Evening star., 1897-04-10
II could have a gun rd like to take my

u
fathers place"
And he got the gun. together with the
love and protection Of Salvador Cisnsros.
A pile Of sarones Qarge palmetto or grass
saddle bags) answered as a bed for this
infant soldier Of the republic until few
months ago. when the president concluded
to send him to New York to be educated.
Every hardship, privation and danger
OF the war was shared by President Cis-
neros from the beginning. Such luxuries
as bread and butter are absolutely un-
known. poor substitute for the former,
called casabe, drifts into camp occasion
ally, but seldom lasts more than a day.
Coffee is worth almost its weight in silver
and hard to get at any price. A drink
called "canchanchara,' made by slightly
screening honey over the camp fire and
af,erward adding boiling water. usually
takes its place If honey cannot be alb
tanned brown sugar in cakes Called raspa-
dura) answers very we'll. Fresh beef and
green bananas c'platinas'O are almost al
ways on hand and In plenty. Sweet pota-
toes Cboneatas'o are abundant In some
parts of the island
/ remember that in NajaSSa, last sum-
mer, we lived for five days on beef and
mangoes The president reminded me one
morning that 1 had not eaten at his table
for several meals. and l was obliged to
tell him that his table had become really
too bad. That evening it was my privilege
to send the marques a young roast pig,
ten pounds of honey and some fresh eggs.
1 had been foraging.
The Cabinet.
Surrounding the presidents tent were
those of his cabinet. 'Tis needless to say
that they shelter men of culture and re-
finement. They were the choice of the
assembly elected by the people of Cuba,
and are all devoted to the common cause
Of liberty at any price.
Col. Mandulay, acting secretary of war
in Gen. Roloff's absence, is bright and
most industrious officer Of the government.
Couriers are coming and going from his
headquarters at All nours OF The day, and
often until far into the night. The colonel
has some knowledge of English and is
very proud of his accomplishment, al
though his speaking vocabulary is con-
fined to few phrases. The favorite of
these is Poor Cuba!" and this is made
to serve on all occasions. sublime. or ridic-
ulcus. l remember one morning, just pre-
viouS to review of the forces by the late
Gen. Serefin Sanchez, Col. Mandulay, who
is the personification of military tidiness,
swung himself gracefully into the saddle.
The manner of the mount would do credit
to one of the queens guaros, but there
came over his countenance change,
anxious, distressed look which portended
trouble. There was. The back seam of his
iong-enduring trousers had split from one
end to the other. With rare forbearance
he lnduiged Simply in a long drawn sigh
and his favorite exclamation, Poor Cuba
and Immediately sought the tentmaker for
needle and twine.
One cf the most important and impos-
ing personageS of the camp is Col. Betan-
court, governor, quartermaster, sanitary
inspector and ''all round boss" He deals
out the coffee Gf there happens to be any,
the raspadura ana the manteca de vaca
(beef sueD He sees that the beeves driven
into camp each day are killed and the meat
fairly apportioned to each mess. Great
bonfires are built over the refuse the mo-
ment the meat is taken from the bones. SO
iC unity for III
germs TO be engendered.
4 Nomadfc Life.
The sanitary rules of insurgent camps
are riSidy enforced in all parts of the is
land. which accounts for the almost total
absence of disease. Camp, whenever pos
sible, is made by some running stream,
and guards are at once posted to see that
no bathing or washing of horses is in
dulged in above the spot where drinking
water is obtained.
Col. Betancourt is a great gun in camp
but when stakes are pulled up and ham
mocks pulled down You will observe a
shade OF anxiety spreading over his nat
urally serene countenaEce. But a still
deeper one comes over the face of the little
mule which has to carry the colonels 800
pounds of adipose tissue to the next stop
ping place. He at first appears inclined ~
rebel, but after reflection change comes
over the spirit of his dream. His ears re-
sumo an angle of resignation and in his
eyes you easily read, 1T is for Cuba poor
Cuba. | will bear my burden with the rest
but Col Betancourt is pretty heavy"
In going over the road this patient lit
tie beast usually picks out rut in which
TO walk, SO that often all six feet touch
tie ground at once.
There is peculiar mingling of the pic
turesque and the pathetic in the nomadic
HE or the lnsurSent government. The clus-
ter of white canopies rejecting back the
soft pure light of tropical moon: the
long, graceful plumes of royal palms, gen
ty tanning the tired patriots into slumber:
the sweet little night song of the mocking
pird, all help TO form a picture of joy and
content, and were it rot for the distant
roar OF musketry. which comes from the
lines of harassed Spanish column on the
other side of the hills, one could easily i'm
agine himself in land of perpetual peace.