Vasco, Our Little Panama Cousin

by H. Lee M. Pike

  CHAPTER I.

  HAPPY DAYS

  IN young Vasco Barretas, who had both Spanish and Indian blood inhis veins, there had been born a natural desire for excitement andadventure.

  Just one thing equalled this desire. That was his dislike for work.

  However, we must not blame him for that. His laziness was the resultof training, or rather the lack of it. Necessities were few and easilyobtained, and he had not learned to care for the luxuries of life.

  On account of Vasco's fondness for bustle and excitement the time thisstory begins was most glorious for him. As his American cousin wouldsay, "something was doing."

  A successful revolution had just taken place in Panama.

  A revolution was no new thing in the little strip of country thatseparates the Atlantic from the Pacific. Vasco's father had beenthrough many such affairs. They had been nearly as regular as the rainyseasons.

  Vasco did not understand all about it, yet even the boys in the streetsknew that this revolution was different from any other.

  There had been no bloodshed, but the results seemed likely to be veryimportant to the country.

  Do you want to know why?

  Then listen to a little bit of history.

  The State or Province of Panama, on the narrow bit of land connectingNorth and South America, had been a part of the country called theUnited States of Colombia.

  The great republic to the north, the United States of America, wantedto dig a canal across Panama, but had been unable to get permissionfrom Colombia. And so it looked as if there might be no canal--at leastnot in Panama.

  The citizens of Panama were disappointed, for the digging of a canalthrough their country would bring to them many people and much wealth.

  For this reason the leading men concluded that it was best to separatefrom Colombia, organize a government of their own, and come to anagreement with the United States. At the time this story opens the newgovernment had just been set up, and its authority proclaimed.

  But, it may be asked, what has all this to do with Vasco?

  To begin with, Vasco's father, in private life a very ordinarycitizen, who sometimes had been a waiter in a hotel and at othertimes the servant of an American engineer, was deeply interested inthis latest revolution; for was he not an officer in the new NationalGuard,--Lieutenant Amadeo Barretas?

  LIEUTENANT AMADEO BARRETAS]

  His position did not require much work, either of mind or body, butlittle Lieutenant Barretas could assume as much dignity as a seven-footmember of Napoleon's "Old Guard"--and more pomposity. When on parade hewould strut about in his gaudy uniform with all the airs possible, andappear very serious--though to you he would have looked more silly thanserious.

  There was to be a grand review of the Panama "army." The soldiers wereto parade through the streets of the city and be inspected by thecommander-in-chief. Several officers of the United States army were tobe guests of the Panama officials, and occupy a place on the reviewingstand.

  Young Vasco meant to have a good sight of the parade. Surely he, theson of a lieutenant in the army, ought to have a place where he mightsee his father march by, and be able to add his voice to the thousandswho would shout huzzas! But, for some reason, the officers in chargehad neglected to invite him.

  Vasco's home was on a side street in the poorer section of the city, sothe soldiers would not pass by that place. How, then, could he get agood view of the parade?

  Of course he could stand at the side of the street; but what chancewould a small boy have in such a place as that?

  Now Vasco was a boy of many resources, and it seemed to him that hemight make use of the good nature of a young American friend.

  Harlan Webster was the son of an American engineer who was in charge ofwork on the canal.

  Mr. Webster had been for some time upon the Isthmus, and, unlike mostof the Americans at work on the canal, he had brought his family,consisting of wife and son, to the city of Panama. They had now livedhere over a year. During that time Harlan had learned a good dealabout the country. He had also acquired some knowledge of Spanish, thelanguage of the natives. In fact, it was said of him by his Panamafriends that he could talk with the people more freely than many olderforeigners who had been longer in the country.

  The American boy knew many Panama lads, among them Vasco. "Lieutenant"Barretas, as he insisted on being called, had been in Mr. Webster'sservice at various times, and the two boys had thus become quiteintimate and had taken many pleasure trips together.

  Harlan was able to tell Vasco a good deal about Panama history. Thestories about the buccaneers of old times, about the raid on the cityof Panama, about Balboa and his adventures and discoveries, were morefamiliar to the American lad than they were to the Panama boy.

