out　and　talk　a　few　moments　on　some　trivial　excuse；
  leaving　him　expecting　to　see　her　at　her　home　at　seven。
  She　unpinned　her　hat　and　gave　it　to　Mateo。　　〃Keep
  this；　and　wait　here　till　I　come；〃　she　ordered。　　Then　she
  draped　the　mantilla　over　her　head　as　she　usually　did　when
  walking　after　sunset；　and　went　straight　to　the　Orilla　del
  Mar。
  She　was　glad　to　see　the　bulky；　white…clad　figure　of
  Tio　Pancho　standing　alone　on　the　gallery。
  〃Tio　Pancho；〃　she　said；　with　a　charming　smile；　〃may
  I　trouble　you　to　ask　Mr。　Merriam　to　come　out　for　just　a
  few　moments　that　I　may　speak　with　him？〃
  Tio　Pancho　bowed　as　an　elephant　bows。
  〃Buenas　tardes；　Se駉ra　Conant；〃　he　said；　as　a　cavalier
  talks。　　And　then　he　went　on；　less　at　his　ease：
  〃But　does　not　the　se駉ra　know　that　Se駉r　Merriam
  sailed　on　the　Pajaro　for　Panama　at　three　o'clock　of　this
  afternoon？〃
  THE　THEORY　AND　THE　HOUND
  NOT　many　days　ago　my　old　friend　from　the　tropics；
  J。　P。　Bridger；　United　States　consul　on　the　island　of　Ratona；
  was　in　the　city。　　We　had　wassail　and　jubilee　and　saw
  the　Flatiron　building；　and　missed　seeing　the　Bronxless
  menagerie　by　about　a　couple　of　nights。　　And　then；　at　the
  ebb　tide；　we　were　walking　up　a　street　that　parallels　and
  parodies　Broadway。
  A　woman　with　a　comely　and　mundane　countenance
  passed　us；　holding　in　leash　a　wheezing；　vicious；　waddling；
  brute　of　a　yellow　pug。　　The　dog　entangled　himself　with
  Bridger's　legs　and　mumbled　his　ankles　in　a　snarling；
  peevish；　sulky　bite。　　Bridger；　with　a　happy　smile；　kicked
  the　breath　out　of　the　brute；　the　woman　showered　us
  with　a　quick　rain　of　well…conceived　adjectives　that　left
  us　in　no　doubt　as　to　our　place　in　her　opinion；　and　we
  passed　on。　　Ten　yards　farther　an　old　woman　with　dis…
  ordered　white　hair　and　her　bankbook　tucked　well　hidden
  beneath　her　tattered　shawl　begged。　　Bridger　stopped
  and　disinterred　for　her　a　quarter　from　his　holiday　waist…
  coat。
  On　the　next　corner　a　quarter　of　a　ton　of　well…clothed
  man　with　a　rice…powdered；　fat；　white　jowl；　stood　holding
  the　chain　of　a　devil…born　bulldog　whose　forelegs　were
  strangers　by　the　length　of　a　dachshund。　　A　little　woman
  in　a　last…season's　hat　confronted　him　and　wept；　which
  was　plainly　all　she　could　do；　while　he　cursed　her　in　low
  sweet；　practised　tones。
  Bridger　smiled　again　　strictly　to　himself　　and　this
  time　he　took　out　a　little　memorandum　book　and　made
  a　note　of　it。　　This　he　had　no　right　to　do　without　due
  explanation；　and　I　said　so。
  〃It's　a　new　theory；〃　said　Bridger；　〃that　I　picked　up
  down　in　Ratona。　　I've　been　gathering　support　for　it　as　I
  knock　about。　　The　world　isn't　ripe　for　it　yet；　but　　well
  I'll　tell　you；　and　then　you　run　your　mind　back　along　the
  people　you've　known　and　see　what　you　make　of　it。〃
  And　so　I　cornered　Bridger　in　a　place　where　they　have
  artificial　palms　and　wine；　and　he　told　me　the　story　which
  is　here　in　my　words　and　on　his　responsibility。
  One　afternoon　at　three　o'clock；　on　the　island　of　Ratona；
