billy and the big stick-第1节

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Billy　and　the　Big　Stick

by　Richard　Harding　Davis





Had　the　Wilmot　Electric　Light　people　remained　content　only　to　make
light；　had　they　not；　as　a　by…product；　attempted　to　make　money；　they
need　not　have　left　Hayti。

When　they　flooded　with　radiance　the　unpaved　streets　of　Port…
au…Prince　no　one；　except　the　police；　who　complained　that　the　lights
kept　them　awake；　made　objection；　but　when　for　this　illumination　the
Wilmot　Company　demanded　payment；　every　one　up　to　President　Hamilear
Poussevain　was　surprised　and　grieved。　So　grieved　was　President　Ham；
as　he　was　lovingly　designated；　that　he　withdrew　the　Wilmot
concession；　surrounded　the　power…house　with　his　barefooted　army；
and　in　a　proclamation　announced　that　for　the　future　the　furnishing
of　electric　light　would　be　a　monopoly　of　the　government。

In　Hayti；　as　soon　as　it　begins　to　make　money；　any　industry；　native
or　foreign；　becomes　a　monopoly　of　the　government。　The　thing　works
automatically。　It　is　what　in　Hayti　is　understood　as　BAUTE　FINANCE。
The　Wilmot　people　should　have　known　that。　Because　they　did　not　as
vice…consul；　law　and　order　were　as　solidly　established　as　the　stone
jetties；　and　by　contrast　the　eccentricities　of　the　Black　REPUBLIC
baffled　and　distressed　him。

〃It　can't　be　that　you　blackmail　the　president；〃　said　the　consul；
〃because　I　understand　he　boasts　he　has　committed　all　the　known
crimes。

〃And　several　he　invented；〃　agreed　Billy。

〃And　you　can't　do　it　with　a　gun；　because　they　tell　me　the　president
isn't　afraid　of　anything　except　a　voodoo　priestess。　What　is　your
secret？〃　coaxed　the　consul。　〃If　you'll　only　sell　it；　I　know　several
Powers　that　would　give　you　your　price。　Billy　smiled　modestly。

〃It's　very　simple；〃　he　said。　〃The　first　time　my　wages　were　shy　I
went　to　the　palace　and　told　him　if　he　didn't　come　across　I'd　shut
off　the　juice。　I　think　he　was　so　stunned　at　anybody　asking　him　for
real　money　that　while　he　was　still　stunned　he　opened　his　safe　and
handed　me　two　thousand　francs。　I　think　he　did　it　more　in　admiration
for　my　nerve　than　because　he　owed　it。　The　next　time　pay…day
arrived；　and　the　pay　did　not；　I　didn't　go　to　the　palace。　I　just
went　to　bed；　and　the　lights　went　to　bed；　too。　You　may　remember？〃
The　consul　snorted　indignantly。

〃I　was　holding　three　queens　at　the　time；〃　he　protested。　〃Was　it　YOU
did　that？〃

〃It　was；〃　said　Billy。　〃The　police　came　for　me　to　start　the　current
going　again；　but　I　said　I　was　too　ill。　Then　the　president's　own
doctor　came；　old　Gautier；　and　Gautier　examined　me　with　a　lantern
and　said　that　in　Hayti　my　disease　frequently　proved　fatal；　but　he
thought　if　I　turned　on　the　lights　I　might　recover。　I　told　him　I　was
tired　of　life；　anyway；　but　that　if　I　could　see　three　thousand
francs　it　might　give　me　an　incentive。　He　reported　back　to　the
president　and　the　three　thousand　francs　arrived　almost　instantly；
and　a　chicken　broth　from　Ham's　own　chef；　with　His　Excellency's　best
wishes　for　the　recovery　of　the　invalid。　My　recovery　was
instantaneous；　and　I　switched　on　the　lights。

