The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-11-24

| TOltOn stood racing the man, iii
| movable as a statue. The girl stepped
forward.
You are lying!" she cried. There
will be 10 execution"
Ca, but ycs, there will be-" was the
smilins loioindcr, and right before
YOU cyc3 uul2ss you retire
You iinnG!" With a sudden, 1.-THE
movemoa, shn @prang in front OF Iol-
ton "NqT fire, il you dare!"
| Holton p9 ced his hands upon her
supple va st and lifted her to one side.
The revolver dartCd forward to aim.
The girl uttered little CRY and spranS
back. Selling the Americans coat with
her hands stretched behind her.
Miss La To.Sa!" cried Holton.
"You--you-"
Cesnola's face was working with
the rage of a fanatic.
"Out OF the way, girl!' he cried,
glancng behind him at the door of the
opposite room, which he had closed as
he left it. THAT man is spy! lie
has got to die! He is an enemy,
snake in the grass. not worthy of
minutes quarter!"
Miss La Tossa never moved; and
Holton, his mind working like light
ming, did not attempt to put her aside.
"Out of the way" repeated the
, Spaniard, with sort of Kissing of the
breath. "Out Of the way, or, by God!
I'll shoot through YOU"
There was the crash of an opening
! door.
whats this-this noise and shout
I ing?' came a deep voice.
Holton, watching his enemy like
hawk, saw the revolver.barrel defect
ed from him, the mans head turned IN
he direction whence the voice had
come. Springing backward and side
wise like deer, Holton shot across
! the room.
There vas a loud report--a bullet
singed his hair. The next instant he
had leaped through the window. glass
and all, and was on the porch. From
here, as two bullets sped after him, he
leaped down upon the back of a horse
that was being held by soldier.
Striking the animal with the butt Of
his revolver, he went careering off
! through the darkness like a rocket.
From the men on the drive, from
men on the porch, came rain of bull.
lets; and Hoton, who had learned a
trick or two in the way of horseman.
ship slipped down along the animals
body, shielding himself almost COM
pletely. But the horse was exposed.
and whining bullet pierced the steed
to the heart. He suddenly plunged for.
ward, throwing Holton to the d,
then rolled over and was still
Holton landed on his knees, and, al
though Jared, was not stunned. He
scrambled along desperately, regain
Ing his feet, and struck out for the
woods, about hundred feet away.
lie toiled on for two hours, distanc.
ing all sounds of pursuit, and then
flung himself on the wet ground like
a tired animal and fell at once into a
deep sleep. When he awoke the sun
was shining through the trees.
But it was not this that had reused
him. 1t was the roaring of field ord
nance and the racketing of small arms
Evidently they were at it again His
one thought was that this was the 2nd
of July, and chat on the morrow the
Spanish warships meant to dash out
OF the harbor and attempt an ESCAPE
His fleet must be warned. That was
what he was there for, and this, from
now on, must be the single aim of his
life, the one thought in his mind. the
supreme struggle of his body.
BY constant concentration upon the
object OF his mission, he brought his
mental condition into a sort OF hys.
telia. The heat, too, had got into his
brain. AS he stumbled ever a log hc
would sob or curse. and once, when
he tripped and was thrown fat he lay
Tor a second, weeping like child.
so ne went on until once. upon
climbing a tree to ascertain his posi.
ton, he looked down upon the upper
waters OF the harbor. He was on the
hills to the right, and another hours
Journey would bring him within sig.
nal of his fleet.
he struggled feebly, and then Law
back with the realization that srea,
as was the exigency, he was not able
10 meet it. A sort of stupor, partly
munger partly fatigue, stole over him
and he closed his eyes.
1t was nisht when he onened them
again. starlit night. At first he could
not recall whcre he was. Then he re-.
membered, and With a start remem.
bered why he was there.
he sat up and with difficulty got nm
MS feet. Then ne walked. He did NOT
KNOW he was walking. he had no con.
sc'ousness OF moving. AMI no sense os
9 fectioa; but his suoconscious now.
'fs were leading him right. A breath
@ pure salt air blew on his face He
turned toward line of brush and
p-tfed it, and there. bclaw him Law
We saarish feet, their lights, reflect.
ca IN The velvet waters, twinkline and
" asi's. He heard the chug.chug NJ a
't'Am launch, End several times the
~ ,:H'ar OF a voice rose to bis ears
@'.er down. in the moonlight bs
"a &c the nasts ard funnel of Hoh.
'"a 9errimac. Ships bells struck
- Il. so 80 e,,ns