he impossible folly of such a thing."

"Admitting that President Yozarro refuses to comply with the decision
of The Hague Tribunal, you will not only be free to carry out your
original intention, but you will be justified before the world."

"No more than I shall be justified now, for many of the Atlamalcans
themselves condemn the course of their President."

"Why not make one more appeal to him?"

"How shall I shape my message? Whom shall I send to bear it to him?"

"I will be the messenger."

"And be returned to me from the throat of a cannon?"

"I will take my chances on that; if they have a gun capacious enough
to expedite matters in that fashion, the journey certainly will not
be a monotonous one. You forget one thing, General."

"What is that?"

"My sister is the guest of President Yozarro; I am anxious to see her;
this gives me the opportunity."

CHAPTER V.

Major Jack Starland decided to make his ambassadorial trip to the
Atlamalcan Republic by water instead of land, and to take as his
companion, Captain Guzman, though there would have seemed to be slight
choice between the two routes.

The Rio Rubio, flowing from the foot of the Andes, eastward to the
Atlantic, forks a few miles to the westward of Atlamalco, the two
branches reuniting twenty leagues to the eastward. The island thus
formed is twenty miles across the widest part, and tapers to the east
and west. As if nature aimed to provide for two distinct communities,
a precipitous mountain spur, which sprawls several hundred miles north
and south, ribs the territory almost mathematically in the centre, and
tumbles onward, broken and disjointed, to the shores of the Caribbean
Sea. The rumors that gold and diamonds are awaiting garnering in the
wild solitudes have roused the earth hunger of more than one powerful
nation, but the grim dragon that crouches in the pulsing jungles, on
whose forehead flames the legend, "MONROE DOCTRINE," sends them
scudding back across the seas.

The western half of the island forms the Republic of Atlamalco, whose
President and Dictator is General Pedro Yozarro; the eastern half
constitutes Zalapata, with General Fernando de Bambos at its head. The
name "republic," as applied to the peppery provinces has as much
appropriateness as if given to Russia or China. The respective
population of the two republics is about the same, and but for the
whimsical, intense jealousy that is the most marked peculiarity of
S