第6章

"I have a desire," said the General, "to return to the hotel of O'Brien, in which I am stop.Caramba! se~nor, there is a loudness and rapidness of going and coming in the city of this Nueva York."Mr.Kelley's politeness would not suffer the distinguished Colombian to brave the dangers of the return unaccompanied.At the door of the Hotel Espa~nol they paused.A little lower down on the opposite side of the street shone the modest illuminated sign of El Refugio.Mr.Kelley, to whom few streets were unfamiliar, knew the place exteriorly as a "Dago joint." All foreigners, Mr.Kelley classed under the two heads of "Dagoes"and Frenchmen.He proposed to the General that they repair thither and substantiate their acquaintance with a liquid foundation.

An hour later found General Falcon and Mr.Kelley seated at a table in the conspirator's corner of El Refugio.Bottles and glasses were between them.For the tenth time the General confided the secret of his mission to the Estados Unidos.He was here, he declared, to purchase arms--2,000 stands of Winchester rifles--for the Colombian revolutionists.He had drafts in his pocket drawn by the Cartagena Bank on its New York correspondent for $25,000.At other tables other revolutionists were shouting their political secrets to their fellow-plotters; but none was as loud as the General.He pounded the table; he hallooed for some wine; he roared to his friend that his errand was a secret one, and not to be hinted at to a living soul.Mr.Kelley himself was stirred to sympathetic enthusiasm.He grasped the General's hand across the table.

"Monseer," he said, earnestly, "I don't know where this country of yours is, but I'm for it.I guess it must be a branch of the United States, though, for the poetry guys and the schoolmarms call us Columbia, too, sometimes.It's a lucky thing for you that you butted into me to-night.I'm the only man in New York that can get this gun deal through for you.The Secretary of War of the United States is me best friend.He's in the city now, and I'll see him for you to-morrow.In the meantime, monseer, you keep them drafts tight in your inside pocket.I'll call for you to-morrow, and take you to see him.Say! that ain't the District of Columbia you're talking about, is it?" concluded Mr.Kelley, with a sudden qualm.

"You can't capture that with no 2,000 guns--it's been tried with more.""No, no, no!" exclaimed the General."It is the Republic of Colombia--it is a g-r-reat republic on the top side of America of the South.Yes.Yes.""All right," said Mr.Kelley, reassured."Now suppose we trek along home and go by-by.I'll write to the Secretary to-night and make a date with him.It's a ticklish job to get guns out of New York.McClusky himself can't do it."They parted at the door of the Hotel Espa~nol.The General rolled his eyes at the moon and sighed.

"It is a great country, your Nueva York," he said."Truly the cars in the streets devastate one, and the engine that cooks the nuts terribly makes a squeak in the ear.But, ah, Se~nor Kelley--the se~noras with hair of much goldness, and admirable fatness--they are magnificas! Muy magnificas!"Kelley went to the nearest telephone booth and called up McCrary's caf'e, far up on Broadway.He asked for Jimmy Dunn.

"Is that Jimmy Dunn?" asked Kelley.

"Yes," came the answer.

"You're a liar," sang back Kelley, joyfully."Your'e the Secretary of War.Wait there till I come up.I've got the finest thing down here in the way of a fish you ever baited for.It's a Colorado-maduro, with a gold band around it and free coupons enough to buy a red hall lamp and a statuette of Psyche rubbering in the brook.I'll be up on the next car."Jimmy Dunn was an A.M.of Crookdom.He was an artist in the confidence line.He never saw a bludgeon in his life; and he scorned knockout drops.In fact, he would have set nothing before an intended victim but the purest of drinks, if it had been possible to procure such a thing in New York.It was the ambition of "Spider" Kelley to elevate himself into Jimmy's class.

These two gentlemen held a conference that night at McCrary's.

Kelley explained.

"He's as easy as a gumshoe.He's from the Island of Colombia, where there's a strike, or a feud, or something going on, and they've sent him up here to buy 2,000 Winchesters to arbitrate the thing with.He showed me two drafts for $10,000 each, and one for $5,000 on a bank here.'S truth, Jimmy, I felt real mad with him because he didn't have it in thousand-dollar bills, and hand it to me on a silver waiter.Now, we've got to wait till he goes to the bank and gets the money for us."They talked it over for two hours, and then Dunn said; "Bring him to No.__ Broadway, at four o'clock to-morrow afternoon."In due time Kelley called at the Hotel Espa~nol for the General.

He found the wily warrior engaged in delectable conversation with Mrs.O'Brien.

"The Secretary of War is waitin' for us," said Kelley.

The General tore himself away with an effort.

"Ay, se~nor," he said, with a sigh, "duty makes a call.But, se~nor, the se~noras of your Estados Unidos--how beauties! For exemplification, take you la Madame O'Brien--que magnifica!