The Washington herald., 1919-10-24
II-CoNTINUED.

You would never guess! oeoas-
tian's voice gathered strength. Ten
thousand men in ten thousand years
would never find the place. and no.
body knows the secret but Don Este
ban and me-"
II believe you knew all the time
It was here. Well? Where Is it,"
Sebastian hesitated and said, pit.
eously. 81 am dying"
Isabel could scarcely contain herself.
I'll give you water, but first tell me
where-where. God in heaven! Can't
you see that I. too. am perishing?'
II must have a drink"
Tell me first
Sebastian lifted his head, and meet
ing the speakers eyes. laughed hoarse-
ly.
At the sound of his unnatural merri-
ment Isabel recoiled as II stung. Sne
stared at the slaves face in amaze
ment and then in fury. She stam-
mered, incoherently, "You-you have
been-lying!'
'Oh. no! The treasure Is there. the
greatest treasure in all Cuba. but you
shall never know where 1t is I'll see
to that. 1t was you who sold my girl.
1t was you who brought me to this; it
was your hand that whipped me. Well.
I'll tell Don Esteban how you tried to
bribe his secret from me! What do you
think he'll do then? Eh? You'll feel
the lash on your white back"
You fool"' Dona Isabel looked mur-
der. I'm punish you for this; I'll make
you speak II 1 have to rub your
wounds with salt
But Sebastian closed his eyes wear
lily. You can't make me suffer more
than 1 have suffered" he said. And
now-I curse you. May that treasure
be the death of you. May you live in
torture like mine the rest of your
days; may your beauty turn to ugli-
ness such that men will spit at you;
may you never know peace again un-
til you die in poverty and want"
But Dona Isabel. being superstitious,
fed with her fingers in her ears: nor
did she undertake to make good her
barbarous threat, realizing opportune-
ly that it would only serve to betray
her desperate intentions and put her
husband further on his guard. Instead
she shut herself in her room, where
she paced the floor. racking her brain
to guess where the hiding-place could
be or to devise some means of silenc-
ing Sebastian's tongue. To feel that
she had been overmatched. to know
that there was indeed a treasure, to
think that the two who knew where
it was had been laughing at her all
this time, filled the woman with an
agony approaching that which Sebas-
tian suffered from his flies.
As the sun was sinking beyond the
o..
valley was beginning to fill with shad-
ows Esteban Varona rode up the hill.
His temper was more evil than ever.
if that were possible. for he had
drunk again in an effort to drown the
memory of his earlier actions. With
him rode half a dozen or more of his
friends. coming to dino and put in an
other night at his expense. There
was Pablo Peza and Mario de
Castano, once more: Col. Mendoza y
Linares. old Pedro Miron. the advo-
cate. and others OF less consequence,
whom Esteban had gathered from the
Spanish Club. The host dismounted
and lurched across the court yard to
Sebastian.
Have you had enough of rebellion by
this time?''
why did you have him fiogged -
the advocate inquired
Estebau explained. briefly: He
dared to raise his hand in anger
against one OF my guests"
SebaStian's face was working as he
turned upon his master to say: -
would be lying IL told you that 1
am sorry for what 1 did. It Is you
hay "a l. ~
with this crime. Where Is my girl?"
THE devil! To hear you talk one
would think you were a free man."
The planters eyes were bleared and
he brandished his riding-whip threat
eningly. Il do as l please with my
slaves. I tolerate no insolence. Your
girl? Well. she's in the house of Sal
vador. Don Pablo's cochero. where she
belongs. I've warned him that he will
have to tame her unruly spirit, as L
have tanned yours"
Sebastian had hung sick and limp
against the grating. but at these words
he suddenly reused 1t was as IL a
current Of electricity had galvanized
him He strained at his manacles and
the bars groaned under his weight.
His eyes began to roll, his lips drew
OS-~N WV AAAo OAoO 4NOlIl6 Ills
expression OF ferocity, Esteban cut at
his naked back with the riding-w
crying:
''Ho! Not subdued yet, eh? You need
another fiogging"
Curse you and all that is yours. -
roared the maddened slave. May you
know the misery you have put upon
me. May you rot for a million years
In hell" The whip was rising and fall
ing now, for Esteban had lost what
little self-control the liquor had left
In him May your children's bodies
grow filthy with disease; may they
starve; may they
Sebastian was yelling. though his
voice was hoarse with pain. The lash
drew blood with every blow. Mean
while he wrenched and tugged at his
bonds with the fury OF a maniac.
Pablo! Your machete. quick!"
painted the slave owner Gods bloodI
I'll make an end of this black fend.
once for all.
Esteban Varona's guests had looked
on at the scene with the same mild in
terest they would display at the whip
ping OF a balky horse; and, now that
the animal threatened to become dan
gerous, 1t was in their view quite the
proper thing to put 1t out of the way.
Don Pablo Peza stepped toward his
mare to draw the machete from its
scabbard But he did not hand 1t to
his friend He heard a shout, and
turned in time to see a wonderful and
terrible thing.
Sebastian had braced his naked feet
against the wall; he had bowed his