The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-14
By GEORGE RENO.

| Among the many characters who are
participating in that awful tragedy of
life and death now taking place in
Cuba, none is more interesting, more
picturesque or more personally charm
ing than Nicasio Mirabal. the out
law colonel of Santa Clara. His name
has been used throughout the island
to frighten children, and his presence
has frequently caused the Spanish
Guardia Civillias to tremble in fear.
And yet this man is one of the most
handsome. kind-hearted and courteous
individuals whom l ever met.
Birth made Mirabal a gentleman;
fate made him a bandit; the war for
Cuban independence has made him a
hero. None of the vicissitudes of a
fearfully eventful life has marred the
dignity, the bearing and the instincts
of the gentleman, all of which were
Mirabal's inheritance, and yet for
many years this man has been hunted
like a wild beast A price is on his
head today, although ne is one of Cen
eral Gomez most trusted and active
officers, the colonel of a division in the
insurgent army.
l shall never forget my first meeting
with Mirabal, nor the cordial recep-
ton given me. 1t was in the edge of
a dense forest near the Moron and
Jucaro trocha, where camp had been
made and dinner just served. AS l
dismounted, Mirabal arose from the
ground, and exchanged greetings with
all the courtesy of a host of some in
vited guest. Leading me to the little
spot of palm covered grass which did
duty for a cloth, he remarked: You
will pardon our somewhat primitive
table service Had L known of your
coming a few little comforts might
l manufacture for us a couple of
plates Saying which he proceeded to
carve two octagon-shaped pieces of
majagua from the great thin, fiat
lea, lOck of the royal palm.
Miguel, will you bring us few ma
tive napkinS?" \ moment later sew
eral pieces of soft brown cloth-like ma
terial was stripped from another
variety of low palm and placed beside
the homemade plates. Il am glad
you have your own fork, Mr.. Reno;
the fact is, my last civilized cutlery
slipped through a hole in one of the
carones, during a somewhat hurried
march this spring. Thanks, keep it; l
have learned during the past Is
years to accommodate myself to the
exigencies of camp life. You Will, /
think, find that roast pig excellent.
For the jayaca (stew) 1 cannot say as
much. My regular chef was killed last
Tuesday. But the honey is from ma
lures own hives, and 1 can recommend
it." And thus he chatted on, with a
manner so courteous, and yet so unas-
Stunning, that no one could help feeling
perfectly at ease.
The chivalry of an old-time knight
comes as naturally to Nacasio Mirabal
as fighting. And a fighter he is, both
with hand and brain. l have seen him
go into action, mounted on his big
gray mule with a smile on his face
which would suggest an absolute lik-
ing for danger. THE battlefield is a
good place to get rid of the blues" he
once remarked to me. A rent in his
shirt or trousers is far more serious to
him than a bullet hole in his leg, un
less it really cripples him. He is by
far the best dressed officer in the in
surgent army. the only one 1 met who
sports a small diamond in the front of