The Monticellonian. [volume] (Monticello, Ark.) 1870-1920, 1918-07-05

cropped and the negroes rested he fit
ted fuse and cap to his precious piece
of dynamite.
New while Esteban was thus busted
Pancho Cucto was entertaining an I'M
welcome GUEST. In the late afternoon
he had been surprised by the visit of a
dozen or more volunteers and mas
much as his relations with their colo
mel had been none of the friendliest
since that ill-starred expedition into
the Yumuri ne had felt Il chill of APP
prehension on seeing the redoubtubIe
Goho himself At their head.
The colonel had explained that he
was returning from Il trip up the san
Juan. taken for the purpose OF round
ing up those inhabitants who had been
diIatory in obeyipg the new orders
from Havana That smoke 10 the south
ward was from fires of his kiudliug
lie had burned good mahS crops and
houses and punished a good many pco-
pie. and since this WIS exactly the sort
of task he liked he WIS IN No uuptGas-
ant mood. He had demanded of Cucto
lodging for himself and his troop, an
nouncing that part of his command
was somewhere behind and would re-
join him later in the night.
Gueto had welcomed his visitor in
all humility; he put up tie soldiers in
the bate of the sugar mill, and then
installed Cobo in his best room. after
which he ranSaeked the house for food
and drink and tobacco.
When Gobo finally took himself off
To bed Cueto followed in better spirits
than he had enjoyed for some time
For one thing, il was agreeable To look
forward to night of undisturbed re
pose. Pancho's apprehensionS had fat
tened upon themselves. and he had
been living of late in a nightmare of
terror
But it seemed to him that he had
harely closed his eyes when he was
awakened by tremendous vibration
and found himself in the center of the
floor. undecided whether he had been
hurled from his bed or whether he had
leaped thither. Still In Il daze, he heard
a shout from the direction of Cobo's
+
lowed by a rush of feet; tie next in
slant his door was flung back and he
saw, by the Hight of high held torches,
Esteban Narona and Il ragged rabble
Of black men. Cueto knew that he
faced death. He lodged Il blow from
Esteban's dubbed rifle only to behold
the flash of machete. Crying out
+ 1t
the descending blade but too late; the
sound of his hoarse terror died in his
throat. half born.
Quick Soak the bed with oil and
fire it." Esteban directed then he ran
ont into the hall to investigate that
other shouting He found the chamber
whence il issued and tried to smash
the door, but at the second blow he
heard a gunshot from within and the
wood splintered outward almost into
his face. Simultaneously. from some
where outside the house. arose the
notes of Spanish buglecall.
Young Narona waited To hear no
more. Nor did his men: realizing the
peril into which they had been led,
they bolted from the house as fast as
they could go. There was no need for
questions; from the direction of the
sugar mill came beloved orders and
/ the sound of men shouting to their
horses. Evidently those were troops
and trained troops, too. for they took
no time to saddle; they We're up and
mounted almost before the marauders
i had gained the backs of their own ami
mails
| Instantly there began 2 blind battle
/ in desperately cramped quarters.
Riders fought stirrup to stirrup with
! dubbed rifles and machetes saddles
We're emptied and the terrified horses
1 bolted. Some of them lunged up the
! banks, only TO tumble down again,
j their threshing limbs and sharp-shod
hoofs working more havoc than blows
i from old-time battle-hammers.
OF course after the first moment of
conflict, Esteban had not been able to
exert the least control over his men
in fact, he could not make himself
I heard. Nor could he spare the breath
to shout; he was too desperately en-
gagged. His rifle was empty. he had its
hot barrel in his hands he dimly dis
tinguished Asensio welding his mach
etc. Then he found himself down
and half stunned. Something smote
him heavily. at last-whether a hoof
or gun-stock he could not tell-and
next he was on all-fourS. trying to drag
himself out of this rat-pt. But his
limbs We're queerly rebellious, and he
was sick; he had never experienced
anything quite like this and he thought
he must be wounded 1t greatly sur
prised him to find that he could strug-
gle upN ard through the brambles, even
though it was hprd work. Men were
fighting all around and below him,
meanwhile, and he wondered vaguely
what made them kill one another when
he and his negroes We're all dead or
dying 1t seemed very strange-of
piece with the general unreality of
things-and it troubled him not lit
tie. one OF his arms was useless, he
discovered, and he realized with curl
Gus shock that it was broken. He was
bleeding. too from more than one
wound. but he could wink, after
fashion.
He was inclined to stay and finish
the fight, but he recalleeted that Rosa
would be waiting for him and that he
must go To her, and SO he set out
across the fields, staggering through