  On the other hand, Vasco could give his friend much information aboutthe every-day habits and customs of the people, and was able to takehim to many points of interest. When it came to excursions by water orby land, Vasco was in his element. He could handle a boat with skill,he could swim like a fish, and he knew the windings and curvings of allthe highways and byways of the city.

  Straight to the hotel where the Webster family lived went Vasco thismorning. This hotel was in the better part of the city, not far fromthe plaza, or great square.

  "Hello, Harlan," said Vasco, after he had found his friend.

  "Hello, Vasco."

  "How would you like to see the great army parade this morning?"

  "Fine," was the reply. "Where can we go to get a good view?"

  "That's what I'd like to know. I don't want to stand in the crowd onthe street, for I could never see anything that way."

  "Let's see what my father can do to help us," said Harlan.

  Mr. Webster, who was in an adjoining room, greeted his son's friendwith a pleasant "Good morning" when the boys appeared before him.Seeing the eager, inquiring look on their faces, he asked what he coulddo for them.

  "The Panama soldiers are going to parade to-day," said Harlan, "andVasco is anxious to find a place where he can see them."

  Mr. Webster smiled. He had an idea that Harlan was as anxious to get aview of the parade as was Vasco.

  "Why don't you go into the cathedral and watch from the tower or fromone of the upper windows?" asked Mr. Webster.

  "None but officials and their families or others holding tickets canenter the cathedral till after the parade," replied Vasco, "and allentrances are guarded."

  "If I tell you of a way to get into the cathedral, do you think you canremain within till the soldiers go by?" asked Mr. Webster.

  "I'm sure we can," replied Vasco.

  Mr. Webster, during his stay in Panama, had been able to pick upinformation about the place that even Vasco did not know, and he saidto the boys, "You know where the old sea-battery is, on the other sideof the plaza from the cathedral?"

  "Yes," said the two boys together.

  "Well, from that battery to the cathedral is an underground passage,built centuries ago to afford escape from the building. In times ofrevolution there was often danger even within its sacred walls."

  Mr. Webster told the boys how they might find the entrance to thetunnel, and at once they were off to see for themselves. It took only afew moments to make their way from the hotel, down the street, acrossthe plaza, and through a narrow alley to the old battery. Quickly theypassed inside. Here Vasco was entirely at home, for many times he hadwandered about the place, and with his friends had played hide-and-seekand other boyish games.

  Notwithstanding this, it was hard for Vasco and Harlan to find theentrance to the underground passage. They opened many doors andwandered into several blind corridors. Vasco was almost ready to giveup the search, but his American friend insisted on continuing. At last,behind a heap of old rubbish, they found the entrance they had soeagerly sought.

  With a brave front the boys went into the dark passage. After going afew yards, they found themselves in complete darkness.

  "I hope we shall
not have to go far in this dark place," said Vasco.

  Harlan pretended to give a careless reply, but, after he had stubbedhis toes and scraped his shins on various obstacles in the path, heagreed that the adventure had its drawbacks.

  Just then it occurred to Vasco that he had a supply of matches in hispocket. He scratched them one by one, thus faintly lighting the path.Then the boys were able to move forward more rapidly, and soon theycame to what was evidently the foundation wall of the cathedral.

  Through this wall was a low archway, which was blocked by what seemedto be a wooden barricade. There was no sign of a door.

  "Well, we are really in trouble now," said Harlan.

  "There's no doubt about that," replied Vasco as he put his shoulder tothe partition. It did not budge, and the Panama lad was again inclinedto give up the attempt to get into the cathedral.

  "We may as well give up trying to get in this way," he said.

  "Not yet," was Harlan's reply as they stood in the dark. "Strikeanother match, and let's see what this looks like, anyway."

  Vasco scratched another match, and the two boys hastily looked over thestout planking. Not a crack nor a loose joint was to be seen.

  Just before the match went out, Harlan glanced backward and spied uponthe ground a stick of timber eight or ten feet long.

  "Light another match," he shouted, darting toward the stick.

  Lifting one end of it, he directed Vasco to take up the other end. Itwas not very easy for Vasco to do this and keep his match burning atthe same time, but he managed to do so, though the light went out justas they reached the archway again.

  "Let's batter down these old planks," said Harlan.

