Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-17
CHAPTER Y.
A Strange Target Practice.


A Strange Target Practice.
Joaquin Gonzalez secret Service agent
of the President of San Benito. was dis
posed to take credit to himself for the
manner in which he had carried out the
important double mission wherein he
had been dispatched by his august en-
ployer That had been. briefly. to bring
or send. no matter by what means. his
excellency's wealthy cousin. the Senorita
Dona Beatriz Ybarra. to San Benito. and.
by the way. to do as much harm as he
might to those of the Red revolutionists
who, it was understood. were active in
New York.
He had reached New York only few
hours after Beatriz had arrived there
from Europe. The dowager who had
acted as her companion abroad had been
one of his creatures. as Beatrlz mad founo
out too late From her he had learned
all that he needed to know concerning
Corbyn, and the rest had been simple
enough A single bold coup had sufhced
to carry the girl off. and she had shown
no inclination to seek outside help against
him. Corbyn had been got rid of without
the least difficulty. and did not even know
that his name had been used as bait
to entrap her.
with the revolutionsts he had had
equal success. They had admitted him.
on his carefully forged CREDENTIALS. 10
their most secret councils. and he had
won their hearts by helping them head
long adOwn the path which must lead
to their ultimate destruction. smoothing
the rough places for them. egging them
on to action. shepherding them to their
fate with constituencies skill. Another
had mooted it, but his had been the brain
which conceived for them the idea Of
selling the Hilario, and when he had
volunteered to sail with the ship even
the most timid had felt that success was
assured
He had been absolutely astounded to
see Corbyn at the steamer. and could not
but believe that the young American had
by some means found out about Beatr,z
abduction. There could be no other eX-
PLANTATION of his travelling to San Benito.
Gonzalez secreted himself in his cabin,
devoting deep thought to the problem OF
what should be done with the interloper
A quick solution presented itself FROM
his hiding place he let it be known that
he believed there were spies on board.
The fear Of treachery Is always present
in conspirators mind. and what more
natural than that his cIRdulous dupes
should suspect the unknown? Suspicion
became certainty when, the steamer
seized all others overpowered. 1t proved
that the perfidious foreigners alone had
found refuge from them. Thanks TO
GonZalez's agency the revOlutionists had
met with no real opposition In their first
active effort, and their citation made them
the more bellicoSe against the two de-
fenseless strangers who had defie0 them
Gonzalez rubbed his hands in the shadow
as he heard them breathing dire threats
1t pleased him to see his plan running
smoothly toward it's fOreseen conclusion
II would please his master to hear that
Corbyn had been finally disposed OF, and
amuse him to hear how.
"They might afford us q target for some
rife practice" said he. and the sugges-
ton found instant favor
His valiant brothers in arms were al
ready pining for an opportunity to test
their untried rifles without too much risk
to themselves
We'll lay light aft and fire from the
bridge deck one suggested. and the
hers acclaimed him a master mind.
They've only revolvers with Them, he
concluded. with becoming modesty.
They ducked and ran. one at time.
for the more distant shelter. while Altar
dyce and Corbyn laughed at their precau-
carried abaft the engine-roOm sky1ight
and trained on the after wheelhouse, both
became grave again, and when the first
shot whistled past them their gravity
gave place to sudden indignation
1.-THE swine, The low down. dirty
swine. cried Corbyn. as a second effort,
which showed better craftsmanship was
greeted with chorus of approval by Its
partisans. They're going to lombard
us at long range while We can't reach
them. How far will your Colt carry
Allardyce?'
"As far as that light at any rate" an
swered the Englishman, through set
teeth. We've got to douse it, old chap
or they'll douse US
He fired and missed, and was answered
by a scattering volley. He fired again
before the others could extract spent
shells. and then stopped down to escape
the ensuing shower Of bullets.
IT'S lucky this old hutch of ours is
chambers of his magazine. I'm not
much of shot. 1t seems. although used
to fancy myself at forty yards
1.-The target is an uncommon one.
Corbyn replied. I'm going to draw their
fire now and try my hand. You'd better
who thinks of stepping upstairs. If they
were men they would rush us at once.
He thrust his hat above tie window
ledge upon the handle of a deck broom
he had found behind him. and hail OF
lead greeted its appearance. Then he
looked out. took aim despite stray shots
which followed, and, pulling with steady
pressure at the trigger. scored a success
His shot smashed the white back plate of
the cluster and set it swaying wildly.
Good man. commented Allardyce.
Zone more like that and they'll need new
Examinations for their shooting gallery
I'll rake them with quick fire Cad!
Get loaded duickly-here they come
He aimed at the first of the dark
shadows creeping toward them below the
bulwarks under cover of a continuous
flash and crackle from the bridge deck
Their stubborn resistance had already
enraged the rihemen. and their position
was to be carried by assault. Whereafter
there would be short shrift for both of
them.
wait till they top the ladders Cor
byn cried. and was filling his mouth with
cartridges when Sail ho!' shrieked a
terrified voice from forward. See the
torpedo boat coming up astern!'
No thunderbolt could have produced
among them more profound sensation
of disaster. The firing ceased. the light
was turned off and the storming party
fled back to the bridge deck
Corbyn caught Allardyce's eye and they
smiled somewhat sickly at each other
In such short space of time the nervous
tension had been high.
They waited quietly Where they were.
and heard what passed between their
would-be executioners and those on hoard
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