The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-01-22

brier and bramble bushes, about reach
ing to the stirrups, were thick a few
pretty blue flowers, woefully IN strange
company, were as baby smiles IN
dungeon
Successive ridges, each higher than
the former, were passed over by the
little band in a distance Of ten miles,
and every mile or two the challenge,
"Quien va, quien viva?' (WhO goes,
who lives , was given by mounted sem
tinels, and the party, answering satls-
factorily, proceeded.
Between the ridge were narrow plat
eaus, each sloping toward the main
ridge, after the manner of the first des-
| sribed. There are few paths. but they
are unknown except TO the most eXper-
fenced guides.
Reaching at length the last ridge, that
rises almost perpendicularly for 500
feet, each member of the party dis
mounted, and the task Of making the
remaining four miles was begun. The
narrow pass between rocks wound this
way and that; out over ledges, through
scrubby brush and occasionally on
siding patches of hard, red clay In
| some places it was almost impossible
to keep from sliding down, and the
! poor, unshOd horses seemed to have
! narrow escapes each minute
UNABLE TO DO a THING.
One can hardly imagine the condition
Of this road" up Cubitas Mountain,
but after climbing it there IS no trOub-
le in figuring out for oneself why the
Spaniards have made no attempt TO dis
| lodge the rebel government Spain
| might send every soldier she al present
has in the island of Cuba Q19,000 regu-
| lars and 10000 voulnteers), and she
| would be unable to cope with the 900
men that form the guard of President
| Cisceros.
Nor could she starve them out, for the
| top of Cubitas Montain is a fertile plat
eau of 5000 acres, where potatoes, corn,
and other vegetables anl cereals thrive.
Even should Gomez, MeceO, and the
| other leaders in the field be killed or
captured, and the revolution be other
| wise put down. the garrison at Cuban
headquarters might hold out for years
and the roof of this natural fortress
could remain a little republic, over
| which the lone star flag" might float
| in fearless and independent impun-
| ity.
Reaching the summit there was
| beautiful view TO the northward. I'm
mediately below the jagged side of the
| mountain sloped away until il reached
the second lower ridge, which, with the
| others beyond it, appeared as battle
mentS surrounding an immense castle.
Still beyond, green fields ands great
patches of jungle led away 10 the blue
waters of the Atlantic in the hazy dis
tance. In other directions the vista
| was obstructed by a growth of timber
| very unlike that which seemed to flour
ish among the crags below. Mahogany
grew abundantly, and a wealth of other
| tropical woods was about.
REACHES HEADQUARTERS
Another challenge and another reply,
| and the party again mounted their hOr-
| ses and rode along over a very good but
| marrow road. away, and almost in the
center of the plateau. a mile through
| the woods, and open fields were found
and, although past the supper hour,
many men were working in the beds
| of yams and acres of corn Passing
| through another small grove the four
| large farm buildings constituting the
executive quarters came into view. Two
| companies of soldiers Were going
| through the manual of arms, and sew
| eUal small squads were marching and
| facing. Around, lying on the grass,
We're several hundred men, smoking,
| playing games, etc. They viewed cur
iously some Of the party and neglected
TO salute one of its members, Colonel
Miguel Orbi, but a little cannon at the
farther end of tihe green doomed well
come, and President Cisneros, emerging
from a. picturesque rustic little house,
>
very pleased TO see the representative
Of an American newspaper in the
Washington Of the Cuban republic"
1t being remarked that the location of
the headquarters and the road leading
thereto were not inducements to Amer
lean correspondents, President Cisner-
oS replied: "Oh, it is not they that We
wish to keep away, but the Spaniards,
you know"
Salvador Cisneros- s-Betancourt-that
is his full neme-president of the re-
pubic Of Cuba, is 2 very democratic
man. despite his great wealth and the
hOnors that have been bestowed upon
him by the Spanish crown. He has liv-
ed part Of his life in the United States,
and, few years ago, became a citizen,
renOuncing his title of Marquis OF Santa
Lucia for that of plain Mister. As may
be inferred, he is a great admirer of the
American nation.
LIFE OF THE MOVEMENT.
During the last war in Cuba he was
elected president of the revolutionary
republic and was the life of the move
ment But years have counted rather
heavily. and .CisnerOs could not now
take the field as he did in DAYS gone
by. Still, he is far from being decrepit
and moves with an alacrity worthy of
much younger men. He is quite slight
In build, straight as an arrow, and
speaks Euglish charmingly.
Here he is surrounded by his cabinet
officers and directs from Cubitas Noun,
tain all the diplomatic work of the
movement His secretaries of war. f.
nance, etc, have charge Of the different
departments under his guidance. The
headquarters Is n almost uninterrupted
communication with all parts Of Cuba
by means OF a carrier pigeons Indeed.
one OF the most interesting features
here IS that part Of the posOoffice build
ing devoted TO the sixty pigeons Each
day two or three are taken away. and
each day also two OF three return with
notes from the generals in the field An
occasional bird flies in with good It'd
ings from the revolutionary junta in
New York.
General Roloff. acting secretary Of
war is here IN charge Of the executive |
guard. He was recently seriously !
wounded. but is again about. and when
sent for by President C.sneros was
sleeping IN his hammock stretched from,
trees back Of the war department build
ing. From the general down 10 the p-i-
Yates all sleep out OF doors in ham
noc6s hung in the same clean grove. /
The air Is pure and al this time of the
year cool. and a generally healthier
body OF men IL would be hard 20 fird
4 regular routine OF duty is estahlfsh-
ed. and during one week a soldier a :
Cubitas VIII have served in all the bran
ches from working in the fields or tend
ing cattle 70 guard or c0uris- duty be-
tween the headquarters and Puerto
Principe.
OFFICIALS QUITE SERENE.
We are quite serene here" SAID Pres
ident CiSne-OS. and all the men are
contented. although occasionally soma
OF them become restless and desire q
ce with the forces IN the field. When