The Washington herald., 1919-12-01

Don Esteoan varona ownso . fich plants-
ton IN Cuba snd many slaves; the moasy b
Of his wifs. . faithful slave. Sebastian, and
himself. TIE seorst Of The hiding place psfishsd
Hk second wife. stepmother to the twins. Ests-
ban and Rosa. finally lost her LIE seeking the
treasure The children are chea,ed out Of the
plantation b. dishonest manager. Pancho
cueto. He informs the Spanish authoities that
EstsbAn Ii In league with the insurrecfion, TIM
nqns In Cuba. The chiloIsn are forced IN
exile. and fnd refuge with EsanselinA, Old
sebestian's daughter. and Ascenfio. her husband
Jehn o'Reily. . young American 70 shoa
Rosa u eneased. having gone 10 New fotk 70
fres himself from any ALLIANCES here, iearns d
thsir danger and returns % Cuba With the M
q rescnng Rosa The twins kavs been drissa
and before o'Relly can rsch thsm be - a.
rested - . Ey and dspoftsd aiong With en-
othe American, Leslie Han1h.
weyier. the Butehss. has bssn ssnt fron
begins. Ths yafonas isnorS ordas 10 fsposs
10 the citieA and nteban. doubly ontistl
proceeds TO nd htmseif d his srrh snsmisS
Col. cobo and Psncho custo.
He dynsmites the rsnch houss d nisht, htm-
.sh ,hy. cSsto but ss =. and LID men a.. @. 2:
The snsar mill; despsrsts battle snsoss IN .
tunnel: Eteban finally escapes, Sorslf wounded
and tiles to drag himself esck TO Rosa
Go On with he stsry.
CHAPTER xvr.-continucd.
Fish were plentiful in the harbor.
too, but to catch them was forbidden.
sentries were on guard with ready
rifles and barred machetes; every
morning through the nlthy reconcen-
trado quarter guerrilas drove pack
mules bearing the mutilated bodies
OF those who had dared during the
night to seek food surreptitiously.
Sometimes they dragged these shastiy
reminders at the ends OF ropes; this,
Indeed. was a favorite way with them
Dogs and cats became choice arti-
cles of diet, until they disappeared.
The government did supply one quality
OF food. however. at intervals, II dis.
, trfbuted yucca roots. But these were
starchy and almost indigestible. From
eating them the children grew pinched
in limb and face. while their abdomens
bloated hugely. Matanzas became
peopled with q race OF grotesouely
misshapen little folks. gnomes with
young bodies. but with faces old and
sick.
OF course disease became epidemic,
for In the leaky novels, dirt-f,oored
and destitute of any convenience,
there could be no effort at sanitation.
Conditions became unspeakabie. The
children died first. then the aged and
infrm. Deaths in the street were not
uncommon: nearly every morning
bodies were found beneath the por-
tales. Starving creatures crept to the
market in the hope of begging a stray
bit Of food. and some Of them died
there. between the empty stalls. The
death wagons. heavy with their daily
freight. rumbled ceaselessly through
the streets, adding to the giant piles
OF unburied corpses outside the city
Typhoid. smallpox. yellow fever
! ragged unchecked. The hospitals were
crowded. and even in them the com.
monest necessities were lacking. 1,
IL believed that men have returned
from the grave. but no one. either
Spaniard or Cuban, had ever beer
known to return from one Of these
pest-houses. and. in consequence
those who were stricken preferred
to remain and to die among theil
dear ones.
Yes. Matanzas was pacifed. wey.
ier's boast was true. Nowhere in
the entire province was field ID
cultivation: nowhere. outside the
garrisoned towns, was q house left
standing. Nor was the city Of Ma,
tanxas the only concentration camp
there were others dotted through
Santa Clara Habana and Pinar de-
Rio. In them half a million people
cried for food. Truly no rebellion,
land was ever more completely
pacified than this. no peoples
spirits ever more completely crush.
ed. Voices no longer preached re.
sistance: they prayed to our Lady
Of Pity" for a merciful conclusion
Of this misery. Hands were up.
raised. but only to implore. II
leaky huts from Jucaro to Cape Sar
Antonio the dead lay huddlec
thickly.
Into Matanzas. city Of besgar,
and death. came Rosa Varona ant
her two negro companions, Iookin;
for relief. They made the journe,
without mishap. for they were to,
destitute to warrant plunderins
and Rosa's disguise concealed whs
charms remained to her. But ono,
they had entered the city. what Al
awakening! What suffering. wha
poverty. what rags they saw! Tn
three of them grew weak with dis
may at the horor Of it all; bu
there was no retreat.
Asansio huilt n mn Lasbift .h.It.