Evening star., 1918-03-24

O'ReiIly smiled. but ask Rosa or
Jacket-the boy is bursting to tell some
one. He nearly died because he couldn't
brag about it to Capt. NORM. and there
won't be any holding him now. I'm
afraid he'll tip off the news about that
treasure in spite of all my warnings.
rest easy until they're safely locked
up in some good vault Now then. I've
told you everything. but I'm dying for
news. Tell me about yourselves, about
Esteban. l expected to find him we'll
What ails him?''
oh. Johnnie" Norine began. He's
very ill., He isn't getting we'll" Some
thing in her tone caused O'Reilly to
gtanes godded at and her ksa lh5rply nsa9Sh
an and the girl confessed with a blush:
Yes! You told me I'd surrender to
some poor, broken fellow. I'm very
happy andwrm very sad"
"Humph" He's far from poor and
broken, Leslie corrected: with a half
interest in a humpful of diamonds and
a gold-plated well, according to Baron
Munchausen, here. This is the Cuban
ieap-year. Johnnie: Norine proposed to
fuse. You came just in time to inter
rupt drum head marriage"
is it true?" When Norine ac-
quiesced. O'Reilly pressed her two
hands in his. I'm glad-so glad"
voice broke wretchedly. Help me.
Johnnie. Help me to get him home
He patted her reassuringly and she
took comfort from his hearty promise
"of course ! will. Well take him
and Rosa away where they can forget
Cuba and all the misery it has caused
them Well make him well-don't
worry. Meanwhile. at this moment
Rosa needs food and clothing, and so
do l."
AS the three friends walked up the
street they discovered Jacket holding
the center of an interested crowd of
his countrymen. 1t was the boys mo-
ment and he was making the most of
it. Swollen with self-importance, he
was putting with relish at a gigantic
gift cigar.
Il exaggerate nothing" he was say
ing, loudly. 'O'Reilly will tell you
that killed Cobo. alone and unassisted
The man is gone. he has disappeared,
and all MatanZaS is mystified. This
is the hand that did it: yonder is the
weapon. with that butchers blood still
on it That knife will be preserved in
the museum at Habana, along with my
ness and called to him. Tell these
good people who killed Cobo. Was it
Narciso Villar?"
TT was o'Reiliy smiled. The fell
low is dead
There was renewed murmuring The
Iio"u pfeSStu Jacket closer, they
passed the knife from hand to hand
Doubters fell silent: the boy swelled
visibly. Bantamlike he strutted be-
fore their admfring glances, and when
his benefactor had passed safely out of
hearing he went on:
God. What a fight we had. 1t was
like those combats of the gladiators
you hear about. The man was brave
enough; there's no denying his
courage. which was like that of ten
men-like that of fierce bull: but /
l was superb, magnificent. The man
beloved, he roared. he grunted; he
charged me. finging the, earth high
with his heels, but 1 was banderillero
picador and matador in one was
here, I was there, I was everywhere;
SO swiftly did I move that no eye could
follow me-" Jacket illustrated his
imaginary movements with agile leaps
and bounds The terror of his name
frightened me. I'll admit, but it lent
me n desperate courage, too. I thought
OF the brave men, the good women the
innocent children he had slain, and 1
fell upon him from this side, from that
side, from the front, from the rear. 1
pricked him. shouting: That for the
people of Las Villas! This for the
women of the San Juan. And once
again for the babies you have killed 3"
Jacket carried out his pantomime by
prodding with a rigid finger first one,
then another of his listeners "Oh. he
went mad. like a bull, indeed. but 1
was another Rafael Guerra. He shed
rivers of blood. the ground grew Slip
perry and the grass became red. He