satisfied with the statement of this hydrostatic law. senator knox, afterwards secretary of state, then came to his aid. "senator," he said, "if your theory were true, how could the dykes of holland hold in check the atlantic ocean?" this was a clincher, and the sceptic joined in the laugh at his own expense. all the same, the gatun dam has two extremely responsible and heavy duties to perform. it has to withstand the horizontal thrust of a head of feet of water so as not to be carried bodily down the chagres bed into the atlantic. and it has to block up the valley so effectually that the water of the lake shall not percolate through at any point. there is every reason to believe that, in spite of all alarums and excursions during its construction, it will fulfil both these requirements. its composition and construction may be briefly described. two bulwarks of big rocky fragments were built up on either outer line or "toe" of the structure. this rough material was obtained from the lock site, or mindi, or the culebra cut twenty-six miles away. the area between these piles is filled with silt, and water pumped into it by hydraulic dredges from the chagres valley. the surplus water is carried off through pipes. the sodden silt remains and is packed down and consolidated by atmospheric pressure. such a "hydraulic fill" is impervious to water, the thrust or "head" of which is very quickly lost in the minute interstices or pores of the material. it will be seen how such a structure differs from a dam of concrete or stone masonry. it is porous, while at the same time impervious to water. the future traveller through the panama canal will probably never guess the immensity of the labour that has gone to the building of the gatun dam. already, indeed, it looks so much like a part of the natural landscape that it might well escape special observation altogether. yet nothing less than , , cubic yards of material were laid down--enough to make a wall of earth three feet high and three feet thick reaching nearly halfway round the world. the spillway itself contains , cubic yards of concrete. it will be noticed that in the dam proper there is no core of masonry or puddled chalk or clay whatever. it was at one time intended that there should be. i have alluded to the alarmist rumours that were raised again and again at panama and created much uneasiness in the united states. these were especially concerned with the great dam, and that word must have frequently been on the lips of the engineers in more than one significance. every possible test was applied to determine the exact character of the underlying materials, to ascertain whether there was any connection between the swamp areas to the north and south through the deposits in the gorges which the earthwork was to bridge, to prove the ability of the material below to support the structure, and to find out whether suitable material for the dam could be found in its neighbourhood. "as the result of all these investigations," wrote colonel goethals,[ ] "it may be briefly stated that the underlying material is impervious to water; that it possesses ample strength to uphold the structure that will be placed upon it, and, the subsoil being impervious, that there is no connection between the swamps above and the sea below." in order to make assurance doubly sure, colonel goethals planned the dam so as to include triple interlocking steel sheet-piling across the valley, driven down to bedrock, and decided to carry the dam to a height of feet. even so, the news of a collapse was wired home, and this so impressed president roosevelt that he sent a commission of engineers to the isthmus accompanied by president-elect taft. the investigations had a different result from what had been expected. instead of being dissatisfied with the size and strength of the dam, the engineers declared that it was being built too high and that the steel piling was unnecessary. it must be admitted, therefore, that the efficiency of the gatun dam has been subjected to the most rigorous tests, and that no further anxiety on the subject need be felt. with the blocking of the chagres outlet at gatun, the waters of the lake have gradually accumulated until they cover an area of square miles. not only the chagres itself but its tributaries, the trinidad and others, are thus ponded back. the reservoir extends up a number of long and winding arms, and is thus very irregular in shape. the bed of the channel itself was cleared of brushwood and trees, but the rest of the valley was thickly overgrown. as the waters rose, therefore, and gradually submerged this primeval forest, a rather dismal spectacle was presented of decay and destruction. the lake has, indeed, completely altered the aspect of the country. villages and even small towns, whose names had come down from the days of the old navigators, lie buried for ever beneath the waters of lake gatun. even now the great expanse of water with its wooded islands looks like a natural feature of the landscape rather than yesterday's creation of engineering enterprise. the vessels in transit will, of course, keep to the dredged and buoyed channel, but the channel will itself be invisible, and the traveller, after tossing on the restless caribbean sea, will enjoy the full sensation of a cruise over a landlocked fjord or lake. lake gatun is indeed twice the size of lago maggiore and four-fifths the size of lake geneva. the journey from gatun to bas obispo, where the waterway again assumes the appearance of a canal and enters the culebra gorge, is miles, but the same -foot level is maintained right to the locks at pedro miguel, where the waters of lake gatun are again retained by a dam connecting the walls of the lock with a hill to the west. the rest of the lake is held in by the natural configuration of the country, the only outlets being at the gatun spillway and, of course, through the locks. but we must not overlook the main purpose of the lake, which is to supply the water for the canal and the lockages. for this purpose everything, of course, depends on the rainfall at the isthmus, and the question arises whether this may be relied upon to replenish the canal with the needful water-supply. colonel goethals estimates that in an average dry season "lockages," or transits of the canal, per day would be possible, which is a greater number than the twenty-four hours of the day would permit, allowing vessels to follow each other at intervals of one hour. happily, a resource is still left if the supply of water should show signs of proving insufficient. at alhajuela, on the chagres river, some nine or ten miles above obispo, there is an excellent site for a dam, forming a reservoir where some of the surplus water of the rainy season could be stored and supplied to the canal as required in the dry months. details of the construction of such a dam were prepared in connection with a former canal-scheme, and would be available in case of need. footnotes: [ ] _the national geographic magazine_, february . chapter xii. the culebra cut. the most famous section of work on the canal has been that at the vertebra or "continental divide," which runs along the isthmus on the pacific side and had to be pierced through by any canal running from colon to panama. this tremendous work, known as the "culebra cut," from the name of one of the hills, extends for nine miles from bas obispo to pedro miguel. mr. bryce has truly said, referring to this section, that "never before on our planet have so much labour, so much scientific knowledge, and so much executive skill been concentrated on a work designed to bring the nations nearer to one another and serve the interests of all mankind."[ ] the bottom of the canal in the cut, as in the channel through lake gatun, is feet above sea-level. the highest elevation of the original surface of the ground above the centre line of the canal was feet above sea-level, so that the total excavation along this saddle was minus , or feet. this was, however, not actually the highest point of excavation. gold hill, close to the canal line, is feet above sea-level, and from the top of this hill a new and steeper slope had to be made. the surface of the water is feet above sea-level, and so is feet below the original saddle at its highest elevation. we have already noticed that a tide-level canal would have involved an excavation feet deeper, and the width of the cutting would have had to be immensely wider. the slides and breaks which have rendered the american excavation so much more difficult lead one to suppose that the tide-level cutting might have proved impracticable. all the work at culebra performed by the french was available for their successors. the french companies accounted for , , cubic yards of material on this section. they had already cut down feet below the original surface at its highest elevation, and the cliff they had cut in the face of gold hill was feet in vertical height. it is well to mention such figures, as some people imagine that the french wasted all their time and resources at panama. it may be added that the bottom width of the channel adopted by the french engineers was feet, whereas that of the american canal will be feet. many descriptions have been given by visitors of the spectacle presented in this long and deep gash through the mountains during the progress of the excavations. from these and the numerous photographs taken at that stage the traveller will be able to reconstruct the scene--the two hundred miles of railroad construction track, laid down tier above tier at different levels; the thousands of men busily at work; the roar and smoke of the dynamite tearing the rock into fragments; the mighty steam-shovels like great dragons burying their iron teeth in the surface of the bank, engulfing a huge mouthful, then swinging round and belching it all into the dirt trucks, to be carried off to the dumping-ground at gatun near the atlantic or balboa at the pacific end of the canal. at culebra, colonel goethals made the "dirt fly" to the full satisfaction of public opinion in the united states. all sorts of devices and machinery were employed to hasten and economize the process. for example, there was the ledgerwood unloader. railway trucks provided with flaps were used, these flaps making a single platform of the whole train. at the rear of the train was a plough which could be drawn by a wire rope attached to a drum carried on a special car in the fore part of the train. when the train arrived at the dumping-ground the drum was started, and the plough, advancing from the rear, swept the cubic yards and rock from the sixteen cars in seven minutes. then there was a "track-shifter," invented by an employee on the isthmus, which lifted and relaid the railway lines as the spoil-tracks had to be shifted. this powerful engine raised the track and ties clear of the ground and deposited them from three to nine feet sideways. the "spoil trains" were treated with all the respect which is accorded to the fastest mail trains of the day on an english main line. they followed one another from the cutting at intervals of three minutes, and any delay, of course, balked the mammoth steam-shovel of its gluttonous meal on the stones and rubble of the mountain-side. any cause of delay was at once reported by telephone to the superintendent of transportation at empire, and the obstruction was immediately dealt with. by this persistent concentration on the main object the dirt has been made to fly not only more speedily but more cheaply. one of the most serious causes of anxiety and difficulty along the canal line were the "slides" and "breaks" which kept occurring in the culebra cut. to use a condensed americanism, the sides would not "stay put." large masses of material would slide or move from the banks into the excavated area, closing off the drainage, upsetting the steam-shovels, and tearing up the tracks. a very unpleasant phenomenon was the lifting of the shovels in the bottom of the canal due to the bulgings of the earth there. it is not necessary to enter into the distinction between "slides" and "breaks," or into the learned disquisitions that have been written about them. it is sufficient for us to note that they added immensely to the amount of material which had to be got out of the culebra gorge. colonel goethals tells us that of the , , cubic yards removed during the year , , cubic yards, or per cent., were due to slides; that in of , , cubic yards removed, , , , or per cent., came from slides or breaks that had previously existed or that had developed during the year. it might have been imagined that these discouraging additions to the work would have seriously delayed progress on the canal and put forward the date of its completion. but able and economic organization triumphed over all these lets and hindrances. at the beginning of the american excavations the engineers estimated that million cubic yards of "dirt" had still to be removed, and that this work would take nine years to accomplish. but that estimate of material proved to be greatly below the mark. enlargements of the canal and the unforeseen collapses in the culebra cut brought up the total to million cubic yards. it is a remarkable evidence of the efficiency and economy of the american organization that this immense task will have been completed in about six years of actual full-swing work. some idea of the way in which colonel goethals made the dirt fly may be gathered from the fact that in the first five years of his directorship, down to april , he removed million cubic yards of material. "if all this material," writes mr. showalter, "could be placed in a solid shaft of the shape of the washington monument, with a base as large as an average city block, it would tower more than six miles skyward, overtopping the earth's loftiest mountain peak by more than a mile. again, if it were to be loaded on to the big lidgerwood dirt cars used on the canal, it would make a string of them reaching over two and a half times around the earth, and requiring a string of engines reaching from new york to sac francisco to move them." it is indeed a remarkable achievement that, while the amount of material to be removed was increased by about per cent., the time of removal was cut down by per cent. nor has the increase of the work added to the estimate of cost. the total cost of the completed canal was fixed in at million dollars. yet, in spite of the increased excavations, enough of this sum, it is calculated, will be left over to build a new breakwater, and perhaps a big storage reservoir at alhajuela on the upper reaches of the chagres river. in the culebra cut, despite the landslides, the cost of excavation has actually been reduced by more than one-third. [illustration: culebra cut, from west bank, showing shovels at work.] the pessimists have of course been busy with these landslides in the "cut." they predicted that the canal along this section would always be exposed to danger from that source. but here, too, every precaution has been taken. the engineers have given a much lower slope to the sides of the canal, which is therefore wider at the top than had been originally planned. the slopes will also be sown with creeping grasses and other plants, which will bind down the surface soil. when the forty-five feet of water are in the canal, the bottom will be held down by the weight, and the bulgings no longer take place. moreover, any earth that, in spite of all precautions, still manages to slide into the canal should be easily dealt with by the big -inch suction dredges, which can be brought up through the locks and set to work. so we need not trouble much about the stability of things along this nine-mile section through the culebra mountains. here as elsewhere it is possible to give only a very general idea of the difficulties which were encountered and overcome in the course of construction. the drainage of the "cut" during the work was in itself a heavy and important task. it was necessary to keep out the water of the surrounding country and to rid the excavated area of water collecting in it. a system of diversion channels, carrying off the obispo river and its tributaries, effected the first object, and the second problem was solved by gravity drains and pumps. on the whole, this mighty trench through the isthmian hills is not only the biggest thing to the credit of a nation which delights in bigness, but the greatest achievement of its kind the world has ever seen. footnotes: [ ] "south america," p. . chapter xiii. the locks. the panama canal belongs to the "age of concrete." all other vast works of construction, such as the pyramids of antiquity and the assouan dam of to-day, have been built of live natural rock. at panama everything--locks, wharves, piers, breakwaters--has been constructed of concrete. the americans have not only built these incomparable piles of masonry; they have manufactured the material out of which they are built. this circumstance makes the rapid completion of the canal all the more wonderful. not less than four and a half million cubic yards of artificial stone have been produced for the built portions of the canal and its accessories. this amount of concrete, we are informed, would make an ordinary sidewalk nine feet wide by six inches thick reaching more than twice round the earth. the broken stone which is one of the ingredients of concrete was quarried and transported from porto bello--a name famous in the annals of west indian romance-- miles to the east of colon; while the sand came mostly from nombre de dios, also a celebrated place miles further to the east, the atlantic terminal of the old paved trans-isthmian road along which the spanish mule convoys brought the silver of the incas from panama. millions of yards of stone came from porto bello. hundreds of bargeloads of sand came from nombre de dios and from islands in the atlantic and pacific. myriads of barrels of cement were shipped from the united states to cristobal, an outskirt of colon, thence carried by barges to gatun or by railway to the pedro miguel and miraflores lock sites. dozens of mighty "mixers" were ready to receive these diverse materials. each of these could accommodate ten tons of sand, cement, crushed stones, and water. this indigestible mixture the machine would toss and churn round for a minute or so in its interior and then belch it all out in the shape of unhardened artificial stone. the belief in concrete among the builders of the panama canal has been almost a superstition. they invented a sort of cement gun to shoot sand and water against the sides of the culebra cut, so as to form a coating of solid artificial rock, but the experiment rather deserved than achieved success. of course all such structures as lighthouses were built wholly of concrete, and it is reported that even barges were constructed of this adaptable material. as regards concrete and its nature and behaviour nothing was taken for granted. every means was taken of testing such important matters as the effect of sea-water on this material, the time it takes for these huge masses of artificial stone to settle, and many other questions on the answer to which the permanence and stability of the locks and the entire waterway would depend. the panama canal, writes mr. showalter, is "the greatest effort man ever has made, and perhaps ever will make, to simulate the processes of geologic ages, and do in days what nature required unreckoned years to accomplish." these remarks about concrete naturally lead us to the subject of the panama locks, the magnificent stairway at gatun, the single-step locks at pedro miguel (or, as the worker quickly anglicized it, peter magill), and the double-step flight at miraflores. the most impressive of these is the colossal duplicated three-step flight at gatun, up which the vessel in transit is lifted from the end of the sea-level seven-mile-long entrance channel through limon bay to gatun up to the surface of gatun lake, feet above the level of the sea. this giant staircase has been constructed in a cutting through the hill which retains at this end the waters of the artificial lake. a tremendous amount of excavation, upwards of , , cubic yards, was necessary, and the locks, which are constructed entirely of concrete, contain about , , cubic yards of that material. the chambers of all the locks in the canal will have a usable length of , feet and a width of feet. these dimensions should prove large enough for the largest ships not only existing but likely to be constructed for many years to come. they satisfy the requirement of the spooner act that the canal shall be "of sufficient capacity and depth to afford convenient passage for vessels of the largest tonnage and greatest draft now in use, and such as may reasonably be expected." more than per cent. of the ships now afloat are less than feet in length, so that a good margin is allowed. we may be certain that the american government has given the closest attention to the question of the length and breadth of the lock-chambers, for the canal, we must remember, is primarily a military passage for the purpose of transferring, if need be, the entire american fleet from the atlantic to the pacific seaboard. the locks of the kiel canal, it may be added for purposes of comparison, have an available length of feet and a width of feet. the vessel, then, in order to gain the level of gatun lake from the atlantic entrance, has to pass through a flight of three successive locks. the maximum lift is feet, or about four feet higher than at any other locks now in use. all the locks along the panama canal are duplicated--that is, there are two parallel sets with a common centre-wall--so that two ships could be simultaneously put through both flights in the same or in opposite directions. this "double-tracking" is in itself one of the many precautions taken against accidents at the locks. there are no locks in the world where these precautions are so minute and numerous. it is all of course in the interests of the owners to inspire the maximum of confidence in maritime circles. complete efficiency in the operation of the canal, absolute safety for the vessels and cargoes entrusted for ten or twelve hours to its keeping, are the elementary conditions of success. each lock through which the vessel passes is equipped with two pairs of mitre gates--that is, double swinging doors--the biggest lock-gates in the world; but in all cases the uppermost locks have a second pair of gates, so that if some unruly vessel were to ram open one set of gates there would still be another set ready to receive it. but even this is not all. heavy chains are stretched across the channel with the ends attached to hydraulic paying-out machinery. these chains and their attachments are capable of bringing to a dead stop a vessel of , tons moving at the rate of five miles an hour. and still the precautionary devices are not exhausted. let us suppose that all these barriers were broken down, though such a disaster is almost beyond the bounds of things possible. at the head of each flight of locks there are provided great cantilever swing-bridges which can be thrown across the channel in case of accident. from these bridges a series of nickel-steel wicket girders could be let down. the lower ends of these girders would drop into a sort of sill at the bottom of the rushing waters. the girders would then act as small perpendicular runways, down which large steel sheets on rollers would be let down, gradually damming back the escaping waters. and lastly, in order to avoid all recourse to these emergency contrivances, it is ordained that no vessel shall enter any chamber of any locks under its own steam. nearly all the accidents that happen in locks are due to the vessels being worked independently of the lock authorities when passing through. captains may be as anxious as possible to avoid mistakes, but there is many a slip possible between an order and its fulfilment. so the lock operators are not going to be responsible for the safety of a vessel which is not entirely under their own control. none will be allowed to negotiate the locks under its own motive-power. a series of electric towing-stations will be set up on the side walls of the locks. when a vessel approaches it will be brought to a standstill outside the locks. then four of these towing engines will be fastened to it by means of hawsers--two at the stem, in order to draw the vessel into the locks, and two at the stern, to check its speed and bring it to a standstill when necessary. and this control will of course be exercised all through its passage to the upper or lower levels. we should certainly not hear of any accidents in the lock-chambers of the panama canal. [illustration: gatun locks, looking south-west, showing north end of the locks.] it is expected that a vessel will be passed through the three locks at gatun in about fifty minutes, though some delay may be caused in the approach. on the atlantic side the water of the canal will be smooth, and the ship will be in some degree sheltered from the winds, so that there should be no difficulty in the approach from that direction. coming from lake gatun to the locks the vessel may experience a little rough water, though there is seldom a great force of wind there, and the lake will be free from currents. as regards the pacific side, the ocean there fully corresponds with its name. it is always calm, and not the slightest difficulty may be anticipated from either winds or waves or currents. over thirty miles away at the southern extremity of the culebra cut the vessel in transit will be lowered from the high-level lake feet down to the surface of another artificial lake much smaller in content, held at a surface-height of feet above sea-level. these are the single-step duplicate locks known as the pedro miguel or "peter magill." the construction of these locks required , cubic yards of cement. on the west side of these locks is the other dam which, with the mighty gatun dam at the other end, holds up the waters of lake gatun. this smaller dam is also of earth, and is about , feet long and feet wide at the top. it is subjected to a maximum "head" of water of feet, but the average is from to feet. the length of the lake, which is known by the pretty name of "miraflores," between the peter magill and the next set of locks, is about , yards, and the lake itself covers about , acres. its waters are held up at feet above sea-level by two dams at the miraflores locks. these are the third and last set of locks for a ship proceeding from the atlantic to the pacific. they are in two steps, or, to use the more technical expression, "two in flight," and they drop the vessel from the miraflores lake at feet elevation down to sea-level. it must be noticed, however, that the fluctuations in the tide of the pacific end are about feet, and that the height of the lake is given for mean tide. in other words low water during "spring" tides is feet below the average sea-level. the maximum lift for these locks therefore will be feet. there are two dams holding up the waters of the miraflores lake, one to the west of earth, and one to the east of concrete. the former is , feet long and feet wide at the top. the average "head" to which it is subjected is feet, the maximum . its construction is similar to that at gatun. the concrete dam is about feet long, and is provided with regulating works similar to and of the same dimensions as those at gatun, the crest in this instance being feet above mean tide-level, with seven openings, allowing a discharge of , cubic feet per second. the locks themselves will require , , cubic feet of concrete. i should add that these dams at pedro miguel and miraflores are, unlike their big brother at gatun, founded upon the solid bedrock. there has, therefore, been no question as to their permanence and stability. moreover, as will have been noticed, the pressure of water is only about a half of that at gatun. the relaying of most of the old panama railroad was proceeding _pari passu_ with the construction of the canal. two sections of the old line, one from colon to mindi at the atlantic end, the other from corozal to panama at the pacific end, could be used for the new. all the rest had to be built. the greater portion of the old track was, indeed, submerged beneath the waters of lake gatun. the line is also being doubled throughout almost its entire length. it was originally intended to carry the line through the culebra cut along a berm feet above the water surface, to be left for this purpose during the excavations of the channel; but the "slides" interfered with this project, and a new line to the east of the cut was selected. the heavy embankments along the railway were among the most useful and convenient "dumps" for the material taken out of the culebra cutting. as a great part of the railroad passes through the lake, culverts of reinforced concrete are provided to equalize the water on both sides of the embankments. south of miraflores the new railway passes through a tunnel feet long, and a striking feature of the canal is a steel bridge across the chagres river near gamboa, almost a quarter of a mile long. we need not dwell on the excavations of the tidal stretches of the canal on the atlantic and pacific ends or through lake gatun. a good deal of the french work was available at the tidal levels, but a vast amount of excavation had still to be done by steam-shovels as well as dredges, rocky elevations being found in both channels. below the miraflores locks a million and a half cubic yards of rock had to be removed. there will be some tidal current at the pacific end, but as the sea-level section here will be feet wide, the current will never run faster than about one foot per second. the sea is practically tideless at the atlantic terminal, the variation being only . as a maximum, whereas at the pacific it is . . chapter xiv the completed canal. we may now begin to consider the canal as a whole and in its completed state. from deep water in limon bay, -foot depth at mean tide, to deep water outside panama, -foot depth at mean tide, is just about miles. the greater part of the canal is at high elevation, only miles of it being at sea-level. we shall note the varying depths and widths of the channel when we take our imaginary journey along it. here it is enough to say that the minimum width will be feet, the minimum depth feet, the breadth and depth being, however, for the greater portion of its course, greater than these dimensions. its highest point above sea-level, as the reader already knows, is feet--that is, feet at the surface of the water, and feet at the canal bottom. the depth along this stretch is therefore feet. the panama canal, though not so long as the kiel and suez canals, is very much broader and deeper. suez is feet wide and feet deep as _minima_; kiel, feet and -½ feet. the manchester ship canal is feet by feet. in length panama, with its miles, comes third, suez being , kiel , and manchester -½ miles long. during the building of the canal the department of construction and engineering was arranged in three divisions--the atlantic, embracing the engineering construction from deep water in the caribbean sea to include the gatun locks and dam; the central division, extending from gatun to pedro miguel; and the pacific division, from pedro miguel to deep water in the pacific ocean. for the ordinary student, however, the channel divides naturally into four sections, the atlantic level, the lake, the cutting, and the pacific section (in two levels separated by locks). the invisible channel of the waterway begins at the mouth of limon bay, about eight miles from gatun locks. limon, also known as colon or navy bay, is about three miles wide and three and a half miles long from north to south. it is shallow, from three to seven fathoms deep, and seems to be steadily growing shallower. this is not surprising, as it is fully exposed to the "northers," which blow with terrific force from the caribbean, and no doubt carry into the bay a good deal of detritus from the bottom of the sea. the heavy rains of the isthmus must also scour the land perpetually down into the bay. on the east side of the bay is the flat manzanillo island, a mile long by three-quarters broad, on which stands the city of colon. this town, which was once known as aspinwall, owes its existence to the panama railway, of which it is the northern or caribbean terminus. its position on the railway gave it an advantage over the old town of chagres, a little distance along the coast to the west, which, though once a flourishing port, has now fallen on evil days. near colon is cristobal, the new atlantic terminal of the canal. [illustration: gatun upper lock, looking north from lighthouse.] without some protection the entrance to the canal would have been exposed to the extremely violent storms which occur in the caribbean during the winter months. during these storms vessels cannot lie safely in colon harbour, and could not safely enter or issue from the canal. so a breakwater two miles long has been run out from toro point in an easterly direction, covering the extremity of the canal. a glance at the map will suggest a thought that this barrier will not provide sufficient protection, and that another breakwater will have to be run out from the eastern shore. such a further protection will be provided if the need should arise. at this point then, west of colon and at the mouth of limon bay, our vessel enters the buoyed submarine channel of the canal and speeds onwards along the first section of the waterway, feet in bottom-width and feet deep, towards the locks at gatun. but the locks are not yet visible. it is not until the fifth mile--that is, at mindi--that a bend of the canal opens that gigantic structure to view, and by that time the vessel has left the broad waters and is enclosed within banks. the experience which awaits the traveller who has looked forward with some excitement to see the world's greatest wonder of to-day has been vividly imagined by mr. bryce. our late american ambassador writes:-- the voyager of the future, in the ten or twelve hours of his passage from ocean to ocean, will have much variety. the level light of the fiery tropic dawn will fall on the houses of colon as he approaches it in the morning, when vessels usually arrive. when his ship has mounted the majestic staircase of the three gatun locks from the atlantic level, he will glide slowly and softly along the waters of a broad lake which gradually narrows toward its head--a lake enclosed by rich forests of that velvety softness one sees in the tropics, with vistas of forest-girt islets stretching far off to right and left among the hills; a welcome change from the restless caribbean sea which he has left. then the mountains will close in upon him, steep slopes of grass or brushwood rising two hundred feet above him as he passes through the great cut. from the level of the miguel lock he will look southward down the broad vale that opens on the ocean flooded with the light of the declining sun, and see the rocky islets rising, between which in the twilight his course will lie out into the vast pacific. at suez the passage from sea to sea is through a dreary and monotonous waste of shifting sand and barren clay. here one is for a few hours in the centre of a verdant continent, floating on smooth waters, shut off from sight of the ocean behind and the ocean before--a short sweet present of tranquillity between a stormy past and a stormy future. the gatun locks, each chamber of which is a sort of "canyon of cement," will almost oppress the imagination with the sense of immensity. at the foot of the locks the vessel will surrender its own volition and entrust itself wholly to the canal operators. it will be attached to the electric apparatus ashore and gently towed into the lock-chambers. in less than an hour it should have climbed the three gigantic steps and be afloat on the surface of the lake, feet above sea-level. the traveller might fail even to notice of himself the great dam which abuts on the locks to the west. he may be surprised to hear that the whole being of the canal depends upon that earthwork, and that with the culebra cut it absorbed the greater part of the labour and skill and solicitude of the canal-builders. the gatun dam has indeed been so adopted and transfigured by nature that it appears only a part, and not a very conspicuous part, of the landscape. nor would our traveller, without previous information, guess the history of the great expanse of water which stretches to right and left up many a distant arm or loch and round many a picturesque island, and over which his vessel, once more resuming its own power and control, begins to advance. the buoys alone indicate that the channel, the true and well-wrought link between the two oceans, still holds its course through the bed of the lake. mr. bryce has pointed out what a pleasant interlude in a long ocean journey will be afforded by this placid glide of miles over the inland lake from gatun to gamboa. the bottom widths through the lake are , feet for miles, feet for miles, and feet for about miles. at gamboa the vessel enters the eight-mile section of the culebra cut. here again, though the traveller in future days will need no reminding of the enterprise represented by this tremendous trench driven through the backbone of the isthmus, he will have to imagine the busy scene during the days of construction which will then have disappeared. he must try to reproduce what was little less than a manufacturing town at gorgona, just near the entrance to the cut, where stood the machine shops, boiler shops, smith shops, car shops, pattern shops, where repairs of all kinds were made and machines of all sorts and sizes constructed. he should think of that model residential town to the west of the cut where the chief engineer and his assistants lived, surrounded by the quarters of the men, each dwelling protected with its fine wire netting to exclude the mosquitoes, the whole settlement scrupulously clean and bright with well-kept lawns and flowerbeds. all this will have passed away with the crowds of workers who interrupted for a dozen years the stillness of the primeval forest. nature and silence will in a large degree have resumed their sway, but the world will not forget the debt it owes to that conquering industrial army which divided the land here in order to unite the nations. through the cutting the bottom width of the canal is feet. having accomplished the eight or nine mile passage through the deep gorge, the vessel reaches the end of the high-level section at the pedro miguel locks. here she is gently lowered feet down to the bosom of little miraflores lake, held at feet above sea-level. the length of this subsection is about a mile and a half, and it ends at the miraflores locks, where the ship is lowered by two steps to the level of the pacific. then follows the last stage of this eventful transit--the eight-mile tidal section along which the vessel glides between low swamps to her own element of deep sea-water beyond the new port of balboa, west of panama, whose wharves are being constructed from the waste material of the inland excavations. the new breakwater which runs out from balboa to naos island suggests wind and storm. but eternal calm reigns along these shores, and the object of the breakwater is to protect the line of the canal, not from heavy seas, but from the silt-bearing currents from the east which set at right angles to the channel. constant dredging was necessary to prevent the bed of the canal becoming filled with this sediment. the dyke has proved very effectual for this purpose. such is the panama canal which has for so many centuries been the desire of the nations, and which is now one of the permanent geographical features of the globe. it is so well and truly constructed that nothing short of an earthquake could ever seriously damage it. the question naturally arises whether this ultimate danger needs to be seriously considered. panama is rather suspiciously close to a region where geological conditions are not remarkable for stability. the earthquake at kingston a few years ago was as destructive a calamity as those of messina and san francisco. costa rica, too, almost an isthmian country, enjoys a very bad reputation for this kind of friskiness. panama, however, seems happily to lie outside the zone of such disturbances. slight earthquake shocks have been felt, probably only the reflections of severer shocks elsewhere. but there is no record or tradition of a really serious convulsion. there is, indeed, one visible and reassuring evidence of the self-possession of the earth's surface in this region. to the east of the modern city of panama is the site of old panama, of which the lofty tower of the old cathedral--a pathetic and picturesque object--is still standing. this shows that there has been no serious earthquake here for the greater part of four centuries. still, the danger--great or small--does exist, and it threatens a high-level canal, with its elaborate lock-machinery and masonry, far more than it would have affected a canal at sea-level. no very severe convulsion might be necessary to throw one of these locks out of gear, and the entire canal, therefore, out of operation for a considerable time. but against such perils there is no guarding, and every precaution having been taken against foreseeable and preventable dangers, all else must be left to the disposal of that providence "which by his strength setteth fast the mountains," "who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever." [illustration: gatun upper lock--west chamber.] it seems incredible that the canal should ever be in danger of injury or destruction from the attack of any civilized power, because all nations are apparently interested in its preservation. what, then, is the meaning of these slopes which are being prepared for forts and batteries at either end of the canal? "with the two great forts at the two ends of the canal," writes mr. showalter, "fitted with four -inch guns, six -inch guns, and twelve -inch mortars, with twelve companies of coast artillery, one battery of field artillery, four regiments of infantry, and one squad of cavalry, there is not likely to arise a time when these fortifications, backed up by the american navy, will fail to command a proper and wholesome respect from other nations." yet if the object were simply to maintain the neutrality of the canal, the best course would seem to have been to leave the canal entirely unfortified, as is the case at suez, and trust to the moral influence of the great powers and their common interest in keeping the canal free and open to the world's traffic. obviously the idea of making the canal zone a big military camp and arsenal is not so much to "police" the passage as a great international waterway, but to defend it and the zone as a position of immense strategic importance to the united states. president hayes, in a message to the senate in , spoke of the canal as "the great ocean thoroughfare between our atlantic and pacific ports, and _virtually a part of the coastline of the united states_." the words i have italicized seem to show that the united states regard the new passage rather as wholly proprietary, like those of kiel and corinth, than as international in status, like the suez canal. in the hay-pauncefote treaty there is no specific reference to fortification. the only allusion to the defence of the canal occurs in the second subsection of the third clause: "the united states shall be at liberty to maintain such military police along the canal as may be necessary to protect it against lawlessness and disorder." the hay-bunau-varilla treaty is rather more specific in its provisions on this subject, though even that instrument seems scarcely to have contemplated an armament and garrison on the large and permanent scale intended at the isthmus.[ ] england has, however, acquiesced in the proposed fortification. the decision is not likely to be challenged in any other quarter. the united states have built the canal with their own money and enterprise. they are more closely and immediately interested in the passage than any other power, and so long as they fulfil their undertaking to afford equal treatment in tolls and other respects to the commerce of all nations, nobody is likely to protest against the presence of american men and guns at the isthmus. indeed, there is some force in the plea that the complete neutralization of the canal would be inconsistent with american control and operation. in time of war the americans would have had either to refrain from using the canal for their warships (an unthinkable proposition) or to permit their enemy or enemies to use it on equal terms. this would have meant a rather painful experience for the american engineers, managers, workmen, and others on the isthmus. they would have been obliged to put the enemy's vessels through the canal, and thus commit a sort of legalized treason against their own government by giving "aid and comfort" to the enemy. so it comes to this--that the canal will be neutral at all times except when the united states are themselves a belligerent. then it will become part and parcel of the sovereign dominions of the great american republic. but the united states will have to stand all the ulterior possibilities of this position. if they were at war the canal would be at once liable to attack. in fact it would invite attack as a very vulnerable point in their armour. it has been truly said that the canal zone will have all the disadvantages, without any of the advantages, of an island. it will be entirely dependent on imported supplies and isolated from the centre of american power. if the american fleet lost the command of the sea even for a short time, the enemy could land troops at any part of the isthmus, march them against any point of the extended canal line and inflict on the united states a wound in a very sensitive, if not a vital region. so that instead of simply doubling the efficiency of the existing american fleet, by enabling it to be transferred swiftly and bodily from the western to the eastern coast, it may rather add to the naval responsibilities of the states and compel a considerable increase in their sea-power. to englishmen, however, this development of the power and resources of the united states ought to bring no feelings but those of pleasure and satisfaction. in view of the great secular struggle between east and west for supremacy in the pacific, which some people think will fill the pages of future world history, anything that strengthens the position and prestige of anglo-saxondom as the main guardian of western ideas and principles should be welcome to all the members of that race. it is estimated that the fortification of the canal will cost about $ , , . this added to the $ , , , the estimated cost of construction, will bring the entire bill up to the round and goodly sum of $ , , or £ , , . this puts all other expenditure on artificial water-channels into the shade, as the suez canal cost only £ , , , the manchester ship canal £ , , , and the kiel canal £ , , . as regards this expense and the possibilities of revenue returns, colonel goethals has written an interesting passage:-- much has been said and predicted as to the commercial value of the canal to the united states. in this connection it must be remembered that the commercial shipping of this country never required the canal. the trip of the _oregon_ in settled the question of the advisability of constructing an isthmian canal, and had the canal been built at that time, thereby saving that trip around the horn, there is no question that it would have been agreed generally that the canal, even at an expenditure of $ , , , was worth while. in whatever light the panama canal is viewed, it will have paid for itself if in time of war or threatened war a concentration of the fleet is effected without that long, tedious, uncertain route followed by the _oregon_. it will practically double the efficiency of that fleet, and, notwithstanding the fact that we are a peaceful nation, our outlying possessions make the panama canal a military necessity, and it must be so recognized. from this point of view the debt should be charged to the account which necessitated its construction, and whatever revenues are derived from other sources are so much to the good. the traffic that will utilize the canal depends upon the tolls that will be charged, and the president has asked the congress for legislation which will enable the establishment of rates. there is another policy which, if adopted, will have a material bearing on the revenues of the enterprise. through the panama railroad a large expenditure of money has been made for providing the present working forces with supplies of all kinds. though the railroad has been reimbursed for this plant through fixed charges on sales, it should not be abandoned, but utilized for furnishing shipping with its needed supplies. suitable coaling plants should be erected for the sale of coal to vessels touching at or passing through the canal. in addition, since oil is now used on a number of ships plying in the pacific, such fuel should also be on hand for sale by the canal authorities. the extensive machine shops now located at gorgona must be moved before the completion of the canal, and they should be established in connection with a dry dock that will be needed for commercial purposes, and utilized as a revenue producer for the canal. this policy also needs congressional action. with properly regulated tolls, and with facilities for fully equipping, supplying, and repairing ships, the panama route would offer many advantages and bring to it a sufficiently remunerative return to pay, not only the operating expenses, but to gradually absorb the debt which the united states has incurred by its construction. we shall return to the question of tolls in a later chapter. [illustration: pedro miguel locks, from hill on east bank.] footnotes: [ ] see _ante_, page . chapter xv. panama and the isthmus. it may be convenient to deal here with a few detached questions before inquiring into the commercial and maritime changes likely to be produced by the canal. the reader understands the position of the united states at the isthmus. they control a zone of territory ten miles wide running across from panama to colon. these two towns are, however, not included politically, though they are geographically, within the zone. this narrow strip of territory with its precious canal runs right through a foreign country in which the social and political conditions existing must be a matter of importance to the canal-owners. one cannot help wondering how long this state of things is likely to continue. panama, the youngest of the south and central american republics, is no better than the rest in its governmental principles. indeed, the republic had scarcely got into being when it was threatened with a military revolution. a pompous and polysyllabic self-importance, coupled with a levantine standard of business and financial ethics, scarcely promises a long continuance of the present political relations with a great republic which is not likely to see its achievement at the isthmus in the smallest degree prejudiced or endangered. some interesting little details of panamanian manners have been reported. for example, chinese immigration is forbidden by law, yet, strange to say, most of the retail trade of the isthmus is in celestial hands. this is because the law against immigration gave the opportunity for the formation of a syndicate with the collusion of the authorities, by which chinese were introduced at a rate of $ entrance fee. the judicial standards which prevail in this little bumbledom may be gathered from another story. the mate of a british ship was recently sentenced to twelve years' hard labour for manslaughter, because he was held responsible on no evidence whatever for the loss of a ship and the lives of several relatives of _those serving on the jury_. it is scarcely to be expected that a people for whom ideals and standards of this kind are good enough will take much trouble to develop their country. an efficient and responsible administration might make a good deal of these narrow lands between the two oceans, a territory of , square miles, larger, that is, than scotland or ireland. it is perhaps as well that the construction of the canal has not made many panamanian fortunes or produced any great boom in trade. otherwise the withdrawal of the industrial army from the zone might have had the effect produced when the french canal works were shut down. a grievous famine desolated the whole country. this is not likely to happen again. the zone has been largely an independent and detached enclave, such as never existed during the french occupation, when the panamanians became dependent for work and wage on the industrial invaders. the american canal employees have done very little shopping in panama and colon, because they could buy every necessity and luxury duty-free in the united states government stores. some trade may be lost owing to the departure of the workers, but it is hoped that this will be more than replaced by the growing stream of tourists who will come to visit the "big ditch," and increased business brought by the shipping which will pass through the canal. with a little thrift and enterprise the panamanians might have profited much more from the long period of construction. they might have supplied the zone with a good many more articles. as it was, the only contribution the country made to the zone or to the towns was about , head of cattle killed annually. the country is almost entirely dependent on imported supplies, only a small fraction of which it pays for by exports. here is a little instructive table of the panamanian commerce:-- imports. exports. £ , , £ , £ , , £ , £ , , £ , £ , , £ , [ ] the excess of imports over exports looks rather alarming, but it is adequately explained by the british consul at colon as "a measure of the commercial value to panama of its transit trade and of the trade with canal employees and tourists." the great bulk of the imports is consumed in the two towns of panama and colon, for, as in most of the south american republics, the interior is undeveloped and therefore self-supporting, being still in the "pack-mule" stage of civilization. in the imports into panama from the united states amounted to £ , , , from the united kingdom to £ , , and from germany to £ , . france, italy, and spain exported to panama smaller quantities. the exports from panama to the united states amounted in to £ , ( , first six months, £ , ); to the united kingdom, to £ , ( , first six months, £ , ), with smaller values to germany and france. the reader will be interested to learn what sort of things panama exports. here, then, is a list of the principal exports for , the last full year available:-- . £ bananas bunches , , , cacao kilos , cocoanuts " , , , cocobolo " , , , gold " , , hides " , , horns " , , ivory nuts " , , , mother-of-pearl shell " , , rubber " , , , sarsaparilla " , , skins " , , tortoise shell " , , the united fruit company has now, in the province of bocas del toro, , acres of bananas under cultivation and , acres planted in cacao, with about , trees; the bananas being exported to the united states, and the chocolate to the united states and europe. there should be a considerable increase in rubber production during the next few years, as , rubber trees have been recently planted in this province, and these will soon be ready for tapping. nearly all the rubber exported at present is taken from the wild trees growing in the virgin forests of this province. a curious article of exportation is the ivory nut, or _tagua_, which in value now comes next after bananas. these nuts are collected by indians on the caribbean coast, brought to colon, and there bought by merchants and shipped to new york and hamburg. they are used to make the big buttons which are now so fashionable, and probably a good many english girls who are wearing coats "made in germany," are carrying about a number of these ivory nuts which not long ago were lying on the tropical shores of the caribbean. the timber exports from panama would grow rapidly with proper exploitation. exports of mahogany, cedar, and cocobolo have already begun. the gold exports come mainly from the mines of the darien company, a french company which has been working for years. the whole isthmus is strongly under suspicion of gold. all the streams show evidence of it, and prospectors are always searching the darien country and the provinces of los santos and veraguas for the saint-seducing metal. no other minerals are worked in the isthmus. there are "coal-deposits" of a sort in the canal zone, but the coal is of no commercial value. the only railway at present existing in the republic is that between colon and panama, the entire stock of which is owned by the united states government, and is worked as a company under the laws of the state of new york. this line, which has had to be largely reconstructed owing to the course of the new canal, was opened in . it is rather surprising that it should not have been more extensively employed for traffic between the atlantic and pacific coasts of america. as a matter of fact, it was the main highway of transcontinental traffic until , when the missouri river was first linked up with the pacific coast by the union and central pacific railroads, and the first continuous line across the states came into existence. after that date the traffic fell off very rapidly. the causes of this decline are various. to begin with, the great trunk-lines across the states competed ruthlessly with the old isthmian route, getting control of the pacific mail steamship company, which was for long the only regular line between the west coasts of the united states and panama. then the french and american construction work has seriously interfered with the route by limiting the amount of commercial freight that could be handled across the isthmus. another cause of depression has been the opening of the tehuantepec route in south mexico. in the american-hawaiian steamship company made an agreement with the tehuantepec national railway, which runs across the isthmus, and withdrew its vessels from the old magellan route, establishing regular services between new york and puerto mexico on the atlantic side, and on the pacific between salina cruz, the pacific terminal of the canal, and the west coast ports of the united states and hawaii. the route so organized was opened in , and has proved very successful, chiefly owing to the enormous increase in the sugar exports from hawaii. the intercoastal traffic by tehuantepec from new york to pacific ports advanced from , tons in to , tons in , and from pacific ports to new york from , tons in to , in . all this competition hit the panama route very badly. the atlantic to pacific traffic by that railroad rose from , tons in to , tons in , and the pacific to atlantic from , tons to , tons between the same years. but in there came a sudden expansion to , tons (atlantic to pacific), and to , tons (pacific to atlantic), owing largely to the development of shipping services on both isthmian terminals. in fact, the commercial freight has had to be seriously held up and restricted in the interests of canal construction and the shipment of canal material. the reader will perhaps ask whether the tehuantepec route is likely to compete seriously in the future with the panama canal. the distance from new york to san francisco is , nautical miles less _via_ tehuantepec than _via_ panama, and from new orleans , miles less. the difference to honolulu in favour of the tehuantepec transit is almost exactly the same. but the difference in time will be a good deal less than these figures indicate. the cargo has to be transferred from shipboard to railroad on one side of the isthmus of tehuantepec and retransferred on the other. this means on the average about four days' delay. at panama, a vessel can pass through the canal in half a day, or, reckoning other causes of detention, coaling, etc., the total isthmian transit should not take more than one day. then there is the question of expense. the cost of transferring freight at tehuantepec could not be less than $ . per cargo ton. a panama toll of $ . per vessel ton, net register, would be equivalent to about $ . per cargo ton, giving panama an advantage of $ over tehuantepec. and the inconvenience and damage resulting from transhipment, from which a through service through the canal is free, will also be a considerable point in favour of the waterway. it is not likely, however, that tehuantepec will be ruined by the opening of the canal. considerable short-distance coasting trade is sure to continue along that route, and it will share in the general benefit of the developments which await isthmian and central america. has panama any danger to fear from its old rival the nicaraguan canal project? the united states seems to have forestalled this possible challenge of panama's monopoly of water transit over the isthmus. just as i write comes the news of a new treaty between the united states and nicaragua, securing to the former, for the payment of $ , , , the exclusive rights to construct a canal through nicaraguan territory. the united states are reported also to have obtained under the treaty possession of fonseca bay, one of the few places on the west coast of central america affording ample deep water facilities. moreover, the colombian chargé d'affaires in london recently made the following communication to the press:-- i have received from my government the following information respecting certain propositions made to colombia by the government of the united states, which the government of colombia has not accepted. the american propositions were as follows: . that colombia should grant the united states an option for the construction of an interoceanic canal, starting from the gulf of uraba on the atlantic to the pacific ocean, through the region of the atrato river. . that colombia should give to the american government the right to establish coaling stations in the islands of san andres and providencia, which are located in the caribbean sea. . in consideration of the above, the united states to pay to colombia $ , , and to use their good influence for the settlement of pending differences between colombia and panama. also to grant colombia preferential rights for the use of the canal and the settlement by arbitration of the claims of colombia against the panama railroad company. the government of colombia declined to accept the above proposals, insisting, at the same time, that all questions pending between colombia and the united states should be settled by arbitration. it is evident that the united states are not going to permit any competitive canal scheme in central america if they can help it. what will be the effect of the opening of the canal on panamanian prosperity? the local merchants fear that the system of state-supply, which has prevailed in the zone during the constructional period, will be continued after completion and extended to the shipping which will pass through the canal, and that coal and ship-chandlery will become american government monopolies. much depends on whether the panamanian merchant will be allowed to import freely through colon and compete in the supplying of the ships in transit. no serious development can be expected in panama until the country is better provided with railways. the only other line in contemplation is one from empire, on the culebra cut, to david, a town close to the pacific near the far western frontier, in the province of chiriqui. this line would be miles in length, and branches from it are proposed to anton, miles, and to los santos, about miles. it is pretty safe to prophesy that the blue streak through the isthmus of panama will have a gradual but sure effect on the politics of central america. the need to protect the canal, and to surround it with orderly conditions, social and political, will compel a good many states to put themselves to amendment or force the big republic responsible for the canal to provide them with good government whether they like it or not. if the united states had to intervene in cuba in order to put down anarchy or misrule, they may be persuaded by an even stronger necessity to intervene in the affairs of central america in the defence of the panama canal. it would be no surprise, especially after recent events in mexico, if the south-western frontier of the states gradually advanced down the broad and narrow isthmus until it reached and passed the line of the canal. this would be quite in accordance with the law which makes it almost inevitable that a great and well-governed power should absorb weaker states along its borders, especially when these are unable to keep their houses in order. there is always the danger that foreign powers will intervene in the affairs of these republics in the interests of their bondholders, and this would compel in turn the intervention of the united states in order to make good the monroe doctrine, which is directed against any such foreign interference in american affairs. in order to avoid these complications mr. taft actually proposed not long ago to refund the debts of honduras and nicaragua, placing the custom-houses under the control of american officials. the object was partly to secure loans advanced by american bankers, but partly also to satisfy european bondholders and to make the politics of these republics more stable. nothing came of this significant project. but i should not care to ensure, except at a very high premium, the permanence of the political arrangements now existing in these regions when the panama canal is in working order and becomes more and more essential to the safety and prosperity of the great republic. the canal may in the long run be not "virtually" but actually "a part of the coastline of the united states." footnotes: [ ] six months. chapter xvi. the new ocean highways. i have already mentioned that england and europe gained much more from the opening of the suez canal than the united states. before the suez canal was opened, the voyage both from liverpool and from new york to asia and australia was made _via_ the cape of good hope. liverpool had then an advantage over new york of miles in the journey to all asiatic and australian as well as east african ports. when the suez canal was opened the route to asia was _via_ the mediterranean and red seas for both liverpool and new york. but new york is , miles from gibraltar, while liverpool is only , , so that liverpool has had an advantage of , miles instead of , as formerly, on the voyage to asiatic ports. in other words, liverpool gained a competitive benefit of , miles from the opening of the suez canal. now let us take the voyage to australia from new york and liverpool. from new york the journey is still made _via_ the cape of good hope, but from liverpool chiefly _via_ suez. liverpool is , miles nearer than new york to australia _via_ suez, but only miles nearer round the cape. liverpool therefore has owed a competitive "pull" of , miles over new york to the suez canal. let us remember, therefore, that the suez canal has largely diminished the advantage which the western route sought by columbus and his successors would once have conferred upon england and europe in the voyage to the far east. the opening of the panama canal will readjust the balance which was tilted against the united states when the suez canal was opened in . the united states will gain far more than the western ports of europe from the new highway through the american isthmus. speaking broadly, suez was a british, panama is an american proposition. there are so many facts and figures in connection with the changes in distances and sea-routes as the result of the construction of the panama canal that it may save the reader's attention to lay down a few more obvious effects in succession. we can then go on to look at the subject in closer detail. . the canal reduces the distance between new york on the eastern and all ports on the western seaboard of america _north of panama_ by , geographical miles. the saving from new orleans is much greater. . liverpool is brought , miles nearer to all ports on the western seaboard of america (of course including canada) north of panama. . the saving between new york and the pacific ports of america _south of panama_ depends how far south those ports are. but on the average the shortening of distance is , miles. the saving varies from , miles at panama to about , miles at punta arenas, the strange little town on the straits of magellan. new orleans and the gulf ports benefit still more. [illustration: ocean routes] . liverpool is brought on an average about , miles nearer to pacific ports of america _south of panama_. the shortening of distance varies from , miles at panama itself down to zero at a point between punta arenas and coronel (the most southerly commercial port of chile). . all the pacific ports of the americas are, _via_ panama, , miles nearer to new york than to liverpool. . the panama canal will not bring any port in australia or the east indies, nor any ice-free port in asia or asiatic islands, nearer to any european port. of all ports on the western pacific coasts, only those of new zealand and a few very chilly ones in siberia will be brought nearer to liverpool. . all of asia and all of australia, with the exception of new zealand, will be nearer europe by way of the suez canal than by way of the panama route. . nearly all japan, shanghai, hong-kong, the philippines, new guinea, all australia (save a far western strip), and all new zealand are brought nearer the atlantic and gulf ports of the united states and the atlantic ports of canada. . the relative distances from new york and liverpool to the atlantic coast of south america (nearly all way down), to africa, and to asiatic ports south of hong-kong are unchanged. . it is new york and not liverpool which is now nearer to yokohama, sydney, and melbourne. wellington, in new zealand, formerly equidistant between the two great ports, is now , miles nearer to new york than to liverpool. sydney, which was formerly over , miles nearer liverpool (_via_ suez) than new york (_via_ cape of good hope), now becomes , miles nearer new york (_via_ panama) than liverpool (_via_ suez). . nearly the whole of the atlantic seaboard in the old world and the new is brought nearer to the pacific ports of the united states and canada. . the panama canal cannot invade the main traffic field of the suez route--the countries of southern asia, east africa, the red sea, and the persian gulf. the competitive region of the two canals lies east of singapore. [illustration: the isthmus of panama] the reader will gather from the last proposition that the scene of the new battle of the routes will lie in the western pacific, and this probably will also be the scene of the main industrial and commercial competitions of the future. it is in these regions, australasia and the countries along the pacific asiatic coasts, that the traffic zones of the suez and panama canals touch or overlap. the positive effect on relative distances from american and european ports is of great importance to commercial developments in these regions. let us look at the geographical results of the panama canal a little more closely. on pages , are two tables transcribed from the official report of on panama canal traffic and tolls, by mr. emory r. johnson. the following tables are given by dr. vaughan cornish:-- reduction miles new york to-- (geog.). yokohama { by suez , } { by panama , } , shanghai { by suez , } { by panama , } , sydney { by cape of good hope , } { by panama (_via_ tahiti) , } , melbourne { by cape of good hope , } { by panama (_via_ tahiti) , } , wellington, { by straits of magellan , } n.z. { by panama , } , hong-kong { by suez , { by panama , manila { by suez , } (philippines) { by panama _via_ san francisco } { and yokohama , } { by panama, honolulu and guam , comparative distances (in nautical miles) from new york and liverpool to new zealand, australia, philippines, china and japan, _via_ suez and panama canals. ----------+--------------------------+-------------------------+---------- | new york _via_ | liverpool _via_ |difference | panama canal. | suez canal. |in favour to +----------------+---------+---------------+---------+of suez -, | ports of call. |distance.| ports of call.|distance.|panama +. ----------+----------------+---------+---------------+---------+---------- wellington|panama and | , |aden, colombo, | | | tahiti | | king george | | | | | sound, and | | | | | melbourne | , | + , sydney | " | , |aden, colombo, | | | | | king george | | | | | sound, | | | | | adelaide, and| | | | | melbourne | , | + , adelaide |panama, tahiti, | , |aden, colombo, | | | sydney, and | | and king | | | melbourne | | george sound | , | + manila |panama, san | , |aden, colombo, | | | francisco, and| | and singapore| , | - , | yokohama | | | | hong-kong | " | , | " | , | - , shanghai | " | , |aden, colombo, | | | | | singapore, | | | | | and hong-kong| , | - tientsin | " | , |aden, colombo, | | | | | singapore, | | | | | hong-kong, | | | | | and shanghai | , | + yokohama |panama and san | , | " | | | francisco | | | , | + , ----------+----------------+---------+---------------+---------+---------- distances (in nautical miles) from liverpool _via_ the panama and suez routes to australia, new zealand, the philippine islands, china, and japan. ----------+---------------+---------+---------------+---------+---------- | | | | | in favour to | suez route. |distance.| panama route. |distance.|of suez -, | | | | | panama +. ----------+---------------+---------+---------------+---------+---------- adelaide |aden, colombo, | |panama, tahiti,| | | and king | | sydney, and | | | george sound | , | melbourne | , | - , melbourne |aden, colombo, | |panama, tahiti,| | | king george | | and sydney | , | - , | sound, and | | | | | adelaide | , | | | sydney |aden, colombo, | |panama and | | | king george | | tahiti | , | - | sound, | | | | | adelaide, and| | | | | melbourne | , | | | wellington|aden, colombo, | | " | , | + , | king george | | | | | sound, and | | | | | melbourne | , | | | manila |aden, colombo, | |panama, san | | | and singapore| , | francisco, | | | | | and yokohama | , | - , hong-kong | " | , | " | , | - , tientsin |aden, colombo, | | " | , | - , | singapore, | | | | | hong-kong, | | | | | and shanghai | , | | | yokohama | " | |panama and san | | | | , | francisco | , | - ----------+---------------+---------+---------------+---------+---------- as figures are rather confusing and difficult to retain in the memory, let us find a more graphic way of indicating this zone in the western pacific where the chief conflict of canal and commerce is likely to take place in the future. let us mark out a block of sea and land between the lines of latitude ° north and ° south and the lines of longitude ° east and ° east of greenwich. this zone includes japan and korea, shanghai and the philippines, new guinea, and all australia except the farthest western coastline. new zealand lies outside it. now along its western margin, the suez and panama routes to new york are equal in length. along its eastern margin, which lies outside japan and australia (_not_ new zealand), and only traverses the scattered islets of the pacific, the suez and panama routes to liverpool are equal in length. now look down an imaginary line near the centre of the zone but running rather west of north and east of south. along this line all places are the same distance from new york and liverpool by panama and suez respectively. can we, then, roughly forecast the changes in ocean trade-routes which will result from this new channel of communication between east and west? for this purpose we may divide the world traffic into three parts--firstly, that part of it which the canal is almost certain to secure; secondly, that for which it will have to fight with competitive routes; thirdly, that which it will have no chance of securing. as regards the first, panama will almost certainly attract most, if not all, the traffic which flows from the eastern american and gulf ports to hawaii and the west coast of north and south america, and of the traffic from the united kingdom and the west of europe to the whole western seaboard of america. we have already seen the regions where the panama canal will have to compete with the existing routes. roughly, they comprise pacific asia, a part of the east indies, and australasia. these regions represent an enormous volume of traffic from which panama will have to try to detach as large a share as possible. the third part is the main traffic-field of suez--that is, southern asia, east africa, the red sea, and the persian gulf. no efforts on the part of panama, no reductions of canal tolls, could possibly lure any of this traffic from its determination to suez; the competitive region of the two canals lies all east of singapore, and the greater part of the commerce of that region with western europe will still continue to move _via_ suez. the question of tolls at panama is, of course, very important in its bearing upon the future popularity of the canal. it would certainly not have done to make the panama charges higher than those at suez. these latter have been reduced as from january , . they are now . francs ($ . ) per net ton for loaded vessels. the passenger tolls are francs a passenger above twelve years of age, and francs for each child from three to twelve years old. if these figures had been exceeded at panama the traffic there would have suffered. on the other hand, the attempt to attract traffic by a great reduction on tolls would have involved a loss on the assured traffic between the eastern and western coasts of america which would have more than counterbalanced the probable gain. mr. taft's proclamation fixing the panama tolls will be found at the end of the book. it will be seen that the charge of $ . is almost identical with the suez toll. there are, however, to be no passenger tolls at panama. it must not be forgotten that the suez canal could very well afford to lower its charges to meet the new competition. a dividend of per cent. leaves a considerable margin for this purpose. [illustration] and we must remember that tolls, however important, are not by any means the only determinants of traffic-routes. all sorts of commercial and freight considerations come into play. for example, the shortest way from japan to the eastern coasts of north america will be _via_ panama. fully loaded vessels will certainly go that way. but the ship that leaves the land of the cherry blossom only partly loaded and wanting to make up a full freight may choose the route past asia and through the suez canal as being more likely to serve that object. then the cost of coal is an important point. other things being equal, shipowners will select the routes by which coal is cheapest and the coaling stations nearest each other. with plenty of cargo coming along and good freight rates it is desirable to reserve as little bunker space as possible. i cannot go into this question at any great length, but in the competition with the suez route it will be quite as important to have abundant and cheap coal at colon (the pun is accidental!) and panama as to keep the transit dues moderate. but we have not yet exhausted the motives which may help to prompt the choice of one route rather than another. there is the question of climatic conditions--storms and winds and currents. in this respect panama should have a decided advantage over suez. the red sea, as everybody knows, is red hot. this is not good for some sorts of cargo, and so terrible is the heat at times that the stokers are said to be unable to maintain the steam at full pressure. this may involve an appreciable delay in the , -mile run from suez to aden. moreover, from a temper and character point of view, the north pacific and caribbean are distinctly superior to the indian ocean and the north atlantic. the deliverance which the panama canal will afford to many vessels and steamship lines from the perils and savageries of "cape stiff," as the sailors call the horn, or the reefs and currents of magellan's straits, is in itself one of the blessings of the new route. travellers tell us that the biggest ocean rollers in the world are found on the pacific coast of america just a little north of the southern straits. for these reasons insurance rates _via_ panama are likely to be lower than those round the far south of the american continent. there is good reason to believe that the panama canal will pay its way without imposing any new burden on the taxpayers of the united states. it will probably not produce the dividends of the suez canal. it will have cost four times as much, and is unlikely for many years to command quite as large a volume of traffic. the increase in the traffic at suez has been enormous during the last fifteen years, owing largely to the development of the resources of the far east with the help of western capital. the net tonnage of vessels passing through the canal in was , , , and the total passengers were , . all forecasts of the traffic _via_ panama must, of course, be speculative, but it may be mentioned that the net register tonnage of vessels that might have advantageously used a panama canal in is officially estimated at , , . before discussing the more economic and commercial results likely to follow from the opening of the canal, there are one or two subsidiary questions we may consider. is the panama canal likely to be used by sailing vessels? the prevailing idea is that it will be no more practicable a route for such craft than the suez canal. winds, tides, and currents have much more to say to the sailing vessel than to the steamer, and the terminals of the canal, especially on the pacific end, are not always easy of approach to wind-driven ships. one effect of the opening of the panama canal will be to hasten the decline of these old-fashioned and more beautiful craft. it must not be imagined that the "windjammer" or "limejuicer," in the sea-going vernacular, has already nearly disappeared from the seven seas. a great deal of the world's commerce is still carried on in such vessels. they still battle their way round the horn laden with the timber of oregon or british columbia and the nitrates of chile. but the unsuitability of the panama transit for sailing vessels will unquestionably lead to their quicker decline. it is interesting to see how steam has gradually ousted sail in the world's shipping. in - the sea-going sail tonnage of the world was , , tons. this declined to , , in - ; to , , in - ; and to , , in - ; while steam tonnage increased from , , in - to , , in - . for many reasons, climatic and economic, we may safely assume that the panama canal will be confined exclusively to "steam circles." steamers will be substituted for the "limejuicers" in every canal-using line, and the snowy canvas will be banished to other regions. hitherto, such freights as coal, lumber, grain, nitrate of soda, and sugar have been considered specially suited for sail transportation, because they are shipped as full vessel cargoes and do not require rapid transportation or delivery. but even such cargoes are certain to be largely transferred to the steamship when it is realized that the panama canal is "no road" for sailing vessels. another interesting question is the probable effect of the canal on the american mercantile marine. the ocean-going merchantmen of the united states engaged in the foreign trade are practically non-existent, though the "coasting" trade, which includes the trade of hawaii and the philippines with the united states, is strictly reserved to american vessels, ships flying foreign flags being entirely excluded. but these latter, which are in the main british, carry on all the foreign trade of the united states with south america, new zealand, australia, northern china and japan. it is almost unbelievable that in there was not a single steamship flying the flag of the united states between the united states ports and those of brazil, the argentine, chile, or peru. the mails from new york and the other atlantic ports of the american republic go, or went until quite recently, _via_ europe, though new york is miles nearer brazil, etc., than the old world coasts.