Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1919-10-15
our, and now cueto has moyeu me ,e.y


Rosa sat back disappointed. $50
that's your theory?'
ats more than a theory" the boy
insisted. Look at thisl - From the
pocket of his cotton trousers he pro-
duced an odd-looking coin, which dle
placed in Rosa's hand.
"Why. it's gold. It's a Spanish
doubIoon." she said. "It's the first one
/ ever saw. Where did you find itg
"You'n think Vim crazy when ] tell
you-sometlmes l think so myself.
found it In IsabeIs hand when took
her from the well !"
Rosa was stricken speechleSs.
"She clutched it tightly" Esteban
hurried on, "but rs made the rope
fast her hand relaxed and saw 1t in
the lantern light. 1t was as if--well
as if She gave it To me. Twas TOO
badly frightened to think much about
Il. as YOU may imagine. Ii ~as a hor-
rible place. all slime and foul water;
the rocks were slippery. But that coin
was in her fingers!"
Rosa managed to say: Impossible!
Then she must have had it when she
fell
NO. no! saw her hands up
stretched, her fingers open, in the
moonlight"
Its uncanny. Perhaps"
yes Perhaps some unseen hand
led her to the place SO that We should
al last come into our own. Who knows!
There's no doubt that father hid his
money. He turned his slaves into gold,
he bought jewsls, precious metal, any
thing he could hide. Well. perhaps
there were old coins in the lot. The
water In the well is shallow; Isabel
must have CROPPED this piece from the
bottom. Some day | shall explore the
hole and--we shall see
Rosa flung her arms rapturously
about her brothers neck and kissed
him. Wouldn't it be glorious?" she
cried. "Wouldn't it be wonderful, to
be rich, and to want for nothing; to
have fine clothes and good things to
eat once more? Good things TO eat -
Her lip quivercd. "Oh-I'm so hun
cry"
''POor little girl :"
"Wait till O'Reilly hears about this"
Rosa was all excitement once more.
Hell be glad he came and got me,
If he does come"
Esteban caressed her. "He1l come,
never fear. know it. Every time
leave you my heart is in my throat for
fear of what may happen in my alb
sencc-and yet / can't always be at
your side"
"There! You acknowledge that
handicap you. Except for me you would
be making a glorious name for your
self"
Nothing of the sort. More probably
I'd be getting myself killed. No! It's
better this way. We must be brave
and patient and-think of what is wait
ing for us at the bottom of that we'll"
1t was indeed a great piece of luck
which had enabled Esteban Varona to
buy half-dozen Mausers from Span
ish soldier. Through Asenslo's ac-
quaintance he had profited by the dis
honesty of an enemy, and, although it
had taken all his money to effect the
purchase. Esteban considered the sac
rifice well worth while. The fire of
did his hatred of Pancho CuetO, and
the four trusty young negroes TO whom
he had given rifles made, with Asensio
and himself, an armed party large
enough to be reckoned with. These
blacks were excitable fellows, and
wretched marksmen, but, on the other
hand, each and every one had been
raised with a machete at his hip and
knew how to use it. After few pre-
liminary forays under Esteban's lead
ership they had absorbed a bit Of dis
cipline and were beginning to feel a
military ardor.
In the Cuban field forces there were
many negroes. and few of their fel-
low patriots fought better, or endured
the hardships of guerrilla warfare
more cheerfully than they. General
Antonio Maceo was of mixed blood.
and yet his leadership was character
ized not only by rare judgment and
UDll1lHs Dul dtSO OS uL GAstIttd
of personal bravery. His several
brothers rendered Cuba services scarce
ly less distinguished, and they were
but of few of many dark-skinned he
roes. This struggle for independence
was no patrician's war; the best stock
of the island fought side by side with
field hands.
At dawn of the morning following
his. talk with Rosa, when the members
of his command assembled. Esteban
was up and ready. He had made his
preparations to destroy Pancho Cueto's
fields, and since the road over the hills
to La Joya was long he had summoned
them early.
"Be careful !" Rosa implored him. Il
shall die of suspense"
"It is for-you to be careful" he
laughed. Keep a good watch, and
conceal yourself at the first alarm.
However. think we have taught these
bandits lesson. AS for Cueto, he
would run TO the jungle if he saw us.
He has the heart of a mouse" He