The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1899-06-30
Felix's Ride.
From Our Cuban Correspondent.

|
cado (ice cream), with dulces (sweet
cakes) and slipping Franco penica (pine-
apple lemonade). 1t was about three D.
m. The shower had come, spent its fur
ry and gone, and the sun was again shin
ing with all its splendor, heat turned on
full head. In comes the Alcide (iailor) :;
he is sheepish visaged Spaniard and IS
trembling with suppressed excitement
"Buenos tardes, seniors" said he.
"Moy bien usted," say we all.
The chief leaves us and takes seat at a
nearby table with the Alcide. An ami
mated conversation follows between them
| for probably ten minutes, then the chief
turns to us and says:
| 1.-Two prisoners escaped from the Jail
last night and the Alcide has just gotten
his courage up to come and tell me-"
| These two were leaders of a band of
banditti that infested this Jurisdiction be-
fore and during the war, and many a
| blood-curdling tale is told of them and
their followers. They had escaped in
this way: 1t being very hot and sultry
the evening before they had asked privii-
eye "to battle at the pump in the area or
Jail yard. This of itself should have been
suspicious, for such violations of hygiene
should excite suspicion and merit close
confinement. But it was permitted by
the Alcide, and as usual at. the proper
hour he locked the cells, only to discover
in the morning the birds had clown the
coop" A ladder had afforded means to
reach the roof, then up with the ladder
and down the outside and away. Valdes
sat moment in deep thought, then turn
ing to me said:
81 can find them! Will you senors
may also start deer"
| accepted for the three and we were
sworn in as special police. Cuban ponies
were offered us by the chief. because" he
said to me, 'your horses never can stand
the trip over the stones and through the
cane brush and cactus" But, Yankee
fashion, said, "What l have is as good
as .anybody's. STAINS and | will ride my
horses. If they give out the walking is
good" My mounts are Tom, a brown
Indiana gelding about Is hands which
STAINS rides, and my own pet "Don" is a
black 10 ~ hands, fine gated Tennes-
see thoroughbred, grandson of Hal Point
er. He has carried me for ten months,
and at Admission won a half mile dash in
IS seconds.
At six we were ready. AS we rode out
of c. in column of twos, our little
band consisted of the chief on his tried
and trusted grey stallion on the right, on
his left your humble servant with some
bacon and bread in the meat ration can,
coffee, quinine, a tooth brush, some lines
and camphor gum in the saddle bags,
pommel slicker strapped behind and
regulation six shooter on my belt. Fol-
lowing were STAINS and Esac, after them
two police and peon mounted and lead
ing an extra pony. The chief led "the
pace that kills" for twelve miles to Recra-
rio but they had not seen our birds there |
Then on we went, now single file, don't
know where, the chief in the lead. 1t
was very dark but I could follow him be-
cause of HIS grey horse. think, though, |
ride from Dudley Cartoons over
Wright's mountain, down through Lon
Simpsons and Jonas Stevens pasture
would have been smoother. Finally we
halted about three a. m. We were near
Jovillanous thirty miles from C.
We unsadded, let the horses roll and |
Craze while we made coffee and l fried
slice of bacon, banana field with pine
apple furnished all else required. Now
for an hour with morpheus before sun |
up. Wrapped in our saddle blankets
with saddles for pillows, few humps of |
scattered in the grass to drive |
away spiders and we are fast asleep.
With sun up we are up, cup of coffee
and we are ready. We are about two
miles from the village. Said the chief,
''If the prisoners are here they will prob
ably take the six a. m. train for Cienfue-
gos." We receive these instructions from
the chief: Surround the town and kill
two innocent men rather than allow one
guilty one to escape" Chief and one
man ride to town while we take distances
around. But our birds have not been
here. The chief is perpleXed; says he,
musing, Gould they heve reached Col
on?' possibly they have, so we start for
Colon, twenty miles away.
The sun is well up, the dew sparkles on
the grass and the low cane is fairly wet
We start across country, have ridden an
hour or so and come to the ruins of a
plantation, the walls and smokestack still
stand, all else, machinery, carts and all
are devastated by fire. We find the clear,
,ool spring and horses and all refresh
themselves. Bananas and cocoanuts we
sat of sparingly and are soon away as
inle is money. Out on the prairie we ;
start two deer, chief kills one with maui I
ser, but Esac, STAINS and | employ our
evolvers and only kill the strength of our {
powder. The saddle of venison wrapped '
n the skin is all we care for, and we are
IF. About noon we are near Colon hav-
ng hidden fifty miles in eighteen hours. {
We halt, unsaddle, Craze the horses, have {
Office, bacon soursop, venison, banana, +
mango, pineapple and cocoanut wa f
err | roll over for nap and when | a
wake find all except the chief have enjoy a
d the same luxury. We are in a palm
rove and the breeze has kept the Their II
nometer at about ninety, think, so that |
re are much refreshed. n
The peon has been to town and brings n
ews that our friends are there. Next
hing is to get them. We are instructed e
here to take positions. Esac, STAINS and d
are sent away to the right of the town II
} guard three roads leading to the hills a
r bush. One policeman and the peon RI
uard the railroad, while chief and one o
ian go to town. ride across a planta- ti
on about a mile to a date palm, loose S
he cinch and await developments. Ere a
ing l hear shots and see Esac chasing a b
erson on horseback. tighten the girth al
nd mount. STAINS is now after them. d
he fellow is coming my way, but | am K