Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-02-10
An Irnprovised Boat
IOriginal.I

more trouble than any other one man.
Just where he would turn up next or
what damage he would do to the OPP
pressors of Cuba nobody knew. He
had friends to help him and his own re
sources were remarkable For ingenu-
ity in deyising methods he was a won
der There is no knowing how long he
might have kept out of the clutches Of
his enemies had not his love for Maria
Morales caused him to act indiscreetly.
During a visit to her while her fathers
hacienda was surrounded by the Span
ish forces Hector was captured. He
would have been executed, but he was
so popular among the Cubans that the
captain general to whom his case was
referred concluded to imprison him on
one of the islands in the archipelago
de los Canarreos.
He was permitted to receive letters,
though they were all read before being
given to him. Maria succeeded in say
ing forbidden things to him by writing
them in lemon juice. Hector, who had
arranged the matter with her before
his departure, would heat her letters,
whereupOn the words written with the
juice, previously invisible, would ap-
pear in a dark brown.
1t was not long before the lovers
were planning an escape. Hector's
prison, being surrounded by water,
was not carefully guarded, and the
prisoners were at times permitted to
roam at will on the few acres the is
1nV, hot h.
could procure boat he could arrange
with Maria to meet him on the ocean
in some sort of craft by which he could
be taken out of harms way. But the
prison officials knew this as well as he,
and no boat was permitted on or to
approach the island except such as be
longed to themselves. ''You are very
resourceful," wrote Maria Cant you
imprOvise a boat?" What can 1 make
one out OFF, replied Hector.
One day as Maria was heating one
of her lovers letters she was delighted
to see words appear asking her to have
vessel just without the line over
which boats were not permitted to
approach the island, and directly to
the west. The craft was to be in posi-
ton on a certain night and await
smooth water
GLOW provokingr' the girl pouted
''Why couldn't he have told me what
kind of a boat he would use?" Then
a cold shiver passed over her as she
thought that his method might be SO
dangerous that he would not confide
it to her. That night she dreamed that
she was out on the water waiting for
him and his dead body came floating
toward her.
Senorita Maria confGed the proposed
escape to her father, who at once hired
a small steamer and made preparations
to keep the appointment. But he dis
couraged his daughter from hoping for
success, assuring her that no prisoner
could or would be permitted to build
a boat in which to sail to freedom. To
tell the truth, the girl felt all the fear
her father felt and more. She dread
ed lest Hector should embark on a
board or some fraiI raft that would
either not support him or would be
capsized or from which he would be
washed by the waves. Her dream was
ever present in her mind and she felt
in death.
On the appointed night Senior Morales
and his daughter, with a competent
crew, were in position five miles west
Of the island The weather was fine
and the water smooth. Only a long
ground swell interfered with boating
and any skiff could have lived. Maria
was so filed With dread lest her lover
would not be able to take advantage
Of the favorable conditions that her
father to divert her mind kept her
wondering what kind of a boat the
prisoner could possibly get possession
Of. He suggested every eXpedient he
could think Of, though the catalogue
was not long.
AS dawn approached they got ready
their glasses to sean the surface of the
water When it was light enough to
see, Senior Morales eyes alone were
available, for his daughters hand
trembled so that she could not hold her
glass steadily. Every quarter was ex-
amined critically without discovery
Senior Morales began to prepare his
daughter for disappointment. Sudden
ly there was a faint flash on the water
Maria raised her glass, looked for a
moment, then swooned. Her father
laid her on the deck, then raised his
own glass.
What is that rising and falling with
the swell? No, there can be no mis-
take. 1t is a coffin. Maria had told
her dream to her father, who had
made light of it. Now this vision Of re
atty or whatever it was appalled, him
He continued to watch, and ordered
the vessel to steam toward it. When
the uncanny thing came under his