The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-03-26


by community of Catholic monks. For
three weeks l lowered between life and
death. The monks assured me that there
was no hope Tor my recovery. But they
told me. by way of consolation, that could
escape eternal damnatiOn by abjurlng
hercsy and embracing the true religion. l
promised them to think about IL, and they
treated me very kindly. supplying me with
cigars and sweet wine.
Bruno had gone in the meantime with
the brig TO Charleston. But Captain Guido
took fancy TO me. az well as my German
friend. and. as be- was returning to Vera
Cruz. Bruno easily persuaded him to send
boat to inquire after me. A month had
passed since my installation in the monas-
terry. / was well again. and Guido readily
admitted me among his crew. recovered.
also. my money. which had been kept for
me- by the German consul, thanks to the
kind offices of my dear Bruno. We sailed
then to Porto Principe. At thas
period the island of Cuba was all on fire.
The colored slaves were In open rebellion.
and the whole body of the sO-cailed "lnde-
pendents" were fighting to break the Span
lsh dominion. ALI the American States
were secretly favoring the insurrection,
sending Bhe rebels money, arms and volun-
teers. The Spaniards fought doRgedly,
shooting the captured rebels by hundreds.
Ihe Governor-general OF Cuba, Marshal
Hovellar. made himself particularly con-
spicuous by the ferocity of his
reprisals. The Cuban shores were in block
ate. but our way from Vera Cruz we
landed IN the dead of the night On de-
serted. sandy beach some twenty miles
from the town of Las NuvalIas. and dis
charged several boxes which Guido had
taken in at Charleston. Nothing went
amiss, but at once felt 1t was rather sus-
picious. All the time. from the height OF
the mast. the captain looked attentsvely
all round We foreigners were told thatit
was common c0ntraband. With the Span.
iards no blame Is attached to smuggling.
providing IL is carried on dlscreetly and
not as an exclusive trade.
The next morning. as we sailed further,
coasting along the shore. we met with the
Spanish Runboat ''Sigalezza" which was
going eastward. She stopped US, examined
carefully our papers. and having found
them all right permitted us TO proceed
further, enjoining US merely to keep fur
from us some tobacco and vino for the
crew. We took leave of each other In q
most friendly way. Little did suspect
az that time that a few days later we
should be In the strong GRID OF that dear
old friend of ours
On arriving at Vera Cruz / found at the
p0stOffice letter from my old mother, who
seemed SO far. far away. She earnestly
called me back home. saying how she
longed to press me 10 her heart-me her
only son. And l IN the meantime as wan
dering on the other side of the globe, In Q
country, or rather region, the very name
of which few people have ever heard in
my masvI me that ,Ss s Se%an6sr
my money. which 1 had asked for.
had been sent oves to me through the bank,
and would be kept for me- partly In Paris.
partly In New York. The news was very
welcome; because my purse was almost
empty. In conclusion. she lmplored me to
return with that money home as soon as
possible.
III.
We spent once more about fifteen days
at Vera Cruz. shipping in sandal to be dis
charged at Rio Janeiro. On our way there
we had to unload some cargo at Porto
Principe.
We reached the western shore of Cuba
on the second day and on the fourth passed
through the Bahama channel. Here, in
stead of proceeding further. we stopped in
the evening opposite the same sandy beach
near Las Nuvailas, waiting for the night to
come.
Our captain, Guido seemed uneasy and
agitated all the time He hardly left the
mast, examining with o telescope the
horizon and exchanging some mysterious
words with the Spaniards of bis crew.
There was something wrong, bus what
could dOf He was the captain. IL was his
business, not mine. 1t would seem imper-
tinent to ask questions.
At dark we moved toward the shore and
soon after We saw big pile Int MP some six
miles from town. We landed at that place
and began to discharge q lot of boxes
which were hidden in the hold of our shi D
under the barrels of sandal
/ had to help unload; three times. to.
gether with Bruno and three Spaniards. We
transported boxes from the ship to the
shore. One batch seemed to be particularly
heavy.
The brig, which almost touched the land
was screened by q small grove Of high
tropical trees. so that IL was almost invisi-
BILE from outside. Besides, not o single
light was kept on board.
The boxes We unloaded were taken by q
lot OF busting nigRers and white people,
who fastened them on the backs of mules
and departed toward the mountains. We
worked hard the whole night. drinking
wine and talking merrily. yet we could not
unload all. 1t must be big contraband"
said to myself.
Dawn began TO break. Orders were gwen
to stop the unloading, and 70 set sail for
the open sca. In ten minutes we were
ready; the traps and anchor wero lifted mp.
the boats were swung on the davlts and we
moved hastily away from shore.
In another quarter of an hour we saw
smoke on our lett, and then 10. and behold,
from behind the promontory appeared our
old acauaintance the Sigalezzs We crowd
on sail-she adds steam. We turn seward
she runs across TO intercepJ us.
1t was her object TO catch us. We had
been expected; this was clear enough The
more we strive TO run away the more hope
less seems the attempt The chase is most
unequal. The wind. as if on purpose, grows
caImer every minute. The sails hang down.
From the gunboat they make us signals TO
stop. We fly. Suddenly a cloud Of smoke
is seen at the boat. and'a bomb Kisses
in the air. 1t misses. however. luckily
enough. The brig seeing that there is
DO chance to escape into the open sea, turns
sharp TO the right towards the sandb
of the shore hoping that the gunboat sit
ting deeper IN the water, Will not risk the
shallow. Another bomb flies before our
very prov. In o couple of minutes third.
which hits the jiD bursts q few paceB of.
Nobody is wounded. but the tumult on the
brig becomes understandable. The sailors are
running In all directions. shouting. yelling,
paying no attention to the orders of
boat. to tow the brig TO the sandbank. No
body obeys. He selzes his revolver and
pushes by main force into q boat two Span
inrds. an American, Bruno and myself. We
row with oil our might TO tho sandbank
The gun boat sends a bomb after us. The
pursuers are already within Q gun
shot of our brig. and the
fire of musketry begins. We row
as hard as We can. Fastening 20 the sand
bank. The gunboat thro WIS another upls
of bombs upon our brig. We see from our
boat now the crew on deck seized with An.
other fit of panic; they lower the sails, the
Mexican Tag. and hoist some white rag up-
on the mlzzen. 10 means they surrender.
Our blood runs cold. What will become of
us'
On seeing the white flag the gunboat
stops firing and lowers a big boat full of
armed men. We sec now lieutenant.