Bisbee daily review., 1913-09-07

mer denizens Of the jungle, never let ting up until he had traversed its length and had broken once more into the bushes.
 The shouts had grown more distant. and Holton knew that no one else had stumbled upon the trail, or at least that was his belief until he heard be- hind him the sound of footsteps batter ing down the clearing. He paused, curious to see if it were not one of the scouts who had located his hidden alleyway and found his suspicious true As the big negro dashed to the end of the lane. Holton worked his way to the opening through which he lad just come and waited. tense for the. encounter. The man located the bent branches and with 8 little grunt started afresh on Holton's trail.
 IL was the last sound he made for some time. for, as he burst through, the Americans fist, launched with bone-shattering force. landed just two inches above his chin and down he went, like a stricken animal.
 Holton, with a prayer of thanksgiY- ing. leaned over the huddled figure and was rejoiced to find that the fellow had a revolver and a belt filled with bullets, in addition to a hunting-knife. All these things Holton appropriated, and then leaving the negro where he lay, pursued his way into the forest.
 He had marked his direction before starting upon his flight, his intention being to make the hills over Santiago bay, ascertain the location of Ceryera's fleet, watch for any signs that might give hint as to the intentions Of the Spanish admiral, and then make for point where he might signal Samp- sons flagship.
 He had no thought of getting clear away until he had made a strong ef- fort to perform the mission upon which he had been dispatched.
 After walking all day with infre- quent halts in the torrid heat, making perhaps ten or twelve miles, he came near sunset to a tall grove of palms. One of these he climbed and at length was able to locate his position in a general way.
 It may have been fever working in his blood, although be felt we'll. but through his mind ran something, not a voice, more an impulse, which kept suggesting to him to turn to the left. Finally. staggering and stumbling, half asleep, he obeyed the inward injunc- ton. and in this way proceeded until at last he fell into heap, dead asleep.
 When he awoke he was shivering. He realized his weakness but could not understand 1t, being usually man of undertaking health, until it occurred to him that he had not eaten anything for nearly twenty-four hours.
 But he had nothing with him to eat, and he did not dare discharge his pis- tol at the birds flying ali about for fear of calling attention to his position in the jungle. So he arose, frightened his belt as he had read Indians used to do when pressed by hunger, and worked his way on, still holding to the left.
 Continuing thus he stumbled sudden ly upon clearing, which apparently a large number of soldiers had left not many hours before. There were re- mains Of a fire and. better still, seat tered upon the ground were bits of hardtack. whole pineapple and an abandoned kettle with some boiled rice remaining in 1t
 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 tsnce and lay back in the shadows. The sun warmed him. and the stiffness caused by the damp of the night left him. If, 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 flash, then by sev- eral. A flash in 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 10 the eastward the land fell sharply away into a wide valley, the opposite sides of which were bush and tree-coyered 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. E
 Holton's heart beat quickly. He re- membered what the Spaniards had said of Americans marching from the direc- ton 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 detachment of Spanish sol dier might come upon him. His slight est movement would tend to attract the attention of some of them.
 What was happening? Suddenly from the distance there came what sounded to Holton like the chatter of steel on steel. He at once recognized if as the sound a scabbard makes