it is to
die in it," he answers back.

"All right, senor gen'ral," I says, "have your own way. It's the
privilege of your rank, but for me a little looser motions and a heavier
armament," and I picks up what looks like a baseball bat, but a little
longer and a little thicker and a good deal heavier than any baseball
bat. A capstan-bar it was. And if y'ever handled one you know what a
great little persuader a capstan-bar is. I could tell you a hundred
stories o' capstan-bars. Many a good fight used to be settled in th' old
sailin'-ship days with a capstan-bar.

And with my capstan-bar I haves at 'em right. Soon I had two of the
enemy backed up to the forehatch, and before their worryin' eyes I
flourishes my capstan-bar. "Now then," I says, "it's go below for you
two or a pair of cracked skulls--which?" And they went below, the pair
of them together like divin' seals, into what I see, when I takes a
peek, was mostly a cargo of pineapples and cocoanuts in bulk. I could
hear 'em bouncin' around among 'em after they struck.

And now, being well warmed up to my work and my head bustin' with
strategy, I takes the little captain in the rear and was about to lay
him low, when the gen'ral hollers: "Senor admiral, you for-get--spare
him!" So I spares him, but I whales the other last one a couple in a
soft spot and chases him, till he took a high dive too into the
forehold; and I could also hear him rattlin' and bouncin' around after
he struck the cocoanuts or the pineapples, whichever it was. Then I goes
for the little captain again, only now I picks him up and holds him
while the gen'ral ties his arms, and then, first clampin' down the
forehatches on the captured crew, we lowers him into the cabin whilst we
take a look around.

It was me for loot, the gen'ral for the fair lady. But not a thing could
I find, and him no fair lady. In the hold, topside, between decks,
everywhere; but nothin' besides cocoanuts and other fruit and some
hogsheads o' rum. The rum was an encouragin' item, but not what you'd
call loot. So we came back to the cabin and untied the captain, who
begins at once to go rollin' cigarettes and shootin' green eyes at the
pair of us. The gen'ral takes a seat opposite him and argues
beseechin'ly, but not one soft look from the little man.

The gen'ral, discouraged, turns to me. "Senor admiral, what do you say
for him? Is it not a hard heart? I love his daughter, but he----"

"She no lofe you!" snaps the littl