The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-17


eood-looking csY1cer, showing all his per-
feet teeth IN broad grin. There are
always plenty OF chickering's and fights.
When difficulty was TO be settled with
fists. instead OF seconds. each man would
collect fifteen or twenty friends and con-
duct tnem 10 the outskirts OF the camp
Then each would choose a second WHO
was an extraordinarily good dancer The
friends OF the lighters then formed cir
Gle. and some chap would start a ro.lick-
ing song. which sets every one 70 laughing
Next the friends forming the circle
would begin TO pat. but IL wasn't tor
senei body TO dance by. IL was the signal
for the fighting 10 begin. Maceo and Gar
cha were very much opposed 10 any fight
ing In the ranks. Well. the contestants
would 60 for each other as il ore was a
Cuban and one a b.oomin 9S.aaniard until
a stan officer came In sight. AT the Sig
nal they stopped lighting and dropped rist
on the ground SO as 10 be hidden by the
men In the circ.e. Immediately their TWO
seconds jumped into the ring and began
to dance furiosisly, the friends clapping
and patting as the black men do down IN
Key West waen they dance 'Jaba' or pull
Caro- As soon as the stan officer was
cut of the way the fighters went at each
other and fought TO a finish. The next
day they were both usually laid up with
contusions. There's queer thing about
Cuban soldiers when they fight. Al or
them fight SO feroc!ously that both or
neither get licked"
did you have much music in camp"
asked the reporter.
Let me introduce Lieut.. Mazzarro." ex-
claimed Fonteneln, with flourish of his
machete that sent the visitor bowling to
the ground. He does nor speak English
well. but viii interpret. Mazzarro wrote
the music for our national hymn. He
was an operate tenor when the war
broke out, and had just made his appear
ance in Milan, after studying several
years. But he loved his country better
than his art, SO he gave up his career
and came home TO fight"
Navarro Is tall and straight and alto
gether good to look at. He's just the kind
Of tenor that could take the matinee girI
heart by storm.
''Yes. We used to sing a great deal in
camp" ne said, with sign. II remem-
Der so we'll the first time we ever sang
the national hymn. / wrote the music IN
Puerto Principe. but We did not sing it
until the night OF the day We took the
town of Guaramaro. Dear Billy Osgood,
your brave American, was killed in that
battle, on the second day. / knew him
quite well, and it broke our hearts TO have
him gone.
"Maceo used always to have a band
with him." continued Fontenelii. HE
was very fond of having the men play
when We were in camp or In the neid.
When we were about TO engage In BAT
tie he used to station the band at some
conspicuous point on a hill, IL possible,
and make them play like FURY. Ii was
fine fun. II the Spaniards got us at 4
distance of eight or nine hundred yards
they could whip US, because of their far
carrying rifles; but that's wnere Maceo's
greatness came in. He generally knew
how TO get inside of that line. AT dis
lance OF i've or six or seven hundred
yards We had them Come. Valdez. come,
Mazzarro. We must show how We hight"
In jiffy the three We're IN their sad
dies. for they loaf at the horses heels
generally. Their eyes were flashing and
their tongues wagging as they prepared
to go into imaginary action.
That's a high hill over yonder," Fon-
tenelli continued, pointing to a band OF
particularly MISUNDERSTANDING Indians.
'Maceo has stationed the band there. and
they are playing TO wake the dead. We
are inside of the butchers iine-Weyler.
you xnow-and We are going TO get them.
Our rifles are titched to the saddle, our
reviewers are fastened to eur belts by this
strap. and our hats are fastened by an
other strap. You see. We can lose moth
ing.
Now we are advancing on those dogs
of Spain. The band Is playing. Playing.
playing We are at just the right point
now, 500 or 600 or 100 yards, and Maceo
gives the command. We are OFF. riding
at full speed and emptying our Reming-
tons into the Spaniards. As soon as We've
emptied them we drop them so, for you
see they are hooked on TO this strong
strap hanging from our shoulders. Next
ve take IN our reyOlyers for We are
within thirty yards OF the enemy now
and use them with good effect BY
the time we empty them we are on the
dogs, so we drop the revolvers and draw
our machetes, and wher xne Cubans do
that the Spaniards have enough and want
to go home They run from our nice, cool
blades The fight is ours
After this stirring battle the three VIC
torious heroes dismounted, and little VAL
deg. as he is called, wanted to talk poll
tics.
I'VE do have great fun In camp" he
said, .and I want to go back. but my
legs are full of bullets. and the iab 1
got in the neck and this one in the arm
have not healed. Do you know Gen. Lee?
No? How horrible. / knew him. We
are friends. He got me out of Cabanes
prison because / am an American citizen.
Gen, Lee will yet be president, and VAL
deg will vote for him. It's good to be
able TO vote for a man like Gen. Lee.
But first We must have Cuba Idbre"
..There's our cue" exclaimed Fontenelli.
I'VE must go. If it was TO go at the
Spanish dogs there'd be more fun In it
But the operate tenor. little Valdez. and
Maceo's scout took their leave with the
grace and graciousness OF the ballroom
and not with any savor Of the battlefield.
-Ncw York Sun.