Show Rainbows End fi Nadel 0 Author of f The Iron Tr H. H The TheADY TheY iT A D TV n I B ADY Y REX BEACH Spoilers Spoiler Heart of or the Sunset Etc I Copyright h by H and Brothers CHAPTER XVI XVI Continued 14 14 OReilly Joined In the laughter evoked by this remark He was quite J a 08 tattered as the poorest of ot BetanCourt's Betancourt's Betancourt's courts court's common soldiers his hs shoes i were wet broken and disreputable his cotton cotton cot- cot ton tern trousers trouser nagged snagged by barbed wire anti and soiled by days In Inthe inthe the saddle caddIe and nights In the grass j I were j In desperate need of oC attention His beard had grown too and his skin where It was exposed was burnt to toa toa a II mahogany brown Certainly there was nothing about his appearance to bespeak his nationality The general Continued I am am directed direct direct- I f- f e ed ti In this letter to help you In some enterprise Command me sir As briefly as ns possible Johnnie made I known the object of his Journey The nodded his comprehension but butas g as lIB h ho lii did BO so a n puzzled expression cross crossed 1 his face Yes I reported that Miss Varona Verona i bad ad gone Into the city city I I took some pains to find out Do you ou have bave reason to doubt doubt- Not the least sir i Then why Then why have you come all this way 1 I 1 came to find her and to fetch her herto to her brother But you But you dont don't understand She Is actually Inside the lines In in Matanzas Matan- Matan f zas zas-a zas a prisoner c Exactly I 1 Intend to go o Into Matanzas Matan- Matan zas ras and bring her out General Betancourt drew back as as- My y dear man 1 he ho ex ex- claimed Are you mad 2 t. t OReilly smiled faintly Quite probably All lovers overs are mildly mad I believe Ah JAb Lovers 1 J I begin besin to see But But But- how bow do you mean to go about this thIs thIs- tills Impossible Impossible undertaking You told me just now that I could pass for a Cuban Well Vell I am going I to put it to the test If I once get Into F. F the city I shall manage somehow to tor r get out again and bring her with me Um m I The general appraised c OReilly speculatively No doubt you t T I can get In It In-It It Is not so difficult to ener enter enter en en- ter er I believe and especially to one I who speaks the language like a native 1 But the return return return-I I fear you will find that another matter Matanzas is a n I place of pestilence hunger despair No one goes there from choice any anymore anymore TT more and no one ever comes out I So I should Imagine The speakers speaker's speakers speaker's speak speak- t ers er's careless tone added to General Gener l Betancourt's Betancourt's Betancourt's Be Be- astonishment Bless me I he exclaimed What an ap extraordinary nary young man I 1 Is It possible that s I you OU do not comprehend the terrible t conditions A sudden thought struck him t anti nd he Inquired quickly Tell me you rou are not by an any chance that hero they call El I have heard tint fiat he Is Indeed a demon No Very well You say you wish to visit Matanzas Matanzas Ma Ma- and ll I am Instructed to help you iou How can I do so 1 hesitated Instant For Forone OReilly an one thing I need money I I-I I I haven't a single peseta You are welcome to the few dollars dol dol- do- do lars jars I possess 5 Johnnie expressed his gratitude for this ready assistance One thing thingS y more said he Wilt you give my S boy Jacket a new pair of trousers S and send him back to the Orient at the first opportunity Of Ot course It Is done The general general gen gen- eral laid a friendly hand unon upon ORell lys ly's shoulder s saying gravely It 1 p would woud relieve me intensely to send you I back with him for I have fears fearE for forthe forthe the success of your venture Matanzas S Is a u hell It has swallowed up thousands thou thou- S-S S sands santis of our good countrymen thousands thou thou- thouy S sands grinds have died there Im I'm afraid you i S do not realize what risks you are tak tak- tak- tak S ing lag OReilly did not allow this well- well meant warning to Influence him nor did Old he listen to the admonitions of 5 those other Cubans to arguer argue r with him out of his purpose once It S became known On the contrary he be proceeded with his preparations and andS S spent that afternoon in satisfying ng himself himself him him- self sel that Rosa had Indeed left the Pan Pande de Matanzas before Cobos Cobo's raid S Among Betancourt's troops was a aS aman aman aman man who had hud been living In the hills S at nt the he time Ume and his family S had abandoned t their 1 lr struggle for exIstence existence ex ex- and to him OReilly went This r fellow it seemed had remained with S his family in the mountains some time S after Asensios Asensio's departure It was from him that OReilly heard his hL first S authentic report of the atrocities perpetrated perpetrated perpetrated per per- by Cobos Cobo's