The San Francisco call., 1899-02-05

and so also was that of the senoritas
present. In less than half an hour all
the young ladies had changed clothes
with the young Dons. l was so happy
as to secure the dress of the sobrina
Cor niece of my host, as she was the
damsel l YVES especially entertaining.
1t was painfully close about the waist,
l remember. In the ensuing excite
ment and hilarity this sport aroused
/ saw fit to send a messenger to! my
hotel with orders to ship my things to
Madrid 1 had no difficulty in hiding
my freshly shaven face in the beautiful
mantilla that went with the costume,
so that no one could tell me from a
real lady" Securing some overclothes
in the vestibule, l watched my chance
and made my exit when no one was
missing me.
A quiet man in long tunika was
standing at the gate. He looked om-
inously at me at first glance. asked
him in the prettiest of Castilian voices
for a cab, which he Whistled up for me
politely enough, and away 1 went The
little damsel in the big mantilla began
to wonder, as the cab took her away
from the house, how the other little
damsel, the sobrina, was getting along
in the SwalloW-tail and trousers l had
left her in. L missed the spectacle of
seeing her departure from the feast in
my habfliments, and, though 1 did not
fit her clothes so very well, they hid
my identity and saved me some trou-
bic.
A couple of days later, as, seated in a
Madrid cafe near the MueSo del Prado,
l distinguished the approaching OF the
band of the Royal Guards, an austere-
looking gentleman, sitting with me at
the same table, almost upset his wine
goblet as with lunging gesture he
burst out: Maldita sea su alma de
ellos-Caramba" Cursed be their souls
the devilD He handed me the paper
with his index finger on a column in
which my Cadiz experience was treated
with all the suspicion and jumped at
conclusions of which only a Spanish
editor is capable. The old gentleman
said something about the special dam
nation to which all American spies
were destined, but, although 1 leaned
over the table to better hear what he
said, 1 had difficulty in understanding
him, for the big proud band of the
Spanish crown pulled by the palace
with a power and a zest CT martial
music that made the windows tremble.
The triumphant din Of the Marcia
Real" smothered the vituperations Of
the old Madridian. We raised our
glasses in unison in mute viva for
Ell Rey" (the Kingl.
My most dangerous work was dur
ing the time that l made Madrid my
headquarters. This was in obedience to
my Superiors, and l was instructed to
learn as much as possible regarding the
advices received by the Government
from General Blanco.
You know the Captain General of
Cuba was at no time cut off from COM
munication with the Madrid authorities.
and he was as we'll in constant touch
with all parts of Cuba, and never even
for day was without word from Cen
erals Luque and Toral at Santiago This
was true even when the Americans and
Cubans were supposed to have COM
pletely cut off communication Still, In
Madrid, very little was known regard
ing what was being done in the United
States. The American censorship of
dispatches was very strict, and only re-
ports regarding the gathering of great
bodies Of volunteers in the South ever
reached Paris and Madrid. Our Govern
ment allowed such dispatches to go
through for purpose / suppose.
One of the dispatches which I secured
in Madrid was that from General
Pando, at Holguin, saying that he was
about to start with 1000 men to the re-
lief of Santiago. This dispatch was
rushed to Washington, and before Gen
eral Pando began his march, which he
afterward retraced, the American COM
mander in front of Santiago knew of
the intended movement.