Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-07-26

grown up to underbruSh; but IN tlme
the Jungle gave place to higher timber
and to open savannas deep in guinea
grass. Soon after noon the travellers
came to q farm, the owner OF which
was known to one of the guides, and
here stop was made in order to Sc
cure horses and food.
Johnnie, who was badly tagged from
the previous nights work, found
shady spot and stretched himself out
for nap.
The shade was grateful. O'Reilly
enjoyed his sleep.
The party had penetrated to the foot
hills Of the Sierra de Cubitas, and as
they assembled, the scenery changed.
Rarely is the Cuban landscape any
thing but pleasing. 1t is a smiling
island 1t has been said, too, that ey-
erything in it is friendly to man: the
people are amiable, warm-hearted; the
very animals and insects are harmless.
But here in the Cubitas range all was
different. The land was stern and for
bidding: canyons deep and damp
raised dripping wallis to the sky; bride
paths skirted lodges that were bold
and fearsome, or lost themselves in
gloomy jungles as noisOme as Spanish
| dungeons. Hidden away in these fast
nesses, the rebel government had es-
| tablished it's capital. Here, safe from
surprise, the soldiers of Gomez and
Maceo and Garcia rested between at
taclzs, nursing their wounded and re-
cruiting their strength for further sal
| lies.
| It was a strange seat of govern
ment-no nation ever had a stranger
for the state buildings were huts of
bark and leaves, the army was uni
formed in rags. Cook fires smoldered
In the open glades cavalry horses
grazed in the grassy streets, and wood
smoke drifted over them.
The second evening brought O'Reilly
and Miss Evans safely through, and at
news Of the expeditions success a
pack train was made ready to go to
! it's assistance. Norine's letter from the
New York junta was read, and the
young woman was warmly welcomed.
One of the better huts was vacated for
her use, and the officers of the pro-
visional government called to pay their
respects.
/ There were other Americans in Gu
bitas, as O'Reilly soon discovered. Dur
Ing his first inspection of the village
he heard himself hailed in his own Ian
Yro0yo N
white trousers and Jacket strobe
| toward him.
"Welcome to our ethyl" the stranger
cried. "I'm Judson, captain of artil-
lery, departments del Oriente; and
you're the fellow who came with the
quinine lady, aren't you?"
O'Reilly acknowledged his identity,
and Judson grinned. 'Have you met
the old man." he Acknowledgement
Comet"
"No; I'd like to meet him."
"Come along, then; I'll introduce
you"
| Gen. Maxine Gomez, father Of pa
triots, bulwark of the Cuban cause,
was seated in a hammock, reading
some letters O'Reilly recognized him
instantly from the many pictures he
had seen. He looked up at Judson's
salute and then turned a pair of bril-
liant eyes, as hard as glass, upon
O'Reilly. His was an irascible, brood
ing face; it had in it something of the
sternness, the exalted detachment, of
the eagle, and O'Reilly gained'a hint of
the personality behind it. Maxine
Gomez was counted one of the worlds
ablest guerrilla leaders; and indeed
it had required the quenchless enthu-
siasm of real military genius to fuse
into homogeneous fighting force the
ill-assorted rabble Of nondescripts
whom Gomez led, to school them to
privation and to render them sufficient
ly mobile to defy successfully ten
times their number of trained troops
This, however, was precisely what the
old Porto Rican had done, and in doing
1t he had won the admiration of mill.
tary students.
With a bluntness not unkind he
J asked O'Reilly what had brought him
; to Cuba.
When O'Reilly explained the reason
for his presence the old fighter nod
aed.
$50? You wish to go west, chr
eyes, sir. I want to find Colonel
Lopez"
Lopez? Miguel lopez" the gen
eral inquired quickly. well. you won't
/ have to look. far for him." General
Gomez leathery countenance lightened
into a smile. Gle happens to be right
here in Cubitas." Calling Judson tC
him. he said "Amigo. take Mr.. O'Reills
to Colonel Lopez; you will find hin
somewhere about. / am sorry we are
not to have this young fellow for 6
soldier; he looks like real man and
quite equal to five Quintos, eh?"
1t was the habit of the Cubans tt
refer to their enemies as quintOs-
the fifth part of man! With wave
Of his hand Gomez returned to his
reading.
Col. Miguel Lopez, handsome, ami
mated fellow, took O'Reilly's hand II
| nj inf rn