The Raymer enterprise., 1919-03-13

her sharp nose would have gmelled 1t
out and now Cueto has moved the very
earth"
Rosa sat back disappointed. $50
that's your theoryT
"It's more than Z theory" the boy
insisted. Look at this!" From the
pocket Of his cotton trousers he pro-
duced IN odd-looking coin. which he
placed In Rosa's hand.
@Why. it's gold! It's q Spanish
doubloon." !" she said. TITS the nrst one
ever saw. Where did you nnd itr'
you'll think I'm crazy when tell
you-sometimes I think 20 myself.
found II 10 Isabel's hand when took
her from the wellt''
Rosa was stricken speechless.
"Shs clutched It tightly" Esteban
hurried on. 'but ~ I made the rope
fast her hand relaxed and saw It In
the lantern light. 1t was a. if-well.
~ II she gave II to me. l was too
badly frightened to think much about
II. a. you may imagine. II was q hor-
rible place, oil slime and foul water |;
the rocks were slippery. But that coin
was In her nngsrsl"
Rosa managed to say: Impossible |
Then she must have had It when she
fell"
mo, mol I saw her hands up
stretched. her fingers open. In the
moonlight"
TITS uncanny. Perhaps"
"Yes. Perhaps some unseen hand
led her to the place 20 that ws should
At last come into our own. Who knowsi
There's no doubt that father hid his
money. he turned bis slaves into gold,
he bought jewels, precious metal, any.
thing he could hide. Well, perhaps
there were old coins In the lot The
water In the well II shallow; Isabel
must have groped this piece from the
bottom. Some day shall explore the
hole and-ws shall see."
Rosa flung her arms rapturously
about her brothers neck and Kissed
him. wouldn't It be gloriousf' she
cried. wouldn't II be wonderful, to
be rich. and to want for nothing; to
have nns clothes and good things to
eat once morei Good things to eati"
Her lip quiversd. ~Oh-rm % hun
cry"
Poor little girif"
"Wait till 0'Reilly hears about this"
Rosa was oil excitement once more.
He'll b. glad he came and got me,
II he does come"
Estsban carsssed her. He'll come.
never fear. I know II Every time !
leave you my heart 10 In my throat for
fear Of what may happen In my ab-
sence-and yst ! can't always b. at
your side"
'Thersl You acknowledge that I
handicap you. Except for me Jon would
ks making . glorious name for your
self"
Nothing Of the sort. Mors probably
I'd be getting myself killed. mol It's
better this way. We must BE- brave
and patient and-think Of what 10 walt.
Ing for n At the bottom Of that WELL"
It was indeed q great piece Of luck
which had enabled Estsban varona to
buy half-dozen Mausers from q Span.
lsh soldier. Through Asensio's &C
qualntancs he had prodted By the dis
honesty Of an enemy. and. although It
had taken oil his money to effect the
purchase. Esteban considered the sac-
rifcs well worth while. The fre Of
patriotism burned nercely In him. a.
did bic hatred Of Pancho Cueto, and
the four trusty young negroes to whom
he had given rides made, with Asensio
and himself. an armed party large
enough to be reckoned with. These
blacks were excitabls fellows, and
wretched marksmen, but, on the other
hand. each and every one had been
raised with Z machete at his hip and
knew how to use It After . few pre-
limlnary forays under Esteban's lead
ership they had absorbed q bit Of dis
cipllne and were beginning to feel 4
military ardor.
In the Cuban neld forces there were
many negroes, and few Of their fsl-
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.
ICED not only BY rare judgment and
ability. but also By an exalted abandon
Of personal bravery. His several
brothers rendered Cubs services scarce
y les distinguished. and they were
but Of few Of many dark-skinned he
roeA This struggle for independence
was no patrician's. war: the best stock
Of the island fought side BY side with
6eld 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.
sBs careful" Rosa implorsd him. Il
shall die Of suspense"
1T ID for you to b careful" hs
laughed. Keep . good watch. and