The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-09-05

frenzy of disappointment. you das-
sent leave me-you dassentP -
Listen, people are starving in Ma
tanzas; they are sick; they are dying
in the streets"
81 don't eat much"
When Johnnie shook his head stub
bOrnly Jacket launched himself into
torrent of profanity the violence Of
which dried his tears. His vOcabu-
larry was surprising. He reviled the
Spaniards, O'Reilly, himself, everybody
and everything; he leveled anathemas
at that woman who had come between
him and his beloved benefactOr. The
latter listened goOd-naturedly.
You're a tough kid" he laughed.
when Jackets first rage had worn it
self out. 81 like you, and I'd take you
If could. But this isn't an enterprise
for a boy, and it won't get you any
thing TO keep up this racket
Jacket next tried the power of ar
gument. He attempted to prove that
in a hazardous undertaking of this
sort his assistance would be invalu-
able. He was, so he declared, the one
person in all Cuba in every respect
qualified to share O'Reilly's perils To
begin with. he was not afraid of SDan-
iardS, or anything else, for that mat
ter-he dismissed the subject of per-
sOnal courage with a contemptuOus
shrug. AS for cunning, sagacity, pru-
dence, resource, all-arOund worth, he
was. without doubt, unequaled in any
country. He was a yeritabIe Spartan,
too, when it came to hardship-priva
ton and suffering were almost to his
liking. He was diScreet-diScretiO
was something he had inherited; he
was diplOmat-diplOmacy being one
of his most unique accomplishments.
AS for this talk about hunger. O'Reilly
need not concern himself in the least
on that score, for Jacket was a small
eater and could grow fat on diet of
dried leaves. Disease? Bah! It made
him laugh. His experience with sick
ness was wider than most fiSicos. and
he was a better nurse than Miss Ev-
ans would ever be. Jacket did not wish
to appear in the least bOaStful. On
the contrary, he was actually too mod
est. as his friends could attest, but
truth compelled him to admit that he
was just the man for O'Reilly. He
found it impossible to recommend him
self too highly; to save his soul he
could think of no qualification in which
he was lacking and could see no rea-
son why his benefactor would not
greatly profit by the free use Of his
amazing talents. The enterprise was
difficult; it would certainly fail with
out him.
Johnnie remained carefully atten-
tive during this adjuratiOn. He felt no
desire even to smile, for the boys ear
nestness was touching and it caused
the elder mans throat to tighten I'M
comfortably. Johnnie had not realized
before how fond he had become of this
quaint youngster And so, when the
little fellow paused hopefully, O'Reilly
put an arm around him.
I'm sure you are everything you
say you are, Jacket, and more, too, but
you can't goI'
With that Jacket flung off the en-
brace and stalking away, seated him
self. He took a half-smOked cigar
from the pocket of his shirt and lit it.
scowling the while at his friend. More
than once during the evening O'Reilly
detected his sullen, angry eyes upon
him.
General Betancourt and several MEM
bers of his staff were up early the fol-
lowing morning to bid their visitor
good-by. In spite of their efforts to
make the parting cheerful it was plain
that they had but little hope of ever
again seeing this foolhardy American.
Johnnie's spirits were not in the
least affected by this ill-concealed pes
simiSm, for, as he told himself, he had
money in his pockets and Matanzas
was not many miles away. But when
he came to part from Jacket he expert
enced a genuine disappointment. The
boy, strangely enough, was almost in
different to his leaving; he merely ex-
tended limp, dirty hand. and replied
| to O'Reilly's parting words with q
careless "Adiosi''
In hurt surprise the former inquired,
Don't we part good friends?"
''Surei' Jacket shrugged, then
| turned away.
Jacket was Ikable youngster; his
devotion was thoroughly unself1sh; it
had not been easy to wound him. With
keener regrets than he cared to ac-
| knowledge ORe1liy set out upon his
| journey, following the guide whom
General Betancourt had provided.
It was a lovely morning, sufficiently
warm to promise a hot midday; the
air was moist and fresh from a recent
shower This being the rainy season,
the trails were soft, and where the rich
red Cuban soil was exposed the traV-
elers sank into it as into wet putty.
Crossing a rocky ridge, O'ReiIIy and
| his guide at last emerged upon an
open slope. knee-high In grass and
! grown up to bottle palms. those queer,
distorted trees whose trunks are swol-
len into the likeness of earthen water
| jars. Scattered here and there over
the meadows were the dead or fallen
trunks of another variety, the cabbage
palm, the green heart Of which had
long formed staple article OF diet for
the insurrectos. Spanish axes had
been at work here and not 8 single
tree remained alive. The green floor
of the valley farther down was dotted
with the other, the royal kind, that
monarch of tropic vegetation which
lends to the Cuban landscape its De
cuIiar and distinctive hearty