The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1918-07-12

ing face IL had in ft something or the
sternness, the exalted detachment, of
the eagle, and O'Reilly gained hint Of
the personality behind Ii. Maximo
Gomez was counted one of the worlds
IL had required the quenchless enthu-
siasm of a real military genius to fuse
into homogeneous fighting force the
ill-asSOrted rabble of nondescripts
whom Gomez led, to school them to
privatiOn and to render them sufficient
ly mobile to defy successfully ten
times their number of trained troops.
This, however, was precisely what the
old Porto Rican had done, and in doing
il he had won the admiration of mill
tary students.
With buntness not unkind he
asked O'Reilly what had brought him
to Cuba.
When O'Reilly explained the reason
for his presence the old fighter nod
ded.
$50? You wish to go west, eh?"
eyes, sir. l want to find Colonel
Lopez"
Lopez? Miguel lopez" the gen
eral inquired quickly. "Well, you won't
have to look far for him" General
Gomez leathery countenance lightened
into smile. "He happens to be right
here in Cubitas." Calling Judson to
him, he said: "Amigo, take Mr. O'Reilly
to Colonel Lopez; you will find him
nj
not to have this young fellow for a
soldier; he looks like real man and
quite equal to five Quintos, eh?"
1t was the habit of the Cubans to
refer to their enemies as quintos-
| the fifth part of man! With q wave
of his hand Gomez returned to his
| reading.
Col. Miguel Lopez, handsome, ami
mated fellow, took O'Reilly's hand in
a hearty clasp when they were intro
| duced; but a moment later his smile
| gave way to frown and his brow
darkened.
"Sol You are that O'Reilly from
| MatanZas," said he. 81 know you now,
butt never expected we would meet"
"Esteban Varona told you about me,
did he not?"
The colonel inclined his head.
"Pm here at last, after the devils
own time. I've been trying every way
to get through. The Spaniards stopped
me at Puerto Principe-they sent me
back home, you know. I've been per.
fectly crazy. / You" OReilly
swallowed hard. "You know where
Esteban is? Tell me"
"Have you heard nothing?"
Nothing whatever. That is, moth.
ing since Rosa, his sister You un-
derstand, she and I are-engaged-'
"Yes, yes Esteban told me all about
you"
Something In the Cuban's gravity OF
manner gave O'Reilly warning. A sud
den fear assailed him. His voice shook
as he asked:
"What is 1t? Not bad news7''
There was no need for the officer
to answer. In his averted gaze
J O'Reilly read confirmation of his sick
est apprehensions.
"Tell me! Which one?" he whis
pered.
"Both!"
O'Reilly recoiled; spasm distorted
| his chalky face. He began to shake
: weakly, and his fingers plucked aim
: lessly at each other.
Lopez took him by the arm. ''Try tC
control yourself" said he. "Sit here
: while / try to tell you what little
: know. Or would 1t not be better tc
wait awhile, until you are calmerY
AS the young man made no answer, ex
cept to stare at him in a white agony
Of suspense, he sighed:
81 will tell you all I know-whici
, isn't much. Esteban Varona came t.
me soon after he and his sister hat
; fed from their home; he wanted t.
join my forces, but we were harasset
on every side, and didn't dare TAX,
the gfrl-no woman could have en-
dured the hardshlps we suffered. 81
I convinced him that his first duty wa!
to her, rather than to his country, ant
he agreed. He was a fine boy! HI
had spirit. He bought some stoleI
rifles and armed a band Of his own
which wasn't bad idea. / used t
: hear about him. Nobody cared t.
molest him, l can tell you, until finall,
he killed some Of the regular troops
Then Of course they went after him
Meanwhile he managed to destroy hi
e own plantations, which Cueto ha,
robbed him of. You know CuetoY
Y "Yes."
e swell, Esteban put an end to hin
after while; rode right up to Ii
r Joya one night, broke in the door, an,
: macheted the scoundrel In his bed. Blu
! there was mistake of some sort. l
Q seems that body Of Cobo's volun
teers were somewhere close by, an,
;, the two parties met. I have neve
t learned all the details of the affair, an,
i the stories Of that fight which came Z
me are too preposterous for belief
Still, Esteban and his men must hav
e fought like demons, for they kille
some incredible number. But the
: were human-they could not defeat
J, regiment. 1t seems that only one O
3 two Of them escaped"
a "Esteban2 Did he"