The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-29
|A(uban Filibuster.


Ore swelterng evening the little
steamer Olivet lay gently rising and
falling on the oily swell of Arucas Bay
1T was overpoweringly hot. with a
clammy heat that made respiration
difficult and exertion an impOssbility
while across the tall palms ashore and
the white houses of the Cuban town
there rolled "A mass of steamy haze.
Beneath the Olivets poop awnings.
from which the condensed moisture
trickled and fell in drops, the captain,
engineer and mate sat before a we'll
spread table, whereon TASKS of red ana
yellow wine nestled among mangocs,
crimson bananas and golden pine
apples. The three were on better terms
than is usually the case, for. having
been engaged in a certain trade be-
tween the gulf ports and Cuba, in
which they occasionally carried goods
not enumerated in any manifest, the
voyage had been a profitable one for
all concerned.
well" said the mate, mopping his
dripping forehead, II never want to
go ashore in Arucas again. l can see
that firing squad now, and the half
dead wretChcs writhing upon the
stones. Thank goodness, were going
out tonight. I'm sick of Cuba. There's
another batch of insurgents to he done
to death tomorrow, they say. Cold
blooded murder, and a disgrace to
humanity, l call it, And now l sup
pose they're going to church proud of
what they've done. Listen to them
pah!"
From out of the mist above the town
there rose the Gang of bells, and when
this had died away strain Of music
came through the listless air as the
crew Of a Spanish warship lying close
at hand formed up in parallel lines
along her deck The band took up its
station, and the officers stood bare
headed upon her poop as the sillien
folds of the Spanish ensign futtered
down from the peak, a limp streak of
crimson and gold.
Music and incense in the churches,
and halfdried blood on every stone in
the plaza-it,s a curious world. After
what's I've seen ! could he Il rebel
myself" said the mate. The captain
merely nodded; he was a plain man,
and rarely wasted words: but the grim
old engineer glanced toward the Span
ish cruiser with flash in his keen
eyes that his firemen knew and
dreaded.
with steam at hummer an fifty,
q, an seventy revolutions, l would like
fine to grind the aud Olivet's stem
right through her-just there amid
ships he said. The captain smiled as
he answered, Il believe you, Mr.. Cor
don"
Then the Marcia real rang out from
the cruisers deck,and afterwards there
was silence, only broken by an unloVe-
ly voice chanting something about
nome, dearie, home, in time to the
WhecZing of a cOncertina beneath the
cargo boats forecastle awning.
Presently the skipper rose sharply to
his feet Halo, what in the world do
You want?" he asked, as a Gaunt man,
dressed in dilanidated linen garments
which might have been white a long
time ago, came IN out of a provision
barge alongside, and climbing the poop
ladder dropped weariIy into a chair.
Thrusting back the remains of a
shapeless Panama hat from a swarthy,
sunburned forehead. he said. Well
you ought to know me. Captain Arm
strong. Thought / was a Cubano. eh ?"
and he turned a pair of wolfsh eyes
toward the table.
The skipper gasDed with astonish-
ment. watkins who Joined the Port
Tampa iilibustering expedition" he
said; but the engineer interposed:
The mans just starving. Give him
time. Drink this first and eat, Wat
kins; well listen til ye after"
The stranger ate raVenously, like one
who had not seen food for days, and
then, throwing bacl; the linen Jacket
showed a curious blue mark on his
shoulder and livid scars upon his wrist
That's where a rifle ball went in, and
hot iron made the Others" he said
cut off from the ship. landing arms
we were, and hunted like wild beasts"
where's Wilson, who went with
yOu?' asked the skipper.
I'm coming to that" the man re-
piled. Wilson nursed rle when | was
shot, and then we fell into the Span
iards' hands. An officer laughed when
l said we were British. and they burn
ed my wrists tC make me tell where the
rebels lay It's true Gordon, you
needn't stare like that: | saw them
tear out one wretched peasants nails.
/ got away one night, and as l hadn't
been in the West Indies ten years with
out learning to speak Spanish like a
native, | followed that detachment Of
Ca2adores day and night, sleeping in
the sWamps and begging as / went.
lf IjttASdHtS all nult lIlt spa Hildl as
at heart, and they gave me what they
could. Today | stood in the plaza, and
saw my Cuban comrades shot like
dogs. There are others, and Wilson
is among them, too, whom they take on
board the cruiser tonight, to be mur-
dered in patches somewhere else as
an example, and the question is, will
you help me to take him out?"
IT'S a risky business and / don't
see how ii is to be done. Why didn't
you report to the consult" said the
skipper, wrinking his brows.
Watkins rose stiltly to his feet. a
saunt skeleton of a man, with the
stamp of pain and hunger upon his
face There's no consul in this for
lorn place; and how could | reach
Havana without money,an the chance
of being seized on the way? I've pass
ed as a Cuban, and the Spanish off
GERS would insist / was one; they don't
waste time on investigation. Last