The Red Cloud chief., 1897-03-19


troop of horsemen swept out of a
breach and galloped into the fields.
Victory" yelled Antonio. at must
be-see, those are our men. and they
have been sent out to gather in the
stragglers."
The horsemen ranged the fields, fer
reting out the miserable wretches who
had hidden there. and driving them
beck toward the buildings.
But they haven't got them all" said
the mozo; two, at least, have
reached the woods. Do you think you'd
he afraid If ! left you alone a little
while to look for those stragglers,
Senior Tomasito?"
Not l." said the boy, resenting the
implied imputation that he could feel
afraid. Go, but, Antonio, If you do
find them, don't harm them. will you?"
The Cuban turned. as he ran off to
secure his carbine and machete, and
for answer repeated hat significant
sweep of his hand across his throat.
%grinning fiendishly.
Dear me- sighed the boy. this Is
terrible business! How can men be SO
cruel? They really seem to take pleas
uro In the shedding Of blood. II is
awful. | wish | had never come to
Cuba. and wasn't Obliged to know of
these dreadful things"
Tommy could hear the terrific roar
of the leaping flames and feel their hot
breath, but he held to his post. wait
ing for the fire to burn II and Don
Carlos to appear. But when at last
the flames subsidized, the brief twilight
had faded and darkness covered the
plain. A 400 was shining in the sky,
but 1t could not penetrate, the murky
veil that obscured the landscape: and
Tommy was about to return to the
ruined house, where the mule and pony
were tied, to search for something to
eat, when there was a cracking Of
twigs beneath him. In the ravine at his
right. and he waited, listening. Soon,
above the brink of the ravine appeared
a hand, then an arm, reaching out for
a limb to grasp. Hand and arm be-
longed to a human figure which fol-
lowed, and which showed, to Tommy's
CONSERVATION, the uniform of a Span
ish regular! The enemy was upon
him! What should he do? BY keep
ing perfectly still he would escape UNI
noticed: but IL he did. the man would
certainly cross the plateau and dis
cover the mule and pony, and perhaps
make OFF with both. BY a little def
strategy he might make the soldier his
prisoner, and this he resolved to do.
The man approached, and was not
ten feet away, when the boy stretched
out his right hand, in which was his
revolver, and covered him completely.
Haiti he commanded. The man
was unarmed-that Is. he had no mus
ket-though what he had concealed in
his blouse the boy did not know. He
made a pass as though to draw a knife
from his belt.
Hold up your hands," This was
commanded quietly, but In a deter
mined tone, and the man held his
hands high above his head.
Now march in that direction" in
dicating the ruined house. where the
boy hoped to find Antonio. As they
drew near the house. however. Tom
my reasoned that perhaps the soldier
might dart around the walls and es-
cape; so he halted him in the open
field, where he could the better cover
him with the revolver.
Here the soldier attempted to par
ley. surely the senorito wouldn't de-
prive me Of my life? / have never
harmed him. | have a mother and a
sister in Spain. who are hoping for
my return"
NO" said Tommy, warily watching
his prisoner, II have no desire for your
blood. | make you a prisoner in self
defense, but | will promise to give you
your freedom later on"
The prisoner was a young man, with
an honest countenance, open and
Frank. He told Tommy that he had
been drafted in Cadiz. when he was in
that city attending a fair, and that his
family had not heard from him since
his compulsory enlistment. He did
| not know what he had been sent to
Cuba for, but he found u soon after
he got there, for he was sent Off with
others to guard the plantations and