The Mena weekly star., 1918-12-19
Continued from last week.

cho Cueto, turned and fed for cover,
believing themselves in danger Of an
initiation. Nor was the colonel him.
self in any condition to rally them,
for Asensio's blade had cloven one
full dark cheek to the bone, and the
shock and pain had unnerved him.
The field was small, the jungle was
close at hand. A moment and the In
terlopers had vanished into it, all but
one, who lay kicking among the broad
malanga leaves, and over whom Assem-
sio kept squirting his terrified horse,
hacking downward with insane fury.
This was the first hand-to-hand en-
counter Esteban's men had had, and
their swift victory rendered them fero-
cious. Flinging their guns aside, they
went crashing into the brush on the
trail of their enemies.
Rosa found herself In her brothers
arms, sobbing out the story OF the our
rage and quivering at every sound of
the chase. He was caresslng her, and
telling her to have no further fears I;
both Of them were fairly hysterical.
Evangelina, thanks to her thick skull.
was not dead. In the course Of time
under Rosas and Esteban's ministra-
lions she regained her senses, and
when the other men returned they
found her lying sick and dazed- but
otherwise quite whole.
Then, there beside the ruins of the
hut, was a strange scene Of rejoicing.
Asensio recovered now from his burst
of savagery, was fearful, compassion
ate; his comrades laughed and chat
tered and Dragged about their prodig-
ious deeds Of valor. Over and over
they recounted their versions of the
encounter, each more fancifui than the
other, until 1t seemed that they must
have left the forest filled with corpses.
Esteban was grave. He had heard
Of Colonel Cobo. and, remembering
that denim-clad figure out yonder in
the trampled garden, he knew that Sc
rlous consequences would follow. The
volunteers were reyengeful; their
colonel was not the sort of man to
forgive q deep humiliation. Doubt
less he would put price upon the
heads Of all of them, and certainly he
would never allow them another en-
counter upon anywhere like even
terms. Then. too, the narrowncss of
Rosa's escape caused the boys heart
to dissolve with terror.
After conference with Asensio he
decided that they must prepare for
flight, and late that afternoon they all
set out to seek a safer refuge, Evange-
lima In tears at leaving her precious
garden plot. Their led horse, one of
those Lorenzo had captured, carried
a pitlfully light burden-only some
tools, some pans and kettles, and roll
Of charred bedclothes.
Johnnie O'Reilly had no difficulty in
locating the residence of Ignacio Alva-
RADIO, but TO communicate with him
was quite another matter. inasmuch
as his every step was logged by that
persistent shadow from Nuevitas.
One evening, several days after his
arrival, a sudden rain storm drove
O'Reilly indoors, and as he ascended
to his room he saw that the lamp in
the hallway fIared and smoked Mt ev-
cry gust of wind. II was very dark
outside; he reasoned that the streets
wonld be deserted. Hastily securing
that book which Alvarado, the dentist,
had given him, he took position close
inside his door. When he heard the
spy pass and enter the next chamber
he stole out into the hall and breathed
into the lamp chimney A moment
later he was safely through the win
dow and was working his way down
the shed roof. praying that his move
ments had not been seen and that the
tiles were firm. He nimbly scaled the
wall, crossed an Enclosure, climbed
second wall, and descended into a dark
side street. Taking advantage of the
densest shadows and the numerous
overhanging balconies, he set out at
brisk trot
A light showed through the barred
windows Of the Alvarado home, indi-
eating that the family was In. After
some fumbling O'Rellly laid hold of
the latch; then, without knocking. he
opened the front door and stepped in.
His sudden appearance threw the
occupants into alarm: woman cried
out sharply; a man whom O'Rellly
identified as Ignacio Alvarado himself
'eared 70 his feet and faced him, ex-
claiming:
9Nso are your"
TIN a friend. Don't be alarmed"
Johnnie summoned his most agreeable
smile, then he extended the sodden
package lie had carried beneath his
arm Il come from your brother
Iomas. He asked me TO hand YOU
ms book and to say that he is return
ing 1t with his thanks"
What are you sayingYn Plainly the
speaker did not comprehend; there
was nothing but apprehension In his
Foice.
o'Reilly tore the wet paper from the
aoiume and laid 1t in Alvarado's hand,
LOOK at 1t, please, and vou'u under.
stand. didn't take time 10 knock for
rear | might be followed
Aivarado stared first NJ tba hoo,,
49,. Nh at mis- caller. After moment he
rnsa a sign to his wife. who left tbe
r1on' Wetting his lips. he inop,rad
90 n,n an EFFORT, what do Won vantss
Neihy told him In fa,,. ...a-