The Red Cloud chief., 1918-06-20
CHAPTER xi.
the World Ran Backward.

ESteban went about his plan OF de-
%stroylng Pancho Cueto with youthful
energy and zest. First he secured, Mt
some pains. a half-stick of dynamite, a
cap and fuse, and a gallon o. more of
kerosene; then he assembled his fol-
lowers and led them once again into
the San Juap.
La JOya was still tenanted when
early in the evening its rlghtful wne
arrived the house and some Of its out
buildings showed lights. Esteban con-
cropped and the negroes rested he fit
ted fuse and cap to his precious piece
of dynamite.
Now while Esteban was thus busted,
Pancho CuetO was entertaining an I'M
welcome guest. In the late afternoon
he had been surprised by the visit Of a
dozen or more volunteers. and mas
much as his relations with their colo
mel had been none Of the friendliest
since that ill-starred expedition into
the Yumuri, he had felt a chill Of ap-
prehenslon on seeing the redoubtable
Cobo himself at their head.
The colonel had explained that he
was returning from a trip up the San
Juan, taken for the purpose Of round
ing up those Inhabitants who had been
dilatory In Obeying the new orders
from Havana. That smoke to the south
ward was from fires Of his kindling {:
he had burned a good many crops and
houses and punished a good many peo-
pie, and since this was exactly the sort
Of task he liked he was In no unpleas-
ant mood. He had demanded of Cueto
lodging for himself and his troop, an
nouncing that O part Of his command
was somewhere behind and would re-
Join him later In the night.
CuetO had welcomed his visitor in
all humility he put up the soldiers In
the bate Of the sugar mill, and then
installed CobO In his best room, after
which he ransacked the house for food
and drink and tobacco.
When Cobo finally took himself of
to bed Cueto followed In better spirits
than he had enjoyed for some time,
For n thing, 1t was agreeable to look
forward to a night Of undisturbed re,
pose. panchO's a~pprehensions had fat
tened upon themselves, and he had
terror.
But 1t seemed to him that he hat
barely closed his eyes when he wa!
awakened by n tremendous Vibration
and found himself In the center Of thu
floor. undecided whether he had beer
hurled from his bed or whether he hat
leaped thither. Still In n daze, he heart
a shout from the direction Of Cobo'
room. then a din of other voices, fol
lowed by a rush Of feet; the next In
slant his door was flung back and h
saw, by the light of high-held torches
Esteban VarOna and a ragged rabbi
of black men. CuetO knew that h
faced death. He lodged a blow iron
Esteban's dubbed rifle only to behol'
the flash Of a machete. Crying ou
again, he tried to guard himself fror
the descending blade, but too late; tn
sound OF his hOarse terror died In hi
throat, half born.
"Quick! Soak the bed with oil an
fire It," Esteban directed; then he RAJ
out into the hall 10 investigate tina
other shouting. He found the chambe
whence 1t issued and tried to smas
the door; but at the second blow h
heard a gunshot from within and til
wood splintered outward almost int
his face. simultaneously, from som,
where outside the house, arose tn
notes of n Spanish bugle-call.
Young Varona waited to hear n
more. Nor did his men; realizing tn
peril into which they had been lie,
they bolted from the house as fast @
] they could go. There was no need IL
questions; from the direction OF II
sugar mill came beloved orders an
the sound of men shouting to the
J horses. Evidently those were troops
. and trained troops, too, for they toe
] no time to saddle; they were up ar
mounted almost before the maraudeI
had gained the backs Of their own an
; mails.
e Instantly there began a blind bait
a in desperately cramped quarter
q Riders fought stirrup to stlrrup Wi
d dubbed rifles and machetes; saddl
were emptied and the terrified hors
bolted. Some Of them lunged up Il
G banks, only to tumble down agai
their threshing limbs and sharp-sh,
l. hoofs working more havoc than bloy
y from old-tlme battle-hammers.
T. OF course. after the first moment
& conflict, Esteban had not been able
J. exert the least control over his me
In fact, he could not make hims,
heard. Nor could he spare the brea