Judsonia weekly advance., 1918-07-24
CHAPTER xI.
When the World Ran Backward.

when the Worto Kan BaCkWard.
 Esteban went about his plan of de- stroying Rancho Cueto with youthful energy and zest. First he secured, at some pains, half-stick of dynamite, cap and fuse, and gallon or more of kerosene; then he assembled his fol- lowers and led them once again into the San Juan.
 La JOya was still tenanted when early in the evening its rightful owner arrived; the house and some of it's out buildings showed lights. Esteban con- cealed his men. While the horses cropped and the negroes rested he fit ted fuse and cap to his precious piece of dynamite
 Now while Esteban was thus busted. Rancho Cueto was entertaining an un- welcome guest. In the late afternoon he had been surprised by the visit of dozen or more volunteers, and inas- much as his relations with their colo nel had been none of the friendliest since that ill-starred expedition into the Yumuri, he had felt a chill of ap- prehensionl on seeing the redoubtable Cobo himself at their head.
 
 The colonel had explained that he was returning from trip up the San Juan, taken for the purpose of round ing up those inhabitants who had been dilatory in aSeying the new orders from Havana. That smoke to the south ward was from fires of his kindling: he had burned good many crops and houses and punished 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 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 off to bed Cueto followed In better spirits than he had enjoyed for some time. For one thing, it was agreeable to look forward to night of undisturbed re- pose. PanchO's apprehensions had fat tened upon themselves, and he had been living of late in a nightmare of terror.
 But 1t seemed to him that he had barely closed his eyes when he was awakened by a tremendous vibration and found himself in the center of the floor. undecided whether he had been hurled from his bed or whether he had leaped thither. Still in a daze, he heard 6 shout from the direction of Cobo's room, then a din of other voices, fol lowed by a rush of feet; tie next in- stant~his door was flung back and he saw, by the light of high-held torches, Esteban Varona and n ragged rabble of black men. Cueto knew that he Esteban's clubbed rifle only to behold the flash of machete. Crying out again, he tried to guard himself from the descending blade, but too late; the sound of his hoarse terror died in his throat, half born.
 "Quick Soak the bed with oil and fire it," Esteban directed; then he ran
  other shouting. He found the chamber whence it issued and tried to smash the door; but at the second blow he heard gunshot from within and the wood splintered outward almost into his face. Simultaneously, from some where outside the house, arose the notes of a Spanish bugle-call
 Young Varona waited to hear no more. Nor did his men; realizing the peril into which they had been led. they bolted from the house as fast as they could go. There was no need for questions; from the direction of the sugar mill came believed orders and the sound of men shouting to their horses. Evidently those were troops and trained troops, too, for they took no time to saddle; they were up and mounted almost before the marauders