The herald., 1898-07-17

against Delaigne, writing and painting.
eff could only break these cords!" he
muttered.
1--WE been trying to free my hands
for hours" said the American, land 1
cannot. The thongs seem to cut to the
bone"
The tumult without was at it's height.
The Spaniards were resisting the furi-
Gus machete charge OF the insurgents
with equal fury. A beam of light APP
peared for an instant upon the floor
above the prisoners. 1t came from the
corner where the trap door opened
upon the stairs. Quick as flash it dis
appeared.
Colonel colonel! where are your"
said an anxious voice.
Delaigne recognized 1t as that of the
orderly who had given the warning to
Mendez.
"This way, Antonio. this way" re-
piled Mendez once again his cool, col
lected self.
The orderly crossed the cellar and
stumbled upon Mendez. In an in
slant his bonds were severed.
II will free the American" said Mem
deg. ATTEND to our comrade."
A second later the three prisoners
and the orderly crept up the stairs.
1.-The fight is hot outside" said the
orderly, but there are guards within.
We shall have to fight past them. Here
is an extra machete and a revolver"
"Give me the machete" returned
Mendez, land the revolver to the
American. Now for It'll"
He pushed open the door and dashed
up, followed closely w the others.
Three soldiers were guarding the en-
trance. They turned at sound of the
escaping prisoners and started to raise
their rifles. Mendez, in the lead, cut
one down with his machete, ball from
Delaigne's revolver sent another reel
ing, and the third leaped aside and dis
appeared in the darkness.
"Al machete!" shouted Mendez and
the orderly together, as they issued
from the fort.
The insurgents had carried the charge
to the carlista and fierce hand to
hand conflict was raging there, lit up
fitfully by a waving torch here and
there and the flashing of firearms. The
Spaniards, forced back by the savage
fury of the foe, We're breaking and maxi
ing for the block house. Mendez and
his companions made to one side to
avoid the retreat, only to find them
selves in the thick of a fight where a
company of Spanards babe fair to hold
the Cubans in check. Elsewhere the
insurgents were carrying everything
before them, charging so holly that the
Spaniards were unable even to reach
the shelter of the fort.
Death to Spain!" cried Mendez, lay
ing about him with his machete.
The spy, unarmed till now, wrested
a sword from a wounded officer and
joined with Mendez and the orderly in
attacking the enemy on the flank. De-
laigne threw himself into the thick Of
the combat, firing his revolver until all
the chambers were empty. Ignorant Of
this he snapped the weapon point
blank in the face of a soldier whose
gun was raised to club him. The Span
lard laughed savagely when the wea-
pom failed to speak, and brought his
gun down. 1t did not fall upon De-
laigne, for Mendez interposed, cutting
open the Spaniard's head with his
blade and receiving the butt of the rifle
on his own.
"For Cuba Libre!" cried Mendez, as
he fell.
Delaigne caught him in his arms. The
fight passed them quickly, for the in
surgents, inspired, It seemed, by the
unexpected assistance from the direc-
ton of the fort, renewed the charge
with vigor that much larger force
could not have withstood. The orderly
and the spy fell in with their charging
comrades, and for minute Delaigne
bore his burden unmolested. Then he
was halted and he found himself In the
presence of the officer in command of
the insurgent forces.
A few words of hasty explanation
sufficed. The commander knelt by Men,
dez, who was evidently nearing the
end.
Withdraw, general" he gasped;
Spain has large forces near to meet
the American expedition. This Ameri-
can will tell you. die for Cuba!"
A single torch revealed the stern ex-
preston of satisfaction which fixed it.
self upon the face of Mendez, and its
shadows concealed the tears that welled
from Delaigne's eyes.
A half hour later, while the insur-
gents were in full retreat, a dull boom
from the rear proclaimed that their
WOIk OIL uGSLTuCllOIl Wdo COlhPiCIC. my
had fired the fort and the flames had
reached the magazine.
At sunrise they reached their camp
among the hills and there de Cardenas
and Louisa awaited them. Forgetting
all restraints, she threw herself into
Delaigne's arms, and while she wept
for joy at his escape, she explained
her presence there. Warned of the
accusation against Mendez, and con-
WINGED that with his exposure they, too,
would be lost, she and her father had
left the Spanish lines and gone straight
to the insurgents, a course compare
lively easy for them, as they were not
then under suspicion. At the very be-
ginning of the instruction de Cardenas
had converted great deal of his prop
erty into cash, and when he left Ha->
vana to go to the court-martial he had
taken all he could carry with him, for
he foresaw the probable necessity Of
allying himself openly with the army
Of liberation.
Acting on the information given first
by Delaigne and confirmed by de Car
denas, the insurgent general led his
forces to the coast where the American
expedition was met. AS it's coming
had been made known to the Spaniards
it was clearly futile for the small
American force to land. Accordingly,