Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-12-07

night. They all seemed held BY spell.
but they looked and Were dangerous as
death. l closed the door. fully realizing
my peril, feeling the storm would break
the instant was out of sight Forth
nately there was no one near, and ran
swiftly across the street into the pro-
tecting shadow and crouched down in
a dark space between two houses. Tho
cactuslike weeds grew there and pricked
me, but l needed them not, for that in
slant the soldiers poured out of the shop.
an angry and excited mob, buckling on
11eir belts, cartridge boxes and bayonets
as they ran. Some had their muskets,
others fastened to get them, and all save
two stragglers rushed ont of the town
in the direction from which l had en-
tered. wondered at this, but soon dis
covered the reason. Some few women.
hearing the tunlult, came into the street,
but seeing nothing went in again. The
stragglers all disappeared, and the stree.
was quiet.
came ont of my corner and hurried
in the shadow down the road in the op-
posite direction to the course followed
by my pursuers. Arriving at the last
house at the foot of the street, found
myself confronted by small river,
quiet and apparently deep, with all the
space from the last house to the river
one impossible barrier of giant cactus.
l had either to swim the river or turn
back, and ought to have plunged in
as was, revolver and all, the distance
over being short, and as am an expert
swimmer l could easily have got across,
loaded down as was. But contempt
ible trifie had weight enough to cause
me to adopt the suicidal course of turn
ing back.
1 Twas very hungry and longed for the
cakes and bread l carried, and Thought
If l swan the stream they would be
soaked and probably lost, for I had them
loose i'll my arms. Besides was over
confident of my ability to escape my pur-
suers. They had marched by the road
that led behind the village to the bridge
crossing the river some distance ND.
Evidently not seeing me, they took it
for granted / knew of the bridge and
had gone that way.
In a fatal moment I retraced my steps.
As passed house three women came
out. They spoke to me, and in nv ex-
citement, instead of saying GOOD even
ing" i'll Spanish (Buenas noches), said
GOOD morning (Buenas dias). They of
course saw was stranger
Just then four soldiers came hurried
II into the street from the road, and
was forced to leave the wou.en and
crouch down in my former hiding place.
Then they did what women seldom do
betrayed the fugitive Calling to the
soldiers, they pointed out the place 1
was IN. AL four came running, and in
moment were almost on top of me- 1
presented my revolver and snapped the
trigger twice without exploding the
cartridges. They We're too close or too
excited to use their muskets, but all
four grappled with me and naturally
used me pretty roughly.
There was a terrific ,hullabaloo as in
response to their cries their comrades
came running in. By the time they had
hustled me across the street into the
shop there was mob of half hundred
around me. Soon the commander, a
captain, appeared. wish 1 could say
hewas gentleman, but he was not.
He was little, peppery young fellow,
apparently with negro blood in his veins
and dictatoral and insulting in manner.
Surely l was an object-a tramp in
appearance-but with "a diamond ring
Oh my finger, which l had taken from
my pocket and slipped on, revolver
Ct YYad To
chronometer in my pocket. Such an OBJ
ject had never before doomed on their
horizon. Was not one glance enough to
show that l must be notable rebel?
And there was but one doom for such.
My desperate situation cast out all
fear, and Twas cold and naughty. Flour
fishing my police passport, I informed
him that l was Stanley W. Parish Of
New York, a correspondent of the New
York Herald, and he had better look out
what he was about.
But 1t was evident that police pass
ports made out in Havana had no cur
rency in the face of the enemy, but at
any rate 1T proved that whatever my in
tentions might be had at least hailed
last from Havana, and this would prevent
my peppery captain from enjoying the
pleasure of standing me up in the morn
ing to be fusilladed, such being the law
for captives' in the savage contest.
Down my gentleman sat on a barrel,
pompous and important, and ordered me
to be searched. All this time dozen
hands were holding me fast / told my
officer he was q fool and clown, but
my captors began to go through my
pockets, and speedily-there was heap
OF gold and paper money ON the barrel,
and my little friend fingered it with a
covetous eye. Ihad my 81 900 in bonds
pinned in the sleeve of my undershirt.
This they missed, but found all else
carried. In the meantime there was an
eager audience looking on, absorbed in
the interest of the scene.
There was a collection indeed on that
barrel Besides my ring, there were five
other valuable diamonds, and nv chro-
nometer, with its regular beat and
stem winding arrangement. was great
curiosity. Then the heap of money was
loadstone for all their hungry eyes.
The captain was making ont an inyen-