[ ] the reasons for this want of a foreign-trade mercantile marine are chiefly the greater cost of shipbuilding in the united states and the requisitions with regard to wages and food of the american trade-unions. the result of the high standards of comfort thus imposed has been that the cost in wages and food to run american ships under american conditions across the pacific is double that in european or japanese steamers. it is scarcely to be wondered at, therefore, that some people in the united states regard the panama canal as a very disinterested gift from the united states to humanity at large, especially perhaps to great britain and japan--as an example of altruism run mad. but while the united states may not be ready to reap the full advantage of the canal at the start, it is highly probable that its opening will lead to a rapid growth in the united states merchant service. a larger coasting fleet will be required with larger vessels, and this will lead to a general development of the larger classes of shipbuilding. at present no vessels are permitted to fly the american flag unless american-built. a large number of american-owned vessels are therefore registered under the flags of some foreign nation. as the united states begins to compete in cheapness and efficiency of shipbuilding with other countries, the chief motive for this foreign registration will be removed. great britain cannot expect to be the chief carrier of united states trade for ever. this is indeed one of many directions in which the opening of the panama canal may tend rather to the disadvantage than to the benefit of the united kingdom. there is no reason why the united states should not build up a mercantile marine as swiftly as germany and japan have done. england will have to consider seriously this and many other probable effects of the canal closely touching her most important interests. i will conclude this chapter with an interesting little fact which may already have occurred to the reader. from the moment the panama canal is opened it will be possible for the first time to sail all round the world from england wholly in the northern hemisphere and without crossing the equator. who will be the first circumnavigator along the all-northern trail? footnotes: [ ] many persons may have expected these countries to be much nearer new york. they do not realize that _nearly all south america lies east of north america_. washington is on the same meridian as callao on the coast of peru. antofagasta and iquique, the chief nitrate ports of chile, have the longitude of boston. the eastern point of brazil lies , miles east of new york, and is _equidistant from new york bay and the english channel_. chapter xvii. the canal and the americas. the likely effects of the panama canal on international commerce and the development of the world's resources is so big a subject that one can do little more than indicate the larger probabilities. the influence of the canal on the british empire must be left to another chapter. here we shall have to consider mainly the case of the united states, the country which stands to gain far more than any other from this new link between east and west. the most obvious result of the new event, as it was the main object of the canal's construction, must be the immensely quickened all-sea communication between the eastern and western coasts of north america. the motive for the building of the canal was military rather than commercial. it was rendered necessary by painful experience during the spanish-american war of the effects of the , -mile sea journey between the two seaboards of the republic. but the commercial results will not be the less important because they were not foremost in the object and motive of the canal-builders. it is pretty clear that what we may call the main developmental effect of the canal will be felt along that pacific coast of the americas which has been so long shut out from the great centres of industrial enterprise in the new world and the old. we are so accustomed to regard the united states as a fully developed and fully equipped country that we forget how slowly her population and industries advanced westward from the atlantic coasts. even now it cannot be said that the railroad communications between the east and the pacific states beyond the great mountain-divide of the rockies are fully equal to the carriage of the produce which is or should be exchanged between east and west. the transcontinental lines have scarcely yet furnished a cheap and satisfactory connection between the pacific coast states and their largest and most natural markets. hitherto the railways have had to compete with only three alternative routes: ( ) the all-sea route round cape horn for sailers, and through magellan straits for steamers; ( ) the route _via_ panama, with railroad transit over the isthmus; ( ) the route _via_ tehuantepec, with railroad transit over that isthmus from puerto mexico on the gulf to salina cruz on the pacific. the new canal will be a much more formidable competitor. it is highly important that the industries of the united states should have the benefit of this healthy tug-of-war between railroad and canal, and the government is perfectly justified in keeping that competition open, even to the length of forbidding the use of the canal to ships owned, controlled, or operated by railway companies. there is no fear that the panama canal, even if it prospers exceedingly, will ruin the transcontinental railroads. the report of the isthmian canal commission in made some interesting remarks on this subject, and they are as pertinent to-day:-- the competition of the canal will affect, first, the volume and rates of the through business of the pacific railroads, and secondly, the amount of their local traffic. at the beginning of their existence these railways depended almost entirely upon their through traffic; but their chief aim throughout their history has been to increase the local business, which is always more profitable than the through traffic; and although the great stretch of country crossed by them is still in the infancy of its industrial development, the local traffic of some, if not all, of the pacific roads has already become of chief importance. a vice-president of one of the railway systems states that since "the increase in business of the transcontinental lines has not come from the seaports, but from the development of the intermediate country." the canal can certainly in no wise check the growth of this local traffic, and the evidence strongly supports the belief entertained by many persons that the canal will assist largely in the industrial expansion of the territory served by the pacific railways. if this be true, the proximate effect of the isthmian canal in compelling a reduction and readjustment of the rates on the share of the transcontinental railway business that will be subject to the competition of the new water route, will be more than offset by the ultimate and not distant expansion of the through and local traffic, that must necessarily be handled by rail. it seems probable that the increase in the population of the country, and the growth in our home and foreign trade, will early demonstrate the need of the transportation service of both the canal and the railways. the reduction of freight through the use of the canal is sure to give a big stimulus to many leading industries of the pacific states. one of the most important is the lumber industry. california and oregon are very rich in forests of pine, spruce, cedar, and redwood, the last being much in demand in atlantic countries. a good deal of this timber is exported to europe and the eastern states, and it has all to be carried in sailing ships round cape horn. it is calculated that the opening of the panama canal will reduce the freight by per cent., which means that all this pacific coast timber will be correspondingly increased in value. the exports eastwards are sure to advance rapidly with the new means of transport. grain, wine, and fruit will benefit, and the manufactured goods from the industrial states of the east will flow through the same channel to the western states in an ever-increasing volume. every staple industry of the united states will feel the new stimulus, and england and europe generally are certain to feel the pressure of this new competitive power of the american republic. in cotton and iron goods especially the exports from the eastern and southern states are bound to forge ahead. manufactured cotton goods exported from the southern states have had to be carried by rail to the western ports, and thence by steamer to china and japan, or else eastward by the suez canal, sometimes even _via_ england or germany. we may imagine what a boon the panama canal will be to this trade, and how conveniently it will lie for the gulf ports and all their raw and manufactured exports. american iron and steel will also be immensely strengthened for competition with those of england and europe in the markets of china, japan, british australasia, and along the coast of south america. we need not describe in detail effects which are likely to be felt over the entire range of american industry. the united states appears, indeed, to be on the verge of tremendous developments. in a paper read before the royal colonial institute,[ ] that well-known physical geographer and economist, dr. f. b. vrooman, gave us a hint of further american enterprises in civil engineering, after the panama canal is opened:-- the isthmian canal is but a part of the greater american waterways project. as soon as this is finished it is possible that the united states will start in a large way with the project of the artificial canalization of the mississippi with its , miles of already navigable waters and a drainage basis of , , square miles. the cutting-through of an ocean-ship canal to the great lakes will make seaport towns of the canadian cities on the lakes ontario, erie, and superior. the saskatchewan and the red river can be canalized for , miles, and a short haul from winnipeg will open the whole saskatchewan valley from near the foot-hills of the rocky mountains--downstream, but for this short portage--all the way to the gulf of mexico, and thence to panama and the pacific ports. every transcontinental freight-rate in canada and the united states will be reduced, and perhaps some in the middle interior. as this great southern movement starts up the industries of the southern states will receive a new impulse. the gulf of mexico and the caribbean sea will spring into a new life, together with the west indies and central america and the vast and fertile interior drained by the orinoco and the amazon. central and southern america. but there are no countries which will hear the call of the canal so nearly and clearly as those of central and southern america. it is astonishing how that forty-mile wide land barrier between the two oceans has isolated all the western shore of the continent. the panama canal railroad has done very little to modify the situation. the pacific coast of america has looked westwards over its waste of waters, and has scarcely been reached by the industrial and economic forces at work behind it in the old and new worlds. its trade has been carried on mostly with europe, and especially england, in sailing vessels that have plodded round the distant horn. an interesting example of this geographical and commercial detachment of the west coast of central and south america is furnished by the port of mazatlan in western mexico. from this place there are considerable exports of logwood and mahogany. but thirty times as much of this lumber has gone to europe as to the east of the american continent. on the opposite or eastern side of mexico is tampico, where the returns of trade are just the reverse, the united states being the largest customer for its exports. despite the old spanish paved roads across the isthmus at panama, by which the silver and pearls of peru and the pacific were conveyed to nombre de dios and porto bello, for shipment to spain, despite the sixty years of the little panama railway, the american continent even in its narrowest parts has been something like an impenetrable screen between east and west. four centuries of continued agitation and effort to get the water through show how seriously this physical divorce has been felt, and give an earnest of the large results which are sure to follow the completion of the task. there have been other reasons for the backward development of western south america. to begin with, the spanish, not a progressive and pioneering race, laid their hands on these countries four hundred years ago, and have held them politically or racially ever since. this would not in itself have kept out the anglo-saxon or the german. but these countries have not yet been greatly needed as an outlet of the surplus populations of europe. even the united states is very far from being filled up, and canada is likely to be giving away farms for many years to come. the teutonic race, to which above all others the trusteeship of western civilization is committed, has left these spanish americas, with their revolutions coming almost as frequently and regularly as the seasons, comparatively unvisited. as yet the north european emigration to the southern continent has been mainly confined to argentina and southern brazil. in one respect the isthmian breakwater has been profitable to these states of the pacific coast. it has sheltered them largely from the negro element which has spread so widely over the west indies and the southern united states. but japan and china are already there, and the yellow will be laid on more and more thickly unless these countries are brought quickly within the zone of western ideas and enterprise. and that process is likely to begin with the opening of the canal. the backwardness of these regions is indeed almost unbelievable. most people think of them as producing mainly nitrates and revolutions. but their possible resources and products are illimitable, and are only awaiting the organized capital of the west to be made available for human service. as yet these latin republics are in their middle ages of development. there are few railways, only one continuous transcontinental line having been completed between valparaiso, through mendoza, to buenos aires. their internal communications are carried on mainly by the pack mule, as they have been since the days of pizarro and valdivia. each country, of course, has a foreign trade, but the people of the interior, the indians or mixed breeds, live in isolated communities which are self-sufficing, raise their own food and make their own simple manufactures, knowing little or nothing of the products of foreign countries. the whole coast and its hinterland is engaged almost solely in what are known as "extractive" industries--that is, in mining or agriculture. the exports consist mainly of foodstuffs and raw materials, nitrate, ores of copper, silver, and gold, grain, sugar, cotton, cocoa, coffee, wool, hides, rubber, and woods. with these the people pay for their manufactured goods, and these come mainly from europe, and chiefly also from the united kingdom. the mineral wealth of the northern parts, especially the andean plateau, is still enormous, though vast quantities have been extracted. for centuries the andes furnished the civilized world with most of the bullion used for its current coinage. between and peru alone sent out £ , , worth of silver. bolivia has contributed £ , , worth; the famous mines of potosi alone accounted for £ , , worth of this metal. the nitrate works of chile are in the hands of englishmen and germans, and american and other foreigners hold the sugar plantations of peru. but, as i have said, the range of production is enormous and only awaits the stimulus of imported capital. to give one example of the variety of products, it is said that the aconcagua valley in chile would alone furnish annually from its vineyards , , gallons of claret, if the grapes were not used to produce a local drink named "chica." there is no sign of the exhaustion of any of the natural products of these regions. even the nitrate of soda, that most valuable of fertilizers, though it is being shovelled out at a great rate, covers about , acres, or about miles from north to south, and is sufficient to last for a very long time to come. nitrate, minerals, wheat, barley, wool, hides--these are the main exports of the pacific west, the returning imports being cotton goods, machinery, steel rails, woollens, coal, and all sorts of miscellaneous manufactures and supplies. but, as i said, the trade has been almost wholly with europe, england enjoying a very predominant position. the united states have competed with europe at great disadvantages. the trade has been mostly carried on in sailing vessels. now such craft, to get from new york to south america, have been obliged to sail eastwards almost as far as the canaries in order to catch the trade winds and weather cape st. roque on the coast of brazil. the sailing vessel from europe, on the other hand, sails right past the canaries, and can give the american ship ten days' start in the journey to any part of south america south or west of the most easterly point of brazil. if the reader will turn back to the chapter on the new distances he will see how the little streak of blue water at panama will alter all this. take one little fact to illustrate the change. callao, on the coast of peru, is, before the opening of the canal, farther by steam from new york than is the south pole, but the panama canal will bring the city , miles nearer to new york by steam than san francisco will then be. the canal will reduce the distance from new york to the chilean nitrate port of iquique by , miles (nautical), to valparaiso by , , to coronel (farther south) by , , to valdivia (about , miles north of magellan's straits, nearly at the farthest southern limit of the commercially important part of western south america) by , . take iquique, an important north chilean nitrate port. by panama this place is , miles from new york, but , from liverpool. their respective distances _via_ magellan were , and , . it looks, therefore, as though the united states, with its new advantages, which begin when the first vessel is passed through the panama locks, would have a good chance of securing for the future the main share of the south american trade. its cotton, iron and steel goods, electrical machinery, etc., will be able to compete on very different terms with those of england and germany. cotton manufactures have reached chile and the other countries of pacific south america by a rather absurdly roundabout route. the raw cotton has been grown in the southern parts of the united states, carried to europe for manufacture, and brought back to south america _via_ the straits of magellan. these goods will, we may be sure, tend in future to go direct from the american factories _via_ new york, charleston, or new orleans, without trans-shipment, thus saving about , miles of transportation. a very small part of the american trade with these countries has passed by the panama railroad. the rates charged by the steamers which have picked up the goods for the west coast at panama have been kept so high as to be practically prohibitive. it has actually been cheaper to send goods from the united states by way of england or germany--that is, a journey of , miles--than by way of panama, a journey of three or four thousand. one of the surest results, then, of the panama canal opening will be a rapid development of the pacific coasts of america, especially of south america, and a great expansion of trade between these countries and the united states. the effect of the canal on the atlantic coasts and hinterland of south america will naturally be less striking. there has never been much interchange of trade between the two coasts of the southern continent, for the simple reason that their products are not complementary but mostly identical. most of the trade of the eastern coast states is with the countries of the north atlantic. but some trade to the more northerly and tropical parts of this coast is certain to flow through the canal. lumber from the pacific coasts of north america is used in atlantic south america, and a part of this trade, which is likely to grow in extent, will be passed through the canal. it should be noticed, however, that the temperate reaches of the eastern coast of south america farther to the south will be nearer the pacific coasts of the united states and canada _via_ the horn and the straits of magellan owing to the big easterly projection of brazil. we must leave the probable effects of the panama canal on the british possessions in america to another chapter. it has not been possible to deal with prospective commercial developments in great detail. only some general idea could be given of the vast changes and developments in progress. on the day on which i am writing the washington correspondent of _the times_ summarizes the meaning and effect of the panama canal in three rather formidable words. he says it "symbolizes commercial pan-americanism." the canal is going to help america to keep its trade more to itself. it represents in commerce and economics what the monroe doctrine represents in politics. it will immensely assist the united states to become the chief industrial supplier of the great continent, with the other states mainly as agricultural or mining annexes. one incident in the furthering of this ambition was the attempt to conclude a treaty of reciprocity with canada, the effect of which, as mr. taft admitted, would have been to make canada such an "annexe" of the republic. the canadian people, however, realizing the ulterior political and commercial effects of such a treaty, refused to ratify it. canada, in fact, belongs to another political and economic system. she gives valuable trade-preference to the manufactures of the mother-country in the old world, and there is happily no reason to believe that she will abandon the imperial ideals for the objects of continental pan-americanism. after all, the citizens of canada and the united states are mostly of the same stock, speaking the same language and cherishing the same great traditions. the two branches of the anglo-saxon family ought to be able, while each maintaining its own life and growth, to remain happily side by side, sharing in the new prosperity which the world owes to this latest achievement of the great republic. footnotes: [ ] march , . chapter xviii. the canal and the british empire. one of the most important results of the panama canal, one which is likely to have the largest influence on future political history, seems scarcely to have been noticed by writers on this subject. i have shown how much nearer australia and new zealand are brought to new york than to liverpool, owing to the isthmian passage. they are brought of course proportionately nearer to the eastern provinces, which are also the governmental headquarters of canada. but the moving away, so to speak, of these great countries from england, and their closer approximation to the great and growing branches of the anglo-saxon stock in america, has the effect of locating the centre of gravity of the english-speaking races more firmly and permanently than ever in the new world. when canada, australia, and new zealand have grown for another quarter of a century, and the united states have reaped for so long the advantage in wealth and power of the new waterway, the little islands of the united kingdom may begin to appear as a detached and distant fragment, rather than as the "heart and hearth," of the british empire and the english-speaking world. in the eighteenth century, when the english plantations in america began to develop their manufactures and had increased rapidly in population, the question was discussed in england how long she could continue to control an oversea empire, likely to be in time more populous and prosperous than the home-country itself, from these far-away islands of the old world. it was actually suggested at that time that the king of england should carry his crown and throne where the most part of his subjects were congregated. that suggestion is not likely to be repeated. we have found a way of harmonizing local self-government with imperial unity. but the position of england in her empire is sure to be greatly modified as time goes on, and the panama canal, by bringing these vast and undeveloped continents and isles of the far south-west so much nearer to north america than to the imperial centre, cannot fail to have some influence in this direction. from a commercial point of view, its effect will be to increase the value and importance of those trade preferences which australia gives the home country in her markets. probably no single country in the world, certainly no portion of the british empire, stands to gain so tremendously from the opening of the canal as british columbia. england has not yet realized what enormous resources are locked up in this province of the furthest west, which looks out from a hundred harbours to the pacific and across to the awakening east. the long haul across the continent, the interminable sea-trail round the horn, twice crossing the equator, kept british columbia, until lately, outside the thought and interest, not only of englishmen, but even of the canadians of the administrative east. even with the gradual filling of the empty middle and west, geography would have continued to be against british columbia. but the panama canal makes all the difference. this province will no longer look vaguely and dreamily to the western sea-spaces and a still half-slumbering orient. she will suddenly find herself at one end of a sea-route which will shorten her distance from new york by , miles and from liverpool by , miles. her timber and other produce will no longer toil wearily in the holds of the "windjammer" down the whole length of northern, central, and southern america. there at balboa, less than halfway down, is the entrance of the long-desired short-cut to the world-centres of progress and enterprise. the electric thrill of this new circuit will be felt not only along the havens and fjords of the british columbian coast, but nearly a thousand miles inland. we may say that almost the whole western half of canada, where the golden wheat frontiers are ever advancing, will face about and henceforth look west instead of east. all the corn and produce of alberta and western saskatchewan will flow, not eastwards as heretofore, but to the pacific shores, there to be shipped for transit _via_ the canal to the southern and eastern united states, to the north and east of south america, and to the old world over the atlantic. even the eastern and western fronts of the dominion will feel the grip of a new link, which may serve important naval and defensive interests for canada. the new pacific outlet will have many advantages over the eastern. for one thing, it is always ice-free, whereas the eastern route is icebound for five months in the year. even now, i understand, it is appreciably cheaper in winter to send wheat from calgary to liverpool by vancouver than by st. john's, new brunswick. the freight-rate between british columbian and united kingdom ports should be at least halved when the canal is in operation. of all cities in any clime or hemisphere, vancouver seems to stand most surely on the threshold of a new and mighty future. she will have "greatness thrust upon her." her citizens are preparing for the spacious days that are about to set in. a "great vancouver" will probably arise from the nine local municipalities, to provide an area and administration worthy of the dawning era. dr. f. b. vrooman eloquently voiced the sentiment of the great port and of british columbia at a recent luncheon of the progress club at vancouver. he said:-- we are on the verge of nothing less than a revolution of the world's commerce, and industry, and finance, which now, as sure as fate, are destined to be transferred to the lands of the pacific ocean. it is not only revolution. it is such a revolution as never has been and never again can be foreordained before chaos primeval for this twentieth century of the christian era, for there are no more hemispheres to cut in two. there are no more oceans, with half the water area on the world and twenty million square miles more than all the land surface of the globe, to be suddenly transferred into the arena of world trade. there are no more continents with the widest reaches, the richest resources, and the densest populations of the world to be awakened and developed after asia has achieved its resurrection. therefore i say to you that there has got to be one port at least in the british empire big enough to be equal to the greatest opportunity the world ever offered any city since time began. and if that city is not destined to be vancouver, it will be for one, and for only one, reason--because the men of vancouver have been too timid and feeble, too shortsighted and too little to take hold of what the good god has offered them. i have already alluded to the question of coal in connection with the new canal. all the new routes will have to be cheaply and abundantly "coaled," or they will be at a great disadvantage in the competition for traffic with suez. the isthmian canal commission of - pointed out that the coaling stations at san francisco, seattle, and vancouver will in the future bear about the same relation to the route _via_ the panama canal to the orient as the coaling stations at or near the suez canal bear to the route from europe _via_ suez to the orient. among the pacific islands, at colon and panama, and among the west indies coal will have to be stored in big quantities for the tramps and liners and warships which will soon be drawn along these seaways by the new canal. british columbia has coal illimitable, and this interest alone ought to be quickly and mightily developed in the coming years. happily there are men of imagination and public spirit in this great pacific province of the empire who understand what the canal means to it in future wealth and welfare, and are preparing its people to take advantage of the new opportunities. let an eloquent british columbian, dr. vrooman again, open for us the broad and bright prospect:-- new markets will be found on the atlantic for british columbia lumber and paper. this new large demand will increase the price. but the saving of freight is an enormous item. the present freight-rates from vancouver to liverpool are sixteen dollars per , feet. the canal will give british columbia a rate of about eight dollars per , feet. this difference per , will add to the value of british columbia timber destined for europe. but it is for more reasons than this that british columbia is destined to be a vast imperial industrial workshop. while her agricultural and horticultural possibilities are far beyond what is generally supposed, british columbia is in natural resources and raw materials of industry one of the richest areas on the globe. but above all is she rich in mechanical power--water-power and coal. these are about to be opened up and developed. their development soon will be beyond computation, for, roughly speaking, there is not an investment in british columbia to-day which will not be directly increased in value by the new canal; but also much indirectly in the impetus given to development. this one thing--this canal--costing us nothing--will double, quadruple, and quintuple values out there in a few brief years. with easier access will come new trade, and new demands will create new products, and soon the innumerable water-powers of british columbia will start the wheels of a thousand new industries. the illimitable resources of the province will be opened up, developed, and utilized at home or shipped abroad. the value of every town lot and of every acre of land of the , square miles of the province will be greatly enhanced; town sites will be hewed out of the forests, and the forests themselves--every stick of wood of their , , acres of forest and woodland--will be increased in value directly, by reason of cheaper shipping alone, to the extent of several dollars per , feet; and in the items of lumber and wood-pulp alone the panama canal will make as a free gift to british columbia considerably more than the united states is spending on the whole canal. the mines of british columbia, which have already produced over £ , , , will leap forward with renewed prosperity. her fisheries, which have produced £ , , , will be more extensively developed and, let us hope, be made again a british asset--since they are wholly in the hands of the japanese, who not only send their earnings home to japan, but are criminally wasteful in their methods. the coal deposits of the province, which promise to be the most extensive in the world, will, with immense deposits of iron, be opened to the world's markets. it is said that the coal-fields of one small district in the kootenay are capable of yielding , , tons of coal a year for over seven thousand years, and a new district has been discovered within a twelvemonth which the provincial mineralogist told me on christmas eve was the most important economic discovery ever made in british columbia, where there are known to be , square miles of the best of anthracite, and which is probably the richest known anthracite district in the new world west of pennsylvania.[ ] the references to coal are especially interesting in this passage. it is an evidence of the public alertness in this matter that the british columbian government has just appointed a special commissioner "to investigate and report upon all circumstances and conditions incident to the production and sale or other disposition of coal in british columbia." it may be certain, therefore, that the opening of the canal will be followed by a rapid growth of exports from canadian ports, serving a thousand miles of hinterland, many of the vessels returning laden with the manufactures of the eastern united states and europe, both streams of traffic flowing through the isthmian canal. but we must not overlook the growth in passenger traffic. the sea-passage round by the canal from europe to the pacific states of north america will be much cheaper and to many people more pleasant than the fatiguing transcontinental railway journey. fresh brain and muscle will enter canada by its western portals, new needs will arise, new industries spring up, a new æon of progress and enterprise begin on the far pacific slopes when the first vessel mounts and descends the mighty steps of this wonder-working isthmian highway. the west indies. but there is another region of the british empire which will benefit only less, if less at all, than the pacific province of canada. the west indies will feel at once the throb of a new life and interest when the canal is thrown open to the world's traffic. these "pearls of ocean," the oldest of england's oversea possessions, have lain hitherto in what the americans call a "dead end." they are thrown across the entrances to a land-girt sea, the mediterranean of the new world, from which there has hitherto been no exit to the west or the south, but only a return by the same passages to east and north. a glance at a map will show how these islands, the greater and lesser antilles,[ ] cluster round the atlantic end of the canal and beset all the possible sea-routes from east and north and south-east. every vessel that makes from the atlantic for the canal entrance or quits the canal for the atlantic will have to pass through this star-thick storied archipelago. the islands naturally fall into two groups, with the names i have just mentioned. the greater antilles, lying further to the west and north-west, consist of jamaica, the bahamas, and the turks and caicos islands, these last being administered by jamaica. to this group belongs, geographically and historically, the mainland colony of british honduras, a territory rather larger than wales, whose great value england has scarcely begun to appreciate. the lesser antilles, stretched like a jewelled coronet round the eastern entrance to the caribbean, consist, north to south, of the virgin islands, st. kitts and nevis, antigua, montserrat, dominica (these forming the leeward islands confederation), st. lucia, barbados, st. vincent, grenada, trinidad, and tobago (the windward islands). with this group goes naturally british guiana, on the continent east of the spanish main, a territory much larger than great britain, which should also begin to develop its vast resources more adequately when the canal is opened. these islands, being largely inhabited by black people, cannot be entrusted with complete self-government like purely white communities. they are under various forms of what is known as crown colony government. for example, trinidad and the windward islands are under the complete control of the british colonial office, while barbados and jamaica enjoy a large measure of self-rule. but this division into a large number of small governments without any connection with each other is extremely expensive, and proposals have been made for a federation of the british west indies either in one great system, including them all, with british honduras and guiana thrown in, or in two systems embracing respectively the greater and the lesser antilles. england, it must be confessed, has treated her splendid west indian empire very badly. in order that she might have sugar "dirt-cheap" at home she allowed the great staple product of the isles and mainland, cane-sugar, to be brought to the verge of ruin by the competition of european bounty-fed beet-sugar. happily there was a statesman of strong imperial sympathies in england, mr. joseph chamberlain, who arranged the brussels sugar convention with certain powers of europe, all of which agreed to suppress their own bounties and to impose countervailing duties on bounty-fed sugar imported from countries outside the convention. this gave the west indies a fairer chance of competition, and they quickly felt the benefit. but the convention was always opposed in england by certain industries in which sugar is used and is therefore wanted as cheap as possible, and notice has recently been given, despite the protests and alarms of the west indies, that england intends to withdraw from the convention. and this, too, without any sort of compensation for the sugar-islands, which had begun to rely upon the protection against unfair competition afforded by that instrument. england has withdrawn her garrisons and, what is still more serious, almost her entire navy from the west indies. when the terrible earthquake occurred at kingston in jamaica in , there was no english ship-of-war anywhere near to render help and to maintain order, and this duty had to be performed by vessels of the american fleet. five days after that disaster the correspondent of _the times_ wrote: "it is difficult to describe the sense of humiliation with which an englishman surveys kingston harbour this evening--two american battleships, three german steamers, a cuban steamer, and one british ship; she leaves to-night, and the white ensign and the red ensign will be as absent from kingston harbour as from the military basins of kiel and cherbourg." and this is what england calls ruling the waves and being mistress of the seas! later in the same year she had another lesson. rioting broke out in st. lucia, once, but no longer, an important naval base. it was a whole week before an english cruiser arrived, though a dutch man-of-war, the _gelderland_, was anchored in the spacious harbour of castries, st. lucia's capital. this, one must allow, is a slovenly way of conducting a great empire. if these methods are pursued after the panama canal is opened, the results will be disastrous. a complete change will have to be made in the attitude of england and the colonial office to the british west indian islands. for these islands, instead of being tucked away in a sort of cul-de-sac, or inland lake, will henceforth be thrown right across or alongside the main highways of the world's ocean-traffic. look again at the map and see how the most direct sea-route from new york, the eastern states and canada to colon and cristobal comes down through the windward passage, between cuba and haiti, and then right past the eastern end of jamaica, quite close to the magnificent bay on which kingston stands. look again and see how the routes from liverpool, southampton, and the old world pass through the lesser antilles, either leeward or windward, further east. the most direct of these trails passes through the virgin islands, the most northerly group, and one of these is said to possess a harbour of which a good deal might be made. but this is not by any means the only line of approach to the entrance of the canal. a more southerly route near barbados or trinidad might be chosen, and certainly would be chosen by vessels intending to call at ports along the old spanish main. trinidad will indeed lie right across the direct route from ports on the pacific coasts of the united states and canada, as well as from the far east, to brazil and the atlantic coast of south america--a trade which may well grow to very large proportions, considering the vast undeveloped resources of the orinoco and amazon basins. valuable deposits of petroleum have also been discovered in trinidad, and this should add greatly to the wealth and importance of that island as oil replaces coal for fuel. oil-bunkering stations will be wanted at many points in the west indies. trinidad and kingston seem likely to benefit most from the traffic to and from cristobal, the new atlantic terminal of the canal. both are splendidly equipped by nature to act as coaling and repairing stations as well as centres for the distribution of goods. kingston has a superb harbour, and so also has port of spain (the capital of trinidad) in the gulf of paria, a natural landlocked harbour in which the fleets of the whole world could lie in safety--and, it is important to add, outside the hurricane zone. trinidad lies right athwart the mouths of the orinoco river. the years that are coming will see a tremendous development of the resources of these rich tropical basins, and port of spain is a natural port of exit and entry for the trade of regions where raleigh sought the fabled manoa or el dorado. it is too soon to try to indicate in detail the effects which the panama canal is likely to have on the trade and production of the islands themselves. the sugar industry is reviving under the influence of the treaty of reciprocity concluded between a large number of the islands and the dominion of canada. probably the sugar for the tea-tables and apple-tarts of vancouver, and a good many places far to the north and east, will be brought from the west indies to vancouver. but the islands will benefit more directly and immediately through the immense growth of traffic in the caribbean sea, the supply of coal and other necessities to this increased shipping, and in general through the publicity the islands will enjoy, which will mean a growing invasion of "globe-trotters," and consequently a big development of agricultural resources and an influx of new capital. an almost certain and immediate result of the new route, i may say in passing, will be a large increase of the tourist traffic to england and europe from the western coasts of north and south america. when the fares are lowered, and the traveller can do the journey wholly by water, without the trouble of changing from railroad to steamer, we may be sure that a rapidly growing tide of passengers will set eastwards as well as westwards through the canal. but, to return to the west indies, every nation is preparing to develop or establish in these regions harbours and coaling-stations and other facilities for its trade. for example, a danish company proposes to establish connection between copenhagen and san francisco through the island of st. thomas, one of the virgin group. at st. thomas, by the way, is shown the castle of edward teach, or "blackbeard," the very beau ideal of a skull and crossbones pirate who, according to "tom cringle's log," wore a beard in three plaits a foot long, and a full-dress purple velvet coat, under which bristled many pistols and two naked daggers over eighteen inches long, and who had generally a lighted match in his cocked hat with which he lit his pipe or fired a cannon, as the occasion demanded. "one of his favourite amusements when he got half-slewed was to adjourn to the hold with his compotators, and, kindling some brimstone matches, to dance and roar as if he had been the devil himself, until his allies were nearly suffocated. at another time he would blow out the candles in the cabin and blaze away with his loaded pistols at random right and left.... he was kind to his fourteen wives as long as he was sober, and never murdered above three of them." this very improper, but picturesque, gentleman was run down at last by h.m. frigates the _lime_ and the _pearl_ to a creek of north carolina, where, with thirty men in an eight-gun schooner, he made a desperate fight for life, killing and wounding more than the number of his own crew, and dying where he fell, faint with the loss of blood, overcome by superior numbers alone. whether "blackbeard" ever inhabited the castle at st. thomas may be questioned, but the island ought to benefit from the canal, as it lies right across the main entrance to the caribbean from the atlantic. the german steamship lines are awake to the new opportunities, the hamburg-amerika preparing for the new emigrant traffic between europe and western america. germany, it is said, is negotiating for a coaling-station in hayti, which, with its two negro republics, stands to profit immensely from the new conditions. no one has troubled much about this splendid island of late. it has had a dark and terrible history. discovered by columbus, who called it _hispaniola_, it was occupied by the spanish adventurers who found alluvial gold there. then it became the headquarters of the "buccaneers" who succeeded to the gallant and courtly sea-rovers of the elizabethan period and became formidable about the year . one of these buccaneers was that henry morgan who sacked the old town of panama in , and then became quite a respectable character, governor of jamaica, and dubbed knight by charles ii. it was in hispaniola, or hayti, that this species of western viking got their name. the island had been depopulated by the spaniards, but the cattle and hogs they had introduced became wild and repopulated the land in their own kind. thus hispaniola became a splendid provisioning base for the ships of the buccaneers. they hunted the cattle and preserved the meat, smoke-drying it in the indian fashion. this industry was called _boucanning_, and from it the buccaneers were named. hispaniola was the mother colony of the spanish empire in the west indies which has now wholly disappeared, very unfortunately for spain in view of the enhanced value these islands will now soon acquire. in it was ceded to france, and soon afterwards the emancipated slaves gained possession of the island, and after a period of anarchy and bloodshed established their independence. it is divided into two negro and mulatto republics, hayti and san domingo, and, as might have been expected, has sunk to the lowest depths of possible human degradation. fetishism, human sacrifice, and even cannibalism prevail in this sea-girt paradise, placed right among the possessions of the most civilized powers of the world and now across the main ocean routes from the west to the united states, canada, and the old world. can anybody believe that beautiful hispaniola, an island , square miles in extent, whose economic and strategic value will be increased a hundredfold in the years that are coming, will long remain under this blighting shadow of ignorance and barbarism? here certainly the panama canal will work a beneficent political change. france, too, is beginning to look up her possessions and opportunities in the caribbean. here her two islands, martinique and guadeloupe, are placed most conveniently for her ships coming westwards from havre, bordeaux, and st. nazaire, while tahiti and new caledonia will pass them on over the pacific to the far east. m. gilquin, writing in _la vie maritime_, says:-- in martinique, guadeloupe, new caledonia, and tahiti our commerce--that is to say, exports and imports together--was, in the year , ninety millions of francs; this rose to one hundred and twenty-two millions in , and it is probable that when we get the figures for they will be found to be even more favourable. it is certain that with the opening of the panama canal a great increase in traffic will take place, and possessing, as we do, ports so advantageously placed on the principal lines of route, we should benefit extensively by that development of traffic between europe and the western coasts of both north and south america. in order that we may reap the benefit, however, of the situation of our colonial harbours, it is necessary that these be taken in hand at once and rendered fit for the commerce they will be called upon to handle. and what is england doing to prepare for the new epoch in these regions where she has planted her flag on so many rich and beautiful islands, strung like pearls of necklace and tiara over these warm tropical seas? we hear of jamaica providing a new site for coaling and ships' repairs near kingston, of harbour improvements at port of spain (trinidad) and st. george (grenada), of oil-bunkering stations at barbados and st. lucia. all this is good, but england will have to enter upon a very different policy for the future with regard to her west indian empire. she must show that she values her priceless inheritance in and round the caribbean; that she is determined to maintain her position, to promote her commerce, and to further the interests of all her subjects in these regions. what the west indies need in order to be able to take the new opportunity by the forelock are organization and combination. schemes have been proposed for federalizing the constitution of the islands--placing them, that is, under a strong central government for those purposes that are common to them all. there are many difficulties in the way of such proposals. the nearest island of the greater antilles is , miles away from the nearest of the lesser, so that nature seems to have pronounced for the present against any federal scheme embracing all the islands. but space is always shrinking. wireless telegraphy and aeroplanes may make , miles an inconsiderable distance for such political purposes. the leeward islands have already been organized under a single federal government, and it ought to be possible to extend the system. moreover, the islands and the colonies on the continent are learning the value of common consultation and action in such matters as quarantine, and they meet together in annual agricultural conferences. we need not wait for a formal and complete federal constitution. some central council for consultation on the best means of taking advantage of the new opportunities, some central fund for promoting common objects, such as advertising the wonderful attractions of the islands and preparing for the birds of passage that will soon be coming from every civilized country in the old and new world--all this is possible now. it is important, too, that the west indian colonies should have some assembly or council through which they can address the imperial power with a single voice. england can give these colonies invaluable help. she can assist them to develop those steamship and telegraphic communications between the islands which are still so inadequate. she can indicate the best locations for harbours, coaling and repairing stations, and the other facilities which the new traffic will require. in view of the certain growth in wealth and prosperity, the colonies ought to be able by contributions among themselves to provide a substantial fund for objects they can carry out in common for the advantage of each and all. some valuable information and very practical suggestion will be found in the report of the west indian commission presided over by lord balfour of burleigh which was issued in . besides recommending a system of reciprocal trade preference between canada and the west indies, the commissioners made important proposals with regard to steamship and telegraphic communications. they favoured the public ownership and operation of the west indian cables and possibly of the whole system northward to halifax. they wrote:-- the single cables now connecting halifax with bermuda and bermuda with jamaica ought either to be duplicated or supplemented by wireless. a cable should be laid between bermuda and barbados, with a branch to trinidad, and perhaps another to british guiana. the cables which run from jamaica to the eastern islands and british guiana, sometimes single and sometimes duplicate, are very old. the bed of this part of the caribbean being trying for cables, we believe it would be found advantageous in most cases not to renew them, but to replace them by wireless installations. if these were well arranged, they might form a satisfactory connection between the eastern islands and jamaica and an alternative route to bermuda, and render unnecessary duplication of the suggested bermuda-barbados cable. while it is desirable to connect british honduras with jamaica, we consider that the probable volume of traffic would not warrant the cost of a cable. we therefore recommend the employment of wireless for this purpose. small installations should also be supplied to the outlying leeward and bahamas islands. england will have to foster the welfare of her possessions in these regions as she has never done before. the brussels convention forbade her to give any preference to sugar produced in her own dominions. but she is about to step out of that agreement, and will be at liberty, if she thinks fit, to encourage by preferential favours the one great staple for which these colonies can find no substitute. there may be differences of opinion on the fiscal question, but surely everybody must agree that the naval power and political prestige of the british empire must be represented in the caribbean sea by something rather more impressive than two small and obsolete cruisers. if england is to maintain her position against the severer competition she will now have to face, if she is to get her share of the new commerce now in prospect, she will have to give her traders, and shippers, and merchants all the confidence and encouragement which her flag should inspire. one or two well-equipped naval bases, a squadron of up-to-date cruisers for police and patrol work in the caribbean and down the pacific coasts of america, are indispensable. there must be no more earthquakes and destructions of british cities with never a british vessel to bring the sorely-needed help, no more riots in british islands with only a dutch warship standing helplessly by. both british columbia and the west indies have complained with reason of the absenteeism of the british fleet from their shores. the necessity for concentrating all our naval power in the north sea to meet the german menace has no doubt been the cause of these withdrawals from the outer sea-marches of the empire. but at any cost this wrong will have to be righted in the future. the west indies and british columbia are just the two portions of the empire which the panama canal may benefit most and most immediately, and they have a right to expect the support and co-operation of the imperial government wherever it can be given. all the powers of the world will be afloat on the caribbean and along the pacific sea-trails to balboa. let the white ensign return to these seas and shores as an earnest to all that the same national spirit that won for england her political and commercial supremacy avails to maintain it now and in the new era which is just dawning. footnotes: [ ] from the already-quoted paper read before the royal colonial institute, march , . [ ] marco polo, following aristotle's nomenclature, had given the name of "antilla" to an island off the eastern coast of asia. the name was transferred by columbus, or peter martyr, to the islands of the caribbean. chapter xix. the new pacific. some readers may perhaps think that these forecasts of the results of running a canal through the isthmus of panama are somewhat exaggerated. it is sufficient to point out to such a critic how different the course of american and world history might have been if nature had left a practicable channel between the two americas. the effect of erecting an artificial passage there in these days may be even greater than at present we can imagine. some of these results will be apparent at once; others may take decades or even centuries to materialize. many of the commercial and political results which have followed the construction of the suez canal were quite unforeseen in . we may be similarly mistaken in our forecast with regard to the panama canal. mr. bryce suggests that if a dozen experts were, in , to write out and place in the libraries of the british museum and of congress their respective forecasts bearing on this subject, sealed up and not to be opened till a.d. , they might make curious reading in that year. we may venture to predict that the results of panama will be much more profound and revolutionary than those of suez. the panama canal, says mr. bryce, is "the greatest liberty man has ever taken with nature." it will involve a far greater shifting of centres of gravity, political and commercial, a more radical readjustment of ideas and points of view than the suez canal. as the past four hundred years have belonged to the atlantic, the present century and others to come may belong to the pacific. that area of , , square miles may become the main theatre of the rivalries--commercial, political, and racial--of the most powerful nations of east and west. some believe that the world is advancing to that loud and fateful day when east and west will fight out their long difference in some naval and aerial armageddon on and above this miscalled pacific. without straining our imaginations to this extent, we may well observe that the canal brings eastern and western civilizations into much closer contact and competition than before. mr. kipling has informed us that east is east and west is west, and never the twain shall meet; and a still earlier author, desiring to give the penitent sinner the uttermost consolation, declared that the lord removes his transgressions from him "as far as the east is from the west." the new canal rather diminishes the force of such similitudes. it is not simply that the east of canada and the united states, as representing western civilization, is brought much closer to china and japan; that the passage from west to east which the early navigators vainly sought is now thrown open. the important thing is that the pacific is going to be the scene of commercial and political rivalries in which the slowly awakening people of china and the already wide-awake people of japan will take part. all the pacific ocean westward to degrees of longitude east of greenwich is brought nearer to england and the western coasts of europe. the entire ocean right back to the western extremity of australia is brought closer to the governmental and industrial centres of the united states and canada. english people have been thinking "atlantically" up to now. the pacific, held at an unimaginable distance by a broad continent or an abyss of ocean, has been known to them chiefly through stories of adventure among its coral islands familiar to their childhood. yet england is the greatest pacific power in the world. british columbia alone has a pacific sea-front longer than the united states, and holds , square miles, an area as large as france and spain put together. and yet the population of that vast and fertile province is only , . and what of the lonely continent that bounds this oceanic abyss in the far south-west? australia, without new zealand, is about , , square miles in extent, and has to-day a white population of about , , , or about , , people all told. the northern part of this mighty island-continent, known as the "territory," miles wide, miles long, and , square miles in extent, a region of great potential wealth, has a total european population of , ! and to the north and north-west there are a billion ( , , , ) brown and yellow people, packed together in crowded islands and territories, whose mere overspill would quickly fill that delectable island-continent to the south where england has done so little to make good her nominal title to sovereignty by actual and effective settlement. such a possession, an empire in itself, held so precariously and offering such a ceaseless temptation to swarming land-hungry hordes, is rather a weakness than a strength to england on the threshold of the new era. and from all this pacific region and its adjuncts where she has secured all the empty and desirable plots and pegged out so many claims for posterity, she has had to withdraw her fleets, as rome had to draw in her legions from the outer provinces to defend the central heart of her empire. we may hope that this north sea danger, so embarrassing and disastrous in its strategic needs to a power like england, whose empire is scattered over every ocean and continent, may disappear through the growth of better relations between the german and anglo-saxon branches of the teutonic race. to that stock more than any other is committed the defence of western and christian ideas, and the great issues of the future may compel a pan-teutonic alliance, embracing the british and german empires and the united states. england has two responsibilities in the pacific--the one to herself and her empire, and the other to christendom and western civilization. if she is true to the former, she cannot well be false to the latter. she must bring her fleets back to this great ocean and assert an influence in its politics proportionate to her territorial domains and the extent of her commerce in those regions. but there are objects more important than the interests of any single power. the entire coast of the pacific from behring straits to the horn, and round south by new zealand and australia, must be kept "white"--reserved, that is, for the occidental and christian races. perhaps the united states may one day so far modify the monroe doctrine as to welcome germany to a sovereign foothold among the unstable politics of south america, in order to strengthen still more the outposts of christian civilization in the western hemisphere. it is possible to talk great nonsense about what is called the "yellow peril." no sensible person imagines that the nimble japanese, the inscrutable chinaman, and the subtle hindoo are suddenly going to rise as one man and throw down the gage of challenge to christianity and the west. east, like west, has its own political and religious divisions; nevertheless it is impossible to foresee what the results of the oriental resurgence may mean, and england and the united states, and perhaps germany, may some day have a joint responsibility in the pacific compared with which their rivalries among themselves may seem trifling and irrational. but i do not wish to end this little book with presages of future discord. we must all hope that the panama canal will prove a new and powerful influence for peace, that it will bring even east and west together, not in strife and suspicion, but in friendship and a better mutual understanding. there is surely a human interest and sympathy transcending even those racial divisions which may seem most insuperable. the great nation which has given this splendid gift to the world should ask no better or more selfish reward than that it may contribute to the welfare and progress of humanity at large. appendix i. the isthmian canal convention (commonly called the hay-pauncefote treaty), . . the high contracting parties agree that the present treaty shall supersede the aforementioned (clayton-bulwer) convention of april , . . it is agreed that the canal may be constructed under the auspices of the government of the united states either directly at its own cost, or by gift or loan of money to individuals or corporations, or through subscription to or purchase of stock or shares, and that, subject to the provisions of the present treaty, the said government shall have and enjoy all the rights incident to such construction, as well as the exclusive right of providing for the regulation and management of the canal. . the united states adopts as the basis of the neutralization of such ship canal the following rules substantially as embodied in the convention of constantinople, signed the th october, , for the free navigation of the suez canal; that is to say: first.--the canal shall be free and open to the vessels of commerce and of war of all nations observing these rules, on terms of entire equality, so that there shall be no discrimination against any such nation or its citizens or subjects in respect of the conditions or charges of traffic, or otherwise. such conditions and charges of traffic shall be just and equitable. second.--the canal shall never be blockaded, nor shall any right of war be exercised nor any act of hostility be committed within it. the united states, however, shall be at liberty to maintain such military police along the canal as may be necessary to protect it against lawlessness and disorder. third.--vessels of war of a belligerent shall not revictual nor take any stores in the canal except so far as may be strictly necessary; and the transit of such vessels through the canal shall be effected with the least possible delay in accordance with the regulations in force, and with only such intermission as may result from the necessities of the service. prizes shall be in all respects subject to the same rules as vessels of war of the belligerents. fourth.--no belligerent shall embark or disembark troops, munitions of war or warlike materials in the canal except in case of accidental hindrance of the transit, and in such case the transit shall be resumed with all possible despatch. fifth.--the provisions of this article shall apply to waters adjacent to the canal, within three marine miles of either end. vessels of war of a belligerent shall not remain in such waters longer than twenty-four hours at any one time except in case of distress, and in such case shall depart as soon as possible, but a vessel of war of one belligerent shall not depart within twenty-four hours from the departure of a vessel of war of the other belligerent. sixth.--the plant, establishment, buildings and all works necessary to the construction, maintenance and operation of the canal shall be deemed to be parts thereof for the purpose of this treaty, and in time of war, as in time of peace, shall enjoy complete immunity from attack or injury by belligerents, and from acts calculated to impair their usefulness as part of the canal. . it is agreed that no change of territorial sovereignty or of international relations of the country or countries traversed by the before-mentioned canal shall affect the general principle of neutralization or the obligation of the high contracting parties under the present treaty. . the present treaty shall be ratified by the president of the united states by and with the advice and consent of the senate thereof, and by his britannic majesty; and the ratifications shall be exchanged at washington or at london at the earliest possible time within six months from the date thereof. appendix ii. the panama declaration of independence, . the transcendental act that by a spontaneous movement the inhabitants of the isthmus of panama have just executed is the inevitable consequence of a situation which has become graver daily. long is the recital of the grievances that the inhabitants of the isthmus have suffered from their colombian brothers; but those grievances would have been withstood with resignation for the sake of harmony and national union had its separation been possible and if we could have entertained well-founded hopes of improvement and of effective progress under the system to which we were submitted by that republic. we have to solemnly declare that we have the sincere and profound conviction that all the hopes were futile and useless, all the sacrifices on our part. the isthmus of panama has been governed by the republic of colombia with the narrow-mindedness that in past times was applied to their colonies by the european nations--the isthmian people and territory were a source of fiscal resources and nothing more. the contracts and negotiations regarding the railroad and the panama canal and the national taxes collected in the isthmus have netted to colombia tremendous sums which we will not detail, not wishing to appear in this exposition which will go down to posterity as being moved by a mercenary spirit, which has never been nor is our purpose; and of these large sums the isthmus has not received the benefit of a bridge for any of its numerous rivers, nor the construction of a single road between its towns, nor of any public building nor of a single college, and has neither seen any interest displayed in advancing her industries, nor has a most infinite part of those sums been applied toward her prosperity. a very recent example of what we have related above is what has occurred with the negotiations of the panama canal, which, when taken under consideration by congress, was rejected in a summary manner. there were a few public men who expressed their adverse opinion, on the ground that the isthmus of panama alone was to be favoured by the opening of the canal by virtue of a treaty with the united states, and that the rest of colombia would not receive any direct benefits of any sort by that work, as if that way of reasoning, even though it be correct, would justify the irreparable and perpetual damage that would be caused to the isthmus by the rejection of the treaty in the manner in which it was done, which was equivalent to the closing of the doors to future negotiations. the people of the isthmus, in view of such notorious causes, have decided to recover their sovereignty and begin to form a part of the society of the free and independent nations, in order to work out its own destiny, to insure its future in a stable manner, and discharge the duties which it is called on to do by the situation of its territory and its immense richness. to that we, the initiators of the movement effected, aspire and have obtained a unanimous approval. we aspire to the formation of a true republic, where tolerance will prevail, where the law shall be the invariable guide of those governing and those governed, where effective peace be established, which consists in the frequent and harmonious play of all interests and all activities, and where, finally, civilization and progress will find perpetual stability. at the commencement of the life of an independent nation we fully appreciate the responsibilities that state means, but we have profound faith in the good sense and patriotism of the isthmian people, and we possess sufficient energy to open our way by means of labour to a happy future without any worry or any danger. at separating from our brothers of colombia we do it without hatred and without any joy. just as a son withdraws from his paternal roof, the isthmian people in adopting the lot it has chosen have done it with grief, but in compliance with the supreme and inevitable duty it owes to itself--that of its own preservation and of working for its own welfare. we therefore begin to form a part among the free nations of the world, considering colombia as a sister nation, with which we shall be whenever circumstances may require it, and for whose prosperity we have the most fervent and sincere wishes. josé agustin arango, federico boyd, tomas arias. appendix iii. the panama canal convention (commonly called the hay-bunau-varilla treaty), . the united states of america and the republic of panama being desirous to insure the construction of a ship-canal across the isthmus of panama to connect the atlantic and pacific oceans, and the congress of the united states of america having passed an act approved june , , in furtherance of that object, by which the president of the united states is authorized to acquire within a reasonable time the control of the necessary territory of the republic of colombia, and the sovereignty of such territory being actually vested in the republic of panama, the high contracting parties have resolved for that purpose to conclude a convention and have accordingly appointed as their plenipotentiaries-- the president of the united states of america, john hay, secretary of state, and the government of the republic of panama, philippe bunau-varilla, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the republic of panama, thereunto specially empowered by said government, who after communicating with each other their respective full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles: article . the united states guarantees and will maintain the independence of the republic of panama. article . the republic of panama grants to the united states in perpetuity the use, occupation and control of a zone of land and land under water for the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation and protection of said canal of the width of ten miles extending to the distance of five miles on each side of the centre line of the route of the canal to be constructed; the said zone beginning in the caribbean sea three marine miles from mean low water mark, and extending to and across the isthmus of panama into the pacific ocean to a distance of three marine miles from mean low water mark, with the proviso that the cities of panama and colon and the harbours adjacent to said cities, which are included within the boundaries of the zone above described, shall not be included within this grant. the republic of panama further grants to the united states in perpetuity the use, occupation and control of any other lands and waters outside of the zone above described which may be necessary and convenient for the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation and protection of the said canal or of any auxiliary canal or other works necessary and convenient for the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation and protection of the said enterprise. the republic of panama further grants in like manner to the united states in perpetuity all islands within the limits of the zone above described and in addition thereto the group of small islands in the bay of panama, named perico, naos, culebra, and flamenco. article . the republic of panama grants to the united states all the rights, power and authority within the zone mentioned and described in article of this agreement and within the limits of all auxiliary lands and waters mentioned and described in said article which the united states would possess and exercise if it were the sovereign of the territory within which said lands and waters are located to the entire exclusion of the exercise by the republic of panama of any such sovereign rights, power or authority. article . as rights subsidiary to the above grants the republic of panama grants in perpetuity to the united states the right to use the rivers, streams, lakes and other bodies of water within its limits for navigation, the supply of water or water-power or other purposes, so far as the use of said rivers, streams, lakes and bodies of water and the waters thereof may be necessary and convenient for the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation and protection of the said canal. article . the republic of panama grants to the united states in perpetuity a monopoly for the construction, maintenance and operation of any system of communication by means of canal or railroad across its territory between the caribbean sea and the pacific ocean. article . the grants herein contained shall in no manner invalidate the titles or rights of private landholders or owners of private property in the said zone or in or to any of the lands or waters granted to the united states by the provisions of any article of this treaty, nor shall they interfere with the rights of way over the public roads passing through the said zone or over any of the said lands or waters unless said rights of way or private rights shall conflict with rights herein granted to the united states, in which case the rights of the united states shall be superior. all damages caused to the owners of private lands or private property of any kind by reason of the grants contained in this treaty or by reason of the operations of the united states, its agents or employees, or by reason of the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation and protection of the said canal or of the works of sanitation and protection herein provided for, shall be appraised and settled by a joint commission appointed by the governments of the united states and the republic of panama, whose decisions as to such damages shall be final and whose awards as to such damages shall be paid solely by the united states. no part of the work on said canal or the panama railroad or on any auxiliary works relating thereto and authorized by the terms of this treaty shall be prevented, delayed or impeded by or pending such proceedings to ascertain such damages. the appraisal of the said private lands and private property and the assessment of damages to them shall be based upon their value before the date of this convention. article . the republic of panama grants to the united states within the limits of the cities of panama and colon and their adjacent harbours and within the territory adjacent thereto the right to acquire by purchase or by the exercise of the right of eminent domain, any lands, buildings, water rights or other properties necessary and convenient for the construction, maintenance, operation and protection of the canal and of any works of sanitation, such as the collection and disposition of sewage and the distribution of water in the said cities of panama and colon, which, in the discretion of the united states, may be necessary and convenient for the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation and protection of the said canal and railroad. all such works of sanitation, collection and disposition of sewage and distribution of water in the cities of panama and colon shall be made at the expense of the united states, and the government of the united states, its agents or nominees shall be authorized to impose and collect water rates and sewage rates which shall be sufficient to provide for the payment of interest and the amortization of the principal of the cost of said works within a period of fifty years, and upon the expiration of said term of fifty years the system of sewers and water works shall revert to and become the properties of the cities of panama and colon respectively; and the use of the water shall be free to the inhabitants of panama and colon, except to the extent that water rates may be necessary for the operation and maintenance of said system of sewers and water. the republic of panama agrees that the cities of panama and colon shall comply in perpetuity with the sanitary ordinances whether of a preventive or curative character prescribed by the united states, and in case the government of panama is unable or fails in its duty to enforce this compliance by the cities of panama and colon with the sanitary ordinances of the united states the republic of panama grants to the united states the right and authority to enforce the same. the same right and authority are granted to the united states for the maintenance of public order in the cities of panama and colon and the territories and harbours adjacent thereto in case the republic of panama should not be, in the judgment of the united states, able to maintain such order. article . the republic of panama grants to the united states all rights which it now has or hereafter may acquire to the property of the new panama canal company and the panama railroad company as a result of the transfer of sovereignty from the republic of colombia to the republic of panama over the isthmus of panama, and authorizes the new panama canal company to sell and transfer to the united states its rights, privileges, properties and concessions, as well as the panama railroad and all the shares or part of the shares of that company; but the public lands situated outside of the zone described in article of this treaty now included in the concessions to both said enterprises and not required in the construction or operation of the canal shall revert to the republic of panama except any property now owned by or in the possession of said companies within panama or colon or the ports or terminals thereof. article . the united states agrees that the ports at either entrance of the canal and the waters thereof, and the republic of panama agrees that the towns of panama and colon shall be free for all time, so that there shall not be imposed or collected custom-house tolls, tonnage, anchorage, lighthouse, wharf, pilot, or quarantine dues or any other charges or taxes of any kind upon any vessel using or passing through the canal or belonging to or employed by the united states, directly or indirectly, in connection with the construction, maintenance, operation, sanitation and protection of the main canal, or auxiliary works, or upon the cargo, officers, crew, or passengers of any such vessels, except such tolls and charges as may be imposed by the united states for the use of the canal and other works, and except tolls and charges imposed by the republic of panama upon merchandise destined to be introduced for the consumption of the rest of the republic of panama, and upon vessels touching at the ports of colon and panama and which do not cross the canal. the government of the republic of panama shall have the right to establish in such ports and in the towns of panama and colon such houses and guards as it may deem necessary to collect duties on importations destined to other portions of panama and to prevent contraband trade. the united states shall have the right to make use of the towns and harbours of panama and colon as places of anchorage, and for making repairs, for loading, unloading, depositing, or transshipping cargoes either in transit or destined for the service of the canal and for other works pertaining to the canal. * * * * * article . if it should become necessary at any time to employ armed forces for the safety or protection of the canal, or of the ships that make use of the same, or the railways and auxiliary works, the united states shall have the right, at all times and in its discretion, to use its police and its land and naval forces or to establish fortifications for these purposes. * * * * * appendix iv. panama canal toll rates. by the president of the united states of america, washington, november , . a proclamation. i, william howard taft, president of the united states of america, by virtue of the power and authority vested in me by the act of congress, approved august twenty-fourth, nineteen hundred and twelve, to provide for the opening, maintenance, protection and operation of the panama canal and the sanitation and government of the canal zone, do hereby prescribe and proclaim the following rates of toll be paid, by vessels using the panama canal. . on merchant vessels carrying passengers or cargo one dollar and twenty cents ($ . ) per net vessel ton--each one hundred ( ) cubic feet--of actual earning capacity. . on vessels in ballast without passengers or cargo forty ( ) per cent. less than the rate of tolls for vessels with passengers or cargo. . upon naval vessels, other than transports, colliers, hospital ships, and supply ships, fifty ( ) cents per displacement ton. . upon army and navy transports, colliers, hospital ships and supply ships one dollar and twenty cents ($ . ) per net ton, the vessels to be measured by the same rules as are employed in determining the net tonnage of merchant vessels. the secretary of war will prepare and prescribe such rules for the measurement of vessels and such regulations as may be necessary and proper to carry this proclamation into full force and effect. the end. internet archive (https://archive.org) note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see -h.htm or -h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h/ -h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h.zip) images of the original pages are available through internet archive. see https://archive.org/details/steamshovelman painiala the steam-shovel man * * * * * * books by ralph d. paine published by charles scribner's sons campus days. illustrated. mo $ . sandy sawyer, sophomore. illustrated. mo $ . the stroke oar. illustrated, mo $ . the fugitive freshman. illustrated. mo $ . the head coach. illustrated. mo $ . college years. illustrated. mo $ . * * * * * the steam-shovel man. illustrated. mo _net_ $ . the dragon and the cross. illustrated mo $ . the wrecking master. illustrated. mo $ . a cadet of the black star line. illustrated. mo $ . * * * * * the adventures of captain o'shea. mo _net_ $ . * * * * * * [illustration: he stood at the brink of this tremendous chasm] the steam-shovel man by ralph d. paine author of "a cadet of the black star line," "the wrecking master," etc. illustrated by b. j. rosenmeyer new york charles scribner's sons copyright, , by charles scribner's sons published september, [illustration: logo] contents chapter page i. walter goodwin's quest ii. the parrot and the broomstick iii. with the dynamite gang iv. a landslide in the cut v. trapped in old panama vi. jack devlin in action vii. a fat rascal comes to grief viii. walter squares an account ix. a parent's anxious pilgrimage x. base-ball and a happy family illustrations he stood at the brink of this tremendous chasm _frontispiece_ facing page lifting his feet very high and setting them down with the greatest caution "_viva panama! pobre colombia! ha! ha! ha!