Strawbridge suppressed another yawn and dismissed the tunnels from his mind. His thoughts came back to the original problem which had brought him to the cathedral. He broke out rather abruptly:
"Say, I suppose both you fellows know about the general and his ... er ... business methods?"
Editor and priest looked at their guest quite blankly.
"I mean his method of ... well, ... of confiscating ranches and horses and stores, provisions, and such like. Now, that's a rotten way to do. I was wondering whether a good, straightforward talk with him wouldn't help some."
By now the two men were staring at Strawbridge as if one of the old monks had risen out of his tomb.
"Señor," said the priest, in a queer voice, "would you have the goodness to explain yourself?"
"Sure! A chap told me while ago that the general arrested a rancher and took his ranch. I've been thinking about it all morning."
"The ranch to which your informant alludes," said Gumersindo, in a cold voice, "was deserted, and General Fombombo occupied it as waste land."
The drummer laughed friendlily.
"Yes, I know about that, but just how the general hunched the man off his ranch has nothing to do with it. I say any kind of hunching is bad business." The drummer became very earnest: "Now look here, both you fellows know the only way to make a country pay is through business. Now, look at these old monks—" he nodded at the stones. "Fizzled out because they didn't develop their holdings. I don't know just what they did do, but it's clear they built this church instead of building a factory. No returns; see? All overhead and no production. Not that I'm against praying," he added, with a placating gesture toward the priest. "I'm for it. I think it peps one up, but, as my old man says, 'Get in your prayers when there is no customer in sight'; see? Just to come down to facts: these old boys didn't run on business principles.