  a　boy　raced　alongthe　beach　screaming；　〃Pajaro；　ahoy！〃
  Thus　he　made　known　the　keenness　of　his　hearing　and
  the　justice　of　his　discrimination　in　pitch。
  He　who　first　heard　and　made　oral　proclamation　con…
  cerning　the　toot　of　an　approaching　steamer's　whistle；　and
  correctly　named　the　steamer；　was　a　small　hero　in　Ratona
  …until　the'　next　steamer　came。　　Wherefore；　there　was
  rivalry　among　the　barefoot　youth　of　Ratona；　and　many
  fell　victims　to　the　softly　blown　conch　shells　of　sloops　which；
  as　they　enter　harbour；　sound　surprisingly　like　a　distant
  steamer's　signal。　　And　some　could　name　you　the　vessel
  when　its　call；　in　your　duller　ears；　sounded　no　louder　than
  the　sigh　of　the　wind　through　the　branches　of　the　cocoa…
  nut　palms。
  But　to…day　he　who　proclaimed　the　Pajaro　gained　his
  honours。　　Ratona　bent　its　ear　to　listen；　and　soon　the
  deep…tongued　blast　grew　louder　and　nearer；　and　at　length
  Ratona　saw　above　the　line　of　palms　on　the　low　〃joint〃
  the　two　black　funnels　of　the　fruiter　slowly　creeping　toward
  the　mouth　of　the　harbour。
  You　must　know　that　Ratona　is　an　island　twenty　miles
  off　the　south　of　a　South　American　republic。　　It　is　a　port
  of　that　republic；　and　it　sleeps　sweetly　in　a　smiling　sea；
  toiling　not　nor　spinning；　fed　by　the　abundant　tropics
  where　all　things　〃ripen；　cease　and　fall　toward　the　grave。〃
  Eight　hundred　people　dream　life　away　in　a　green…
  embowered　village　that　follows　the　horseshoe　curve　of
  its　bijou　harbour。　　They　are　mostly　Spanish　and　Indian
  mestizos；　with　a　shading　of　San　Domingo　Negroes；　a
  lightening　of　pure…blood　Spanish　officials　and　a　slight
  leavening　of　the　froth　of　three　or　four　pioneering　white
  races。　　No　steamers　touch　at　Ratona　save　the　fruit　steamers
  which　take　on　their　banana　inspectors　there　on　their　way
  to　the　coast。　　They　leave　Sunday　newspapers；　ice；　quinine；
  bacon；　watermelons　and　vaccine　matter　at　the　island　and
  that　is　about　all　the　touch　Ratona　gets　with　the　world。
  The　Pajaro　paused　at　the　mouth　of　the　harbour；　roll
  ing　heavily　in　the　swell　that　sent　the　whitecaps　racing
  beyond　the　smooth　water　inside。　　Already　two　dories
  from　the　village　　one　conveying　fruit　inspectors；　the
  other　going　for　what　it　could　get　　were　halfway　out　to
  the　steamer。
  The　inspectors'　dory　was　taken　on　board　with　them；
  and　the　Pajaro　steamed　away　for　the　mainland　for　its
  load　of　fruit。
  The　other　boat　returned　to　Ratona　bearing　a　contri…
  bution　from　the　Pajaro's　store　of　ice；　the　usual　roll　of
  newspapers　and　one　passenger　　Taylor　Plunkett；　sheriff
  of　Chatham　County；　Kentucky。
  Bridger；　the　United　States　consul　at　Ratona；　was　clean…
  ing　his　rifle　in　the　official　shanty　under　a　bread…fruit　tree
  twenty　yards　from　the　water　of　the　harbour。　　The　consul
  occupied　a　place　somewhat　near　the　tail　of　his　political
  party's　procession。　　The　music　of　the　band　wagon
  sounded　very　faintly　to　him　in　the　distance。　　The　plums
