The presidential snapshot : $b or, The all-seeing eyeLebhar, Bertram
General
The presidential snapshot : $b or, The all-seeing eye
Lebhar, Bertram
Americans -- South America -- Fiction; Dime novels; Photographers -- Fiction; Political prisoners -- Fiction
Like a man in a dream, the snapshot adventurer gazed upon the scene
that followed. He saw the officers place their victim with his back
to the cement wall of the courtyard, and tie a handkerchief over his
eyes. He saw them step back, and heard one of them give an order which
caused the long line of gleaming rifle barrels at the other end of the
yard to rise with a precision that seemed almost automatic. In another
minute the tragedy was over, and in ten minutes the courtyard was
clear, and the routine of the prison was resumed.
Hawley was horrified at what he had witnessed, but his predominant
emotion was one of violent rage. “If ever I get out of here,” he
murmured, “I’ll make Portiforo pay for this.” Then he smiled grimly
as the thought came to him that instead of getting out, the chances
were that before long he himself would be in the same position as the
ill-fated Doctor Bonsal.
Presently two men came to his cell and threw open the door. “Señor,”
one of them said politely, “we must request you to be good enough to
accompany us.”
CHAPTER XXXII. OLD SCORES.
Since the publication in the New York _Daily News_ of the letters of
the missing President Felix to his wife, Gale had stood high in the
favor of Portiforo. The latter had sent for the reporter and assured
him of his deep appreciation of the service he had rendered the
government of Baracoa by disposing so effectively of the unpleasant
rumors concerning Felix, the circulation of which had been a source of
distress to him, Portiforo, and the high-minded patriotic gentlemen
connected with his administration. Incidentally he had told Gale that
the latchstring of the national palace was at all times out for him.
On the day that he learned of the Camera Chap’s arrest, Gale decided
to take advantage of this standing invitation. He deemed it his duty
to have a chat with the president concerning the prisoner. He found
Portiforo not at all unwilling to talk on that subject.
“In fact, Señor Gale, if you had not come, I was about to send for
you for that very purpose,” said the president, when his visitor had
made known the object of his call. “I am desirous of getting some
information about that misguided young man, and since you and he are
members of the same profession, you ought to be able to tell me what
I want to know. I am informed,” he went on, somewhat anxiously, “that
this man Hawley is quite a big figure in American journalism--a sort of
a celebrity.”
Gale laughed disdainfully. “I don’t know where you could have got hold
of that idea, Señor Presidente. A celebrity, eh? Well, that’s pretty
good!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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