The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-11-04

half way down the sky. Maceo sat
upon his horse surveying the scene be-
low him long and silently. The little
town was aglow with electric lights and
the whistle of locomotives resoun led in
the valley. Over three thousand Span
ish troops were quartered in the town.
and their movements were plainly dis
cernible. Trains We're arriving hourly
from Santiago bearing strong rein
forcement. Through a field glass he
watched the stirring scene. He turned
the glass beyond the town and gazed
through it patiently, betraying a trace
OF anxiety. Finally he alighted and con-
ferred with Colonel Miro, his chief Of
staIl. A ONE afterward came the
order to dismount. Three hundred
troopers obeyed, when they were called
10 attention. A second order reached
thelr ears. They were told to stand
motionless with both feet on the ground
and to await further orders, with their
nands on their saddles. In the neon
llsht beneath the scattered palms ,bey
stood as silent as if petrifed.
among them was a newspaper cor
respondent, who had known Maceo
many years, and who had parted with
MN at Fort Limon in Central America
a lew months before. He mad ioine,1
the column just after the battla ~ oor
aleJo. In obedience to orders ne stool
WIN MS arm over the back Lf mis- horse
p!lhklng at the enlivening scene below
nihl. Exhausted by the DAVIS march
ms eyes closed n he found it limos.
Slole to keep awake. A moment Iatsr
ne fastened the bride to his foot, wan
peu hl1nsei1 IN his rubber coat and fen
asleep in the wet grass Tho ad;,,an
soon aWoke him, telling him that he
40 uau petter get up, as they were going
20 nave a tight. He thanked the adm,
eant' who told him there were }uo0
spanish soldiers in San Luis. and thai
!. was surrounded with fourteen block
louses: Inc correspondent soon cu,lcl
1,aleell on the grass a second time and
go ~ d sound slumber, When he was
again aroused by the adiutant. who tnL,
nm ne was in positive danger if he per-
slsteo IN dlsobeying the order of Cen
era Maceo. A third time his heavy
eyellos closed and he was in a dead
sieep "hen startled by a
snake, Jesus Mascons, Maceo's private
Sectetaiy' stood over him. "eGt up this
instant said he. 1.-THE general wants
10 see you immediately"
IN q second that co"rrespondent u,.so
ms feet. The whistles were still hlow
ing n the electric lights still glow
ing IN the valley, and the moon was
"a tne horizon. He went forward in
some trepidation, %fancying that the
Seneral was going to upbraid him for
- AAAo VI OeIS. he was SurDrlSaH
W ma MIN very pleasant. Maceo ALWAYS
SPOKE IN a low tone, as he had been
snot twice through the lungs.
Are you not hungry?"
NO. the correspondent replied. won-
oer1ng what was in the wind
1 thought possibly you might want
s0Iaetnlng to eat" General Maceo said.
to divide it with you" AS he nttere5
these words he drew out his machete
ana cut the egg straight through the
center. Passing half of it to the cor~
respondent he said: Share it: If win
40 you good" The newspaper man
nanked the general and they ate the
egg IN silence. He said afterward that
eMe incioent m him of General
Marlons breakfast with a British OIL
GER. He had read the story in Peter
rarleys History of the Revolution
when a school boy. Marion rake5 -
baked sweet potato out of the ashes
OF a camp fire and divided it with his
brltlsh guest. The officer regretted the
apsence OF salt, and the
nau ne experienced the same regret
Wllen ne ate his portion of General
Maceo's egg.
AFTER munching the egg both men sat
Tor some time observing the stirrin.
scene in the valley below them. The
moon mad gone down, but in the glow
OF the electric lights they could see
tnat inc activity among the Spaniards
was as great as ever. Suddenly Maceo
turned to the correspondent and said
abruptly: Were you asleep when .Jes,,s
called you?"
On' no., the correspondent replied.
l. was not asleep; I was only lust
tlred-that was ALL"
Inc general looked at him searching
ly, and then said: Don't worry, i: is
an r1ght. We are going through that
town in a few minutes. There uav b.
a fierce fight n you will need a clear
mead: The will give you strength"
WITHIN twenty minutes the little COL
umns OF 800 men were on the move
Ihey led their horses down the bill!
ABOUT an hour before daybreak with
the general in the lead. Silently and
stealthlly they entered the outskirts Of
the town. The columns passed two
blockhouses without being observed and
at the break of day were beyond the
town on the main road to Banabacoa,
Meanwhile the Spaniards had discov-
cred them. The town was aroused and
$50 Spanish cavalry headed the pursuit.
the o wound through ields of cane.
A strong column of Spanish infantry
folloWed the cavalry. Maceo held his
men in reserve and continued his
march, the Spanish troopers trailing
AFTER them like so many wildcats. Sud-
denly, to their establishment, Quintin
Bandera's Infantry arose on either side
OF the road and almost annihilated the
pursuing column. Those that escaped
alarmed the columns of infantry, who
returned to San Luis and began to
fortify themselves. Maceo and Bandera
camped on the estate of Mejorana,
about six miles away. 1t was here that
Marti, Gomez, the two Maceos, Crombet,
Guerra and Rabi met not long before
this to inaugurate the new revolution.
Bandera and Macoe found plenty of
provisions at the estate, but no bread.