  of　office　went　to　others。　　Bridger's　share　of　the　spoils
  the　consulship　at　Ratona　　was　little　more　than　a　prune
  a　dried　prune　from　the　boarding…house　department
  of　the　public　crib。　　But　900　yearly　was　opulence　in
  Ratona。　　Besides；　Bridger　had　contracted　a　passion　for
  shooting　alligators　in　the　lagoons　near　his　consulate；　and
  was　not　unhappy。
  He　looked　up　from　a　careful　inspection　of　his　rifle　lock
  a　broad　man　filling　his　doorway。　　A　broad；
  noiseless；　slow…moving　man；　sunburned　almost　to　the
  Vandyke。　　A　man　of　forty…five；　neatly　clothed　in
  homespun；　with　scanty　light　hair；　a　close…clipped　brown…
  and…gray　beard　and　pale…blue　eyes　expressing　mildness
  implicity。
  〃You　are　Mr。　Bridger；　the　consul；〃　said　the　broad
  man。　　〃They　directed　me　here。　　Can　you　tell　me　what
  those　big　bunches　of　things　like　gourds　are　in　those　trees
  that　look　like　feather　dusters　along　the　edge　of　the　water？〃
  〃Take　that　chair；〃　said　the　consul；　reoiling　his　clean…
  ing　rag。　　〃No；　the　other　one　　that　bamboo　thing　won't
  hold　you。　　Why；　they're　cocoanuts　　green　cocoanuts。
  The　shell　of　'em　is　always　a　light　green　before　they're
  ripe。〃
  〃Much　obliged；〃　said　the　other　man；　sitting　down
  carefully。　　〃I　didn't　quite　like　to　tell　the　folks　at　home
  they　were　olives　unless　I　was　sure　about　it。　　My　name
  is　Plunkett。　　I'm　sheriff　of　Chatham　County；　Kentucky。
  I've　got　extradition　papers　in　my　pocket　authorizing　the
  arrest　of　a　man　on　this　island。　　They've　been　signed　by
  the　President　of　this　country；　and　they're　in　correct　shape。
  The　man's　name　is　Wade　Williams。　　He's　in　the　cocoa…
  nut　raising　business。　　What　he's　wanted　for　is　the　murder
  of　his　wife　two　years　ago。　　Where　can　I　find　him？〃
  The　consul　squinted　an　eye　and　looked　through　his
  rifle　barrel。
  〃There's　nobody　on　the　island　who　calls　himself　'Wil…
  liams；'〃　he　remarked。
  〃Didn't　suppose　there　was；〃　said　Plunkett　mildly。
  〃He'll　do　by　any　other　name。〃
  〃Besides　myself；〃　said　Bridger；　〃there　are　only
  two　Americans　on　Ratona　　Bob　Reeves　and　Henry
  Morgan。〃
  〃The　man　I　want　sells　cocoanuts；〃　suggested　Plunkett。
  〃You　see　that　cocoanut　walk　extending　up　to　the
  point？〃　　said　the　consul；　waving　his　hand　toward　the　open
  door。　　〃That　belongs　to　Bob　Reeves。　　Henry　Morgan
  owns　half　the　trees　to　loo'ard　on　the　island。〃
  〃One；　month　ago；〃　said　the　sheriff；　〃Wade　Williams
  wrote　a　confidential　letter　to　a　man　in　Chatham　county；
  telling　him　where　he　was　and　how　he　was　getting　along。
  The　letter　was　lost；　and　the　person　that　found　it　gave　it
  away。　　They　sent　me　after　him；　and　I've　got　the　papers。
  I　reckon　he's　one　of　your　cocoanut　men　for　certain。〃
  〃You've　got　his　picture；　of　course；〃　said　Bridger。
  〃It　might　be　Reeves　or　Morgan；　but　I'd　hate　to　think　it。
  They're　both　as　fine　fellows　as　you'd　meet　in　an　all…day
  auto　ride。〃
  〃No；〃　doubtfully　answered　Plunkett；　〃there　wasn't
  any　picture　of　Williams　to　be　had。　　And　I　never　saw　him
  myself。　　I've　been　sheriff　onl