Evening star., 1898-07-30

few days pleaded the Spanish officers.
To-day Is Friday, and the squadron-we
may tell you in strict confidence-leaves
next Thursday" There was. however, an
other reason for FernandeZ's anxiety to Ge-
part He had been rather extrayagaut and
found that he must retrench mis- hotel bill
for a month having come up TO S1O0. How
ever, he stayed.
IN his last interview with the Duke de
Najera the latter spoke of TIE impudence
OF certain foreign correspondents who had
Just come to Cadiz. Among them he men
toned the names of Baron Won Perfall, cor
respondent of the KoInische Eeitung; DIR.
Oskar Wolff of the Berliner Borsenblatt
and the Daily News correspondent. He
had already sent DIR. Oskar Wolff an inti-
nation to leave CadiZ within twenty-four
hours, and was about to take the same
course with regard to the other two CORES
pondents But you were just telling me, .
said Fernandez del Campo, that they have
done little else but walk round the town
locking at the sights and exchanging inn
pressions." My dear SIR replied the
duke, you cannot be too cautious. Sure
ly II these correspondents are spies they
will not tell us 50. You have no iGea of the
ruEes Yankees will resort to in order to get
information"
Fernandez stayed in Cadiz for a day or
two after the departure of Admiral Ca
mara's squadron. He witnessed this event
on board one of the admiralty launches.
I'VE keep on the other side of the bay" re-
marked one of the officers, because those
channels you see on our port beam (point-
ing IN several directions) are defended with
torpedoes in case the Americans come to
Cadiz"
Fernandez Suddenly Disappears.
One morning three Spanish gentlemen
were walking up and down in front of the
Hotel de Paris as if they were waiting for
somebody. From beneath a movable shut
ter Fernandez popped out his head, but
Withdrew almost afaIv Tha
gentlemen waited for an hour, and then
for second hour. The bells of all the
churches of Cadiz rang for II o'clock. The
three gentlemen entered the hotel and said
they wanted to see Senior Fernandez del
campo. You should have called an hour
ago, said the waiter, 'he is not here
When is he coming back? We have orders,
to arrest him." He sent all his luggage
early This morning on board the Tangier
steamer, and after paying his bill he walk
ed out alone by the oack door. The steamer
left her mornings half an hour ago."
was at TanSieI a week or so age. Short
ly after 2r-iving in Tangier l went I'D to
the terrace of my hotel. In front Of me
man was looking through a telescope ex-
amining the Spanish coast which that day
could be seen distinctly from Gibraltar to
san Fernando, neaI Cadiz He turned
round, and I recognized the distinguished
Aexlcan. "Halloa, Fernandez, what are
ycu doing here? l suppose you are hack to
Cadiz by naxt steamer Il am not going
back to Ca5i1" What is the matterP
caught an American accent" Il am an
American Il do not mean Americana
Exactly l am a United States citizen,
and American officer. 1 graduated at West
Point and l hold a United States commits
SIGN as captain of the I'd Texas Rangers"
| was dumfounded. All this was said in
faCltless English. with genuine American
accent, about which there could be no mis-
70 AZ r ~
asked: We'll. your name is not Fernan-
Uez? es, 1t Is. l am from old Texan
family. My people have a ranch near
Brownsville. and another one just over the
Mexican border, near Matamoros. So /
speak Spanish like my mother tongue. In
fact, my family, If you trace 1t far back
enough, is of Mexican descent. But with a
Winb I'm a good American. 1 have been
acting al CadiZ as confidential agent of the
United States government for six weeks. 1
have greened all the Spaniards.''
Six Weeks of Tall Talk.
Fernandez then told me the whole story,
several points of which were aftcrward
confirmed by a man whom l met at Gibral-
tar. What about your story of the Mex
lean guerriias you told Admiral Aunon?"
1t was ID lie. 1 was compelled the
last few days at Cadiz to talk rather tall.
l played the game for six weeks. But at
length l felt that some people were becom-
ing suspicious. so 1 made everything ready
to scuttle. What annoyed ME most was my
American passport. l required it for Glib
Ialtar and Tangier. ard yet l was anxious
that IN case of arrest nobody should see it.
So / hid it,"
Nh Fernandez told me the hiding place
hut as my business is not to give informa-
ton 10 the police, L need not mention it. 1t
was d most ingenious manner of conceal
ment. Il really did not reed he went on,
TO see the minister of marine, as he could
really tell ne nothing l did not know al
re ady- Admiral AunCn said to me that the
Spanish fleet was in the highest state of ef-
ficlency. You unmitigated fool thought
to myself, you are trying to hoax a man
who knows just as well as yourself what to
think of the Spanish fleet / am taking
the EeXt steamer for England, and then
| home l haze done a, good piece of bus
iIless for my country. l sent information
home every day. The United States knew
OF the departure of Admiral Camara's fleet
a week beforehand They know to a man
the forces on board, in men. arms and am
mUnition. We know exactly to a ton how
| much coal the Spaniards have, and in fact.
If my people put me any questions regard
ing the military and naval situation of
Spain, / think l can answer it..