The Washington herald., 1919-12-19
CHAPTER xxIII-coNTINUED.

ShAfI6h lll-CONI1NOED.
80 should imagine" The speak
eTs careless tone added to Gen. Betan-
courts establishment. BLESS me- he
exclaimed. what an extraordinary
young man! Is II possible that you
do not comprehend the terrible coDdi-
tions?' A sudden thought struck him
and he inquired. quickly: Tell me.
you arc not by any chance that hero
they call FL Dcmonio? have heard
that he is indeed a demon. No? Very
we'll! You say you wish to visit
MatanZas. and ] am instructed 10 help
you. How can | do so?"
o'ReiIly hesitated an instant. FOR
one thinS. ! need money. IL haven't
a single peseta."
You arc welcome TO the few dollars
possess."
Johnnie expressed his gratitude for
this ready assistance. ''One thing
more" said he. "wiI you give my
| hoy. Jacket. new pair Of trousers
and scnd him hack to the Orient at
the first opporunuy?"
of course. u Is done" The general
laid a friendly hand upon O'Reilly's
shoulder. saying. Gravcly: 1t would
relieve me Intensely to send you back
with him. for | have fears for the
SUCCESS Of your venture. MatanZas
I is a hell: it has swallowed up thou
sands Of our good countrymen; thou
sands have died there. I'm afraid you
| do not realize what risks you are TAX
ing
O'Reilly did not allow this well
meant warning to influence him, nor
did he listen to the admonitions Of
! those other cubans who tried to argue
/ him out al ,,iS DlII-pose nnca IL became
generally known. On the contrary. he
, proceeded with his preparations and
! spent that afternoon in satisfying him
self that Rosa had indeed left the
| Pan dc Matanzas before Cobo's raid.
Among Betancourt's troops was Il
man who had been living in the hills
at the time Asensio and his family
had abandoned their struggle for
existance. and to him O'Reilly went.
| This fellow, il seemed. had remained
with his family in the mountains some
time after Asensio's departure. IL
was from him that O'Reilly heard his
first authentic report of the atrocities
perpetrated by Cobo's volunteers. This
man had lost his wife. his little son.
and all the scanty belongings he pos
sessed. With shaking hands up
stretched to heaven. the fellow cursed
the author of his misfortunes.
! Il live for one thing he cried.
shrilly. To meet that monster. and
to butcher him. as he butchers women
and children"
! O'Reilly purposely left his most I'M
pleasant task to the last. When his
ARRANGEMENTS had been completed and
he had acquainted himself as far as
possible with the hazards he was like
~ TO encounter. he took Jacket aside
and broke the news TO him that Oh
the following morning they must part
AS he had expected. the boy refused
10 listen to him. O'Reilly remained
firm and Jacket adopted those tactics
which had proved so potent with Gen.
Gomez. He began to weep copiousIy.
He worked himself up to a hysterfcaI
crescendo which threatened 10 arouse
the entire encampment. But OReiny
was unmoved
, BE quiet" he told the boy. Il
won't let you go with me, and that
ends it,"
I You dassent leave me-" sobbcd the
youngster. II got no friend but you"
ut will be hard enough for one man
to slip through; two would be sure
to fail
D.; "Those spaniards will skill you"
Jacket walled.
SO much the more reason for you
to stay here"
At this the boy uttered a louder cry.
He stamped his bare feet in a frenzy
Of disappointment. You dissent
leave mc-you dassent."
Listen. people are starving IN
Matanzas: they are sick; they are
dying in the streets"
Il don't eat much"
When Johnnie shook his head stub
bornly Jacket launched himself into
torrent Of profanity the violence of
which dried his tears. His vocabulary
was surprising. He reviled the Span
iards. O'ReiHy. himself. everybody and
everything; he leveled anathemas at
that woman who had come between
him and his beloved benefactor. The
latter listened goodnaturedly.
! You're a tough kid" he laughed.
when Jackets first rage had worn it
self out i like yoG. and Id take
YOU if l could. But that isn't an en-
tCrprise for a boy. and il won't get
you anything to keep up this racket"
Jacket next tried the power of ar
gument. He attempted TO prove that
in hazardous undertaking of this
sort his assistance would be invaI-
liable. He was. so he declared, the
one person in all Cuba in every re-
spect qualified to share O'ReiIly's
perils. To begin with. he was not
afraid-of Spaniards. or anything else.
for that mstter-he dismissed the sub
ject OF personal courage with a con-
temptuous shrug. As for cunning.
| sagacity, prudence. resource. all
around worth. he was. without doubt.
unequaled in any country. lie was
veritable Spartan, too. when II came
to hardship-privation and suffering
were almost to his liking. He was
! discreet-disCretion was something he
had inherited; he was a diplomat
| diplomacy beng one Of his most unique
I accomplishments. As for this talk
about hunger, O'Reilly need not con-
! Germ himself in the least on that score
for Jacket was a small eater and could
Srow fat on a diet of dead leaves
Disease? Bah. 1t made him laugh
4 His experience with sickness was
wider than most fisicos, and he was
better nurse than Miss Evans would
ever be. Jacket did not wish TO APP
pear in the least boastful On the
contrary. he was actually too modest
as his friends could attest. but truth
| compelled him to admit that he was
t1st the man for OReiily He found
sng.wN -