The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-11-28

ttIeu upon the ground were Dlts OF
bareback, a whole pineapple and an
abandoned kettle with some boiled rice
| remaining in IL.
Despite the suggestions of the prox
| unity OF the Spaniards. Holton sat
down and ate the most satisfactory
meal of his life.
Having eaten, he retired little dis
tance and lay back in the shadows.
The sun warmed him, and the stiffness
caused by the damp of the night left
him. II. as he had feared, fever had
been in his blood. it had gone now and
this inspired him wonderfully.
He was about TO descend when the
| flash of something below caught his
eye almost beneath his feet He looked
closely and caught the flash again, fol.
lowed by another fash, then by sew
eral. A fash i'll this jungle meant pol
ished metal of some sort. and metal of
any sort here meant only one thing
soldiers
He strained his eyes downward and
then caught glimpses OF trail. partial
| ly hidden from his view by bushes On
the side of the trail nearest TO the
eastward the land fell sharply away
into wide valley, the opposite sides
OF which were bush and tree-covered
hills just as on his side.
And now as he looked, the situation
dawned clear upon him. For he could
see men moving. falling back along the
trail, and eventually debouching into
| bushes on either side
Holton's heart beat quickly He re-
membered what the Spaniards had said
OF Americans marching from the direc-
tion OF Siboney, and he knew that
right before his eyes the Spaniards
were arranging an ambush for them.
But what could he do? Almost any
! moment a detachment of Spanish sol
| diers might come upon him His
| slightest movement would tend to at
tract the attention OF some OF them.
What was happening? Suddenly
from the distance there came what
sounded TO Holton like the clatter OF
steel on steel. He at once recognized
il as the sound a scabbard makes
when IL strikes against a spur.
Hastily he looked down at the Span
ish position, but not a sign of a soldier
could he see. The trail was deserted,
! the surroundings were as quiet, as
peaceful as the heart Of a jungle. II
was too quiet. Holton thought.
Suddenly the situation dawned clear
his countrymen we're walking into a
deadly trap! And he was powerless 20
! help them.
Then as though a voice had whis-
| peTed in his ear, he started up. Was
| he helpless? Yes. II he was consider
| ing himself II fear of consequences
10 him personally were 10 be weighed,
he was perfectly helpless But not
otherwise. Providence could not have
smiled more benignly upon the Ameri-
cans than in placing him just where
he was-provided he justified the
providential processes with the nerve
of hero.
He rolled half on his side. loosened
his revolver in it's holster. and then
drew il out. No more sounds come
from the trail. ano yet, somehow, there
vas the impression of movement down
there, a subconscious feeling OF the ap-
proach OF men.
Holton. his eyes strained ahead. his
ears alert for the slightest sound
started convulsively as campaign hat
appeared for an instant through a rift
IN the high grasses on the valley side
OF the trail
Then, hattening himself rigidly upon
the ground, he pointed his pistol in
The direction OF the Spaniards beneath
him. and pulled the trigger The sharp
report OF the forty-four tore through
the dead stiffness with nerve-racking
violence. 10 clattered across the val
ley y a hundred echoes. And then. as
though both nature and man had been
shocked into inanition. there followed
few seconds OF pulseless silence
again Holton's pistol rang out This
time. from the direction OF the hidden
advancing forces. there came several
short, sharp commands. AZ Holton
lay hidden. thankful that the Spaniards
had evidently attributed the shots 20
some overanxious soldier on their own
side. he saw two Cubans steal along
the trail and behind them a gigantic
Ftbht HFdhA tu Auf uulAOI ilA VI -
Rough Rider
Close behind him were four men.
They were picking their way stealth
ily. There was no question that Hol-
tons shots had the desired effect
Then. as he looked. several long.
lancelike lines OF fame darted out of
the bushes in which the Spanisrds lay.
The valley resounded with a racketing
uproar he saw the big Rough Rider
sergeant stop short with look OF sur
prise upon his face. saw his Jaws set
grimly. saw him advance step. and
then beave forward on his face. block
ing the trail with his body
The bushes beneath Holton were
nov dari,ng sheets OF fame md the
gases from the smokeless powder drift.
% upward and into his nostrils
Prom the American side he heard
crashing AZ the main body rushed up
into action or deployed into the grass