stics,
and the two helmsmen seemed to be very much occupied with the windings
of the river.

"But, Senor Simoun--"

"Don't fool yourself, Don Custodio," continued Simoun dryly, "only in
this way are great enterprises carried out with small means. Thus
were constructed the Pyramids, Lake Moeris, and the Colosseum
in Rome. Entire provinces came in from the desert, bringing their
tubers to feed on. Old men, youths, and boys labored in transporting
stones, hewing them, and carrying them on their shoulders under
the direction of the official lash, and afterwards, the survivors
returned to their homes or perished in the sands of the desert. Then
came other provinces, then others, succeeding one another in the work
during years. Thus the task was finished, and now we admire them,
we travel, we go to Egypt and to Home, we extol the Pharaohs and the
Antonines. Don't fool yourself--the dead remain dead, and might only
is considered right by posterity."

"But, Senor Simoun, such measures might provoke uprisings," objected
Don Custodio, rather uneasy over the turn the affair had taken.

"Uprisings, ha, ha! Did the Egyptian people ever rebel, I wonder? Did
the Jewish prisoners rebel against the pious Titus? Man, I thought
you were better informed in history!"

Clearly Simoun was either very presumptuous or disregarded
conventionalities! To say to Don Custodio's face that he did not know
history! It was enough to make any one lose his temper! So it seemed,
for Don Custodio forgot himself and retorted, "But the fact is that
you're not among Egyptians or Jews!"

"And these people have rebelled more than once," added the Dominican,
somewhat timidly. "In the times when they were forced to transport
heavy timbers for the construction of ships, if it hadn't been for
the clerics--"

"Those times are far away," answered Simoun, with a laugh even drier
than usual. "These islands will never again rebel, no matter how much
work and taxes they have. Haven't you lauded to me, Padre Salvi,"
he added, turning to the Franciscan, "the house and hospital at Los
Banos, where his Excellency is at present?"

Padre Salvi gave a nod and looked up, evading the question.

"Well, didn't you tell me that both buildings were constructed
by forcing the people to work on them under the whip of a
lay-brother? Perhaps that wonderful bridge was built in the same
way. Now tell me, did these people rebel?"

"The fact is--they have rebelled before," repli