g battle
yesterday at Lomagrande--that about nineteen or fifty mile in the
mountain. That government soldier wheep General De Vega--oh, most
bad. Five hundred--nine hundred--two thousand of his mans is kill.
That revolution is smash suppress--bust--very quick. General De Vega,
him r-r-run away fast on one big mule. Yes, _carrambos!_ The general,
him r-r-run away, and his armee is kill. That government soldier,
they try find General De Vega verree much. They want catchee him for
shoot. You think they catchee that general, senor?'

"'Saints grant it!' says I. ''Twould be the judgment of Providence
for settin' the warlike talent of a Clancy to gradin' the tropics
with a pick and shovel. But 'tis not so much a question of
insurrections now, me little man, as 'tis of the hired-man problem.
'Tis anxious I am to resign a situation of responsibility and trust
with the white wings department of your great and degraded country.
Row me in your little boat out to that steamer, and I'll give ye five
dollars--sinker pacers--sinker pacers,' says I, reducin' the offer to
the language and denomination of the tropic dialects.

"'_Cinco pesos_,' repeats the little man. 'Five dollee, you give?'

"'Twas not such a bad little man. He had hesitations at first, sayin'
that passengers leavin' the country had to have papers and passports,
but at last he took me out alongside the steamer.

"Day was just breakin' as we struck her, and there wasn't a soul to
be seen on board. The water was very still, and the nigger-man gave
me a lift from the boat, and I climbed onto the steamer where her
side was sliced to the deck for loadin' fruit. The hatches was open,
and I looked down and saw the cargo of bananas that filled the hold
to within six feet of the top. I thinks to myself, 'Clancy, you
better go as a stowaway. It's safer. The steamer men might hand you
back to the employment bureau. The tropic'll get you, Clancy, if you
don't watch out.'

"So I jumps down easy among the bananas, and digs out a hole to hide
in among the bunches. In an hour or so I could hear the engines
goin', and feel the steamer rockin', and I knew we were off to sea.
They left the hatches open for ventilation, and pretty soon it
was light enough in the hold to see fairly well. I got to feelin'
a bit hungry, and thought I'd have a light fruit lunch, by way
of refreshment. I creeped out of the hole I'd made and stood up
straight. Just then I saw another man crawl up about te