“Then this would seem to end our fine hopes, eh?”

“Rather!” Runnels broke out, bitterly.  “I’ve worked like a nigger, Kirk, and I deserve promotion if anybody ever did.  This other fellow is a dub—­he has proven that.  Why, I’ve forgotten more railroading than he’ll ever know.  Every man on the system hates him and likes me; and on top of it all I was promised the job.  It’s tough on the wife and the kid.”

He stopped to swallow his emotion.  He was a single-purposed, somewhat serious man, a little lacking in resilience, and he could not meet misfortune with Kirk’s careless self-confidence.

“I gave this job the best I had in me,” he went on, “for I had the idea that I was doing something patriotic, something for my country—­that’s the way they used to talk about this Canal, you know.  I’ve put in four years of hell; I’ve lost step with the world; I’ve lost my business connections in the States; and I haven’t saved up any money, I can’t quit, and yet I’ll have to, for if I’m fired it’ll mean I’ll have to go back there and start at the bottom again.  Those people don’t know anything about these damned politics; they’ll think I made a failure here in government work, and I’ll have to live it down.  Still, I suppose I ought not to kick—­it’s happening all the time to other fellows who came down here with hopes as high as mine—­fellows who have given even more to the job than I have.  What are you going to do?”

Kirk started.  “Oh, I don’t know.  I was thinking about you.  This job doesn’t worry me, for I’m on my feet at last, and I know I have the goods with me—­they can have my position and welcome.  Now, about you.  I haven’t spent much of that lottery coin.  It’s in the bank, all that Allan hasn’t used, and half of it is yours, if you’ll take it.  You and Mrs. Runnels and the kid, and Allan and I —­and one other party—­will hike back home and get something else to do.  What do you say?”

Runnels’ voice shook as he answered:  “By Jove!  You’re the—­real stuff, Anthony.  I’ll think it over.”  He turned away as if ashamed of his show of feeling, only to whirl about with the question, “Who is this ’other party’?”

“My wife.”

“Good Lord!  You’re not married?”

“No, but I’m going to be.  You talk about your troubles; now listen to mine.  I’ll make you weep like a fog.”  Briefly he told his friend of the blow that had so suddenly fallen upon him.

“You are up against it, old man,” agreed Runnels, when he had heard all.  “Garavel has set his heart on the Presidency, and he’ll pay any price to get it.  It’s the same all over Central America; these people are mad on politics.  There are never more than two parties, you know—­the Wanters and the Hasers.  The Wanters are out and the Hasers are in; that’s what makes these wicked little revolutions at every change of the moon—­it isn’t a question of policy at all.  Now, if Miss Gertrudis were an American girl, she might rebel, elope, do something like that, but she’s been reared with the Spanish notions of obedience, and I dare say she will submit tamely because she doesn’t know how to put up a fight.  That’s an admirable characteristic in a wife, but not very helpful in a sweetheart.”