, 1889-01-17
PART II.


y Tles,nt. bGt the more l tried to explain the
! affair to myself, the more I was puzzled
| TIE day wore slowly away; ct sundown
4. Ike boat returned bringing word that the
| other c2.gt-.:n5 We're disappointed ut ray nos
being with them.
At an early hour I sought my bed in nny.
thing but tranquil frame of mind, fer I
| knew that should the authorities discover
| that l lid carried the bag ashore and left X
matter what the contents might be, IL
! would 50 hard with me- for the Spaniard of
the H-szo Indies has little love for the Ameri-
IAN, and Is only too well pleased to catch ono
tripping.
1t might have been midnight when was
awakened from q troubled sleep by the sound
of boat humping alongside and the voices
! o. strangers on dcc.-. At length several men
! CaI=e down the forward companion way, but
they were met by the mate, who refused them
admission to the cabin. They then began
| loudly calling for the captain.
! trembled, I'll admit it; but there was no
! alternative, l must face them. 80 hurrying
on my clothing l came out into the cabin and
/ met the officers.
/ I'VE must tako you ashore, captain re-
marked one of the soldiers in English.
For what!" demanded
! That the captain viii learn when we reach
! thcre"-was the only satisfaction that I got,
! and unceremoniouSly they hustled me out of
! the vessel and Gway-5ut not before had a
| chance to tell my mate 20 inform the Amer
/ lean consul early in tho morning of what had
! taken place
! On leaving the bark was surprised to SEQ
that they did not take the course for the city,
/ bat kept away to the westward
I "Where are you taking met" inquired, in
dismay.
/ "See, bimeby," was tho only answer and 1
held my peace.
| Soon the dark outlines of the shore arose
before me, but the formation OF the outline
/ a. it broke upon my view caused shudder
to creep over me and almost froze the blood
/ in my veins
1t was the fort that we were approaching,
! and tie sharp angles and lofty turrets stood
/ out grim and threatening against the star lit
/ sky in the west.
All the tales that had ever read of the
! Spanish inquisition and the manner in which
/ they administer justice q in Cuba rushed TO
my mind, and again the fate of poor Capt
Frye was still fresh in my memory.
Still l was sure that they could only pun
iSh me with fine for smuggling the bag
ashore; yet, suppose that the bag contained
something of Importance to the Cuban
! patriots' What if 1 had unwittingly been
/
| surgentSl
The thought almost unnerved ME
If it was SO, and the government had found
the packet, could expect no better fate than
! fell to the lot of so many of the crew of the
VirginiuS
/ When the keel of the boat grated upon the
coral rocks at the foot of flight of stone
! steps, was ordered to disembark, and he
tween two soldiers with muskets, and pre-
! ceded by an officer, the ascent was began UP
the damp, Shiny stairs.
We had not taken many steps when we
| were hailed by sentry, who was answered
! by the officer in whose charge was-we then
resumed our way; soon bright light shone
| il our faces, and We could sec an open door a
| little above US.
Through this door we passed and as it
wang to again upon its massive hinges We
iound ourselves between two rows of soldiers
| With drawn swords; the apartment seemed to
be sort of guard room or keep.
y few moments after our entrance, during
! which time we had remained standing with
oat n word being spoken, n door in the fur
| ther end of the room opened and an officer
| gayly bedecked with gold lace, entered and
approaching our party took some papers
from the soldier in charge and began to read
them very carefully.
I " IC hst1 liIllSileA hdNcu stllGu
| to those who had arrested me- and they at
once turned and left the apartment by tho
same door through which we had entered
Then, ut the word of command, two SOL
| diers stepped from the ranks and began to
search my pockets and clothing, taking every
| thing that thcy could find, even to my hand
| Ilerchief
was next ordered to fall into line with
| the guard and was marched OFF through long,
| gloomy passageways, down flight after flight
of damp, moldy steps; past strong iron doors
which was easy enough for me to imagine
were closed upon some poor mOrtals who
| were destined never again to breathe the
pure air of heaven, but to lie entombed
within this dismal pile of masonry until vel
como death should release them from their
suffering, perhaps years after their very
names had been forgotten in their own
homes.
Once l heard-or thought heard-a low,
distinct moan that seemed to rise from the
st"na tagging beneath our feet.
Narrower grew the passage Us VIC ad-
vanced, and by the feeble rays of the single
torch carried by one of the guard / could
see numberleSs lizards, scorpions and other
creeping reptiles scamper away at our ap-
| proach.
At length, after a journey which see>sed
| ~ nave leu me illtO Tue very uONtlS OI EAe
earth, we were halted before one of the att
merous iron doors, which the officer unlocke
and opened, and witho-s further ceremony
was thrust into sma,:, damp, fctid ce -,
nth bare stone walls, h5or and roof.
By the light of the torch, which streamed
| INTO the apartment before the heavy door
was swang to, ] could see that it was entirely
| empty, save n countless number of those
loathsomc creatures which had darted across
our pathway rs we came down the corridor.
Oh, what u feeling Of despair came over
me when found myself alone in total dark.
ness entombed in this loathsome, subterra-
mean dungeon.
Slowly the remaining hours of the night
wore away, giving me plenty of time to think
over the incidents of the past few weeks and
see if l had done anything to deserve such
| treatment
Easy it was to trace my trouble to the
strange youth who had formed my acquaint-
ance i'll Boston, but l had committed 10
crime in delivering his effects to his family,
save in the act of smuggling them ashore
and that in itself was n trivial ofTense.
The more my mind dwelt upon the matter.
the more | was convinced that had allowed
myself to become n medium between the
! Cuban patriots and their sympathizers in the
! United States, and the information or what
ever it was that l had delivered must have
been of great Importance To call forth such 4
reward from Gonzalez. Yes, there WIS no
doubt but what was in for it, and knowing
the irascible temper of the Spaniards l lei:
that my death was well nigh certain.
After what seemed an age from the tiinc 81
nay commitment to the prison, 4 faint streak
made its appearance upon one of the walls of
my cell; it was the first break of day
The small aperture through which the light
struggled was only about five feet from the
floor, and l could easily look out.
The slit was too narrow to allow n very ex-
tended range to my vision, but l could see
that l was confined ON the water side of the
fort, and directly fronting the shipping. But
this fact afforded me little consolation, for
felt sure that L should only leave this dreary
dungeon TO march to my death.
/ was gazing wistfully out through the tiny
aperture, when heard the heavy bolt thrown
| I,1cl- tba ponderOuS door SWING on