“And he received it graciously?”
“Most graciously; there was no hint about sending me back to you from the muzzle of one of his cannon; he begged me to assure you he would have your complaint investigated and would do his utmost to meet your demands.”
“What I might have expected from my noble compatriot!” exclaimed the Dictator with greasy unctuosity; “I was sure of it.”
“But you did not look for such magnanimity, when in council with Captain Guzman and me. May I ask to what is due this marked change of sentiment on your part?”
General Bambos lifted himself to his feet and swung across the cabin several times, finally crashing back to his former seat on the vexed lounge.
“You have heard of General Simon Bolivar?” was his unexpected question.
“Who has not? He was the great Liberator, born in Venezuela in 1783, who freed Peru, which then became Bolivia, and was rejected by Colombia, because she did not know how to appreciate his greatness. His was the finest character ever produced by South America.”
“I am glad to hear that you appreciate him,” said General Bambos, his small black eyes glowing.
“The greatest compliment ever paid General Bolivar was when he was called the South American Washington. He is the standard by which the world’s heroes are measured.”
“You have many heroes in the United States; I have read of Abraham Lincoln: how does he compare with Washington?”