The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1914-03-06


understand 1t, being usually a man OF
undertaking health, until 1t 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-
toll at the birds flying all 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 a clearing, which apparently a
large number of soldiers had left not
many hours before. There were re-
mains of fire and, better still, scat
tered upon the ground we're bits of
bareback, a whole pineapple and an
abandoned kettle with some boiled rice
remaining in it.
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
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 fash again, fol
lowed by another fash, 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 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 Q 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-
ton of Siboney, and he knew that
right before his eyes the Spaniards
were arranging an ambush for them.
But what could he do7 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 chatter of
steel on steel. He at once recognized
it as the sound a scabbard makes
when 1t Etrikes against spur.
Hastily he looked down at the Span
ish position. out not a sign of a soldier
could he see. The trail was deserted,
the surroundings were as quiet, as
peaceful as the heart Of 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.
pered In his ear, he started up. Was
he helpless2 Yes, II he was consider
ing himself. II fear of consequences
to him personally we're 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 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 dowI
! there, a subconscious feeling of the ap
proach of men.
; EIolton, his eyes strained ahead, hi
cara alert for the slightest sound
} started convulsively as a campaign ha
appeared for an instant through a riff
in the high grasses on the valley sld'
! of the trail
Then. fiattening himself rigidly upoI
J the ground, he pointed his pistol IL
t the direction of the Spaniards beneath
4 him. and pulled the trigger The sharI
I report OF the forty-four tore through
: the dead stiffness with nerverackinI
{ violence. It clattered across the val
; ley in hundred echoes. And then, a
j though both nature and man had haeI