A Frontier Doctor Page: 200

                                
A FRONTIER DOCTOR

would be attacked, either by cascos (native boats) on the
river, or on the street side, possibly on both sides at once.
The headquarters guard were picked men and as both
McClure and I were good shots, we felt we could put up a
fight. After arriving in the Islands and learning the
character of the native, I recommended another depar-
ture in the Medical Department, 'that the personnel be
armed,' which was approved. I was carrying a Mauser
pistol, a ten-shot automatic, the most deadly weapon of
its size and weight I have ever run across.
Opposite our headquarters was the palatial home of
Don Eduardo Eugester y de la Deheza, a remarkable
character. His father was Swiss and his mother a Spanish
mestiza. He could speak and write fluently five different
languages, was an artist, musician, and a successful busi-
ness man. With his remarkable baritone voice he had
toured Europe several times with Adelina Patti during
his earlier career.
He was a strong pro-American and we had become
close friends. He had a beautiful lawn adorned with
typical tropical shrubbery, and glancing in that direction
I could see a shadowy form of a man skulking through it.
I called to him both in English and Spanish to 'throw up
his hands,' but he paid no heed, and turning to my de-
tachment I prepared to give the order to fire, but for
some unaccountable reason my voice simply refused to
work.
During the few seconds that I was dumb, the skulker
vanished, and I had one of my men make a detour to in-
vestigate and warn Don Eduardo. Returning he reported
it was the Don himself whom we had seen. He had heard
a suspicious noise and was investigating on his own ac-
count. He almost collapsed when told of his narrow es-
cape.
The Minnesota regiment did splendid work that event-

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