  Together the boys began to pound at the barricade. Though Vasco was asmall lad, compared with Harlan, his well-trained muscles, hardened andtoughened by out-door life, came well into play.

  Under such hammering as the boys were able to give, the planks began toloosen, and soon they made a hole large enough to crawl through.

  Fortunately, this was in a remote part of the basement, and none heardthe noise the boys had made. No one dreamed of putting a guard at thispoint. The entrance had been so long closed that nearly everybody hadforgotten it.

  Passing through, the boys found themselves in a small room which hadbeen used as a storeroom.

  "See the relics here," said Harlan.

  "Mostly old rubbish, I guess," was Vasco's reply.

  Whether relics or rubbish, the lads had no time to stop and examine thestuff. They made their way to a steep stairway, down which a ray oflight came from a crack in the trap-door overhead.

  Without a moment's delay Vasco and his friend mounted the stairs. Witha strong push they put their shoulders to the heavy timbers of whichthe door was made. But the door had been too long settled in its placeto yield at once to their pushing. By persistent effort, however, thedoor was moved. Slowly the boys raised it, looking carefully about astheir eyes became accustomed to the light which flooded the room intowhich it opened.

  It proved to be an anteroom on the main floor of the cathedralinto which the boys had come. Vasco immediately recognized theirsurroundings. No one else was about, and the boys were able to maketheir way without challenge to the portico facing the plaza. Oncemingled with the throng, there was no danger of any one interferingwith their movements. It was taken for granted by the soldiers thatVasco and his friend had a right to be in the cathedral.

  In truth, several of the guards were members of Lieutenant Barretas'scompany, and they knew Vasco, who had often visited their camp. Theysupposed, however, that the son of one of their officers had a rightwithin the space reserved for guests. Vasco, in turn, knew who theseparticular soldiers were, and was not long making friends with them.

  While waiting for the marching soldiers, Vasco told Harlan something ofthe history of the cathedral, which is built of yellow stone, with highMoorish towers.

  As the boys looked up to the great dome, Harlan asked:

  "What makes the dome sparkle so in the sunshine?"

  "That's because of the hundreds of pearl shells that are stuck into thecement covering," replied Vasco.

  "Do you know," continued Vasco, "that this great building was put upnearly one hundred and fifty years ago?"

  "Yes," replied Harlan, "and I have heard that its builder was the firstcoloured bishop of this city."

  "That is true," said Vasco, "and he was the son of a poor man whoburned charcoal and then sold it from his back through the streets ofPanama. The son was very kind to the poor people, and was noted for hischarity."

  "Yes," added one of Vasco's soldier acquaintances who stood near andoverheard the talk, "and this cathedral is really a monument to theuseful life of the bishop."

  Further conversation was interrupted by the music of a brass band inthe distance. The boys looked down the street by which the soldierswere to come to the plaza. In the distance they soon saw the uniformsof the officers followed by the long white lines of the soldiers.

  Vasco's enthusiasm knew no bounds as the battalion wheeled into theplaza and passed by the cathedral with salutes for the onlookers. Whenhe finally spied his father, Lieutenant Barretas, marching at the headof his company, Vasco was delirious with joy. To his mind, not even thegeneral in command looked finer than did the little lieutenant--hisfather!

  What cared Vasco if the lines of soldiers were not precisely straight?Even less did he mind Harlan's criticism and lack of admiration for theparade. Were not these soldiers enlisted in the service of his country,and were they not ready to lay down their lives in its defence?

  Vasco's only wish was that he were old enough to join them and wear theuniform which to him seemed so glorious.

  But, like all spectacles, grand as it seemed to Vasco, this one at lastcame to an end. The last flag had dipped before the reviewing stand,the last soldier had disappeared from the plaza, the last beat of drumwas lost in the distance.

  Meantime, the sun had risen high, and with its hot rays was driving tocover all the people of Panama. As was their usual custom, shopkeepersand market-men closed their doors at eleven o'clock and betookthemselves to their homes to enjoy their noonday _siesta_.

  Even the throngs of boys forsook their sports and disappeared fromthe streets, and Vasco and Harlan took their departure from thecathedral,--the latter to his cool room in the hotel, the former to hismore humble home.