"Why!" he exclaimed, "this is amazing! it's splendid! Why haven't I heard of this? Why haven't the American capitalists got wind of this?"
Gumersindo shrugged.
"The federal authorities are not advertising an insurgent general, señor."
After a moment the drummer ejaculated:
"He will be one of the richest men in the world!"
Gumersindo loosed a hand from the steering-wheel a moment, to hold it up in protest.
"Don't say that! General Fombombo is an idealist, señor. It is his dream to create a super-civilization here in the Orinoco Valley. He will be wealthy; the whole nation will be wealthy,—yes, enormously wealthy,—but what lies beyond wealth? When a people become wealthy, what lies beyond that?"
This was evidently a question which the drummer was to answer, so he said:
"Why, ... they invest that and make still more money." The editor smiled.