_" "report to me as soon as you come back. and bring goodwin with you" the steam-shovel man chapter i walter goodwin's quest a stout, elderly man stepped from a streetcar on the water-front of new york and hastened toward the nearest wharf at a lumbering trot. he held in one hand a large suit-case which must have been insecurely fastened, for, as he dodged to avoid collision with other wayfarers, the lid flew open and all sorts of things began to spill out. the weather-beaten gentleman was in such a violent hurry and his mind was so preoccupied that he failed to notice the disaster, and was leaving in his wake a trail of slippers, shirts, hair-brushes, underwear, collars, and what not, that suggested a game of hare-and-hounds. in fact, the treacherous suit-case had almost emptied itself before he paid heed to the shouts of uproarious laughter from the delighted teamsters, roustabouts, and idlers. with a snort, he fetched up to glare behind him, and his expression conveyed wrath and dismay. this kind of misfortune, like the case of the man who sits down on his own hat, excites boundless mirth but no sympathy whatever. the victim stood stock-still and continued to glare and sputter as if here was a situation totally beyond him. a tall lad, passing that way, jumped to the rescue and began to gather up the scattered wreckage. he was laughing as heartily as the rest of them--for the life of him he couldn't help it--but the instincts of a gentleman prompted him to undertake the work of salvage. as fast as an armful was collected, the owner savagely rammed it into the suit-case, and when this young friend in need, walter goodwin by name, came running up with the last consignment he growled, after fumbling in his pockets: "not a blessed cent of change left! come aboard my ship and i'll square it with you. if i had time, i'd punch the heads of a few of those loafing swabs who stood and laughed at me." "but i don't want to be paid for doing a little favor like that," said goodwin. "and i am afraid i laughed, too. it did look funny, honestly." "you come along and do as i tell you," rumbled the heated mariner, who had paid not the least attention to these remarks. "do you mind shouldering this confounded bag? i am getting short-winded, and it may fly open again. had two nights ashore with my family in baltimore--train held up by a wreck last night--must have had a poor navigator--made me six hours late--ought to have been aboard ship this morning--i sail at five this afternoon." he appeared to be talking to himself rather than to walter goodwin, who could not refuse further aid. his burly captor was heading in the direction of a black-hulled ocean-steamer which flew the bluepeter at her mast-head. even the wit of a landsman could not go wrong in surmising that this domineering person was her commander. and for all his blustering manner, captain martin bradshaw had a trick of pulling down one corner of his mouth in a half smile as if he had a genial heart and, given time to cool off and reflect, could perceive the humor of a situation. he charged full-tilt along the wharf, and walter goodwin meekly followed with the sensation of being yanked at the end of a tow-rope. at the gangway a uniformed officer sang out for a steward, who touched his cap and took charge of the troublesome piece of luggage. walter hesitated, but as the skipper pounded along the deck toward the bridge he called back: "make yourself at home and look about the ship, my lad. i'll see you as soon as i overhaul my papers." the tall youth had no intention of waiting to be paid for his services, but he lived in an inland town and the deck of a ship was a strange and fascinating place. the _saragossa_ was almost ready to sail, bound out to the spanish main. many passengers were on board. among them were several tanned, robust men who looked as if they were used to hard work out-of-doors. as goodwin lingered to watch the pleasant stir and bustle, one of these rugged voyagers was saying to a friend who had come to bid him good-by: "it's sure the great place for a husky young fellow with the right stuff in him. there are five thousand of us americans on the job, and you bet we're making the dirt fly. i was glad to get back to god's country for my six weeks' leave, but i won't be a bit sorry to see the big ditch again." the other man replied with a shrug and a careless laugh: "the united states is plenty good enough for me, jack. i don't yearn to work in any pest-hole of a tropical climate with yellow-fever and all that. it's no place for a white man." "oh, you make me tired," good-naturedly retorted the sunburnt giant of a fellow. "you are just plain ignorant. do i look like a fever-stricken wreck? high wages? well, i guess. we are picked men. i am a steam-shovel man, as you know, and uncle sam pays me two hundred gold a month and gives me living quarters." "you are welcome to it, jack. it may look good to you, but you will have to dig the panama canal without me." walter goodwin had pricked up his ears. the panama canal had seemed so remote that it might have belonged in another world, but here were men who were actually helping to dig it. and this steam-shovel man looked so self-reliant and capable and proud of his task that he made one feel proud of his breed of americans in exile. and that was a most alluring phrase of his, "a great place for a husky young fellow." after some hesitation the lad timidly accosted him: "i overheard enough to make me very much interested in what you are doing. do you think i would stand any show of getting a job on the panama canal?" the stranger's eyes twinkled as he scanned goodwin and amiably answered: "as a rule, they don't catch 'em quite as young as you are, my son. what makes you think of taking such a long jump from home?" "i need the money," firmly announced the youth. "and when it comes to size and strength i'm not exactly a light-weight." "i'll not dispute it," cheerily returned the steam-shovel man. "i am a man of peace except when i'm hunting trouble. but they don't hire americans on the isthmus for their muscle. the colonel--he's the big boss--has thirty thousand west indian negroes and spaniards on the pay-rolls to sweat with the picks and shovels. are you really looking for a job, my boy? tell me about it." walter blushed and felt reluctant to tell his troubles to a stranger. all he could bring himself to say was: "well, you see, i simply must pitch in and give my father a lift somehow." "and you're not old enough to vote!" heartily exclaimed the other. "there's many a grown man that thinks himself lucky if he can buy his own meal-ticket, much less give his father a lift." "i don't mean to talk big--" began walter. "it does you credit, my son. i like to see a lad carry a full head of steam. you look good to me. i size you up as our kind of folks. yes, there are various jobs down there you might get away with. and the lowest wages paid an american employee is seventy-five dollars a month. but remember, it's a long, wet walk back from the isthmus for a man that goes broke." "oh, i don't even know how i could get there. i am just dreaming about it," smiled goodwin. "if you do ever drift down that way, be sure to look me up, understand--jack devlin, engineer of steam-shovel 'twenty-six' in culebra cut, and she broke all records for excavating last month." he crossed the deck with a jaunty swagger, as if there was no finer thing in the world than to command a monster of a steam-shovel eating its way into the slope of culebra cut. walter goodwin concluded that he had been forgotten by the busy captain of the _saragossa_, but just then the steward came with a summons to the breezy quarters abaft the wheel-house and chart-room. that august personage, captain martin bradshaw, had removed his coat and collar, and a pair of gold-rimmed spectacles adorned his ruddy beak of a nose. running his hands through his mop of iron-gray hair, he swung round in his chair and said, with the twist of the mouth that was like an unfinished smile: "i think i owe you an apology. i failed to take a square look at you until we came aboard. you are not the kind of a youngster who expects a tip for doing a man a good turn. i was so flustered and stood on my beam-ends that i made a mistake." that this seasoned old mariner could have been in such a helpless state of mind over a mishap so trifling as the emptied suit-case made walter grin in spite of himself. at this captain bradshaw beamed through his spectacles and explained: "i am afraid of my life every minute i'm ashore--what with the infernal fleets of automobiles and trolley-cars and wagons, and the crowds of people in the fairway. a ship at sea is the only safe place for a man, after all. have a cup of tea or a bottle of ginger-ale?" "no, thank you, sir. all i want is some information," boldly declared walter goodwin, turning very red, but determined to strike while the iron was hot. "is there any way, if a fellow can't afford to pay his passage, for him to get to the isthmus of panama?" "and for what?" was the surprised query. "you look as if you had a good home and a mother to sew on your buttons. have you been reading sea-stories, or are you a young muck-raker in disguise, with orders to show the american people that the canal is being dug all wrong?" "no, i am thinking of trying to find a good job down there," walter gravely declared. "i can't eat my folks out of house and home any longer. the isthmus is a great place for a husky young fellow with the right stuff in him. i got it straight from a man who knows." captain martin bradshaw, who was a shrewd judge of manhood, replied in singularly gentle tones, as if he were thinking aloud: "i did pretty much the same thing when i was in my teens. and i had the same reasons. i suppose if you broke the news to the folks they wouldn't be exactly enthusiastic." "i am afraid it would take a lot of argument to convince them that i am sane and sensible," dubiously agreed walter. "my father isn't used to taking chances, and--well, you know what mothers are, sir. does it sound crazy to you?" "no; just a trifle rash," and the wise skipper shook his head. "how old are you?" "seventeen and big for my age." "i thought you were a year or two older. well, you are as bold and foolish as a strapping lad of seventeen ought to be, if he has red blood in him. i'll not encourage you to run away from home. maybe you can find a paying berth on the isthmus, and maybe not. but it will do you no harm to try. talk it over at home. if the bee is still in your bonnet a month from now, come to the ship and i'll give you a chance to work your passage to colon on my next voyage." walter stammered his thanks, but the captain turned to rummage among the papers on his desk, as if he could give no more time to the interview. as the youth walked away from the ship, his thoughts were buzzing and his pulse beat faster than usual. the unexpected visit aboard the _saragossa_ had thrilled him like the song of bugles. it awakened a spirit of adventurous enterprise which had hitherto been dormant. it was calling him away to the world's frontier. jack devlin, the steam-shovel man, and the captain of the _saragossa_ had whirled him out of his accustomed orbit with a velocity that made him dizzy. they were men of action, trained in a rough school, and if walter wished to follow the same road they were ready to lend him a hand. he had spent three days in new york, seeking a situation at living wages. his father had given him letters to several business acquaintances, besides which he had investigated such advertisements in the newspapers as sounded promising. he discovered that boys in their teens, no matter how tall and manly they might be, were expected to sell their brains and muscle for so few dollars a week that his boyish hopes of supporting himself were clouded. the city was overcrowded, underpaid. from the ship he went to the house in which he had lodged, and then straightway to the railroad station to return to his home town of wolverton. his high-hearted pilgrimage to new york had been a failure in one way, but he was braced and comforted by the bright dream of winning his fortune on the far-away isthmus. it all sounded too good to be true. mr. horatio goodwin, the father of this young knight-errant, was a book-keeper who had toiled at the same desk for twenty years in the offices of the wolverton mills. when a trust gained control of the plant it was promptly closed and dismantled in order to keep up prices by cutting down production. this modern instance of knocking competition on the head was satisfactory to the stockholders, but it brought desolation to the small city of wolverton, of which the vast mills had been the industrial blood and sinews. the operatives drifted elsewhere, hopeful of finding work, but a middle-aged book-keeper, grown gray and round-shouldered before his time, is likely to find himself stranded in a business age which demands hustling young men of the brand known as "live-wires." the goodwins' cottage was pleasantly situated on a slope overlooking the town, but, alas, the streets no longer swarmed with tired, noisy people during the leisure hour after supper; many of the stores were untenanted behind their shuttered fronts; and the myriad windows of the mills stared blank and dead instead of twinkling like rows of jewels to greet the industrious army of the night shift. discouragement was in the very aspect of the stagnant town, and it had begun to grip the heart of anxious mr. goodwin. for the present, or until he might find something better, he had taken a small position with a coal-dealer in wolverton. he had great possessions, however, which were not to be measured in terms of hard cash--to wit, a wife who thought him the finest, bravest gentleman in the world, and a son and daughter who held the same opinion and were desperately in earnest about trying to mend the family fortunes. walter was half-way through his senior year in high-school and was chiefly notable for a rugged physique, a brilliant record as a base-ball pitcher, and an alarming appetite which threatened to sweep the cupboard bare. his sister eleanor, three years younger, was inclined to be absent-minded and wrote reams of what she called poetry, a form of industry which could hardly be considered useful in a tight financial pinch. it was in the evening of a winter's day when walter came homing back from new york. the other goodwins were holding a family conference, and it was like eleanor to kiss her father's bald head and pat his cheek with such a protecting, comforting air that her mother found a glimmer of fond amusement in the midst of her worry. the affectionate lass dwelt in a world of romance and her father was a true knight daily faring forth on a quest in which she was serenely confident that he would conquer all the dragons of misfortune. walter had wisely concluded that the rash scheme of working his way to the isthmus should be explained to the family with a good deal of care and tact. to break it to them suddenly would be too much like an explosion. when he tramped into the sitting-room, the welcome was as ardent as if he had been absent for months instead of days. eleanor and her mother fluttered about him. supper had been kept warm for him. was he quite sure the melting snow had not wet his feet? his father asked, when the excitement had subsided: "well, what luck, my son?" assuming his best bass voice, as man to man, walter answered: "new york is chuck-full of strong and willing lads anxious to run their legs off for four or five dollars a week. without throwing any bouquets at myself, i think i ought to be worth more than that to somebody. you see, i couldn't pay for my board and washing, much less give the family income a boost." "did my letters help you?" "yes, i had an offer of four per from the hardware man. i told him i should have to think it over. wolverton is as dead as a doornail, but i can do better than that as a day laborer." "i hate to think of your quitting school," sighed his father; "but perhaps you can graduate next year." he tried to hide his anxiety by adding quite briskly: "we have a great deal to be thankful for, and this--er--this period of business depression is only temporary, i am sure." "i seem to be so perfectly useless," pensively murmured eleanor. "poetry doesn't pay at all well, even if you are a genius, and then you are supposed to starve to death in a garret." walter grinned and pulled her flaxen braid as a token of his high esteem. "you are mother's little bunch of sunshine," said he, "and as first assistant house-keeper you play an errorless game." with what was meant to be a careless manner, walter turned to his father and exclaimed: "oh, by the way, i heard of something that sounded pretty good. it isn't in new york----" "i certainly hope it is no farther away," broke in mrs. goodwin. "i can't bear to think of your leaving home at all." walter coughed rather nervously and assured her: "oh, i should take good care of myself and brush my teeth twice a day and say my prayers ditto, so you wouldn't have the slightest reason to worry about me. and i'd write home every week, sure." "but couldn't you come home every week?" asked eleanor. "well, hardly, sis. i have heard of the greatest place in the world for a husky young fellow with the right stuff in him. seventy-five dollars a month, and there are various jobs i am capable of filling----" "is this a fairy story?" and mr. goodwin gazed over his glasses with a perplexed expression. "no, sir, and the climate is healthy nowadays, and the men on the job look as fit as can be, and they are just the bulliest-looking lot you ever saw and----" "oh, walter, tell us the answer. what _is it_ all about?" implored eleanor. "i'll send you a monkey and a string of pearls, sis. say, father, we americans ought to be proud of the panama canal, don't you think?" "the panama canal!" and mr. horatio goodwin fairly jumped from his chair. "is this what you have been leading up to?" "yes, i want to go there." "dear me, why did we let him make the trip to new york alone?" lamented mrs. goodwin. "he wants to go to the panama canal! why, it is thousands of miles from home!" her agitation might have led one to suppose that walter had announced his intention of taking up his residence in the moon. but mr. goodwin was regarding the ruddy, eager face of his son with a certain wistfulness. walter was undismayed, unscarred by the rough world. ah, youth might win where plodding middle age had failed. the opportunities were for those who were not old enough to be afraid. "tell me about it, walt," said he, and his voice was kindly and interested. with bright eyes and animated gestures walter told them of his acquaintance with jack devlin and the master of the _saragossa_, and how the panama canal had been made to seem so near and real. eleanor promptly soared on rosy wings of fancy and breathlessly interrupted: "it is of such stuff that heroes are made! i shall never call life humdrum again. gracious, to think of my big brother actually sailing away to help build the panama canal! i have a great deal of confidence in you, walt, and i'm sure you will succeed, though you are inclined to be careless and you never would keep your bureau drawers in order. i suppose i shall have to write a poem, 'lines to a wandering brother.' it must not be mournful, must it? i will cling to the lofty idea that you have gone to serve your country in peace instead of war." "that will do for you," was walter's laughing comment. "please let mother and father have the floor." "it sounds fantastic, but--" doubtfully began mr. goodwin. "but it is utterly out of the question," his wife emphatically concluded. "why, this working his way in a ship sounds dreadfully rough and dangerous. the captain may intend to kidnap him. what is it they do to sailors, horatio? something horrid and chinese--shanghai or hong-kong them, or whatever it is." not in the least perturbed by this harrowing suggestion, eleanor excitedly announced: "i have seven dollars of my own saved up, walt. i was planning to take a correspondence course in the art of writing perfectly good poetry, but i'd rather invest it in you. we women must arm our heroes for the fray." "i am afraid i could not give you the funds you would need," soberly observed mr. goodwin. "you must not find yourself adrift in a strange land." walter walked across the room, a fine, athletic figure, almost a six-footer. he felt sure that he could fight his way on the wonderful isthmus, where there were quick promotion and high wages and a square deal for every man. "if i can work my passage down there, i can work it home again," he cried. "but i'm not worrying about that." "wolverton is no place for you," declared his father. "mother and i will talk it over, walter, and i shall find out what i can. you have made us feel rather dizzy. we can't realize that you are no longer a little boy." "my salem great-grandfather went to sea when he was fourteen and was mate of an east-indiaman at my age, and captain of her at twenty-one," stoutly quoth walter. "and be sure to write just how the southern cross looks to you," earnestly put in eleanor. chapter ii the parrot and the broomstick the steamer _saragossa_ was sliding across a tropic sea where the trade-wind blew cool and steady to temper the blazing sun, the flying-fish skittered from the lazy swells like flights of silver arrows, and the stars by night seemed very bright and near. on the shady side of the promenade deck a boyish-looking member of the crew was scrubbing rust spots from the planking with a certain gusto which distinguished him from the so-called seamen, who were a sorry lot. the rough company and bullying usages of the forecastle had not dismayed walter goodwin, who forgot discomfort in the thought that, day by day, he was nearing the magical isthmus. his parents' consent had been won and this was his great chance. by far the most interesting passenger was the soldierly gentleman with the close-cropped white hair, the quiet voice, and pleasant smile who walked the deck with the vigor of youth. this was actually colonel gunther himself, chief engineer of the canal, chairman of the isthmian commission, master of forty thousand workers, the man who had made a success of the gigantic task after others had failed. "we folks think he is the biggest man in the world," a quarter-master's clerk told walter. "he just holds the whole job together. you can _feel_ him from one end of the zone to the other. whenever he goes to the states, it seems as if the organization began to wobble a mite." "but he is as courteous and kind to everybody on board as if he didn't amount to shucks," was walter's comment. "why, he even says 'good-morning' to me!" it happened on this day that colonel gunther halted near the industrious walter and his scrubbing-brush. several children tagged after him, and he was telling them a most fascinating story about a giant so enormous that he could dig a panama canal with a poke of his finger and then drink it dry at one gulp. presently the audience scampered off to view a distant ship, and colonel gunther conversed with one of his staff. they discussed problems of their work, and walter was guilty of dawdling, but, alas, what he overheard came as a shock that filled him with uneasy forebodings. "the organization has been at last recruited to its full working strength," said the colonel. "it begins to look as if the hardest part of the job had been accomplished--to get enough good men and keep them." "i presume the news will be published in the states," observed the other. "it would be a pity to have any more americans coming down on the chance of finding places." "yes, notification was to be sent out from washington this week. there are plenty of tropical tramps and beach-combers in colon and panama without adding to the number." with a most melancholy demeanor, walter goodwin, ordinary seaman, went forward as eight bells struck the dinner-hour. his excellent appetite had vanished. the opportunity for a "husky young fellow" seemed to have been knocked into a cocked hat. because he was such a very young man, his emotions were apt to veer from one extreme to the other. he was ready to believe the worst, nor did he dream of accosting colonel gunther and pleading his own special case. a fellow couldn't help standing in awe of one whom the whole isthmus regarded as "the biggest man in the world." the enchanted land of panama had suddenly become unfriendly and forbidding. he feared that he was about to become that dismal derelict, a "tropical tramp." "this is the toughest kind of luck," he said to himself. "they are actually warning americans away from the place." captain bradshaw, strolling through the ship on a tour of inspection, noticed the gloomy young seaman and kindly inquired: "lost anything? you can't be sea-sick in weather like this." "i have lost my job," mournfully answered walter. "lost it before you found it, eh? what kind of a riddle is that?" walter briefly and bitterly explained, at which captain bradshaw was moved to suggest: "if i could shove colonel gunther overboard, accidentally on purpose, and you hopped after him and saved him from a watery grave, what? he would simply have to offer you a good position." "but i can't swim well enough. you will have to think of something else." "well, you can stay in the ship, and i will try to make an able seaman of you." with a flash of his former determination walter flung back: "thank you, sir, but if i don't go ashore and try my luck, i shall feel like a yellow pup, whipped before i start." at the boyish bravado of this speech captain bradshaw replied, with an air of fatherly pride: "i should think less of you if you decided to stick in the ship, my lad. but if you find yourself flying distress signals, you are welcome to work your passage home with me." walter nodded and swallowed hard. he saw that if he whimpered or hung back he would lose the respect of this indomitable old sea-dog. homesickness afflicted him for the first time, and now and then he regretted having met the persuasive jack devlin. perhaps because he was unhappy himself walter felt sympathy for the young man from the republic of colombia whose name was on the passenger list as señor fernandez garcia alfaro. he had often lingered near the forecastle, as if disliking the company of his fellow-voyagers, and seemed to enjoy chatting with walter, who found him rather puzzling. the south-american temperament was new to the sturdy young anglo-saxon from wolverton, who had been trained to hide his feelings. señor fernandez garcia alfaro wore his emotions on his sleeve. he was easily excited and his outbursts of temper seemed childish, although he had been to school and college in the united states and was now in the diplomatic service of colombia, attached to the legation at washington. to walter he seemed much younger than his years. he had found much to annoy him during the voyage of the _saragossa_, but walter refused to take his troubles seriously until matters suddenly came to a head. it was early in the morning, and walter had finished his share of washing down decks under the critical eye of the norwegian boatswain. alfaro came out of his state-room and paced the wide promenade. his demeanor was cheerful and he appeared to have forgotten his irritation. as he halted to greet walter, there came from an open window near by the harsh, screaming accents of a parrot which cried jeeringly: "_viva roosevelt! viva panama! pobre colombia! pobre colombia! ha! ha! ha!_" fernandez garcia alfaro spun round to glare at the disreputable bunch of green feathers which, from its gilded cage, continued to cackle its sentiments concerning "poor colombia" with diabolical energy. the young man's black eyes flashed astonishing wrath and hatred, and walter goodwin, watching the tableau with a perplexed air, said laughingly: "anything personal in the parrot's remarks?" alfaro shook both fists at the offending bird and passionately answered in his fluent english: "it is an insult to me and my country. it is meant to be the worst kind of an insult. i will kill the cursed parrot before i leave this ship. i am a colombian, as you know. my father is a minister of the government. panama was stolen from my country to be made into a republic. it was a revolution? bah! nonsense! the soldiers of colombia could have stopped that little revolution, quick. it was your teddy roosevelt, it was your uncle sam with the big stick that prevented us. colombia weeps, she is disgraced, when she thinks of panama." "but you ought not to be sore on the silly parrot," sagely replied walter, trying to fathom what appeared to him as an absurd situation. "i never happened to read much about colombia's side of the story, but the panama canal had to be built, you know, and i guess your country was like the grasshopper that sat on the railroad track." "grasshopper!" and alfaro was in more violent eruption than ever as he strode hastily aft to get away from the parrot. "you do not understand, goodwin. you yankees can never, never understand. that parrot belongs to a panamanian--to general quesada, the big, yellow, fat man whom you have seen on deck. he made himself prominent in the revolution against colombia, but he is no good. he is a tin soldier. he had taught his parrot to insult my country, to have fun with my honor. he has laughed at me all the voyage. he had made the others laugh at me. it is dangerous to make me so mad." walter began to comprehend. he had heartily disliked general quesada on sight, and he had heard something of the coarse teasing to which alfaro had been subjected. "i suppose that is why you have flocked by yourself," he replied. "but you ought not to be so touchy." at this moment general quesada himself came waddling on deck, parrot-cage in hand, evidently intending to give his accomplished pet an early morning airing. he was a gross, ungainly man, heavy of countenance. at sight of the indignant alfaro he shook with laughter and prodded the bird with his finger, which prompted it to screech: "_viva panama! pobre colombia! ha! ha! ha!_" the young man whom he had enjoyed taunting as a diversion of the voyage retorted with fiery spanish abuse, which made the panamanian scowl as if he had been stung by something sharp enough to penetrate his thick hide. he uttered a volley of guttural maledictions in his turn, and was echoed by the blackguardly parrot. for fernandez garcia alfaro this was the last straw. his inflammable temper was ablaze. he rushed at the corpulent general and let his fists fly against the full moon of a countenance. before walter goodwin could interfere, the panamanian had found room to jerk a small automatic revolver from a pocket of his trousers. alfaro caught a glimpse of the weapon and tried to grip the arm that flourished it. the decks were otherwise deserted at this early hour and duty called walter to attempt the rôle of peacemaker. this was a difficult undertaking, for alfaro, active as an angry jaguar, persisted in fighting at close range with hands and feet, while the bulky panamanian twisted and wrenched him this way and that, and vainly tried to use his weapon. there was no pulling them apart, and the swaying revolver was a menace which made walter dive for a deck-broom left against the rail. the heavy handle was of hickory. swinging it with all his might, walter brought it down with a terrific thump across the knuckles of general quesada, who instantly dropped the revolver. walter's blood was up and he intended to deal thoroughly with this would-be murderer. whacking him with the broom-handle, he drove him, bellowing, toward the nearest saloon entrance, while alfaro danced behind them, shouting approval. by now the first mate came charging down from the bridge. captain bradshaw arrived a moment later, clad in sky-blue pajamas, his bare feet pattering along the deck. he picked up the revolver, eyed walter and the broom-handle with a comical air of surprise, and inquired: "who started this circus? is it a revolution? i shall have to put a few of you fire-eaters in irons." the parrot had rolled into the scuppers, cage and all, and its nerves were so shaken that it twisted its favorite oration wrong end to, and dolefully and quite appropriately chanted at intervals: "_viva colombia! pobre panama!_" captain bradshaw aimed an accusing finger at the bird and exclaimed: "shut up! you talk too much." "that was the whole trouble, sir," said walter, wondering whether he was to be punished or commended. "general quesada brought this--this broom-handle on himself. he was trying to shoot señor alfaro." "i need no diagrams to tell me that señor alfaro sailed into him first," said the captain. "this had been brewing for some time. i shall have to investigate after breakfast." a little later walter discovered fernandez garcia alfaro seated upon a hatch-cover forward. at sight of his anglo-saxon ally the impulsive colombian sprang to his feet and cried, with outstretched hands: "you have saved my life! i shall never forget it, _mi amigo_. i have hated the north americans, but my heart is full of affection for you." rather taken aback by this tribute, walter said in a matter-of-fact manner: "you surely piled into that fat general like a west india hurricane. i'm glad i spoiled his programme." alfaro's expressive face was vindictive as he exclaimed: "i have not finished with him and his infernal parrot!" "pooh, forget him," carelessly advised walter, to whom this threat of vengeance sounded theatrical. "better steer clear of this quesada person. he looks to me like an ugly customer." alfaro smiled rather sheepishly as he remarked: "it was not very diplomatic? you must think i am a funny diplomat, goodwin." "well, i never happened to meet one before," confessed walter, returning the smile, "and i had an idea that diplomats were not quite so violent and sudden in their methods." "it was that beastly parrot," began alfaro in a quick gust of anger; but he checked himself with a shrug and asked a question which led walter to reply: "oh, no, i am not a real sailor. i am going to the isthmus to work in the canal zone." boyish pride made him reluctant to confess how dubious he was of finding work. alfaro was so full of affectionate admiration that he was ready to believe great things of walter, and he exclaimed: "i am sure you will have a fine position. i knew you were not a common sailor. you are working your passage as a lark? i have been wishing landslides and yellow-fever and all kinds of bad luck to the yankees so they could never finish the canal. but now, for your sake, my feelings are different." walter had begun to be fond of the fiery colombian who was so quick to express his likes and dislikes. "thank you," he replied. "i hope we shall run across each other on shore." "i must wait a week for my steamer from panama down the west coast," said alfaro. "i am going home on leave of absence from the legation to see my father and mother. i will say nothing about the row with general quesada. my father would not think it diplomatic. i will find you at your office in the zone?" "i certainly hope so," gravely answered walter, but for reasons known to himself he failed to mention his address. the interview was cut short by a summons from captain bradshaw, who wished to see goodwin at once. he climbed to the bridge-deck and entered the captain's room, cap in hand. "don't look so scared, young man. i'm not going to eat you alive," was the good-humored reassurance. "general quesada came boiling up here just now and demanded that i lock you up and turn you over to the panamanian police when we dock at colon. of course i told him that the deck of this ship is american territory and he was talking foolishness." "but _he_ is the man who ought to be locked up," protested walter. "what about his trying to shoot señor alfaro?" "i said as much, but he didn't listen. he swore he pulled the revolver merely to frighten the colombian. and then he says you whanged daylight out of him with a club. i had to talk spanish with him and i missed some of his red-hot language." "yes, sir, i whanged him good and plenty," declared walter, "and he yelled and ran for all he was worth." "the ship's doctor had to bandage his knuckles," resumed captain bradshaw with a chuckle, "and there is a welt on his jaw, and he is marked in various other places. what hurts him worst is that a common sailor, and a boy at that, chased him from the deck with a broomstick and battered him all up. this quesada poses as a military hero in panama, you understand, and plays a strong hand in the politics of that funny little republic." "perhaps i ought not to have hit him so hard," and walter looked solemn. "you were a bit overzealous, but he deserved a drubbing. i just want to give you a bit of friendly advice. don't let this general quesada catch you up a dark alley. his vanity is mortally wounded, and he carries a deck-load of it. a spanish-american might as well be dead as ridiculous. and it makes quesada squirm to think how he will be laughed at if this story gets afloat in panama. he doesn't love you, goodwin." "but the canal zone is part of the united states. he can't do anything to me," said walter. "not in the zone, but it is the easiest thing in the world to drift across the line into colon or panama before you know it. and the spiggoty police, as they call 'em, like nothing better than an excuse to put a yankee in jail." elated that captain bradshaw's attitude should be so friendly, and flattering himself that with so humble a weapon as a broomstick he had vanquished a real live general, walter was inclined to make light of the warning. in fact, he forgot all about the humiliated warrior a day or so later when far ahead of the _saragossa_ a broken line of hills lifted blue and misty. yonder was the isthmus which balboa had crossed to gaze upon the unknown pacific, where drake and morgan had raided and plundered the spanish treasure towns, and where in a later century thousands of brave frenchmen had perished in their futile tragedy of an attempt to dig a canal between the two oceans. soon the low-roofed city of colon was revealed behind the flashing surf, the white ribbon of beach, and the clusters of tall palms. from the opposite shore of the bay stretched the immensely long arm of the new breakwater, on top of which crawled toy-like engines and work-trains. what looked like a spacious, sluggish river extended straight inland toward the distant ramparts of the hills. on its surface were noisy dredges, deep-laden steamers, and tow-boats dragging seaward strings of barges heaped high with rock and dirt. this was part of the panama canal itself, the finished section leading from the atlantic, and where the hills began to rise a great cloud of smoke indicated the activities of steam-shovels, locomotives, and construction plants. walter goodwin, no longer brooding over his fear of becoming a "tropical tramp," was impatient to see the wonderful spectacle at close range. after the steamer had been moored at one end of the government docks of cristobal, he was assigned to duty at the gangway while the passengers filed ashore. conspicuous among them was general quesada, his right hand bandaged, his surly face partly eclipsed by strips of plaster, his gait that of one who was stiff and sore. he balked at sight of the steep runway from the deck to the wharf, and walter offered him a helping hand. the general angrily waved him aside and muttered something in spanish which sounded venomously hostile. fernandez garcia alfaro, who was within ear-shot, explained to walter: "he says he will find you again, and he swears it in very bad language." "pooh! i'm not afraid of the fat rascal," carelessly returned walter. "i guess uncle sam is strong enough to look after me." before noon he found himself in the modern american settlement of cristobal, among clean, paved streets whose palm-shaded houses, with wide, screened porches, were of uniform color and design. boys and girls were coming home from school, as happy and noisy as walter was used to meeting them in wolverton. as he wisely observed to himself, this agreeable place was where the americans lived, not where they worked, and a fellow had to find work before he could live anywhere. he was among his own countrymen, but where was there any place for him? he felt friendless and forlorn. strolling at random, he was unaware that he had crossed the boundary line into the panamanian city of colon until the streets became a wonderfully picturesque jumble of spanish-speaking natives clad in white duck and linen, chattering west india negroes, idling americans in khaki, and sailors from every clime. passing the city market, he thriftily bought his supper--bananas, mangoes, and peppery tamales--at cost of a few cents, and pursued his entertaining tour of sight-seeing. it was all strange and fascinating and romantic to his untutored eyes. his wanderings were cut short at sight of general quesada, who was seated at a table in front of a café with several friends. two of these were in uniform adorned with gold lace and buttons. walter wasted no time in wondering whether these were officers of the army or the police. the battered general was pointing him out to them with a gesture of his bandaged hand. the officers stared as if to be sure they would know him again. hastily deciding that the climate of cristobal might be healthier, walter retreated toward the canal zone and the shelter of the stars and stripes. as he glanced over his shoulder, the three men at the café table appeared to be discussing him with a lively interest which made him feel uneasier than ever. perhaps the warning of captain bradshaw had not been all moonshine. it looked as if general quesada were still thinking about that terrible broom-handle which had bruised his pompous pride as severely as his knuckles. chapter iii with the dynamite gang what he had heard colonel gunther say on shipboard made walter think it useless to apply for one of those wonderful positions at seventy-five dollars a month on the "gold roll," which the steam-shovel man, jack devlin, had painted in such glowing colors. he must try to get a foothold somewhere, no matter how humble it might be, and hope to win promotion. it was really a case of jumping at the first chance to earn a dollar. without employment what money he had would soon be spent, and then he must slink home in the _saragossa_. he picked his way through a net-work of tracks, switches, and sidings among the busy wharves and warehouses of cristobal. this was the nearest scene of activity, although it seemed to have very little to do with digging the panama canal. there were railroad yards at home, reflected walter, and he had seen miles of warehouses and wharves along the water-front of new york. he walked rather aimlessly beyond the crowded part of cristobal, hoping to find steam-shovels and construction gangs. at length his progress was blocked by the wreckage of several freight-cars which were strewn across the tracks in shattered fragments. negro laborers were clearing away this amazing disorder, which could have been caused by no ordinary collision. in answer to walter's questions one of them said: "dynamite, boss. a car got afire down by de ship, sah, an' de mens tuk all de dynamite out 'cept two boxes. an' when dey was runnin' de car up here in de yard to fotch it away from de wharf, she done 'splode herself to glory." "anybody killed?" "two mens, sah, an' some more is in de hospitubble." "too bad, but there is something doing here," said walter to himself. "this is a hurry-up job, and perhaps they can use another man." climbing over the débris, he accosted a lean, brick-red american with a fighting jaw who was driving the wrecking-crews at top speed. "i am not the superintendent," was the impatient reply, "but i'll save you the trouble of looking him up. he is taking no more men on the gold roll. the railroad has been laying people off." "but i am not looking for a job on the gold roll," stubbornly returned walter. "i am ready to pitch in with your laborers. can't you take me on to help clear this mess?" "for twenty cents an hour? you're joking," snapped the foreman. "white men don't do this kind of work down here." walter was for continuing the argument, but the other jumped to adjust the chains of a wrecking-crane. just then there appeared a man of such a calm, unhurried manner that he seemed oddly out of place in this noisy, perspiring throng. as walter brushed past him the placid stranger drawled: "these tracks will be cleared by night. the job won't last long enough for you to make a start at it. are you really looking for hard work at silver wages?" "please lead me to it," gratefully cried walter. "i guess i can live on twenty cents an hour until something better turns up." "good for you," said the unruffled gentleman. "i am mr. naughton, in charge of the dynamite. we use eight hundred thousand pounds a month on the canal. i have a ship to unload, and the negroes have been panicky since the explosion this morning. several of them quit me, and i guess they are running yet." walter shied like a frightened colt, and stammered with sudden loss of enthusiasm: "a whole s-ship-load of d-dynamite? you w-want me to help handle it?" then he grinned as his sense of humor overtook his fright. he had just fled from colon at sight of general quesada and his friends. this was hopping from the frying-pan into the fire with a vengeance. "what if i drop a box of it?" he asked. "i am not hiring you to drop it," was the pensive answer of mr. naughton, as he flicked a bit of soot from his white serge coat and caressed his neatly trimmed brown beard. "i wish i had something better to offer you. i like your pluck." "i am not showing any pluck so far," confessed walter. "you have scared me out of a year's growth. but i'm willing to take a chance if you are." "then come along with me to the mount hope wharf, and i'll put you on my pay-roll." the weather was wiltingly hot for one fresh from a northern winter, but as walter followed his imperturbable employer he felt the chills run up and down his spine. the sight of the havoc wrought by two boxes of dynamite was not in the least reassuring. "here is where i get scattered all over the tropical landscape," he said to himself. "a greenhorn like me is sure to do something foolish, and if i stub my toe just once, i vanish with a large bang." he might have taken to his heels but for the soothing companionship of mr. naughton, who was humming the air of a popular song and seemed to have not a care in the world. ahead of them lay a rusty tramp steamer flying a red powder-flag in her rigging. a few laborers and sailors were loafing in the shade of the warehouse. at a word from mr. naughton they filed on board, some to climb down into the hold, others to range themselves between an open hatch and the empty freight-cars on the wharf. walter pulled off his shirt, gingerly tightened his belt, and took the station assigned him on deck. presently the men below began to pass up the heavy wooden boxes from one to another until the dangerous packages came to walter, who was instructed to help carry them to the ship's side. he eyed the first of them dubiously for a moment, took a long breath, and clasped the box to his breast, squeezing it so tightly that he was red in the face. lifting his feet very high and setting them down with the greatest caution, he advanced with the knee action of a blue-ribbon winner in a horse-show. quaking lest he trip or stumble, he delivered the box to the man at the gangway. the seasoned handlers chuckled, and mr. naughton said to the american who was checking the cargo: "i took no risks in picking up that youngster, even if he is a new hand with the powder. his nerves haven't been spoiled by rum or cigarettes. nice, clean-built chap, isn't he? what do you think of him?" [illustration: lifting his feet very high and setting them down with the greatest caution] "he is no stranded loafer or he would sponge on the americans in colon sooner than work on the silver roll." "i shall ask him a few questions when we knock off," returned naughton. after walter had safely handled a score of boxes, he gained confidence and worried less about "'splodin' himself to glory," as he toiled to keep pace with the other men. the humid heat was exhausting, but as the afternoon wore on his efficiency steadily increased. when the quitting hour came, mr. naughton told him: "i'll be glad to keep you on until the cargo is out. where are you living?" "nowhere at present. i can't afford to go to a hotel, and even if i had the price i am afraid colon might disagree with me." "oh, it is a healthy town nowadays. our people have cleaned it up like a new parlor." "i mean the police--" began walter, but this sounded so suspicious that he blushed, thought it hardly worth while explaining, and concluded, "i guess i can find a bed somewhere." mr. naughton whistled, cocked a scrutinizing eye, and observed: "so you got into trouble with the spiggoty police? anything serious? i won't give you away." "nothing against my morals," smiled walter. "my manners were disliked." "i'll take your word for it. one of my minor ambitions has been to punch the head of a panamanian policeman. the chesty little beggars!" drawled mr. naughton. "you don't belong with the laborers, goodwin, and you wouldn't like their quarters. i can find you a place to sleep at our bachelor hotel, and you can get commissary meals at thirty cents each. uncle sam is a pretty good landlord." cordially thanking him, walter exclaimed as he straightened his aching back: "i haven't been as lame and tired since i pitched a twelve-inning game for the high-school championship of the state. phew! i must have moved enough dynamite already to blow colon off the map. but i'll be glad to report in the morning, sir." this casual reference to base-ball had a most surprising effect upon the placid mr. naughton, who had seemed proof against excitement. he jumped as if he had been shot at, grasped walter by the arm, and shouted eagerly: "say that again. can you pitch? are you a real ball-player? man alive, tell me all about it!" walter stared at the "powder man" as if suspecting him of mild insanity. "we have a crack nine in wolverton for a high-school," he replied. "it is a mill town, you see, and most of the fellows begin playing ball on the open lots as soon as they can walk. we were good enough last season to beat two or three of the smaller college teams." "and you were the regular pitcher?" breathlessly demanded mr. naughton, as he backed away and surveyed the broad-shouldered youth from head to foot. "yes, i pitched in all the games." "well, you handle yourself like a ball-player, and i believe you are one. you come along to supper with me." "but what in the world--" began the bewildered walter. "leave it to me. your destiny is in my hands," was the mysterious utterance of mr. naughton. in the cool of the evening they sat and ate at their leisure on the breezy piazza of the "gold employees'" hotel. from other small tables near by several men called out greetings to naughton, who beckoned them over to be presented to his protégé. no sooner had they learned that the tall lad was a base-ball pitcher of proven prowess than they became effusively, admiringly cordial. in fact, walter held a sort of court. "goodwin is one of my unloading gang on the dynamite steamer," explained naughton. at this there arose a fiercely protesting chorus. one might have thought they were about to mob the "powder man." "how careless, naughton! it makes no difference about you, but we can't afford to risk having a ball-player blown up." "a real pitcher is worth his weight in gold just now." "it won't do, naughton, old man. if you permit this valuable person to be destroyed, the cristobal baseball association will hold you responsible." "don't you dare let him go near your confounded dynamite ship again." thanks to the magic of base-ball, although he could not understand the why and wherefore of it, walter found himself no longer a friendless waif of fortune, but regarded as something too rare and precious to be risked with a dynamite gang. it seemed rather absurd that these transplanted americans should have any surplus energy for athletics after the day's work in the steaming climate of the isthmus. but his new friends proceeded to enlighten him, led by naughton, who exclaimed with much gusto: "my son, we _eat_ base-ball. the isthmian league is beginning its third season, and you have alighted among the choicest collection of fans, cranks, and rooters that ever adorned the bleachers. mr. harrison here is captain of the cristobal nine. our best pitcher went back to the states last week." "but i'm afraid i shall have no time to play," said walter. "i didn't come down here for base-ball." "oh, we all work for a living. don't get a wrong impression of us," put in harrison, a young man of chunky, bow-legged type of architecture whom nature had obviously designed for a short-stop. "i am a civil engineer, atlantic division. i used to play at cornell. we can't practise much, but if you want to see some snappy games----" "i would rather handle the dynamite than umpire when you play culebra or ancon," broke in naughton, who showed signs of renewed excitement as he went on to say to harrison: "if i bring goodwin to the field at five o'clock to-morrow afternoon, will you furnish a catcher and give him a chance to limber up? better lay off and take it easy for the day, hadn't you?" he added, turning to walter. "no, the hard work will take the kinks out of my muscles, and i can't afford to lose any time on my first job." "oh, hang his tuppenny job!" spoke up one of the company. "he doesn't understand how important he is. enlighten him, harrison." "this frenzied person on my right means to convey that a young man with a first-class pitching arm will have the inside track with the powers that be," explained the cristobal captain. "there is major glendinning, for instance----" "he is head of the department of commissary and subsistence," chimed in naughton. "he feeds and clothes the whole canal zone. when cristobal makes a three-bagger he jumps up and down and yells himself hoarse." "but i heard colonel gunther himself say that no more americans were needed down here," said walter. "that doesn't mean there is to be no more weeding out of undesirables," naughton explained. "there is still room on our happy little isthmus for a man who can deliver the goods. i don't want you to infer that the government is hiring ball-players. but as an introduction, goodwin, you couldn't beat it if you brought letters from eleven united states senators." "now let's talk base-ball," impatiently interjected a lathy individual in riding breeches and puttees, who had come in from a construction camp somewhere off in the jungle. "we ought to tuck our prize package in bed very early," objected naughton. "he is as sleepy as a tree full of owls." "juggling dynamite is no picnic!" and walter struggled with a yawn. his friends good-naturedly escorted him to the bachelor quarters, where he speedily rolled into his cot and dreamed of fighting a duel with general quesada, the weapons being base-ball bats. when he reported on board the dynamite ship next morning, naughton greeted him with a slightly worried air and declared: "i have been thinking it over and perhaps those chaps were right. we have very few accidents with the stuff, but we ought not to run the slightest risk of losing the league championship to culebra or ancon." walter laughed and replied: "this is the best kind of practice for me. if i can keep my nerve and make no errors, i am not likely to be rattled when the bases are full." this argument had weight, although naughton was still anxious as he strolled to his office. by noon the stiffness had been sweated out of walter's back and shoulders, and the supple vigor was returning to his good right arm. shortly before five o'clock the inconsistent naughton, who lived in daily peril of his life with all the composure in the world, was fairly fidgeting to be off to the base-ball field. a battered victoria and a rat of a panama pony hurried them thither, and they found harrison and several other players busy at practice against a background of cocoanut palms and bread-fruit trees. the cristobal catcher trotted up looking immensely pleased: "hello, goodwin, you don't know me," said he, "but my kid brother was on that elmsford freshman team that you trounced so unmercifully last season. i saw the game. brewster is my name. when harrison told me he had been lucky enough to discover you, i chortled for joy." this was a cheering indorsement for the others to hear and it gave walter the confidence of which he stood in need. a great deal appeared to depend on his pitching ability, and this test was more trying to the nerves than handling dynamite or dodging general quesada. the catcher tossed him a ball and they moved to one side of the field. at first walter pitched with caution, but as he warmed to his work the ball sped into brewster's glove with a wicked thud. "send 'em along easy to-day. better not overdo it," the catcher warned him. walter smiled and swung his arm with a trifle more steam in the delivery. he felt that he must show these friendly critics what he had in him, wherefore the solid brewster withstood a bombardment that made him grunt and perspire. the other players looked and whispered among themselves with evident approval. "what did i tell you?" proudly exclaimed naughton. "am i a good scout? i unearthed this boy phenomenon." the battery had paused to cool off when a big-boned american saddle-horse came across the field at an easy canter. the rider sat as erect as a cavalryman, although he was old enough to be walter's grandfather. halting beside the group, he said: "i rode out this way on the chance of seeing a bit of practice. do you expect to whip those hard-hitting rascals from culebra?" "good afternoon, major glendinning," replied naughton, with a wink at the others. "harrison has been feeling very gloomy over the prospects. we lost our only first-class pitcher, you know." "what an outrageous shame it was!" earnestly ejaculated the head of the department of commissary and subsistence. harrison nudged naughton. major glendinning had come upon the scene at precisely the right moment. here was the employer who, above all others, must be made to take an interest in goodwin's welfare if these amiable conspirators could bring it about. noting that walter was beyond ear-shot, harrison spoke up. "sorry you couldn't arrive a little sooner, major. we are inclined to think we have found a better pitcher, though i'm not at all sure that we can keep him at cristobal." the elderly gentleman leaned forward in the saddle and eagerly inquired: "bless me, is that true? i swear you don't look at all gloomy, harrison. who is he? where is he? and you think he can pitch winning ball for cristobal?" "yes, sir. brewster has seen him play at home. he is one of your born pitchers. he is a wonder." "what do you mean by saying we can't keep him?" demanded the major. "he is working for me--on the silver roll," vouchsafed naughton, with a hopeless kind of sigh. "he hasn't been able to find anything better to do. but i can't hold him, of course. he is a first-class man in every way. he is likely to quit almost any day and drift over to culebra or ancon, where he will be sure to land a position on the gold roll, as foreman, clerk, or time-keeper. and then he will be pitching for our hated rivals." "um-m, he will, will he?" and major glendinning fairly bristled. "i am not letting any good men get away from my department. show him to me." naughton nodded in the direction of walter, who was deep in a discussion of signals with his catcher. then the "powder man," with harrison as fluent ally, paid tribute to the manly qualities of the young pitcher, nor were their motives wholly selfish. the major listened attentively, chewing his gray mustache, and now and then glancing at walter with keen appraisement. at length he exclaimed: "you chaps know how to get on my blind side. i have had my eye on a cheerful young loafer in the cristobal commissary who is not earning his salary. if he should--er--resign, there might be a vacancy. i like goodwin's looks. fetch him over here, if you please." naughton and harrison grinned at each other as they marched to the side of the field and escorted walter with great pomp of manner. the abashed pitcher wiped his dripping face and heard major glendinning say to him: "you had better not think of leaving cristobal just now. it is the best place in the zone. when you are through with naughton and his infernal cargo, come and see me in my office, if he doesn't blow you sky-high in the meantime. and don't forget that i expect you to win that next game against culebra." he wheeled his horse sharply and trotted from the field, leaving walter to gaze after him with a dazed, foolish smile. harrison thumped him on the back and jubilantly shouted: "wasn't that easy? what did we tell you?" "but do you honestly think he has any intention of giving me a job on the gold roll?" tremulously implored walter, whose emotions were in a state of tumult. "sure thing," said naughton. "he can always find a place for a young fellow with the right stuff in him." "'a husky young fellow with the right stuff in him,'" echoed walter. the familiar words had come home to roost. "he will start you in at seventy-five per month"--this was from harrison--"and you will have to earn it. base-ball cuts no figure with the major in business hours." "your conscience can rest easy on that score," added naughton. "no danger of your cheating uncle sam." "an honest pull is the noblest work of man," declaimed harrison, and this seemed to sum up the whole matter. when walter returned to his quarters, his first impulse was to write a letter home. this proved more difficult than might seem. to report to his anxious parents and his adoring sister that he was employed on board a dynamite ship would not tend to ease their minds. he could imagine this bit of news landing in the cottage at wolverton with the effect of a full-sized explosion. eleanor would probably take her pen in hand to compose a metrical companion piece of "the boy stood on the burning deck." "i must be tactful," frowningly reflected walter. "i don't want to make them nervous. perhaps i had better not go into details. i will simply say that i have a fairly lucrative position. twenty cents an hour isn't much down here, but it sounds big alongside that four-dollar-a-week job in the hardware store." then he discovered that to discuss the better position which he had not yet secured was to raise hopes that sounded fantastic. those rival ball-players from culebra might knock him out of the box in the first inning. this would mean good-by to major glendinning's favor. base-ball cranks were fickle and uncertain persons. walter therefore merely informed the family that the climate agreed with him and he was sure his judgment had been sound in coming to the isthmus. "between unloading dynamite and worrying about this base-ball proposition," he soliloquized, "not to mention the fact that general quesada is camping on my trail, i expect to be gray-headed in about one more week." chapter iv a landslide in the cut the dynamite ship had been almost emptied of cargo, when naughton suggested: "i won't need you on this job after to-day, goodwin. why not go to culebra with me to-morrow morning and see some of the canal work? i shall have to inspect the dynamite stored in the magazines." walter jumped at the chance of a holiday before venturing to interview major glendinning. he was eager to behold the famous cut where they were "making the dirt fly," and to find his friend jack devlin, the steam-shovel man who had beguiled him to the isthmus. it was with a sense of wonderment as keen as that of the early explorers that walter was whisked in a passenger train, as if on a magic carpet, into the heart of the jungle, past palm-thatched native huts perched upon lush green hill-sides, by trimly kept american settlements, by vine-draped rusty rows of engines, cars, and dredges long ago abandoned by the french. soon there appeared the mighty gatun dam and locks flung majestically across a wide valley, resembling not so much man's handiwork as an integral part of the landscape, made to endure as long as the hills themselves. upon and around them moved in ceaseless, orderly activity a multitude of men and battalions of machines, piling up rock and concrete. walter drew a long breath and exclaimed, his face aglow: "it makes me sit up and blink. is there anything bigger to see?" "the gatun locks alone will cost twenty-five million, not to mention the dam," replied the practical naughton, "but culebra cut is the heftiest job of them all. it broke the poor frenchmen's hearts and their pocket-books." they came at length to this far-famed range of lofty hills which link the andes of south and central america. leaving the train, naughton tramped ahead toward the gigantic gash dug in the continental divide. clouds of gray smoke spurted from far below, and the earth trembled to one booming shock after another. dynamite was rending the rock and clay, and walter realized, with a little thrill of pride, that he had been really helping to build the panama canal. presently he stood at the brink of this tremendous chasm. it seemed inadequate to call it a "cut." he gazed down with absorbed fascination at the maze of railroad tracks, scores of them abreast, which covered the unfinished bed of the canal. along the opposite side, clinging to excavated shelves which resembled titanic stairs, ran more tracks. beside them toiled the steam-shovels loading the processions of waiting trains. no wonder jack devlin, engineer of "number twenty-six," had swaggered across the deck of the _saragossa_. he knew that he was doing a man's work. to tame and guide one of these panting, hungry monsters was like being the master of a dragon of the fairy stories. there could be no panama canal without them. intelligent, docile, tireless, they could literally remove mountains. walter sat upon a rock and watched one of them nudge and nose a huge bowlder this way and that with its great steel dipper, exactly as if it were getting ready to make a meal of it. then the mass was picked up, swung over a flat-car, swiftly, delicately, precisely, and the huge jaws opened to lay down the heavy morsel. walter decided that he wanted to be a steam-shovel man. naughton had to speak twice before the interested lad heard him say: "i shall be busy for some time, and may have to jump on a work-train as far as pedro miguel station. go down into the cut, if you like, and look around." "thanks. say, mr. naughton, how old must a man be to run a steam-shovel?" "they break them in as firemen. are you tough enough to shovel coal all day? don't let these culebra tarriers coax you away from us. you are scheduled to play ball for cristobal, understand?" by means of several sections of steep wooden stairs walter clambered to the bottom of the cut, and dodged across the muddy area of trackage to gain the nearest bank upon which the steam-shovels were at work. fascinated, he halted to watch one of them at closer range. a noise of shouting came from several laborers who were running along a track further up the steep slope. the nearest steam-shovels blew their whistles furiously. the shrill blasts were sounding some kind of warning and walter said to himself: "naughton's men must be ready to set off a blast. i guess i had better move on." he started to follow the fleeing laborers when a mass of muddy earth came slipping down a dozen yards in front of him. it blocked the shelf upon which he had climbed, and he checked himself, gazing confusedly up the slope. a large part of the overhanging hill-side appeared to be in sluggish motion. the wet, red soil far up toward the top of the cut had begun to slide as if it were being pushed into the bed of the canal by some unseen force. dislodged fragments of rock rolled down the surface of the slide and clattered in advance of it, but so deliberate was the movement of the mass that there seemed to be time enough to escape it. walter ran along the ties and began to plough knee-deep through the impeding heap of muddy tenacious clay on the track. he glanced upward again, halted irresolutely, and gasped aloud: "great scott, here comes a whole train of cars falling downhill." the landslide had started just beneath the uppermost shelf of excavated rock, and the line of track supported thereupon was almost instantly undermined. the rails tilted and slipped with their weight of rock-laden cars before the engine could drag them clear. the train crew jumped and managed to crawl to the firm ground at the crest of the slope a moment before the flat-cars toppled over and broke loose from their couplings. then the cars hung for an instant, spilled their burden of rock, which made a little avalanche of its own, and rolled down the slope with a prodigious clatter. at this new peril, walter knew not which way to turn. he could not be blamed for losing his presence of mind. the cars parted company, taking erratic courses, tumbling end over end. one of them bounded off at a slant to fall in front of him, while another was booming down to menace his retreat. all this was a matter of seconds, precious time that was wasted for lack of decision. instead of making a wild dash in one direction or the other, walter danced up and down in the same spot, his eyes fairly popping from his head. the result was that, by a miracle of good fortune, the flat-cars roared and rattled past on either side and left him unscathed. then the huge, loosened layer of earth, moving with lazy momentum, filled the ledge on which he stood, brushed him off, and carried him down the slope. to his amazement he was not wholly buried, but rolled over and over, now on the surface, now struggling in a sticky smother of stuff that held him like a fly in a bed of mortar. a projecting stratum of rock, not yet blasted away, checked the leisurely progress of the mass before it reached the bottom of the cut. plastered with mud from his hair to his heels, bleeding from a dozen scratches, his clothes in rags, walter was quite astonished to find himself alive. he was stuck fast in clay almost to the waist and so dazed and breathless that he was unable to call for help. glancing stupidly up the slope, he beheld a steam-shovel sway and totter. nothing could surprise him now. with languid interest he watched the towering machine turn over on its side in a leisurely manner and then come slipping down to the next shelf. it resembled some prehistoric monster with a prodigiously long neck, which had lost its footing. it came to rest on its side and out of one of the cab windows spilled a large man in overalls who tobogganed down the miry slope with extraordinary velocity, arms and legs flying. he fetched up within a few yards of walter, sat up, wiped the mud from his eyes, and sputtered: "poor old twenty-six! she's sure in a mess this time." recognizing jack devlin, walter managed to find his voice and called feebly: "is this what you call a great place for a husky young fellow?" the steam-shovel man scrambled to his feet, active and apparently unhurt, as if such incidents were all in the day's work. plunging through the débris of the slide, he peered into walter's besmeared and bleeding countenance. the voice and the words had sounded familiar and assisted identification. "well, i'll be scuppered!" roared jack devlin. "goodwin is your name. you took my advice and beat it to the isthmus. i'll have you out of this in a jiffy." a gang of laborers arrived a moment later, and with devlin shouting stentorian orders, their shovels speedily and carefully dug out the hapless walter. they were about to carry him to the nearest switch-tender's shelter when he groaned protestingly: "ouch! don't grab my right arm. it hurts." battered and sore as he was, all other damage was forgotten as he tried to raise the precious right arm, his pitching arm, the mainstay of his fortunes on the isthmus. an acute pain stabbed him between wrist and elbow. he murmured sorrowfully: "it is broken or badly sprained. i'm not dead, but i certainly am unfortunate." "those that try to stop a landslide in the cut are generally lugged out feet first," cheerfully remarked devlin. "the landscape isn't fastened down very tight. were you looking for me?" "yes. and i found you, didn't i?" walter grinned as he added: "we were thrown together, all right." they made him as comfortable as possible, while devlin forgot his sorrow over the plight of his beloved "twenty-six." "i feel sort of responsible for you, goodwin," said he. "i'm going to put you in the hospital car of the next train to ancon, where they'll give you the best of everything. i can't go with you, but i'll try to see you to-night. i must boss a first-aid-to-the-injured job on that poor old steam-shovel of mine. she looks perfectly ridiculous, doesn't she? now, cheer up." the american hospital buildings at ancon are magnificently equipped, and their situation along the windy hill-side commands a memorable view of the gray old city of panama, the wide blue bay adorned with islands, and the rolling pacific. to walter goodwin the place seemed like a prison, and he awaited the surgeon's verdict with the dismal face of a man about to be sentenced. the sundry cuts and contusions were of small account. a few days would mend them. but his aching, disabled arm was quite a different matter. "you were born lucky or you would be in the morgue," said the genial young surgeon of the accident ward. "i am damaged enough," sighed walter. "what about this arm?" "no fracture. a severe wrench that will make it pretty sore for a month or so." "a month or so!" and walter winked to hold back the tears. "why, i have to pitch a game of ball with this arm next week." "nothing doing," decreed the surgeon. "you had better stay here for two or three days and we'll try our best to patch you up in record time. do you want to notify any friends?" "yes, indeed," cried walter. "please send word to mr. harrison, captain of the cristobal nine." "'bucky' harrison?" the surgeon showed lively interest. "then you must be the new pitcher for cristobal. we heard about you. you are in the enemy's camp, but we will treat you kindly." having been tucked in bed, walter felt that he was a perfectly useless member of society. the landslide had wiped out his bright expectations. major glendinning could have no possible interest in a pitcher with a crippled arm. when dismissed from the hospital he would be unable to earn his food and lodging even as a laborer. as for his brave plan of helping the dear household in wolverton, he might have to beg aid from them. jack devlin appeared after supper. his manner was contrite and subdued as he sat down by the cot and strongly gripped walter's sound hand. "you and i were sort of disorganized there in the cut," said he. "i had no chance to find out how things have been breaking for you. have you landed a job? what about it?" walter ruefully related the story of his pilgrimage. at the episode of the parrot and broomstick, the steam-shovel man violently interrupted: "general quesada? i know who he is--a gambler, and a grafter, and a fake soldier. he trimmed some friends of mine, but never mind that. he is a large, fat, false alarm. forget him." when informed of the base-ball episode, he shook his head disapprovingly. "you ought to have given culebra first chance at you," he expostulated. "maybe we could have found you a job. i am catcher of the culebra nine, do you see?" "i'd rather be fireman of a steam-shovel than anything else in the world," walter eagerly exclaimed. "you will not be fit to handle a shovel or a base-ball for some time, my boy. we will not let it come between us, but i'm sorry you tied up with those low-browed pirates at cristobal. need any money? want to write a letter home?" "i am all right for the present, mr. devlin. and i think i'll wait a day or so before writing the folks." "you told me when we met on the ship that you were anxious to give your father a lift. it made a great hit with me. what about that?" "i guess i was like general quesada's parrot, i talked too much," confessed walter. "i shall be lucky if i can take care of myself." devlin was silent for a moment. then he bade the patient farewell with words of rough and hearty encouragement and departed from the ward, a big, masterful man with a hard fist and a soft heart. as he walked across the hospital grounds he repeated under his breath: "he aimed to give his father a lift. the pluck of him! 