Mexico Missouri message., 1918-08-01
CHAPTER xvE-contInued.

courts common soldiers; his shoes
were broken and dlsreputable; his cot
ton trousers, snagged By bnrbed wire
and brambles, and solled by days In
the saddle and nights in the grass,
were in desperate need of attention.
Ills beard had grown, foo. aud his skin,
where 1t was exposed, was burnt to
a mahogany brown. Certainly there
was nothing about his appearance to
hespeak his nationality.
The general continued: 81 am direct
ed In this letter to help you In some
enterprise. Command me. sir"
AS briefly as possible Johnnie made
known the object Of his journey. The
officer nodded his comprehension, but
as he did so puzzled expression
crossed his face.
Eyes, reported that Miss VarOna
had gone into the city, took some
pains to find out. Do you have reason
80 doubt"
'Not the least, sif."
''Then-why have you come all this
wayY'
81 came to find her and to fetch her
20 her brOther.
'But-you don't understand. She Is
actually inside the lines, In Matan-
zas--a prisoner"
Exactly. Intend to SO into Matan-
zas and bring her out"
General Betancourt drew back, as
tonlshed. my dear manp he ex-
claimed. "Are you mad?"
O'Reilly smiled family. "Quite
probably. All lovers are mildly mad,
j believe"
"Ahl Loversl begin to see. But
how do you mean to 60 about this
this-impossible undertaking."
~You told me just now that could
pass for a Cuban. Well, / am going
to put it to the test. If once get into
the city shall manage somehow to
get out again, and bring her with me-"
"Um-ml" The general appraised
O'Reilly speculativeIy. mo doubt you
can get init Is not SO difficult to en-
Ter, 1 believe, and especially to one
who speaks the language like native.
But the return-I fear you will find
that another matter. Matanzas Is q
place of pestilence, hunger, despair.
No one goes there from choice any
more, and no one ever comes out"
$50 should imagine" The speak
er's careless tone added to General Be
tancourt's astonishment. "Biess mem
he exclaimed. "Whnt an extraordI-
nary young man! Is It possible that
you do not comprehend the terrible
cOnditions" A sudden thought struck
him and he inquired quickly: 'TeIl me,
you are not by any chance that hero
they call Ell DemOnio? 1 have heard
that he is indeed a demon. No? Very
welll You say you. wish to visit Ma
tanzas, and / am. instructed to help
you. How can do so?"
OReilly hesitated an instant. "For
one thing, need meney. IL haven't
n single peseta."
'You are welcome to the few dol
lars / possess"
Johnnie expressed his gratitude for
this ready assistance. "One thing
more" said he. "WiIi you give my
boy, Jacket, new pair of trousers
and send him back to the Orient at the
first Opportunity3"
"Of course. 1t is done" The gen
eral laid a friendly hand upon O'Reil-
ay's shoulder, saying, gravely: "It
would relieve me intensely to send you
back with him, for 1 have fears for
the success of your venture Matanzas
is a he'll; 1t has swallowed up thou
sands of our good countrymen; thou
sands have died there. Tn afraid you
do not realize what risks you are tax
ing"
OReilly did not allow this we'll
meant warning to influence him. nor
did he listen to the admonitions of
those other Oubans who tried TO argue
with him out Of his purpose, once 1t
became known. On the contrary, he
proceeded with hIs preparations and
spent that afternoon la satisfying him
self that Rosa had indeed left the Pan
de Matanzas before Cobo's raid.
Among BetancOurt's troops was a
man who had been living In the hills
ht Che time Asensio and his family
aad abandoned their struggle for ex-
tstenee, and to him ORelIly went. This
fellow, It seemed, had remained with
his family in the mouatains some time
after Asensio's departure. IL was
from him that O,ReifIy heard his first
authentic report Of the atrocities per-
Detrated by CDbo's volunteers. This
man had lost his wife, his little son,
and all the scanty belongings he pos
sessed. With shaking hands up
stretched to heaven. the fellow cursed
the author Of his mIsfortunes.
II live for one thIngl" he cried
shrilly-'to- meet that monster, and to
butcher him, as ne butchers women
and children"
O'ReilIy purposeIy left his most -un-
pleasant task 10 the last. When his
arrangements had been completed and
ne had 0equainted shlmseIe as far as
possible with theiiazards he was likely
10 encounter. he took Jacket aside and
broke the news to hln that on the fol-