Evening star., 1918-02-03

LIFE, AND 1T HAS GONE TO MY HEA
some. or lost themselves in gloomy
jungles as noisome as Spanish dun
geons. Hidden away in these fast
nesses the rebel government had es-
surprise. the soldiers Of Gomez and
Maceo and Garcia rested between at
tacks. nursing their wounded and re-
cruiting their strength for further
sallies
1t was a strange seat of government t
mo nation ever had a stranger-for
the state buildings were huts of bark
and leaves. the army was uniformed
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
One of the better huts was vacated
for her use. and the officers of the
provisional government called to pay
their respects.
THE CITY OF BEGGARS
There were other Americans in Gu
bitas. as O'Reilly soon discovered.
During his first inspection of the vil-
lage he heard himself hailed in his
own language. and a young man in
toward him.
welcome to our city" the stranger
cried. I'm Judson, captain of artil-
lery. departments del oriente: and
you're the fellow who came with that
quinine lady. aren't your
and Judson grinned:
The whole camp is talking about
her and those mangoes. Jove! It's a
wonder she didn't die of fright Some
thing tells me you're Irish. Anyhow.
you look as if you5d enjoy a scrap.
Know anything about artillery"
Nothing whatever"
I'm sorry. We need gunners. Still.
did when we came"
I'm not fighter" Johnnie told him.
I'm here on-other business
Capt: Judson was plainly disap-
to assist his countryman in any way
possible. Have you met the old man.
he inquired-"Gen. Gomez"
you. This is about the right time of
day for it: he'll probably be in good
humor. He has dyspepsia. you know.
and he's not always pleasant"
II WAS nearly SunQCWH, IHe eastern
slopes were in the shadow, and supper
was cooking. AS the two men passed
down the wide street between it's rows
of bohios the fragrance of burning
fagots was heavy in the air-that odor
which is sweet in the nostrils of every
man who knows and loves the out-of-
doors. To O'Reilly 1t was like the
scents of Araby. for his hopes were
high, his feet were light. and he be-
lieved his goal was in sight.
fov fof oF
OTIS. bulwark of the Cuban cause, was
seated in hammock. reading some
letters; OReil1y recognized him in
stantly from the many pictures he had
seen. Gomez was a keen. wiry old man;
the color of his swarthy, sun bitten
cheeks was thrown into deeper relief
by his white mustache and
goatee. He looked up at Judson's
salute and then turned a pair of bril-
liant eyes, hard as glass. upon
O'ReilIy. His was an irascible, brood
ing face: it had in it something of the
sternness. the exalted detachment, of
the eagle, and OReilly gained hint
OF the personality behind it. Maxine
Gomez was counted one of the worlds
ablest guerrilla leaders: and. indeed. it
had required the quenchless enthusiasm
Of a real military genius to fuse into a
homogeneous fighting force the ill-as-
sorted rabble Of nondescripts whom
Gomez led. to school them to privation
and to render them sufficiently mobile
to defy successfully ten times their
number of trained troops. This, how
ever. was precisely what the old Porto
Rican had done. and in doing it he had
won the admiration of military stu
dents. He il was. more than any other,
who bore, the burden of Cuba's un-
equal struggle; it was GomeZ'S, cum
ming and GomeZs indomitable will
which had already subjugated half the
Island of Cuba: it was GomeZ's stub
born. unfiagging resistance which was
destined to shatter for all time the
homes of Spain in the world.
With a bluntneSS not unAind he
asked O'Reilly what had brought him
to cuba. Then before the young man
ter in his hand saying:
Maj. Ramos gives you splendid
credit for helping him to land his ex-
pedition, but he says you didn't come
to fight with us. What does he mean?'
When OReilly explained his reason
for his presence the old fighter nod
ded.
$50? You wish to go west. eh?'
"Yes, sir ] want to find Col. Lopez"
Lopez? Miguel lopez" the general
inquired. quickly.
II believe that's his name-at any
rate the Col Lopez who has been oper-
ating In Matanzas province. You see.
he knows the whereabouts of my
friends"
well, you won't have to look far
for him." Gen. Gomexs ieathery
countenance lightened into smile.