ity of
San Luis, where a few needed supplies would be taken aboard. Then the
boat would return to Zalapata for its owner, and continue on to
Atlamalco, there to receive the young woman for the homeward voyage.

Major Jack Starland was considerate enough to decide to remain most of
the time at the capital of General Bambos, knowing the school mates
would wish to devote the all too-brief period to each other.
Consequently he would only be in the way. The Major gave no specific
instructions to Captain Winton, but left much to his discretion. It
was intimated to him that he might return to Atlamalco in the course
of a few days,--an elastic term which might be halved or doubled
without any blame attaching to the skipper.

General Bambos was delighted for the time with the companionship of a
man who had received the thorough military training of his visitor.
Ignorant as most of the prominent South Americans are, the majority
have heard of West Point, and all know something of the courage and
achievements of the greatest nation in all the world. The General
consulted often with his guest and Major Starland never did, or rather
never attempted to do, a more praiseworthy thing than when he strove
to impress upon the bulky Dictator the folly and crime of war.

"It was truthfully characterized by our General Sherman as 'hell'; it
has been the curse of the ages and brought misery and death to
millions, besides turning back the hands on the dial of progress for
centuries. Shun it as you would the pestilence that stalks at
noonday."

Such discourse is thrown away upon the South American leader to whom
revolutions are as the breath of his life. General Bambos blandly
smiled and cordially agreed with the wise sentiments, but laid the
blame eternally on the other fellow. If _he_ would only do that which
is just, wars would cease and blessed peace would brood forever over
all nations and peoples.

Major Starland took another tack. There had been hostilities between
Zalapata and Atlamalco in the past, with no special advantage accruing
to either side. On the whole perhaps the latter Republic had been the
gainer, since the last treaty ceded to General Yozarro a small strip
of territory on which _Castillo Descanso_ stood, the same having been
a bone of contention for a long time.

The purchase of a tugboat by General Yozarro had unquestionably tipped
the scales in his favor. The American did his best to show Bambos this
fact and to