Lieutenants, eight sergeants, twenty corporals, one hundred and
seventeen "first-class policemen," and one hundred and sixteen
"policemen" (West Indian negroes without exception, though none
but an American citizen could aspire to any white position); not
to mention five clerks at headquarters, who are quite worth the
mentioning. "Policemen" wore the same uniform as "first-class"
officers, with khaki-covered helmet instead of "Texas" hat and
canvas instead of leather leggings, drew one-half the pay of a
white private, were not eligible for advancement, and with some
few notable exceptions were noted for what they did know and the
facility with which they could not learn. One Inspector was in
charge of detective work and the other an overseer of the
uniformed force. Each of the Lieutenants was in charge of one-
fourth of the Zone with headquarters respectively at Ancon,
Empire, Gorgona, and Cristobal, and the sub-stations within these
districts in charge of sergeants, corporals, or experienced
privates, according to importance.

Years ago when things were yet in primeval chaos and the memorable
sixth of February of 1904 was still well above the western horizon
there was gathered together for the protection of the newly-born
Canal Strip a band of "bad men" from our ferocious Southwest,
warranted to feed on criminals each breakfast time, and in command
of a man-eating rough-rider. But somehow the bad men seemed unable
to transplant to this new and richer soil the banefulness that had
thrived so successfully in the land of sage-brush and cactus. The
gourmandizing promised to be chiefly at the criminal tables; and
before long it was noted that the noxious gentlemen were gradually
drifting back to their native sand dunes, and the rough-riding
gave way to a more orderly style of horsemanship. Then bit by bit