The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-10-22

denly awakened by Cn0 lOuQ, QlSCOfQanG
cry of a macaw in the branches over his
head.
There were shadowy forms of men
lurking in the background, and Antonio
Gassol had been standing beside him
with machete, ready to strike.
Don Walter had set up his camp
bed under a hastily formed shelter Of
branches, near the piled up treasure,
and in close proximity were some of the
sailors from the schooner. He had never
anticipated any personal harm, but only
at most that some of the animals might
be run off with their precious burdens;
but now he woke to confront bold muir
der.
The sudden cry Of the ,naoaw, as if Il
providential note of interposition, had
unsteadied the hand of the assassin for
an instant, and in this brief instant
again Walter found his opportunity.
Catching the central support of his cot,
already somewhat ricketY from hard
campaigning, he brought The whole to
the ground, throwing himself with all
his force at the same time to the outer
side. The blow had, therefore, to de-
scend much longer distance than cal
culated, and so miscarried. A second
blow was resisted by muffiing blankets,
and resulted only in a flesh wound on his
shoulder, and before third could be
revolver in his hand.
The would be assassin escaped the shot
and ran through the camp, rallying his
compatriots after him, and all fled to-
gether to the deeper heart Of the woods
They were but a small minority Of the
force, the ringleaders having counted on
winning over the rest after the first blows
had been successfully struck and the adj
vantage was apparent. The flight of
Gassol would have ended the whole ne
farious attempt but that he was to re-
ceive aid from most unexpected quar-
ter.
What it was can best be explained by
returning briefly to the fortunes of Amy
Colebrook. She entered Vera Cruz just
as the plot for it's betrayal had broken
out in some active manifestations among
the lower class. This plot was to fail,
however, through lacking the co-opera-
ton of the time battered fortress of San
Juan de Ulloa. The garrison, on their
isolated rock in the roadstead, mile Or
two from shore, mutinied according to
tho plan, but their efforts were baffled
by the intrepidity of a single person,
their commanding officer. He loaded
cannon with grape and discharged it into
their ranks as they advanced upon him.
Again and again they moved forward,
but still he fired with telling effect.
Then, disheartened at theis losses and
unwilling to delay further, they took nu-
merous boats lying at the landing place
and pulled off to aid their friends in the
town.
But the government adherents had
gained courage from this apparent re-
buff to deal vigorously with the revolt
around them. They were ready drawn
up in force at the edge Of the quay, and
received the boats with destructive
fire. Some begged for quarter and were
taken, others foundered outright, and
few of those in the rear made off to the
northward and succeeded in landing on
the shore. AS Amy's steamer sailed out
of port the fusillade of this combat was
her last view Of that country so blessed
by the bounty of nature, but married by
the perversity Of man.
The mutineers from the boats took to
the woods; there, after q brief season Of