The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-03-09

ing piece of architecture, made or
brush and long grass. but it served
every purpose. and | don't wonder at
the Dons not having sighted it on
their coast patrols. The old people
were in a pretty bad state We posi-
bly, could not move the sickCst ones,
and the others We're not a great deal
better
AS soon as one Of our ships that
has doctor on board comes round I'll
bring him ashore with me- said the
Z Upper to tie young lady; 'mean-
While. as you say you have little
knowledge of medicine and its uses /
lFesump you can do something with
N1f chest"
never did see a girl carry on so
;hent rerg grateful, and how noble
we Were" ana all that sort of theatre
"a. t9'l,. Bur of course you must eX-
: such from those CubanS. They're
40 hotblooded creatures, and say eX-
i.tly what they mean right out. But
Ter that matter the Senorita scarcely
heedcd TO talk. Her eyes told every
tuug. She followed us out of the hut
when we went down towards the boat
again.
is there anything more we can do
for Won. madam says the ensign,
with his hat in his hand and bending
forward IS if he was talking to the
Queen Of England and not a bare
footed Cuban girl with enough good
Looks to supply an ordinary dozen.
Il should earnestly repeat my advice
TO you of seeking safety on board my
vessel with all your ccmpa nionS that
can he moved. l am truly sorry to say
that | fear the days of your parents
ure already numbered"
Il thank you, noble American" re-
plied the Senorita in her pretty lisping
fashion; but We both have sacred du-
ties. Yours with your ships to the
fight. | m people to nurse! But one
thing there is you can do for me more
and every moment shall | call bless
inss upon the heads Of my preseryers.
Give to me the-what call you it,
that thing pointing to the revolver
in his beln. Il know its good use, but
not your name
Without word the skipper took
the weapon from it5 belt, saw thar it's
chambers were properly loaded and
handed It to her. He was about to
give her extra cartridges from his
pouch, hut she stopped him.
No no." she cried: "one shot will
my purpose serve-two at most
Then we understood, and l mag
ined heard the skipper snitiie once
or twice us we went down to the
beach. I'm free to acknowledge that
| did as much. Pshaw,
Well, sir, the Acquackanock cruised
up and down that part of the coast
for a week or more. Not a day but
what we managed 10 pass by the
place where the Senorita and her field
hospital-hung out. and usually she
would come down to the shore where
she was rather hid from lands'ghting,
and wave that old red blanket To let
us know that all went well. OF course
we did not dare answer back very
much for fear of having others see
the signals that were not intended for
them: but it made every soul on beard
mighty glad to see that old serape
bobhing about, | can yell yOu. And
once or twice | took the skipper
ashore there again, With lot of our
buds for her to make clothes ont of,
and little knicknacks If food and such
and he would have palavered with her
by the hour if | had not made believe
10 see smoke out to seward or some
thing like that. And one time he put
ring that had belonged to his moth
er-I heard him tell her soon her
finger, and the last time he kissed her
when | made he, I've not 10 be Loo
inc. And 7 don't blame either him or
her for that matter. | enjoyed the
wartime love making almost as much
as they dbl. Hang me for rig ar
soft soap swab, Here's my hlam old
eyes filling up just as if they'd been
scuttled for insurance.
Well the next day we We're steam
ing along towards what we called the
"Senorita's landing" Our pilot had
got so used to being ordered to head
the ship in there that he steered at
an easy angle on his own account.
just 10 save time. And so we were
within nice range of the shore. I'll
never know just what made me clint
up on top of the pilot house ALONGSIDE
of our little cannon. At any rate there
| happened to he. and the ammunition
chest was handy. Just as we came
abreast of an open piece of country /
gave a careless look ashore. and then
my eyes fairly buged out of my head.
! saw about half dozen Spanish cav
airy soldiers riding along in a little
compact troop ami the middle fellow
had different sort of saddle cloth
from the rest
What in blankety- blank do you
mean firing of that gun without my
orders, Landiss" beloved the skip
per, coming out from his cabin at the
sound of the report: and good gra-
cious. maR, you're nothing else than
a murderer. You have no right 10
shoot men down in cold blood like
that
zone or two are only wounded ap,
pareDtly, sir, I'm sorry TO say" l re-
piled, Saluting as | spoke; "but | got
the chap with the scarlet blanket sad
diecloth all right"
"What?" he yelled. But he knew as
we'll as | did, poor fellow
The look Of the inside Of that
wretched hut was something fright
ful. But the Senorita had used the
shippers revolver. in time to save
what was more tkan life-The Cri-
terion
l..