Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-08-08

by -! I get my own way, don't
II" he laughed.
Indeed you do" O'Reilly laid a
hand fondly upon his loyal follower.
And 1 don't mind telling you that I'm
more than half glad of it. IL was
getting lonesome. I didn't know how
much I could miss you. But now we
must make some plans, we must have
an understanding and decide who we
are. Let me see-your real name Is
Narciso-"
"Narciso Villar."
WELL, then, I shall be Juan Villar,
your brother. Henceforth we shall
speak nothing but Spanish. Tell me
now, what was our fathers name,
where was our home, and what are we
doing together?"
During the breathless interval be-
fore the shower the two sat with their
heads together, talking earnestly. AS
the wind came and the cooling rain be-
gan to rattle on the leaves overhead
they took up their bundles and set
out. The big drops drenched them
quickly. Their thin garments chung
to them and water streamed down
their bodies; overhead the sky was
black and rent by vivid streaks of fire,
but they plodded onward cheerfully.
Jacket vas himself again; he bent
his weight against the tempest and
heightened his short strides to O'Reil-
ly's. He tried to whistle, but his teeth
chartered and the wind interfered, SO
he hummed q song, to drive the chill
out of his bones and to hearten his
%benefactor. Now that he was ut last
accepted as a full partner in this enter
prise, it became his duty not only to
share its perils, but to lessen its hard
ships and to yield diversion.
The rain was cold, the briers beside
the overgrown path were sharp, and
they scratched the boys bare legs cru
ely; his stomach clamored for q COM
panion to that solitary sweet potato,
too, but in his breast glowed ardor
and pride. Jacket considered himself
a fortunate persona very fortunate
person, indeed. Had he not found a
brother, and did not that brother love
him? There was no doubt about the
latter, for O'Reilly's eyes, when he
looked down, were friendly and init
mate. Here was q man to die for.
The downpour lasted but a short
time, when the sun came out and dried
the mems clothes ; on the whole, it had
been refreshing. When evening came
the villar brothers sought refuge in
an old sugar mill, or rather in q part
Of it still standing. They were on the
main calzada now, the paved road
which links the two main cities of the
island, and by the following noon their
destination was in sight. ~ae.~sr4p~>
O'Reilly felt a sudden excitement
when Matanzas came into view. From
this distance the city looked quite as
it did when he had left 1t, except that
the blue harbor was almost empty OF
shipping, while the familiar range Of
hills that hid the Yumuri-that valley
Of delight SO closely linked in his
thoughts with Rosa Varona-seemed
to smile at him like an old friend. Fol
the thousandth time he asked himself
If he had come in time to find her, OF
If fate's maddening delays had proved
his own and the girls undoing.
O'Reilly knew that although Matan
zas was a prison and a pesthole, a CIR
: like Rosa would suffer in perils inf
nitely worse than Imprisonment or dis
ease. 1t was a thought he could no,
bear to dwell upon.
t Signs Of life began to appear now
the travellers passed small garde1
l patches and occasional cultivated
fields; they encountered loaded cart:
bound into the city, and once they hit
l themselves while a column of mounted
troops went by.
: O'Relly stopped to pass the time Of
l day with q wrinkled cartman whose
detected oxen were resting.
"Going into the city, are you?" thu
fellow inquired. "Starved out, I SUP
pose. Well, it's as pleasant to starv,
.inaone place as another"
Jacket helped himself to q stalk O.
: q n from the load and began to stri,
it with his teeth.
: "Will the soldiers allow US to enter2
Johnnie inquired.
"Of course. Why not? The old man
laughed mirthlessly; then his voice
changed. go back" he said, Ego back
and die in the fields. Matanzas stinks
of rotting corpses. Go back where the
air Is Clean" He swung his long lash
over the oxen, they leaned against the
load, and the cart creaked dismally
on its way.
1t is never difficult to enter a trap,
and Matanzas was precisely that.
There were soldiers everywhere, but
beyond an Indifferent challenge at the
outer blockhouse, a perfunctory Ques-
tion or two, Narciso and Juan Villar
experienced no trouble whatever in
passing the lines. Discipline, never
strict at best, was extremely lax at
the brick fortinas along the roads, and,