'tis a pity that more men on the isthmus are not thinking about the old folks at home. 'tis a safe bet that his father needs a lift. the lad looked very solemn about it." he turned into the hospital superintendent's office and asked a clerk for walter goodwin's home address, which the rules required to be recorded. then he made a détour to the ancon post-office, smiled craftily, and demanded a money-order application blank. separating several bills from a wad crumpled in his trousers pocket, he reflected: "he would fly off the handle if i suggested anything like this, being a most independent young rooster. but i used to have a daddy of my own. i'll say nothing about it till the lad gets a job. then he can square it." thereupon he wrote to mr. horatio goodwin as follows: dear sir: your son will be unable to attend to his affairs for a few days, so i am sending the enclosed amount which had been advanced against his salary account. yours truly, john devlin. p. s.--he is in the ancon hospital, a bit mussed up but nothing serious. he will write soon. "there! i may be guilty of committing something or other under false pretences, but i feel a whole lot easier in my mind," quoth the steam-shovel man. next morning that bland dynamite expert, naughton, came to the hospital to show walter that his friends in cristobal had not forgotten him. "what about the base-ball practice?" demanded the patient. "have you found another pitcher?" "no. we haven't given you up as a total loss." "does major glendinning know i have been put out of commission?" walter's voice was very anxious. naughton smiled broadly. "yes. i saw him just after your message came to harrison yesterday afternoon. there is no finer man on the isthmus than the major, but he is a trifle unreasonable at times. he was so upset at the notion of playing culebra without you that he got peevish and blamed me for letting you wander into that landslide. and then he sailed into you for being too slow to get out of the way of it." "then he will have nothing more to do with me," was walter's mournful conclusion. "you are not fit to do anything just now," evasively returned naughton. "the major's bearings are heated, but he will cool down. he took a fancy to you. now what can i do for you? you will soon be on your feet again and going strong. need any money?" walter flushed and his lip quivered. jack devlin had asked the same question. these were friends worth having. "i can get along somehow," he bravely answered. naughton exclaimed reprovingly: "none of that. we folks on the isthmus are one big family. you have made good. don't worry about your meal-ticket after you leave the hospital. you may need some spare change for clothes and so on. i'll leave a few dollars with the nurse." "but i don't deserve all this kindness." "nonsense. what else?" "i think i had better send a letter home to-day. i feel more like it now. may i dictate it to you, mr. naughton?" "sure thing. but don't let the folks infer you are down and out. tell 'em about the scenery." "if the scenery would only stay put, i shouldn't be in the hospital," was the patient's comment. naughton chewed his pencil until walter began: my dearest family: i have had a slight accident, so i cannot very well use my right hand. i have the very best of care, and everybody is just bully to me.---- he stared at the ceiling and confided to naughton: "i am stumped. you see, it is hard to explain things. i was so cocksure of myself--and--and--i was going to find a good position right away, and it hurts a fellow's pride like the mischief to own up that he was all wrong. and i don't want them to worry----" naughton nodded gravely and suggested: "shall i tell them about your impressions of the canal? you are right. we ought to send them no hard-luck stories." "go ahead, then. my first impressions were dents. i'm covered with them. you know more about the canal than i do." naughton scribbled industriously, and the patient seemed pleased with the results. "harrison will be over to see you soon," said the amanuensis. "you are going to help us dig the big ditch, so keep your nerve. good-by and good luck until next time." walter was a low-spirited and restless patient. now and then he forgot his troubles in chatting with the other men who had been brought into the accident ward. they had been wounded on the firing-line of this titanic conflict with nature. like good soldiers they were eager to be up and at it again. they worked and dared for something more than wages. they manifested intense pride and loyalty. it was their ambition to "stay with the job." their talk was mostly of progress made, of new records set. their spirit thrilled walter, it was so fine and clean and worthy of the flag they served. after three days the surgeon examined him carefully, and announced: "you are fit to leave us, but you must take it easy. and that arm should be looked after. what are your plans?" "i haven't any. i am not a canal employee, so i suppose i can't go to a commission hotel." "naughton or devlin will be here to see you again," said the surgeon. "why not bunk with me for a few days? i am in bachelor quarters. you don't want to wait around in one of those panama hotels. they are fierce." walter thought of the vengeful general quesada and had no desire, in his disabled condition, to linger in the city of panama, beyond the canal zone. he gratefully accepted the surgeon's invitation and added: "i should like to go out this afternoon and see something of ancon." "very well. it will brace you up to get outdoors. if you want the good salt wind, why don't you run over to balboa docks? it is only a trifling journey by train. and you can see the pacific end of the canal. it's a busy place." the railroad station was no more than a few minutes' walk down the hill from the hospital, and walter footed it slowly, feeling weak and listless. he enjoyed the brief trip to balboa and his first glimpse of the shipping of the pacific. the wharves were american, but the high-sided steamers crowded bow and stern were bound to strange, romantic ports, to guayaquil and valparaiso and around the horn, to mazatlan and acapulco. picking his way among the jostling, noisy gangs of black laborers, walter perched himself upon a bale of merchandise under the long cargo shed. the wharf was not large enough for its traffic. freight of every description covered it. tally clerks, checkers, and foremen were at their wits' ends to keep the streams of boxes, barrels, and crates moving with order and system. at one berth a pacific mail-boat from san francisco was discharging supplies for the canal commission. just beyond her, one of the chilean navigation company's fleet was filling her holds for the long voyage down the west coast. against her seaward side, as if waiting for room at the wharf, was moored a rusty little coastwise steamer flying the flag of the panama republic. during a summer vacation from high-school, walter had worked in the shipping-rooms of the wolverton mills. he knew something about this activity on the wharf. he thought himself capable of tallying freight and sorting consignments. sharp-eyed and interested, he watched the hurly-burly of hard-driven industry. presently he noticed something which awoke his curiosity. it seemed extremely odd. the freight trundled out of the pacific mail-boat was piled compactly between two narrow aisles or runways on the wharf, convenient for transfer to the freight-cars of the panama railroad. walter noted the marks on the boxes, because most of the stuff was consigned to the "dept. of commissary and subsistence," and he was thereby reminded of major glendinning. separated from this great heap of merchandise only by a runway was the freight that was being rushed into the outward-bound chilean steamer. a negro halted his truck between the two piles and loaded it with cases marked for major glendinning's department. then he went clattering at full speed to the gangway of the chilean steamer. evidently the thick-witted laborer had made a blunder, thought walter. he had loaded his truck at the wrong side of the runway. at the gangway of the south american vessel was stationed a "checker," one of the white employees of the zone, whose business was to discover just such mistakes as this. walter saw him halt the truck, glance at the marks on the boxes, and then shove the negro along into the ship instead of turning him back to the wharf. walter did some rapid thinking. he was enough of a shipping-clerk to surmise that something was wrong. it might have been carelessness, but he eyed the checker suspiciously. he was a long, stooping young man with rather pallid, sullen features, and he conveyed an impression of slouchiness and dissipation quite unlike the clean-cut type of the average american in the zone. walter disliked him. perhaps this was why he was unwilling to give him the benefit of the doubt. the checker forsook the gangway, hurried into the runway where the truckmen were passing in procession and gave them an order, roughly, with a gesture which carried a meaning to the vigilant walter. they were told to continue shoving the merchandise consigned to major glendinning's department into the chilean steamer. they viewed any white man as a "boss" to be obeyed. unable to read the marks, they did as they were ordered, without hesitation. the checker ran back to the gangway, where he made pretence of examining each arriving truck-load and passing it as o.k. walter was convinced that he had stumbled on a flagrantly crooked transaction. it looked barefaced and bold, but it was actually much less so than appeared. in the rush and confusion of the wharf, one dishonest checker could engineer the business with small risk of official detection. the merchandise would be missed later, but what proof was there that it had been slipped aboard the chilean steamer? "it was one chance in a hundred that i happened to see it," said walter to himself. "i'm sure the checker is a rascal, but there must be others in it, or how can the stolen goods be received and disposed of at the other end of the voyage?" he forsook his place of observation and moved cautiously nearer the chilean steamer, screened from the observation of the checker by a huge crate of machinery. there he discovered, to his great surprise, that the trucks loaded with pilfered merchandise were being wheeled across the lower deck, through the open cargo port on the other side, and into the small panamanian coaster tied up to the larger steamer. this altered the circumstances. very likely the chilean officers and crew knew nothing about the shady business. the panamanian craft might have been courteously permitted to take on part of her cargo by transferring it across the intervening deck. walter tingled with excitement. the checker must have an understanding with the captain or owner, or both, of the disreputable-looking little steamer hailing from panama. her destination could not be far distant. she could be overhauled at short notice. instead of informing the american officials at balboa, walter swiftly decided to try to unravel the plot by himself. it would show them that he was good for something besides base-ball. and it might mean solid recognition. but there was something bigger than his own interests at stake. the spirit of the canal zone had taken hold of him. he knew that "graft" had been kept out of the organization. to have the fair record blotted, even in the smallest way, was hateful to him. he was as jealous of the honor of the "big ditch" as colonel gunther himself. chapter v trapped in old panama while walter goodwin was watching and waiting on the wharf the checker at the gangway suddenly became wary. he stormed among the laborers and abused them for blundering, turning them back with their truck-loads of commissary stores and otherwise imitating a man honestly doing his duty. walter was uncertain whether the checker had spied him and taken alarm, or whether some one in authority had moved inconveniently near. the little panama steamer into which the stolen merchandise had been conveyed was making ready to cast loose and haul out into the stream. walter feared she was about to sail and carry with her all his hopes of distinguishing himself as an investigator. he was elated, therefore, when a man of whom he had caught a glimpse on the vessel's bridge came on the wharf and halted to speak to the checker. the twain were together for several minutes. walter had time to study the new-comer. he was no longer young, bearing marks of hard living, but of an alert, resolute mien and rugged frame. he was a german, perhaps, certainly not a spanish-american. he resembled not so much a seafarer as one of those broken soldiers of fortune, grown gray in adventures, to be found in ports of the uneasy republics near the equator, ripe for bold and unscrupulous enterprises and ready to serve any master. these two were birds of a feather, thought walter, and he must somehow find out why they flocked together. guesses were not proof. he could follow the checker after the day's work was done and try to discover where he went and whom he met. presently the older man returned to the steamer. then walter's train of thought was derailed by a cordial voice and outstretched hand which belonged to his shipmate of the _saragossa_, señor fernandez garcia alfaro. "i have been to the hospital to see you, my dear friend," cried the colombian diplomat. "i read it in a newspaper that you had a fight with a landslide. ah, you are as strong as a brick house to be out so soon. the arm? alas, is it serious?" "it will cripple me for base-ball for a while." "ah, you plucky yankees! you are always thinking of your grand sport of base-ball." "i thought you had sailed for home," said walter. "my steamer had a break-down of her engines. she has not yet arrived from the south. my father has arranged by cable to have the chilean ship touch at my port on her voyage to valparaiso. she sails in three days more. i have come to balboa to see the captain. will you go on board with me?" they climbed to the upper deck and while alfaro did his errand, walter leaned overside and gazed down at the small panamanian steamer, whose name he discovered to be _juan lopez_. she was a dirty, disorderly vessel, and the crew, of all shades from black to white, looked as if some of them might be hanged before they were drowned. no cargo was strewn about. everything fetched from the wharf had been instantly hidden under the hatches. the man who had conferred with the checker came out of the cabin, glanced up, halted, and stared hard at walter. when alfaro returned, he asked him excitedly: "do you know anything about this _juan lopez_ steamer alongside? and have you ever seen that man with the gray mustache before?" "yes, i have heard of the _juan lopez_. she made trouble on the coast of colombia one time. it was a filibustering expedition, but they were not able to make a landing. that man? it is captain brincker. i was in guayaquil when he got into some kind of a row with the government. why do you ask with so much interest, goodwin?" "oh, i was just curious," said walter, unwilling to confide in the talkative, impulsive colombian. "i suppose the _juan lopez_ has reformed, or she would not be loading freight at balboa." "she is maybe trading on the panama coast and up the rivers. will you come back to ancon with me and dine at the tivoli hotel to-night?" "thank you, but i can't promise for sure," said walter. "i have some business on the wharf. will it be all right if i telephone you by seven o'clock?" "certainly," exclaimed alfaro. curious in his turn, he asked: "is your office on the wharf?" "it is under my hat at present," smiled walter. "does this captain brincker live in panama?" "i will ask my friends in the city and tell you all about him at dinner. i think he is a hard customer." "i have reasons for keeping an eye on him, so i'll be grateful for any information," said walter. the colombian was in haste to keep an engagement, and he left walter impatiently awaiting the next turn of events. the _juan lopez_ moved away from the side of the chilean steamer and anchored far out in the bay. shortly thereafter a small boat was sent ashore. it landed near the wharf and captain brincker disembarked. he walked in the direction of the railroad station. a few minutes later, the checker left the gangway and also headed for the station. walter followed them into a train for ancon, but they did not sit together, and paid no attention to each other. this was unexpected. when they left the train, the slouchy, ill-favored young man climbed into a cab, while the grizzled soldier of fortune sturdily set out on foot into panama city. walter had fought shy of invading panamanian territory because of general quesada and the native police, but he could not bear to quit the chase. he straightway chartered a cab and made the spanish-speaking _cochero_ understand that he was to follow the chariot aforesaid. the weary, overworked little horses jogged slowly through the picturesque streets of balconied stone houses and mouldering churches and ramparts recalling the storied age of the _conquistadores_. old panama and the canal zone, side by side, vividly contrasted the romantic past and the practical, hustling present. the cab of the checker passed the plaza with its palms and flowers, and made toward the city water-front. the narrow streets framed bright glimpses of the blue bay of panama. at length walter bade his _cochero_ halt. the slouchy young man whom he was pursuing had dismissed his vehicle and was entering a large weather-worn house of stucco, one of a solid block in a little thoroughfare close to the crumbling sea-wall. "it is my business to find out who lives there," reflected walter. "i'm sure that americans from the canal zone are unlikely to have honest errands in this corner of panama." he forsook his cab and walked slowly along the street. the row of houses resembled an extended wall of stone pierced by windows and doors. it was puzzling to make certain into which of them the suspected young man had gone. walter counted the doors from the corner to verify his observation and paused to scan the entrance, hoping to find a street number or name-plate. he might ask questions of a policeman, but this was impracticable for three reasons: first, he could not speak spanish; second, he had no fondness for panama policemen; third, there was no policeman to be found. feeling rather foolish, he waylaid a barefooted boy and fished for information with earnest gestures, but the youngster shook his head and fled into the nearest alley. "i should have brought alfaro with me," sighed walter. "i am as helpless as a stranded fish. these people ought to be compelled to learn english." still standing in front of the house and wearing an absent-minded, worried manner, walter had forgotten for the moment that he was playing a game which required wit and vigilance. from around the nearest corner, no more than a few yards away, appeared the robust figure of captain brincker. at sight of the youth with the bandaged arm, he stopped in his tracks, muttered something, and gazed with open unfriendliness. intuition told walter that this formidable man had better be avoided. he felt like taking to his heels, but he was boyishly reluctant to show the white feather. undecided, he failed to retreat until it was too late. captain brincker advanced swiftly, confronted him, and asked in a heavy voice: "were you looking for somebody?" "yes, but i don't need him just now," stammered walter, trying to brazen it out. "another time will do just as well, thank you. i must be going." "wait a minute," growled the soldier of fortune, and he grasped walter's left arm with a grip of iron. "i have seen you at balboa this afternoon, on the wharf, on the chilean steamer, on the train. are you not old enough to mind your own business?" not yet recovered from the battering effects of the landslide, walter lacked his normal strength and agility, and his disabled arm made him as helpless as a child. he dared not try to wrench himself free lest it be injured afresh in the tussle. "you can't scare me with your bluffs," he angrily retorted. "what right have you to ask my business?" "we will discuss that. and if you are not willing to talk, i may have to hold you by the _right_ arm." walter winced at this and looked up and down the street. brown, naked children were playing in the gutters. fighting-cocks were tethered to the iron railing in front of a near-by dwelling. a black-haired young man with a chocolate-drop complexion, lounging on a balcony, lazily thrummed a guitar. strolling pedlers cried their wares with rude snatches of song. the voices of fishermen came from the beach by the sea-wall. the place was wholly foreign, unfrequented by americans. the canal zone and its protecting power might have been a thousand miles away. the passers-by would be pleased to see walter worsted in a scuffle. his affairs concerned them not in the least. it was futile to call for help. he had been rash and stupid. "what do you want to say to me?" he demanded, trying to keep his voice under control. "it is not hospitable to make you stand in the street," and captain brincker smiled grimly. "come inside with me." as he spoke he twisted walter violently about and shoved him into the vestibule of the house, which was only a step from the street. jerking himself free in blind rage, walter struck at his captor, who dodged and slammed shut the heavy outer door behind them. it was like being in a prison. walter moved aside, trying to guard the injured arm. "you are excited. i do not wish to be brutal," said captain brincker. "you are very easy to handle. you will be foolish if you object." he showed the way with a courteous gesture. a long hallway led to the _patio_ or open court in the centre of the house. it was like a tropical garden roofed by the sky. gorgeous flowers bloomed, and a fountain tinkled pleasantly. walter followed in glum silence. he had been caught like a rabbit. frightened as he was, the fact that he belonged to the race dominant on the isthmus helped to steady him. he felt that he must play the game to the finish without flinching. he held himself erect, his chin up. captain brincker offered a wicker chair and seated himself in another. then he scrutinized his unwilling guest with grave deliberation. his face was rather questioning than hostile. the suspense made walter's heart flutter. the masterful personality of the soldier of fortune held him silent. at length captain brincker said: "you were watching the young man at the gangway. you wanted to know all about me and the _juan lopez_. you were overheard talking to señor alfaro. you followed the young man to this house. i want to know who is employing you to do all this." the quiet demeanor of the speaker helped walter to regain his self-confidence. if he could keep his head he might be able to extricate himself. "nobody employed me. i had nothing better to do," he truthfully replied. "aren't you taking a lot for granted? i am just out of the hospital and looking for a job. i don't look like a very dangerous person, do i?" "that depends," slowly spoke captain brincker. "you may be merely meddlesome. do you want to go home to the states? the passage can be arranged, and some extra money for your pocket. there is a condition----" "that i keep my mouth shut," hotly retorted walter. he turned very red. his temper got the better of him. he was not old enough and wise enough to fence with such a situation as this. with reckless, headlong candor, he burst out: "you are offering me hush money. it's a crooked, dirty proposition. and i won't stand for it. i know you were in the scheme to steal commissary stores from the wharf----" walter checked himself, aghast that he should have said so much and thereby delivered himself into the enemy's hands. the effect of this speech upon captain brincker was extraordinary. he pulled at the ends of his gray mustache as if greatly perplexed, winked rapidly, and stared with an air of blank amazement: "steal the commissary stores?" he echoed. "i have been called many hard names, young man, but i plead not guilty this time. now that you have begun, will you be so good as to let the cat all the way out of the bag?" it was walter's turn to feel bewildered. captain brincker's denial carried conviction. it impressed walter as genuine. perhaps his conjecture had been wrong. at any rate, the checker was guilty, and why had the two of them come straight to this house from balboa? "i suppose i'm in serious trouble now," stubbornly answered walter, "but i won't take back what i said. the _juan lopez_ has a lot of freight on board that doesn't belong there, and i intend to find out all about it." captain brincker leaned forward in his chair, his strong, brown hands resting upon his knees, his keen eyes almost mirthful. "you are frank with me," said he. "we are at cross-purposes, you and i. i give you my word of honor as a soldier that i know nothing whatever about this stolen freight. it is safe to tell you the truth, because i cannot let you go free until after the _juan lopez_ sails. i am not her captain. i am in charge of the expedition. there may be a change of government in san salvador very soon. perhaps i shall assist. the plans are in the hands of my employer, in whose house you have the honor to be." "then it is a filibustering expedition," cried walter, all interest and animation. "and you are going to mix up in another revolution? whew, but i wish you would take me with you." "with your arm in a sling? besides, my employer detests americans. do you believe i am telling the truth?" "it sounds that way," confessed walter. "but what about that checker? he must be in the house right now." with a shrug, captain brincker explained: "he comes to see my employer. it is not my affair. i have had no words with the young man except this afternoon at the wharf. i was instructed to see that certain supplies were taken on board. i asked him about them. i did not look at the stuff. it was his business to check it up." it was quite obvious that captain brincker was anxious to clear himself in the eyes of this honest, ingenuous accuser. he may have committed many a greater crime against the law, but he disliked being thought a commonplace thief. tempted by the amicable drift of the interview, walter ventured a dangerous question: "your employer--who is he?" captain brincker scowled. this was treading on forbidden ground. he may have been inwardly disgusted that the man he served should have stooped so low as to pilfer supplies for the expedition, but the matter was not for him to meddle with. he had an odd code of loyalty, a sadly twisted sense of honor, but such as they were he was stanch to them. he would not break with the man who had bought his sword and his services. "my employer?" said he. "that is not for me to tell you. i shall have to lock you up for the present. it would be most unfortunate to have the expedition of the _juan lopez_ spoiled by the tongue of a meddlesome boy. the american government would seize the ship and arrest all hands if the news leaked out. you know too much to be at liberty." oddly enough, walter made no protest, nor was he any longer angry. he perceived that he had blundered into one affair while he was on the trail of another. captain brincker had been honest with him, discussing the situation as man to man, and he was justified in guarding the secrecy of his adventurous enterprise against discovery by the authorities. the alarming possibility was that he might think it his duty to inform his employer of walter's knowledge concerning the stolen merchandise. "are you going to report what i found out--that the commissary stores were smuggled on board the _juan lopez_?" asked walter. before captain brincker could answer, there came from behind the palms at the other side of the _patio_ the screeching voice of a parrot: "_viva panama. pobre colombia. ha! ha! ha!_" [illustration: "_viva panama! pobre colombia! ha! ha! ha!_"] walter jumped from his chair. his cheek was quite pale. he had heard this parrot before. it belonged to general quesada, who must be the mysterious employer. standing in a door-way opening from another part of the house was the gross, shapeless figure of general quesada himself, the parrot cage in his hand. with him was the slouchy young man from balboa wharf. before crossing the _patio_ they had halted in time to hear walter's unfortunate question. the checker repeated it in spanish, and general quesada comprehended that the young seaman of the _saragossa_ who hammered him with a broom-stick had now discovered the plot to rob the american government of supplies for the filibustering expedition. the panamanian glared wickedly at walter and bellowed in spanish a volley of questions aimed at captain brincker. the latter answered reluctantly. the scene was evidently distasteful to him. it was in his mind to temper the storm of wrath and hatred. but general quesada knew that he had been found out. the checker, snarling and vindictive, was rapidly explaining that walter had been spying at the wharf and on the train, and had followed him into panama. captain brincker turned to the hapless walter and said with a shrug: "it is a worse fix for you than i thought. general quesada has a terrible hatred for you because you struck him and disgraced him on the ship from new york. i had not heard of it until now. and he knows that you know too much about the business at the wharf." "why don't you help me get out of the house?" implored walter. "you don't seem like a coward. he looks as if he wanted to murder me. i can't put up a fight. i am crippled." the soldier of fortune looked confused and ashamed. he had never earned his wages more unpleasantly, but he made no aggressive movement. remembering his errand, general quesada waddled across the _patio_ into the hallway and dismissed the checker. the street door slammed shut with a rattle of bolts. "what did he say he was going to do with me?" walter besought captain brincker. "he seems very much pleased to get hold of you. i will try to cool his anger." general quesada returned, grunting and swearing to himself. after hanging the precious parrot cage in a tree, he dropped heavily into a wicker chair and sat staring at walter with the most malicious satisfaction. occasionally he chuckled as if here was a jest very much to his liking. walter yearned for his broom-handle. he looked about for something which might serve as a weapon. regardless of consequences, he would put his mark on the fat, ugly countenance once more. general quesada read his purpose and gave an order to captain brincker. the two captors roughly hustled walter into a large, empty room overlooking the bay, and so close to the water that the flooding tide could be heard lapping against the foundation walls. "you just wait until my government hears of this performance," cried walter. "general quesada will be chucked in jail, where he belongs." captain brincker replied in kindly tones: "take my advice and do what you are told. it is the best policy." left alone, walter tried to persuade himself that no serious danger could menace him. the isthmus was almost a part of the united states, and he was no more than a few minutes' drive from the canal zone, and the protection of his own people. general quesada wished to frighten him into silence. walter went to one of the long windows, which was barred against harbor thieves by ornamental iron grillwork. misty and golden in the effulgence of sunset lay the fishing-boats, the wide bay, the scattered islands, and the steamers anchored off the quarantine station. the brief tropical twilight fled, and the night came down. after a long while a boat scraped against the sea-wall. he could discern it as a slow-moving shadow. voices murmured in spanish, an order was sharply uttered, and an oar rattled against the masonry. it did not occur to walter that the coming of the boat had anything to do with him. he supposed that a crew of fishermen was making a belated landing. chapter vi jack devlin in action señor fernandez garcia alfaro waited in the lobby of the tivoli hotel at ancon until considerably after seven o'clock and no telephone message had come from his friend walter goodwin. disappointed at having to dine alone, the colombian diplomat wandered to the desk and again asked a clerk to make sure that no tidings had been sent him. he was possessed of an uneasy feeling that something might be wrong. he had not found time to make inquiries concerning captain brincker, but he wished walter had not been so interested in keeping track of that hardened adventurer. intrigue and mystery are native to the air of spanish-american countries. one suspects whatever he does not understand. finally alfaro drifted into the dining-room of this excellent hotel, conducted by the paternal government of the zone, where people meet from all corners of the world. soon there entered a dapper, black-eyed young dandy in evening clothes of white serge, whom alfaro recognized as a partner of a shipping-firm in panama, and an old acquaintance of his. beckoning him to his own table, the colombian warmly exclaimed: "it is a great pleasure, antonio. where have you been? i have suffered a thousand disappointments not to find you." "business took me to costa rica for two weeks," replied the other. "are you now going home or are you returning?" "i go to see my father and mother, antonio. i have been waiting for an american friend to dine with me. he has not arrived. i am anxious. you know everything that goes on in panama. tell me, what is captain brincker doing here? you are aware of him, of course." "who is not? he is a famous character. before i went to costa rica the story was going around that his fortunes had picked up. he has been down at the heel for some time, you know, loafing in panama." "there is to be a revolution somewhere?" "politics are very much upset in san salvador. who knows? by the way, my firm has just sold the old _juan lopez_. we were glad to get her off our hands, i tell you, before she sunk at her moorings. a wretched tin pot of a steamer! you are interested, because she one time figured in colombian affairs." "who purchased the _juan lopez_?" asked alfaro. "i saw her loading at balboa to-day, and captain brincker was on board." "the new owner is general quesada. i wish the fat rascal no good luck with her." "the owner is general quesada?" loudly exclaimed alfaro. "i am startled. and what does captain brincker do on board?" "he is in the service of general quesada, so i am told. you may put two and two together, if you like. i have learned to mind my own affairs in the shipping business of panama. perhaps general quesada imagines himself to be the next president of san salvador. he does not buy a steamer and hire a man like captain brincker for a pleasure excursion. is it not so?" alfaro had lost his appetite. the process of putting two and two together filled him with alarm. his young friend goodwin was entangling himself unawares in the concerns of general quesada, who bore him a violent grudge. alas, that he could not have been warned to steer clear of captain brincker and the _juan lopez_! alfaro was a poor dinner companion for the dapper antonio. he asked other questions and the answers were not reassuring. quesada was said to have been gambling heavily in the disreputable resorts of panama. where had he found funds to finance a central american revolution? he had stolen his provisions and the _juan lopez_ had been sold him for a song. but guns and munitions cost a pot of money, and there were wages to pay. probably some shady concession hunter had backed the enterprise. all this alfaro moodily considered until he could no longer curb his impatience. "you will be so good as to excuse me, antonio," said he. "i have something to attend to. the address of general quesada's house in panama? i wish to write it down. and you say that captain brincker has been living with him?" "something diplomatic in the wind?" smiled the shipping merchant. "you fear the _juan lopez_ may again annoy the politics of your fair country of colombia?" "no, antonio. it has to do with a friend. he saved my life. it is better to be too anxious for such a one than too little." "you have my approval. command me if i can aid you. _adios._" hastening from the hotel, alfaro took the shortest road to the ancon hospital, for goodwin had told him that he was staying there for the present as a guest. after considerable trouble, he found the young surgeon of the accident ward, who was off duty in his quarters. "yes," said he, "the base-ball pitcher with a game wing is supposed to be bunking with me, but he flew the coop this afternoon and i haven't seen him since. he said he was going to balboa to sniff the breezes. you look worried. anything wrong?" "i am a little afraid for him," answered alfaro. "he was to dine with me. i think he may have gone into panama and got himself into trouble. he has mixed himself up with some people who would be very glad to do him harm." the surgeon looked perturbed in his turn. "i am fond of the youngster," said he. "he is not in fit condition to take care of himself. if you have reason to fret about him, suppose we try to look him up. shall i telephone the zone police department? have you any clews?" a solid foot-fall sounded on the screened porch, and the big frame of jack devlin, the steam-shovel man, loomed at the door. his pugnacious, redly tanned face beamed good-naturedly as he said in greeting: "howdy, doc! i dropped in to see my young pal goodwin, but he's not in the ward. what have you done with him? is he all mended?" "we have sort of mislaid him. this is his friend, señor alfaro. he can explain the circumstances." devlin gripped the slim fingers of the colombian in his calloused paw and exclaimed: "glad to meet you. goodwin told me how you played a star part in the one-act piece of the parrot and the broomstick. what's on your mind?" "goodwin has not come back, and we think general quesada may have caught him in panama." "quesada, eh?" and devlin scowled ferociously. "i wouldn't mind taking a crack at that fat crook myself. what's the evidence? put me next." alfaro explained in his vehement, impassioned manner, and at the mention of captain brincker the steam-shovel man raised a hand and interrupted: "stop a minute. you say you saw this gray-headed beach-comber in guayaquil one time? so did i, my son. i know him. he is bad medicine for young goodwin to interfere with, but he has a decent streak in him. quesada sounds a good deal worse to me. he's a yellow pup all the way through. come along, señor alfaro. grab your hat and follow me. i need you to sling the spanish language." "you are going to consult with the police?" queried the colombian. "not on your life. i'll round up this quesada-brincker outfit all by myself. i am kind of responsible for goodwin. i feel like a godfather by brevet to him. it will do no harm to look into this thing. i am just naturally suspicious of panamanians in general and of quesada in particular. good-by, doc. i'll keep you posted." they were lucky enough to find a cab in the hospital grounds and, as the _cochero_ plied the whip, alfaro added the details of his meeting with goodwin on the wharf. devlin listened grimly. he had become taciturn. he was no longer the jovial, swaggering steam-shovel man bragging of the prowess of "old twenty-six" but a two-fisted american of the frontier breed, schooled to think and to act in tight places. "i intend to get into general quesada's house and look his game over," said he. "but he has a revolver. he tried to kill me with it," cried alfaro. "pshaw, i never found one of you spanish-americans that could shoot straight," was the impolite comment. they left the cab at the nearest corner. devlin strode ahead, alfaro peering warily about for unfriendly policemen of the panama force. in front of the house devlin halted and said: "you are a professional diplomat. better stay outside and jolly the spiggoty police if a row breaks loose inside. they will try to help quesada. if i need you i'll sing out good and loud." "but i am not a coward," earnestly protested the colombian. "i am not afraid to go in with you. goodwin saved my life. i will do anything for him." "you do as you're told, young man, or i may get peevish with you," was the decisive reply. devlin rang the bell. when the door was opened by some one dimly visible in the unlighted vestibule, he demanded in very bad spanish: "i wish to see general quesada. it is important." a strong voice answered in excellent english: "the general will not be home to-night. what is your business?" devlin shoved the other man aside and advanced into the hallway, at the further end of which an electric bulb was aglow. the other man quickly followed and locked the door behind him. "pretty exclusive, aren't you?" said devlin. "why, hello, captain brincker. i'm looking for a young friend of mine named goodwin. what have you done with him?" gazing hard at the bold intruder, the soldier of fortune answered: "there is no young man in the house. you are jack devlin." "sure i am, and my belief is that you are a liar. do you recall the night when you broke jail ahead of the government troops that were going to shoot you next morning, and swam aboard my dredge in guayaquil harbor?" "that revolution in ecuador was unlucky for me," returned captain brincker, in a matter-of-fact way, as if this meeting were not at all extraordinary. "i was on the losing side. you hid me on your dredge and kept me there until i could slip away in a german tramp steamer. i have not forgotten it." devlin stood alertly poised, his mind intent on the main issue. if there was to be a truce it must be on his own terms. there was contempt in his eyes as he said: "you have fallen pretty low since then, captain brincker, to play jackal to this cheap bully of a general quesada. i'm sorry i hauled you aboard my dredge. i have called you a liar. are you man enough to resent it?" as if his degradation had been brought home to him, captain brincker's deeply lined cheek turned a dull red. he had his own misguided sense of duty, however, and he was thinking of his employer's interests as he rejoined: "that is a personal matter. you and i will settle it later. i cannot let you come into this house, do you understand?" "yes, i understand," growled devlin. "you're bound to earn your dirty wages. now, what about young goodwin? he's a friend of mine, and you know what that means." "i can tell you nothing----" "i'm sick of all this conversation. i can see it in your eye that you're guilty," was devlin's quick retort. his fist shot out and collided with the jaw of captain brincker, who staggered back as devlin clinched with him. their feet scuffled furiously upon the stone floor. the struggle was waged in silence. the steam-shovel man was the younger and more active, and he was a seasoned rough-and-tumble fighter. a hip-lock, a tremendous heave and twist, and captain brincker went down like a falling tree. devlin sat upon his chest and searched his clothing for weapons. finding a loaded revolver, he cocked it and allowed the vanquished soldier of fortune to rise to his feet. the victor's nose was bleeding, but he looked pleased as he gustily observed: "too speedy for you, eh? i hope i jolted some decency into you. i'm the boss and you'll tell me what i want to know." without a word, captain brincker walked to the _patio_ and sat down with his head in his hands. the violent fall had dazed him. devlin looked at him and said with a pitying laugh: "you ought to be ashamed of yourself. you used to be a good deal of a man. a bit too old for the strenuous life! getting the best of you was like taking candy from a child. now, i mean business. tell me the truth, or i'll bend this gun over your head." like a good strategist, devlin had taken his stand where he could command a view of all the entrances into the _patio_. if surprised by numbers, he intended to shoot his way out of the house. captain brincker hated himself beyond words. he had wavered when he might have protected walter goodwin against the wrath of general quesada. and now devlin had made him feel utterly unmanly and despicable. it had not been a part of his trade to protect a thief and betray an honest, courageous american lad. he was in a mood to try to make amends. he was ready to haul down his colors. "i owe you a favor, devlin," said he, speaking with an effort. "you did me a good turn in guayaquil harbor. and you have the upper hand. i cannot stomach this goodwin affair. yes, the boy came here. i meant him no harm. i was afraid he knew too much about the _juan lopez_ expedition. i wanted to keep him quiet for a little while. but he had caught general quesada at something worse. there was a scheme between him and an american at balboa, a young man who had been knocking about the west coast and found a job on the wharf. he had gambled with quesada and lost. the general put the screws on him." "i heard about that to-night," impatiently broke in devlin. "then quesada took goodwin out of your hands. what has he done with him?" "carried him aboard the _juan lopez_. she is ready to sail. they are only waiting for me to come on board." "how long will quesada wait for you? the steamer is anchored in the bay, i suppose." "he will not wait too long. he is afraid and suspicious. he will think the expedition has been discovered and i am in trouble. he will expect me to get away in a sail-boat and meet him at a rendezvous on the coast." "i believe you are honest with me," said devlin. "i can't go aboard and take goodwin off single-handed. and neither can i trust you to see that no harm comes to him on the voyage." "you are not fair to me," protested captain brincker. "i am very sorry that general quesada got hold of him." devlin laughed incredulously and made an emphatic gesture with the revolver. "you are a desperate, broken man," he cried. "you are playing for a stake against big odds. quesada is your boss. once you get to sea with a ship-load of guns and cut-throat recruits and you will not let the boy stand between you and your business. you are too old a dog to learn new tricks. you mean well, but you are hard as nails. and i cannot trust you to stand up against quesada and the rest of them to save the lad." captain brincker chewed his gray mustache in silence. at length he grumbled: "what are you going to do about it?" devlin was perplexed, and he cogitated at some length before declaring: "i have the bright idea. i will hold you as a hostage. when i think of that poor crippled lad out yonder, with quesada cooking it up in his wicked heart how he can easiest make way with him, it's a wonder i'm not mad enough to blow the head off you, captain brincker. you may be thankful that i'm not a violent man." devlin glanced into the hallway. he dared not leave his prisoner, so he gruffly ordered him to march in front of him. halting inside the front door, he sang out in a tremendous voice: "oh, you alfaro! get a jump on yourself." the faithful colombian heard the summons and dashed in as the door was unbolted. "are you killed?" he gasped. "not by a considerable majority, my son. captain brincker and i had an argument. i win. here, don't step between him and the gun in my fist. do you know where to find a launch in a hurry and a man to run it?" "yes. my friend antonio varilla, who dined with me to-night, has a fast gasolene boat." "can you find him to-night?" "he was going from the hotel to the university club of panama to play a match at billiards. he will be there now. tell me, where is goodwin?" "i'm going to send you to find him, alfaro. my spanish is very rocky or i'd do the trick myself and leave you on sentry duty with the prisoner. you get that launch and you look for the _juan lopez_, understand? she is in the bay, between here and balboa. and you put it up to general quesada that his right-hand man, captain brincker, is too busy looking into the muzzle of a gun to join the expedition. if goodwin comes back with you, captain brincker goes free. otherwise i'll march this gray-headed reprobate to the ancon jail as a filibuster caught in the act. and he'll get about five years. uncle sam is mighty hostile to anybody who tries to touch off a revolution in these little central american republics." alfaro nodded with eager approval. here was a crafty, resourceful stratagem after his own heart. devlin was a most admirable leader. "i will find the launch in a hurry," said he, "and i will enjoy making a speech to general quesada. trust me to do my share. shall i come back to this house?" "yes. i will not deprive captain brincker of my society. and you may tell general quesada that i intend to camp on his trail till i get his scalp, too." alfaro vanished at top speed and devlin prodded his captive back to the _patio_. under the circumstances, the soldier of fortune was not the most entertaining company. they sat facing each other in the wicker chairs while the hours dragged their slow length along. the house was otherwise deserted. the servants had been dismissed earlier in the day. the thick stone walls shut out the street sounds, but the open windows overlooking the bay admitted the murmuring noise of the waves on the beach. at length devlin heard the staccato explosions of a launch's engine, diminishing in the distance. he hoped that alfaro was on his way. the tense excitement of the situation had slackened. devlin was feeling the nervous strain, and with a yawn he suggested: "what about making some black coffee, captain brincker? you and i are in for a late session to-night. shall i convoy you into the kitchen? i will poke the gun at you no more than i can help." the prisoner complied rather grumpily. his sense of humor was in eclipse. for a compulsory cook, he brewed a most excellent pot of coffee which devlin complimented in friendly terms. as an experienced judge of men and their motives, he observed, after reflection: "i do not think so harshly of you as i did. war is a cruel game, and you are too old a dog to learn new tricks, i suppose. you ought to have been caught young and tamed. i believe you had a notion of befriending the goodwin lad." "thank you, devlin. it has been a good many years since any man said as decent a thing as that about me." the fallen soldier of fortune looked his gratitude, and his face was more eloquent than his words. a long silence fell between them. each man was busy with his own thoughts. it was broken by devlin. "quesada will not dare to knock goodwin on the head and throw him into the bay, will he? he thinks he has kidnapped the lad without anybody's knowledge. and he has reason enough for getting rid of him." "no. you need have no fear of that. he may plan nothing worse than to maroon him in the jungle of san salvador." "it would be as bad as death for the boy, and his right arm is useless." through the seaward windows they heard the distant throb of a steamer's engines, fluttering, irregular. the sound carried far across the quiet water. the two men gazed at each other. "she makes a clatter like a mowing-machine. you could hear her for miles," said devlin. he leaped to his feet and menaced his prisoner with the revolver. "'tis an old, worn-out boat that makes a noise like that." "it is the _juan lopez_," exclaimed captain brincker, and he did not flinch. "i know those engines of hers. she is outward bound. she has sailed without me." "who cares about you?" roared devlin. "alfaro failed to turn the trick. quesada has carried young goodwin to sea, and precious little show the lad will have for his life." chapter vii a fat rascal comes to grief when jack devlin learned that the _juan lopez_ had gone to sea, he forgot his threat of putting the soldier of fortune in a canal zone jail. his one concern was to rescue walter goodwin. the steam-shovel man had that rugged, indomitable temperament which refuses to quit as long as there is a fighting chance. fiercely turning upon the disconsolate captain brincker, he shouted: "i have no time to bother with you. you could have saved the lad, and you stood by and let quesada carry him away. many a man has stretched hemp for a deed less cruel. i will wait here for alfaro. get out of my sight. the house is not big enough for the two of us." without a word captain brincker, sorry, ashamed, and perhaps repentant, went into the street. devlin paced the hallway like a caged lion, hoping against hope that alfaro might be bringing walter goodwin ashore in the launch. it was after midnight when the colombian came running into the house with only breath enough to gasp: "the launch was a big one--general quesada was frightened when he saw it--he thought it was from the american government, sent to catch him. they would not listen to me. the _juan lopez_ slipped her cable and ran to sea as hard as she could." grasping him by the shoulders, devlin hoarsely demanded: "could you tell if goodwin was on board?" "i called to him in english. i told him his friends would find him. i thought i heard him try to holler something, but there was much noise, the engines, and the men giving orders. they yelled to me to keep away or they would shoot." "i guess we had better get busy and plan our campaign," said devlin. "what will you do? wake up the american minister in panama? it is now a diplomatic matter. it is an international outrage. it is a panama steamer that has stolen goodwin, and general quesada belongs to the republic." "oh, shucks!" drawled the steam-shovel man. "do you know what that means? cabling to washington and enough red tape in the state department to choke a cow. and delay to drive you crazy. and what becomes of goodwin in the meantime?" rather chagrined to hear diplomacy dismissed so scornfully, alfaro timidly ventured: "the civil administration of the canal zone?" devlin hauled the young man into the street and hustled him in the direction of ancon, as he confidently declared: "your theories are too complicated, my son. diplomacy has killed your speed. there is only one boss on the isthmus, one man who can do things right on the jump without consulting anybody in the world. i'm going to put this up to the colonel." "to colonel gunther?" alfaro was dum-founded. "will he let you talk to him? will he bother himself with this affair of ours?" "you bet he will. and let me tell you, a steam-shovel man with the high record for excavating in the cut can go straight to the colonel on business a whole lot less important than this." "can we see him to-night?" "no. there is no train to culebra. but, lucky for us, to-morrow is sunday, and he holds open court in his office, early in the morning. it is then that any man on the job with a kick, growl, or grievance can talk it over with the colonel. i will go to your hotel with you, alfaro, and we will hop aboard the first train out. it will be only a few hours lost and that condemned old junk-heap of a _juan lopez_ will not be many miles on her way to san salvador." greatly comforted, the colombian exclaimed with much feeling: "next to the colonel, i think you are the biggest man on the isthmus, señor devlin." "i can handle a steam-shovel with any of them, and i aim to stand by my friends," was the self-satisfied reply. before eight o'clock next morning they were waiting in a large, plainly furnished room of a barn-like office building perched on the hill-side of culebra. the walls were covered with maps and blue prints. at a desk heaped with papers sat the soldierly, white-haired ruler of forty thousand men, the supreme director of a four-hundred-million-dollar undertaking. his cheek was ruddy, his smile boyish, and he appeared to be at peace with all the world. he had come to listen to complaints, no matter how trivial, to pass judgment, to give advice, like a modern caliph of bagdad. it was a cog in the machinery of his wonderful organization. dissatisfaction had been checked as soon as the colonel set apart the one forenoon of the week in which his men were not at work in order that they might "talk it over with him." as jack devlin entered the office he was humming under his breath the refrain of a popular song composed by an isthmian bard: "don't hesitate to state your case, the boss will hear you through, it's true he's sometimes busy and has other things to do; but come on sunday morning and line up with the rest, you'll maybe feel some better with that grievance off your chest." the colonel was listening gravely to a difference of opinion between a black jamaican laborer and his buxom wife, touching the ownership of seventeen dollars which she had earned by washing and ironing. the wise judge ruled that the money belonged to her and ordered the husband to return it. he muttered: "i'se a british subjeck, sah, an' mah property rights is protected by de british laws, sah." "all right," and the colonel's blue eyes snapped. "if you like, i'll deport you. you can get all the english law you want in jamaica." a perplexed young man informed the colonel that he was the secretary of the halcyon social and literary club of gorgona, which desired to give a dance in the ballroom of the tivoli hotel. the request had been denied because of a clash of dates with another organization. would the colonel help straighten it out? certainly he would, and he sent the young man away satisfied, after investigating the difficulty with as scrupulous attention as if the fate of the gatun dam had been involved. a brawny blacksmith's helper had been discharged by his foreman. he thought himself unfairly treated. the colonel pressed a button, and inside three minutes the man's record, neatly documented, was on the desk. "you deserved what you got," crisply declared the colonel. "you were drunk and insolent, and i am surprised that the foreman did not tap you over the head with a crow-bar." jack devlin restlessly awaited his turn, while alfaro looked on with comical wonderment that so great a man should busy himself with matters so trifling. at length the colonel swung his chair around and affably observed: "hello, devlin. have you dug twenty-six out of the slide? and when will she make another high record?" "she is some bunged up, colonel, but still in the ring. the old girl will be going strong in another week." "what can i do for you?" "it's not myself that has any kick, colonel. i want your help for a friend of mine. he's not on the job, but i hope it will make no difference with you. he worked for mr. naughton on the dynamite ship, and then major glendinning half-way promised him a place on the gold roll because he can pitch ball like a streak of greased lightning." devlin halted and grinned at his own frankness. the colonel smiled back at him. "base-ball is irrelevant, devlin, but i am sure major glendinning would make your young man earn his salary. so he wanted him to pitch for cristobal? but you are the catcher of the culebra nine. you show an unselfish interest, i'm sure." "i'm a fierce rooter on the ball field, colonel, but i can't let it come between friends. this young chap, walter goodwin, got general quesada down on him. he whaled the fat scoundrel with a broomstick on board the _saragossa_. quesada was trying to perforate señor alfaro here with a gun." the colonel appeared keenly interested and interrupted to say: "why, i was on the ship and i remember the youngster quite well. he was a seaman. the skipper told me about the row. i liked goodwin's pluck. between us, devlin, the panamanian gentleman had provoked a drubbing." "yes, sir. goodwin was working his passage to the isthmus to look for a job and----" "why didn't he let me know it on shipboard?" queried the colonel. "i was interested in him." "he didn't have the nerve. you looked too big to him. to cut it short, he was tipped over by the same landslide that left me and poor old twenty-six all spraddled out. he came out of ancon hospital yesterday with no job and his arm tied up. and he wandered down to balboa and caught general quesada's steamer, the _juan lopez_, stealing commissary stores from the wharf to outfit a filibustering expedition. quesada got hold of him and lugged him off to sea last night. it's surely a bad fix for goodwin." the colonel no longer smiled. his resolute mouth tightened beneath the short, white mustache. the blue eyes flashed. he listened to alfaro's detailed confirmation of the story. with winning courtesy the colonel said to him: "your father, the colombian minister of foreign affairs, has no love for the united states, i am told. will you tell him, with my compliments, that i greatly admire the behavior of his son?" turning to devlin he added, crisply, decisively: "i have no reason to doubt your story. you have a fine record. i shall act first and investigate later. goodwin was kidnapped from the zone, from american soil, as i understand it. he was living with one of the surgeons at ancon?" "yes, colonel. you can find out by telephone easy enough." "how many men were there on the _juan lopez_? and how fast is she?" alfaro answered: "there were fifty or sixty men on board when i saw her at balboa yesterday. perhaps more were taken on in the bay last night. i know something about filibustering expeditions. she would carry not less than a hundred men. and of course there are plenty of guns in her. her speed is slow. she will go eight or nine knots, i think." "will general quesada fight?" the colonel asked the question with distinctly cheerful intonation, as if for the moment he was more soldier than engineer. "he may fight for his neck," said devlin, "and if he has a chance to get away. he knows that he is caught with the goods. but without captain brincker, he is a lame duck." "and you are sure that young goodwin is in serious danger?" "why not?" and devlin pounded the desk with his hard fist. "quesada has motives enough for losing him somewhere." "i agree with you. and, besides, i should like to recover those commissary stores." the colonel gazed at the opposite wall, composed and thoughtful. devlin eyed him wistfully, afraid that he might consider the case as beyond his jurisdiction. then with a quick glow of heat, the anger of a strong man righteously provoked, the colonel said sharply: "it is a rotten, abominable performance, clear through. we are wasting time." summoning a clerk, he told him: "get captain brett, the superintendent at balboa, on the telephone. tell him that i wish the biggest, fastest tug of the fleet, the _dauntless_, if possible, to be coaled and ready for sea in two hours. please ask him to call me up and report." the colonel hesitated as if a question of authority perplexed him, but when the clerk returned he was ready with another command. "i want to talk with major frazier of the marine battalion at camp elliot personally. please connect his house with my desk." devlin nudged alfaro. the face of the steam-shovel man lighted with the joy of battle. the colonel was a man with his two feet under him. they heard him say to the commander of the force of united states marines: "it is an emergency detail, major. i will forward the formal request and explanation to you in writing, but the documents can wait. an officer and a half company of men will be enough. yes, equipped for active service. thank you, very much. i will have a special train at your station in an hour from now, ready to take them to balboa. it is a bit of sea duty. your men will enjoy it." other orders issued rapidly from the colonel's desk. the panama railroad was notified to despatch a special train and give it a clear track through to the pacific. the department of justice of the canal zone was requested to prepare the papers in due form for the arrest of general quesada, and the seizure of his vessel. the splendidly organized system of administration moved as swiftly and smoothly in behalf of that humble, forlorn young wanderer, walter goodwin, as if he had been a person of the greatest consequence. as a final detail, the colonel made out passes permitting devlin to go in the special train and on board of the government tug. "you will want to see the fun, i suppose," said he, and his blue eyes twinkled again. "i should enjoy it myself." "indeed you would, sir," frankly replied devlin. "i think the capture of the _juan lopez_ is in capable hands, with you and the marines as the fighting force. report to me as soon as you come back. and bring goodwin with you. i want to congratulate him on the kind of friends he has made on the isthmus." [illustration: "report to me as soon as you come back. and bring goodwin with you."] they stepped aside and made way for a committee from the machinists' union with a grievance concerning pay for over-time. the colonel settled back in his chair to give the problem his judicial attention. as devlin left the office he said to alfaro: "what did i tell you, my son? when you want quick action there is no boss like a benevolent despot. that man will finish the panama canal two years ahead of time because the people at home have sense enough to let him alone." "if he had ambitions like general quesada he would rule all of south america," was the tribute of fernandez garcia alfaro. a little after ten o'clock of this same morning the sea-going tug _dauntless_, of the dredging flotilla, swung away from the coaling wharf at balboa. beneath her awnings lounged thirty marines in khaki who welcomed jack devlin as a friendly foe. several of them had played on the camp elliot nine of the isthmian league, and the stalwart culebra catcher had more than once routed them by hammering out a home-run or a three-bagger at a critical moment. "it's comical that we should be chasing after a pitcher that will try to trim both of us, jack," said a clean-built sergeant. "maybe he will ease up and let us hit the ball occasionally," replied devlin. "he is a good-hearted lad and he will be grateful for a small favor like this." the _dauntless_ was faster than the _juan lopez_ by two or three knots an hour. general quesada had about ten hours' start in his flight up the coast. the pursuers could not hope to overtake him until the morning of the second day at sea. the excitement of the chase kept all hands alert and in high spirits. from the captain of marines in command of the detachment to the stokers in the torrid fire-room ran the fervent hope that general quesada, outlawed and desperate, would make a fight of it. the marines regretted that cutlasses had not been included in their equipment. the proper climax of such an adventure was an old-fashioned boarding-party. the long, hot day and the sweet, star-lit night passed by and the powerful tug steadily tore through the uneasy swells of the pacific, holding her course within sight of the central american coast lest the quarry might double and slip into bay or river. the whole ship's company crowded forward when the master of the _dauntless_ shouted from the wheel-house that he could make out a smudge of smoke to the northward. slowly the tell-tale smoke increased until it became a dense black streamer wind-blown along the blue horizon. whatever the steamer might be, she was lavishly burning coal as if in urgent haste. the captain of marines sternly addressed his hilarious men, threatening all sorts of punishment if they so much as cocked a rifle before the order was given. shading their eyes with their hands, they stood and watched the funnel of the distant steamer lift above the rolling waste of ocean. slowly her hull climbed into view, and the skipper of the tug recognized that rusty, dissolute vagabond of the high seas, the _juan lopez_. shortly after this, the fleeing filibuster must have recognized the _dauntless_ as hailing from the canal zone. the funnel of the _juan lopez_ belched heavier clouds of smoke from her funnel and an extra revolution or two was coaxed from her decrepit engines. the _dauntless_ gained on her more slowly. now the cheerful marines dived below to handle shovels instead of rifles, and they mightily reinforced the sweating stokers. "i can juggle coal pretty fast myself," said jack devlin, as he stripped off his shirt and followed the other volunteers. this frenzied exertion was needless. an hour or two and the _dauntless_ must certainly overtake the laboring _juan lopez_. sympathy for walter goodwin, anxiety to know what had become of him, made them wild with impatience. he was an american, one of their own breed, and he was in trouble. the vessels were perhaps three miles apart when the _juan lopez_ veered from her course and swept at a long slant toward the green and hilly coast. "there is no harbor hereabouts," shouted the skipper of the _dauntless_. "they are going to beach her and take to the woods." the alarm on deck reached the ears of jack devlin, who popped out of the stoke-hole and viewed the manoeuvre with blank dismay. "i don't blame quesada for beating it to the tall timber," he muttered disgustedly. "but what about goodwin?" the _dauntless_ turned to follow, but her master was unfamiliar with the shoals and reefs lying close to the land. he reluctantly slackened speed to feel his way inshore. the _juan lopez_, handled by one who knew where he was going, made straight for a small bight of the coast where the jungle crept, tall and dense, to the beach. the marines opened fire when the converging courses of the two vessels brought them within extreme rifle-range of each other. the _juan lopez_ showed no intention of heaving to. her crew could be seen running to and fro, working furiously at the tackle of the boats, making ready to drop them overside. the volleys from the _dauntless_ seemed only to quicken their industry. "oh, for a maxim or a colt's automatic!" sighed the captain of marines. "i'd make that wicked old tub look like a porous plaster. who ever dreamed the beggars would do anything but surrender?" general quesada had obviously concluded that it was better to try to find another ship and more guns and rascals than to cool his heels in an american jail. the flight of the _juan lopez_ ceased abruptly and at full-tilt. she grounded close to the beach, and the shock was so great that her ancient funnel was jerked overside as if it had been plucked out by the roots. many of her crew tarried not for the boats, but jumped overboard, bobbed up like so many corks, and scrambled through the surf to scuttle headlong into the jungle. the disappointed marines were within effective shooting distance, and they merrily peppered the vanishing rogues. the _dauntless_ swung her boats out and a landing-party was swiftly organized. the boats of the fugitive filibusters were more or less screened from view by the intervening hull of the _juan lopez_. a sharp lookout was kept for the bulky figure of general quesada himself. somehow he escaped observation. before the marines had set out for the shore, the last runaway from the _juan lopez_ had fled across the beach and buried himself in the jungle. the stranded ship had emptied herself as by magic. it was concluded that general quesada had been among the crowd which filled the boats and floundered pell-mell through the surf. "the boss pirate got away from us," disgustedly exclaimed jack devlin. "there is no use chasing them through the jungle," said the captain of marines. "they will scatter like a bunch of fire-crackers, and we should be tangled up and lost in no time." "i did not see goodwin anywhere," replied devlin, looking very anxious. "the hull of the _juan lopez_ was between us and the boats, so that we couldn't see all of them go ashore. goodwin may have been taken into the jungle. if he had been left behind on the ship, he would be making signals to us by now." "he would if he were alive," dolefully muttered the steam-shovel man. chapter viii walter squares an account locked in a room of general quesada's house, walter goodwin felt acutely sorry that he had not minded his own business. he ought to have reported his suspicions to the american officials of the canal zone. in his rash eagerness to play a man's part he had undertaken a task too big for him. he was badly frightened, and yet he could not bring himself to realize that serious danger threatened him. waiting in the darkened room, he heard the boat's crew make a landing at the sea-wall near by. instead of passing into the street, they turned and began to climb the stone staircase, in the rear of the house. their talk had ceased. one of them laughed and another hushed him with a low command. there was something sinister in this approach. walter surmised that their errand might concern him. into his mind came the tales he had read of wild, cruel deeds done in this bay of panama in days gone by. the men from the boat halted on the staircase, and presently walter heard the rumbling undertones of general quesada. a door was opened, and the swarthy sailors from the _juan lopez_ filed into the room. they closed around walter as if intending to take him with them. he wanted to motion them away, to show them that he was an american, that he could take his medicine like a man, but, alas! the brave, boyish impulse came to naught. he could only stare stupidly at one and the other, as if beseeching them to reveal their purpose. the mate in charge of the party, a sprightly, shock-headed fellow with gold rings in his ears, liked the lad because he made no foolish outcry, and tried to cheer him with a friendly grin. they escorted him to the sea-wall and thrust him into the boat. if he shouted for help, only the panamanian sentries posted along the ancient fortification would hear him. it was no business of theirs if a sailor was being carried off to his ship. in the stern loomed the broad, shapeless figure of general quesada. the oars made bright flashes in the phosphorescent waters of the bay, and the boat moved out into the silent night. walter comprehended that he was being carried on board the _juan lopez_, because general quesada was afraid to leave him behind as a witness of his misdeeds. it was a most alarming situation, but walter was comforted by the hope that captain brincker would befriend him during the filibustering voyage. the soldier of fortune was the most masterful man of the rascally company and was likely to hold the upper hand. at length the low hull of the laden steamer was discernible in the star-lit darkness. a gangway had been lowered, and after general quesada had clumsily clambered to the deck, walter followed with the help of the good-natured mate. he was promptly shoved into a small deck-house and left to wonder miserably what would happen next. there was much commotion in the steamer. from the loud talk, walter gathered that she was ready to sail as soon as captain brincker should come on board. the forlorn lad anxiously listened for the strong voice of the soldier of fortune. a sailor entered the deck-house on some hasty errand and left the door unfastened. walter ventured outside and was unnoticed in the confusion. leaning over the rail, he gazed at the lights of ancon and thought of his stanch friends jack devlin and alfaro. they would not know what had become of him. they were powerless to aid him. a gasolene launch was coming toward the steamer from the direction of panama. the filibustering crew was more noisily excited than ever. captain brincker was expected to come off from shore in a row-boat. this sputtering launch was instantly suspected. the _juan lopez_ was a steamer with an uneasy conscience, quick to take alarm. her hull began to vibrate to the clangorous beat of her engines as she prepared to take flight. the launch swung in a wide arc to pass close alongside. general quesada was hailed in spanish and told to wait for an important interview. he was not inclined to parley. all he could think of was that the american authorities wished to overhaul and search the steamer, and he frantically ordered her to make for the open sea at top speed. the voice from the launch had sounded familiar to walter goodwin. hope leaped in his heart. his friends were trying to rescue him. before he could call out, fernandez garcia alfaro was shouting to him in english: "ho, there, goodwin! we are wide awake. keep your courage. we will not give you up!" walter tried to yell a glad response, but a hand was clapped over his mouth, and he was roughly dragged back into the deck-house. for the moment disappointment overwhelmed him, but he found consolation in the fact that his friends had traced and followed him. otherwise he would have felt quite hopeless, for the _juan lopez_ had sailed without captain brincker and there was no one to stand between him and the ruffianly vengeance of general quesada. the general was too busy during the night to pay heed to his prisoner. he sorely needed the seasoned soldier of fortune to handle the lawless crew. the encounter with the launch had made him fear pursuit, and his martial spirit was considerably harassed. he blamed walter goodwin as the source of his woes, and yearned to knock the meddlesome young passenger on the head and toss him overboard. this was not feasible, however, because although the ship's company was ripe for revolution, rebellion, or piracy on the high seas, they would draw the line at cold-blooded murder. it seemed an easier solution of the problem to take goodwin ashore with the expedition and conveniently lose him in the jungle of san salvador. "he looks at me like the cat that swallowed the canary," sighed walter next morning. "oh, if my right arm was only well and sound, i might fight my way out of this fix somehow. but i just can't believe that things won't come my way." there were several english-speaking adventurers on board, recruited from the ranks of the "tropical tramps" of colon and panama, and general quesada was unwilling to have walter make their acquaintance. his story might enlist their sympathy. he was therefore removed from the deck-house and put in a small state-room below. a sentry was posted outside the door, and a boy from the galley brought the rough rations served out to the crew. it was a tedious imprisonment, with nothing to do but lie in the bunk, or walk to and fro three steps each way, or gaze through the round port-hole at the shining, monotonous expanse of ocean. now and then the deck above his head resounded to the measured tramp of many feet and the cadenced rattle of breech-blocks and bayonets. rifles had been broken out of the cargo, and the landing party was being drilled. the boldly romantic character of the voyage made walter's blood tingle. to be afloat with these modern buccaneers who were bound