The silver lance., 1898-06-24

,,u.h Riders. Last fall Colonel Cody
s.c,Sed to place the flag of Cuba among
10 Nass of nations in his exhibition,
- Tor that purpose had his agents
.ecure a band of genuine Cuban pa
triots for the purpose of educating the
neople of the United States to knowl-
stss of the personnel and characteris-
,,cs of our neighbors, their costumes,
and their flag, to create sympathy and
r.snsct for the subject. In doing this
bs had the assistance of those interest
"A in Cuba. Colonel Cody offered his
services to the government many
weeks ago They were accepted, and
hs holds himself in readiness when
needed. With this band Of Cuban pa
,riots and General Acosta, he has spent
much time studying the topography of
the island. Six of the men who have
been with him have already gone. hav-
ing left Monday night last, to take
command in the expedition from Tam
M. Their places have been supplied
nv four other disabled veterans, Cen
ersl Acosta, Colonel Delgado, and
Lieutenant Mazuria, and others will
ksep In communication with Colonel
Cody.
Among these veterans Is Col. Eman-
uel Francisco Aguero y Aguerro. He
Is now 56 years of age, and has been an
irrepressible patriot for 29 years, never
IN all that time reconciled to Spanish
rule. When there was any fighting 60
ing on he was mixed up in it. Be-
tween times he was melting his coun-
trymen to do more fighting for liberty,
and was always ready to take his share
In the active conflict. Seven of his
brothers have been killed in battle,
fighting for Cuba libre, and two more
are still doing heroic service in the
fsk The Spaniards butchered his
wife and seven children, and among
the Incidents of his turbulent career
have been two terrible terms of i'm
prisonment in Spanish prisons and IL
sevtre wounds, five machete chops and
the others by rifle and carbine balls.
AGuerro is the little, bronzed man, with
grizzled hair and beard, who is minus
q left forearm and has only a remnant
Of right hand. The old man says
with grim satisfaction: I'VE killed
plenty of Spanish" Among Cuban pa
triots none receive so much sympathy
as the one-legged man (the old colonel,
who has only one arm, runs him a
good second). This singular rider is
yet young man, just out of his teens,
and was private soldier in the war of
independence. Eldiodoro Hernandez
&c l.
mand of Col. Octavia in the forces
Of General Torres in Santiago de Cuba.
One day when they were advancing
upon Vittoria Lattuna, he was one of
a squad of thirty men detached on a
foraging expedition The Cuban army
was out Of meat, and the squad was
under orders to find cows and get them
into camp. They met with good sue
cess. getting together twenty or TWEEN
ty-fve cows. but at that point in their
game were discovered by $50 Spanish
guerillas. To save the precious cows
II possible twenty men undertook to
drive them off toward the main col
umn, while Hernandez and nine COM
rades remained as a sort of forlorn
hope to stand off the enemy so long as
might be practicable, and so gain time
for the drivers of the COWS to get a
good start. That the ten would prob
ably pay with their lives for the COWS
was accepted as a matter of course.
Hernandez fell with his right ankle
shattered by two bullets, and was taxi
en- prisoner. His evident youth moved
mis- captors to refrain from macheting
MIN 1T once, not because of sympathy,
but by reason of a hope that fear of
pain and love of life might make him