The National tribune., 1899-05-18

Our rext mail arrived on schedule time,
and brought us a batCi. of Havar a dailies
with ratid dcnurciatiDnS OF Yankee med
dlerS "They reproach us for failing to
extnguish confiagTauon NfIch lnelr
fuel, and theirs alOre. has kept ahlazc
for the last Cigilt months, sand ore IN.
dignant loyalist. Money, provisions, ard
arms for the mountain cut-tiroats are
collected in every larger American city
Filibusterirg expeditions are fitted out IN
broad daylight Officials wio irow their
purpose as well as it is known to the
agents of the .iunta cCnt-ive 10 te other
wise engaged while the mischief mIgnt
vet he rrevertcd and aTaken into sud
den activity when it is too late. linen
cruisers start on the track ci the pirates,
and, of course, arrange matters 10 miss
them, and return win sincere regrets. III
would take an arn:GGa OF 2,OC0 war steam
ers to prevent the landing OF we'll -pIloted
buccaneers on a coast like ti:at OF tubf;
they run into urGuGrGed coveS, and their
cargo of dynamite and ilcsnGIary pam
pilets is poured into the half CZtinguished
emEers Passports for SenSa-
tional press correspondents have been
extorted from cur military commanders,
and the war steamer Maine mas beeh
ordered TO force her way into Havana
Harbor."
Our bushwhacliers ascertaincd the drift
of the news, and | think, felt tempted to
serenade their Yangui that evening. Col.
Parras sent me q dozen cigars, and
could see the officers walk up and down
their porch, in evident sympathy with the
general excitement.
SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
AS a still more suggestive sign of the
times one of our Spanish prisoners came
over TO nv shop and frankly asked DR..
Escobedo's advice on the eXpediency OF
getting his name on the muster rool OF
Camp Barrancas ITS all up with the
Captain- n-General," he said, lard the gar
risons are starving worse than PeladoS,-
sin Ginero, sin Zap2tOS, sin pan-com-
pletamente sin rada-n!oncyless, shoe
less, breadleSs, less everything trying to
hold the fort under hopeless difficulties.
$50. what's the use," he asked; they
cannot save themselves, nor poor devils
like us; wouldn't it be the best plan to
join 4 decent kind of Cubans like these
here, and get a home in the wide world
somewhere"
The old Doctors eyes twinkled, but he
continued 10 read my newspaper, and
seemed half-irclired TO ignore The appeal.
There's storm brewing, and TO mis-
take" said he at last; but putting ms
hand on the appellants shOulcer-"we
can't tell how it will end, ard, amigo mio,
there are cases where il Will rot do to ask
anybody's advice. II you wish TO commit
suicide, or want TO get married To rev
girl or a new government, you nave to de-
clQe 1OT yourself NO "
right to persuade you to Tlsk Step thdt
cannot be retraced."
The salvation-Seeker became thought
full. Better wait week, I'd, sad ne,
turning to his cOmrade. who had stood
alocf on the steps OF my weather -porch;
they get mail every Saturday, and VINO
,lnows what might turn up these next
eight days"
Just before pitch dark we saw several of
our men run off in the direction OF the
Lookout Cliff, and Joe promptly followed.
Ten minutes after he came back on
run. '"The Lieutenant asks you and the
Doctor TO hurry up if you want TO see a
ionde luz" he painted: there's a whole
crown watching it from the rocks"
"A-what2" asked the Doctor, but the
messenger was already gone again
A JUNGLE PHANTOM.
"Cone this way" said Lieut.. Estevan,
silen we reached the pedestal Of the rock;
"haye you ever seen a Cuban witch-fire-i
what dye call it in EnGlish-a willie de
wiss" will the wisp'; look down there.
What would you call THAR"
At distance of about an English mile
and half a pale, white light CLEANED
from few Of the foothills, and at irregu-
lar intervals seemed to spread along the
edge Of a bog or lagoon, and then flick
cred back again To its original position.
At the moments Of its maximum develop
ment il appeared TO extend along a stretch
of at least 25 yards, but my telescope re-
vealed only a wrath OF dimly- luminous
mist.
"Yes, that's 4 hog fire." said the Doc
tor "This is the third time | saw one in
my life; near Corunna, in the old coun-
try, tried to race ore down when | was n
boy, but you might as we'll try to catch
the shadow of a cloud. 1t isn't fire at all,
think; nothing but sort of phosphorus
light, as in moldy willow-wood."
ITS a real fire, senor," said one of the
scouts. "Tve seen them so bright that
you might mistake it for a lamp in a
house, and tie only reason it doesn't set
the woods ablaze is because it keeps
fitting about damp places, where YOU
couldn't start a campfire without Tosin."
81 wouldn't like 10 90 too near TO find
out" whispered old Bexar.
The West Indian Creoles, like their
Mexican neighbcrs, regard an ignis -fatuus
with a superstitioUs dread, and the popu-
ar name pronounced dordc-lcos seems
% be a corruption Of ducnde luz, or fairy
ire"
We sat chatting on the cliffs OF our
promontory for rearly three hours, after
he PToblematic phenomenon had been
hidden by a Tiyer-lnist.
IT was a wonderfully quiet night; no
:hIrping cricke!s, no trec-toads the very