amid the clickity-click of typewriters, telephone calls even from
far-off Colon on the Atlantic, and the constant going and coming
of a negro orderly in shiningly ironed khaki uniform. By and by
the Inspector drifted into the main office, where his voice
blended for some time with that of "the Captain," At length he
came back bearing a copy of the day's Star and Herald, turned back
to the "Estrella de Panama" pages so rarely opened in the Zone.

"Just run us off a translation of that, if you don't mind," he
said, pointing to a short paragraph in Spanish.

Some two minutes later I handed him the English version of the
account of a near-duel between two Panamanians, and took once more
to reading. It was more than an hour later that I was again
interrupted.

"You'll want to catch the 5:25 back to Corozal?" inquired the
Inspector;" Mr.---, give him transportation to Culebra and back,
and an order for physical examination.

"You might fill out this application blank," he added, handing me
a long legal sheet, "then in case you are appointed that much will
be done."

The document began with the usual, "Name----, Birthplace----, and
so on." There followed the information that the appointee "must be
at least five feet eight; weigh one hundred and forty, chest at
least thirty-four inches--" Then suddenly near the bottom of the
back of the sheet my eyes caught the startling words;--"Unless you
are sure you are a man of physical appearance far above the