out to raid the spanish main was like a dream come true. but he had no part in it. he was something to be got rid of. youth is not easily dismayed, however, and the whole experience was too fantastic, too incredible, for walter to regard his plight as gravely as the facts warranted. on the second day at sea, he was staring through the open port, sadly thinking about the fond household in wolverton. there was a sudden shouting on deck. the engines of the _juan lopez_ clanked and groaned as if they were being driven beyond the limit of safety, and every beam and plate and rivet of the rusty hull protested loudly. some one ran through the cabin shouting: "they are after us, all right. this blighted old hooker can't get away." walter cheered and jubilantly pounded the door with his undamaged fist. a faster steamer was chasing the _juan lopez_. it must have been sent out from the canal zone. poking his head through the port, he squirmed as far as his shoulders would let him. far astern he caught a glimpse of a black, sea-going tug of large tonnage, whose tall prow was flinging aside the foam in snowy clouds. soon the _juan lopez_ sharply altered her course and began to edge in toward the coast. from this new angle walter was able to watch the tug draw nearer and nearer until he could make out the khaki uniforms of the marines massed forward. "here is where general quesada gets what is coming to him," he cried exultantly. he wiped his eyes and blubbered for joy. he was proud of his country. there was no taking liberties with uncle sam on the high seas! a little later he became alarmed at discovering that the _juan lopez_ was heading straight for the beach. he comprehended the purpose of general quesada. the steamer was to be rammed ashore and the crew would escape into the jungle. they might take walter with them, beyond all reach of rescue. now the bullets from the tug began to rattle against the fleeing steamer or to buzz overhead. walter dodged away from the port-hole and tried to kick the state-room door from its hinges. he could hear the crew working in wild haste to cast loose and lower the boats. from the hold came a tremendous roar of steam. the _juan lopez_ was in danger of blowing up before she stranded. then there came a rending shock as she struck the beach. walter was thrown from his feet and dazed, but he managed to scramble to the port-hole, where he could see the crew diving overboard and fleeing through the surf. others were tumbling pell-mell into the boats. in any other circumstances the flight of these bold revolutionists would have been vastly amusing. walter began to hope that he had been forgotten in the panic. as soon as the ship was deserted he would smash the flimsy door and gain the deck, where he could signal the other vessel and let his friends know that he was alive and well. before he could break his way out, the door was hastily unlocked, and there stood general quesada, perspiring freely and greatly excited. he had delayed to get his precious prisoner who knew too much. carelessly assuming that in his disabled condition walter could make no resistance, he proposed to take him from the ship single-handed. in expecting meek obedience he was guilty of a serious error of judgment. with rescue so near, the robust youth was in no mood to obey the beckoning gesture. he objected to being led into the jungle, and his objection was sudden and violent. his wits were working as nimbly as if he were pitching a championship game of base-ball. this was his first chance to meet the enemy on anything like even terms. and he had a large-sized score to settle with general quesada. walter would have preferred a hickory broom-handle and plenty of room to swing it, but without weapons of any kind and only one good arm he must choose new tactics. general quesada stood in the doorway and growled impatiently at him. stepping back to gain momentum, walter lowered his head and lunged forward like a human battering-ram. he smote the corpulent general in the region of his belt. the impact was terrific. the amazed warrior doubled up and sat down with a thump and a grunt, clasping his fat hands to his stomach. his appearance was that of a man who had collided with a pile-driver. walter climbed over his mountainous bulk and the general was too breathless to utter his emotions. his face expressed the most painful bewilderment. he had ceased to take interest in his very urgent affairs. walter had no time to pity him. he had resolved to assist the stern course of justice to the best of his ability. using his left arm and shoulder, he sturdily shoved at the collapsed general until he had moved him inside the state-room. it was like trying to shift a bale of cotton. the door opened outward into the main cabin, so that walter was able to close and lock it. then he pushed and dragged a table, a bench, and several chairs to build a barricade against the door as an extra precaution. this accomplished, the weary and panting youth said to himself: "i think that will hold him for a while. it was about time the worm turned. now i'm willing to call it quits. and his crew isn't going to bother to look for him." this was a sound conclusion. it was a case of every man for himself. they were entirely too busy trying to outrun the bullets of the marines to concern themselves about the fate of general quesada. he could not even yell to them to wait for him, because the collision with walter's hard head made it necessary for him to remain seated on the floor, still pensively clasping his belt and wondering what had happened to him. walter was for taking no chances with his prize. perching himself upon the barricade, he waited for the boarding-party from the tug to find him. the ship became silent except for the shriek of the steam from the safety-valves. walter was left in sole command to enjoy the situation. presently general quesada showed symptoms of reviving. he lifted his voice in a quavering appeal to his comrades in arms, but they had disappeared beyond the green curtain of the jungle. walter listened to the plaintive wail and gloated. he was not vindictive by nature, but there was such a thing as righteous retribution. when general quesada became more vigorous and began to kick the door, walter addressed him soothingly and advised him to be calm. when the party of marines reached the steamer, jack devlin was one of the first to scramble on deck. the voice of this faithful friend came down the companion-way to walter. "he is not in the ship, you can take my word for it. he would have surely shown himself by now." "oh, don't look so sad-eyed and hopeless until we make a search," replied the captain of marines. "i can't believe that he was put out of the way during the voyage. and we didn't see him taken ashore." walter kept silent. this was the most delightful moment of his life. presently devlin came downstairs into the cabin. the place was gloomy after the dazzling sunshine above, and he halted to get his bearings. then moving forward, he almost stumbled into the barricade of furniture. walter leaned over, grasped him by the shoulder, and exclaimed: "i'm glad to see you aboard. did you have a pleasant trip?" the steam-shovel man jumped back, and emitted a yell which could have been no louder if he had been clutched by a ghost. "are you honestly alive?" he gasped. "you blessed young rascal, you! you scared me out of a year's growth." "of course i am alive, and doing very nicely, thank you. how in the world did you happen to get on my trail? and what about the tug and the rest of the outfit?" walter tried to make his voice sound as if this were a commonplace meeting, but his eyes twinkled with mischief as he thought of the second surprise in store for the steam-shovel man. "i'll tell you all about it when you are safe aboard the _dauntless_ yonder," said devlin. "and what are you doing roosting on that heap of furniture like a crazy hen? oh my, but i'm sorry general quesada got away from you. we surely did pine to lug him back to panama with us." the hapless general in the state-room had become silent, for he was reluctant to draw the attention of the american party. walter chuckled as he replied: "i have a present for you. it is a big one. if you really want general quesada, you can have him with my compliments." "you're joking, boy. he is boring a large hole in the jungle by this time." "he wishes he was. open this door behind me and see what you find." devlin tossed the furniture aside and entered the state-room. general quesada was sitting on the edge of the bunk and appeared very low-spirited. just then the captain of the marines came below with a dozen privates at his heels. the steam-shovel man loudly summoned them, adding with tremendous gusto: "didn't i tell you that goodwin was the finest lad that ever happened? all he needed was a chance to get into action." they cheered for goodwin, and cordially invited general quesada to surrender and end the war. "you _would_ steal uncle sam's groceries and go skylarking off to start trouble in the cute little republic of san salvador, would you?" playfully remarked a sergeant of marines. "i never had a chance to talk plain to a real live general. step lively, now. no impudence." the general was permitted to get his personal baggage, after which the marines escorted him to the _dauntless_, where his fallen fortunes met with little sympathy. he was a sullen, despondent figure and not a trace of his pompous bearing was left. the sea was so smooth and the weather indications so favorable that it was decided to salvage the cargo of the _juan lopez_. her arms and munitions and supplies were valuable and would be confiscated by the american government after due process of the law. the transfer had to be made in small boats, and was a task requiring two or three days. the _juan lopez_ was hopelessly stranded. she would soon go to pieces, a melancholy memorial of a spanish-american revolution that was nipped in the bud. walter goodwin was in danger of being spoiled by the marines who petted and pampered him, and were never tired of hearing him spin the yarn of his adventures which began with the episode of the parrot and the broomstick. their surgeon attended to the injured arm, and found that it was little the worse for the rough usage of the voyage. his verdict was so encouraging that walter could hope to play base-ball before the isthmian league finished its winter season. this aroused violent argument on board the _dauntless_. a war of words raged over walter's services as a pitcher. jack devlin set up a claim in behalf of culebra, because he had engineered the rescue. "all obligations to naughton and those other cristobal robbers are wiped out," cried he. "if i hadn't set out to find you and stuck to it like a terrier at a rat-hole, where would you be now?" "camp elliot has a pretty fast nine," chimed in the captain of marines, "and goodwin fairly belongs to us. didn't we have a lot to do with getting him back?" "i really belong to cristobal--" walter tried to explain, but devlin cut the discussion short by declaring: "we'll put it up to colonel gunther for a decision." after one of these good-natured altercations, walter called the steam-shovel man aside and anxiously told him: "it is all very fine to be called a hero and to be in such demand as a pitcher, but it doesn't make me very happy. i came to the isthmus to look for a job on the gold roll and i seem to be getting farther away from it all the time. i am broke and my folks at home don't know where i am, and i don't seem to be giving them a lift very fast." devlin was instantly attentive and serious. it seemed to strike him for the first time that being rescued was not a part of walter's real programme. "of course, i thought you ought to be pretty well satisfied with yourself," said he. "you have kicked up a most amazing rumpus for a lad of your tender years. now, about a job----" "don't think me ungrateful," broke in walter. "i don't deserve all this wonderful friendship and kindness. i am just worried about things, that's all, and i want your advice." "you are perfectly right, my boy. you are keeping your eye on the ball. in the first place, the colonel himself is interested in you. he ought to be. you made trouble enough for him. and major glendinning will forgive you for trying to stop that landslide in the cut. you have recovered a good many dollars' worth of commissary supplies for him, and that thief of a checker has been gotten rid of. you can take it from me that he hasn't been seen since. your stock ought to be way above par by now." "do you really think there will be something for me to do?" asked walter. "if there isn't, i'll recommend you to the colonel for the job of suppressing spanish-american revolutions with neatness and despatch. the panama republic and san salvador between them ought to reward you handsomely for putting the lid on general quesada." "maybe my luck has turned," was walter's hopeful comment. "if it hasn't, my son, you can set me down as a mighty poor guesser." chapter ix a parent's anxious pilgrimage for the present walter goodwin may safely be left on board the sea-going tug _dauntless_ in charge of the faithful jack devlin and the admiring marines. some attention should be paid to the parents and the sister whom he had left behind in wolverton. their affairs may seem very prosaic after the crowded experiences of the only son by land and sea, but nevertheless they deserve to be accounted for. as the waiting days wore on, the house seemed to echo with loneliness. walter had filled it with lusty clatter and activity, and the very disorder he had always left in his wake was an intimate part of the family life. there was a jubilee when his first letter arrived from the isthmus, telling them of a safe voyage and of finding employment on the very day he landed. because the thoughtful youth made no mention of the dynamite ship, the household became more cheerful and less anxious. walter was the most wonderful boy in the world. several days after this they received two letters in the same mail, which caused alarm and bewilderment. one of them had been dictated to naughton in the ancon hospital, the other written and signed by the impulsive jack devlin. they told the news of walter's accident and this was very disturbing in itself, but, alas, the well-meaning attempt of the steam-shovel man to send solid aid and comfort by means of a money-order inspired the most alarming conjectures. mr. horatio goodwin was a man of a practical turn of mind, and he sounded the first note of misgiving when he told his wife and daughter: "i cannot understand it at all. walter has been hurt, but he sends us no details whatever. in this letter, which he dictated from the hospital, he tells us a great deal of interesting news about the panama canal, but it sounds as if it had been written by a man thoroughly familiar with the work." "walter is very bright--" began eleanor. "he never shone at english composition," sighed her mother. "and i am quite sure he is not a trained engineer," added mr. goodwin. "the letter is not like walter at all, and as for this money-order for forty dollars enclosed in the brief note from jack devlin----" mrs. goodwin no more than half heard this speech. she was wondering whether walter was really having good care. how dreadfully forlorn it must be in a hospital two thousand miles from home! supposing one of those horrid mosquitoes that carry yellow-fever should fly in and bite him? "bless his heart!" cried she. "and we have no idea of what has happened to him. and to think of his sending money to us when i am quite sure he must need it for himself! it is just like him." "he was probably hurt while trying to save somebody's life," quoth dewy-eyed eleanor. "this mr. devlin says that poor walter was a bit mussed up. it sounds perfectly awful, doesn't it?" mr. goodwin shook his head and appeared more than ever perplexed as he reread the two letters and laid them side by side on the sitting-room table, with the mysterious money-order between them. "you two hero-worshippers do not seem to realize what an extraordinary affair this is," said he. "in his own letter walter makes no mention of sending money. and in the same mail comes this large remittance on account of walter's salary, and it is enclosed by one devlin, who seems to have no official position on the isthmus." "he is the steam-shovel man who filled walter with the notion of going to the isthmus," said mrs. goodwin. "walter thought he was a splendid fellow." "but walter knew nothing about him. and it is out of the question that a boy like him should be given forty dollars in advance by a government department only a few days after his arrival on the isthmus." "walter must have made a wonderfully fine impression," argued the doting mother. "he was worrying about us, and he asked mr. devlin to look after his affairs and mail some money to us." this sounded plausible, provided one took an exceedingly rosy view of walter's earning capacity, and as mrs. goodwin and eleanor regarded it, nothing was too extraordinary to happen on the isthmus of panama. but after eleanor had gone to bed mr. goodwin eyed the baffling money-order and lost himself in meditative silence. at length his wife reminded him: "you have been staring at that table long enough, horatio. and you are worrying more and more. of course, all i can think of is that walter is ill and needs his mother. i hope his next letter will explain everything." "he is the only boy we have, and i wish he was at home," said mr. goodwin in a low voice. his shoulders sagged more than usual and his face was white and tired. the absent son was tugging at his heart-strings. unconsciously he let his glance dwell on the shabby old easy-chair in which walter had been wont to fling himself after supper and study his high-school text-books. "why, horatio, you look as if you thought something serious might have happened to him," exclaimed his wife. "i confess that i am very low in my mind, but mothers are silly creatures. are you very anxious?" "you and i have never hidden anything from each other, my dear," he slowly answered. "neither of these letters is from walter himself. they make me feel as if we had not really heard from him. if some one had a motive for wishing us to believe that we need have no anxiety about walter, this money might have been sent for a purpose, to keep us quiet." "a bad motive? these letters were meant to deceive us?" quavered mrs. goodwin, and then she rallied to say with the most emphatic decision, "i don't care if it costs a dollar a word, horatio, i want you to send a cable message to the hospital as soon as the office opens to-morrow morning. i would gladly sell every stick of furniture in the house to be sure of getting a reply from walter within the next twenty-four hours, and so would you." "that is precisely what i had decided to do," he exclaimed with an approving smile. "i indorse your ultimatum, my dear. we shall hear from walter to-morrow, and then we'll be laughing at each other for borrowing so much trouble." it therefore happened that before noon of the following day there was delivered to the surgeon of the accident ward a message, which read thus: goodwin hospital ancon. cable me is all well. father. the surgeon sighed as if here was a hard nut to crack. this was only the day after walter goodwin had vanished from the hospital, to the consternation of his friends, devlin and alfaro. they had hurried into panama in search of him and no word had come back to the surgeon. "i have no idea where goodwin is," he said to a friend of the hospital staff. "he failed to turn up here last night, and i guess his friends couldn't find him. they were afraid he was in trouble." "what will you do with the cablegram?" "i think i had better hold it for two or three days before i try to answer it myself. devlin or that impetuous young diplomat from colombia may drift in and tell me some news. and goodwin himself may reappear. i hate to cable the agitated parent that his son's whereabouts are unknown. it would be like looking for a needle in a hay-stack for me to try to find him in panama." the surgeon tucked the message in his pocket and went to join his white-clad fellows in the operating-room. he was a very busy young man, and there was no time in his crowded day to investigate the disappearance of walter goodwin. and inasmuch as the _dauntless_ and the marines had been sent to sea with very little publicity, several days passed before the story of the pursuit of the _juan lopez_ reached the hospital. meanwhile that anxious parent, mr. horatio goodwin, had found it difficult to give proper attention to his book-keeping duties in the office of the coal-dealer in wolverton. he started nervously when any one entered the place and his eye was alert for the cap and buttons of a telegraph-messenger boy. at the end of the first day of waiting, he trudged homeward in a state of mind distraught and downcast. his wife was grievously disappointed that no word had come from walter, but eleanor maintained her blithe spirits. she had suddenly decided to become a sculptor and labored until bedtime over a sticky lump of modelling clay. "this is a bust of walter," she announced. "it looks as if his face had been stepped on, but the firmly moulded chin is quite well done, don't you think? it is comforting to look at that sculptured chin. it shows that walter can overcome all obstacles. it helps to keep me from worrying about him." even this masterpiece failed to console the parents, who waited in vain through another long day. every little while mr. goodwin darted from the coal-dealer's place to the telegraph office. at supper he told his wife: "there has been no interruption in the cable service, and our message must have reached ancon within two or three hours after i sent it." "walter may have left the hospital by this time," said she, "but they ought to know his address." "yes. the department in which he is employed should be able to locate him at once. the whereabouts of every american must be on record." walter's silence tortured them. like other fathers and mothers since the beginning, they imagined all sorts of mischances which might have befallen him, just as when he had lingered after dark at the skating-pond his mother was sure he had broken through the ice. such crosses as these the right kind of parents must bear. it is part of the price they pay. on the isthmus of panama walter goodwin might consider himself a man, but in his own home, in the hearts of his own people, he was still a boy to be watched over, to be feared for, to inspire a thousand tender anxieties of which he would never be aware. "it will be very hard to wait for a letter from him," murmured mrs. goodwin. "i have tried to be brave, but----" "you have been brave and fine," and her husband kissed her. "perhaps i should not have let him go. i find it difficult to apply myself to my day's work. i can write to the canal authorities asking them to make a search, but we could not expect a reply before three weeks." at breakfast next morning eleanor, whose faith in the ability of her masterful brother to conquer in any circumstances was still unshaken, declared with the air of one who had solved a problem: "if i were the parent of an only son who was lost, strayed, or stolen, do you know what i'd do? i should take that money-order that has made all the trouble and use it to pay my way to the isthmus of panama as soon as i could." "it would take a good deal more than forty dollars," replied mrs. goodwin, "and your father could not leave his business." "very well, but father can find another position, and he can never find another son like walter." eleanor's eyes sparkled with determination. "we may be poor just now, but you have said a hundred times that you are rich in your two children. it seems to me that you have lost half your fortune. at least, you don't know where he is." mr. horatio goodwin made no argument. his gaze was rather absent as he sat looking at his impulsive daughter. she had echoed what was in his own mind, but he could not make it seem practicable. mrs. goodwin revealed what was closest to her own heart by exclaiming unsteadily: "i was awake most of the night trying to plan this very thing, horatio. oh, i want you to go to panama and bring walter straight home with you. why, eleanor and i would take in washing if necessary. is it impossible?" "nothing is impossible if you try hard enough," gravely affirmed eleanor. "there is joan of arc, for instance. she is my favorite character in history. just think what she went through----" "the comparison is a little far-fetched," said mr. goodwin, as he looked at the clock and went into the hall to put on his overcoat. he was usually at his desk on the stroke of the clock, but now he lingered. all his days he had walked in the beaten path of habit, a methodical man unaccustomed to veering off at sudden tangents. now he had been violently lifted from the rut and his mind was in rebellion. he had been afraid of poverty, but this anxiety was overshadowed. mrs. goodwin followed him into the hall. her troubled face was so eloquent that he said: "it is not really impossible, my dear. i could raise the money for the trip, either on my note, or by placing a small mortgage on the house." "you need not worry about leaving us," she replied. "there is a little left in the savings-bank, and we can get along nicely." "oh, you blessed daddy," cried eleanor, her arms around his neck. "when can you start? i will help mother find your summer clothes in the attic, and pack the little black trunk. you are going to the tropics, you know." "there is no hurry, my young fly-away. matters are not in shape to go at a moment's notice." he was not as deliberate as his words indicated. on the way to the coal office he bought a new york newspaper and turned to the shipping advertisements. a steamer was scheduled to sail direct to colon that very afternoon at five o'clock, and there would be no more departures for several days. mr. goodwin wore a hopeless air. it seemed utterly out of the question for him to take this steamer, although a train connection from wolverton would enable him to reach the wharf by four o'clock. unreconciled to the delay, he entered the coal office and listlessly took the ledgers and journals from the safe. his employer, an elderly irishman with a rough tongue and a reputation more or less ungodly, halted while passing the desk and inquired: "what's been on your mind for the last couple o' days, mr. goodwin? you've been hoppin' in and out of here like a distracted flea. anything wrong with th' strappin' lad that went sailin' off to make his forthune? has he been forgettin' to write to ye? 'tis the way of 'em. i raised five meself." this solicitude was unexpected, and mr. goodwin stammered in surprised tones: "why, thank you. yes, i am greatly concerned about walter." "tell me about it," demanded the other. "has he got himself into a scrape, or can't ye get anny word from him at all?" the father explained matters, and the shrewd, leathery countenance of his employer expressed lively interest as he commented: "thim spaniards is a queer lot. i mistrust 'em on gineral principles. one of me own boys fought agin 'em in the war, tho' he was fightin' typhoid-fever germs at tampa durin' the whole of his enlistment. annyhow, ye ought to go down there right away an' look after your boy. 'tis the proper thing to do. ye have no lads to spare." "i hope to be able to arrange to go, but--but i expected to consult with you--" began mr. goodwin. "you need not worry about your job, if that's what you're drivin' at," exclaimed the old man. "'tis not much of a job, but it will be here when you come back. as ye know, keepin' my books is no great undertakin' an' i pay what it's worth. it would go agin me principles to pay more. have you enough ready money to finance th' journey? i hope ye will have two fares to pay comin' back." "well, i haven't the funds just at present, but i may be able, in a few days, to secure----" "quit beatin' about the bush, mr. goodwin, and talk to me like a man. are you afraid i'll bite ye? there ain't a citizen of wolverton that stands better than you. why will ye go messin' around and wastin' time tryin' to raise money? will three hundred be enough? ye'll find a way to pay me when you get on easy street again, and i will not burst into tears if you don't." mr. goodwin fumbled for his handkerchief. he had all the symptoms of a cold in the head. his employer regarded him with an enjoyable grin and resumed: "you don't know what to make of me separatin' meself from a dollar unless it's took from me by violence. my dear man, i'm a philanthropist in disguise, tho' i didn't know it meself until now. when does a ship sail to the place ye want to go to?" "this afternoon. i can catch it if i go to new york at eleven o'clock," answered the dazed book-keeper. he was grasped by the back of the neck, his hat jammed on his head, his overcoat flung at him, and as the strong arm of the coal merchant propelled him to the front door a husky voice roared in his ear: "trot home an' say good-by to the wife an' stop at the bank as ye dash for the train. the cash will be there. now shoo, an' god bless ye! i have five of me own, and i would go to a hotter place than the isthmus of panama for anny one of them." mr. horatio goodwin ran home so fast that he lost his breath and could only paw the air and make funny noises while his dismayed wife hovered over him and was undecided whether to bathe his head in cold water or summon the family doctor. he had begun to make a feeble remark or two when that serene damsel eleanor laboriously descended the stairs, the little black trunk bumping behind her. she showed both insight and presence of mind by exclaiming: "he is not having a fit, mother, dear. he is in a great hurry to go to panama, and he isn't used to running up the hill. i had an impunct that he would come home this morning, and i've been getting things ready for him." "is the child dreaming?" cried mrs. goodwin. "horatio, what _is_ the matter with you?" "eleven o'clock train--steamer this afternoon--everything arranged--straight from heaven--last man in the world to expect it from--can't understand it--" panted mr. goodwin, who had dropped into a chair and sat with his legs sticking out straight in front of him. his audience waited to hear no more, but began to whisk things into the little black trunk. "it is just like being in a drama," observed eleanor, her cheeks as red as two roses. "i may try to write a play, for i begin to have doubts about my genius as a sculptor. where are father's clean socks, mother? in the mending basket?" "do find his last summer's straw hat," commanded mrs. goodwin. "i am afraid walter used it as a target and shot the crown out. horatio, do you suppose a batch of my doughnuts would keep if i put them in a tin cake-box? walter simply dotes on them." "put them in my straw hat? nonsense!" returned mr. goodwin, to whom this dialogue had sounded rather confused. "please telephone for a cab, eleanor. i wish to have plenty of time at the station, and we can sit down there and talk things over. i was never caught in a whirlwind before and my wits seem to be considerably scattered." granted peace of mind, the sea voyage to the isthmus would have been a rare vacation for mr. horatio goodwin. as it was, he felt ready to risk his neck in a flying-machine to reach the journey's end as soon as possible. he found the passengers most cordial and sympathetic and every one on board took an interest in his quest. as soon as the steamer dropped anchor in colon harbor the captain began to make inquiries. one of the doctors from the american quarantine station, who came on board to inspect the ship's company, happened to be a friend of naughton, the dynamite man. he had met that bland gentleman a few days before and obtained from him an unfinished story which was not calculated to reassure mr. goodwin. "indeed i have heard of young goodwin," said the doctor. "you see, i am a base-ball crank, and i knew that he was expected to pitch for cristobal. his first job was unloading dynamite for naughton----" "unloading dynamite!" murmured the father of walter. "was he--was he blown up?" "not a bit of it. he made good. the next i heard of him he was dug out of a landslide in culebra cut." "and did he survive that?" mr. goodwin's knees were trembling, and he sat down in a deck-chair. "oh, yes. it didn't damage him much, barring a badly wrenched arm which spoiled his pitching. he was in ancon hospital----" "then the letters were all right. i am so relieved," and mr. goodwin's face beamed. "now i can find him and----" the quarantine doctor looked perplexed and hesitated before he replied: "i hope so. the last time i saw naughton he told me a most remarkable yarn. young goodwin had been carried to sea in a filibustering steamer by a notorious panamanian named quesada, who had it in for him. a government tug and a company of marines were sent in chase." "and what then?" mr. goodwin had completely wilted. "i haven't heard the end of it. the tug ought to be back by this time unless she had to run all the way to san salvador. i'm quite sure the boy is all right. he is hard to down. i shall be glad to put you in touch with the right people as soon as you get ashore." "this all sounds like the worst kind of a nightmare," wearily muttered mr. goodwin. "if i can find him i shall take him home by the first steamer." chapter x base-ball and a happy family almost a week after the _juan lopez_ had fled so hastily from the bay of panama, walter goodwin came back in the government tug with a body-guard of devoted marines. although he had managed to make a good deal of noise in the world for a youth of his years, he had no false ideas of his own importance. as he looked at it, he had made a muddle of things and his friends had pulled him out. he must show them that he could stand on his own feet and they must be given no more trouble in his behalf. before landing at balboa, he said to jack devlin: "please forget about me. i can jump right in and look for a job." "not until i have taken you to the colonel. those were his orders. we'll board the first train to culebra on the chance of finding him in his office." "did he really want to see me?" "sure. you are the prize disturbance of the isthmus." colonel gunther was in consultation with two of his division engineers when the steam-shovel man led walter in by the arm. shoving aside a mass of blue-prints and typewritten data, the colonel stepped forward and heartily exclaimed: "why, here is the young man who was so handy with the broomstick! i am delighted to know that your latest voyage has turned out so well. i understand that you bagged general quesada as an incident of the adventure." walter blushed and replied: "i had a lucky chance to get square with him, sir." "the lad used his head, colonel," put in devlin, with a broad grin. "it's head-work that counts on the isthmus, if you please. i have heard you say it yourself." "i can't thank you enough. i wasn't worth all that trouble," said walter. "oh, perhaps you were," smiled the colonel. "that remains to be seen. devlin told me that you were looking for work when you got into this extraordinary scrape. you have done the canal commission a considerable service. would you like to take a position on the wharf at balboa?" walter was about to answer with great fervor when a tall, spare gentleman in khaki entered the office from another room and paused to survey the group. then he raised his voice abruptly and protested: "pardon me, colonel, but goodwin belongs to me. i saw him first. with your permission i will use him in the cristobal commissary." "oh, how are you, major glendinning," and the colonel chuckled. "has base-ball anything to do with your lively interest in this young man?" "officially? no. between us, as man to man? yes," frankly returned the major. "the force at cristobal will be most unhappy if goodwin is sent to balboa. they will consider themselves wronged. their morale will be impaired." "is it as bad as that?" the colonel tried to look serious. "if base-ball is really involved, i had better surrender. i would rather not add to my troubles." the major bowed his thanks, and his stern features relaxed in a mischievous smile. turning to walter, he said in his curt way: "glad to see you again. how is the arm? i called at the hospital to see you, but you had flown off on that ridiculous voyage. can you steer clear of landslides and revolutions for a while?" "i'll try, sir. i should like to lead a very quiet life. i can pitch again before long." the major glanced at the colonel and said impressively to walter: "i shall give you a job in my department, not on account of your base-ball, mind you, but because you did a clever, plucky piece of work on balboa wharf. is that clearly understood?" "be careful, or you will protest too much," laughed colonel gunther, as he returned to his desk. "i think there is no question that goodwin has earned the right to a job in the zone." jack devlin shook hands with walter and whispered: "i had it in mind to put in a word myself. i want to break you in at firing a steam-shovel when you are strong and husky again. but it would have started another row over the base-ball end of it. major glendinning is a stubborn man to lock horns with. so long, my boy. your luck has turned. i'll look you up on my first day off." "you are the best friend a fellow ever had," said walter. two days later he was put on the gold roll as a commissary clerk and assigned to the great warehouse in cristobal, which was filled with groceries, dry-goods, hardware, shoes, crockery, candy, and what-not. it was one depot of the unique system of store-keeping conducted on a vast scale by a paternal government. after his breathless adventures, walter was glad to work with all his might at the humdrum task of tallying the merchandise as it came in from the railroad cars. he was thus engaged when his father found him. mr. horatio goodwin halted amid the boxes and barrels, and stood staring at his tall son as if to make sure that his vision had not tricked him. walter dropped his tally-sheet, blinked in his turn and shouted: "goodness gracious, father! is it you or somebody else?" with this he made a violent assault on his parent, swung him clear of the floor in a bear-like hug, and set him down in a rumpled condition. "are you really all right, walter?" gasped mr. goodwin. "of course i'm all right. can't you see it for yourself? you can't lose me," walter kept repeating as if he were firing minute-guns. "and what brought you way down here from wolverton?" mr. goodwin tried to explain, but both were too excited to weave a coherent narrative, and after waving his hands helplessly the father cried: "we can tell all this later. i have come to take you home with me. a steamer sails for new york to-morrow." "to take me home with you?" walter's face was dismal beyond words. this was a worse catastrophe than the landslide. "why, father, you don't understand. everything is coming my way. i am on the gold roll at seventy-five per month, and i intend to send 'most half of it home. i had a few little upsets, but that's all past. do you honestly mean it?" "it is why i made the long journey," firmly answered mr. goodwin. "your mother and i cannot stand it, walter. after she hears of the dynamite and the landslide and the pirates she will never forgive me if i leave you here." "but you will give me a chance to talk it over with you?" implored walter. "a fellow can't afford to have his career smashed all to flinders. please look around first and see what a fine country this is to live in. it is as quiet and safe as wolverton, and a good deal healthier." "your adventures sound like it," was mr. goodwin's dry comment. "can you quit work at once and come over to the hotel with me?" "not until noon and then i will knock off for dinner, father. it wouldn't be square to leave my job, even to talk things over with you. excuse me, but i must keep this car-load of stuff moving." mr. horatio goodwin was repulsed, but by no means vanquished. for all his mild demeanor, he had an obstinate streak, and his purpose of taking walter home was unshaken. as a dutiful son, walter was sorely distressed. he had never defied his father, nor did he wish to do so now. but he could not bear to think of leaving the isthmus with success in his grasp. resorting to strategy, he said to his father when next they met: "now that you are here, why don't you spend a week in seeing the canal? it is the greatest show on earth. you ought not to miss it. you needn't worry about me. i am as safe as if i were clerking in a corner grocery in wolverton." the suggestion delighted mr. goodwin, although he had a struggle with his conscience on the score of expense. he ought to hasten back to his desk in the coal-dealer's office. but never again would he have such a vacation as this, and it would be easier to persuade walter by pressing the argument gradually. next morning mr. goodwin, eager and alert, went out to view the gatun locks and dam. walter toiled in the commissary and meditated great thoughts. there must be some way to solve the problem. he bided his time until major glendinning, passing through the warehouse on a tour of inspection, halted to ask: "how are you going to like the job?" "tremendously, sir, thank you. but i may have to resign this week. my father has come after me." "what? does he think you are incapable of taking care of yourself?" thundered the major. "what's the matter with him?" "they want me with them at home. i am too far away from the family." "pshaw! does your father need you in his own business?" "no, sir. his business doesn't amount to much at present. he was with the wolverton mills for twenty years as accountant and book-keeper----" "the mills closed down," interrupted the major. "i used to purchase from them." "yes, sir. my father is a first-class man in every way, but times are dull at home and--and--" walter mopped his face and floundered on, "you see, i happened to think that instead of my going home to the family, i might somehow manage to bring the family down here. it sounds foolish, but----" major glendinning was both touched and amused. he had heard of walter's ambition to "give his father a lift." "you mean to insinuate that there might possibly be an opening for a first-class accountant and book-keeper in the canal organization?" he queried. "can you recommend him?" "very highly," was walter's grave reply. "i have known him for seventeen years, and he can furnish the very best of references." "bless me, but you are a sort of continuous performance," exclaimed major glendinning. "a really first-class accountant and book-keeper! um-m! if you are a chip of the old block, your father deserves careful consideration. such men are not any too easy to find for the office work of the various departments, even though the pay-rolls are full." "he is at the washington hotel in colon," hopefully suggested walter. "of course, i am very anxious to stay on the job, and i don't want to disobey him----" "perhaps you can persuade him to file a formal application," said major glendinning. six weeks later a holiday crowd assembled in the base-ball park at cristobal to see an important game of the isthmian league series. these hundreds of cheerful, hearty americans stood for something more than a keen interest in the most popular sport of their nation. they showed that the pestilential tropics had been conquered, that the northern races could live and work and play in health and comfort where once the fever-laden chagres river had slain its thousands. when the bow-legged captain of the cristobal nine, "bucky" harrison, led his men across the diamond for preliminary practice, the grandstand greeted the pitcher with particular applause. he was tall and rugged and of a pleasant countenance, and one might have heard the on-lookers remarking: "that is young goodwin. cristobal expects to win the championship with him." "he is in the commissary and doing very well, i understand." "his father has a position in the same department, and the family lives at cristobal. the mother and sister are sitting over yonder. do you see the pretty young girl with the fair hair and the pink cheeks? she is in the zone high-school." as walter goodwin swung his good right arm in "warming-up" practice with the catcher, he glanced at the grandstand with an air of pride and satisfaction wholly unselfish. his venturesome voyage to the isthmus had been tremendously worth while. one more achievement, and his cup would be full to overflowing. he must prove that he could pitch winning base-ball. but a fellow who had earned a place for himself on the gold roll, and then found a fine position for his father, and moved the whole family from wolverton, ought to face the heaviest hitters of the culebra nine with a good deal of confidence in himself. shortly before the game began, walter spied a black-haired young man, who came running across the field, wildly waving his panama hat. with a joyous shout, walter scampered to meet señor fernandez garcia alfaro, who explained in his dramatic fashion: "i have just now arrived from colombia in the nick of time to behold you play the grand sport of base-ball, my dear friend. my steamer lands me at balboa this morning. i jump for the train. i rush. i am in the break-neck hurry, and here i am." "this is a glad reunion. and general quesada and his parrot will bother you no more for some time," cried walter. "so i have heard. he is locked up in uncle sam's hotel with the iron bars, which is a very good place for him. i am going back to washington to be a diplomat some more. and how is that dear family of yours? what do you hear from them?" "they are all here," exclaimed walter, as he dragged the surprised colombian toward the grandstand. you may be sure that mrs. goodwin and her daughter found this young man entertaining company, for he promptly delivered himself of a eulogy of walter as a noble, splendid young man who had saved his life. in his own country girls of fourteen were young ladies and to be treated as such, wherefore he instantly lost his heart to eleanor and was so flatteringly attentive that she felt very grown-up indeed. their animated conversation ceased when the cristobal players took their positions in the field, and the first of the culebra batsmen marched to the plate. mr. horatio goodwin actually shut his eyes when walter was ready to deliver the ball. there was one other spectator quite as fidgety as he. it was that devoted patron of isthmian base-ball, major glendinning. the opponents from culebra were brawny men, and they were not at all interested in the emotions of the goodwin family. they proposed to hammer the young cristobal pitcher out of the box, and during the first and second innings it looked as if they might be successful. that temperamental dynamite expert, naughton, slumped in a disconsolate heap when he beheld walter's pitching pounded for one hard, clean hit after another. the game was still young, however, and the cristobal fielding was sharp and steady. walter gritted his teeth and took his punishment manfully. jack devlin was catching for culebra, and as walter came to the bat, the steam-shovel man muttered behind his mask: "see here, my boy. i'll turn traitor for once. i want to see you make good. i am responsible for you. don't try to win on your speed. ease up. save yourself. use your head. you go at things too hard." here was friendship indeed. devlin was as loyal to the culebra nine as he was to the devouring monster of a steam-shovel, old twenty-six, but he felt that as "walter's godfather by brevet" he was in honor bound to stick to him through thick and thin. the advice was sound. already walter had felt warning twinges in his arm. he became more deliberate and wary, and culebra's batting streak was checked. the cristobal partisans cheered him lustily, and that elderly gentleman of large affairs, major glendinning, was guilty of pounding a perfect stranger on the back. then "bucky" harrison and his comrades rallied and dismayed the culebra pitcher by driving in three runs, which tied the score. the game seesawed for some time, while walter goodwin became more effective and cool-headed. the fateful seventh inning arrived, and the score still stood at - . then cristobal gained a run on a timely hit. a little later, culebra filled the bases with two men out. walter hitched up his belt and stole a glance at the grandstand. eleanor was leaning forward, lips parted, hands clasped, "wishing hard enough to win," as he had so often beheld her on the high-school field at wolverton. he turned to face the culebra batter, a bronzed six-footer of the steam-shovel brigade. just then there came booming across the field the voice of naughton: "oh, you goodwin! remember how you handled the stuff on the dynamite ship. this is easy." this was the right word in due season. walter realized that he had stood the test of a bigger game than this, that he had proved himself in the day's work. as methodically as if he were carrying cases of dynamite across the deck, he turned and sent the ball breaking across the corner of the plate. the culebra giant swung at it as if he expected to drive a home-run into the caribbean sea. "one strike," called the umpire. the next ball floated lazily and so deceived the batter that he made no attempt to hit it. a third ball was batted high in air to fall into the waiting paws of "bucky" harrison. walter had pitched himself out of the tightest corner of the game against the most formidable team of the isthmian league. the game was won, for during the last two innings neither side was able to score. walter's friends gathered around him as he pressed through the crowd to join his family in the grandstand. naughton marched at one elbow, jack devlin at the other. mr. horatio goodwin was earnestly shaking hands with his wife, nor did he foresee that henceforth he was to be known on the isthmus, not by his own very respectable name and station, but as "the father of the kid pitcher." eleanor was confiding to fernandez garcia alfaro: "he is the most wonderful brother that ever was. i wish i could show you the bust that i made of modelling-clay. the firmly moulded chin was prophetic. i can't understand how they managed to dig so much of the panama canal without him." alfaro was as delighted over all the good fortune which had come to the goodwin family as if it had happened to himself. "i shall go to washington and be a diplomat with a heart full of the greatest gladness," he shouted to walter. "_viva_ everybody!" jack devlin approached rather sheepishly and eyed mr. goodwin uneasily as he confessed: "about that money-order i sneaked to you with the best of intentions. it made you so much worry and false alarm about the boy that i ought to be kicked. here is where i apologize." "it was the most brilliant inspiration you ever had," cheerfully replied the father of walter. "your generous impulse was one of the causes that brought us to the isthmus to live," added mrs. goodwin. "you had something to do with reuniting the family. we feel under great obligations to you." "everything has ended so happily!" came from the radiant eleanor. "life is uninteresting unless there are a few complications to look back on as one grows older." in the evening jack devlin called at the cottage under the palms at cristobal, beside the white beach and the flashing sea. he wished to pay his formal respects to the goodwin family, believing himself largely responsible for their migration. "there have been times when that lad of yours wished he had never set eyes on me," he said to mr. goodwin, "but i reckon i'm forgiven. he had a good berth in the commissary, but i am hoping he will want to tackle a grown man's job after a while. if you want to finish his schooling i will say no more, but there is no all-round education in the world like holding down a job on the panama canal." "walter informs me that he wishes to become a mechanical engineer," replied mr. goodwin. "my parental authority has been rather shaky ever since my son recommended me to major glendinning. it will be some time before i dare to assert my rights as the head of the family." "father is joking," exclaimed walter. "my family responsibilities did give me some worry, but they are off my hands." "then with your father's permission, you will begin your real education with a fireman's shovel, feeding coal into old twenty-six," said devlin. "it is not an easy school, but i think you can stand up to it by next summer." "it sounds like a great place for a husky young fellow," blithely quoted walter, and devlin indulged in a reminiscent grin. "i think i told you something like that once upon a time," said he. "you spoke words of wisdom," was walter's emphatic verdict. "i am sure that father and mother will agree that your advice was gilt-edged. i am not looking for easy work. i want to help dig the panama canal. it will be something to feel proud of all my life. and before the culebra cut is finished and the big ships go sailing through, i intend to be a full-fledged steam-shovel man." the end books by ralph d. paine _the dragon and the cross_ illustrated, mo. $ . a lively story of how the son of an american missionary in china taught some chinese boys foot-ball and how the knowledge helped in one of the native risings against the foreigners. a thrilling tale of fighting, travel, and adventure. _the wrecking master_ illustrated, mo. $ . "will be read with pleasure by the many boys to whom the sea speaks with an inviting voice."--_new york herald._ "it's always good to read the story of a lad who makes his way and earns the love of fellow beings by his manliness. and when the story is told with spirit and deals with life upon the sea one thinks that it's the best sort of a book for boys--yes, and young men."--_chicago inter ocean._ _a cadet of the black star line_ illustrated, mo. $ . "mr. paine's narrative of the experiences of a cadet on one of the big ocean liners moves along with splendid spirit." --_philadelphia press._ "a stirring tale of sea life, the breezes of the ocean blowing through every chapter.... clean, wholesome reading." --_new york observer._ _college series_ "in his stories of sport, ralph paine accomplishes considerable in the right direction. he shows the reader the sport itself, and not only the final-moment peep at it. he preaches subtly, too, for cleanness in athletics, and i doubt not that his books have done a great deal toward imbuing young men with a proper conception of the honest red-blood world of muscle."--w. w. aulick in _the bookman_. _campus days_ illustrated, mo. $ . ralph paine writes of college life and adventure with a knowledge, humor, and genial liveliness that bring foot-ball games, classrooms, campus, and undergraduates vividly before us. in this new book he tells of grinds and sports, of athletes and loafers, of their troubles, their triumphs, their sentimental adventures and hare-brained escapades. _the stroke oar_ illustrated, mo. $ . "a wholesome, vigorous story."--_chicago tribune._ "a jolly, rollicking, bully narration."--_boston globe._ "good, clean, and wholesome, filled with the atmosphere of athletic and out-of-door living and thinking." --_richmond times-dispatch._ "the hero is a first-rate story and his mistakes and triumphs make a first-rate story."--_boston transcript._ charles scribner's sons, new york _sandy sawyer, sophomore_ illustrated, mo. $ . "there is no little fun and humor in the book, and sandy with his push and enterprise is a most likable young fellow." --_springfield republican._ "'sandy sawyer, sophomore,' is a clean, healthy book, the kind that makes you as an adult wish you could be young again for the keener pleasure the book would give you; but even the deadened sensibilities, when school days are becoming a dim recollection, cannot lessen your appreciation of how a boy would enjoy this book.... the author preaches cleanness and fairness in classroom and on athletic field."--_cincinnati times-star._ _the fugitive freshman_ illustrated, mo. $ . "a mysterious disappearance, a wreck, the real thing in a game of baseball are but a few of the excitements the book contains, which are presented as only mr. paine can present them." --_philadelphia ledger._ "wherever he goes he takes with him the college atmosphere, and while away engages in many entertaining adventures." --_boston globe._ "ralph d. paine has never told a better story for boys than in 'the fugitive freshman.' his young hero disappears from college because he fears his father's wrath over the debts he has piled up and has all kinds of adventures. it is an excellent book because the author is never sensational. he points good morals without any preaching."--_san francisco chronicle._ _the head coach_ illustrated, mo. $ . "the book is so compact of healthy young manliness and depicts so many sound-hearted characters in so winning a way that it deserves unusual success."--_chicago inter ocean._ "how the coach won out is a tale of plenty of incident and excitement to suit any foot-ball enthusiast, which is saying a good deal. and, it may be added, the romance is not all of the gridiron."--_minneapolis journal._ "a manly story related in straightforward fashion." --philadelphia press. _college years_ illustrated, mo. $ . "extremely life-like and accurate pictures of the campus.... every boy who intends to go to college will want to read these stories."--_yale alumni weekly._ "breezy, spirited, vigorous ... reflects the best part of college life as the student himself sees it."--_chicago record-herald._ "those who like rollicking fun and the stirring affairs of college athletics will enjoy thoroughly mr. paine's yarns. they are pervaded with the college atmosphere."--_springfield republican._ "like the other books for which this author is known, 'college years' is of a spirited and wholesome character that is sure to win for it many readers."--_chicago evening post._ "each story deals satisfactorily with its own field of effort the author's enthusiasm for athletics and yale is catching." --_new york sun._ note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see -h.htm or -h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h/ -h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ / -h.zip) the boy scouts at the panama canal by lieut. howard payson author of "the boy scouts of the eagle patrol," "the boy scouts on the range," "the boy scouts and the army airship," "the boy scouts' mountain camp," "the boy scouts for uncle sam," etc. a. l. burt company publishers new york printed in u. s. a. copyright, by hurst & company made in u. s. a. contents chapter page i. boy scouts to the rescue ii. an angry farmer iii. on a mission iv. some up-to-date advertising v. a big surprise vi. baseball vii. a test for the eagles viii. skill vs. muscle ix. fire! x. a scout hero xi. the fire test xii. in peril of his life xiii. the enemy's move xiv. a novel proposal xv. off for the isthmus xvi. something about the canal xvii. at old panama xviii. between earth and sky xix. the gatun dam xx. a dynamite volcano xxi. "run for your lives!" xxii. the boys meet an old acquaintance xxiii. along the chagres xxiv. the trackless jungle xxv. a chapter of accidents xxvi. the ruined city xxvii. "be prepared" the boy scouts at the panama canal chapter i. boy scouts to the rescue. farmer hiram applegate had just finished breakfast. for this reason, perhaps, he felt exceptionally good-humored. even the news he had read in his morning paper (of the day before) to the effect that his pet abomination and aversion, the boy scouts, had held a successful and popular review in new york and received personal commendation from the president failed to shake his equanimity. outside the farmhouse the spring sun shone bright and warm. the air was crisp, and odorous with the scent of apple blossoms. robins twittered cheerily, hens clucked and now and then a blue bird flashed among the orchard trees. as hiram stepped out on his "vendetta," as he called his verandah--or, to use the old-fashioned word and the better one, "porch"--he was joined by a rather heavy-set youth with small, shifty eyes and a sallow skin which gave the impression of languishing for soap and water. a suit of loud pattern, new yellow boots with "nobby" toes, and a gaudy necktie did not add to young jared applegate's general appearance. "pop," he began, after a glance at the old man's crabbed and wrinkled features, just then aglow with self-satisfaction, "pop, how about that money i spoke about?" old applegate stared at his offspring from under his heavy, iron-gray brows. "a fine time to be askin' fer money!" he snorted indignantly, "you just back frum panamy--under a cloud, too, and yet you start a pesterin' me fer money as ef it grew on trees." "what d'ye want it fer, hey?" he went on after a pause. "more bye scut nonsense?" jared shook his head as if denying some discreditable imputation. "i've had nothing to do with the boy scouts since the day i was kicked out of--that is, since i left the black wolf troop in new york." "dum glad of it, though you never tole me what you quit for," muttered the old man. "but to get back to that money," said jared; "as i told you when i got back from the isthmus, i need it. need it bad, too, or i wouldn't ask you." "makes no diff'rence. what d'ye want it fer,--hey?" he repeated, coming back to his original question. jared decided that there was nothing for it but to tell the truth. "to go over what i told you the other night once more, i'm in debt. debts i ran up on the isthmus," was the rejoinder. "a chap can't live down there for nothing you know, and--" "by heck! you got a dern good salary as mr. mainwaring's sec'ty, didn't yer, an' a chance ter learn engin-e-ring thrun in. you git fired fer misbehavin' yerself an' then yer come down on the old man fer money. i ain't goin' ter stand it, i ain't, and that's flat!" the old man knocked the ashes out of his half-smoked pipe with unnecessary violence. jared, eying him askance, saw that his father was working himself up into what jared termed "a tantrum." taking another tack, he resumed. "sho, pop! it ain't as if you weren't going to get it back. and there'll be interest at six per cent., too." this was touching old applegate on a tender point. if rumor in and about hampton spoke correctly, the old man had made most of his large fortune, not so much by farming, but by running, at ruinous rates, a sort of private bank. "wa'al," he said, his hard, rugged old face softening the least bit, "uv course you've tole me all that; but what you h'aint tole me is, how yer a goin' ter git ther money back,--an' the interest." he looked cunningly at his son as he spoke. jared hesitated an instant before he replied. then he said boldly enough:-- "i can't tell you just what the business enterprise is that i expect to go into shortly. i'm--i'm under a sort of promise not to, you see. but if everything goes right, i'll be worth a good round sum before long." "promises ain't security," retorted the old man warily. "i--gee whitakers! thar's that spotted hawg out agin!" across the dusty road the animal in question was passing as the farmer's eyes fell on it. in the center of the track it paused and began rooting about, grunting contentedly at its liberty. at the same moment a humming sound, almost like the drone of a big bumble bee, came out of the distance. as he heard the peculiar drone, a quick glance of recognition flashed across old applegate's face. "it's that pesky mainwaring gal an' her 'lectric auto!" he exploded vehemently. "that makes the third time in ther last two weeks that jake's bin out when she come along. ther fust time she knocked him over, ther second time she knocked him over, an' now--" a smart-looking little electric runabout, driven by a pretty young girl in motoring costume, whizzed round the corner. the ill-fated jake looked up from his rooting as the car came dashing on. possibly the recollection of those other two narrow escapes was upon him. at any rate, with a scared grunt and an angry squeal, he whisked his stump of a curly tail in the air and dashed for the picket fence in front of the applegate place. but either jake was too slow, or the electric was too fast. just as the girl gave the steering wheel of the auto a quick twist to avoid the pig, one of the forewheels struck the luckless jake "astern," as sailors would say. with an agonized wail jake sailed through the air a few feet and then, alighting on his feet, galloped off unhurt but squealing as if he had been mortally injured. "goodness," exclaimed the girl alarmedly, and then, "gracious!" the quick twist of the wheel had caused the car to give a jump and a skid and land in the ditch, where it came to a standstill. farmer applegate, rage tinting his face the color of a boiled beet, came storming down the path. "this is the time i got yer, hey?" he shouted at the alarmed occupant of the auto. "that makes three times you run over jake. you got away them other times, but i got yer nailed now. kaint git yer car out uv ther ditch, hey? wa'al, it'll stay thar till yer pay up." "i'm--i'm dreadfully sorry," stammered the girl, "really i had no intention of hurting--er--jake. in fact, he doesn't seem to be hurt at all." there appeared to be good reason for such a supposition. jake, at the moment, was engaged in combat over a pile of corn fodder with several of his fellows. "humph! prob'ly hurt internal," grunted the farmer. "anyhow, it's time you bubblists was taught a lesson." "oh, of course i'm willing to pay," cried the girl, and out came a dainty hand-bag. "er--how much will satisfy jake's--i mean your--feelings?" the old farmer was quick to catch the note of amusement in the girl's voice. "you won't mend matters by bein' sassy," he growled; "besides, your pop fired my boy down on the isthmus an' i ain't feelin' none too good toward yer." "i have nothing to do with my father's affairs," said the girl coldly, noting out of the corner of her eye jared's figure slinking around the side of the porch; "how much do you want to help me get my car out of the ditch, for that's really what it amounts to, you know?" ignoring the quiet sarcasm in her voice, old applegate's face took on its crafty expression. "wa'al, it's three times now you've run over jake. say five dollars each time,--that ud be yer fine for overspeedin', anyhow,--that makes it fifteen dollars." "fifteen dollars!" the girl's voice showed her amazement at such a figure. "it ort'er be twenty," snorted old applegate; "thar's ther injury to jake's feelin's. you bang over him at sixty mile an hour an' scare him out'n all his fat an' six months' growth. fifteen dollars is cheap, an'--you don't go till yer pay up, neither." "why, it's simply extortion. i'll pay no such sum. send your bill to my father. he'll settle it. and now help me out of this ditch, if you please." "now, don't you git het up, miss. thar's a speed law on long island, an' by heck, you pay er i'll hev yer up afore the justice. lucindy!" he raised his voice in a call for his wife; jared had vanished. a slovenly-looking woman, wiping her hands on a gingham apron, appeared on the porch. "lucindy, how many miles an hour? jake's bin run over agin," he added suggestively. "wa'al," said lucindy judicially, "it looked like sixty; but i reckin h'it warn't more'n twenty-five." "humph!" snorted applegate triumphantly, "an' ther speed limit's fifteen." "why, i wasn't going more than ten miles!" cried the girl, flushing with indignation. "huh! tell that to ther justice. i'll git my son to push yer machine out'n ther ditch an' then i'll hop in aside yer an' we'll drive into town." "you'll do no such thing! why, the idea! take your hand off my car at once, or--oh, dear! what shall i do?" she broke off despairingly. "you'll drive me inter town or pay fifteen dollars, that's what you'll do," declared farmer applegate stubbornly; "now then--hullo, what in ther name uv early pertaties is this a-comin'?" around the same corner from which the auto had appeared with such embarrassing results to its pretty young driver came three well-built lads. one of them was rather fat and his round, good-natured face was streaming with perspiration from the long "hike" on which they had been. but his companions looked trained to the minute, brown-faced, lithe-limbed, radiating health and strength from their khaki-clad forms. all three wore the same kind of uniform, gaiters, knickerbockers, coats of military cut and broad-brimmed campaign hats. in addition, each carried a staff. "hullo, what's all this, rob?" cried one of them as they came into full view of the strange scene,--the ditched auto, the flushed, embarrassed yet indignant girl, and the truculent farmer. "consarn it all, it's them pesky boy scouts from hampton," exclaimed farmer applegate disgustedly, as, in answer to the girl's appealing look, the three youths stepped up, their hands lifted in the scout salute and their hats raised. chapter ii. an angry farmer. "can we be of any assistance?" asked rob blake of the girl, whose alarmed looks made it evident that she was in an unpleasant situation. he ignored the red-faced, angry farmer, but took note out of the corner of his eye of jared, who was peeping out at them from behind a shed. apparently he had no wish to appear on the scene while his late employer's daughter was there. to himself he muttered:-- "it's that stuck-up rob blake, that butter-firkin, tubby hopkins and that sissy, merritt crawford. they're always butting in when they're not wanted." the girl turned gratefully to the newcomers. rob's firm voice and capable appearance made her feel, as did no less her scrutiny of his companions, that here were friends in need. "oh, thank you so much!" she cried. "i am lucy mainwaring, and you, i'm sure, are rob blake, leader of the eagle patrol. i've heard lots about you from my brother fred, who is leader of the black wolf patrol, first new york troop." "yes, i'm rob blake, this is merritt crawford, my second in command, and this is tub--i mean robert hopkins." "i know all on yer," growled out old applegate, "an' i tell yer to keep out of this. just 'cause yer a banker's son, young blake, don't give you no right ter come interferin' where yer not wanted." "oh, but they _are_ wanted!" cried the girl, before rob could say a word. "this man says that i ran over one of his pigs. why, it's absurd. i only just bumped the animal, and there he is over there now fighting for his breakfast." her eyes fairly bubbled merriment as jake's raucous squeals rose belligerently from the neighborhood of the hog pens. tubby spoke up. "if he can eat, he's all right," announced the stout youth with his customary solemnity. "but i've grazed the wretched pig twice before," cried the girl, "and mr. applegate wants fifteen dollars or he won't help me out of this ditch." "that's right," confirmed the farmer, "fifteen dollars er she goes afore the justice fer--fer running over jake." "but she didn't run over him," retorted rob, "and anyhow, fifteen dollars is an outrageous price to ask for your real or fancied injuries." "the hog's injuries," corrected the farmer. "same thing almost," whispered merritt to tubby with a chuckle. "come on, boys," said rob, "let's help this young lady out of the ditch." the girl turned on the power and the three boy scouts shoved with all their might at the rear of the machine. it quivered, started, stopped, and then fairly dashed up on to the road. so quickly had it all been done that before the farmer could make a move the runabout was on the thoroughfare. "lucindy! lucindy, let towser loose!" yelled the old man as soon as he had recovered his senses. the woman ran off the porch and in a few seconds a big, savage-looking bull dog came bounding out, showing his red fangs and white teeth. the girl gave a little scream as the dog looked up at his master, apparently waiting an order to rush at the boys. "go on!" rob said to the girl in a quick, low whisper, "we'll be all right." "oh, but i can't! you've helped me----" "that was our duty as scouts. now turn on your power and get away. we'll find a way to deal with the old man, never fear." seeing that it was useless to remain, the girl applied the power once more and the machine shot out of sight. "consarn you pesky brats," roared old applegate, fairly beside himself. "sic 'em, towse!" he shouted the next instant. rob had been prepared for some such move as this. as the dog, with a savage growl, sprang forward, he brought his staff into play. there was a flash of the implement, a quick twist, and the astonished towser found himself spinning backward in the direction from which he had advanced. "don't set that dog on us again," cried rob, in a clear, commanding voice, "if you do, he'll get hurt." "consarn you!" bellowed the farmer again, "air you aidin' and abettin' lawless acts?" "as far as that goes, your hog had no business in the middle of the road," was the quiet rejoinder. "i'll go to law about this," shouted the farmer furiously, brandishing his knotted fist. but he made no attempt to "sic" towser on the boys again. as for that redoubtable animal, he stood by his master, his tail between his legs. to use the vernacular, he appeared to be wondering "what had struck him." as there was nothing to be gained by remaining, the three boy scouts started off anew on the last stage of their "hike," which had been one of twenty-four miles started the day before to visit a patrol in a distant town on the island. they struck off briskly, as boys will when home is almost in sight and appetites are keen. the farmer, seeing that nothing was to be gained by abusing them any further, contented himself by calling them "young varmints" and turned back toward his house. the boys had not proceeded many paces when they heard behind them the quick "chug-chug" of a motor cycle. turning, they saw coming toward them a youth of about rob's age, mounted on a red motor cycle which, from the noise it made, appeared to be of high power. as he drew alongside them they noticed that he, too, was in scout uniform, and that from the handle bars on his machine fluttered a flag with a black wolf's head on it. the newcomer stopped his machine, nimbly alighted and gave the scout salute, which the boys returned. "my name is fred mainwaring of the black wolf patrol of the first new york troop," he announced, "have you seen anything of a young lady driving an electric runabout?" the boys exchanged amused glances. then rob recounted the scene in front of the farmhouse. he also introduced himself and his patrol mates. fred mainwaring, a fine-looking, curly-haired lad, appeared much diverted. "that's just like sis," he exclaimed, "she's always getting in trouble with that auto of hers; doing things she aut-n't to, so to speak. excuse the pun. it's a bad habit of mine. she went for a spin this morning and wouldn't wait for me, so now behold me in chase of her." after some more chat, during which fred mainwaring received a hearty invitation to visit the quarters of the eagle patrol in hampton, the boys parted, very well pleased with each other. the young scouts of the eagle patrol already knew much about the mainwaring family, mr. mainwaring having recently purchased an estate just out of hampton. the newcomer to the community was preceded by an almost world-wide reputation as a skillful engineer. many of the great problems in connection with uncle sam's "big ditch" had been successfully solved by him, and, although just now he was at home on a "furlough," he was shortly to leave once more for the zone. during the course of their brief chat fred had informed the boys that he and his sister were to accompany their father on the return voyage, fred taking the position of secretary. "he had another chap before he came up from the tropics," he informed the boys. "i guess he lives somewhere round here. jared applegate his name was. had to fire him, though, for some sort of crooked work. i don't know just what it was; but it must have been something pretty bad, for dad got mighty angry when he told about it. you see, in a way i feel responsible. jared, who was working as a stenographer and typewriter in new york, belonged to my troop. i liked him after a fashion, and got dad to make him his secretary. it wasn't till after he'd left for panama that i accidentally found out that jared, who had been treasurer of the troop, had been stealing small sums from time to time. "i didn't notify dad for fear of worrying him; but of course jared was dropped from the troop. when dad got back from the isthmus this time i asked about jared and found out that he had been discharged. just what for, i don't know. dad wouldn't tell me." "we know something of jared's reputation about here," rejoined rob. "it's none too good. by the way, that's his father's place back there where your sister had all the trouble." "i knew that his home was somewhere near hampton," was the rejoinder. this conversation took place on the roadside not more than a few feet from a stone wall which bounded the outlying fields of the applegate property. behind this wall, if the four lads had known it, was concealed a listener to whom all their conversation was perfectly plain. jared had watched the boys meeting from the dooryard and had crept cautiously along behind the stone wall till he arrived at a spot opposite that at which the group was chatting. "listeners never hear good of themselves," says the old saw. jared assuredly proved its truth that fine spring morning. an evil look passed over his countenance as he crouched behind the wall. his sallow face grew a pasty yellow, with anger. his shifty eyes glittered furiously as he heard his record discussed. "so that's the game, is it?" he muttered to himself, as the boys parted company, fred mainwaring shooting off like a red streak on his machine. "well, i guess that before long i'll have my innings, and when i do i'll make it hot for all of you, especially old man mainwaring. i'll get even with him if it takes me a year; but i don't think it'll be that long." he drew a letter from his pocket and glanced over it in the manner of one already familiar with a missive's contents, but who wishes, by a fresh perusal, to satisfy himself once more. this is what he read from the much-creased document: "if you have what you claim we will talk business with you. it will be made worth your while." the letter bore no signature nor address. it referred to a subject with which the writer, for an excellent reason, would not have cared to have his name linked. the "big ditch" project, the greatest of the age, perhaps of all time, had, inconceivable as it may seem, bitter and unscrupulous enemies. the person who had written that note to poor, sneaking jared applegate was one of these. chapter iii. on a mission. while the three boy scouts are trudging back toward hampton, we will take the opportunity to introduce them more fully to our readers who may not have met them before. rob blake, the son of the local banker in the seashore village of hampton, long island, had, some time before the present story opens, founded the eagle patrol. the early days of its existence formed the basis of the first book of the series, for the lads flocked eagerly to its standard, and the patrol was soon in a flourishing condition, with a well-equipped room above the local bank building, a fine, up-to-date structure. the adventures of the patrol in camp and scout life in general were various and exciting. the boys made some enemies, as was natural, for many boys wished to belong to their patrol who could not be admitted; but in the end, thanks mainly to their scout training, all things came out well for the eagles. in the second volume we found "the boy scouts on the range." in this book full details of scout principles as put into practice in a wild and lawless country were related. the pursuit of silver tip, the giant grizzly, popularly supposed to bear a charmed life, was an interesting feature of their experience in the west. indians and cattle rustlers made trouble for the boys and their friends, but, although the boys were several times placed in jeopardy and danger, they emerged with credit from all their dilemmas. still following the lads' fortunes, we found them in the third volume of the series, "the boy scouts and the army airship," deeply interested in the subject of aerial navigation. they managed to give material aid in certain experiments that the government carried on at a lonely house on the sea coast near hampton, and became involved in some thrilling incidents which still further put to the test their ability and cleverness. in "the boy scouts' mountain camp," the scene shifted to the adirondacks, whither the boys went, primarily on a quiet camping trip. but they became involved in an exciting search for a long missing treasure, immured in an ancient and almost inaccessible cave in the heart of a wild region. how they won out against apparently insurmountable obstacles makes exciting and instructive reading. "the boy scouts for uncle sam," the fifth volume, related some surprising events that occurred when the boys' aid was called into requisition in connection with a new type of submarine which foreign powers were doing their best to appropriate, but which was intended for the united states government. readers of that volume will readily recall rob's abduction and marooning on a desert island and the pernicious activities of a green motor boat which was used by the agents of a foreign power. rob's