Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-10-16

She fiuns herself upon the PROSTATE
body ,and cried the black woman's
maine. but sfe could awaken no re-
Spouse.
The first pink Of dawn was now
II had grown light enough to see to
travel Colonel Coho prepared TO re-
turn to his horses. The roof and
walls of the bohI0 had fallen away
to ashes. its skeleton Of poles and its
few pieces OF crude furniture alone
were smoldcring when he called his
men together and gave the word
to 90.
"Come, my sweetheart" Cobo adj
dressed himself to the girl. Leave
that carrion for the buZZards."
Rosa looked up to find him leering
at her. She brushed the tears from
her eyes, crying:
eco awayl In Gods name haven't
you done harm enough?"
"Oh, but you're going with me-"
The girl rose; her face was color
less; she was aqulver with indgna-
ton. Leave meP' she stormed.
"What have done to your Don't"
"Caramba A temper. And you
have strength. TOO. as | discovered.
Must / bind those pretty hands or"
Colonel Cobo reached forth, laugh
ing, and encircled her in his power
full arms Rosa fought him rs she
had fought at the first moment of des-
peration, but he lifted her easily and
went striding across the field behind
his men.
Estebans party made good time
over the hills and into the San Juan,
for Asensio knew the country well
Mid-afternoOn found them in sight OF
La Joya. Cuet0's cane was thick and
high; 1t was ready for the knife OF
for the torch The incendiaries dis.
mounted in the shelter Of wood and
removed the bags which they had
carried on their saddles. Inside these
bags were several snakes, the largest
perhaps eight feet in length. To the
tail of each the negroes fastened
leather thong. and then to each thong
a length of telegraph wire. the end
of which had been bent into a looT
TO hold bundle of oil-soaked waste
These preliminaries accomplished
they bore the reptiles into the cane
fields at widely separated places anc
lighted the waste.
Soon tongues of flame appeared
and the green tops of the cane began
to shrivel and 10 wave as the steady
east wind took effect. Smoke bill
lowed upward and was hurried west.
ward before the breeze; in Il dozeI
places the fields burst into flame
From somewhere came n faint shout
Ing. then shot or two, and finally
the ringing of a bell.
Esteban waited only until he say
that his work of devastation was wei
under way, then he led his followers
back toward the hills.
In the shelter of Il ravine the party
took time to ear supper. their frs!
meal since leaving home, and it was
after dark when they finished. The
negroes, who were thoroughly tired
were for spending the night here. bur
EStehan. more cautious than they
would not have ii So. Accordingly
the men remounted their weary
horses. though not without some
grumhling. and set out. At length
they crossed the summit and worked
down toward the Yumuri but II
seemed as If daylight would never
come.
Esteban suddenly refined in his
horse Look" said he. ''Yonder Is
a light"
"What is Evangelina thinking
about?" Asensio muttered.
"But see! 1t grows brighter"
There followed Il moment or two dur
ing which there WAS no sound except
the breathing OF the horses and the
crcak of saddle feathers as the riders
craned their necks 70 see over the low
tree tops before them. Then Esteban
4 cried:
Come! rm-afraid it's our
/ house" Fear gipped him, but he
+ managed To say. calmly Perhaps
there has been an-accident."
/ Asensio, muttering excitedly. was
trying to crowd past him; for q few
+ Yards the two horses brushed along
/ side by side. The distant point of
light had become glare now; it
winked balefuly through the open
I ings as the party hurried toward it,
But it was still Il long way off. and
+ the eastern sky had grown rosy be-
fore the dense woods of the hillside
give way to the sparser growth of
/ the low ground.
Esteban turned sick, white face
over his shoulder and jerked out his
orders: then he kicked his tired
mount into a swifter gailop. 1t was
he who first broke out into the clear
ing. One glance. and the story was
| told.
The hut was hut crumbling skel-
eton Of charred poles. Strung out