Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-11-19
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s'Throw the women across Won
. shoulders" roared Slater. The,
were jerked up in an instant By tw,
brawny troopers. lt was NO tim,
for ceremony.
"Now. hard ahead !" And be.
fore the Spanisrds had sscovered
from the shock their sssailants
were dashing past the sutkuildings
OF the hacienda and had disappear.
ed behind the sheds. At the same
time the gueriilas swarmed in. and
the soldiers also mounted snd FOL.
loved in chase.
Aesnskils. slskersx nea hsd met
unexpected obstacles. A high and
strong wire fence stood firmly across
their way; it was apparently de.
signed to be horse-proof. There
was no gate, aud the ends were not
in sight.
"Well, cut it then," shouted the
leader, with q rattle of oaths, when
its impregnability became appar-
ent, ''and id quick, too I" He
drew his machete and slashed as
furiously at these wires as he had
done at those Of the trccha.
In q minute or less an opening
had been made, and the riders
were through. When the Span
iards arrived at the same point their
greater number caused q tremend-
Gus crush, which gave the insur-
gents q much-needed start.
1t was soon lost, however. The
fresh horses Of the Spanish rein
forcement rapidly overhauled the
little troop. And, to add to the
difficulties, deep ravine suddenly
appeared ahead. To scramble in
and out Of it with sufficient rapid.
ty would be impossible for the tired
horses, two of which carried doubl
loads. To have cast the women
aside might have facilitated their
escape, but no one seemed to dream
Of such an act, nor was there
word of regret for the delay which
had caused them 10 be overtaken.
Slater drew in his horse, and the
Others gathered round.
"Way's closed" said the leader,
sententiously. "Got to fight here
or surrender"
cor cut our way through" sug-
gested the man from Harvard.
"The women," remarked Slater,
and the other accepted the fact.
'lf they were only mounted !"
muttered q trooper.
The Spanish riders were now
drawing in. and a volley of cara
bines ran before. The had aimed
high, with the result that three
men of the troop topPled from their
saddles. This left the number Of
mounts free.
"Can't you ride, Sonora ?" said
Slater. Both replied in the affirm
ative.
"Then mount here, il you please.
We must try and to cut our way
out = Are you afraid ?"
"It is the privilege Of Cuban
woman to fear nothing except cap
ture by these 20
The man from Harvard was
struck by her courage, bnt he could
not stop to admire it. The women
were helped astride the dead troop
er's saddles-it was no time for
false modesty-end the rest formed
up around them. One of the wo-
men held out her hand toward Sla-
ter's holsters, but he pointed out
the fact that there were pistols al
ready in the holsters before them.
They took these out and handled
them with familiarity.
The Spaniards had paused o few
hundred yards away, and we're scru-
timing the men they had pursued.
I do not know why they did not
run down and ovsrwhelm them by
sheer weight. Possibly 80 much
GOODNESS made them suspect q ruse
or ambuscsae. At any rate they
stood still q moment till they saw
the band form hollow square, with
the women in the center, and charge
down upon them.
Slater was leading. The gueril.
las assayed TO move forward to meet
the attack, and when they cam.
within ffty yards the pistols begar
to crackle on both sides. A charg
ing horse stumbled heavily to tn,
ground. throwing his rider head
. long. An iDcessant volley pouret
from the deft reyolvers of the "a
sailants, aud the Spaniards recoilet