The Holly chieftain., 1914-10-30

1
He realised his weakness but could mol
understand II, being usually . man ol
undertaking health, until 1t occurred tc
him that he had not eaten anything
for nearly twenty-four houru.
But he had nothing with him to eat
and he did not dare discharge his pis
tol at the birds hying all about for fssl
Of calling attention to his position In
the Jungle. 80 he arose. tightsned hIa
belt - he had rad Indians used to d
whom pressed by hunger, and worked
bis way on. still holding TO the left.
Continuing thus he stumbled sudden.
" upon q clearing. which apparently Z
large number Of soldiers had left not
many hours before. There were ~
mains of fire and. better still. scat.
tered upon the ground were bits Of
bareback. . 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 a little dis
lance 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, 1t had gone now and
this inspired him wonderfully.
He was about to descend when the
fash 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 sew
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 a 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-covercd
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 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 atoonce recognized
1t as the sound scanbard makes
when 1t strikes against spur.
Hastily he looked down at the Span
tsh position, but not sign Of soldier
could he see. The trail was deserted,
the surroundings were as quiet, a.
peaceful as the heart of a Jungle. 1t
was too quiet, Holton thought.
Suddenly the situation dawned clear
his countrymen were walking into a
deadly trap! And he was powerless to
help them.
Then. a. though q voice had whis-
pered In his ear. he started up. Was
he helplessi Yes, II he was consider
ing himself. II fear Of consequences
to him personally were to 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 q hero.
He rolled half on his side, loosened
his revolver in its holster, and then
drew 1t out. No more sounds. come
from the trail, and yet, somehow, there
was the impression Of movement down
there, subconscious feeling of the an
proach Of men.
Holton, his eyes strained ahead, his
ears alert for the slightest sound
started convulsively as a campaign hal
appeared for an instant through rift
in the high grasses on the valley side
Of the trail.
Then. fattening himself rigidly upor
the ground. he pointed his pistol in
tho direction of the spaniards beneath
him. and pulled the trigger. The sharI
report OF the forty-four tore through
the dead stiffness with nerverackins
violence. 1t clattered across 6e WI
ley In hundred echoes. And then, Q,
though both nature and man had beea