The Washington herald., 1919-12-17
cHpTER XXI. CONTINUED.

Supper. q simple meal. was quickly
disposed of. Then followed long.
dispirfting wait, for q gibbous moon
rode high In the sky and the guides
refused to stir SO long as II remained
there. 1t was q still night; In the
jungle no air was stirring. and dark
ness brought forth torment Of bird
and insect life; strange. raucous cans
pealed forth. some familiar, others
strange and unaccustomed. There
were thin whistlings. hoarse grunts
and harsh cacklings. high pitched
elm laughter. Moving bodies dis
turbed the leaves overhead: from all
sides came the rustic and stir OF UNI
seen creatures: sudden disputations
were followed by startled silences.
Sitting there in the dark bedeviled
by the pest of insects. Knocked at 10y
these mysterious voices. and looking
forward to a hazardous enterprise.
OReilly began to curse his vivid Inn
agination and to envy the impassive-
ness OF his companions. Even jacket,
he noted, endured the strain better;
the boy was cheerful. philosophical.
quite unimpressed by his surround
tngs. When the MOSQUITOES became I'M
bearablc he put on his trousers. with
some reluctance and much ceremony.
1t seemed to O'Reilly that the moon
noated motionless in the sky. and
more than once ne was upon the
point Of ordering a start. but he re-
Elected that its radiance out In the
open must be far greater than 1t
seemed here under the dense tropical
foliage. After q time he began to
wonder IL his guides were as loyal
as they should be. II Hilario's strange
reticence was caused by sullenness.
by apprehension, or by something
altogether different. Both OF the men
were strangers to him: of their fidelity
he had no guarantee. Now that his
mind had become engaged with
thoughts Of treachery. Q determined
in hand and O'Reilly fell back finally
upon his elemental trust in the Cuban
character-scant consolation under the
circumstances.
Midnight brought a moist. warm
breeze and a few formless clouds
which served at times to dimly OBJ
scure the moon. Watching the clouds.
O'Renly hoped that they might prove
to be the heralds Of a storm. None
came. When the moon had finally
crept down into the treetops old
Hilario stepped upon his cigarette.
then began silently to saddle up. The
others followed with alacrlty, and
fell in behind him as he led the way
into the forest. They no longer ven
tured to speak aloud; nothing but
the occasional sound of a hoof strik-
ing upon root or stone. the creak of
leather, or the rustic OF branches
against passing bodies gave evidence
that mounted men were en- route.
When they had covered a couple or
miles Hilario refined in and the others
crowded close. Ahead, dimly discern
ibie against the night sky, there APP
peared to be n thinning of the woods.
After listening for q moment OF two,
Hilario dismOunted and slipped away
the three riders sat their saddles with
ears strained. Once more the myriad
voices OF the night became audible
the chirping OF crickets. the strident
call of tree toads. the whining under
tone of the mosquitoes.
Hilario returned with word that all
was well. and each man dismounted
to mutfle the feet OF his horse with
rags and strips of gunny-sack pro-
vided for the purpose. Then. one by
one. they moved forward to the edge
of the clearing. The trocha lay be-
fore them.
After the cavernous obscurfty OF the
jungle the night seemed suddenly to
tighten and O'Reilly found himself
looking out over a level waste Of
stumps and tree trunks perhaps a
quarter of a mile wide. extending
right and left as far as he could see.
Against the luminous western horizon
opposite the inky forest stood like
a wall. Midway of the clearing there
was a railroad grade with a telephone
pole or two limned against the sky.
The clearing was silent and to all
deserted; nothing stirred.
no sign Of life appeared anywhere.
And yet. as the American studied the
place. he had a queer. uncomfortable
sensation that II was thickly peopled
and that eyes were peering out at
him from the gloom. Blurred forms
took shape. phantom figures moved
along the embankment. stumps stirred.
O'Rcilly felt n pair OF reins thrust
into his hand and found Hilario ex-
amining u large pair of timers
shears.
do you wish me to 60 with your"
he inquired OF the guide: