The herald., 1897-12-19

patched their best men to the seat of war.
All these newspaper men had narrow es-
capes, several were killed, one died in hos
pital, some were imprisoned. Marriott
vividly depicts the dangers encountered
by the stranger in Cuba :,
After a trip to Matanzas, town two and
Q half hours by train from Havana, Mr.
Marriott returned to Havana to ilnd mat
thick columns of smoke obscured the city.
The Spanish were wantonly destroying the
houses of the peaceful inhabitants, driv-
Ing them out and burning everything be-
hind them. Meeting Crosby. another cor
respondent, Mr.. Marriott makes trip to
Sagua In q steamboat crowded with Span
ist officers and soldiers. whose martial
songs are quenched in the horrors OF sea-
sickness.
The last chapter left them in bed at
village called Vega Alta, which was In the
poss ession of the Spaniards. but surround
cd by Cuban troops.)
CHAPTER V
The village went to bed early; by 3
o'clock all was STILL except for the bark
ing of numerous dogs and the long
drawn whistles of the sentries. as they
cried their "Alerto!" through the night.
As the clock struck ~, as il that were
a signal for which the insurgents wait
eU, u IuIHtt ldI -OiL oiiCt was AScA - s~AA
swered a moment later by rattle Of
musketry. short but rapid. moment
later q column of flame shut up on the
outskirts of the town. Then came
shrieks of terror and the popping Of
muskets, like pack of firecrackers,
swelling rapidly into continual rattle
of shot, and the battle was upon us.
The village was awake now. In every
house there were eyes glued to the
cracks in the doors. The soldiers, In the
half-dozen forts by which the town
was guarded. poked rifles through the
loopholes and began to fire at random.
In few houses lights began to CLEAN
and dark forms fitted behind the barred
windows. Like a magnet. these lights
drew the fire Of friend and foe alike, and
upon them poured storm of bullets
that pierced their frail sides as IL they
did not exist. Down on their knees went
the women, praying to heaven for mercy
The children, not knowing the danger
yet, became infected by the terror and
clung, shrieking, to their mothers. The
men, such few of them as had rifles. fired
them through the windows without aim,
adding to the general chaos without
Here and there throughout the town red
lights sprang up, as house after house
took fire, and, aided by the moon, lighted
the streets as brightly as day. Soon a
close observer could see the forms Of
rebels moving swiftly in the shadows
of the houses. 10th to expose themselves
to the fire from the windows and the
forts, but stopping now and then to fire
at some chink through which light
~1.1 ~ =, hot fal,
of some poor home.
For fifteen minutes the firing con-
tinued, finally dying away at the edge
OF the town. For an hour more single
shots continually sounded. as some ex
cited soldier fired at q fitting shadow
in the grass, but the fight was over, and
1t remained to count the cost.
INNOCENT SUFFER, AS USUAL
Ten houses and many huts were still
flaming when the people ventured forth
from the unburned ones to the rescue of
their friends and neighbors. In one
house were one dead and three wounded
1t had been the first to make light and
had drawn upon it q deadly hail. In
another lay a man and woman, both
dead, while their children wept over
them. Eight persons in all had been
killed and over thirty wounded, more or
less seriously.
Who were these dead and wounded?
Paciflcos, to a man. The Spanish SOL
diers, protected by their forts, had not
soul injured. The Spanish residents,
living in well-built houses, Offering some
opposition to the course of a bullet, were
also spared. The rebels left many al
legged traces of blood in the streets, but
carried off their dead and wounded, If
they had any. Only the pacificos, driven
in from their country homes, beggared
already, had their houses burned and
their bodies pierced by random bullets.
The insurgents had succeeded only
partially in their purpose. which was to
destroy both town and forts, but they
had carried off half dozen cattle and
killed twenty more, and had entered a
protest against being pacified in the
usual Weyler way.
The next day we called on Lieutenant
Carcas again and got pass to visit the
sugar estate "Verdugon," to buy the
copper from the mill. Crosby then
bought a horse, got into his outfit and
rode off. Stopped by the sentinel at the
outskirts, he showed his pass and got
through all right. A mile from town
a rebel escort was waiting for him and
he Joined them and set of for Gomez.
! now had q difficult and somewhat
dangerous task before me. I had to get
away from the town without waiting for
his return. If the Spanish should sus-
pect my leaving without him, there
might be serious trouble for me. Cros-
by was safe, but might be kept pris-
oner indefinitely. without any one find
ing 1t out. When the train came I went
to get my ticket, and, as I expected
was questioned about my companion. I
pretended not to understand Spanish
and managed to get away at last
went to Caibarien, where 1 took the
boat for Havana. A week later the
Spanish smelled a mouse and started
to search for Crosby and myself. De-
scriptions Of us, not at all fiattering, were
sent broadcast. with orders for our in
stant arrest. But by that time was
In Havana and Crosby was we'll on his
way to Gomez.
CHAPTER VI
My next adventure came near ending
fatally for me. I had arranged to get
my mail from Crosby secretly from the