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 8:41
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 do