ng life," Kit agreed. "Money doesn't seem plentiful."

"You have got to hustle and back the right man. Since you're stopping at
the presidio, it's obvious that Askew's on the president's side. Well, I
suppose everybody knows my employers have put their money on Galdar."

"Then, I imagine you run some risk."

"Sure," said Olsen, smiling. "Alvarez doesn't like me, and if I wasn't an
American citizen, I'd feel scared. Showed his secretary my naturalization
papers when I put up my shingle. Took them out as soon as I reached the
United States from Norway."

Kit pondered. Olsen spoke English and Castilian Well, but his accent was
not American, nor, Kit thought, Scandinavian. There were a number of
Germans in the country, engaged in extensive but rather dark commercial
schemes, whom the United States consuls watched with jealous eyes. Kit
knew that no one could transact much business without to some extent
meddling with native politics, but while the other adventurers were
satisfied with the money they could get, it looked as if the Germans
wanted something else. It was perhaps significant that Olsen had, so to
speak, insisted that he was a naturalized American and came from Norway.
Kit doubted.

"Askew's judgment is generally pretty good, but he's getting old," Olsen
remarked. "I don't see why he's backing the president; my notion is,
Galdar's surely going to win." He paused and looked at Kit thoughtfully.
"In fact, if I was holding a clerk's job on the other side, I'd consider
if it wouldn't pay me to change."

Kit imagined this was a cautious feeler, made to find out if he could be
bought, but he smiled.

"If Galdar does win, he won't have much to give his friends."

"He certainly won't have much money," Olsen agreed. "It's going to cost
him all he can raise to turn Alvarez out, but he'll have something to
give at the country's expense; sugar and coffee concessions, and perhaps
monopolies. If I can get my share, it will pay my employers well and I
allow they're generous."

He stopped, as if he thought he had said enough, and after ordering
another drink looked up with a grin. Two girls in light dresses had
passed the cafe once or twice with a male companion and a fat old woman
who wore black clothes. Kit had not noticed them particularly, because
other groups were moving about, but he now remarked that the man had
gone and the _duena_ was a yard or two in front. One of the girls looked
round and he thought her gla