〃I　had　just　moved　into　the　Widow　Ducrot's　hotel　that　week；　and　her
daughter　Claire　wouldn't　let　me　eat　the　broth。　I　thought　it　was
because；　as　she's　a　dandy　cook　herself；　she　was　professionally
jealous。　She　put　the　broth　on　the　top　shelf　of　the　pantry　and　wrote
on　a　piece　of　paper；　'Gare！'　But　the　next　morning　a　perfectly　good
cat；　who　apparently　couldn't　read；　was　lying　beside　it　dead。〃

The　consul　frowned　reprovingly。

〃You　should　not　make　such　reckless　charges；〃　he　protested。　〃I　would
call　it　only　a　coincidence。〃

〃You　can　call　it　what　you　please；〃　said　Billy；　〃but　it　won't　bring
the　cat　back。　Anyway；　the　next　time　I　went　to　the　palace　to
collect；　the　president　was　ready　for　me。　He　said　he'd　been　taking
out　information；　and　he　found　if　I　shut　off　the　lights　again　he
could　hire　another　man　in　the　States　to　turn　them　on。　I　told　him
he'd　been　deceived。　I　told　him　the　Wilmot　Electric　Lights　were
produced　by　a　secret　process；　and　that　only　a　trained　Wilmot　man
could　work　them。　And　I　pointed　out　to　him　if　he　dismissed　me　it
wasn't　likely　the　Wilmot　people　would　loan　him　another　expert；　not
while　they　were　fighting　him　through　the　courts　and　the　State
Department。　That　impressed　the　old　man；　so　I　issued　my　ultimatum。
I　said　if　he　must　have　electric　lights　he　must　have　me；　too。
Whether　he　liked　it　or　not；　mine　was　a　life　job。〃

〃What　did　he　say　to　that？〃　gasped　the　new　consul。

〃Said　it　wasn't　a　life　job；　because　he　was　going　to　have　me　shot　at
sunset。〃

〃Then　you　said？〃

〃I　said　if　he　did　that　there　wouldn't　be　any　electric　lights；　and
you　would　bring　a　warship　and　shoot　Hayti　off　the　map。〃

The　new　consul　was　most　indignant。

〃You　had　no　right　to　say　that！〃　he　protested。　〃You　did　very　ill。　My
instructions　are　to　avoid　all　serious　complications。〃

〃That　was　what　I　was　trying　to　avoid；〃　said　Billy。　〃Don't　you　call
being　shot　at　sunset　a　serious　complication？　Or　would　that　be　just
a　coincidence；　too？　You're　a　hell　of　a　consul！〃

Since　his　talk　with　the　representative　of　his　country　four　months
had　passed　and　Billy　still　held　his　job。　But　each　month　the　number
of　francs　he　was　able　to　wrest　from　President　Hamilcar　dwindled；
and　were　won　only　after　verbal　conflicts　that　each　month　increased
in　violence。

To　the　foreign　colony　it　became　evident　that；　in　the　side　of
President　Ham；　Billy　was　a　thorn；　sharp；　irritating；　virulent；　and
that　at　any　moment　Ham　might　pluck　that　thorn　and　Billy　would　leave
Hayti　in　haste；　and　probably　in　hand…　cuffs。　This　was　evident　to
Billy；　also；　and　the　prospect　was　most　disquieting。　Not　because　he
loved　Hayti；　but　because　since　he　went　to　lodge　at　the　cafe　of　the
Widow　Ducrot；　he　had　learned　to　love　her　daughter　Claire；　and
Claire　loved　him。