marvelous swim across a narrow inlet, through which the tide boiled like a mill race, and the interchange of scout signals with astonishing results, are only two of the incidents that go to show that the eagle patrol was always to be relied upon to do its duty and live up to the strict letter of the inspiring motto, "be prepared." for the next few days the lads of the eagle patrol were busy indeed with preparations for what was to them a very important piece of work. this was nothing more nor less than the placarding of the town with announcements that a team made up of the eagles would play the hampton nine in the first baseball game of the season, the proceeds to be equally divided. the boy scouts' half, of course, would go toward the general patrol fund for the purchase of equipment and so on. each of the lads had a duty to perform in this connection. hiram nelson, whose father was in the printing business, was to get up the posters, which were to be printed on big, yellow sheets. andy bowles, whose uncle conducted a livery stable, arranged for rigs to convey the young bill-posters around the country; while tubby hopkins,--since the duty was partly of a culinary nature,--undertook to make the paste. this, despite unkind remarks to the effect that, unable to restrain his appetite, he might be tempted to eat it! in this manner the different duties were distributed and each member of the patrol took an active part in the work. rather to rob's surprise, and likewise to the astonishment of the other lads, jared applegate's name appeared as pitcher for the hampton team. but, after all, there was nothing so very astonishing in this, for jared, before he left for new york, had been a clever pitcher on the hampton academy team, which had beaten some of the best ball players on long island. sam lamb, the regular pitcher for the hamptons, it was later learned, had sprained his wrist in jumping on a moving train, and jared had eagerly volunteered to take his place. he had made open boasts about the town that he meant to "knock some of those tin soldier kids higher than so many kites." "let him do his best," was all rob had said, when andy bowles, the diminutive bugler of the eagles, brought him this information. when not engaged in preparations for "billing" the surrounding country, which occupied almost all the time they could spare from their studies, the scouts practiced hard and faithfully. they had a good team, but they had to admit that the town boys, too, played very good ball. as the day for the contest, a saturday, drew near, excitement began to run high. jared never spoke to any of the scouts, all of whom, by this time, knew of his disgrace while a member of the black wolf patrol. possibly he did not wish to run a chance of being snubbed; but be that as it may, when he passed any of the uniformed youngsters he kept his eyes on the ground. this did not prevent him, however, from hanging around when the scouts were at practice and making all sorts of contemptuous remarks concerning their play. the saturday before the game, the lads started out in different directions to put up their bills. those whose duties lay within easy distance of hampton went on foot; but the others took rigs. among the latter were rob, merritt and tubby hopkins. with them they carried a good thick bundle of bills, plenty of paste and long-handled brushes. it was a beautiful day and they were in high spirits as they drove along the pleasant country roads. their way took them by farmer applegate's place. "let's plaster up a few on the old grouch's barn," suggested merritt with a laugh. "no; i don't want to do that," declared rob positively, "although he isn't entitled to much consideration. it was a shame the way he treated fred mainwaring's sister." "such a pretty girl, too," chuckled tubby, with a mischievous look at merritt. rob intercepted the glance and turned red, at which both his companions teased him more than ever. luckily for rob's peace of mind, however, at this juncture something occurred to cause the current of tubby's thoughts to flow in another direction. beyond the farm buildings a spotted pig was nosing about contentedly in the middle of the road. as his eyes lighted on the porker, tubby gave a shout of delight. "we can use him," he cried delightedly. "there you go again. always thinking about something to eat," snorted merritt. "not this time," retorted tubby indignantly; "anyhow, i've never heard of your being absent at meal times. but on this occasion it's alive and in his proper person that jake is going to be useful to us." "in what way?" asked rob. "as a living advertisement," chuckled the stout youth, his round cheeks shaking as he eyed the unsuspecting jake. chapter iv. some up-to-date advertising. by the time the buggy drew up alongside jake, who was too engrossed in his rooting operations to perceive it, or at any rate to bestow any attention upon it, tubby had disclosed his plan to his chums, who hailed it with shouts of delight. from his pockets the fat boy produced an apple and a bit of cake. tubby never traveled far without provisions. "keeping in touch with his base of supplies," he called it. it spoke volumes for his enthusiastic belief in the success of his plan that he was willing to offer both of these to jake as soon as he had alighted from the buggy. close behind him came rob and merritt, the latter with the horse's hitching rope in his hand. "come, pig! pig! pig! nice jake!" warbled tubby in the most dulcet voice he could assume. jake looked up. his small eyes twinkled. unsuspectingly he sniffed the air as he perceived a rosy apple temptingly held out toward him. "it's a shame," laughed rob, half contritely, "if he hadn't caused a lot of trouble for a mighty nice girl i wouldn't stand for it." "pig! pig! pig!" chortled tubby persuasively. "unk! unk! unk!" grunted jake, wiggling his tail. "wonderful how they understand each other, isn't it?" remarked merritt with a grin. but tubby was too intent on what he had in hand to resent the gross insult. closer and closer shuffled jake, his greedy little eyes on the apple. all at once he appeared to make up his mind in a hurry. he made a dart for the tempting bait. "now," yelled tubby. quick as a flash, as soon as he heard the preconcerted signal, merritt flung the looped hitching rope about the pig's neck. jake gave a squeal and wriggled with might and main, but his ears held the rope from slipping off. "give him the apple to keep him quiet," suggested merritt, as jake squealed at the top of his voice. tubby proffered the apple and instantly jake forgot his troubles in devouring it. in the meantime tubby slipped to the wagon and selected a poster or two and a brush full of paste. returning, amidst shouts of laughter from his fellow conspirators, he plentifully "shampooed" jake with paste, and then slapped the gaudy yellow bills on till it appeared as if the astute jake had enveloped himself in a bright orange overcoat. "now cut him loose," ordered rob, when tubby, with all the satisfaction of a true artist, stepped back to view his completed work. merritt slipped the noose, and off down the road toward the farm dashed the gaudily decorated jake, conveying the news to all who might see that on saturday, april --, there would be a grand baseball game at hampton, boy scouts of the eagle patrol _vs._ the hampton town nine. as the boys, shouting and shaking with laughter, watched this truly original bit of advertising gallop off down the road, the one touch needed to complete the picture was filled in. from his dooryard emerged the farmer. the first thing his eyes lighted on was jake. for one instant he regarded the alarmed animal in wonderment. then, with a yell, he rushed into the house. "ma! ma! lucindy!" he bellowed at the top of his voice, "jake's got the yaller fever, er the jaunders, er suthin'. come on quick! he's comin' down ther road like ther empire state express, and as yaller as a bit of corn bread." at this stage of the proceedings the boys, their sides shaking with laughter, deemed it prudent to emulate the arabs of the poem and "silently steal away." looking back as they drove off they could see lucindy and her spouse engaged in a mad chase after the overcoated jake. even at that distance the latter's piercing cries reached their ears with sharp distinctness and added to their merriment. rob alone seemed a bit remorseful at the huge success of tubby's novel advertising scheme. "applegate's a pretty old man, fellows," he remarked, "and maybe we went a bit too far." "well, if his age runs in proportion to his meanness, he'll outlive methuselah," declared merritt positively. the road they followed gradually led into a by-track that joined the main road they had left with one that traversed the north side of the island. it was sandy, and at places along its course high banks towered on each side of it. at length they emerged from one of these sunken lanes and found on their right an abandoned farm. quite close to the roadside stood a big, rattletrap-looking barn. it had once been painted red, but neglect and the weather had caused the paint to shale off in huge patches, leaving blotches of bare wood that looked leprous with moss and lichen. "what do you say if we leave a few souvenirs pasted up there?" said merritt. "well, it wouldn't hurt the looks of the place, anyhow," decided rob. "i doubt if many people come along this road anyway; but i guess we might as well get busy." "well, you two fellows can do the work this time," declared tubby, stretching out luxuriously in the rig. "what are you going to do?" "i'm going to drive down the road and hitch up in the shade of that tree and take a nap." "that's pretty cool!" exclaimed merritt. "i know it is, at least it looks so," responded tubby. "seems to me it's up to you to do some work, too," protested merritt. "as if i hadn't just done a big job in labeling that pig," replied tubby, yawning; "it's your turn now." seeing that it was useless to try to turn tubby from his determination to rest, which, next to eating, was his favorite occupation, rob and merritt took up their brushes, paste and a roll of bills and set out for the barn. tubby watched them languidly a minute and then drove off along the sandy track while the other two clambered up a bank. from the road the barn had appeared quite close; but when they reached the top of the bank they found that, actually, it stood back quite a little distance beyond a strip of grass and weeds. the boys waded through these almost knee-deep, and finally reached the side of the old barn. they set down their buckets and brushes and unrolled some bills preparatory to pasting them up. suddenly merritt raised a warning finger. rob instantly divined that his chum enjoined silence. "hark!" was the word that merritt's lips framed rather than spoke. inside the barn some one was talking,--several persons seemingly. after a minute the boys could distinguish words above the low hum of the speakers' voices. suddenly they caught a name: "mainwaring." "i guess maybe we might be interested in this," whispered rob. by a common impulse the two boy scouts moved closer to the moldering wall of the old barn. chapter v. a big surprise. time and weather had warped the boards of the structure till fair-sized cracks gaped here and there. the boys made for one of these, with the object of peering into the place and getting a glance at its occupants. at first they had thought that these were nothing more than a gang of tramps, but the name of the engineer, spoken with a foreign accent, had aroused them to a sense that, whoever was in the old barn, a subject was being discussed that might be of interest to their new friends. applying their eyes to two cracks in the timbers, they saw that within the barn four persons were seated. one of these they recognized almost instantly as jared applegate. by his side sat a youth of about his own age, flashily dressed, with a general air of cheap smartness about him. the other two occupants of the place were of a different type. one was heavily built and dark in complexion, almost a light coffee color, in fact. his swarthy face was clean shaven and heavily jowled. seated next to him on an old hay press was a man as dark as he, but more slender and dapper in appearance. also he was younger, not more than thirty, while his companion was probably in the neighborhood of fifty, although as powerful and vigorous, so far as the boys could judge, as a man of half his years. "you say that you have duplicates of mainwaring's plans, showing exactly the weakest points of the great dam?" the elder man was asking, just as the boys assumed positions of listening. jared nodded. he glanced at the more slender of the two foreigners. "i guess mr. estrada has told you all about that," he said. "of course, my dear alverado," the dapper little man struck in, "you recollect that i spoke to you of señor applegate's visit to me at washington." rob started. the name estrada, coupled with a mention of washington, recalled to his mind something that sent a thrill through him taken in connection with the words of the man addressed as alverado. estrada,--josé estrada! that was the name of the ambassador of a south american republic that had several times been mentioned as being opposed to uncle sam's plans on the isthmus. what if--but not wishing to miss a word of what followed, he gave over speculating and applied himself to listening with all his might. jared gave a short, disagreeable laugh. "you can just bet i got duplicates of all the plans," he chuckled, "i had an idea that mainwaring was going to fire me on account of--well, of something, and so i went to work and copied off all of his private papers i could. you see, it was common talk on the isthmus that the place was alive with spies, and i figured out that anybody who was interested enough to hire spies must be mighty anxious to get at the real plans of the canal, and willing to pay big for them, too," he added with a greedy look on his face, which for an instant gave him a strong likeness to his father. rob and merritt exchanged glances. from even the little that they had heard it was plain enough what was going forward in the barn. there was no doubt now that jared was bargaining with representatives of a foreign power that had good reason to dislike uncle sam; no question but that mr. mainwaring's plans, or at least copies of them, were in the hands of an unscrupulous young rascal who was willing to sell them to the highest bidder, without caring for what nefarious purpose they were to be used. the boy scouts' blood fairly boiled as they heard. they had always known jared to be weak, unprincipled and dishonest, but that he would descend to such rascality as this was almost beyond belief. merritt in his anger made a gesture of shaking his fist. it was an unfortunate move. a bit of board on which one of his feet rested gave way with a sharp crack under the sudden shifting of his weight. instantly the men in the barn were on the alert. "what was that?" cried estrada sharply. "nothing. a rat, i guess; old barns like this are full of them," rejoined jared, striving to appear at ease, but glancing nervously about him. "a rat, bah!" exclaimed alverado, puffing out his fat jowls till he looked like a huge puff adder. "that was not a rat, _amigo_, that was a spy. this barn is not as secret a meeting place as you led us to believe." "come on, merritt," whispered rob, "grab up everything and run for it. they'll be out here in a minute." swiftly they gathered up their paste, brushes and bills, and crouching low ran toward what had been a smoke-house. hardly had they darted within its dark and odorous interior when the conspirators in the barn came rushing out, looking in every direction. in alverado's hand something glittered in the sunlight. the two boy scouts peering out through a knot-hole had no difficulty in recognizing the object, with an unpleasant thrill, as an automatic revolver. they now saw, too, something that they had been unable to perceive from the back of the barn. this was a big, red touring car drawn up close to the antiquated structure. but they had no time to waste in looking at the car. the movements of the searching party engrossed their attention too deeply. "scatter in every direction," they heard alverado order, "we must find out if anyone has been here listening, or if our ears deceived us." there was no doubt but that the search was to be a thorough one. even the chauffeur of the car, which, the boys noticed in a quick, fleeting glance, bore no number, joined in the search. they rushed about like a pack of bloodhounds in every direction. "this is getting pretty warm," whispered rob; "it's plain those chaps are thoroughly alarmed and don't mean to leave a stone unturned to find us." "oh, that unlucky board!" groaned merritt remorsefully. "i'm a fine specimen of a scout to make such a mistake as that,--at such a critical time, too." "it was unfortunate; but accidents will happen," rejoined rob quickly. "but it's no use crying over spilt milk." "what are we going to do?" "i'm trying to think." "perhaps there is a chance that they will overlook us." "no danger of that, i'm afraid. from what little i saw of mister alverado he appears to be a very painstaking gentleman." "they're searching the house now." "yes, that will take them some time; but you can depend on it that when they've finished they'll search the outbuildings." "yes; and they've left that chauffeur on guard outside, too. not a chance of our getting out of here." "unless there's another door." "cracky! maybe there is. let's look. but we've got to hurry up. hark!" "they're coming out of the house and pointing over here," cried rob the next instant. both boys desperately sought to find some way out of the old smoke-house other than by the door by which they had entered. but no exit offered. suddenly rob had an inspiration. the smoke-house was roofed like an inverted v. the roof was covered with shingles. apparently they were rotten, for in places the light came through. one side of the roof faced toward the abandoned farmhouse; the other faced back upon some fields. rob thrust his fist with some violence against the shingles on the side of the smoke-house roof that faced the fields. to his joy the shingles gave way almost like rotten cardboard. "hurrah! we've found a way out," he cried exultingly, although he was careful not to raise his voice much above a whisper. he rapidly enlarged the opening till it was big enough to crawl through. luckily the search party had paused to examine a corn crib that lay between the smoke-house and the farmhouse, so that the boys had a few seconds' grace. "now then, through you go!" breathed rob as soon as he had pitched out the bills. merritt scrambled through with rob close on his heels. the apex of the roof, of course, screened them from view of the party now approaching the old smoke-house. it was a drop of not more than three feet to the ground, for the walls were low, and rob had, of necessity, punctured the roof near the eaves. ahead of them lay a meadow with a patch of woods beyond. rank brush and tall weeds intervened. but they had to make a dash of some hundred feet across an open space. somehow, just how they never knew, they got across it and plunged into the brush, making for the woods beyond. at the same instant alverado and the others entered the smoke-house. chapter vi. baseball. "of course they guessed how we made our escape, rob." merritt spoke as the two lads lay crouched in the thick brush far removed from harm's way. "naturally. the fresh breaks in the roof would show them that. but, beyond that, they are none the wiser as to our identity, of which i am heartily glad." "i can understand that. you don't like the look of things." "merritt," rob spoke very soberly, laying his hand on the other's arm, "it looks to me as if we've stumbled on a monumental plot against uncle sam's canal. i don't know much of politics, but i do know enough to realize that there is a certain south american republic that thinks that the canal zone was stolen from her by trickery and deceit. i'm sorry to say, too, that i've heard that there are interests right here in the states that agree with her--people who think that the opening of the canal will result in enormous losses to freight, and who would like to see the canal completion delayed at all costs." "i see. you think that the two dark men were representatives of that republic you mentioned." "i _know_ one of them was," snapped rob; "he is its representative at washington." "wow! say, rob, this is a big thing we've stumbled upon. we must bring it to the attention of the proper authorities." "that's our duty as scouts." "of course. but what steps do you propose to take?" "i don't just know yet. we must see mr. mainwaring, of course, first. it will be for him to decide. but--horrors, merritt!--we've forgotten all about tubby. he's asleep in the rig. look, jared and his friends are piling into the auto. if they go down that road they are sure to discover him. they may do him some injury." but the next instant both the anxious lads drew a sigh of relief. instead of taking the by-road, the auto struck off across lots along a barely perceptible and weed-grown track. in a few moments it was out of sight and the coast was clear. then, and not till then, the two boy scouts set out to rejoin tubby. they found that rotund youth blissfully sleeping, while the old nag cropped grass at the roadside. they awakened their stout comrade and soon took the lees of sleep out of his eyes by relating all that had passed within the last hour. tubby heartily agreed that the first thing to be done was to put mr. mainwaring on his guard. naturally there was no more thought of bill posting, and filled with a sense of the duty that lay before them the three boy scouts drove rapidly back to hampton. but there a disappointment awaited them. mr. mainwaring had been called away on business. he had gone west and would not be back for a week or more. so for the present the scene in the barn had to be forgotten, while more immediate matters were attended to. during the ensuing week nothing was seen of jared, but the saturday afternoon of the game found him "warming up" on the ball field with the orange and black of the hampton team on his back. rob and merritt fairly boiled over with indignation as they watched him. but they decided not to say anything to him that might put him on his guard. "we'll give him all the rope he wants," declared rob. later he was bitterly to regret the adoption of this policy. the grounds began to fill up early. the game aroused widespread interest in that section of long island. as the local paper put it, "red-hot ball" was looked for. enthusiastic young ladies were there by the score, waving flags from the bunches on sale about the field by hawkers. the grand-stand filled early. rob's team-mates noticed his eyes frequently straying in that direction. "looking for lucy mainwaring," whispered tubby to merritt with a grin on his round and blooming countenance. finally the game was called and soon both teams were on the field. hiram, captain of the eagles, won the toss and chose to go to bat first. the game was started. nelson promptly struck out. he could not help making a wry face as he threw down the willow. a broad grin was on jared's face. he went through all sorts of antics, as andy bowles came to bat with a look of grim determination on his face. jared was good; that was a fact which admitted no blinking, as the eagles had to acknowledge. andy was given first base on balls, tried to steal second, was thrown out and retired disgruntled to the bench. the hampton rooters began to give their war cry. the eagle supporters replied to it bravely. it was early in the game to be making any predictions. rob was third batter. he struck out. jared's delight was ill-concealed. "i'll shut 'em out," he bragged loudly, not caring who heard. "i'll show the tin soldiers some pitching." the eagle supporters had to admit that things did not look very roseate, but they consoled themselves by recollecting the fact that practically the game had only begun. hampton now went to the bat. merritt occupied the pitcher's box. he had injured his arm somewhat in practice, but it was agreed, after a consultation, to put him up as first pitcher, holding rob in reserve till they got the hampton's gait. merritt showed wonderful form. in one, two, three order he struck out hampton's batters, including jared. great was the delight of the eagles and their friends. "good boy, merritt! good for you! kr-e-e-e-ee-ee!" was heard on all sides as the hamptons came running out to take their positions in the field. merritt felt a glow of pleasure as rob congratulated him. "i hope i can keep it up," was all he said. "i hope so, too; but i'd like to have a chance at jared," responded rob. the eagles now came to the bat, rob leading. rob was not only a good pitcher but a sure batter. whiz-z came jared's ball. rob met it and promptly drove a humming liner into right field. it was a safe base hit. "oh, you eagles!" chanted the crowd; those of them who were not lined up for hampton, that is. rob watched his chance and stole second, to the huge delight of his team supporters. an ugly look was on jared's face. the next batter, merritt, received first base on four balls. cheers and yells greeted this. jared's countenance grew blacker and blacker. he bit his lip impatiently. suddenly rob played dangerously off second base. the hampton second baseman was close to him. it was a daring move. jared saw it in a flash. the catcher's signal came. he threw the ball to the hampton short stop on second base. but jared's chagrin at the way his pitching was being "knocked about" unsteadied his aim. he threw wild. the ball passed above the short stop's outstretched finger tips. rob darted off for third base like a jack rabbit. the right fielder got the ball and shot it to third base, but, although the ball and rob seemed to arrive simultaneously, rob was hugging the bag contentedly in the nick of time. this was a quick, stirring bit of play and brought yells from the crowd, among whom criticisms of jared were freely expressed. he grew pale with rage and chagrin. paul perkins now came to bat. the dreamy lad struck out. his apparent unconcern made the crowd laugh. they laughed even more when tubby, having struck out also, calmly picked up a bit of pie he had been munching when he came to bat and marched to his seat contentedly chewing it. at this stage of the game two were out, merritt was on second and rob on third. now came the turn of ernest thompson, a big-eyed, serious-looking lad, one of the first recruits to the eagle standard and a first-class scout. jared was now on the broad grin. thompson looked easy. "look out, baby-face," chuckled jared, poising himself. an in-curve shot from his hand. ernest gazed at it in an uninterested manner and allowed it to go by. "strike one!" came the sonorous voice of the umpire, who was sim giles, the postmaster. "oh-h-h-h-h!" yelled the crowd. the next ball was of the same character. this time ernest struck at the ball. he missed and the crowd yelled again. jared began to regain self-confidence. "strike two," was the cry. the third ball was high. "ball one," declared sim. then came an out-curve. but it was too far out. jared was a rather ragged pitcher. "ball two," called sim. suddenly jared threw to third base. but, quick as he was, he didn't catch rob off. "how's that?" yelled higgins, the hampton third baseman, as he touched rob. the umpire merely waved his hand in what he deemed a professional manner. "a thousand years late," chuckled rob to higgins. jared heard him and flashed him an ugly look. hatred gleamed in his eyes. rob watched him narrowly and again stole off third. bang!--came a swift straight ball at the dreamy ernest. but he was not in "a trance," as jared had scornfully thought. crack!--went a hot grounder to short stop. merritt stood fast at second, but rob, like an arrow from a bow, shot off for home. the short stop fired in the sphere to the catcher as quickly as he could. but before the ball got there, rob, his legs working like pistons, had passed the home plate. what a roar went up then! flags waved and cheers resounded among the eagle sympathizers. as the cheering died away the catcher, hollis powers, walked into the diamond to confer with jared, who showed by his passionate gestures that he was mad clear through. "look out or they'll knock you out of the box," yelled some one. this did not tend to improve jared's temper. but, nevertheless, he struck out the next batter, simon jeffords, which helped in part to restore his balance. the eagles then retired to the field. "how do you feel, merritt?" was eagerly asked by his comrades before he took the pitcher's box. "all right, so far. you'll know soon enough when my wing gets sore," was the reply. apparently rob was not destined to pitch that day. merritt struck out the first two batters, fielded a hot liner and threw out jared before he got to first base. jared was certainly piling up his list of grievances against the boy scouts. to add to his ill-feeling he had recognized fred mainwaring, nodded to the latter and received the cut direct. the fact that lucy mainwaring was a witness to this snub did not improve matters. "good boy, merritt!" yelled the eagle supporters in a frenzy of delight. the third inning commenced with the eagles at the bat. but now jared appeared to have on his throwing clothes. the scout batters couldn't hammer his pitching at all. in fact, all that occurred while they succeeded each other at the bat was a monotonous succession of calls from the umpire: "strike one. strike two. you're out." the hampton villagers began to pluck up heart. they gave jared warm support and cheers for his really excellent work and that of his team-mates. to the somewhat blank astonishment of the eagles, they had not been able to find jared's pitching at all in this inning. it began to look as if they were by no means to have things their own way. chapter vii. a test for the eagles. but jared was to score still further. he came to bat confidently at the end of the third inning. with two of his side out and none on bases, he knocked a beautiful homer into left field. it was a really fine drive. the hampton contingent went wild. the faces of the eagle supporters, too, were cheerful, but anxious. as for jared, he beamed, and then as his eyes met rob's, he gave the latter a malevolent glance. at the end of the third inning each side had scored one run. the eagles made no runs in the following three innings, while hampton scored two, so that, when the seventh inning began, things looked rather gloomy for the scouts. the score then stood three to one in favor of hampton and the town players fairly swelled with confidence. it was already painfully evident that, exercise his will power as he would, merritt's arm was getting sore. he had put redoubled efforts into his work but the score showed with how little success. at the beginning of the seventh, he told captain hiram that he thought the hamptons had "found" his pitching, but he consented to stay in the box for one more inning. the inning commenced with merritt at the bat. he was given first base on balls. paul perkins made a base hit to left field. he got safely to first with merritt hugging second. tubby hopkins once more struck out with the same cheerful grin on his round countenance. hiram sent a slow grounder to jared and was promptly thrown out at first, but merritt reached third, and paul second, very nicely. rob blake now came to the bat. jared determined to strike him out if it were humanly possible. after a lot of posing which he thought gave him quite a professional air, jared delivered the best ball in his répertoire, a swift and vicious in-curve. it fairly hissed through the air. crack! rob's willow collided with the sphere and away it sped far into right field. merritt and paul scored amidst tremendous enthusiasm; hats were thrown in the air. things once more looked rosy for the eagles. rob was easily the favorite of the moment. as for jared, his feelings were not enviable. he felt that he would gladly have allowed the others to score if he had only been able to shut rob out. he struck out the next batter, and then hampton went to bat. merritt's arm felt better and he went to the box without the misgivings that had assailed him earlier. but with the first ball he pitched he knew that he had deluded himself. the batter hit a fly to right field and was caught out. merritt, summoning every ounce of resolution he could muster, struggled on right manfully. but it was a hopeless cause. base hits were made with absurd ease. jared was caught out on a fly. finally there were two out and two on bases. higgins came to bat and made a second home run amidst yells of delight from the scouts' opponents. it began to look like grim defeat for the scouts. the hampton contingent was jubilant. jared danced mockingly about whenever he could catch the eye of a boy scout. the next hampton batter struck an easy fly to left field which was caught by paul perkins. the scouts now came to the bat, beginning the eighth inning. the score was six to three in hampton's favor. things looked black, but with the true scout spirit the lads of the eagle put the best face possible on matters. they noted jared's leering face without a sign that they saw his malignant triumph. jared struck out the first three scout batters with ridiculous ease. when the hamptons came to the bat, the eagles made a change in pitchers. it was rob, cool, self-confident and determined, who occupied the box. this followed a consultation at which it was agreed that, splendidly as merritt had done, his arm had gone back on him. as hiram adjusted his catcher's mask and rob took his new position, things grew very quiet. it was palpable to all that the change of pitchers denoted a crisis in the game for the scouts. rob faced the first batter without indulging in any of jared applegate's antics. hiram signaled for a swift one. he braced himself as he saw it coming. he knew that rob was a swift pitcher with a mighty right. "strike one!" yelled the umpire a fraction of a second later. jared, at the bat, looked angry and puzzled. he wondered why they hadn't put rob in the box at first. he did not know that rob, while a splendid pitcher, was not to be relied on through a long game as was merritt. another thing he didn't know was that rob had determined with a grim resolution to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, if possible. that's a feeling that will carry any boy, or man either for that matter, a long way. hiram signaled for another cannon-ball. it was plain that those were just the kind of missiles that were not at all to jared's liking. the ball shot from rob's hand apparently without effort. but it shot over the plate like a bullet. "strike two!" bellowed the umpire. "oh, you rob!" yelled his friends. "k-r-ee-ee-ee-ee-ee!" shrilled the scouts. but rob took no notice; nor did he regard jared's look of hatred, oddly mixed with worry. rob's pitching bothered him. he wanted no more off that plate. but whi-z-z-z-z-z-z! came another "cannon ball" like a high powered projectile burning up the atmosphere. jared swung wildly an inch too high. "striker's out!" came the call of jared's doom from the umpire. it was a furiously angry youth that strode to the bench. "thought you were going to make ducks and drakes out of him, jared?" grinned one of his fellow players. "so i was. i was just trying him out," grunted jared disgustedly. the next two batters couldn't handle rob's pitching at all. the game began to look as if it might be retrieved after all. "blake! blake! blake!" chanted the crowd as rob walked toward the batters' bench. merritt was first at bat for the scouts in the ninth inning. jared began to pitch with as good an imitation of rob's speed as he could muster. merritt let the first ball sing past him. "ball one." the second, also, went by in similar manner. "ball two!" sang out sim in his high, nasal voice. jared pulled himself together. he sent the ball humming right over the home plate. merritt swung at it and made a safe base hit to right field. then came hiram. he struck out. jared and the hamptonites began to feel better. jared was still holding the scouts down and they had a safe margin of runs. paul perkins struck out this time. then came ernest thompson, who dreamily submitted to the same process. rob blake now came to the bat. his exhibition of pitching just previously earned him a round of applause. jared looked positively bilious. he had actually been holding himself in reserve for rob. it was his intention to shut him right out. rob ignored jared's first ball. "ball one!" was the cry. "ball two!" followed in rapid succession. rob smiled easily. jared's dislike of the boy at the bat was making him irritable and uneasy. but he rallied his skill and threw what looked like an easy pitch. rob struck at it but fanned the empty air. jared grinned, the hamptonites yelled and the umpire called:-- "strike one!" "all right for you, mister casey at the bat," snarled jared, "watch out for this one." it came like a flash, a tricky, wavy curve. rob swung with all his strength and--missed! "strike two!" a groan went up from the scout supporters. their chances of victory looked slim indeed now. "wake up! you're in a trance!" scoffed jared, grinning at rob. "get out of the straw." "the straw in the red barn!" suddenly flashed rob, in a low, but far-reaching voice. it was pregnant with meaning and jared turned white as death. he fumbled the ball with trembling fingers. "w-w-what do you mean?" he managed to gasp. "play ball!" yelled the crowd impatiently. jared, his fright still on him, pitched. he made a wild fling. rob trotted to first base. merritt boomeranged to second. simon jeffords got his base on balls, advancing rob to second and merritt to third. everybody began to sit up and take renewed notice. a home run now would add four to the scout score. could they get it? jared had shown that he could hold them down. could he still keep up his gait? and now out strolled tubby hopkins. he paused first to insert a huge chunk of chewing gum in his capacious cheek and then, not noticing in the least the laughter and joking that greeted his appearance, he lounged to his place, his jaws moving rhythmically. "it's up to you, tubby. bring home the bacon!" some one yelled. "he's got the bacon with him," shouted some other humorist. jared fixed his eyes quizzically on tubby. "like a bottle of anti-fat, kid?" he sneered; and then, "oh, what i won't do to you! how do you like 'em?" tubby stopped chewing an instant. his large eyes opened wide as if he had just heard jared's voice. "oh, i like 'em panama fashion, if you've got any of those about you to-day," he said with a cherubic smile. zang! came the ball. it was as swift as any that jared had yet thrown. he would have liked to see it knock the disconcerting fat youth on the head. but it did no such thing. with an agility unsuspected except by those who knew him, tubby swung viciously at the spheroid. "bin-go!" yelled the rooters. off into left field a hot liner whizzed its way. "go on!" shrieked the eagles and their supporters, dancing up and down in excitement. off darted merritt from third. he shot across the home plate an instant later and scored amidst loud cheering. hot after him flashed rob, with simon close behind. excitement rose to a point where it was almost unbearable. tubby had shot like a stone from a sling the instant he made his hit. and now more like a steam roller the fat youth cavorted over the bases while the crowd went crazy. pandemonium reigned. "home! home! home!" shrieked the raucous crowd in a frenzy. boys hugged each other and the scouts danced up and down. tubby, with amazing speed, his short fat legs working like piston rods, flashed by first, second and third bases. the next instant a yell went up that split the air. a rotund form sky-hooted across the home plate and then, tripping up, went rolling like a tub of butter into the arms of rob and his team-mates. tubby had made one of the most sensational plays ever seen on the hampton field, and foes as well as friends generously applauded the fat boy. but he paid no attention to the plaudits. "great scotland! i've lost my gum," were his first words on being helped to his feet. "anybody got a chew?" "a barrel full, if you want them!" yelled the delighted scouts, dancing about the boy who had hit out a home run with bases full. the next batter, walter lonsdale, struck out. then the town team went to bat for its last chance. the score now stood thus: eagles: seven. hamptons: six rob resumed his place in the pitcher's box. higgins struck out. but jared got his base on balls. maybe rob was overconfident. conners came next. two strikes had been called on him, when rob, like a flash, hurled the ball to first. with neatness and expedition jared was put out. incidentally, conners had been so rattled by rob's pitching that, when the latter threw to first, conners frantically struck at an imaginary ball, causing a roar of laughter. this disconcerted him so badly that he missed the next ball and struck out. the scouts had indeed snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. the game was theirs but by so narrow a margin that they hardly liked to think about it. in an instant the crowd broke all boundaries and surged about the victorious eagles. "three cheers for home-run tubby!" yelled somebody. in a flash the fat youth was hoisted on half a dozen shoulders. then began a triumphal march around the field to the music of andy bowles' bugle, which he had suddenly produced from some mysterious hiding place. "you see, i knew that i'd need it," he explained afterward. rob, arm in arm with merritt, brought up the rear of the tumultuous riot of enthusiasts. suddenly rob's eye caught sight of a figure in the uniform of the hampton's players sneaking up behind a corner of the grand-stand which it was evident the crowd must pass in their march of victory. it was jared applegate. with him was the same young man the boys had seen in the barn the week before, as well as two other youths of bad character in the village, hodge berry and maxwell ramsay. "what mischief is jared up to?" breathed rob, clutching merritt's arm. "i don't know, but he looks as sneaky as a pole cat. let's watch him." the two scouts followed, at a slight distance, the group of which jared was the center. they saw the boys that they were watching sneak in behind the grand-stand, while jared stooped and picked up a heavy stone. as the crowd, with tubby's rubicund countenance shining above their heads, came swinging around the corner on their way off the ball field, rob gave a sharp exclamation and sprang forward. like a flash he gripped jared's arm just as it was about to launch the stone at tubby's head. "you--you rascal!" he managed to exclaim, forcing jared's arm down with a firm wrist hold. the next instant hodge berry and max ramsay, both of whom had played in the hampton team, sprang at rob furiously. "you're going to get a licking you won't forget in a hurry," they cried. the crowd had swung on, not noticing the dramatic scene that was occurring so close to them. rob dropped jared's wrist and turned to face his opponents. something in his face made them halt an instant, and in that brief space of time merritt was at his side. the strange youth who had said nothing so far now started to speak, but rob checked him. utterly ignoring the others, he addressed himself to jared. "well, what do you want?" he demanded. "i want to get square with you," replied jared in a furious tone. he appeared almost beside himself with rage. "humph! and so you've brought a bunch of your amiable friends along to help you in case it proved too big a job to tackle alone." "see here," exclaimed the stranger, stepping forward a pace, "i don't know who you are except by name, but i'm not going to have you insult me. jared here is a chum of mine. i knew him in new york----" "sorry for you," flashed out rob curtly. "none of your lip," growled max ramsay sullenly; and yet, so electrical had the atmosphere become, and so capable of handling himself did the clean-living young scout look, that, uneven as the odds were, no further hostile move was made. "jared said he had a bone to pick with you," went on the strange youth. "he told us he wanted to have it out with you scouts. he invited us along. i'm not going to take any part in it, you can be assured of that. there'll be fair play." "like stone throwing, for instance," retorted rob contemptuously. "i guess you're scared," sneered jared. "who says so?" "i do. you act so. you're afraid of me." jared was quite quick enough to see that rob was unwilling to get into a fight. the leader of the eagle patrol abhorred, above all things, to be mixed up in a disgraceful set-to. but even rob, who had unusual self-control, was fast beginning to lose patience. "i don't know what harm i've ever done you, jared," he said quietly, "but if you feel so, why i can't help it." "i hate you, rob blake," exclaimed jared through his clenched teeth, "and i'm going to polish you off once and for all,--do you hear me?" "i'm not deaf. let us pass, please," said rob, still with that same calm, unruffled manner. "not till you've given me satisfaction." jared interpreted rob's manner amiss. he was sure now that rob would avoid a fistic discussion at all hazards. he determined to show his friends what a terrible person he was. "well, you heard what i said," repeated jared, thrusting out his jaw and stepping closer to the unmoved rob, "you've got to give me satisfaction--understand?" "do you want me to fight you?" asked rob, without the flicker of an eye. "yes, i do," whipped out jared boldly. at the same instant, thinking to catch rob off his guard, he aimed a vicious blow at the lad in front of him. rob merely stepped to one side. jared almost lost his balance as his fist encountered thin air, and just saved himself from taking an ignominious tumble. "so; you're a coward, eh?" cried jared furiously. "possibly that's your opinion," spoke rob calmly. "i don't like fighting, jared, it's not gentlemanly and it's not a scout principle; but if you _want fight, you're going to get it!_" "good for you!" cried merritt, who had stood silent, well knowing rob's ability to handle himself, for the scouts had many friendly sparring bouts with the gloves. the noble art of self-defense was cultivated by all of them, but as a means of self-defense and for the joy of the sport only. rob whipped off his coat in a jiffy. jared, with a slight quiver of his lower lip, did the same. both boys stood ready to defend themselves, and, while the shouts of the crowd bearing tubby aloft died away in the distance, the fight, into which rob had been unwillingly dragged, began. chapter viii. skill vs. muscle. jared was heavily built and strong, but his science was nothing to boast of. jared had never had the application to build himself up physically. yet he was no mean opponent, as rob saw. the leader of the eagles was not as heavily muscled or as weighty as jared, but he more than made up for it in his cat-like quickness and ability to spar. the farmer's son saw this and realized that his best opportunity to put a quietus on his hated opponent was to land a heavy blow before rob's perfect training had a chance to assert itself. he rushed in wildly, determined to battle his way through rob's defense and beat him down by sheer weight and force. but in this he had reckoned altogether without his host. rob cleverly dodged jared's savage swings, and, watching his opportunity, countered with amazing swiftness. none of the onlookers saw the blow, but they heard the sharp crack of rob's knuckles on jared's jaw. as for jared, he beheld a swimming galaxy of brilliant constellations. rob saw that he was dazed for an instant and dropped his hands to his side. "we'll stop right here if you like, jared," he said. "not much you won't," shouted jared, shaking his head, "i've only begun." "well, don't keep on the way you're going," laughed merritt cheerfully. jared's friends began to look rather gloomy. in their hearts both max ramsay and hodge berry felt heartily glad that they hadn't tackled the boy scout. once more jared rushed in on rob. a second later his nose stopped a solid blow straight from the shoulder. it felt to jared as if he had inadvertently collided with the rock of gibraltar. "ouch!" he yelled in spite of himself. then, losing his head completely, he rushed at rob and seized him in a wrestling grip. rob, caught off his guard, lost his feet and the two toppled to the ground, going at it in rough-and-tumble fashion. "magnificent, but not war!" cried merritt as he danced about. over and over they rolled, jared managing in this style of battling to get in some heavy blows that caused rob to gasp. but in a short time rob had jared fairly howling for mercy. "help!" he bawled out, "take him away, you fellows! he's not fighting fair." "don't be a cry baby," was all the consolation he got from his friends. "give it to him hard." thus counseled, jared made one last effort to triumph over rob. he suddenly disengaged himself and jumped to his feet. rob was up as quick as the other and met jared's last rush calmly. jared, by this time, had lost his head utterly. he waved his arms wildly in a whirlwind of blows that rob contented himself by ducking and dodging. he had no wish to punish jared any more severely. suddenly the battle came to an abrupt termination, and that through no effort of rob's. it had rained the week before, and back of the grandstand was a depression in which water had gathered in sufficient quantity to form a small pond. his wild evolutions had brought jared close to the edge of this miniature lake. the ground there was muddy and slippery, and, before he knew what had happened, jared's feet slipped from under him. he staggered, clutching at the air to save himself; but although his friends rushed forward to help him, they were too late. with a mighty splash the luckless jared toppled backward into the pond. he was helped out, a truly pitiable object; but even his friends could not help laughing at him. plastered with mud and streaming with water, his enraged countenance excited nothing but mirth. "come on," said max ramsay as soon as he could for laughing, "we'll get you to the buggy, jared, and you can drive out home. good thing you won't have to go through the village." "shake hands, jared," exclaimed rob impulsively, for the moment forgetting what they had overheard at the barn, in his sympathy for jared's plight. he extended his hand, but jared dashed it furiously aside. "i'll get even with you, you--you tin soldier!" he shouted, shaking with rage, and also with the chill of his immersion. "i'm sorry you feel that way about it," rejoined rob, as he turned aside and put on his coat, which merritt had held for him. "yes, and you'll be sorrier yet," snarled jared, as his friends walked him off toward the shed where his buggy was tied. just then, from across lots, there came a summons:-- "hey, rob! where have you got to?" "i'm coming right along," was rob's reply; "wait a second." he jammed on his cap and stepped out from behind the grandstand. running toward him was tubby, who had somehow escaped from his admirers. "what's up?" cried rob, as he saw the lad's flushed, excited face. "say, you know that note you left for mr. mainwaring?" "yes." "well, he's just got back. he's over in that auto yonder and asked me to find you as soon as possible." tubby pointed to the road on the outskirts of the village, where a big torpedo-bodied auto was drawn up. in it was seated a man of past middle age, with iron-gray hair and keen eyes, who was watching the boys closely as they came toward him. as they drew nearer he got out of the car and addressed the chauffeur. "you needn't wait for me, manning. i'll walk home," he said. chapter ix. fire! "a most remarkable story; but i happen to know certain things that fit in with it in every way. boys, you have done me a great service to-day." mr. mainwaring paused as he spoke and looked kindly and admiringly at the three boy scouts who had unfolded to him the story of their experiences at the old barn. the tale had been told as they strolled along the road leading to the engineer's home, on a hill outside hampton. it had occupied some time in the telling, and dusk was drawing in so that, much against their will, the boys were compelled to decline mr. mainwaring's invitation to visit his library and see some interesting drawings and data relating to the panama canal. but they made an engagement to come at some other time and hear from the great engineer about some of the wonders that had been accomplished in the magic land lying nine degrees north of the equator--a land which, so far as the canal zone is concerned, has been turned by uncle sam's canal commission into a land as healthful as any, if due precautions are observed. it was almost dark as the boys hastened on their homeward way. there was a meeting called in the eagle rooms over the bank that night, and they were all three in a hurry to get home and change and eat supper. as they walked along at a brisk pace, the conversation naturally was chiefly concerned with the topic which they had just been discussing with mr. mainwaring. "i wonder what he'll do about it?" said merritt. "well, as he said, it's a mighty delicate matter as things are now," rejoined rob. "to make a hasty move might force the plotters to rush things before any precaution could be taken against them. even to take jared before the authorities might be premature, so mr. mainwaring said. i gathered, in fact, that he means to let matters lie quiet for a time and watch every move of those whom he suspects." "they ought to clap the whole outfit in jail," sputtered tubby, "and give them nothing to eat but bread and water." "the last part of that remark would be a fearful punishment to tubby, all right," chuckled merritt, nudging rob. "what a lucky chap fred mainwaring is," said rob presently. "just think, when his father goes back to panama he's to go, too. his dad says that every american boy who can ought to see the big ditch before the water is in it, and that, even if fred does miss some schooling, he will be getting some education that can't be obtained from books." "that's the sort i'd like," sighed tubby, who was a notoriously unwilling worshipper at the shrine of knowledge. "how about a cook book?" chuckled merritt mischievously, and then dodged aside just in time to avoid a blow from tubby's chubby fist. suddenly, behind them came the sound of wheels and the staccato rattle of a horse's hoofs tapping the road at a rapid trot. "out of the road, fellows, here comes a rig," cried rob. so fast was it coming that they had hardly time to step aside before the buggy, which held two occupants, was beside them. the driver pulled the horse up almost on its haunches and hailed them as they stood in the dark shadow of some big maples at the side of the road. "hey, you fellows! got the time? we've got to make that seven-thirty train out of hampton and my watch is broken." rob, and his companions, too, recognized the voice instantly. "it's just seven o'clock, jared," said rob, "you'll have plenty of time." "confusion," muttered another voice in the rig, that of the strange young man who now appeared to be jared's shadow. "it's those boy scouts." jared picked up his whip and aimed a vicious slash into the darkness. it is not likely that he had any hope of striking one of the lads he disliked so much, but he intended it probably just to show his hatred of them in a graphic manner. the next instant the same whip cracked over the flanks of his horse and the buggy dashed off into the gathering gloom. "whew!" whistled rob, "so jared is going to beat a retreat, eh?" "looks like it. i saw a suit case strapped on the back of that rig." "we ought to stop him." "how? by what right? what excuse could we offer?" "that's so; but just the same it looks as if he's going to give mr. mainwaring the slip and join those plotters some place." "it certainly does," admitted merritt. "i guess we ought to call up mr. mainwaring and ask him if there is anything we can do." "that's a good idea, merritt. at any rate, having done that, we shall have performed our duty." hardly had the words left his lips before there came booming out on the night air a sound that thrilled them all to the heart. clear and loud, with a note of clamorous terror, there came winging toward them the clang of the fire alarm! stroke after stroke struck with a heavy hammer on the tire of an old locomotive wheel--that was the only alarm hampton boasted. the wheel hung outside the fire house of the vigilant engine company number one. there was no number two. "gee whiz, fellows! the fire alarm!" cried tubby, pulling up short in the road. they stood breathlessly listening, while out on the dusk the clamorous notes of the steel tocsin went clanging and jangling. a thrilling, soul-stirring cry at any time, it was doubly so to these lads, members of a body enlisted in the cause of helping those who needed aid. they were standing on the main street at a point where the stores and business houses had given place to residences surrounded by lawns and trees. out of the houses there came rushing men and women and children, all in high excitement. "fire," cried some of the men. "where?" came back in a dozen voices. but nobody knew accurately. suddenly a man, hatless and coatless, came sprinting up the street. "it's the 'cademy!" he was yelling, "the 'cademy's on fire!" "the academy!" gasped rob, aghast at the thought that the private school which most of the boys enrolled as scouts attended was in flames. "it's up to us to do something and do it quick!" he cried the next instant. "merritt, run as quick as you can to andy's house. tell him to sound the assembly. there's lots of work for the eagles to-night." a boy that merritt knew was hastening by on a bicycle. "lend me your wheel for scout duty, will you?" asked merritt breathlessly. the boy eagerly assented. "i guess they'll need all the help they can get," he volunteered as merritt sprinted off up the street, "my pop has been on the 'phone and they say it's a mighty bad blaze." it seemed an eternity, but in reality it was only a few minutes before merritt reached andy's home. the little bugler was just rushing out as merritt dashed up. they almost collided. "sound the assembly!" panted merritt. "the academy's on fire." "wow! wait a second. i knew of the fire and was going to get hold of rob for instructions." andy darted back to the house. he was out again in a flash and sounding the sharp, clear notes of the assembly call. then came another urgent summons, the quick, imperative "fire call." "there go the firemen on the run," exclaimed andy, as several of the vigilants dashed by the house. "come on, merritt; the others will all beat it to the fire-house at top speed." "rob's already there, i guess," panted merritt as they ran side by side, balancing the bicycle. as they proceeded, boy scouts came from some of the houses and joined them. "the academy! the academy's on fire," they shouted. against the darkening sky a red gush of flame leaped up suddenly. "come on, fellows!" implored merritt. "it's going up like a pack of fire-works. we've got to hustle if we want to be of any use." chapter x. a scout hero. at the fire-house they found rob and tubby helping to drag out the antiquated apparatus which was the best that hampton boasted. glad enough of the aid of the boy scouts, the firemen greeted them warmly. they recalled a former occasion when the khaki-clad lads had been of signal service to them. accordingly, while some of the men hitched up a pair of bony old nags to the engine, and others got the fire lighted, the hose cart was rushed out and the ropes unraveled. "fall in, boys," shouted rob. they obeyed his order with military promptitude. the long rope was swiftly seized. rob was in front, as became the leader of the troop. "all ready!" came the cry. "heave!" shouted rob. like one boy the eagles bent to the work. off they scampered down the street, andy's bugle calling to clear the way. men and women on their way to the fire scattered to right and left as the hose cart came lumbering along, drawn by its willing young escort at almost as fast a gait as horses could have dragged it. "'ray for the boy scouts," shrilled a small boy. the excited crowd took up the cry as the hose cart went roaring by, speeding toward the sinister glow on the sky ahead of them. a throng rushed behind it, making believe to aid greatly by pushing the lumbering vehicle. suddenly a terrible thought flashed across rob's mind. the house occupied by the janitor of the school was undergoing extensive repairs and he and his family had been given temporary quarters in some rooms at the top of the school building. the sudden realization of this sent a thrill shooting through the boy. what if they were caught in a fiery trap, unable to escape? "oh, i hope they are all right," rob found himself muttering half aloud as at the head of a line of straining boys he galloped along. "hey! here comes the engine," went up a sudden shout from the crowd behind. glancing back rob saw the engine, the pride of the vigilants, coming careening down the street. its whistle wailed in a melancholy fashion and from its stack there streamed sparks in sufficient volume to render timid folks apprehensive that another fire would be started. "pull out! pull out!" cried rob, as he saw it, "here comes the engine." but there was no need to tell his followers that. every boy in the village knew the old vigilant and had seen it go screeching and lurching to a dozen fires. they rushed the hose cart up on the sidewalk as the engine came swinging nearer. it looked quite inspiring with its flaming stack, hissing jets of steam and thunder of horses' hoofs. the driver, ed blossom, was belaboring his steeds furiously. suddenly, out into the middle of the road darted a tiny little girl. in the excitement and confusion no one noticed her at first. she stood there apparently oblivious of the approaching fire engine for one instant. then, although she saw her doom thundering down on her, she still stood as helplessly as a tiny bird fascinated by a glowing-eyed serpent. "out of the way! run! run!" shrieked a dozen frenzied voices as several people perceived the child's danger. "great scotland! she'll be killed," cried merritt. the engine was almost opposite the hose cart as the scouts took in the scene, but with one spring merritt darted right in the path of the heavy machine. it happened so quickly that no one quite knew what had happened until they saw a second figure in the path of the juggernaut. to snatch up the child was the work of an instant; but in that instant, as a groan from the horror-stricken onlookers testified, it looked as if merritt's doom had been sealed. ed blossom tugged frantically at his horses' bits and swerved them a trifle as he saw what was before him. as merritt sprang backward with the agility of an acrobat, clasping the child in his arms, ed succeeded in swinging just a little more. the horses grazed merritt as they snorted and reared. suddenly there came a crash and a loud, tearing, ripping sound and the rear of the fire-engine was seen to collapse on one side. in pulling out to avoid running down merritt and the little girl, ed blossom had quite forgotten, under the stress of the moment, the trees that grew on each side of the road. the hub of the rear wheel had struck one of these and the wheel had been torn off completely. if ed had not been strapped to his seat he would have been hurled to the road. a half hysterical woman fell on merritt's neck and covered him with tearful thanks. then she snatched up the child and vanished in the crowd, leaving the boy scout free and greatly relieved that her gratitude was to be spared him just at that time. there was a quick hand-clasp from rob, "well done, old man." and then they all turned toward the wreck of the engine. steam was hissing in clouds from the crippled bit of apparatus. merritt heard someone say that the pump had been broken. he knew then that the engine was out of commission for that night. men had already unhitched the plunging horses and tied them to a tree. but it was soon evident that the engine must lie where it was for the present. "can't do nawthin' with her," decided the foreman and ed blossom, after a necessarily hurried examination, "but say," continued the foreman, enthusiastically, as if the breakage of the engine was only a secondary consideration, "that rescue of the little gal was as plucky a thing as i ever seen." and there was no one in that crowd who did not agree with him. but there was no time to linger by the engine. the thing to be done was to push on to the fire. the crowd rushed along and the foreman stopped to say to rob aside:-- "you boys must help us keep the crowd back while we form a bucket line; it's our only chance to save the place now--and a mighty slim one," he added, as again a red tongue of flame slashed the dark firmament like a scarlet scimitar. "there goes the last of the old 'cademy!" cried a man as he saw. "in an hour's time there won't be a stick of it left." without the engine to pump a stream through the pipes, the hose cart was useless and was abandoned where it rested. under the foreman's directions the boy scouts invaded houses and borrowed and commandeered every bucket, pail or can they could find. everything that would hold water was rushed to the scene. there was a creek opposite the blazing academy, and while the boy scouts held back the crowd the firemen formed a double line and passed the filled utensils rapidly from hand to hand. as fast as they were emptied they came back again to be refilled by those at the creek end of the line. with improvised staves, cut and broken from shrubs, the boys held the crowd back. the method was this: each lad held the ends of two staves, the other ends of which were grasped by his comrades on either side of him. this formed a sort of fence and to the credit of the hampton citizens be it said they had too much respect for the good work of the boy scouts to try and press forward unduly. the boy scouts were on duty now. alert, watchful, aching to be taking part in the active scene before them, they schooled themselves into doing their best in the--by comparison--hum-drum task assigned to them. the academy, an aged brick building, was wreathed in flames. from the cupola on top, from which had sounded for so many years the morning summons to study, was spouting vivid fire. they could see dr. ezekiel jones, the head of the school, and some of the other instructors running about in the brilliantly lighted grounds and saving armfuls of books and papers. the fire appeared to be on the middle floors. at any rate up to this time it had been possible for the men bent on saving what they could to dart in at the big front doors, reappearing with what they had been able to salvage from the flames. with the pitifully inadequate means at their command, the firemen could do little more than work like fiends at passing buckets. it was necessary to be doing something, but even the stoutest hearted and most hopeful of the onlookers knew that the case was hopeless. suddenly there appeared, from no one knew exactly where, a little pale-faced man with sandy whiskers. he wore overalls and was hatless. a woman, a white-faced woman, clung to his arm desperately. "no, eben," she kept screaming, "not you, too! not you, too!" "let me go, jane!" the pallid little man kept shouting in reply. "it's our baby, we've got to get him out!" he made a struggle toward the blazing building, but the woman clung to him frenziedly. now a fireman rushed at him and added his strength to the woman's. "great scotland," gasped merritt, who stood next to rob, "it's old duffy, the janitor, and his wife!" "what is it?" cried rob, without replying, as a fireman hastened past him. "what's the matter?" "her baby. she's left it in the 'cademy," came the choking answer. the man, whose face was white with helpless horror, hurried on to obey some order, while a shudder of sympathy and fear ran through the crowd. now came more details as men hastened back and forth. the woman, thinking that her husband had the baby, had rushed from the house at the first alarm. for his part, old duffy, the janitor, never dreaming that the fire would gain such rapid headway, had tried to fight it alone, thinking all the time that his wife had the infant. the true situation had just been discovered and the man was frantic to get back into the place although he was a semi-invalid, known to suffer with heart disease. the flames were leaping up more savagely every minute. for all the effect that the feeble dribble supplied by the bucket brigade had, they might as well have given up their efforts. rob felt his heart give a bound as he watched the janitor and his wife kindly, but firmly, forced back. his pulses throbbed wildly. he gave one look at the red inferno before him. then,-- "here, spread your arms and take my place in line," he snapped out suddenly to merritt. the next instant his lithe young figure darted across the flame-lit open space in front of the school. he knew the interior of the old building like a book, and that would aid him in the task he had steeled himself to perform. he rushed up to the group about the shrieking woman. "what room is your child in?" he cried, his heart seeming to rise in his throat and choke back the words. "that one on the south corner," cried the woman mechanically, staring at him with frightened eyes. "see, the flames are getting nearer to it! oh, my baby! my baby!" she gave a terrible scream and sank back. had they not caught her she would have fallen. when she opened her eyes again there was a roar all about her that was not the roar of the flames. it was the tremendous, awe-stricken turmoil of the crowd. they had seen a boyish figure dart from the fainting woman's side, shake off a dozen detaining hands, and then, wrapping his coat about his head, dash by a back entrance into the burning building. as he flung open the door and vanished, a great puff of smoke rolled out. the cry of awed admiration for such bravery changed to a groan of despair,--the terrible voice of massed human beings seeing a lad go to his death. for, as the flames crackled upward more relentlessly than before, it did not seem within the bounds of possibility that anyone could enter the place and emerge alive. chapter xi. the fire test. touched with reckless bravery, foolhardiness in fact, as rob's act had appeared to be, yet he had not acted without taking due thought. as always in emergencies, his mind worked with great swiftness. he had no sooner made up his mind that it was his duty, cost what it might, to save that innocent little one's life, than he had hit upon a plan. if the child was lodged in the center of the building, he knew full well that long before its life must have been yielded up to the fire demon. but if the quarters of the janitor were, as he believed, in the south corner of the school, then there was still a chance. the mother's words had put him out of all doubt on this score and rob instantly determined to face the most daring act of his life. the rooms at the south side of the building had been used by the academy boys as a gymnasium before their present quarters were built, so that rob was thoroughly familiar with the stairways leading to them. so far as he could see it would be possible, by using a side door, to dodge the flames shooting up the center of the building. there was a winding stairway that existed on this side of the structure quite independent of the main flight which, by this time, must have fallen in. with rob, to arrive at a decision was to act upon it. as we have seen, he had lost no time in making for the doorway. he had, in fact, a double reason for his haste. for one thing, every second would count, and, for another, he realized that to many in the crowd his act would appear to border on madness, and that an attempt might be made to hold him back. "the boy's a fool!" yelled someone in the crowd behind merritt. quick as a flash rob's chum faced around, indignation shining in his eyes, which had, a second before, been dimmed with tears. "no, sir; however rob makes out, he's a hero," he shot back, while a murmur of approbation ran through the crowd. "keep your places, boys," he ordered the next instant, for the scouts, half wild with anxiety and excitement, were beginning to waver and allow the crowd to surge forward. merritt's words stiffened them. in a moment they were recalled to a sense of that duty of which they had just witnessed such a conspicuous example. the instant rob crossed the threshold of that door he found himself surrounded by smoke. but he bent low, and throwing his coat more closely above his head, he crouched on all fours so as to get below the level of the acrid fumes that made his eyes smart cruelly. suddenly he stumbled over something, and as he saw in the dim light what it was he gave a glad gasp. it was a bucket of water, left on the stairway after the regular saturday scrubbing. rob was a scout who knew, from careful study of his manual, just what to do in emergencies. he recalled now that in case of being compelled to enter a smoky, blazing building, it was recommended to bind a wet cloth over mouth and nostrils in such a way as to act as a respirator. instantly he saturated his handkerchief in the water and bound it on his face in the manner advocated. then he began what was to prove a terrible climb. the school was three stories in height, the lower two floors containing study rooms and offices and the top floor lumber rooms and the apartments occupied temporarily by the janitor. breathing with more ease now that he had bound up his face, rob fought his way upward. it was as murky as a pit, and it seemed that the stairs were interminable. suddenly he stumbled and fell headlong. he had gained the first landing. through a door opening upon it jets of flame, like serpents' tongues, were beginning to shoot. rob staggered toward the door and slammed it to. he knew that this was absolutely necessary, for in the case of the staircase being in flames when it came time for him to retrace his steps his retreat would be cut off. but that was a thought he did not dare to dwell upon. steeling himself anew he pushed stubbornly on to the next flight. "it's lucky i know this place as well as i do," he thought, as he gamely kept up the fight against what appeared almost overwhelming odds. as he climbed higher it grew hotter. the place was like the interior of a volcano. beyond the wall of the stairway rob could hear the flames roaring like the beat of the surf on a rocky coast. it almost seemed as if the fire demon possessed an articulate voice and was howling his rage and defiance at the boy who had dared to face his terrors. but, hot as it was growing, rob yet found some small grain of comfort in the fact that the smoke was not so thick. he breathed more freely even if his throat was becoming dry as dust and whistled in an odd way as he climbed higher. at last he reached the summit of the second flight. he paused irresolutely on the landing. several doors opened off it. now that he was actually there, rob was confused for an instant. he was not quite so sure of his bearings as he had thought he would be. but the roar of the flames below and about him warned him to lose not a second of precious time in procrastination. he plunged into the door nearest at hand. within he found himself in a room which was evidently a dining room. supper was ready spread on the table. a lamp illumined the scene. how odd it seemed to be gazing at this peaceful domestic setting, while below and to one side of him, devouring flames were roaring and leaping. save for a strong smell of smoke and a slight bluish haze, the room might have been a thousand miles away from the flaming building in which it was located. suddenly, as the boy stood there looking swiftly about him, there came a crash that shook the whole place like an earthquake. "a floor's fallen!" gasped rob. "pray heaven it's not taken any part of that stairway with it!" brave as he was, the young scout turned pale and actually shook for an instant like a leaf. he knew full well that if that stairway, or any part of it, was gone, he was doomed to die as irrevocably as if a death sentence had been pronounced upon him. all at once, from a room opening off the dining room came a wailing cry. "muvver! muvver, i'se fwightened!" rob's heart gave a quick bound and he galvanized into instant action, a great contrast to his temporary state of stupefaction! "all right, youngster. don't cry, i'm coming," he called out, plunging forward. inside the room was a small crib, with a child about three years old lying on it clasping a doll in her arms. "who's oo?" she demanded in some alarm, as rob, with his handkerchief tied over his face, advanced. "me? why--why, i'm a fireman," exclaimed rob; and then, with an inspiration, "let's play that the place is on fire and i'm going to save you." the child clapped her hands and her eyes shone. rob picked her out of her crib and carried her tenderly out of the room. "now i'm going to cover your face just like real firemen do," he said, as they emerged on the landing and the hot breath of the furnace below was spewed up at them. "is dat in de game," inquired the child doubtfully, "an' will oo cover dolly's, too?" "yes, it's all part of the game," rob reassured her. "now then, there we are." he enveloped the child in his coat which he had already removed and started for the landing. suddenly he stopped, and from under the coat came a muffled but inquisitive voice: "is 'oo cwyin', mister fireman?" no, rob was not crying; but he had just seen something that made his breath come heavingly and his heart almost stop beating. below him he could see a dull red glow, growing momentarily brighter. no need was there for him to speculate on what that meant. the stairway was on fire. his one means of escape from the blazing building was cut off. for an instant rob's head swam dizzily. he felt sick and shaky. was he to die there in that inferno of flames? a cry was forced wildly from his cracked lips. "not like this! oh, not like this!" he begged, raising his eyes upward. chapter xii. in peril of his life. in the meantime, outside the building suspense had reached almost the breaking point. the scouts still stood steady and staunch, but their faces were white and drawn. when the crash that announced the falling floor came, a man, wrought beyond the bearing point, cried out: "there goes his last chance, poor kid!" "shut up, can't you," breathed a fierce, tense voice in his ear the next instant. "don't you see his father and mother back there?" it was only too true. attracted by the excitement, rob's father and mother had driven to the scene in their car. they reached it just in time to hear of rob's heroic act. now, white-faced and trembling, they sat hand in hand wretchedly waiting for news. as time passed and the flames rose higher without a sign of the daring lad, their hearts almost ceased to beat. seconds seemed hours, minutes eternity. then suddenly came a fearful cry. on the roof there had appeared the figure of rob with a bundle which the crowd readily guessed to be the janitor's child clasped tightly in his arms. the flames, leaping from the cupola, illumined his form brightly and showed his pale, tense face. thwarted in his effort to descend by the stairway, rob had managed to reach the roof through a scuttle. "he's done it! hurrah! the boy's saved the baby!" went up an ear-splitting cry from the unthinking in the crowd. the others knew only too well that the reason that rob had appeared on the roof betokened the terrible fact that his escape had been cut off. he was making a last desperate stand, with the flames drawing closer, and threatening to burst through the roof at any moment. every eye in that crowd was fixed on the solitary figure on the roof. "ladders! get ladders," yelled the foreman, hoping against hope that one could be found tall enough to reach to that height. rob came forward to the cornice, and looked over as if gauging the height. they saw him shake his head. then he looked behind him. alas, there, too, all hope of escape was cut off. between himself and an iron fire-escape at the back of the building, tongues of flame were now shooting through the roof. "he's shouting something. keep still, for heaven's sake!" came merritt's voice suddenly. a death-like silence followed. then above the roar and crackle came a faint sound. it was rob calling out some commands. "a rope!