Part 25 (1/2)

XVI

WHO GOES THERE?

The world is but a huge playground, after all; and just as the syht between two boys--one of who fellow and a reputed bully, while the other is a plucky youngster but one-half his opponent's size--invariably goes with the sst nations Thus, early in the past century, when the tiny States of Spanish A with the mother-country in their endeavour to cast off the Spanish yoke, practically the whole world wished them the success which eventually crowned their efforts

It seems ridiculous to call them ”tiny” States when the s--the Republics of _Central_ America--could find room for all the counties of Wales; while, if ere able to set down the whole of England upon the largest, we should find not only that it fitted in cooodly slice of land to spare--sufficient, at any rate, to accommodate three or four cities of the size of London I call them tiny, therefore, solely because they are such when compared with other countries on the American Continent, such as Canada, the United States, and Brazil

During the years 1820 and 1821 a very keen spirit of independence was ions, and by 1823 the last link of the rusty chain which had bound those colonies to Spain was snapped altogether beyond repair; and then, for a time, Central America became part of the State of Mexico One by one, however, the colonies withdrew, and in 1824 the independent Republic of Central America was formed, which, in its turn, was dissolved; and ever since the States have been continually at war--either with their neighbours or ast themselves

It is these incessant wars and revolutions which have given the country its present rather bad name, and have convinced those who happened to sy for their independence that, after all, they had fared better even under the laovernment of Spain than they have done under their own

The present-day native of Central America can scarcely be said to be an improvement on the inhabitant of 1824 He still retains the fire and ire of the Spaniard in his blood--in fact, he is nothing short of an unfortunate mixture of the fiery Spaniard and the extremely restless Indian Small wonder, then, that ”peace” is quite a luxury in those parts, and that revolutions break out periodically

In Nicaragua--the country hich my tale is concerned--this is especially the case One year passed without a revolution is a rarity; and I have gone through certainly not less than four such outbreaks

While the trouble exists it is decidedly inconvenient and uncoer is often sadly exaggerated

During one of these disturbances, nevertheless, I narrowly escaped co into serious conflict with the authorities--and all through a boyish freak, which at any time would have been boyish, but amounted almost to madness when played in the very heart of a town under martial law When I first set foot on Central American soil, however, my majority was still many months ahead of me, and I had not yet done with that period of puerile frivolity through which most youths have to pass

Thus I will offer no other excuse, but will arden pig--was at the bottom of it all The natives are very fond of pork indeed, and nearly every household boasts of at least one porker, which is allowed the entire run of the house and looked upon almost as ”one of the fa at the time had suddenly thickened with rumours of war; and it was a well-known fact that soiven signal and, with a feell-tried veterans at their head, tobelonging to the Govern is too bad for either party, excepting perhaps interference with foreigners, who to one or two severe lessons received of late years, the natives have now learned to respect

Fusillades in the centre of a town, a sudden charge with the bayonet in a throngedof a mine, and similar proofs of the ”patriotism” of one party or the other,to inclusion in the list of civilised nations, either party will spurn the idea of notice or warning previous to the bombardment of a town Every one is on the alert, and the tension is trying indeed if it happens to be one's first ”revolution”

Bloodthirsty natives, speaking scarcely above a whisper, roups at almost every street corner, and in such quarters of the tohere reside known sy party much military movement is noticeable Every few hundred yards are stationed pickets of gendarmes or barefooted _soldados_; and after dusk, no matter who you be or what your errand, you stand every chance of a bullet should you fail to give proed with the usual _quien vive?_

And so it was on the occasion to which I have alluded Everybody's nerves were strung up to a painful pitch, and any unusual noise--any sound, al fifty or sixty reckless gendarmes, with fixed bayonets, to the spot in a very brief interval It was generally looked upon as certain that an assault upon the town--in which one half the inhabitants illing, nay, even anxious to join--would co; and an ominous silence prevailed

Then it was thatin a quiet game of ”cannons” on a same had been several ti, which insisted every now and then on strolling beneath the table, to ee on the other side quite unexpectedly and bu for some difficult shot The brute had done this at least four tiood I had often licked hiine that I a's fault, without a doubt, and I was beginning to lose ame is over,” I remarked to my opponent; and, in effect, I had soon put awaythe porker, fastened a piece of cord to his hind trotter A large empty biscuit-tin and a bunch of Chinese crackers did the rest--the tin being secured to the other end of the line and the crackers nestling snugly inside the tin

The natives who stood around watching these preparations evidently foresaw certain results which hed to one another, and at intervals, rubbing their hands together with glee, would exclaiood joke, you see!”

The whole toas startled a few hter of those itnessed the porker's departure fro the tiny fuse attached to the crackers, I put theain into the tin, and a kick at the latter was sufficient to startle the hog off at a gallop down the street

The slight pull on his hind leg caused by the weight of the tin evidently annoyed hiet away from it, he ran the faster

Boo froround with a noisy report which in itself was sufficient to arouse the already alar burned down, the crackers co! Burr-rr--bang-bang-BANG! they went, the vibrations of the tin adding volume to each detonation; and it would be difficult indeed to iine a better i only went the faster

I was running behind, endeavouring to keep up with the pig, for I did not wish to lose any of the fun; but he soon out-distanced h to be within ear-shot when the crackers gave their final kick

Bang! bang! Burr--rr--bang! Bang! BANG!