The Washington herald., 1919-12-20

ITO" We must make some plans. we
must have an understa nding and de-
eide who We are. Let me see-your
real name is Narciso-"
"Narciso Nillar"
N"Weli. then. | shall he Juan Sillar,
your brother. Henceforth We shall
speak nothing but Spanish. Tell me
now. what was our fathers name,
where Was oLr home. and what are
We doing tosether?"
During the breathless interval before
the shower the two sat with their
heads together. talking earnestly. As
the wind came and the cooling ram
began to rattle on the leaves overhead
they took up their bundles and set
out. The big drops drenched them
quickly. Their thin garments chung
to them and water streamed down
their bodies: overhead the sky was
black and rent by vivid streaks of
fire. but they plodded onward cheer
fully.
Jacket was himself again; he bent
his weight against the tempest and
heightened his short strides to O'Reii-
ly's. lie tried to whistle. but his teeth
chartered and the wind interfered. so
out of his bones and to hearten his
benefactor. Now that he was at last
accepted as a full partner in this en-
terprise. it became his duty not only
TO share its perils. but to lessen its
hardships and to yield diversion.
The rain was cold, the briers beside
the overgrown path were sharp and
they scratched the boys bare legs
cruelty: his stomach clRmored f"r "A
companion to that solitary sweet
potato. too. but in his breast glow
I'd ardor and pride. Jacket consid-
cred himself a fortunate persona
very fortunate person. indeed. Had
h" not found a brother. and did not
that brother love him? There was
NO doubt about the latter, FOR
O'Reillv's eyes. when he look ed
down We're kind and smiling, his
Yoicc was friendly and intimate
Here was a man to die for.
The downpour lasted but short
time. then the sun came out and dried
the mems clothes; on the whole. il
had been refreshing. When evening
came the Villar brothers sought re-
fusc in an old sugar mill. or rather in
part OF il still sta nding. They were
road which links the. two main cities
Of the island. and by the following
noon their destination was in sight.
O'Reilly felt a sudden excitement
when Matanzas came into view. From
this distance the city looked quite as
il did when he had left il, except
that the blue harbor was almost
empty of shipping. while the familiar
.F hills hat
that valley of delight so closely linked
in his thoughts with Rosa Narona-
seemed to smile at him like an old
friend. For the thousandth time he
asked himself il he had come i'm time
TO find her. or IL fate's maddening
delays had proved his own and the
girls undoing
O'Reilly knew that although Matan-
zas was a prison and a pesthole. a
girl like Rosa would suffer therein
pcrls infinitely worse than imprison-
ment or disease. IL was a thought he
could not bear to dwell upon
signs of life began. TO appear now.
the travellers passed small garden
patches and occasional cultivated
fields: they encountered loaded carts
bound into the city, and once they
hid themselves while column of
mounted troops went by.
O'ReiIIy stopped to pass the time
OF day with a wrinkled cartman whose
detected oxen were resting.
Going into the city, are YOU" the
fellow inquired. Starved out. ] sup
pose. Well. it's as pleasant to starve
in one place as another"
Jacket helped himself to a stalk OF
cane from the load and hepap IN strin
il with his teeth.
will the soldiers allow us to en-
ter"' Johnnie inquired.
"Of course. Why not?" The old
man laughed mirthlessly; then his
voice changed. Go back" he said,
go back and die in the fields. Matan-
Zas stinks of rotting corpses. Go back
where the air is clean" He swung
his long lash over the oxen, they lean
ed against the load. and the cart
creaked dismally on its way.
1t is never difficult to enter a trap,
and Matanzas was precisely that.
There were soldiers everywhere. but
beyond an Indifferent challenge at the
outer blockhouse. a perfunctory oues-
tion or two. Narciso and Juan Viilar
experienced no trouble whatever IN
passing the lines. Discipline. never
strict at best, was extremely lax mt
the brick fortinas along the roads.
and. since these two refugees were
too poor to warrant search, they were
waved onward by the sentries. They