The Washington times., 1911-04-26
CHAPTER XVIII (Continued)

the wounded who Uttered the
plaza, and the yells Of the mad
dened rabble as they worried their
fallen and expiring foes; the cheers
Of the insurgent infantry. with now
and then, clear above the tumult'
q shrill viva for the Dictator Rojas.
Shots, reasonless, useless, f1attened
themselves upon the facade of the
Green House: while for an ominous
undertone there was the rumbltng of
the battery as it was brought up and
trained upon the great door.
The minister Of war, leaning upon ms
sword, glanced from face to race OF
these men whom he knew so well; and
tears gathered in his eyes.
Gentlemen" he began, comrades,
old friends, we've have lost. Our day
hold this house-'twould be folly to at
tempt It: and could we so, We could not
hope to win, in the long run. RoJas has
won. and-and such of ye as nave no
liking for a death with their backs TO
a 'dobe wall had best scatter, and try
each to make his escape as best he
may. ror my part, l go to Malone:
The lieutenant, Dineen. staggered TO
him, holding out his revolver
An If We find him, which l mis-
doubt, kilrae, give him this with me
compliments. fell him to blow his
brains out with it. We've given him our
lives, an he's left us in the lurch. He
let us go to our death that he might
spend another minute by the side of
tnat woman!'-
His comrades growled agreement with
HIM Perhaps Dineen might have gone
further, but the president himself gave
hnn pause.
You're right" he said; and at his
voice they tursed and faced him.
He stood on the threshold of the room.
His sensitive face was livid and drawn
yN.ifb @ Cnnkp somewhat
oT an effort, holding one hand to his
side.
You are right" he reiterated wearily.
leaning against the door jamb. I'm a
way, Dineen, you tell the truth. I sold
you, unwittingly; l was with the woman
when l should have been at your side,
taking and giving the blows you took
and gaVe-for me-.
IF you had been with US, I'm think
ing there'd be a different tale to tell, -
growled kilrae.
There was no lack of respect in his
tone: indeed, as the president spoke,
each man had risen and saluted. De-
spite the words of the lieutenant, they
still loved their fallen leader-and when
an Irishman loves. he forgives much.
1T may be- replied Malone. But
much the same, Kilrae. I've had my
day. 'Tis not in the nature of things
that l should rule these Sreasers for
ever. Let be: I've been tricked to me
thought loved. and the blood of me
poor murdered boys out there is on her
head equally with mine. If YOU thought
me disloyal to you, boys, I've wounds
forent; ] fought to come back to We, to
rescue We"
He was interrupted by whirlwind of
cheering without
They'll be having battery in shape
now" he said, Ito blow this door to
. thunder There's but one road out of
this, and I've come to show it to ye."
He led them through the corridors and
into his apartments: to kilrae, who
walked by his side. arm in arm, for
their mutual support. he said:
From the back of the other house We
may be able to win to the station.
Burke's there, holding a train-with a
gun at the engineers ear, I've no doubt.
Hennessy's back in San Diego, with the
Don Juan, and if we can reach him,
well be saved
And the. woman" asked the colonel.
Yell see"
AS they spoke, the gurs were shred
ding the woodwork from the doc: and
as they gained the presidents apart
nents, 1t fell crashing, and the insur-
gents poured in, screaming. But the
steel door held until the last man had
descended the ladder to the secret pas
sage-the last man being Malone him
self.
At the end of the passage, the dazed
men came out into the corridor-a
bloody, begrimed, CHASTITY crew, sitting
their means with gritted teeth, and
nursing in their hearts the thought of
their dead. There they found the Sc
nora de Casada, lying bound with strips
OF her own gown. She was very pale
indeed. and in the cold defiance of her
eyes there yet lurked the fear OF the
fate that should justly be hers at the
hands of these men.
''She followed me so far, said Ma
lone. staneing over her as she cringed
from the glare of those two-score accu-
sing eyes, "and stuck me with knife
, Mavhap I'm dying: but as for her,
she'll be answering to We all on another
count. She's the murderess of your
comrades-do with her as We judge best.
But waste no time-ye have none to
lose. As for me, Tm-I'm dome"
fierce hemorrhage seized him, and
he fell forward upon the woman. They
took him up silently, and bore him with
them: but the woman they left to welter
in the blood Of the man she had be-