“I want to sell you some smokeless powder,” I told him. “It is the latest thing and is a great aid to annihilation.” “Don’t want it,” was his brusque response. “It is almost noiseless, as well,” I urged. “With its use an enemy would find it difficult to locate your troops.” “That is worse yet,” he said, with as much of a smile as his ugly face was acquainted with. “We want powder that will make much smoke and lots of noise.” I told him I had that kind too, and other things which he ought to have. “Well,” he said, with a suggestion of impatience, “go to the Minister of War and get your order, and then get out. Where are you going from here?” “To Santo Domingo.” “Good. I’ll help you. The ‘Toussaint l’Ouverture’ [a little gunboat named for the negro Napoleon of Hayti] will take you there when you are ready. You must be prepared to sail within a week.” “Why all this hurry?” I inquired in great surprise. “It has been years since I was in Port au Prince and I want to revisit old familiar places and renew acquaintance with old friends, if there are any left.” I might have added that I disputed his right to prescribe the length of my stay, but I did not wish to provoke a row with the old fellow, at that time. He almost beamed on me as he replied, “I like you, Captain, but I don’t want you in Hayti. You can stay just one week.” I told him I earnestly hoped he would extend the time limit and left him, backing out, if you please. I went direct to the Minister of War, who made out a memorandum covering a large consignment of fighting materials and said he would send the official order to my hotel, which he did. Soon after my return to the hotel I was introduced to Freeman Halstead, the correspondent of a great New York newspaper, who had been in Hayti for some time. I had noticed him talking with the proprietor that morning, when Hippolyte’s aide came to the hotel in search of me. In the interval he had cabled his paper that I was in Hayti and had received reply, he said, to “stick to Boynton until further orders.” I told him I had no news and did not expect to make any, but he declared that he would stand by to see what happened. He said he was on an intimate footing with Hippolyte and suggested that he might be able to help me.