--shoot it up here," was all they could distinguish. merritt darted forward and stood below the walls. "louder, rob! louder!" he besought. "a rope! bow--arrow--shoot it up!" came rob's voice, audible to few, but his chum merritt was the only one that understood. he was back among the scouts in a flash. he seized paul perkins by the shoulder. "paul, your house is nearest. run! run as you never ran before and get your archery bow and lots of arrows." paul didn't stop to ask the meaning of this strange command, but darted off at top speed, the crowd opening for him. "ropes! ropes and lots of string!" shouted merritt next, appealing to the throng. those who were closest realized that a plan to save rob--although what it was they couldn't imagine--was to be tried. neighbors of the academy ran off at once and in a few minutes the scouts were busy, under merritt's directions, knotting ropes together to form one long line. when this had been done, merritt measured with his eye the height of the academy walls. then he set them to work knotting light twine together in as long a line as they could make. by this time paul was back with the bow and arrow that the scouts used at archery practice. "give it here," ordered merritt tersely if ungrammatically. what he was going to try was a repetition of the trick that had rescued some of the eagle patrol when they were imprisoned on the top of ruby glow in the adirondacks on their memorable treasure hunt. with a hand that was far from steady, merritt knotted the end of the light string to an arrow. then, placing the arrow in position, he drew the bow. it was plain enough to the dullest-witted now what he meant to do. his plan was to shoot the arrow, with the string attached, up on the roof where rob could seize it. this done, it would be possible for the latter--if he had time--to haul up the rope, knot it to a chimney and slide down. it was a daring, desperate plan, but none other offered, and the fact that rob had suggested it showed that his nerve was not likely to fail him in what might be aptly described as a supreme test. amid a dead silence merritt let the arrow fly. it shot through the air, but instead of reaching the roof it struck the wall and rebounded. a cry went up from the watching crowd as it fell, having failed to accomplish its purpose. if rob's face changed as he stood up there on the edge of the fire-illumined roof, it was not visible to those below him, keen as his disappointment must have been. but merritt was almost sobbing as he picked up the arrow and fitted it afresh for another trial. as he drew the bow with every ounce of strength he possessed, his lips moved in prayer that his next effort might be successful. at any moment now, the foreman of the fire-fighters told him, the roof might collapse, carrying with it the brave boy and his childish burden. on the outskirts of the crowd, too, a white-faced man and woman were imploring divine providence to nerve merritt's arm and aim. for one instant the bowstring was drawn taut till it seemed that the bow must snap under the terrific pressure. then suddenly the string fell slack, the arrow whizzed through the air and a mighty cheer split the sky as it winged true and swift to the roof top, falling almost at rob's feet. hand over hand he drew in the string, and at last he had hauled up enough rope to knot one end fast about some ornamental stone work at a corner of the building. while doing this he had laid the child down. now he was seen to pick her up again, and holding her in his arms for an instant he appeared to consider. to slide down that rope he must have at least one arm free. how was he going to do it? the crowd almost forebore to breathe as they sensed what the boy on the roof was puzzling over. it was rob's scout training that solved the problem--one of life and death for him--as this same training is doing all over the world for lads in every grade of life to-day. he was seen to give the child some emphatic instructions and then throw her over his left shoulder much as he might have done with a bag of meal. in this position the child's head hung down between his shoulders. her legs were across his chest. seizing the baby's left arm so that it came over his right shoulder, rob extended his left hand between its knees and grasped the little one's wrist firmly. in this position she was held perfectly securely in what all boy scouts know as "the fireman's lift," one of the most useful accomplishments a boy scout can master. this done, the most difficult, dangerous part of rob's task came. he had to slide down that rope with his burden on his shoulder with only his right arm and his legs to depend on for a grip. but it had to be done. without hesitation he swung himself from the coping and gripped the rope. for one terrible instant he shot down for a foot or so before he succeeded in checking his downward plunge. but his knees gripped the rope and his right arm stood the strain, although he felt as if it must snap. how he reached the ground rob never knew. those last terrible moments on the roof had come very near to breaking his nerve. he was conscious of a sudden flare of light and a crash as his feet touched the ground. it crossed his mind hazily that part of the roof must have fallen in--perhaps the part on which he had been standing. then came a rush of feet, shouts, cries, and arms flung about him, and through it all rob could hear his mother's glad cry of relief after the awful tension she had endured. he tried to say something and failed, and then everything raced round and round him at breakneck speed. "he's fainting!" he was conscious that somebody was shouting, and he could hear himself, only it seemed like somebody else, saying: "no, i'm all right," and then everything grew blank to the boy scout who had won, through "being prepared" for a great emergency. chapter xiii. the enemy's move. rob blake was sitting on the porch of his home in hampton. in his hand was a book on woodcraft. but he was not just now devoting his attention to the volume. instead he let it hang idly from one hand while he gazed up through the maple tops and dreamed of many things. as rob himself would have put it, the "spring was in his blood." more strongly than usual that morning he felt the "red gods calling." suddenly two hands were thrown over his eyes from behind and a voice cried: "surrender, you leader of the eagles! that's one time you're caught napping." "tubby!" exclaimed rob, springing up and facing round. "how in the world did you get in?" he asked the next minute. "i never heard you coming, and----" he broke off with a laugh as his eyes fell on a big section of apple pie with one crescent-shaped bite missing, that the fat boy was regarding affectionately. "oh, i see. the back door, eh?" he inquired. "ye-es," drawled tubby, "and i must say your cook makes good pie and is inclined to look favorably on a starving scout." "starving! why, it's not two hours since breakfast!" "well, two hours is a long time--sometimes," mumbled tubby, who had taken another bite while rob was speaking. "what news from the academy, tubby?" "haven't you heard? they haven't been able to find another building big enough to house the scholars, so i guess it's a holiday till the beginning of september for all of us," cried tubby with shining eyes. "hullo, what's that? a latin grammar?" he picked up a volume that lay on an adjoining chair. he regarded it attentively for a few seconds and then flung it forth into the garden where it landed in a rose bush. "let it lie there till september," he chuckled. "well, how are you anyhow, old fellow?" he rattled on. "it's a week since the fire and you ought to be feeling fit again." "never felt better in my life, although i was knocked out quite a bit; but you see i've had very good care, and----" "oh yes, lucy mainwaring has been to see you--once or twice, hasn't she?" and tubby, with an air of apparent abstraction, fell to studying a white cloud that happened to be drifting by far above them. suddenly he faced about with a mischievous laugh. "you looked sort of pale when i came in, rob," he chuckled, "but you've got plenty of color now." rob, boy-like, looked embarrassed and changed the subject rather abruptly. "everything fixed for that meeting at headquarters to-night?" he asked. a rather odd look passed over the fat boy's face. "oh yes, it's all ready," he said with rather a marked emphasis on the words. "good; you and merritt must have worked hard." "we've all taken our part. the hall looks bully. it'll be dandy to have you around again." the meeting the boys referred to was the regular weekly meeting of the patrol. but when rob reached the hall above the bank that night he felt rather astonished to find that chairs and stools had been arranged all over the spacious hall, and that decorations consisting of the stars and stripes and the eagle patrol flags were strung everywhere. off the main hall opened the scouts' gymnasium and general store room. in this room rob found his scouts assembled. they greeted him with a cheer as he appeared. rob began to feel uneasy. he hated anything like that, but he took the congratulations that were showered upon him in the spirit in which they were offered. when he found an opportunity he drew merritt aside. "what are all the chairs arranged outside for?" he asked suspiciously. "oh, just so that the folks can see what we've been doing with our time during the winter," was the reply. "we've arranged some single stick bouts and an exhibition drill and so on--you don't mind, do you?" "no, it's a fine idea," declared rob warmly. "how soon will the company--audience i mean--arrive?" "guess they're beginning to come now," said merritt as the sound of feet tramping into the hall became audible. "better send out walter and martin to act as ushers, hadn't you?" "yes, i guess so," and merritt hastened off to dispatch the two second class scouts referred to. the hall filled rapidly. in the front rows rob could see his parents and beside them commodore wingate, the scout master of the district, and the parents of most of the boys. the other chairs were filled with villagers and all at once--rob's heart beat rather quicker--down the aisle came the mainwaring party. they took the three seats which had been apparently reserved for them close to rob's parents. little andy bowles, who arrived late, came into the gym in a state of high excitement. like most of the other scouts he had come in by the back stairway which led directly into the gym. he came straight up to rob. "say," he exclaimed, after he had given the scout salute and congratulated his leader, "say, who do you think are hanging about outside?" "no idea," rejoined rob. "why, hodge berry and max ramsay and some of that bunch. they pretended not to notice me, but i'm sure they're up to some mischief. i could tell that by the way they sneaked off when they saw me." "i don't see what harm they can do us," rejoined rob, "although i don't doubt they'd like to work off some mean trick. run along and put on your best uniform, andy, you're late." everyone of note in hampton was in the hall by this time, and when commodore wingate arose to make a preliminary address he was warmly applauded. he dwelt at some length on the new spirit that the boy scouts had brought into hampton, and explained that while some misinformed persons appeared to think that the scout movement was a warlike one, it was in reality a great influence for peace. he reviewed the work of the eagles for the past year and enumerated at some length the various services they had done in the village. these included the clearing up and beautifying of vacant lots, the aiding of indigent or poor people, many little acts of kindness and help, and the setting generally of a good example to the youth of the town and neighborhood. "but," he went on to say, after an impressive pause, "it remained for the well-remembered night of the academy fire to bring into notice the two most conspicuous acts of heroism the scouts have yet performed. "i doubt if the annals of the boy scouts of any country show two more noble, self-sacrificing acts than those performed on that night by leader rob blake of the eagles,"--here such loud applause broke out that the speaker was compelled to pause for some minutes. when quiet was restored he went on, "and merritt crawford, his able lieutenant." more applause. while this was going on rob was shaking his fist at merritt indignantly. modest as most true heroes, he had, of course, already quietly received the thanks of the janitor's wife and the man himself for his daring rescue and hoped that the matter would end there. but this public acknowledgment was too much for him. as for merritt, he was chuckling for a minute, but as his own name was announced he turned a fiery red and cried out in a voice that was audible to the front rows: "commodore, i thought you were going to leave me out!" this caused a great laugh among those who heard it, and rob felt revenged. but the worst ordeal for the two boys still was ahead of them. above the din of applause that greeted the close of mr. wingate's speech, they heard that gentleman cry for silence. when quiet was restored he turned around toward the gymnasium door and cried: "i now ask rob blake and merritt crawford to come forward and receive a slight token of esteem from their fellow townsmen." "go on!" cried the scouts behind rob and merritt, under cover of a vigorous salvo of hand-clapping. there was no use hanging back, and rob and merritt, looking very ill at ease, stepped out before the crowd. if the applause had been loud before it was terrific then. the hall fairly shook under it. timid folks glanced upward at the roof to make sure it was not going to be blown off by enthusiasm. but at last, from sheer weariness, even the most vigorous applauders ceased. then came a cry in a stentorian voice, traced to the foreman of the fire vigilants. "three cheers for rob blake and merritt crawford!" "second the motion!" came a tempest of cries from all parts of the hall. commodore wingate drew from his coat tail pockets two velvet boxes. he opened them and in each there lay, glittering on a bed of purple plush, two miniature firemen's helmets of solid gold set with diamonds. on the back of each was inscribed: "from a grateful community to a boy scout hero." then followed the date, the name of the boy receiving the gift and the village seal. stepping forward the scout master pinned to the breast of each lad the gleaming trophies which would ever be among their proudest possessions. in the fresh applause that followed there were a few who did not join. these were max ramsay, hodge berry and their cronies, all of whom cordially disliked the boy scouts and hated to see them the idols of the village. while the applause was still sounding in lusty salvoes they slipped out with mischievous looks on their faces. perhaps andy bowles' guess that they were up to some prank designed to work harm to the boy scouts was not so far from the mark. to relate in detail all that took place that evening would occupy too much space. suffice it to say that the drills and exercises went off with a snap, and that some of the games played proved full of laughter and merriment. as the audience filed out, more than one former lukewarm citizen was heard to remark that the boy scout organization was a "mighty fine thing for lads, and that the eagles in particular not only shone themselves, but reflected credit on their home town." but with the departure of the crowd, all was not over. for some time, the boys' gym buzzed with chat and laughter. naturally, rob and merritt were the centers of attraction, and the two gold, diamond-studded helmets were handed about till it seemed that they must actually wear out from constant handling! at last it was too late to delay their departure for home any longer. when the impromptu meeting did finally break up, however, every fellow belonging to the eagles felt deep down in his heart that their organization, despite criticism and even open enmity, had proved its right to exist, and, what was more, had even proved its necessity in raising ideals and standards among the lads of the community. "we'll march out, fellows," declared rob, "and as each chap's home or corner is reached he can fall out of the ranks." "good idea," was the cry, and then: "fall in! fall in!" shouted merritt. "lights out," was the next order and the pushing of the electric light switch plunged the place into darkness. "march!" and off they went, two by two, each scout marching as smartly as a trained veteran. outside, on the landing, it was very dark. the blackness was made, so to speak, doubly black by the fact that they had just been in a brilliantly lighted room. "look out for the steps, boys! they're steep!" warned rob, as his detachment of young scouts marched downward. hardly had he spoken when the two lads marching in front, hiram and paul, gave a stumble and a yell. the next instant they rolled down the steep stairway to the street. before they could take advantage of the warning, three more pairs, including merritt, had likewise executed a bob forward and gone toppling down the staircase to the sidewalk. they all landed in a heap. "look out there! the steps have been soaped!" rob had just time to call out and save the rest from disaster. the light from a street lamp gave a feeble gleam on the struggling group below. the rest of the boys, huddled for a moment above, by exercising great care, managed to get over the well-soaped and slippery steps without coming to grief. one of them was andy bowles. "i just thought that max ramsay and hodge berry and their bunch were up to some tricks when i saw them round here, and i guess i was right, too. how about it, rob?" "i'm inclined to think you were," responded bob. "how are you, fellows? all right?" he asked as the downfallen scouts picked themselves up. "all present and accounted for," declared merritt, as they all stood up, vigorously brushing dust and dirt from their trig uniforms, "except for a few bruises i guess we're all right." "hark!" cried hiram suddenly, "what's that?" from somewhere near by, possibly from some bushes that grew further down the street came the sound of suppressed giggling and cat-calls. there was no doubt as to what excited the merriment of the unseen scoffers, nor was there, in fact, any difficulty in guessing their identity. rob hardly knew whether to laugh or be angry. others of the patrol had no such hesitancy. "it's that max ramsay crowd," shouted tubby angrily. "come out here if you're not cowards." a sound of scuffling and retreating footsteps followed this challenge. "there they go," shouted hiram, "the sneaks!" "let's capture some of them and make them pay dearly for those soapy stairs!" shouted paul. "what about it, rob?" asked merritt anxiously. but rob shook his head. "let them go," he said. "none of us are hurt, and if they are mean enough to find satisfaction in such tricks, let them." "well, i'll take it out of them for this skinned ankle sooner or later," declared tubby, hopping about and nursing the injured member. "same here," came from one or two of the scouts angrily. "they won't get away with anything like that." "humph! i've just recollected," said tubby suddenly. "there's some rule or other that says scouts mustn't fight." rob was instantly appealed to by half a dozen anxious voices owned by the victims of the soapy stairs. "well," he said, "of course no scout is supposed to engage in fisticuffs except in actual self-defense; but--well i guess there's a limit." "and it's been reached," muttered tubby vindictively. "fall in!" cried rob. "humph! i just fell down," grunted tubby. and then, without more discussion of the mean trick that had been played them, the scouts marched off. after that glorious evening they all felt that they could well afford to ignore such contemptible pranks as those of max ramsay and his crowd. as for rob and merritt, proud as they felt of the honor that had been paid them that night, they somehow could not help valuing even more highly the quiet thanks that had come to them from full hearts before the public demonstration had been thought of. it is a scout's duty to do his work without hope of reward, save that which comes from a sense of work well done, which, after all, is the best reward and the most enduring that any boy, or man, either, for that matter, can have. chapter xiv. a novel proposal. "well, what do you think of my proposal?" mr. mainwaring's eyes twinkled as he regarded the three lads seated opposite him in the library of his home which he had called ancon hill, possibly in remembrance of that other ancon hill in the far off canal zone. tubby gulped; merritt's eyes shone and his face flushed excitedly, but he couldn't find words just then. "well, rob, what do _you_ say to transplanting the boy scouts, or part of them, down along the big ditch?" "i--i--that is, we--it's too big--too glorious to just realize it all at once, isn't it, fellows?" stammered rob. "pshaw! i thought the motto of your clan was 'be prepared'. now you ought to be just as much prepared to accept my invitation to go to panama as you would be to cook a meal in a given time or light a fire with one match." mr. mainwaring regarded the young faces opposite him with a quizzical look. then he spoke again. "i know just what you fellows are thinking," he said. "you'd like to go, but----" "it's--it's our folks, you see----" tubby managed to sputter. the others nodded solemnly. this proposal of mr. mainwaring's, that while the academy was closed they should go as his guests to the canal zone and see the wonders of that region, both natural and man-made, had fairly taken them off their feet, as the saying is. "we'll come to that part of it later," responded mr. mainwaring. "i shouldn't be surprised," he added with a twinkle in his eyes, "if it could all be arranged satisfactorily. you see, i'm not going to take you lads down there to idle. far from it. idleness is the worst thing for boys or men. i've work for you to do. as i told you, this young scamp jared, who is really more fool than knave, has skipped out for the isthmus. that i have found out as you know. with him went alverado and estrada, the latter having suddenly resigned his diplomatic post at washington. a third party went also, who i more than suspect is the keen-faced young man you told me you had seen in jared's company at the barn, at the ball game, and also on the evening jared took his abrupt departure. "now, of course, they are on the _qui vive_ on the isthmus for this precious outfit who, undoubtedly, mean mischief of some sort. just what it is i am not prepared to say, but i can tell you that i have a shrewd suspicion. now you boys have plenty of pluck, resource and enterprise--don't turn red, i'm not in the habit of flattering anybody and i mean it. you are the only people that i know of that have actually seen alverado and who would be able to pick out this miserable, misled jared." "you want us to do detective work!" gasped tubby in an awe-struck tone. mr. mainwaring laughed and threw up his hands. "heaven save the mark! i suspect you of reading dime novels, master tubby. no, there is nothing old-sleuth-like about what i would want you to do; nothing very thrilling or exciting about it. i'd simply want you to accompany me and maybe point out the men you have seen plotting together, for the benefit of the isthmian police; so you see there is no danger, no glamour, no promise of adventure about it; only a hum-drum trip, but one that i am sure will prove full of interest." had mr. mainwaring possessed a prophetic eye he might not have spoken exactly as recorded above. but not being blessed with such an organ he, of course, had no means of knowing into what danger and adventure the boy scouts were destined to be thrust while on the isthmus. "oh, but we'd like to go!" sighed rob. "it's like a beautiful dream," struck in merritt with a far-away look in his eyes. "i suppose that there's plenty to eat down that way?" asked tubby rather suspiciously. the tension was relieved by a hearty laugh from them all. "well, i only asked, you know," remarked tubby in an injured tone. "and now that that's all explained," said mr. mainwaring, after the merriment had subsided, "i may as well tell you that all your parents know of my wish and are quite willing that you should go, in spite of the fact that for some weeks they will be deprived of your interesting society. and----" but all discipline was at an end for the nonce. the boys' spirits fairly broke bounds. they leaped up, joined hands and danced round in a circle. it was like some impossible, glorious dream coming true; for each of them had long cherished a desire to see uncle sam's wonderful digging operations which, under the stars and stripes, were to join two mighty oceans. in the midst of the excitement the door opened and in came fred mainwaring; but lucy was not with him, rather to the disappointment of one of the scouts. fred, after the boys had all shaken hands warmly and indulged in another war dance, announced that his sister had had to leave suddenly for the west the night before, as her mother, who was stopping with relatives there, had absolutely forbidden the project of taking her along. it was not till after they had taken their leave and were walking with fred down the drive leading to the road back to hampton that lucy's brother seized an opportunity to draw rob aside. "what are you looking so glum about?" he demanded with a twinkle in his eyes. "who? me?" rejoined rob indignantly, "i never felt better in my life." but his looks belied him. and, strange to say, rob's gloom dated from the moment that fred had announced lucy's departure. "say, old fellow," laughed fred merrily, "if you don't remind me of the ostrich in the fable! here,--here's her address,--take it and be happy. bless you, my children," and without waiting for an answer, fred thrust a bit of paper into rob's hand and darted off with a merry:-- "see you to-morrow. we'll have lots to talk about." rob rejoined his companions, who had walked on some distance ahead. his gloomy look had vanished like snow in the spring. "isn't it great, glittering, glorious?" cried merritt as he came up. "i simply can't believe it yet," cried tubby. "i'm afraid i'll wake up like i do some nights when i'm dreaming about a banquet at which i'm an honored guest." "----and i can always send postcards from the isthmus," breathed rob, which remark did not seem very germane to the conversation. his companions looked at him in amazement for an instant and then, comprehending, broke into a roar of laughter, for which rob chased them half way back to hampton, catching tubby at last and belaboring that stout youth till he roared for mercy. but the fat boy had his revenge. as soon as he was released he sought a safe refuge and then, holding his staff like a guitar, he rolled his eyes upward in imitation of a troubadour, and howled at the top of his voice:-- "on a bee-yoot-i-ful night! with a bee-yoot-i-ful gy-url!" rob didn't know whether to laugh or be angry. chapter xv. off for the isthmus. the _s.s. caribbean_ lay at her dock at the foot of west twenty-fifth street, new york city, with steam up in readiness for her departure for colon, which, as every boy knows, is the easterly port of the canal zone and the terminus on that side of the isthmus of the panama railroad. everything appeared to be a perfect maze of confusion. derricks rattled, steam winches roared and wagons clattered about the dock in every direction. from the 'scape pipe of the big steamer white wisps of steam were pouring, while black smoke rolled from the squat, black funnel. at the foremast flew the blue peter, that blue flag with a square white center that, all the world over, signifies "sailing day." down twenty-fourth street, hurrying with all their might, came three boys whom, even had they not worn their scout uniforms, we should have had no difficulty in recognizing as rob, merritt and tubby. all were laden down with packages,--things bought at the last moment. the main part of their equipment was already on board. as we know, their numerous camping expeditions had provided for them so amply in that way that it had hardly been necessary to buy anything in that line. tents, cooking outfits, and so on, they had long possessed. but on board the ship, in the stateroom they were all three to share, reposed their proudest possessions: three blue-steel automatic revolvers with their cartridge belts, etc., and three brand new automatic rifles of heavy caliber. the latter had been the gift of mr. mainwaring, while the revolvers the boys had bought themselves on his recommendation. it was quite likely, it appeared, that they would explore some of the upper reaches of the chagres river, a region infested by big snakes, jaguars and alligators, and weapons were more or less of a necessity. good-byes had been said early that morning when an admiring, if slightly envious, cohort of scouts, with the village band at their heads, had escorted them to the train for new york. it had been a period of glorious excitement up to that time, but when the moment came to say the last good-byes and they had waved and given the scout cry for the last time, the three lads felt strangely sober. this supernatural depression of spirits had endured till they reached new york, where their last shopping excursion for some time diverted their thoughts and drove away the blues. so that it was a laughing, merrily chatting trio that came at a brisk walk down twenty-fourth street on its way to meet mr. mainwaring and fred at the steamer. all felt that their departure for the tropics meant a new epoch in their lives. as for their friends at home, the hampton local paper had devoted a column to the lads' departure, calling them "hampton's boy scout pioneers." how much they wished that they could have brought all the eagles with them to share their anticipated experiences! but that was manifestly impossible, and so, as the next best thing, tubby carried a camera and an ample supply of films with which to make all the pictures he could to be shown to admiring audiences on their return. the water front opposite the sailing place of the west india and south american ships is a busy spot. life boils over thereabouts and the boys felt quite bewildered as they faced the broad street packed with rumbling wagons and swearing drivers and stevedores that lay between them and the dock bearing in big white letters the magic words: panama steamship company. they were just about to cross the street when their attention was suddenly distracted by the sound of some sort of scuffle or argument going on near at hand. facing about they were not long in discovering what the trouble was. drawn up against the curb was a small peddler's hand-cart, covered with rosy apples piled high in tempting fashion. behind it stood a kindly-looking old woman who just at that moment appeared to be very much flustered and excited. the cause was soon apparent. above the quavering voice of the old woman came a loud, blustering one that the boys were swift to recognize. "max ramsay! what in the world is he doing here?" "and hodge berry is with him and two other boys that look like city fellows," struck in merritt. "what are they up to?" "it's plain enough that they are plaguing that poor old woman," exclaimed rob, "and it wouldn't surprise me if they had come down here to see us off on the steamer and try to make trouble of some kind. i heard they were staying with ramsay's cousins in the city till the school was rebuilt." "well, it's a shame, anyhow," cried merritt indignantly. he had just seen what the hampton worthies and their friends were up to. they had amused themselves by plaguing the old woman till she was half beside herself, and then, while she was berating one of them, the others would steal some apples. "why, it's downright thievery," cried rob. "that's just what it is. just what i'd expect from such cads," cried merritt, fully as angry. "they look like good apples, too," commented tubby, regarding the fruit with the eye of an expert in such matters. "well, if you aren't the limit," exclaimed merritt, giving him a disgusted look. "haven't i got a right to give my opinion?" asked the fat scout demurely. "well, of all the mean skunks," cried rob indignantly, with a darkening brow. "see, the poor old woman is lame. she's got a crutch there. she can't get after them and that's why they are so bold." "come on, and stop it," exclaimed merritt impulsively, "i can't stand for anything like that." "better get a policeman," suggested tubby prudently. "i don't see one in sight," rejoined rob; "i guess it's up to us to stop it." "here's where i get even for that tumble i took, scout rules or no scout rules," muttered tubby to himself as the three lads advanced. max ramsay was contentedly munching a big red apple as they approached. he was too much, engrossed with laughing at the anger of the old woman and the mean pranks of his friends to notice the trio of determined looking lads nearing him. he had already swooped down on the stand and was now trying to divert the old woman's attention from the raids of his companions. "drop that apple, max ramsay!" that was the first warning that max had that the three scouts from hampton were on the scene. he and his companions had, as rob guessed, come down to the steamer to make trouble for the boys if they could. but on the way they had stopped to divert themselves at the old apple woman's expense. max turned a trifle pale for an instant, but then he bethought himself of his companions and grew defiant again. "as if i'd drop it for you," he said sneeringly. rob's arm flashed out and seized max's wrist. the next instant the apple was flying across the street. "ouch!" grunted max, "what are you trying to do? break my arm? hey, fellows!" his companions, their attention thus drawn, rallied to max's support. but rob, crimson with just anger, never noticed them. nothing made the young scout leader more angry than cruelty or injustice to children, the old and feeble, or dumb animals. his eyes fairly blazed now as he faced max, who looked mean and cringing beside him. "now get out of this, you coward," he exclaimed, grabbing max's shoulder and giving that worthy a good shove. "be off and take your friends with you. you ought to be ashamed of yourselves, treating a poor old woman this way." "let's give 'em a good punching," muttered tubby belligerently. "that's what i say," chimed in merritt; but rob held back his two fire-eating chums. "oh, we're not scared of the whole bunch of you namby-pamby sissies," cried hodge berry, a hulking lad who, however, took good care to keep out of reach of rob's fists. he had once witnessed what they could do and had no desire for a personal experience. now max's two city cousins chimed in. "why don't you give those toy soldiers a good hiding?" said one. "yes; those boy scouts are too dern busy," put in the other, a pale-faced, pimply lad of about seventeen. but despite these brave remarks, neither of them made any effort to back up max or hodge berry. "all right for you. we'll fix you some time," snarled max. "why not do it now?" inquired tubby. "you're four to three, that's good odds." "oh, we could lick you if we wanted to. we'll do it, too, when you get back from panama, if you ever do. i hope the 'gators eat you." "thank you," said rob, laughing in spite of himself; "and as for fighting you fellows, why i don't much believe in it, but if you don't make yourselves scarce, i'll give you rowdies a lesson you won't forget." "yah-h-h-h-h!" was all that the apple raiders could think of to say, but they faded away from the scene in as dignified a manner as they could muster. the three scouts then bought some apples from the old woman, who poured out her thanks so profusely that a small crowd began to gather about her and listen. "come on, fellows," said rob, "let's get out of this." they hurried away, followed by the old woman's "wurra wurras," and "god bless yez fer foine byes now, even if ye do wear haythenish clothes." when they were out of earshot, rob turned his attention to his badge, which he was wearing upside down. like many other scouts, he didn't turn it the right way up till he had lived up to the scout rules of doing a daily kind deed. he now turned his badge the right way and so did his chums, who had adopted this rule also. "i'd have felt better if i could have got a good crack at those chaps, though," said tubby between bites at his apple. suddenly a steamer's whistle boomed out above the dock-side uproar. "gee whiz, fellows, that's the 'all ashore' whistle. we've got to hustle!" cried rob. the three scouts broke into a run, each congratulating himself that he could present himself before mr. mainwaring with an "upturned badge." chapter xvi. something about the canal. "suppose you tell us what you know about panama and the canal?" remarked tubby to rob as the three boys perched in the bow of the _caribbean_, three days out, watching the flying fish as the vessel's prow sent them scattering like coveys of birds from big patches of yellow gulf weed. "yes, that's a good idea," supplemented merritt, "i guess we won't get much time to study books down there. mr. mainwaring said this morning that, after he had given the work a preliminary look-over, he was going to hunt for the source of that tributary of the chagres that he thinks is responsible for the big floods every rainy season." "well, i don't suppose i know much more about it than you two fellows do," rejoined rob modestly, "but i've been reading up on it." here he looked at tubby, who had done nothing much on the steamer but consume three huge meals a day, with "snacks" in between, and amuse himself. one of these amusements had been stuffing some of those odd-looking pills known as "pharaoh's serpents" into the captain's pipe. almost every boy can guess what happened when the glowing tobacco reached the "serpents" and big, wriggly, writhing things began to climb out of the pipe bowl. "ach himmel, der sea serpent," yelled the skipper, who was a german. "oh-h-h-h-h-h!" screamed a lot of ladies to whom he happened to be talking. it was just at this juncture that the captain had caught sight of tubby doubled up with laughter behind a ventilator. he chased and captured the fat youth, who then and there received a spanking for which he got no sympathy, even from his fellow scouts. except for spilling "sneezing powder" in the main dining room at dinner time and burning an old gentleman's bald head by sun rays concentrated in a magnifying glass, tubby had done nothing out of the way since. "fire away. unload your knowledge," ordered merritt, luxuriously stretching out under the awning. "all right, here goes. to begin at the beginning, of course you know that panama was discovered by christopher columbus in ." "ginger snaps!" interrupted tubby. "is there anything, except coney island, that he didn't discover?" "shut up, can't you," cried merritt indignantly. "go on, rob, it's just the nature of the beast. never mind him." "well," resumed rob, "columbus discovered the chagres river and sailed up it. he called the beautiful harbor by which he entered it porto bello. then came balboa, who was the first to cross the isthmus and view the pacific. it was about this time that a road was built across and the city of panama founded on the pacific side. it was from panama that pizarro set out to begin his brutal campaign which ended in the practical extinction of the incas of peru." "oh, cut out the history and let's get down to the canal," muttered tubby; "i hate history, anyhow." "it's my belief that you like nothing but eating," declared merritt indignantly. "and sleeping," put in tubby without a smile. "the road was fifty miles long and well paved and provided with substantial bridges, some of which are yet standing although the road is almost impassable," went on rob. "it was the war between mexico and uncle sam in - that brought about a change. but in the meantime, i forgot to tell you that old panama was sacked by captain henry morgan and his pirates in , great stores of gold taken and the inhabitants put to the torture. the city was never rebuilt, but its ruins still stand some miles from the site of the present city." "well, what happened in the mexican war?" asked tubby. "i'm coming to that. at that time there were not more than , miles of railroad in america, and it was a hard matter to get as far west as chicago by rail. "between the east and the pacific coast lay great prairies, practically unexplored. indians were thickly scattered over this region and very hostile to the white man. the journey across took months. the lack of a short route to the pacific coast set everybody to thinking. then, in , came the great gold rush to california. hundreds of miners went by way of the isthmus, but there was no railroad and they got sick, and many of them died on the way across. it became clear that there must be a railroad and, at last, in , after unheard of difficulties had been mastered, one was completed with american capital. "from the first it paid tremendously, in the space of forty-seven years making $ , , of clear profit for its projectors. but to build that forty-eight miles of track had cost , recorded human lives, five years of labor, and $ , , ." "first history, then a railroad year book, and now, i suppose, we'll get down to the canal," grunted tubby. "yes, that's coming now," smiled rob. "in the first place, the idea of building a canal across the narrow strip of land forming the isthmus had been a dream even of the early spaniards. then a scotchman founded a colony which was to grow rich on the products of the isthmus and also dig a canal. disease and failure soon put an end to this enterprise. in fact, from the earliest days panama and the isthmus have always been known as one of the most unhealthy spots on earth. as you may know, it is only nine degrees north of the equator, and the rainy season lasts more than half the year. but nowadays, with modern medicine and modern hygienic methods, it is quite safe, with reasonable care, to penetrate the jungle. mr. mainwaring told me that," he added. "well, after various schemes had been gotten up and had fallen through, a french company, backed by the money of almost everyone in france who could by hook or crook secure stock, in turned the first shovelful of earth for a canal. it was to have been a sea-level one, that is, one without locks, and was projected and engineered by ferdinand de lesseps, the aged builder of the suez canal. "we know now that a sea-level canal would not be feasible on the isthmus. it would take too long to build and cost a prohibitive sum, almost double what a lock canal costs. for seven years digging went on, with fearful loss of life among the laborers and engineers from yellow fever. then, in , it was discovered that almost half of the $ , , raised had been squandered in mismanagement and waste, and by far the larger part had gone in what we should nowadays call 'graft'. an investigation was made. several of the promoters of the canal committed suicide, and de lesseps went mad and died in an asylum. such was the tragic history of the french era; but brighter days were to come. "it was in when the _oregon_ made her record run from san francisco to join the atlantic fleet in the west indies and fight the spaniards off cuba, that americans began to think that a short cut was needed. with our acquisition of the philippines, a 'door' between the pacific and atlantic was declared to be almost a necessity. there was much discussion at washington, but finally in president roosevelt and congress decided that if we could purchase from the french all they had left at panama and could, in addition, buy a strip or 'zone' across the isthmus for canal building purposes, it would be fitting and right for the united states to take up the work. "after some dickering, the french company, took $ , , for what they owned, and, in , the panama republic, a newly created nation, sold the united states for $ , , a strip of land ten miles wide and fifty miles long, which strip of land is now known as the canal zone. "the first thing that the americans did after they took hold was to start a campaign against disease. no canal could be dug while yellow fever had to be reckoned with. under the masterly hand of col. w. c. gorgas, the zone has been cleaned up till disease is almost rarer than in cities of the north. mosquitoes have been wiped out, streets paved, filth and garbage, which used to lie and rot under the hot sun, all swept away, and good comfortable houses put up for workmen and their bosses. the men who stand the climate best among the laborers are jamaican negroes. hindus, italians and spaniards are also employed for lighter work, but for 'making the dirt fly' the sambo is the real thing. "anything else you'd like to know?" "well, yes," said merritt. "just why is this chagres river such an important part of the canal?" "well, it's this way, as i understand it," said rob. "in the first place, the canal is fifty miles long,--forty-one miles through the land and nine miles of channel dredged out in the harbors of colon and panama. from colon to bah bohia the route passes for twelve miles through low, swampy ground not much above sea level. then it cuts into the hills and is practically a more or less shallow ditch as far as a place called miraflores, nine miles away. the highest point of land that the canal must traverse is gold hill, at the famous culebra, where it is feet above the sea level. "but right here occurs a 'saddle' through which the canal must run. this, at its lowest point, is feet above sea level. right here is the notorious culebra cut, which is an immense excavation nine miles long and, in places, more than three hundred feet deep in solid rock,--think of that! "bad as culebra has been as an obstacle, however, the chagres river is worse. for miles the canal must follow the valley of this river and cross and recross its bed. the chagres is an unruly stream. at times it is small, and then again it swells to tremendous size, sweeping all before it and causing great floods. to build the canal the problem was to turn the chagres into a friend, instead of an enemy, and that, it is believed, has been done in an unique way. "you must now roughly picture a cross section of the canal route as a flat-topped pyramid. suppose the top of the pyramid to be hollow and that through that hollow flows the chagres river. well, on one side of your cup or hollow is the famous gatun dam, in the construction of which , , barrels of cement have been used. below the gatun dam is a 'flight,' just like a succession of steps of locks. these will be used to lower vessels from the 'cup' at the top to the atlantic level,--or to raise them, as the case may be. "on the other end of the cup, on the pacific end that is, will be another flight of locks, the pedro miguel and miraflores locks, which will raise or lower vessels from and to the pacific. is that clear? there's a big cup at the top of our pyramid, and steps, or 'locks,' lead down to the levels of the oceans on each side." "oh, it's as clear as mud," muttered tubby, "go on." "now, then, we get to the chagres and the part it plays," went on rob serenely. "that whole 'cup' at the top of our pyramid is actually an artificial lake of vast size. as a matter of fact, it will be square miles in area. at gatun a great dam will hold it in, and at pedro miguel the locks will perform the same office. this lake is the valley of chagres, and the chagres will be relied on to keep it filled. this immense gatun lake, as it is called, is the 'keystone' of the canal. any weakness in the gatun dam would ruin the whole project. you can see, of course, why this is so, because the water in that gatun lake will be relied upon to fill the locks which will raise vessels up or down." "but suppose the chagres river cuts up ugly, as you said it does sometimes?" asked merritt. "well," said rob, "i heard mr. mainwaring say that the great lake will be so big that a flood would affect its level no more than a cup of water poured into a bath tub. the river will merely serve to keep the lake filled and supply the water needed to work the locks." "that's a very good description, master rob," said a voice at their elbows. they started and looked up, and there was mr. mainwaring himself looking down at them. "we have changed the chagres from a dangerous enemy into an excellent friend," he said, "but, as rob pointed out, the gatun is unavoidably the spot at which an enemy who wished to harm us could do almost irretrievable damage at the expenditure of a few dollars' worth of dynamite, if," he paused for an instant, "if he knew just where to place it." "does anyone possess such knowledge?" asked rob. "yes, anyone possessing a duplicate of my plans would know just how to set about dealing the canal a fearful blow," was the slow response. rob's pulses beat fast and thick. he caught his breath. jared had such duplicate plans, and was in the hands of men who could work on his weak nature to give them up. he glanced up at mr. mainwaring, expecting to see signs of anxiety on his face. but the engineer was perfectly calm. "after all that 'dry history,' as tubby called it," said he, with a smile, "let's go and play shuffle board. fred is waiting for us." chapter xvii. at old panama. the week following the conversation recorded in the last chapter found the travelers located at the hotel grand central, in panama city. colon, although the americans have done much to clean it up and make it more presentable than in former days, does not hold much of interest. besides, mr. mainwaring's offices were at panama, which made his presence there a necessity. the boys had passed a busy time sight-seeing in the old city. they had climbed the cathedral towers, gazing out over the glittering bay dotted with small but beautiful islands, where the wealthy panamans spent the heated months. they had explored nooks and corners and inspected the oldest church on the continent. on the particular day on which this chapter opens they had planned an expedition to old panama city, which lies about five miles from the present town. mr. mainwaring was busy, but fred had obtained leave to accompany the boys, his duties as his father's secretary not being very onerous. they set out in high spirits along the road leading to the ruins of the golden city sacked by morgan and his buccaneers. the drive was made in an aged hack, and hardly had the boys left the outskirts of the town before they were exclaiming over the luxuriant tropical vegetation and the odd sights that met their eyes on every side. once or twice they crossed small streams, and laughed at the sight of native women pounding clothes on rocks at the water side with big, flat clubs. "heaven help the buttons!" cried merritt. "this must be a paradise for button manufacturers." "i guess they don't bother much with them, at least not the natives that we've passed," chuckled fred. "oh, look at that bunch of bananas!" cried tubby presently, as they passed by a clump of green banana plants laden with fruit. "let's hop out and get some." but the fruit was green and uneatable. bananas, as tubby did not know, are picked and shipped while green, and grow yellow and ripe on the voyage north in the holds of the fruit steamers, which are kept carefully at a uniform temperature. "it's odd that we've seen nothing of jared or his friends," remarked rob, as, after the discovery of tubby's mistake, they drove on again. "has your dad notified the police?" "yes, indeed," rejoined fred mainwaring, "but nothing has come of it as yet. of course, a careful lookout is being kept. say, fellows," he exclaimed in a cautious tone, "do you know i believe that some plot is on foot to injure the great gatun dam and delay the opening of the canal? at least, i'm pretty sure, from things i've heard dad say, that such is the case." "and you think, or rather he thinks, that jared is mixed up in it?" asked tubby breathlessly. "that's what. at least he is mixed up in it to this extent, that he is supplying the plotters with plans of the dam and so on in order that they can strike their blow at the weakest part of it." "gee whiz! i'd like to get my hands on that jared just once," exclaimed merritt angrily. "what a skunk he is." "it's a pity we ever let him get away from hampton," muttered merritt. "of course, we found out that he and the man with him bought tickets for new york, but that was only a blind clew at best." "well, we don't actually know that he is on the zone at all," struck in rob; "although all the steamship offices were quizzed, we couldn't find out that anybody answering jared's description had taken passage for the isthmus." "so far as that is concerned," remarked fred, "dad says that that proves nothing. he might have shipped from san francisco or new orleans, or even from some canadian port for some other destination, and then worked his way up here on a sailing vessel or coasting steamer." "and that's just about what he would have done," cried rob. "both alverado and estrada have plenty of sympathizers in bogota who would help them in any plot against uncle sam. but, after all, the whole thing may be a false alarm." "you wouldn't think so if you could have heard what dad said at that meeting of the canal heads the other day," rejoined fred. "of course i can't tell you what took place, although i was present in my capacity as secretary; but from what i heard a strict watch is to be kept and the guards doubled." "if estrada and alverado know the country well, it's quite likely that they aren't in the city at all," struck in merritt. "the country outside the actual canal zone is a trackless jungle. they may be hiding up in there some place." "that's quite likely, too," rejoined fred. "i heard dad saying something about that the other day. by the way, we are going to start up the chagres day after to-morrow; won't that be bully? that's my idea of sport,--following up a tropic river looking for a tributary." "what's your dad going to do with the tributary when he finds it?" asked the practical tubby. "that hasn't been settled yet," was the rejoinder. "of course, if it proves to be the branch that feeds the chagres and causes all the trouble in flood time, it will be dammed or something so as to make it harmless." "say, don't talk so loud," whispered rob in a cautious tone, for the boys from their first low tones had gradually drifted into louder talk, "that driver is listening to every word we're saying." "just like an inquisitive nigger," growled fred resentfully. "he's not a nigger," declared rob; "he looks to me more like a latin-american of some sort. he may be a fellow countryman of this estrada. in that case, i hope he didn't overhear anything." "well, you were talking as loud as any of us," declared tubby. "yes, that's so. i kind of wish i hadn't." "look!" cried merritt suddenly. he had good reason to exclaim. ahead of them, rising majestically above the brilliant-hued tropical greenery, was a vast gray tower, square and massive, and pierced with square windows. at its summit it was overgrown with mosses, lichens and many-hued flowers of gorgeous coloring. but for this, it might have seemed anything but a ruin. "the ruined tower of the old cathedral church of st. augustin!" cried rob. "and that's all that remains of the city from which morgan took so much plunder that it required seventy-five mules and six hundred prisoners to pack it across the isthmus to porto bello," chimed in merritt, who, it will be seen from this remark, had been reading up on panama. leaving the rig behind them, the four lads made their way to the foot of the tower. they elected to push their way through a tangle of brush instead of following the regular footpath. as tubby said, it seemed more like coming to a ruin than by strolling up to it on a beaten track. their tough khaki uniforms resisted the thorns and brambles valiantly, and they arrived at the foot of the massive old tower out of breath but undamaged, except for sundry scratches on their hands. they entered the old tower through a tumble-down doorway. the walls, they noticed as they passed through, were three feet or more thick, which perhaps accounted for the sturdy piles standing so long after the rest of the city had vanished. inside was a crumbled stairway of stone up which the four scouts were soon scrambling. they clambered to the very top and then rob and fred drew from their pockets two pennants. one bore the "totem" of the eagles; the other was emblazoned with the patrol emblem of the black wolves. "i thought of this just before we left," said rob, as he drew out the eagle flag; "i guess we're the first boy scouts on the isthmus and so we'll be the first to unfurl our totems above old panama." "but how are you going to make the flag fast?" asked tubby. "see that prickly branch growing right out from the edge of the tower? i guess i'll make mine fast to that," said rob, "it'll be as good as a flag pole." "look out you don't slip," warned merritt, as rob made his way over roughly piled stones that had crumbled from the parapet and gained the edge of the tower. at that point a staff-like thorn bush raised one bare arm aloft. as rob had said, it did indeed make a regular flag pole. balancing himself carefully, the leader of the eagle patrol reached out and peered over the edge. "wow, fellows, but it looks a long way to the ground!" he exclaimed. "if i ever fell, i'd land with a bump all right." clasping the flag in one hand, he leaned out and laid hold of the upright branch. there was a sudden cracking sound. the horrified scouts, who were watching rob, saw him make a desperate grab at the wall to recover himself as the branch snapped. but rob's effort came too late. "he's gone!" yelled tubby, turning as white as a ghost as rob, without a sound, plunged over the parapet and out of sight. his chums turned sick and faint. they dared not go to the edge to gaze upon what they knew must lie at the foot of the tower. they simply stood like figures carved out of wood waiting for the sound of rob's crashing fall. chapter xviii. between earth and sky. but no such sound came. instead they heard something that brought them instantly to the alert. "hey, fellows! come quick!" it was rob's voice, coming up to them over the edge of that dizzy height. in three bounds, careless of the consequences of a false step, they were on the parapet of the tower where they had last seen rob, as he reached out for the treacherous "flag pole." "look, boys! look! there he is! hold on, rob, old fellow. hold on, for heaven's sake," cried merritt. rob, his feet dug into the rough interstices of the old ruinous wall, was clinging to a stoutly rooted bush that had broken his fall and given him one second in which to stay his awful plunge into space. but his position even now was bad enough. his face was as white as chalk, and the sweat streamed down it in rivers as he gazed up at his comrades above. he was fully thirty feet below them, and they had no rope, no means of saving him from his fearful position! in the very nature of things his muscles, strong as they were, were bound to give out before long. it was not in flesh and blood to endure such a tension long; and then---- but they dared not think of that. it was a moment for quick action and nimble wits. the shrub to which rob was clinging appeared to be firmly rooted. in fact, it must have been, to have withstood the strain of his crashing fall. then, too, his toes were driven home into a crack of the wall, relieving to some extent the weight brought to bear on the shrub. but this could not last indefinitely. suddenly merritt noticed something. just above the place where rob clung to the wall, a hundred feet above the waving banana fronds, was an opening. as he saw this a sudden idea struck him. he thought he saw a way, a desperate way, it is true, but still a way to rescue rob from his perilous position. "how long can you hold on, rob?" he called down. "not much longer i'm afraid," came back in a voice that could hardly have been recognized as rob's, "can't you get a rope?" merritt shook his head. he knew that a search for such an article would take too much precious time. "no; but you hold on, old chap. keep up a good heart and we'll get you out of that, never fear." turning to his companions he hastily explained his plan. an instant later the three scouts were rushing down the crazy stone staircase headed for the opening above rob. as soon as they reached it merritt peered out. rob was still there, but he looked up appealingly at his chum. merritt knew what the look meant. rob couldn't hold on much longer, but dared not waste breath in speaking. "now, then, fellows," spoke merritt, turning to his chums, "what we're going to do is easy enough if you keep cool; but if you get rattled it may fail." "we'll keep cool all right, merritt," fred assured him, though his breath was coming fast. as for tubby, his countenance did not betray the flicker of a muscle. merritt knew he could rely on the fat boy, but of fred's more emotional nature he had not been quite so sure. suddenly his eye caught sight of something that would make his task easier. in the wall of the opening was a big, rusty iron staple. what its former use had been there was no means of guessing; but merritt regarded it with delight. it made the daring thing he was about to attempt a little more certain of success. "tubby, you just hook your belt through that staple," he ordered, "and then hang on to fred's feet for all you are worth. fred, you lie down right here,--with your hands just at the edge,--that's right." the boys obeyed merritt's orders, but tubby looked at him with apprehension. "you'll never do it," he quavered. "nonsense, of course i will, if you fellows carry out your part. it's nothing more than wall scaling, only we're doing it the other way round." when all was ready tubby was lying flat with his belt hooked through the iron staple. he had fast hold of fred's ankles, while the latter's hands came just to the edge of the opening. merritt was to form the last link in this human chain that was to rescue rob blake, if such a thing was possible. merritt had already seen that the bush to which rob clung was not more than four feet below the opening. his daring plan was to lower himself,--with fred clinging to his ankles,--till he could reach rob's hands and help him up to safety. without a word merritt threw himself on his stomach, after taking off his coat and hat, and wriggled to the edge. one look at rob's upturned face told him that he had no time to lose. seconds, yes, fractions of seconds, would count now. "catch hold, fred!" fred gripped the daring scout's ankles tightly. "now hang on like grim death." merritt clenched his teeth and slowly wriggled his way over the edge. hanging head downward he extended his hands toward the shrub where rob was clinging. "hold on for your lives!" he shouted to those above, and then to rob:-- "let go with one hand and grab my right wrist, rob." for an instant rob hesitated. he _dared_ not let go. but again came merritt's voice. this time it was sharp and imperative. "let go and grab me!" rob's grip with his left was relaxed and he seized merritt's wrist, giving it a jerk that almost pulled his arm out of the socket. for an instant his heart was in his mouth. if the boys above weren't strong enough to hold them, they would both be dashed downward to the ground that looked so fearfully far below. but both tubby and fred were heavy youths, and then, too, the belt that was looped through that accommodating iron staple was an anchor in itself. there was a slight give and a sag, but the "human chain" held. "now the other hand," ordered merritt, drawing a breath of relief. rob obeyed instantly this time. but he was a fairly heavy youth and it was a good thing that he could take part of the weight off his rescuer's arms by digging his toes into the cracks of the ruinous tower. otherwise this story might have had a different ending. "now, rob, use me as a ladder. don't look down for heaven's sake, but reach up and grab my belt. use the cracks in the wall like the rungs of a ladder and clamber up." "let me rest a minute. i'm winded and dizzy," breathed rob, whose nerve was badly shaken. "not a minute. go on now!" merritt spoke sharply purposely. rob rallied and did as he was told. he seized merritt's belt as the other boy hung head downward, and, digging his toes into the cracks of the wall, he drew himself up till he could, with his other hand, lay hold of the edge of the opening. after this it was an easy matter, thanks to the ruinous condition of the wall which offered plenty of foothold, to clamber to safety. reaching it, rob lay back white and panting. but in a few seconds he was able to help his chums haul the courageous merritt out of danger. it was some time before they felt able to leave the ruined tower, such a bad shaking up had all their nerves received; but at last a move was made. needless to say, the scout totems were not flung to the breeze that day. "i don't see how we ever did it," exclaimed fred, as they reached the ground and tubby began taking pictures of the tower while the others looked up at the spot where rob had clung in such dire peril. "i guess 'being prepared,' having good, healthy muscles and all that had a whole heap to do with it," said tubby, snapping his shutter; "and now let's get a move on and get back to dinner, or second breakfast, as they call it here. i don't know how you fellows feel, but i'm one aching void." chapter xix. the gatun dam. the scene changes to a day when the boys had their first view of the mighty gatun dam, a work that, as president taft said, is "as solid as the everlasting hills." picture a vast valley hemmed in by hills heavily timbered with tropical growth. across the valley floor the current of the muddy chagres slowly serpentines, with workmen's huts clustered along its sides, and everywhere preparations being made to hem it in, much as the liliputians set about harnessing gulliver, a giant to them. the floor of the valley, once a trackless jungle and destined within a short time from the moment that the boy scouts gazed upon it to become a mighty lake, was crisscrossed in every direction by lines of railroad along which contractors' engines were puffing and hauling long winding trains of dirt cars. in places, great steam shovels were at work eating out whole hillsides, taking great mouthfuls at a time. "like tubby eating pie," laughed merritt, as he watched one of them. across the valley floor, the huge dam, a veritable mountain of concrete, was rising. busy human ants swarmed everywhere and, at the spot on which the boys stood, with mr. mainwaring and some assistant engineers to explain things, hundreds of black workmen were working like beavers on the summit of the great wall. where they stood the wonderful dam was feet wide, just one-fourth the length of the steamer on which they had come to the isthmus. at the base of the dam the width of the gigantic structure is , feet, and its massive foundations go down into the earth for many feet more. "just think," exclaimed rob, aglow with the wonder of it all, "before long all this valley floor will be a huge inland sea across which vessels can push their way from pedro miguel to gatun." the roar of an excavating machine drowned his comrades' replies, but their looks showed how deeply they were impressed. "it makes you feel like a--a fly speck," exclaimed tubby, when the uproar ceased for an instant. up along a line of rails glided a movable steam shovel. on a side track a busy little locomotive had already bunted a train of flat cars. there was a loud clatter of chains; two white spouts of steam leaped high above the shelter which protected the steam shovel's engineer from the burning sun. down swung the huge steel dipper. almost like a hungry human being, rather like some famished giant, it swung its iron-toothed jaws apart and bit deep into a bank which had to be moved. in an instant its mouth was closed again and the receptacle was full of rough, broken material. big rocks were among the earth, but that made no difference to this devouring leviathan. "hi!" shouted a big shining negro man on the flat car. the big steam shovel gave a sharp scream of warning, the steam spurted forth again from the vent pipes and up swung the load. the long arm slowly reached out above the flat car. a mighty scampering of the negro loaders followed. "hi!" came the cry of the boss negro again. the bottom of the dipper opened. there was a roar of falling rock and earth and a flat car was filled. then the process was repeated till the hillock that was to be removed melted away like a plate of ice cream before a healthy boy. thus, amid shouting, seeming confusion, the clanging and crash of metal, the scream of steam whistles, shouted orders and the noise of steam and the fog of smoke, the work went on,--the mighty job that uncle sam, contractor, is putting through for the benefit of the civilized world. mr. mainwaring told the boys that there is keen rivalry among the steam-shovel men. prizes are given every month for the record amount of dirt that flies. each shovel is pushed to the limit of its capacity. in an eight-hour day one of the steam shovels excavated and loaded on flat cars , cubic yards. this means about carloads for the day, or a carload every three minutes. the boys noticed, too, that the negroes, italians and spaniards toiled away at their tasks without appearing to take much interest in their work beyond keeping just hard enough at it to avoid getting into trouble. but on the faces of the "gold-men," as the engineers and american officials are termed, was the stern determination of men animated by a great purpose. off duty, the gold-men, so called because they are paid in american gold and not in panama coinage, are a joking, jolly lot of men, who like to play tennis and baseball, and indulge in all sorts of sports. but on duty, clad in khaki and gaiters, with great sun helmets to keep off the baleful rays of the tropical sun, they are like changed men. the expression the boys noticed on their faces as they hurried about with blue prints or levels and theodolites was set and stern. they seemed to be, in a way, instruments of a great destiny. each bore himself as if he knew that the work in hand required the best that was in him. "it seems to me," said mr. mainwaring, "that these great steam shovels and their crews, the activity and all the purposeful bustle and hustle down here, represent more fully than anything that i have ever seen the determined, fearless american spirit that has overridden what appeared to be impossibilities, and is carrying the canal through to a triumphant completion. it's a great thing for a boy to be able to say that he has seen such a work, and it will be a still greater thing if he takes to heart the lessons to be learned here on every hand." here he looked at tubby who, not paying any attention to this "preachifying," as he mentally termed it, was drinking the milk out of a cocoanut. the fat boy had become very fond of the cocoanut, which can be bought on the isthmus for little or nothing. he had slung several around his waist and at intervals, amidst the dust and turmoil of the work on the great dam, he refreshed himself by a copious draught of their cool contents. at the boys' feet, as they stood on the lofty concrete battlement, lay the cut for the gatun locks, which will raise and lower vessels eighty-five feet. there are no such locks anywhere in the world. while the boys watched, a steady stream of concrete was being poured into giant moulds for the locks, and rows of arc-light poles, like gaunt trees, showed that under the glare of electric lights the work was pushed forward even at night. not a minute of time was wasted all through that vast system. they soon had become aware of that. while the boys stood there an erect, military-looking man came up to mr. mainwaring, who greeted him with every appearance of respect. the newcomer was tall, bore an air of authority, and was dressed in a white military uniform. "colonel," the boys heard mr. mainwaring say, after a few minutes' grave conversation, "i wish to introduce to you my son fred and his three chums,--all, as you see, boy scouts." tubby hastened to chuck his empty cocoanut shell off the top of the dam as he saw that a social ceremony was going forward. the shell lit on a negro's skull far below and bounded off with a loud crack. "mah goodness, dem musquitoes is wusser dan ebber to-day," the negro remarked to the man shoveling at his side, which would have made tubby laugh if he had heard it. after a few kind words to the chums, the military-looking man passed on, stopping every now and then to examine the work with every appearance of minutest care. "wonder what kind of a boss he is?" remarked tubby nonchalantly after he had passed on. "steam shovel boss, concrete boss, dynamite boss, engineering boss or surveying boss,--there are other kinds but i forget 'em." "why, you chump," roared fred, "don't you know who that was?" "i didn't catch his name," rejoined tubby. "well, that wasn't anybody more important than lieut.