Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-20

1.-THE wife, or rather the widow. Of San
chez, the chief who was TAKEN
Whose head you sent as present to
the king?"
''The same. They insist that his widow
Is a witch wh1 protects her followers with
charms and spells. and that she is followed
with blind devotion by the rebels, who idol
ize her."
Truly that is an entertaining story" said
l. thinking what good correspondent some
Journal lost when Maduro adopted the pro-
fession of arms.
Besides that" he continued, ''the Aqua
Alta seems to be bewitched."
The Aqua Alta is swift stream that Is
fed by tributaries from numberless noun
tain rayines. When there is a rain it be-
comes swollen, raging torrent. This river
vas the boundary of the territory of the
rebels, whose capital, FL Libertad, Is
perched upon precipitous hill crest that Is
almost inaccessible. The city lies only six
miles beyond the Aqua Alta, but Gen. Ma
duro had not been able to cross the stream
with his artillery. Three times he had es
Sayed to build bridges, and each time the
river had swept the structure away. The
only permanent crossing was an old Indian
bridge that swung like hammock from
Cliff to cliff Over that no large bodies of
ren could be moved, nor the guns, without
which an attack upon the stronghold would
be useless.
1t was here that the father of the king
had been killed fifteen years before, and l
knew the ground well.
AS the general and l conversed, a rattle of
musketry started us both to feet. They
are at 1t again." he cried, running out as he
spoke.
Several men had fallen: others were scat
tered, seeking such shelter as they could
ma A wounded man crawled toward a
baggage wagon. behind which a group of
soidierS had taken refuge. but second ball
Killed him before he reached it. On the
right of the camp the officers succeeded in
forming the men. who were for the most
part old soldiers. and returned an Intellectual
IRE, that only provoked q mocking veil
from our assalants.
The confusion, however, did not last be-
yond the first few moments Of attack A
degree OF order was restored, and then
simultaneous, sweeping charge from the
sides of the camp drove the guerrillas from
their position, but none of them We're killed
while We counted a dozen of our force life
less and more than double that number
picket line was pushed out and partial quiet
succeeded.
With the sound of firing the old habit of
my military youth reasserted itself and
seemed to understand things without see
ing them: to reason without thinking.
General. let me have thirty men with
NIFTY rounds each" l requested
MadurO waved his hand toward the al
ready quieting camp.
Take as many men as you like senior
II Is said that you know every veteran in
the army by name. There are many who
have served under YOU; choose for your
self
Then l quickly chose thirty good stanch
volunteers out of the host that pressed their
service upon me. 1t was an embarrassment
of riches.
Next time" called to the disappointed
OF IS that l was obliged to reject, and so
We made taste. foot. to reach the
bridge l felt assured that with speed we
might anticipate the rebels as they would
rot hurry after the attack, having, as they
thought. finished their night work Well
l Intended to cut out some more of a seri-
ors nature Cor them before the moon rose
AT ~ O'Clock l was at the river. We
We're early for our appointment. Sappor-
tez an ola sergeant, whose mettle l knew
We'll. whispered that We might allow them
to get upon the bridge. and then, by cutting
away the end, dash them all into the
stream. The plan had its merits, but for
many reasons l did not like it. / thought
it disadvantage to destroy all commune
cation betv cen the two sides of the river.
and. basid-s. l have prejudice against
that way OF fighting.
We lay id behind the powders that were
strewn by the side of the streams precipi-
tous banks. We We're to fire as the fore
most of the Ell envy reached the bridge.
charging them from the flank and rear
and chasing them across into their own
country if our fire left any of them to
chase.
We had not waited very lcng when about
a hundre'. AND fifty men approached, with
no apparent anticipation of danger. Not a
sound. hardly a breath from behind the
rocks, till the bridge almost reached
when some fellow of my party, too impa-
tient to wait the word of command. pulled
the trigger, and then the volley blaZed out
and the veterans rose with yell and
charged. The moon was up. and We
could see very distinctly by the bridge a
huddled mass of men. who forgot their re-
cent pleas ant excursion when confronted
with retritution. Pell-men they ran for
life. and bullets did much damage
among them.
No doubt the rebels fears magnified our