The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-16

SENDS over here to face the fatal hangers
whom there Is but one meaning TO life
now-freeiom."
You hate US; you kill us; yet.you give
lard said. as If TO himself.
II am sorry-for you. child the man
answersd. he spoke with. a visible EFFORT
he was conscious that every word short
ened his life by the amount OF energy ex-
pended In the utterance of IL: but. could
ms remaining moments Of existence De
more wortnily spent than in telling this
Spanish warrior some of the cruel wrongs
OF this island ground beneath the iron
neei OF spanish oppression? My dying
heart yearns for you who are as much
-her victim as we who have been crushed
SO long. She has taken your bright life
ever in her dealings with those she rules.
You will live TO feel the bitterness OF her
ingratitude. She has fed on us-robbed US.
of millions yearly. Listen. muchacho. See
II ou-ca understand. In conquersng us
the last time-in the eight-year war-she
heaped upon herself a debt of S25o.oco,ooo:
she has placed that debt upon Cuba's al
ready overburdened shoulders. She has
drawn from her shackled island over
<v.uO,O00 interest yearly on that war debt
alone. We are taxed for everything but
the breath that we draw, and-we are
taxed for that: A boy on becoming four
teen begins to pay a capita tax-because
he Is SO unfortunate as TO be alive. Is il
not a poor worm that fails TO turn at
last? You have come over the seas to de-
fend an ignoble cause, my boy-and al
ready-you are forgotten"
The young soldier shivered. The sight of
r rne ci eoIdl H }ed %ens 5tsrsed how nim 1o With ;, a xn noTi
be before their great beaks met through his
unconscious flesh.
And you, senior, you are" he asked
with a new note in his voice.
The Cuban gave a name that caused the
Spaniard TO cry out with surprise. while a
him at the thought that it had been his
aim that had brought death TO this leader
or the insurgent forces. The Cuban seemed
70 sense this thought in the youths mind.
ITO have killed me-will mean much to
you'll you return TO the Spaniards. Ii
will mean distinction"
II know the Spaniard swer family.
Tears had leaped into his eyes as they had
at the thought of his mother. But had
men fall all around you in battle and know
that your turn may come next; IL is another
thing to lie hopeless and watch a lion
death-that your bullet has brought him.
The Spaniard contrived to press the canteen
with its few drops Of water TO the lips of
the man beside him. The Cuban refused.
There is but little of it. 1t will keep
you alive u~ntil-they come-the Cubans. II
camp"
der boy.
They will-nurse you.' explained the Gu
ban. when you-recover-they will allow
you to be returned to the Spanish side-in
exchange. That WILDE better than death
when one is young-no. amigo mio.'
The boy said nothing. The Cuban went
y~oaNlvs-tm then. you can dome
Que, senior" The lads voice was soft
with sympathy
'on my person are valuable papers
the hands of any-Cuban, win be-well
taken care of. Should 1 intrust them to you
But m tSenp seizure iy0q He 1eye a a II ss q It lay
must see it-but one! can trust him. If
nave a chance to do me-the last favor
one can do me-in this life-and-you can
buy your own freedom with it. AS a cap
tive-you can demand a word with Jose
Cabareyo. The utterance Of one word-will
the attention of-any Cuban. That
word is-Salto! Speak that-and ask for
Jose Cabareyo. To give him this face /
hold in my hand. To melt is dearer than
all else-save-Cubar'
viii he know what-to do with the face,
senorg, questioned. the boy. 1T is a won
cit is-because of women-like her-that
Cuba will some day-be.free! 81: 1T is a
To hear himself called friend by the man
for whose death he counted himself re-
sponsible was a moving experience for this
his enemy. as termed by Spain He watched
the man place the beautiful miniature to
Ills lace anu nOlu Il lftIt. a iouS cntktt
ensued. Finally the Spaniard said:
"And-if this Jose cabareyo De dead also,
senor-what them
But there was no reply. There never again
| would be a reply from the lips that rested
against the treasured pictured face.
The Spaniard laid his own face on the hot.
parched earth and wept as youth sometimes
can weep when 1t finds itself face TO face
with the bitterness of life The hoarse cries
the commotion that they had descended
head. The horrible silence OF the battle
field, broken only by the hideous rejoicings
Of the carrion birds, froze his blood. He
prayed for Inconsistencies, but his prayer
met with no response. Indeed, 1t seemed TO
alive. The sharpness of his own suferings
| returned with keener force for having been
s plasson arS OF t s,sn pai 1SF Of = anne anoth ae 'ne oOn'en-
The moments crept by, weighted. He felt
II he should forki, live we e ab thopsand dS Sears m ne heyeI
themselves before him during the burning
hours that spread their whitening blight
| down swiftly at last, after the peculiar
fashion of West Indian darkness. Ii found
the boy too too. far gone %ss to no appd dead. The rhe
| stealthy figures which crept like shadows
over the field when the great s4uthern
stars hung low ascertained quickly mat ne
HE win be dead by morning, Pablo
whispered one phantom of the night. bend
ing over him: 1t Is 8 pest b1s n 10 ,esye h him' flask
of aeusrdiente to the lips OF the Spanish
soldier. He poured a trif1e OF the liquid
down the boys throat.
MIRA" he exclaimed. He moves. He
is worth taking"
when they lifted him up to carry him to
pared for conveying the wounded to camp
the lids of the soldier OF Spain lifted with
dificulty. He understood what had come
70 pass. The Cubans had come for their
dead. Dimly he the instruc-
tons he had received from the mar at MS
side.
sSalfop' he managed to enunciate.
Pablo and his companion came near drop
ping him in their establishment.
'sCarambai' calculated Pablo. art tnou
one of us-in a Spanish uniformT'
But he could give them no explanation
The pain of being thus borne roughly along
had beloved upon him the complete I'M
consciousness he had craved through the
long hours.
Behind Pablo and his companion moved
two other forms, lifting reverently the
dead man, who had intrusted MS secret 10
the Spaniard.- The two were placed to-
gether in the blanket swung between two
cabal1os. Swift was the merciful work done
that night beneath the sad face of heaven.
borne away were buried amid the majesty
of silence. Only the Spaniards were left
for the ravenous birds of prey to feast
upon.
An hour after midnight the slow march
was taken toward camp. The little horses
picked their way carefully, seeming mind
full of their burdens. The red dust OF the
wearisome distance, then the cavalcade
plunged uddenly into the intense blackness
of the forest-mantled hills. An upward
route was taken. With every forward step