-col. george w. goethals, chairman of the isthmian canal commission, and known as the 'man who dug the ditch.'" "oh-h-h-h-h-h!" mumbled tubby, a great light breaking upon him, "i guess i'll take another cocoanut on that." and the fat boy selected a fine specimen from the several that adorned his belt like scalps hanging round an indian warrior. chapter xx. a dynamite volcano. after a while, despite the thrilling novelty of the scene and the significant interest it held for the four american lads, the dust, the heat, the noise and the confusion and bustle became wearisome, and they began looking about, boy like, for something new. a white man in a duck uniform and pith helmet hastened by in company with a colored man who looked different from any negro the boys had yet seen. the man had straight black hair, long and glossy. he wore a small sort of skull cap and white clothes with odd velvet shoes not unlike those affected by chinese. "hullo, raynor!" shouted mr. mainwaring to the white man, as the pair hustled by along the rampart-like heights of the big dam, "where are you bound for?" the dark man and his companion came to a halt, the former standing in a respectful attitude and saluting mr. mainwaring. "we're going to shoot a test hole," was the reply. "do you mind taking these lads along? as you see, they are boy scouts, and anxious to see all that they can." "i'll be delighted to. i've a kid brother at home whose letters are full of the doings of his patrol. come along, young men. i'll show you something that will make your eyes open." "i'll meet you here in time for dinner," said mr. mainwaring. "we'll be here," rejoined tubby, whose eyes had brightened at the mention of a meal. although he had devoured the milk and creamy meat of two huge cocoanuts, the stout youth was still ready for another chance at edibles. mr. raynor hastened on, beckoning to the boys to follow him. "what is a test hole?" asked rob, as the boys trudged along the top of the dam beside him. "it is a hole blown in the ground so that we can tell what sort of foundation we are working on," was the reply. "blown in the ground?" asked tubby with round inquiring eyes. "yes. dynamited, perhaps i should have said. ram chunda there," he motioned back at the dark man who was trotting along behind, "is the boss dynamiter. he's going to shoot the hole." "oh, he's a hindoo?" exclaimed rob as he heard the name of the dark satellite. "we thought he was a negro." "oh, no. we couldn't trust negroes with dynamite. almost all the dynamite men on the canal are hindoos. they are not fit for the heavy work; but we find them reliable and trust-worthy around explosives." "what's that?" asked merritt presently, indicating a small hut painted a bright red. "that's a dynamite hut. see, there are several workmen waiting to have explosives served out to them." "can anybody get the stuff who wants it?" asked merritt. "no, indeed. that would never do. they have to bring an order signed by the boss on their particular section." ram chunda, however, appeared to have his supply of explosives elsewhere for they did not stop at the dynamite hut but passed on. "how much dynamite is stored there?" asked rob, as they hurried along. "oh, enough to blow the whole dam up, i guess," was the careless reply, to which the boys did not attach much significance at the time, although they were to recollect those words with peculiar vividness later. before long they reached a place where ladders were stretched from the ground to the top of the dam. "we'll go down these," announced mr. raynor, halting. "ram, you go first. you boys can follow. all got steady heads, i hope?" "i think so," murmured fred, with a vivid recollection in his mind of the scene on the ruined tower of st. augustin, "two of us have, anyhow." the engineer did not, of course, understand the allusion nor, to the joy of rob and merritt, did he ask any explanation. neither boy liked to recall those awful moments when they hung suspended in mid-air between life and death. the ladders were long and steep, but the descent was made without incident. at the base of the dam, however, was a steep sort of embankment of loose sand and gravel. tubby, who was behind ram chunda, looked down and saw this, which appeared to offer a secure "jumping off" place. with a whoop he jumped from the last ladder while still several feet above the top of the bank. his feet struck it with a scrunch. but the loose, shaly stuff was treacherous. with an alarmed yell the fat boy, the cocoanuts round his belt rattling like castanets, rolled down the bank, revolving like a barrel. the others looked on in some alarm. suddenly tubby struck the bottom of the bank and simultaneously there came a series of sounds like a volley of musketry. pop! pop! pop! pop! "gracious, it's tubby," cried rob, tracing the source of the sounds. "is he blowing up?" demanded fred mainwaring in genuine alarm. "sounds like it!" exclaimed merritt apprehensively. the engineer and the hindoo looked on in amazement. the fat boy continued to pop loudly. suddenly, still popping spasmodically, he struggled to his feet. what a sight he presented! he was covered from head to foot with a milky fluid which was flowing down him and on which the gravel had stuck and plastered him with yellow mud. "tubby, are you hurt?" yelled merritt. "bob," shrilled rob, for once, in his alarm, giving tubby his real first name, "what's the trouble? are you injured?" "no, but those cocoanuts have blown up!" shouted tubby angrily. "one after another they busted! i thought i was in a battle for a minute." "well, you look as if you'd been through a hard siege," declared rob, who, now that his apprehension was over, joined the others in a hearty laugh and a scramble down the gravel bank. "what made 'em bust?" demanded tubby, ruefully, surveying his drenched uniform and brushing himself off as best he could. as soon as he could speak for laughing the engineer explained. cocoanuts in their natural state are shielded by great masses of leaves which keep their milky contents cool. tubby, in his greed, had girded himself about with the succulent nuts and then spent a long morning in the hot sun. this, combined with his activities, had caused the milk to heat up and ferment. if the fat boy had not taken his tumble down the bank it is not likely that the nuts would have exploded. but the fall was what proved too much for the already fermented milk. like so much gunpowder it had expanded and blown the "eyes," or thin parts, out of each cocoanut, spraying the unfortunate tubby with milk, and making the sharp series of reports that had so alarmed them. even ram chunda's immobile face bore the trace of a smile at tubby's disaster. in fact, the boy got no sympathy from anyone. "i'll pack no more cocoanuts with me," he was heard to mutter, "they are as dangerous as anarchists' bombs and a whole lot messier. gee, my uniform's a sight!" but as the unanimous verdict seemed to be "serves you right," tubby had few remarks on his disaster to offer for the public benefit. chapter xxi. "run for your lives!" ram chunda approached a small hut painted red like the other dynamite shed, and came out with his arms laden with what were apparently cylindrical tin cans. he selected a number of these, handling them with no more apparent care than if they had been tins of tomatoes, instead of charges of dynamite. "t-t-t-tell him to be a little c-c-c-careful, won't you?" begged tubby. "that stuff would blow up worse than cocoanuts if he dropped it." "yes, we'd never know what struck us," said the engineer carelessly, "but don't worry about ram, he knows what he's doing." he spoke with the indifference of one who has handled high explosives for years, but the boys' emotions were very different. they eyed ram chunda askance as he stumbled occasionally on a rock or hillock of earth. in this manner they walked quite a distance back from the dam to a point where no tracks or workmen were visible. "right here is where, before long, we are going to build a wing dam to strengthen the main one," explained the engineer. "then what's the use of blowing it up?" asked tubby stolidly. the fat boy was, to tell the truth, in a state of alarm over what was to come. "why, we want to see just what lies underneath before we start to dig a foundation, otherwise it would be so much wasted labor," was the response. there were already several test holes drilled in the ground, but the object of dynamiting was to loosen up the soil beneath to ascertain if there was any substratum of water. "ever see them shoot an oil well?" asked the engineer, as he peered about looking for a suitable hole to start on. the boys shook their heads. they had heard of the operation but had never had an opportunity to witness such a proceeding. "now is your chance then," said mr. raynor. "ram," calling to the hindoo, "we try 'um this fellow number one shot." the hindoo nodded and, carrying his armful of explosives, hurried to his boss's side. "gee! this is only number one," muttered tubby in an alarmed undertone. "don't be a scare-cat, tubby," laughed merritt, although his own heart was beating a bit fast. "scare-cat nothing. i--i guess i'll go home to dinner. once is quite enough to be blown up in one morning," quoth the fat youth, "besides, i promised my mother i wouldn't get into danger." "i guess over-eating is the only danger you'll be in," chortled fred. tubby looked pained but said nothing. with round eyes he began to watch the proceedings of the hindoo "dynamite man." the latter cautiously lowered into the hole selected several of his tin cylinders. the rest of the operation, as mr. raynor had explained, would be similar to that of shooting an oil well. that is to say, a heavy cylindrical iron weight would be dropped on the explosive mass at the bottom of the hole, causing it to detonate. with as much care now as if he were handling eggs, ram lowered the final cylinder of dynamite into the hole. then he attached a long string to the weight and gave a shout. "get back to a safe distance, boys," cried mr. raynor, running toward them. they needed no second warning, but beat a rapid retreat toward the great concrete rampart of the dam. "i'd climb over to the other side if i had the time," tubby declared, feeling perhaps that he would be safe enough behind that man-made cliff. at last all was in readiness. some laborers near at hand, glad of any excuse to drop work, laid down their shovels to see what would happen when the "go-devil," as they called it, was set off. mr. raynor gave a look behind him at ram who was crouching low at quite a distance from the hole. "all right!" he shouted. ram gave the string a jerk and dropped it. then he too started sprinting toward the boys. "he's dropped it!" exclaimed mr. raynor. "watch it now!" it seemed to the boys as if ram, swiftly as he ran, would never get to a place of safety. their hearts fairly stood in their mouths as they watched him running like a greyhound. suddenly came a subdued roar. the earth shook. the solid ground trembled as if it had been a jelly. a second later, from the mouth of the hole there shot a mighty column of earth, stones and smoke. it was accompanied by a screaming, whistling sound and then came the detonation of a mighty roar. up and up shot the column as if it meant to pierce the blue sky. the workmen shouted and ran for places of safety. suddenly mr. raynor, who had been watching with hawk-like eyes, gave a sharp, commanding cry: "run, boys! run for your lives! after me!" for an instant they hesitated. why should they run? there appeared to be no danger. at the distance that they were from the spouting column it did not appear possible that they would be in jeopardy from it even when it collapsed and came crashing to earth. "what's the matter?" cried rob. "don't stop to ask questions. run! run! run, i tell you!" roared the engineer. chapter xxii. the boys meet an old acquaintance. the boys needed no further urging. taking to their heels they ran like so many scared jackrabbits after the engineer. tubby, his fat, stumpy legs working like piston rods, was in the lead. "i knew something was going to bust," he yelled, as he sprinted along, "and it has!" suddenly mr. raynor, who was heading apparently for a piled-up mass of rocks, stopped and glanced back. "too late! duck!" he shouted the next instant. down flopped the boys, but as they threw themselves face downward they felt as if they were being lifted from the ground by a giant hand and then slammed down again. it seemed almost as if a heavy weight had been hurled down on them. then came a terrific, blasting roar and blinding flash as if a huge gun had been set off quite close to them. the fearful concussion and their lack of knowledge of what was happening scared and shocked them half out of their wits. gravel and small rocks fell about them. if it had not been for their broad-brimmed scout hats, which protected the back of their heads, they would have been cut and bruised by the hail of débris. "you can get up now," came mr. raynor's voice presently, "but i don't mind saying that that was about as narrow a squeak as i've ever experienced." "it sure _was_ a test hole," muttered tubby; "it tested me all right and i don't want any more of it." "what on earth happened?" demanded rob, brushing dirt and dust from his uniform. "that's what i'd like to know," said fred. "i thought the world was coming to an end," declared merritt. "or a giant cocoanut was blowing up," murmured tubby. at that moment ram came running up. he looked embarrassed and dabbed at a small cut on his forehead with a handkerchief. "him hurte you?" he asked rather anxiously, looking askance at mr. raynor. "more good luck than thanks to you that we were not all killed," declared the engineer angrily. "what made you do it, you rascal?" "me very sorry. ram forget," said the man contritely. but his repentance had no effect on the thoroughly angry engineer. he told the man that he was too grossly careless to work on the dynamite gang and ordered him to report at his office that night and be assigned to some other work. tubby nodded sagely as he heard this. he was confirmed, it seemed, in his opinion that the man had been careless and he felt like telling the engineer so. but rob asked a question. "you haven't told us yet just what it was that happened?" he said. "yes, what was it?" put in fred. "oh, nothing to speak of but an explosion of fifteen pounds of dynamite about as close to us as i'd care to have such a thing happen," said the engineer grimly. "gee whiz! as bad as that!" exclaimed merritt looking aghast. "why we might all have been----" "hoisted sky-high. oh, you don't need to tell me that. that careless fellow ram left one of his cans of dynamite lying on the ground not far from the test hole. i didn't notice it and he didn't either, i guess, till he shot the well. then just as that column of stones and stuff was sky-hooting up, i happened to see that can lying there. it gave me a turn, i tell you. i figured out what would happen if a rock ever hit and we standing where we were." "what would have happened?" asked tubby innocently, his eyes like two saucers. "happened! why we'd all have had through tickets to kingdom come, that's what would have happened." "but you haven't told it all," exclaimed rob, who had just comprehended something. "boys, that weight that fell on us was mr. raynor's body. he just shoved us in front of him and shielded us with his own body. he saved our lives." "that's what i call being a real hero," cried fred. "three cheers and a tiger for mr. raynor!" yelled merritt. "pshaw! you drop that now!" protested the engineer. "i just fell on you because i couldn't help it, i reckon." "we know better than that, don't we, fellows?" cried rob. "you bet we do," was the response given with deep conviction and unanimity. "well, say no more about it," begged the engineer. "i promised to take good care of you and i was almost responsible for getting you injured, so i guess we're quits." as mr. raynor had to visit other parts of the workings, and also to take samples of the earth blown up by ram's unlucky blast, the boys bade him good-bye soon after. "well, so long," he said. "i hope you'll drop in and see me some time if you are going to be about here long. i may have something else interesting to show you." the boys said they would. then up came ram chunda, grinning like a monkey. "me velly solly," he said, "white sahib no be mad. you come see me some time, eh?" "yes, we'll come and see you when you're in your little casket or else get our lives insured first, you--you anarchist you!" sputtered tubby. the engineer had advised them not to climb the ladders but to walk along the foot of the dam till they reached a place where a flight of steps had been moulded in the concrete. accordingly, after leaving him they trudged along at the foot of the gigantic stone cliff, looking up every now and then to marvel at its height and massiveness. they found plenty to look at and were in no hurry. that is, none of them was in a hurry but tubby, who was keen to find out if it was not time to go back to mr. mainwaring's bungalow for dinner. it was hot work walking, and they paused frequently. at length they came to a place where a small tree at the foot of the dam afforded a patch of shade. "let's sit down and rest a while," said fred. "i'm tuckered out." "wish this was a cocoanut tree," said tubby as they reclined in the grateful bit of shade. "i'd climb it and get all you fellows something to eat." "or blow us up," laughed fred mischievously. "say, fellows," said rob presently, "look up above us on the top of the dam. there's a big concrete mixing machine up there." "hope they don't drop anything down on us," said fred apprehensively. "not much danger of that, i just saw a man peeking down at us. they would warn us if we were in danger." "i don't know, those niggers are none too careful. remember that fellow ram; he came pretty near ramming us," punned fred. "look out!" yelled merritt suddenly. but he was too late. a bucket full of liquid cement came spattering down on them, going all over their uniforms and making them sad sights indeed. luckily the stuff was almost as thin as water or they might have been injured. rob looked up and gave an indignant shout. a mocking face peered over the edge of the parapet and grinned jeeringly at him. as he saw this countenance rob gave a violent start and fairly staggered backward. it was the face of jared applegate into which he had looked. it was his hand that had thrown the bucket of liquid cement over them, ruining their uniforms. "fellows!" shouted rob in high excitement. but jared's face had vanished as swiftly as it had appeared. chapter xxiii. along the chagres. "well, did you ever!! jared of all people!" "what on earth is he doing here?" "that's plain enough," was rob's reply to the last exclamation, which had proceeded from tubby following rob's hasty recital of what he had seen on the top of the dam. "that's plain enough," he repeated. "jared is a pretty slick sort of article, or, at any rate, the men with whom he is in league are cunning and clever. what better place could jared be, watched as he is, than holding down a job as a canal worker, bossing some small undertaking? who would ever dream of looking for him in such a position?" "that's so," agreed fred, "and then, too, he gets a chance to survey the ground thoroughly and lay plans for whatever sort of deviltry that gang is up to. maybe alverado and estrada are working on menial jobs, too, with the same end in view." "quite likely," replied rob, "and also that mysterious chap we've seen with jared on several occasions. anyhow, our duty now is plain enough. we must make all haste back to mr. mainwaring and report to him what we have discovered." "let's get some of this mess cleaned off us first," said the practical merritt. "we look more like drowned rats than scouts, in our present plight." the boys set to work trying to remove the traces of the ducking that had been given them by the malignant jared, who had undoubtedly recognized them. had they known that he was actually on the lookout for them, they would have been much astonished. yet such was the case, as will appear before long. luckily the mixture of cement that had been doused over them was a very watery one, the rinsings of a cement bucket, in fact, so that in a short time the hot sun had dried out most of the traces of their adventure. but mr. mainwaring greeted them with exclamations of astonishment. "what in the world have you lads been up to now," he exclaimed half laughingly as they rejoined him, "taking a swim with your uniforms on?" "well, we did have an involuntary bath," admitted rob, and he went on to tell just what had happened. "jove!" exclaimed mr. mainwaring when he had finished, "this is getting interesting, and perhaps explains many annoying things that have been happening about here recently. derrick booms have collapsed without apparent cause and an investigation has shown that acid has been poured on the supporting ropes by some malignantly disposed persons. blasts have been set off prematurely, narrowly avoiding injury, and the work has been delayed by many such tricks. it wouldn't surprise me a bit if your friend jared and the latin americans who are interested in delaying the canal construction are at the bottom of this. i'll dispatch men at once to get hold of this chap jared and we'll make him confess all about it." as he spoke there was a sudden crash behind him as a workman, who had been standing close to him and who must have overheard every word, dropped a heavy bucket. they all faced round and saw a man shuffling off rapidly. something familiar about him struck rob, but for the life of him he could not place the man. it was not until later that he recalled where they had seen him before. he was the man who had driven them to the ruins of old panama on that memorable morning, and who must have heard some of their talk. but what was he doing on the canal work? was he allied with the forces that were trying to defeat the completion of the canal? had he told the plotters of what he had overheard and warned them that vigilant retribution was on their trail? all these were questions that for the time had to wait. rob decided not to say anything just then. after all he might have been mistaken. in the meantime the searchers sent out after jared reported that they could not find him. undoubtedly after venting his malice on the boys he had made off. rob was not mistaken in his identification of the cabman. the fellow was allied with the plotters by close ties both of nationality and sentiment. he had been set to driving a hack in panama so that he might carry on his spy work without being suspected. it was by chance that the boys had happened to take his cab. but what he had overheard that day had caused him to hasten to the dam and inform his confederates, who, as rob had guessed, were constantly about there disguised as workmen. in that vast enterprise, employing thousands of laborers, it was a simple enough matter for any able bodied men to obtain employment, and no questions were asked so long as the laborer proved able to earn his pay. at dinner time mr. mainwaring was unusually silent. there was no question in his mind now but that there were plotters mingled in among the workmen. that night orders for extra vigilance in patroling the dam were issued, and that night, also, mr. mainwaring announced that he intended to start the next day on his search for the troublesome tributary of the chagres river which it was his intention to devise a means to control. as may be imagined, this was great news to the boys, and they passed an all but sleepless night in their room in mr. mainwaring's bungalow, which stood in a row of "gold-men's" houses, among which it was the largest and best finished. the boys' equipment had been brought up from panama with them and was, as usual, all in readiness for instant transportation. these boy scouts lived up to their "be prepared" motto all the time, and to the finest detail. when their camping equipment had been packed up on the submarine island everything had been stowed away with military precision so that they knew, without going through a lot of troublesome overhauling, that everything, down to their small pocket water filters, was in its right place. a wagon transported their goods and chattels to the landing place on the chagres the next morning, right after an early breakfast. mr. raynor was to accompany his chief in the capacity of assistant, and the surveying instruments and other paraphernalia almost filled one of the odd native canoes they were to use. another canoe held the camping outfits. but they were not to paddle their way laboriously up the swiftly flowing river. to the delight of the boys a light draught launch, fitted with powerful engines and a spidery stern paddle wheel, was to do the towing while they took it easy. this suited tubby down to the ground, and rob's cup of satisfaction was full to the brim when he learned that he and merritt were to alternate as engineers. as we know, both boys were familiar with the management of gasolene engines, and they gazed with approval at the fourteen horse-power, twin-cylinder engine of the _pathfinder_, as the launch was called. before they left, the chief of the gatun guards, as the police that watched the big dam were called, reported to mr. mainwaring that nothing suspicious had occurred during the night and also that no trace could be found of the men wanted. this was disappointing, but the boys were so keyed up with the expectation of the wonders that awaited them in the tropical forests through which the chagres wound its way on its higher reaches, that they gave but scant thought to jared and the plotters. at last all was in readiness; mr. mainwaring, who had the steering wheel, gave the signal to start the engines. rob gave the big fly-wheel a twist against the compression, while merritt turned on the gasolene and set the spark. the engine gave a chug and a snort and the big stern paddle wheel, which gave the boat such an odd look but was necessary for shoal water navigation, began to beat the water. the boys gave a shout and their patrol cries. from the bow of the _pathfinder_, as a compliment to them, fluttered the pennants of the eagles and the black wolves, the same which it had been designed to plant at old panama. at the stern waved old glory. astern towed the two dugouts, loaded deep down with "duffle." thus started a trip that was to prove one of the most adventurous that lads ever embarked upon "by flood or field." chapter xxiv. the trackless jungle. as they slowly ascended the sluggish, though powerful current of the muddy chagres, mr. raynor told them something about the object of their expedition. in the foothills of the cordillero de bando, a sort of backbone of mountains extending throughout the length of the isthmus, many small rivers rise, some of which feed the chagres and contribute to its floods. the largest of these, a stream known as the rio chepalto, was, in the rainy season, quite a formidable torrent. mr. mainwaring's idea was to construct a dam or dig some sort of a connecting link which would divert the waters of the chepalto in flood time into one of the small rivers that flowed seaward, thus further taming the chagres. the gatun valley was soon left behind and the chagres plunged into a steaming, luxuriant forest. between banks overgrown in wild profusion with every sort of tropical growth, its chocolate colored current flowed silently along. in places, muddy bayous led off from the main stream and these, the boys were told, were the haunts of crocodiles and alligators. everywhere amidst the luxuriant tangle on the banks were vivid splashes of color, scarlet, yellow, and blue. these were the flowers of a score of varieties of tropic shrubs and flowering bushes. they filled the air with a rank, sweet smell that was almost overpowering. from the tangle, too, there shot up majestic trees, from whose branches drooped long lianas, or creepers, some of them thick as a man's thigh. here was a clump of brilliantly green and feathery bamboo, there shot up a grove of coco-bola trees, while once in a while, but this rarely, there loomed in sight a group of the kings of the tropical forests--a majestic gathering of towering mahogany trees. there were also clumps of banana plants growing to a height of fifteen or twenty feet, with immense broad leaves often six feet in length. curiously enough, the banana bunches appeared to be hanging upside down. beyond the fruit extended a stem like a snake, ending in a big blossom something like a red-brown water lily. there were occasional clumps of cocoanut trees, too, at which tubby looked with a strange mixture of awe and longing. occasionally, through all this brilliant jungle gaily colored parrots or a flock of screaming macaws would fly, alarmed by the chugging of the launch. in some of the bayous, pelicans or big blue herons stood like sentinels on one leg, watching the progress of the invaders. but, beautiful as it all was, the boys missed the songs of the woodland birds in the north. except for the shrieking of the parrots and macaws, or the occasional sullen splash of some unseen creature plunging into the river, the vast forests that reached for miles all about them were silent. suddenly the launch came to a stop with a soft bump. the boys looked rather alarmed. had they collided with some huge creature that made its home in the tepid waters of the chagres? they were soon relieved of any anxiety on that score. "well, we're aground at last," remarked mr. mainwaring in a matter-of-fact tone. "you talk as if you had expected such a thing to happen," said rob in some surprise. "yes indeed," rejoined the engineer, "in fact, i'm astonished that it didn't happen before. the river is full of sand banks, and sometimes it is impossible to see the channel. i see you've got the engine stopped already. you had better reverse now and we'll soon get off again." "i should think that it would be quicker to go through the forests," remarked rob, when without much trouble they "got going" again. "it would be almost twice as quick, but nobody knows the paths but the indians." "indians!" exclaimed tubby. "are there indians here?" he clutched his rifle with a determined look, for of course the boys had brought their weapons along. "yes indeed, plenty of them, but i guess we won't see any. they are the san blas tribe and so small as to be almost pigmies." "i know, i've seen pictures of them," cried rob. "they look something like japs only they've got big round heads and long, straight black hair." "that's it," rejoined mr. mainwaring; "they're harmless enough unless their particular territory is invaded. no white man has ever penetrated far into their country and come back to tell the tale. but they say that back among the forests and mountains to which they alone know the way are deposits of emerald and gold of priceless value." "i should think somebody would form an expedition and raid the place," said tubby in a war-like manner. "more easily said than done," mr. raynor struck in; "it's been tried, but fever and poisoned arrows wiped out all but a few poor, half-crazed wretches who struggled back to civilization more dead than alive." "do they ever come down to this part of the country?" asked merritt. "only occasionally, when a hunting expedition has led them far afield," rejoined mr. mainwaring. "this rio chepalto that we are going to try to diverge runs back into their country; but where it joins the chagres is not forbidden ground. their territory begins higher up." suddenly there came another soft bump. "aground again!" cried rob, stopping the engine. "shall i reverse?" "yes; do so at once," was the order. but this time the matter of getting off the sand bank was not so simple. the two tow ropes attached to the canoe became entangled in the paddle wheel as the _pathfinder_ backed up, and they came to a stop. an investigation showed that it might take some time to get it free. tubby was prompt in asking permission to go into the forest to see if he couldn't bring down some game of some kind. "you and fred will have to go alone then," said mr. mainwaring, "and don't go far from the river. we'll recall you by three blasts on the whistle. rob and merritt will be needed to help us get untangled and to work the engine." "never mind, we'll bring back some game that will make their eyes bulge," declared tubby valiantly. "come on, fred." "wait till i shove the landing plank ashore," said fred, catching hold of a plank that was used for that purpose. the launch lay quite close to the shore and the plank, which was ten feet long, was of sufficient length to form a bridge. "never mind the plank," quoth tubby, "i'll just step on this old log here and----" "look out, boy!" came a sharp cry from mr. raynor. but it was too late. tubby had already stepped over the side of the launch. as his foot touched the log a surprising thing happened. what had seemed a balk of old rotten timber gave a leap that threw tubby into the water, and at the same instant a vast pair of jaws, armed with double rows of gleaming teeth, flashed wide open. the alligator--for that was what tubby's "log" was--gave a menacing, hissing sound and a flourish of its formidable tail. the next instant a rifle cracked sharply. the creature gave a roar as a bullet crashed down its open throat. rob, seeing tubby's peril, had snatched fred's rifle from him and pumped a bullet into the monster reptile where it would do the most good. he pumped the repeating mechanism and two more bullets drove into the 'gator before it sank, crimsoning the muddy water. they saw no more of it and mr. mainwaring declared that rob must have killed it. tubby, up to his waist in water, gasped as he beheld his narrow escape and rob's prompt action. "gee whiz! this is a funny country," he mumbled, after he had been lectured for his carelessness. "cocoanuts explode and old rotten logs turn into alligators." on his promise to be careful and keep well within call, tubby was allowed to go on shore with fred and you may be sure he used the landing plank this time. the two boys struck off straight into the jungle and then kept a course that lay parallel to the river bank. all at once tubby gave a violent exclamation and almost fell over backward. a lizard, but a lizard almost as big as himself, had run through the jungle right in front of him. "a panama water-lizard," declared fred, who had put in more time studying the country from books than had tubby. "it's harmless." "it doesn't look so," was tubby's comment. but a more thrilling encounter lay just ahead of them. hanging from a tree, and slowly swaying to and fro, was what looked like a beautifully marked liana or hanging creeper. "oh, what a beauty," exclaimed fred, stepping forward, but the next instant he recoiled with a yell of alarm. the creeper had emitted a loud, angry hiss and then they saw that it was no creeper at all, but a brilliantly colored snake, at least fifteen feet long, that was swinging from a limb around which its tail was coiled. tubby echoed fred's yell of alarm and the next instant both boys took to their heels in mad flight. the serpent had swiftly and silently begun writhing its way to the ground. "run for your life!" cried tubby wildly. "he's after us." stumbling over creepers, falling headlong, and then struggling to their feet again, and keeping on with their mad rush, the two terrified boys ran for their lives. behind them came a thrashing sound as the big snake made its way after them. in their alarm they lost all sense of direction or distance. all they knew was that the big reptile was pursuing them, and they raced along without considering anything but escaping from it. it never even occurred to them to open fire on it with their rifles. how far they ran they had no idea. all they knew was that at last, when, from sheer exhaustion they paused, there was no sound of pursuit. the vast woods were silent. all at once they had a fresh fright. this time from overhead. there was a mighty commotion in the tree-tops accompanied by shrill barks and cries. "gracious, what's coming now?" gasped tubby. "i wish we were back on the launch!" but it was only a troop of white-faced, long-tailed monkeys swinging by, traveling along the tree-top high road at almost incredible speed. they paused as they saw the boys standing there below them. gathering together they began to chatter and make a terrible noise. then, making horrible grimaces and yelling angrily, they broke off sticks and began to pelt the two lads furiously with them. suddenly tubby raised his rifle and fired at them. instantly they made off, shrieking at the top of their voices and swinging from limb to limb by means of their long tails which they used as conveniently as hands. the monkeys gone with their bewildering chatter, the boys began to look about them. they were standing in a spot where the undergrowth was not so dense, but they could see that they were in the depths of the forest. as they looked around them the same thought clutched uncomfortably hard at the heart of each. how far had they come on their wild run to escape the great serpent? also, in what direction had their retreat led them? tubby was the first to give these disquieting thoughts words. "where are we, fred?" "i--i don't know. haven't you got your compass?" "yes, but i didn't take any bearings when we left the river." "let's strike out and try to get back. at any rate we'll hear the whistle before long." "that's so. i forgot that. better sit down here and wait till we hear it, then. no use wandering about, we might go in a wrong direction." but had the boys known it, the launch whistle, not a very powerful one, was at that very minute blowing repeatedly for them. their wild dash to escape from the huge snake had carried them far into the jungle. they sat there for a long time, each busied with his own thoughts. at last tubby rose. "it's funny we don't hear that whistle, fred," he said, "but i've been thinking that maybe we ran further than we thought from that beast in the tree. now i'm pretty sure the river lies that way," he pointed in a directly opposite direction. "let's strike out for it." "all right," agreed fred, whose face had begun to assume an alarmed look. "s-s-s-s-say, tubby, you don't think we're lost, do you?" tubby was quick to note the quaver in fred's voice, and he bravely put on a careless air. "lost! not a bit of it. two boy scouts lost in a bit of timber like this? not much. come on, old chap, and we'll be laughing over our scare within an hour's time." but hour after hour went by and still the two lads, now thoroughly scared, though neither had yet admitted it, plunged along through the jungle. at last when they reached a small open space, fred could stand it no longer. he sank down on a fallen tree trunk and fairly gave way to his fears. "we're lost, tubby," he moaned, "and it's no use going any further. i can't, in fact. i'm dead tired out. what on earth shall we do?" the fat boy looked at his comrade with alarmed eyes. it was plain that fred was on the verge of a nervous collapse. their position was bad enough without that. and yet tubby could find no words to comfort his companion. what fred had said was the truth; they were lost in the trackless jungle, a terrifying situation indeed. from time to time during their wanderings they had fired their rifles, hoping to hear some response, but none had come. tubby, however, had, whenever possible, marked the trail either by barking or blazing a tree with his knife in indian fashion, or by leaving grass and stone signs in a manner familiar to all first-class scouts. this was now the only crumb of comfort he could offer to fred. "cheer up. maybe they'll pick up the trail," he said as hopefully as he could. "but if they don't, we--gracious! look there!" facing the two lost boys was a party of squat, copper-colored little men with big round heads and straight black hair. they carried bows and arrows and spears. their clothes consisted of old sacking, bits of cloth, anything in fact that would partially cover them. they evidently formed a hunting party, for some of them carried wild pigs and one or two had a deer slung on a branch between them. they had crept up quite silently and now regarded the interlopers intently. for an instant the two white boys stood stock-still, as if turned to stone. then by a natural impulse, they turned and started to run. but a spear whizzed through the air after them, transfixing itself quivering in a tree just above their heads. this brought them to a halt. weapons they had none, for when they paused they had laid down their rifles and in their precipitate, startled flight had forgotten to pick them up again. utterly unnerved by this added sheaf to their bundle of misfortunes, the two boy scouts stood facing the indians who, they had no doubt, formed a hunting or scouting party sent out by the san blas tribes that made their homes back in the mysterious recesses of the mountains where rose the headwaters of the chepalta. chapter xxv. a chapter of accidents. in the meantime rob and merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope. the line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose. when this had been done, mr. mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test. accordingly, when the canoes had been secured to the shore, rob reversed the engine and started it up. for a moment it whirled and chugged away, straining to back the launch off the muddy shallows in which she had grounded. the lightly built craft trembled under the effort. the engine snorted and puffed as more power was applied. "hooray! we're afloat once more!" cried merritt triumphantly, as the launch was caught in the current and swung free. but at the same instant came an ominous cracking sound. the engine raced wildly and then stopped as rob shut off the power. "what's the matter now?" cried mr. raynor apprehensively, as the launch began to drift downstream in a helpless way. "wait a minute. i'll see," cried rob, and then the next instant, "the driving chain has snapped!" "throw out the anchor before we drift any more," cried mr. mainwaring. this was done and then rob set about making an investigation. as he had declared, the driving chain, which drove the stern wheel just as a bicycle sprocket is revolved, had parted in the middle. undoubtedly the strain that had been placed on it when they were backing the launch off had proved too much for its strength. they regarded the accident with some dismay. "great scotland! that means we are stuck," exclaimed merritt. "unquestionably, unless we can make some repairs," admitted mr. mainwaring. "do you think you can fix it, rob?" asked mr. raynor. "i might manage to make a temporary link out of wire," replied rob, "but i'm afraid it wouldn't hold long against the current." "isn't there a spare chain in the tool locker?" asked merritt. mr. mainwaring shook his head. "there's nothing for it but to turn back and get a new link forged," he said. "too bad!" "it is indeed," agreed rob. "shall i make a link out of steel wire? i guess that would be strong enough to carry us down with the stream if we go slowly." "yes, do so," was the reply. "merritt, will you sound the return whistle for bob hopkins and fred?" merritt pulled the cord connecting with the compressed air whistle and tugged it lustily. then he paused and blew again, keeping this up for some time. no reply had come; but as yet they felt no anxiety. it was likely that the boys would take some time in returning, and the possibility of their being out of ear-shot of the whistle did not occur to any of the party. but when an hour had passed and then another dragged its slow length away without bringing any signs of the absentees, anxiety gave place to alarm and alarm to genuine fear that harm might have overtaken them. they looked blankly at each other. for a time no one spoke. suddenly, from a great distance as it seemed, there came the sound of a rifle shot. had they but known it, the sound was caused by tubby's shot at the band of monkeys. although ignorant of its cause, it made the dismayed little party's spirits pick up a bit to hear at least some sound of the two young hunters, even though they knew that they must be some distance off. "raynor," ordered mr. mainwaring, "i don't know whether that shot was merely a signal that they are coming, or a signal of distress. in any event i am going ashore. rob, you may come with me if you like. bring your rifle. merritt, you keep guard with mr. raynor." the engineer merely nodded in answer to his chief's orders. merritt looked rather disappointed. he would have liked to accompany the searchers, but as he knew that was impossible he put the best face possible on the matter and helped rob and mr. mainwaring to get ashore by means of the plank. almost instantly the jungle swallowed them up. as they vanished from sight, raynor sighed. merritt looking up saw that he looked distressed. he ventured to ask him what was the matter. "i don't just know why, my boy, but i've got an idea that the lads are in trouble in the woods yonder," he said. "i don't like the idea of that distant shot." "you--you don't think that there are any indians off in the forest, do you?" asked merritt, turning a shade paler. "i don't think anything. i don't want to say anything till i'm sure; but we're not so far from san blas country that a wandering hunting party might not happen along through the forest. they have the jungle honeycombed with paths known only to themselves." "but supposing--just supposing that the boys did fall in with them, would the indians do them any harm?" "impossible to say, merritt. this i do know, however, that the indians' minds have been worked on by those who are opposed to the canal until they have been taught to regard all white men as their enemies. they have been told that the making of the canal will flood out their hunting grounds and drive them into remoter parts of the country. naturally, they regard white men with suspicion and hatred." while this conversation was going on, mr. mainwaring, whose face was sadly troubled, and his young companion, had been pushing their way through the jungle. fortunately the trail of tubby and fred was pretty well marked where they had shoved their way through the underbrush. finally they came to the spot where the two boys had met with the serpent. rob examined the ground with the instinct of a true scout and skillful trapper. traces of a sudden stoppage and a precipitate flight off into the jungle were plainly visible. but what had caused the boys to beat such a rapid retreat was by no means so plain. "can you make out anything, rob?" asked mr. mainwaring, after a pause. "no, sir," said rob perplexedly, "except that something appears to have frightened them just at this point. you can see by their footmarks in this soft mud that they were running fast when they made off. and see here, sir, where one of them fell and scrambled up again, going on as quickly as before." "jove, you can read all that in those tracks?" "that's part of the boy scout training, sir," rejoined rob modestly. "it's wonderful! wonderful! but tell me, can you see the signs of any wild beasts?" "not one. that's what makes it so mysterious. it is plain that something was after them and yet there are no tracks." "well, we had better follow up the trail they have left through the jungle. that is our only course, in fact." on and on they pursued the trail, going slowly of necessity. here they would lose the trail for a time and then again in a few minutes rob's cleverness as a scout would pick it up again by means of a broken blade of grass or a creeper that had been brushed aside. never had the young leader's well-trained faculties been more on the alert than now as he followed his chum's trail through the trackless jungle. and all the while poor tubby and fred were wandering further and further from them. at length they reached the open space where the boys had paused a while and tubby had shot at the monkeys overhead. all at once rob darted forward. on the ground he had spied a brass shell. they examined it and found that it tallied with the caliber of tubby's rifle, but beyond this there was no further clue. suddenly rob gave a cry of delight. he eagerly examined what appeared to mr. mainwaring to be nothing more than a clump of pampas grass slightly bent over to the left. but rob's quick eye had caught sight of a band of grass tied round its top just below the bend. to an ordinary person's eye this would have meant nothing. but to rob, trained in scouting, it meant that the two lads they were pursuing had turned to the left. on they went again, never flagging through the hot noonday, but patiently picking up the trail as they went along. now a scratch on the bark of a limb would show rob the direction, presently some trampled grass or flowers led him on, again he would stumble on one of tubby's stone or grass signs. all the time the trail kept getting fresher. their hopes rose high. "we're catching up on them," cried rob. "it's slow but sure; we're catching up." presently they stood in the space under the tall trees where tubby and fred had paused and where the san blas indians had surprised them. rob, like a pointer dog, went rapidly hither and thither, crouched low, looking for the tiny signs which mean so little to an untrained and so much to a carefully educated eye. suddenly he gave a sharp cry. it brought mr. mainwaring to his side in an instant. "look, sir! here in this soft earth! the print of bare feet! very small bare feet! what does it mean?" "indians!" exclaimed mr. mainwaring, his face working. "the trail ends here, rob. oh, my poor boy! my poor boy!" and, quite overcome, mr. mainwaring sank down on the same log on which, had he but known it, his son fred had collapsed but a short time before. it was a long time that he sat there with his head buried in his hands, and when he raised his face rob saw that it was white and strangely drawn, but full of determination. "what are we to do, sir?" demanded rob. "i'm afraid that, as you say, there is no doubt they have been carried off; but luckily, i see no signs of a struggle. perhaps there is hope." mr. mainwaring had said nothing and rob had not told him of his discovery of a spear that still stuck in the tree into which it had darted quivering above tubby's head. he could not find it in his heart to increase mr. mainwaring's distress, and, agitated as he himself was, rob had still thoughtfulness enough not to add to another's burdens. presently he repeated his question. "have you any plan, sir?" mr. mainwaring sprang to his feet; his eyes had a hard glint in them. "yes, i have a plan," he exclaimed, "the only plan that can save them. we must return at once, get a powerful force and ransack this forest from end to end. perhaps if the indians learn of this, and learn of it they will quick enough, they will give the boys up." slowly, each busied with his own thoughts, they made their way back toward the river. but before they reached it, it began to grow dusk. an uneasy wind sighed in the tops of the forest trees. but for this a death-like stillness prevailed. "we must hurry. a storm is coming on," said mr. mainwaring looking upward. before long they could catch the glint of the river through the trees. but here a fresh surprise awaited them. there lay the canoes, just as they had left them; everything looked the same, but of the launch there was not a sign! they could hardly believe their eyes, but the fact remained that the _pathfinder_ had vanished; nor was there any trace of its two occupants. it was at this moment that rob noticed that the river seemed to be flowing more swiftly and that its level had risen. chapter xxvi. the ruined city. it would have been worse than useless for tubby or fred to have attempted flight, as the stout youth had rightly conjectured. resistance would have been equally foolhardy. this would have been so in any case, but any move against the indians was now rendered doubly dangerous by the fact that two of the odd-looking little natives had picked up the two rifles the boys had so foolishly forgotten and were examining them in a way that showed that they had knowledge enough of the white man's weapons to use them, should occasion offer. after a vast deal of jabbering in their unknown tongue, two of the indians bound tubby's hands behind his back while the others stood guard to protect their companions against any sudden move. then came fred's turn. this done, the boys were led across the open space to a clump of trees from amidst which the indians had first appeared. to tubby's astonishment he saw that a narrow, but well beaten trail ran through the jungle from this point. but in what direction it led he was, of course, ignorant. he guessed, however, that it must be one of the secret indian paths to which mr. raynor had referred. on either side of the narrow trail the jungle grew up thick and impenetrable. two indians walked in front, then came the boys, behind marched the other indians. "w-w-w-w-what is going to become of us?" quavered fred as they moved along at a swift though steady pace. "i don't know. i guess we are bound for some village or other back in the san blas country. it's a good sign though that they haven't offered us any violence." fred could not but agree that this was so. but little more talk was indulged in between the two captives. it was not a situation that adapted itself to conversation. hour after hour they trudged along through the tropical forest until at last they came upon something startling. in front of them, as they rounded a curve in the crooked trail, there suddenly rose up something that seemed menacingly to dispute their further passage through the forest. there, facing them, was a hideous monster carved out of a white stone or marble, they could not be sure which. the thing loomed ghastly white against a background of dark trees. spots of rank moss grew on its glaring stone face. its stumpy hands were folded and tucked up on its breast; its legs and feet, shaped like a water creature's, were drawn up under its belly. but it was the awful face with its sinister glare that gave the boys a start that quivered through their frames. as if in proof of its antiquity the statue was broken in places and leaned slightly to one side. through the cracks in the white stone, great, twisted, gnarled tree trunks, like serpents, writhed in and out. altogether it was as horrible an object to come upon in the depths of a great forest as the mind could conceive. small wonder the boys shuddered at it. the indians, however, did not appear to regard it with much awe. "what an awful looking thing!" shuddered fred, who had turned pale. "pshaw! it's only an old idol," tubby scoffed, assuming a bold air for fred's comfort. "lots of 'em in this part of the world. crackers! fred, i shouldn't wonder but what we are coming to one of those ancient cities that have long been supposed to exist in this part of the world. i think--great cæsar! look there, will you?" a wilderness of ruins suddenly opened before them as they topped a small rise. everywhere was a confusion of tumbled idols, pillars, blocks of stone, heavy walls, flights of steps, some whole, some tumbling with decay, others still upright. roots, branches and curling vines writhed in and out of the scene of desolation like great snakes. here and there trees shot up from the empty walls of roofless palaces. their restless shadows waved mournfully above the ruins. further back stood a building that surmounted a sort of platform of white stone. it was reached by a flight of steps on one side. on the other the walls towered up steep and slippery. they would not have afforded foothold to a fly. the indians marched the boys up the steps leading to this dismal palace. from the top of the platform they could see over the ruined city in all directions. and off to one side was a sight that made tubby's heart beat more quickly. he had caught the glint of a river, and on its banks he had seen three canoes drawn up. if only they could reach that stream they might still escape. but such a prospect appeared to be remote in the extreme. they were marshaled into the chamber within the walls they had noticed from below. it was of massive but rude architecture and was roofless, but the walls sloped inward, making any idea of climbing them out of the question. from cracks in the walls grew tropic plants and creepers. to the boys' surprise, once within this place, their hands were untied. but this in itself was a bad sign so far as hope of escape went. it meant that the indians knew there was no hope of their captives getting away. two guards were set to watch them at the door, and then the others left. the guards took up their station at the door with their wicked-looking spears all ready for instant action. tubby, with his ruling passion still strong--and as a matter of fact he was fearfully hungry and faint after their long march--eyed longingly some red fruit that grew on one of the shrubs clinging to the wall. he was about to pluck some when fred drew him back. "don't touch those, tubby, they're not good to eat," he exclaimed. "i recognize the leaf. it's just like a deadly nightshade leaf at home. i guess they are a giant variety of that poisonous plant." "phew! i'm glad i didn't touch 'em. would they kill you?" "if you ate many. a few would only put you to sleep. they contain a drug called bella-donna which is a narcotic." just then one of the natives appeared with two earthenware bowls full of half raw meat. the boys were hungry or they could not have touched the stuff. as it was, they ate all they could, but left quite a quantity. as they ate their guards eyed them in an odd way. it looked as if they were hungry, too, and would have liked to eat. the boys could see out through the door, and, after eating all they could, they amused themselves by looking over the ruined city. they could see smoke rising some distance off among the trees, and guessed that the main camp of the indians was there. probably, they guessed--and in this they were right--the superstitious indians did not like to camp among the ruins of the lost race, although they had no objection to jailing their prisoners there. as it grew dusk, the sky clouded over. thunder began to rumble in the distance and the wind moaned in a most melancholy way among the trees that overshadowed the ruins. far off they could hear the indians shouting and singing in a coarse, unmusical way. seemingly they were celebrating the success of their chase and capture of the two white boys. at any rate, they appeared to forget the two guards utterly. it grew dark and the men still sat there. they had lighted a small fire outside the ruined temple, or whatever it had been, and the glow of it revealed their still and silent figures to the boy captives. one of them took some kind of cake from his girdle presently and took a bite of it. then he offered it to his companion who bit into it hungrily. it was plain that the two indians were getting hungry. tubby was about to try to conciliate them by offering them what the boys had left in their bowls, when he had a sudden inspiration. he went to the wall and began picking some of the berries fred had told him not to touch. fred, who had fallen into a fitful slumber, did not notice him, and tubby proceeded uninterruptedly with what he was about. it was about a quarter of an hour later and the rumble of the approaching storm was growing nearer and nearer when tubby arose and, picking up the two bowls, approached the guards. instantly they sprang to their feet and presented their spear blades at him. but tubby, by signs, explained that he and his companion had not been able to eat all their rations and wanted to give them the rest. as tubby's shrewd mind had guessed from what he had seen, the two guards were famished. they saw no harm in taking the meat from the prisoner who was kind enough to offer it. they grabbed the bowls and in a minute, as it appeared to the astonished fat boy, they had emptied them. tubby regarded the two indians admiringly. he had never seen edibles disposed of so swiftly. when they had eaten, the guards became stern again. they motioned tubby back to the interior of the ruinous structure. the stout boy obeyed and sank down on the floor apparently composing himself to sleep, but in reality he was watching the two guards with intent eyes. suddenly he gave a grunt of satisfaction. the guards began to nod sleepily. one almost fell over. he recovered himself, but in an instant he was off to sleep again; as for his companion, after an ineffectual effort to awaken his comrade, he too sank into a deep slumber, falling across the threshold of the place. instantly tubby was all activity. quickly he aroused fred. "wake up! quick! don't ask questions. follow me." "why? what?" began fred sleepily. "not a word. we've got to move quick. i squeezed the juice of those berries you told me about into the remains of our supper. the guards ate it. they're fast asleep. it's up to us to cut and run for those canoes on the river bank." fred was alert in an instant. as he rose softly to his feet a vivid flash of lightning illumined his face. tubby saw that it was set and determined as became a black wolf scout. he gripped fred's hand tightly. "whatever happens, keep your nerve," he enjoined. then, hand in hand and on tiptoe, the two boys crept toward the doorway. as they were stepping over one of the sleeping guards tubby, by the glow of the fire, saw that a small bag that the fellow had had tied at his waist had burst as he fell headlong in his slumber, and that a lot of odd-looking pebbles lay scattered about near it. yielding to he knew not what impulse, he stooped and stuffed a handful of the rocks into the pocket of his scout coat. it was work to bring the lads' hearts into their mouths, this advance out upon the open platform with the firelight on them to betray their every movement. far off they could catch the glow of the indians' campfire; but for all they knew other guards might be about and at any minute they expected to hear a spear or an arrow whiz by them. but nothing of the sort happened. they reached the river bank in safety. the lightning was now flashing incessantly. by its gleam they saw the canoes, with their paddles alongside, lying as they had last seen them. tubby advanced, and, catching hold of one, turned it over. the next instant he gave a terrified yell. as he had turned it, there had leaped from under it, where he had evidently been sleeping, an indian armed with a spear. before he could cast it, tubby ducked low and rushed in on the man like a young bullock. the little san blas native went down in the mud with a splash. tubby wrested the spear from him and sent it flying. as the indian struggled to his feet fred gave him a blow on the mouth that must have driven some of his teeth in, to judge by the sound. "quick!" ordered tubby in a tense undertone, "into the water with those other canoes now." "but we only want one." "we don't want 'em to chase us, do we?" exclaimed the fat boy sharply. "over with 'em i say." fred shoved the two dugouts off. in a jiffy the current caught them and they went sailing out of sight. at the same instant there came another flash of lightning. it showed the river, swollen and angry, racing furiously along. "can you handle a paddle, fred?" asked tubby. "yes; i had a canoe on the hudson," was the reply. "well, this is going to beat any hudson you ever saw. there's a storm in the mountains evidently, and the river is rising every minute. it can't be helped, though. take a paddle and shove off." luckily both boys knew something about canoes or the start of that dugout would likewise have been its finish. but they saved it by skillful, swift handling from a capsize. the next instant they were in it, being hurled off at a dizzy pace down the rushing current. behind them came yells and savage shouts. their escape had evidently been discovered, probably when a change of guards was made. "whoop!" shouted tubby back defiantly. "we're off on the chagres limited, you shirtless sons of iniquity; it'll take better men than you to catch us now!" the cranky canoe rocked wildly, and then shot off into the darkness, hurtled along by the sweeping current of an unknown river. chapter xxvii. "be prepared." we must now go back to mr. raynor and merritt whom we left in the launch, a prey to no very enviable thoughts. as the sound of rob's and mr. mainwaring's footsteps died away in the forest, they fell to speculating on the fate of their young comrades. all at once merritt turned to his companion with an exclamation. "isn't the river current flowing more swiftly?" he asked. mr. raynor gazed over the side at the muddy stream. "it surely is," he decided. "i shouldn't wonder but there's a storm back in the mountains." as the stream flowed more swiftly and with greater volume merritt looked with some anxiety at their anchor rope. it was not a particularly thick one and the stream was tugging frantically at the launch. suddenly, without the slightest warning, there was a sharp snapping sound and the rope parted. before they had time to exchange a word, the launch was a hundred yards down stream. it was almost impossible to turn her about or direct her course, but accident accomplished for them what they had not been able to do for themselves. the _pathfinder_ suddenly struck a sand bank, gave a giddy sort of yaw and swung round, heading bow on down the stream. the next instant the current which was still rising caught her and shot her off down stream with her bow pointing in the right direction. mr. raynor grabbed the spokes of the steering wheel before the craft had a chance to smash into the bank and merritt set the engine slowly going on reverse so as to check, as much as possible, the furious speed. he had grave doubts of the patched-up link holding, but he nursed it along as carefully as he could. it was not till they had gone some distance that either of them had a chance to speak, and then naturally their first words were about those they had left behind. what anxieties beset them may be imagined. two of their number were lost; the pair that had set out to find them would return either with or without the castaways, but in any case to find the launch gone. that it was all as unavoidable as fate made no difference to the seriousness of the situation. the _pathfinder_, handled with consummate skill by mr. raynor, reached the gatun settlement that evening, and the news spread like wildfire that the boys were lost and that mr. mainwaring had been left, by force of circumstances, in the forest. everyone there appreciated the gravity of the situation. the river was rising and it might be impossible to ascend it for a week, even if then. from the vivid flashes of lightning visible in the far-off peaks it was clear that back in the wild cordillera the storm was raging savagely. the water continued to rise. after supper mr. raynor, in charge during mr. mainwaring's absence, wrote out a telegram to lieut. col. goethals informing him of what had happened. merritt, who was aching for something to do, volunteered to take it to the little telegraph office by the railroad track; for the head official of the canal was in colon inspecting the work there, having left the day before in his private car. mr. raynor, perhaps seeing that merritt would feel better with some employment to take his mind off his worry, readily consented. the boy scout set out at once. as he went he looked back at the distant peaks several times. the lightning was playing a witches' dance above them, and he thought with a pang of those near and dear to him who might be wandering at that very moment among them. the operator at the gatun station was a talkative chap and he chatted to merritt while he waited for an open wire. he told him that he had had a busy evening and grumbled quizzically at his own good nature in trying to please other people. "why, only half an hour ago," he said, "a chap, a young american, i guess, was in here and borrowed two of my batteries. said he was experimenting. well, i knew him by sight and i let him have 'em. what's the result? i've had to charge two more and the line don't work as good." merritt only half listened to the voluble operator's relation of his troubles. but presently he looked up languidly as the operator said brusquely: "why, here's the chap coming back now. well, if he's after any more batteries he don't get 'em." a footfall sounded on the platform outside, the door opened and in came a man at sight of whom merritt almost fell off his chair. it was the young man that he had seen in the barn with jared and with whom the latter had driven to the station the night of the fire in hampton. merritt was sitting back in a corner. for the sake of coolness, there was only one lamp in the place, a shaded one above the operator's table. a pile of boxes stood close to merritt and he slipped in behind them. he had reasons of his own for not wanting to be seen just then. "no more batteries," began the operator truculently as the stranger came in. but the other laughed. "it's not batteries this time," he said with a slightly foreign accent. "it's a telegram i want to send." "oh, that's different. there's one ahead of you, though." "all right; there is no hurry. i'll write mine out now." the man sat down and rapidly wrote on a sending blank. he handed it in. the operator looked at it a minute and then handed it back. "sorry; i can't take it." "why not? i can pay you." the man drew out a roll of bills. "that's not it. your message is in cipher and we are not allowed to take such telegrams in the zone." "whose orders?" "lieut. col. goethals and the u. s. government." "curse them both," ground out the stranger angrily. the operator jumped to his feet. "see here, friend," he said, "i'm an american and i think goethals is a mighty fine man, too. see the point? there's the door. now get! i'm blamed sorry i lent you those batteries, but i'd rather you didn't return them than come back." without a word the man turned and half slunk out of the door. as he passed close by merritt, the boy scout heard him mutter: "yes, and you and all yankees will be sorrier yet before morning." merritt looked around. there was an open door behind him. quick as a flash he slipped through it and the next moment was following the man through a clump of bananas that grew on each side of the road. dodging among the broad leaves merritt kept his quarry in sight and stuck close to his heels. the man walked on and then suddenly turned aside from the main road that led back to the "gold-men's" quarters and headed down into a sort of wild gully running to the river. with merritt close on his heels and blessing the shrubs that grew at the path-side, the man, quite unconscious that anyone was on his tracks, kept on. at length he came to a more or less tumble-down hut not far from the river bank. he paused here a minute and gave three low whistles. in response out came an old negro. "dis funny time ob night to call?" said the old darky questioningly. "this is a _good time of night to call_," said the man with a peculiar emphasis. to merritt it sounded as if the words just spoken were a sort of countersign. at any rate nothing more was said. the old negro admitted the stranger to the hut and closed the door. "now what sort of work is on foot," muttered merritt to himself. "what mischief are those rascals up to? it's all most mysterious. this fellow whom we've seen with jared first borrows electric batteries and then tries to send a cipher message. i can't make it out." he stood a moment irresolute as to what course to pursue. should he go back and tell mr. raynor what he had discovered? but the next minute he decided not to. after all he had no proof; he would try to peep into the hut and see what was going on. cautiously he reconnoitered, completely circling the hut. but not a gleam of light was visible. bit by bit he crept closer, using the utmost caution. at length he got close to the rear wall and here, to his huge delight, he found a crack through which he could peer at what was going on within. what he saw made his heart leap. round a table were seated estrada, alverado, the strange man and jared applegate. jared's face was white and frightened but the others wore a sort of deadly composure. in the background stood the old darky who had opened the door. on the table was a smoky kerosene lamp. but on the table also were some objects that puzzled merritt. there was a brass lever, not unlike a telegraph key, and by it an array of batteries with wires leading from them. the strange man was seated near the brass key, with which he was toying carelessly, and yet with a certain caution. "be careful," alverado was warning him, "don't be premature, my dear castro; in your eagerness you have already broken two batteries." "yes, but the accommodating station agent replaced them. ha! ha! if he had known what they were for! but he wouldn't handle cipher, confound him!" "that was the order of these hated yankees. but after to-night we shall triumph over them. one touch of that key in the right direction and----" estrada, who was speaking, spread his hands expressively. the others' eyes blazed; only jared cowered and looked badly frightened. "why can't you put it off till i get out of the country?" he begged. "so we would have, because of the service you did us in showing us where to place the--the little matter you know of. but you have been well rewarded. why repine? as for putting it off, what time like the present? mainwaring is away and those cursed little rats of spies, boy scouts, as you call them, are with him. we are safe." but jared only cowered and quivered the more. as for alverado, who had uttered the words just recorded, he lit a fresh cigarette and regarded the whining youth with scorn. merritt's blood almost froze as he looked on at this strange scene. he had a quick mind, and from almost the first he had guessed what that paraphernalia on the table meant, what the "patriots," as they doubtless called themselves, were waiting for. but the boy scout did not wait. he ran, as if on wings, from that hut in the hollow, his pulses beating like snare drums and a fearful doubt assailing his mind. "would he be too late?" that was the fear that pounded at merritt's brain as he raced along for the "gold-men's" row of houses. at the summit of the little hill, leading up from the hollow of the hut, he stumbled over something, something that entangled his foot. he leaned to examine it and then gave an astonished cry. the next moment he had whipped out his scout knife and cut his foot loose of the encumbrance. after that for some reason he went more slowly, but still he ran, ran to summon aid for uncle sam against a gang of foul plotters. * * * * * * * * half an hour later the scene in the hut was not much changed, but a tense silence had fallen over its inmates. on every face was a strained, anxious look, yet underlaid by an expression of exultation. jared alone was missing. in an agony of fear and remorse he had broken from the hut a short time before. they had not tried to check him. "ready?" said estrada, who held a watch. he was deadly pale. the strange young man by the table shoved back a stray lock of black hair with long, thin fingers. one hand trembled on that brass key that merritt had noticed. "let the invader! the usurper! the tyrant take warning from to-night!" cried alverado solemnly in a declamatory tone. suddenly there came a crash outside. the door was carried inward off its hinges. a crowd of men, in the uniform of the gatun police, burst into the room. "seize that man!" cried mr. raynor, who was in the lead. he pointed to the strange young man whose fingers were already pressing the key downward. "betrayed!" shrieked alverado as a revolver was knocked upward out of his hand. the police, taking no chances after this, sprang forward toward the man at the key with leveled weapons. "surrender!" they called out. "not till i've blown uncle sam's work to kingdom come!" cried the wretch with a hideous laugh. his fingers pressed the key. but no earth-shaking explosion followed. the tons of dynamite that had been cunningly concealed in a spill-way half a mile off did not explode. the gatun dam was not hoisted skyward and the work of years ruined. there was only a feeble "click," echoed by two more as the handcuffs were snapped on alverado and estrada. mr. raynor fairly embraced merritt and the rest crowded round him. "if it hadn't been for you, my boy, and your presence of mind in guessing what that wire was you stumbled across and cutting it, the dam might have been blown up in accordance with this wretch's desires," he declared, and then, as the miscreant, who had in vain tried to send the fatal spark to the dynamite, was made a prisoner, mr. raynor raised his voice: "three cheers for the boy scouts!" he cried, "and in particular for merritt crawford of the eagles. had it not been for his quick wits in guessing that a plot was on foot when he saw that wretch yonder at the gatun station, this might have been a black night for uncle sam and the panama canal." the cheers were given with right good will. soon afterward the prisoners, including the old black man, were marched off to the lock-up maintained at gatun for offenders on the canal work, although, it is safe to say, it never before housed such monsters as the would-be dynamiters of the gatun dam. "if only the rest were here and safe," said merritt to mr. raynor late that night, "i should be perfectly happy. as it is i don't feel as if i could rest till we are reunited." * * * * * * * * it was the next day that the entire community, already wild with excitement over the discovery of the plot against the dam and the capture of the chief conspirators, was treated to a fresh thrill. down the river, which had somewhat subsided, came two canoes. in the first one were rob and mr. mainwaring. in the second sat tubby and fred. how they had met is soon explained. as tubby had guessed, the river they had seen from the ruins was the chepalta. its swift current had carried them into the chagres itself and in course of time they came to the spot where mr. mainwaring and fred, sadly distressed and worried over the loss of the launch, had decided to spend the night. they had built a roaring fire to keep off serpents or wild beasts, and tubby and fred, as soon as they saw the blaze, had made for it. in a few seconds a joyful reunion had taken place. as more sleep that night was out of the question, they had waited till the first flush of dawn and then emptied one of the provision canoes. in this mr. mainwaring and rob seated themselves and they all paddled back to civilization. their amazement when they heard of what had been taking place at gatun during their absence may be, to use a phrase hackneyed but apt, "better imagined than described." there is no space here to relate all that followed or to give the details of the trial and sentencing of the rascally plotters. it was found, for they confessed in hope of immunity, that the plot was far more widely organized than had been thought. dozens of laborers were implicated before the end, and it was the number engaged that had made it possible for them to elude the vigilance of the gatun guards, secrete so much dynamite and then connect it with wires to the lonely hut in the hollow. as for the strange young man, it was found that he had been a chemist specializing on explosives, who had thought to avenge his country's fancied wrongs by enlisting with the plotters. had it not been for merritt, who received the personal congratulations of col. goethals and the commission, there is little doubt but that the great dam might have been damaged almost beyond hope of reconstruction. the boy bore his honors modestly, as became a true scout, and of course the story did not get to the newspapers, so that he was spared the embarrassment of being interviewed and lionized. his comrades felt for him nothing but pride and admiration. those pebbles that tubby picked up proved to be raw emeralds of great value and you may be sure that each of his friends was presented with one. the chums of lucy mainwaring, too, have noticed that she now wears a brooch set with a magnificent emerald, by which she seems to set great store. who gave it to her we will leave our readers to guess. jared applegate managed in some way to evade the drag-net set for him, and has not been seen or heard of since the night he slipped out of the hut overcome at the last minute by the thought of the terrible crime he had committed. i should like to linger with you in this fascinating old land with its new interests and tell you how the ruined city in which tubby and fred passed such an uncomfortable time was explored and rare treasures of antiquity found. i should also like to relate more of the adventures that befell the chums among the "gold-men" of the isthmus, but i must content myself with what has been written and my readers with the prophecy that the future will be able to recall no more noble achievement than this that has been the subject of our tale. you are assured, however, that the boy scouts returned to their studies and to the states better citizens, better patriots and better scouts for the exciting times they spent on uncle sam's big ditch--the eighth wonder, and the greatest of the world. let every american boy, who gets a chance, see it. it will strengthen and cement his love for the stars and stripes and for the u. s. a., the country that put the gigantic enterprise through in spite of almost overwhelming difficulties. and now the time has come to say good-bye to the boy scouts. so wishing them well in everything they undertake and hoping that they may ever be "good scouts and true," the author bids a reluctant adieu to them and to the readers who have followed the "eagles" through their many adventures. the end _save the wrapper!_ _if_ you have enjoyed reading about the adventures of the new friends you have made in this book and would like to read more clean, wholesome stories of their entertaining experiences, turn to the book jacket--on the inside of it, a comprehensive list of burt's fine series of carefully selected books for young people has been placed for your convenience. _orders for these books, placed with your bookstore or sent to the publishers, will receive prompt attention._ boy scout series by lieut. howard payson a lively, interesting series of stories of travel, life in camp, hunting, hiking, sports and adventure. no boy should miss these tales of self-reliance, resourcefulness and courage, in which every enjoyment known to scout activity is accurately depicted. attractively bound in cloth. the boy scouts of the eagle patrol a speed boat race and an old sea captain give the eagle patrol a busy summer. the boy scouts on the range rob blake and his friends among the cowboys and indians in arizona. the boy scouts and the army airship the hampton academy boys discover a plot to steal government airplane plans. the boy scouts' mountain camp the boy scouts find a band of "moonshiners," a lost cave and a hidden fortune. the boy scouts for uncle sam the trial trip of a new submarine, a strange derelict and a treasure hunt. the boy scouts at the panama canal hunting and exploring in the tangled forests of panama. the boy scouts under fire in mexico searching for general villa in war-torn mexico. the boy scouts on belgian battlefields between the lines in belgium during the world war. the boy scouts with the allies in france raiding uhlans, spies, and air-raids in war-wrecked france. the boy scouts at the panama-pacific exposition the adventures of four scouts at the exposition in san francisco. the boy scouts under sealed orders the boy scouts' exciting experiences while searching for stolen government property. the boy scouts' campaign for preparedness the eagle patrol on duty in a government munition plant. for sale by all booksellers, or sent postpaid on receipt of price by the publishers a. l. burt company - east d street new york the golden boys series by l. p. wyman, ph.d. dean of pennsylvania military college. a new series of instructive copyright stories for boys of high school age. handsome cloth binding. price, cents each postage c extra the golden boys and their new electric cell the golden boys at the fortress the golden boys in the maine woods the golden boys with the lumber jacks the golden boys rescued by radio the golden boys along the river allagash the golden boys at the haunted camp the golden boys on the river drive the golden boys save the chamberlain dam the golden boys on the trail for sale by all booksellers, or sent on receipt of price by the publishers a. l. burt company, - e. d st., new york _the boy allies_ (registered in the united states patent office) _with the army_ by clair w. hayes for boys to years. all cloth bound copyright titles in this series we follow the fortunes of two american lads unable to leave europe after war is declared. they meet the soldiers of the allies, and decide to cast their lot with them. their experiences and escapes are many, and furnish plenty of good, healthy action that every boy loves. the boy allies at liege; or, through lines of steel. the boy allies on the firing line; or, twelve days' battle along the marne. the boy allies with the cossacks; or, a wild dash over the carpathians. the boy allies in the trenches; or, midst shot and shell along the aisne. the boy allies in great peril; or, with the italian army in the alps. the boy allies in the balkan campaign; or, the struggle to save a nation. the boy allies on the somme; or, courage and bravery rewarded. the boy allies at verdun; or, saving france from the enemy. the boy allies under the stars and stripes; or, leading the american troops to the firing line. the boy allies with haig in flanders; or, the fighting canadians of vimy ridge. the boy allies with pershing in france; or, over the top at chateau thierry. the boy allies with marshal foch; or, the closing days of the great world war. for sale by all booksellers, or sent on receipt of price by the publishers a. l. burt company - east d street new york _the boy allies_ (registered in the united states patent office) _with the navy_ by ensign robert l. drake for boys to years. all cloth bound copyright titles price, cents each postage c extra frank chadwick and jack templeton, young american lads, meet each other in an unusual way soon after the declaration of war. circumstances place them on board the british cruiser, "the sylph," and from there on, they share adventures with the sailors of the allies. ensign robert l. drake, the author, is an experienced naval officer, and he describes admirably the many exciting adventures of the two boys. the boy allies on the north sea patrol; or, striking the first blow at the german fleet. the boy allies under two flags; or, sweeping the enemy from the sea. the boy allies with the flying squadron; or, the naval raiders of the great war. the boy allies with the terror of the sea; or, the last shot of submarine d- . the boy allies under the sea; or, the vanishing submarine. the boy allies in the baltic; or, through fields of ice to aid the czar. the boy allies at jutland; or, the greatest naval battle of history. the boy allies with uncle sam's cruisers; or, convoying the american army across the atlantic. the boy allies with the submarine d- ; or, the fall of the russian empire. the boy allies with the victorious fleets; or, the fall of the german navy. for sale by all booksellers, or sent on receipt of price by the publishers a. l. burt company, - e. d st., new york the radio boys series by gerald breckenridge a new series of copyright titles for boys of all ages. cloth bound, with attractive cover designs price, cents each postage c extra the radio boys on the mexican border the radio boys on secret service duty the radio boys with the revenue guards the radio boys' search for the inca's treasure the radio boys rescue the lost alaska expedition the radio boys in darkest africa the radio boys seek the lost atlantis the radio boys with the border patrol the radio boys as soldiers of fortune for sale by all booksellers, or sent on receipt of price by the publishers a l. burt company, - e. d st., new york the lakewood boys series by l. p. wyman, ph. d. a new series of copyright stories for boys of high school age by the author of "the golden boys series." cloth bound with attractive cover designs. price, cents each postage c extra the lakewood boys on the lazy s the lakewood boys and the lost mine the lakewood boys in the frozen north the lakewood boys and the polo ponies the lakewood boys in the south sea islands the lakewood boys in montana the lakewood boys in the african jungle for sale by all booksellers, or sent on receipt of price by the publishers a. l. burt company, - e. d st., new york border boys series by fremont b. deering mexican and canadian frontier stories for boys to years. price, cents each postage c extra _with individual jackets in colors._ cloth bound border boys on the trail border boys across the frontier border boys with the mexican rangers border boys with the texas rangers border boys in the canadian rockies border boys along the st. lawrence river for sale by all booksellers, or sent on receipt of price by the publishers a. l. burt company, - e. d st., new york the ranger boys series by claude h. la belle a new series of copyright titles for boys to years telling of the adventures of three boys with the forest rangers in the state of maine. handsome cloth binding. price, cents each postage c extra the ranger boys to the rescue the ranger boys find the hermit the ranger boys and the border smugglers the ranger boys outwit the timber thieves the ranger boys and their reward for sale by all booksellers, or sent on receipt of price by the publishers a. l. burt company, - e. d st., new york frank armstrong series by matthew m. colton six exceptional stories of college life, describing athletics from start to finish. for boys to years. price, cents each postage c extra cloth bound _with attractive jackets in colors._ frank armstrong's vacation frank armstrong at queens frank armstrong's second term frank armstrong, drop kicker frank armstrong, captain of the nine frank armstrong at college for sale by all booksellers, or sent on receipt of price by the publishers a. l. burt company, - e. d st., new york * * * * * * * * transcriber's note: --obvious typographical errors were corrected without comment.