Vasco, Our Little Panama Cousin
d corner of the city in which he had lived, he
original city. The present city was built after the former one had been
rs. That seems to us an enormous sum, and to the people of those days it was fabulous. It gives some idea of the vast wealth that must have been stored in the city to admit o
ont watching the fishermen unloading their boats. As it happened, he fell in with
g for some new adventure. At this time he ha
a to-morrow? Father will let us take a small boat he
r it were perfectly safe for them to go without some one for protector
een over there?"
y ti
now the w
esides, there's an old friend of his who lives in a hut
he said. "I have never been there, and I should like to see what the place l
l carry three all right, and we
t of having him along on this trip. He had seen and heard enough of the Americans about the city to know that they
"We'll start early to-morrow
little time to look around before the middle of the day, when it will be too hot to move about. Then in th
ng that he would see Harlan sometime during the day. He ha
r of his plans for the next day, to which she made no objection. She rarely interfered with his movements, except that sometimes she asked
o with him the next day. It didn't take long to give the invitation, an
Vasco. "I must ask my mother if sh
bout such things. But he had known Harlan long enough to learn that American way
clined to object to his making this trip with only two other boys for companions, but his argume
urried and told hi
s leave, "and be at the beach near the Pa
Good night," was
son that evening, to get well
e weather, for this was the dry season of the year, when for months no
his way to the meeting-place. Though the first on the scene, he did not have to wait long for the
ing the boat ready she would have had no concern for their safety. All three boys were familiar with boats, though
husks, as sold in the market. Eggs are not bought by the dozen in Panama, but by the pair. The boys expect
ng breeze. Enrique was at the rudder and Vasco acted as lookout at the bow, while Harlan made
e, but as the boys went, partly by water and partly on foot, they had to cover a mu
forms the protection for the upper side of the Bay of Panama. The boat wa
going adrift later in the day. In fact, as the tide receded it left the craft high
They passed along the rocky shore, through some swampy lowland and
ke trees and shrubs, the luxuriant tropical vegetation, the beautiful scenery
stream was spanned by an old stone bridge, built over 350 years ago. Across this they made their way
f this city, where years ago there had been a great tide of humanity, and where ambition, avarice, gaiety, luxury, once had full sway, but now
oward the middle of the day, they were glad to get into the shelter of hi