The Mena weekly star., 1919-02-20

rs1fi lsSsn. dis experience win sim ness was wider than most fsicos sra ne was better nurse thaa A,iss r,s ans would ever be. Jacket did not v.,s,, to appear in the least boastful on sne contrary. he was 2 :tuauy too mot est as his friends could attest hut rum compelled him to admit that he was Just the man for osRellly. He round 1t impossible to recommend him. self too highly; to save his soul he could think of no qualification in which ne sas lacking and could see no req son why his benefactor would not | greatly profit by the free use of his amazing talents. The enterprise was difiicult; 1t would certainly fail with out him.
 Johnnie remained carefully atten- tive during this adjuration. He felt no desire even to smile, for the boys ear nestness was touching and it caused the elder mans throat to tighten un. comfortably. Johnnie had not realized before how fond he had become of this quaint youngster. And so. when the little fellow paused hopefully, O'Reilly put an arm around him.
 I'm sure you are everything you say you are, Jacket, and more, too, but you can't gol"
 With that Jacket flung of the em- brace and, stalking away, seated him. self. He took a half-smoked cigar from the pocket of his shirt and lit 1t, scowling the while at his friend. More than once during the evening OR lilly de'ectod his sullen, angry eyes upon him.
 General Betancourt and several mem bers of his stan were up early the fol lowing morning to bid their visitor good-by. In spite of their efforts to make the parting cheerful it was plain that they had but little hope of ever again seeing this foolhardy American.
 Johnnie's spirits were not In the least affected by this il-concealed pes slmism, for, as he told himself, he had money in his pockets and Matanzas was not many miles away. But when he came to part from Jacket he experi- enced a genuine disappointment, The boy. strangely enough. was almost in- different to his leaving; he merely ex- tended a limp. dirty hand, and replied to O'Reilly's parting words with a careless "Adios i''
 In hurt surprise the former inquired. Don't we part good frlendsr
 Sure" Jacket shrugged, then turned away.
 Jacket was a nknbie youngster; his devotion was thoroughly unselflsh; 1t hnd not been easy to wound him. With keener regrets than he cared to ac- knowledge o'Reilly set out upon his Journey, following the guide whom General Betancourt had provided. It was lovely morning, sufficiently warm to promise hot midday; the air was moist and fresh from a recent shower, This being the rainy season, the traiis were soft, and where the rich red Cuban soil was exposed the trav- elers sank into it as Into wet putty Crossing rocky ridge, O'Reilly and his guide at last emerged upon an open slope. knee-high in grass and grown up to bottle palms, those queer, distorted trees whose trunks are swol- len into the likeness of earthen water jars. Scattered here and there over the meadows were the dead or fallen trunks of another variety, the cabbage rx~ lvx. &ha .x~aow ha,~S .f xvhgoh h.S Long formed a staple article of diet for the insurrectos. Spanish axes had been at work here and not 6 single tree remained alive. The green floor of the valley farther down was dotted with the other, the royal kind, that monarch of tropic vegetation whicA lends to the Cuban landscape It's ,ps- -cuiiar and distinctive beauty.
 ~ycnder is the camino," said She countryman, pointing into the valfey i: it will lead you to the maiu road {; and there"-he turned to the north ward-'is Matanzas. Go with God, and don't drink the we'll water, which Is polluted from the rains" With q smile and wave of the hand the man turned back and plunged ints the jungle.
 As O'ReIIly descended the slope he realized keenly that he was alone and in hostile territory. The hills and the woods from Pinar dei Rio to Orisnte were Cuban. or, at most, they were disputed ground But here in the plains and valleys near the cities Spain was supreme From this moment on O'Reilly knew he must rely entirely upon himself. The success of his en- terprise-his very Hfe-hinged upon his caution. hIs powers of dlssimula- ton. hls ability to pass as harmless. helpless pacifico. It gave him an un- accustomed thrill. by no means pleas ant.
 The road, when be came to it. proved to be deep gutter winding between red clay banks cut by the high wheels of clumsy cane carts. Inasmuch as no crops whatever had been moved over the road during the past season, if was now little more than an oozy, sticky rut. Not roof, not chimney was in sighfs the valley was deserted. Here was a fertile farming country--and yet no living thing, no sound of bells, DC voices, no growing cocks. no lowing cattle. It was depressing fo O'Reilly. and more for there was something menacing and threatening about It all.
 Toward noon the breeze lessened and 1t became insufferably hot. A hank of cio,lds in fha easf nrnnsIsad q