The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-12-27
A CUBAN HEROINE.

"Fire Firel AS you are true soldiers
of the crown, do not allow him to escaped"
And at the command of the Spanish Off
Ger the reports of dozen rifles broke the
stiffness of the tropical forest that Dor
dered on the northern coast of Cuba
"On, on He must not avoid us, or the
wrath of our general will fall upon our
heads"
Quickly the machetes, or short swords,
which each man wore at his belt, were
grasped vigorously and almost torn from
the scabbards as the impetuous guard es-
sayed to hew pathway through the jun
gle.
"See, see, he is woundedp' exclaimed
the officer, pointing to a few crimson
stains that had fallen upon the dark green
leaves of the trailing vines.
"He is hard hit and must soon fall
Press on, press on, my men! A hundred
piasters to the one who shall first lay
hands upon the spy, whether he be dead or
alive!'
Thus urged, the soldiers redoubled their
efforts, but they proved futile, for the flu
gitive threaded his way through the tan
gled maze of vegetation with the adroit-
ness and speed of an Indian warrior.
When the soldiers finally gave up the
chase and resumed their watch, darkness
had fallen upon the tPan of Matanza, -
the mountain which rears it's lofty head a
few miles back from the city of Matanzas.
About the base of this rugged elevation
nestled the plantations of a number of rich
Cuban sugar growers, but at this hour the
occupants of the low rooted, rambling, yet
spacious habitations seemed wrapped in
slumber, for no signs of human life were
apparent.
But, hold! There is light strea ming
from the long, iron barred windows of the
house Of Senior Manuel Rodriguez, one
of the wealthiest citizens of the island.
Within the apartment from which the
bright rays issued sat young woman, not
more than IS years of age, perfect type
of Spanish loneliness. She was alone and
seemed busy with her thoughts. Suddenly
she was aroused by quick step on the
broad veranda without, and the next in
slant the door opened, and man, with
disheveled clothing, hatless and with
blood streaming from CHASTITY wound in
the side of the head, hurriedly entered and
sank we'll nigh exhausted at the maiden s
feet
"Felipei Felipe! My dear brother, what,
in the name of the saints, has happened?"
exclaimed the young girl, in tone of hor-
Tor, as she knelt by the side of the sufferer.
sob, Isabel, we are lost-lostl All is
lost! The noble cause of Cuba will this
night receive, as have, her deathblow ~
"What mean you, brother9 What mean
your" entreated Isabel, as she essayed to
stanch the blood which flowed from the
gaping cut. "Tel1 me-oh tell me what
has happenedp"
"What has happened you see before
you," gasped the stricken man, "but its
cause and effect are secrets which scarce
dare impart even to you"
"What! I, your sister and Cuban,
and you will not trust me?"
"True, true; it is right that you should
know. Bend your ear closer; my strength
Is fast falling"
Then with visible effort Felipe aroused
himself and continued:
"This night our dear father, at the head
Of band of some 500 patriots, proposes to
make landing at point near the eastern
entrance of the harbcr, providing that no
light is shown from the Pan of Mantanza
to warn them of danger. There is danger,
and was threading my way through the
forest and up the steep ascent to ignite the
beacon that would warn them of their per-
II, when /, dolt that was, stumbled upon
the Spanish soldiers. We caught sight of
one another at the same moment, and
their commander gave the order to fire. 1t
was then that received this wound in the
head, which is slight compared to the one
that is here" And the hero pressed hand
convulsively to his side
"Away 1 fled, and succeeded in throw
ing the human vultures off my track and
-and-here 1 am
AS he finished, the young man sank
back, exhausted, in his sisters arms.
"But the signal Felipe-the signal9"
eagerly asked the girl. "Who will light it?''
"Alas, no one! For who is there to go2''
81 will, was the undaunted reply
"You-you, Isabel! No, no! Your fate
would be worse than death should you fall
into the hands of our prosecutors
"Speak not of them, brother, but tell
me where to find the spot.''
swell, Isabel, it must be SO, for should
our noble father be taken captive by the
cruel tyrants, it would be but a short,
short time ere we all should follow him to
the executioner! Now, bark, sister! Near
the summit of the mountain, and on that
fiat shelf where we have often played in
childhood, you will find a large pile of in
fammable material. But single touch of
an ignited match and the whole mass will
spring into flame, and one which the SOL
diers can never extinguish until it has
burned down to the very stones beneath. Z"
81 will find it and light it. But [ must
leave you alone Felipe
ooh, mind not me. What is my life
or suffering compared to our fathers and
his brave followers? Long since 1 gave my
life to Cuba and few hours more or less
of existence matters little. Go, sister, gol
There is not moment to lose! But be-
ware of the soldiers! God guard youp'
STOPPING low, Isabel pressed kiss on
the pallid lips of her brother, and drawing
her lace mantilla closely over her raven
hair, she extinguished the light and passed
out into the darkness upon her lonely mis-
sion.
"Ah, Lorenzo, heard you thatP 1t