On　the　two　thousand　dollars　due　him　from　Ham　they　plotted　to　marry。
This　was　not　as　great　an　adventure　as　it　might　appear。　Billy　knew
that　from　the　Wilmot　people　he　always　was　sure　of　a　salary；　and　one
which；　with　such　an　excellent　housekeeper　as　was　Claire；　would
support　them　both。　But　with　his　two　thousand　dollars　as　capital
they　could　afford　to　plunge；　they　could　go　upon　a　honeymoon；　they
need　not　dread　a　rainy　day；　and；　what　was　of　greatest　importance；
they　need　not　delay。　There　was　good　reason　against　delay；　for　the
hand　of　the　beautiful　Claire　was　already　promised。　The　Widow　Ducrot
had　promised　it　to　Paillard；　he　of　the　prosperous　commission
business；　the　prominent　EMBONPOINT；　and　four　children。　Monsieur
Paillard　possessed　an　establishment　of　his　own；　but　it　was　a　villa
in　the　suburbs；　and　so；　each　day　at　noon；　for　his　DEJEUNE　he　left
his　office　and　crossed　the　street　to　the　Cafe　Ducrot。　For　five
years　this　had　been　his　habit。　At　first　it　was　the　widow's　cooking
that　attracted　him；　then　for　a　time　the　widow　herself；　but　when
from　the　convent　Claire　came　to　assist　her　mother　in　the　cafe；　and
when　from　a　lanky；　big…　eyed；　long…legged　child　she　grew　into　a
slim；　joyous；　and　charming　young　woman；　she　alone　was　the
attraction；　and　the　Widower　Paillard　decided　to　make　her　his　wife。
Other　men　had　made　the　same　decision；　and　when　it　was　announced
that　between　Claire　and　the　widower　a　marriage　had　been　〃arranged；〃
the　clerks　in　the　foreign　commission　houses　and　the　agents　of　the
steamship　lines　drowned　their　sorrow　in　rum　and　ran　the　house　flags
to　half…staff。　Paillard　himself　took　the　proposed　alliance　calmly。
He　was　not　an　impetuous　suitor。　With　Widow　Ducrot　he　agreed　that
Claire　was　still　too　young　to　marry；　and　to　himself　kept　the　fact
that　to　remarry　he　was　in　no　haste。　In　his　mind　doubts　still
lingered。　With　a　wife；　young　enough　to　be　one　of　his　children；
disorganizing；　the　routine　of　his　villa；　would　it　be　any　more
comfortable　than　he　now　found　it？　Would　his　eldest　daughter　and　her
stepmother　dwell　together　in　harmony？　The　eldest　daughter　had
assured　him　that　so　far　as　she　was　concerned　they　would　not；　and；
after　all；　in　marrying　a　girl；　no　matter　how　charming；　without　a
dot；　and　the　daughter　of　a　boarding…house　keeper；　no　matter　how
respectable；　was　he　not　disposing　of　himself　too　cheaply？　These
doubts　assailed　Papa　Paillard；　these　speculations　were　in　his　mind。
And　while　he　speculated　Billy　acted。

〃I　know　that　in　France；〃　Billy　assured　Claire；　〃marriages　are
arranged　by　the　parents；　but　in　my　country　they　are　arranged　in
heaven。　And　who　are　we　to　disregard　the　edicts　of　heaven？　Ages　and
ages　ago；　before　the　flood；　before　Napoleon；　even　before　old
Paillard　with　his　four　children；　it　was　arranged　in　heaven　that　you
were　to　marry　me。　So；　what　little　plans　your　good　mother　may　make
don't　cut　enough　ice　to　cool　a　green　mint。　Now；　we　can't　try　to　get
married　here；〃　continued　Billy；　〃without　your　mother　and　Paillard
knowing　it。　In　this　town　as　many　people　have　to　sign　the　marriage；
contract　as　signed　our　Declaration　of　Independence：　all　the　civil
authorities；　all　the　clergy；　all　the　relatives；　if　every　man　in　the
telephone　book　isn't　a　witness；　the　marriage　doesn't　'take。'　So；　we
must　elope！〃

Having　been　brought　up　in　a　convent；　where　she　was　taught　to　obey
her　mother　and　forbidden　to　think　of　marriage；　Claire　was　naturally
delighted　with　the　idea　of　an　elopem