"How large a part of the population are they?" said Sam.
"About one-fortieth, I think, but where principle is involved you can't go by numbers."
"Of course not," was Sam's reply. "What building is that," he added, "with our flag over it and the nicely dressed young women in the windows?"
"That?" said Foster, laughing; "oh, that's the Young Ladies' Home. We have to license the place. It's the only way to keep the army in condition. Why, we've got about fifty per cent infected now."
"Really?" cried Sam. "How our poor fellows are called upon to suffer for these ungrateful Cubapinos! Still they can feel that they are suffering for their country, too. That's a consolation."
"There's more consolation than that," said Foster, "for we're spreading the thing like wildfire among the natives. We'll come out ahead."
"I wish, tho, that they wouldn't fly Old Gory over the house," said Sam.
"There was some talk of taking it down, but you see it's the policy of the Administration never to haul down the flag when it has once been raised. It presents rather a problem, you see."
"It may wear out in time," said Sam, "altho it looks painfully new. What will they do then?"
"I confess I don't know," said Foster. "They'll cross the bridge when they reach it."