Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-02-10
t gone to St. Vincent, at Cape verdes"

he replied laughing. 81 have the key to
their cipher all right"
GAS to who I am" he continued,
"my names Macomber. I am the cor
respondent of the -" He named an
American journal. "News as to the
whereabouts of the Spanish torpedo
boats and those cruisers would be valu-
able just now, not only to my paper,
but to the American navy at Key West.
Now, you are an American, and a good
patriot, 1 dare say. Will you help us
out?''
"I'm a good patriot, " said l. "And
! am also an honest man, employed here
to do a certain duty, which I will not
betray."
"You will not help me, then? Very
well, I shall examine your tapes by
force
ut is not my business to fight for
SPAIN" said ]. 81 have no force to re-
sist you, but I will not help you"
"Thanks. That's all / ask. just you
sit quiet"
"Do you think you can read our
tapes?" I asked incredulously.
"Sure. l was a cable operator three
years"
"But where did you get your cipher
key?"
""That's a matter that was arranged
in Havana three months ago. Your
tape bobbins for the current week are in
the table drawer, l presumed"
"Look for yourself" l said. "But
my fellow operator here is a Spaniard.
I do not speak for him. Senior Merode,"
I said in Spanish, 'these gentlemen
wish to see the record tapes"
Merode had stood listening, making
out what We said with difficulty.
'Nunca!" (never) he exclaimed excited
ly and made a jump for the big table
drawer, with some notion, l think, Of
destroying the tapes. He was a plucky
fellow. But the Cuban seized him by
the collar before he could open the
drawer, flung him violently backward
on the floor and drew his machete.
Don't hurt him, LUZ" shouted
Macomber, and then, after a steady
glance at me, he stepped to the drawer
himself and took out the rolls of tape.
"This will be a somewhat long and
tedious business, f" he remarked, begin
ming to unroll one Of them. "You might
help me if you would, but at least
oblige me by turning up the lamp a lit
tie and placing it Oh the table here"
Thanks" he went on when l had
complied, and he began rapidly unrolling
the tape through his fingers. He read
we'll and fast, and his running comment
amused me.
"Oh, this is a dandy siphon of yours,
isn't it?" "What ails your mouse mill?'
"Say, friend, your recoru here looks
like the teeth Of an old, dull buck saw"
"Your inks coagulated.
l sat back and quietly looked On.
Merode still lay IN the floor. The Gu
ban stood watching us both. If Merode
stirred, he shook his machete at him.
Thus fully an hour passed. 1t seemed
much more than an hour indeed before
our American visitor found what he
sought.
"Ahr' he exclaimed at last. Here
we are. So the Vizcaya and Oquendo'
left Porto Rico for st. Vincent last
Sunday. Good. Blanco is informed that
the torpedo flotilla is going to St. Vim
cent, too, instead Of coming to Havana.
That's all I wanted to know" he
continued, turning to me-. Sorry to
leave your tapes in such a mess, but l
really cannot stop to roll them up
again, for l must be we'll out to sea be-
fore daylight. Oblige us now, both Of
you, by remaining quiet here after we
bid you good night"
But just then there was a new noise
outside. The door opening to the street
was flung back, and there stood a Span
ish lieutenant from the fort, with half
a dozen soldiers at his back, for the
Spanish sentry-a boy Of 1S-whom
they had gagged and tied up outside Of
the house, had proved more nimble
than they had thought him. He had
worked himself loose and had run to
the fort for aid.
The Cuban turned instantly, killed
the lieutenant with a swing Of his ma
chete and was at once shot down by a
soldier who fired over the shoulder of
his falling officer.
Macomber showed better judgment if
less courage. He dashed the lamp out
and grasped me by the arm. Help me
out, " he said.
It would be difficult for any one to
resist the appeal of a fellow countryman
at such time. While the soldiers rushed
in, tramping and falling over the slain
men and Merode, l pulled the American
after me through a door, back Of the
tables, which opened into our battery
room. In this back room vas a window
looking out on the harbor side, from
which Macomber swung in an instant
and decamped without a word. had
time to get forward into the cable room
before Merode, who had regained his
feet, struck a match and relighted the
lamp. Of the grewsome spectacle which
the light revealed l will not speak.
After the manner Of Spanish justice,
both Merode and myself were put un-
der arrest pending an investigation,
which showed that neither of us knew
anything about the affair. Yet the com
mandant at Santiago suspected that l
had planned it and sent me under ar
rest to Havana by steamer the following
evening.
1 expected to remain in Las Cabanas
for the rest of my days, but was dis
missed without trial the second day
after arriving there and left Havana
along with 100 other Americans on the