The Mena weekly star., 1918-12-12

over the niliS ana INTO the san JOdn
for Asensio knew the country well
Mid-afternoon found them in sight OF
la Joya Cueto's cane was thick anc
high; II was ready for the knife OF
for the torch The incendiaries dis.
mounted in the shelter of a wood anc
removed the bags which they hae
carried on their saddles. Inside these
bags were several snakes, the largest
perhaps eight feet in length. To the
all Of each the negroes fastened Z
ather thong, and then to each thong
length of telegraph wire. the enc
which had been bent into looI
hold a bundle az oil-soaked waste
These preliminaries accomplished
they bore the reptiles into the cant
fields al widely separated places ana
lighted the waste
Soon tongues of fame appeared
and the green tops Of the cane begat
to shrivel and TO wave as the steady
cast Wind took effect Smoke bill
lowed upward and was hurried west
ward before the breeze; in a dozeF
places the fields burst into fame
From somewhere came a faint shout
ing, then shot or two, and finally
he ringing of bell.
Esteban waited only until he saw
that his work Of devastation was wei
under way, then he led his followers
back toward the hills.
In the shelter Of a ravIne the party
took time to eat supper, their first
meal since leaving home, and II was
after dark when they finished. The
negroes who were thoroughly tired
were for spending the night here, but
Esteban. more cautious than they
would not have 1t so. Accordingly
the men remounted their wear,
horses, though not without SOM
grumhling, and set out. AT Length
they crossed the summit and worke,
down toward the Yumuri. but 1
seemed as If daylight would nevel
come,
Esteban suddenly refined in hl,
horse. Look r said he. "Yonder Il
a light"
"whnt is Evangellna thinking
aboutff' AsensiO muttered.
"But seei II grows brighter
There followed a moment or two dur
ing which there was no sound excepi
the breathing of the horses and this
creak Of saddle feathers as the riders
eraned their necks to see over the low
tree tops before them. Then Estebar
cried
"Come I'm--afraId it's oul
house, Fear gripped him, but he
managed to say. calmly, perhaps
there has been an--accident"
Asensio, muttering excitedly, was
trying TO crowd past him: for a few
yards the two horses brushed along
side BY side. The distant point Of
light had become glare now; 4.
winked balefully through the open
ings as the party hurried toward It.
But it was still long way off, and
the eastern sky had grown rosy be-
fore the dense woods Of the hillside
gave way to the sparser growth of
the low ground
Esteban turned sick, white face
over his shoulder and jerked out his
orders; then he kicked his tired
mount into a swifter gaIlop. 1t was
he who first broke out into the clear
ing. One glance, and the story was
told.
The hut was but a crumbIing sRei.
eton OF charred poles. Strung out
across the little held Of malangas,
yuccas and sweet potatoes we're sew
ersi hilarious volunteers, their arms
filed with loot from the cabin. Be
hind them strobe an officer hearing
Rosa struggling against his breast.
Esteban drove his horse headlone
through tie soft red earth of the
garden. His sudden appearance
seemed briefly to paralyze the ma
RAIDERS. It was moment before
they could drop their spells, unsling
their rifles, and begin to fire at him,
and by that time he had covered half
the distance to his sister, A bullet
brought his horse down and the boy
went flying over its neck. Nothing
but the loose loam saved him from
injury. As he rose to his feet, breath
less and covered with the red dirt,
there came swift thudding Of hoofs
and Asensio swept past him like a
rocket. Esteban caught one glimpse
of the xegro's face. fleeing vision
OF white teeth barred II the gums, Of
distended yellow eyes. Of fiat. distort
ed features: then AseDsio was fairly
upon Colonel Cobo The colonel. who
had dropped his burden. now tried to
dodge. Asensio slashed once at him
with his long, murderous machete.
but the next Instant he was engaged
with a trooper who had fred almost
ia his face.
Continued next week.