The Irish standard., 1891-09-12
CHAPTER vi.

sought their homes.
CHAPTER VI.
A NOBLE SACRIFICE.
The third day after the events record
ed in the last chapter, Il trim, schooner
rugged yacht of about seventy-hve tons
burden. passed out by Moro castle, that
grim and forbidding pile OF masonry
which guards the entrance to the mar
Dor of Havana. ,.,
Upon the quarterback Of the little
craft paced her owner, Castro Vasquez,
while at her wheel stood a weather.
beaten son of Neptune, Cuban coast
pilot.
The crew of the vessel, however, bore
little resemblance to the conventional
sailor, save perhaps in their costumes
and the manner in which they per-
formed their work, if seen by profess
sional mariners. would have caused the
latter to denounce them as '1and-lub-
bers.''
Nor would the seamen have been
far astray in their estimate, that is,
barring the ''lubber" part, for not ono
of the company on board, except the
owner and pilot, had ever been out of
sight of the land.
The people were in fact the social as
sociates of Don Ceballos and Senior
Vasquez, and had, every one, been
present at the secret political meeting;
they had volunteered their services to
man the yacht on the occasion of her
trip to intercept the steamer laden with
arms, it not being deemed expedient to
make use Of a regular crew on such an
important mission.
Although the owner had sailed by the
Moro many times, yet this day he drew
a sigh of relief when his little craft had
passed beyond the range of the for
midable guns that frowned menacingly
from thu parapets.
elbow long should it take us to run
down to Salt Key bank, ri1oto' For it.
is there we are to meet the steamer
with the wind no heavier than this,
senior, it will be all Of twenty-four
hours before we make the light on the
shoals"
''Ah, then we have plenty of time to
arrange our plans" answered the
Cuban. Then in a loud voice he called:
'sCo1ne, my friends, lay aft here. We
are too far away from that old stone
pile to fear detection by it's guards, and
you have played sailors to perfection" !
At this the amateur yachtsnaen joined
their con1rade on the quarter deck.
With but one of the characters is the
reader acquainted, and that is the en-
thusiastic young patriot, Valdes Haas.
He was on board the yacht as custodian
of the prisoner, Felipe Coras, who was
living in the cabin, manacled, awaiting
sentence which had not yet been passed
upon him.
':Now senors,'' said Vasquez, II want
to make you familiar with the line
of action which Don Manuel and
myself have thought best to pursue.
We are to fall in with the steamer, and
when out of sight of land take on board
as much Of her cargo as we can carry,
and then sail for Key Francis, which
lies off the coast about twenty miles
from Caibarien.
':Senor Ceballos, his son and the re-
claimed Jose Calvo, whom you now
know was the prime factor in the cap
ture of that villain below there, have
gone down by land to prepare for our
reception. Our anchoring off the little
island will excite no suspicion, as l
have been there with the yacht several
times. A portion of the Key is dense
Jungle, an excellent place in which to
conceal our valuable acquisition OF
arms, until suitable opportunity can
be found to put them into the hands of
our friends, which / trust will not be
many days hence. What think you OF
the plan?'
81 can see no other that offers SO sure
a prospect of success" replied Haas.
ssAnd there seems to be no chance of
failure here, unless, through treachery,
of which fortunately we need have but
little fear, for Cubans of the stamp Of
our prisoner are far from numerous,
and Spaniards, of course, we shall
avoid"
The little band of determined men
sat discussing the political situation I'M
til the shades of night darkened the
scene, then the s'vatch'' was set, and
all those who were not detailed for
duty went below.
AS the sun arose from it's watery bed,
the following morning, the joyful an
nouncement from the pilot that a
steamer was in sight, brought everyone
on deck, and there far down on the
eastern horizon was a long line of
smoke indicating the locality Of the
vessel.
cit may not be the craft Of which we
are in Search remarked Vasquez, as
his friends became jubilant.
owe can only trust that it is, }" re-
piled the pilot, ssfor if it should be we
Shall have good, long day to work by
her side"
At the expiration of an hour the hull
of the steamer was plainly visible. She
was headed toward the mainland Of
Cuba and was travelling at a very slow
rate of speed.
'sThat must be the one,'' observed the
pilot, ''else she would be going faster.
Look! she changes her course, as though
her commander was undecided which
way to steer. However, short time
will decide. Set our signals, senior, and