volunteers This S man had lost his wife his little son 1 and all the scanty belongings he pos pos- I With shaking hands up- up stretched to heaven the fellow cursed 5 the author of his misfortunes I III live for one thing he be cried S shrilly to to meet that monster and to butcher him as he butchers women S and children OReilly purposely left his most unI un- un 1 I pleasant task to the last When his arrangements had hud been completed andie andS and he ie had acquainted himself as far as i asS S with the he heas S was as likely 5 S to encounter he lie took Jacket aside and I broke the news to him that on the following fol fol- fol- fol lowing morning they must part As AsI I lO e had expected the bo boy refused to tc I 4 ten to him OReilly remained firm I I and Jacket began to weep copiously copiouslY- He worked himself up to a hysterical crescendo which threatened to arouse the entire encampment But OReilly was unmoved Be quiet he told the bo boy I wont won't let you go with me and that ends it It will be hard enough for one man to slip through two would be sure to fall faH Those Spaniards will skill you Jacket walled So much the tho more reason for tor you to stay here At this the boy uttered a l lOuder uder cry He stamped stomped his bare feet In n a frenzy o ot disappointment You das das- sent leave me you me you Listen people are starving In Matanzas Matanzas Matanzas Ma Ma- they are sIck they arc are dying in Ia the streets I HI dont don't eat much When Johnnie shook his head bend stubbornly stubbornly stub stub- Jacket launched himself Into a torrent of ot profanity the violence of ot which dried his tears His IDs vocabulary vocabulary vocabulary lary was surprising He reviled the Spaniards OReilly himself everybody and everything he leveled anathemas i at that woman who had come between him and hl his beloved benefactor The latter listened good Youre a n tough kid he laughed when Jackets Jacket's first rage had worn it itself It- It itself self out I like you and Id I'd take you If I could But this Isn't an enterprise for a boy and It wont won't get you anything anything anything any any- thing to keep up this racket I Jacket next tried the power or of argument ar ar- ar- ar He Be attempted to prove that in a hazardous undertaking of this sort his assistance would be able He lIe vhs so he declared the one person in all Cuba In every respect qualified to share perils To begin with he was not afraid of Span- Span lards or anything else for that matter mat mat- ter ter-he ter he dismissed the subject of personal personal personal per per- courage with a contemptuous shrug As for cunning sagacity prudence prudence pru pru- dence resource around all worth he ho was without doubt unequaled In any i country He lIe was a veritable Spartan too when It came to hardship hardship prim priva privation tion had and suffering were almost to his liking He was discreet discreet discretion discretion was vas something he had bad Inherited heI he was ivas a n diplomat diplomat diplomacy diplomacy being one of his most unique ac accomplishments As for this talk about hunger OReilly need not concern himself In the least leaston on that score for Jacket was a small eater and could grow fat on a diet of dried leaves Disease nah Bali It made him Wm laugh His experience with sickness sickness sickness sick sick- ness was wider than most and he was a better nurse than Miss Emens Ev Ev- Evans Evans ans ens would ever be Jacket did not wish to appear In the least boastful On the contrary he was actually too modest modest modest mod mod- est as his friends could attest but truth compelled him to admit that he was Just the man for OReilly He Be found It Impossible to recommend himself himself himself him him- self too highly to save his soul he could think of ot no qualification in which he was lacking and could see no menson rea men reason reason son why his benefactor would not greatly profit by the free use of ot his bis amazing talents The enterprise was yes was difficult It would certainly fall fail without without without with with- out him Johnnie remained carefully atten attentive time tive during this adjuration He felt no desire desire- even to smile for the boys boy's earnestness earnestness earnestness ear ear- was touching and It caused the elder mans man's to tighten uncomfortably un un- un- un comfortably Johnnie had not realized before how fond he had become of this q quaint youngster And so when hen the l little ittle fellow paused hopefully OReilly p put ut an arm around him Im sure you are everything you s say ay you are Jacket and more too but y you ou cant can't go With that Jacket flung off the embrace embrace embrace em em- brace and stalking away seated him him- self He took a smoked half cigar from Ute the pocket of ot his shirt and lit It scowling the while at his friend More than once during the evening OReilly detected his sullen angry eyes upon him a I General Betancourt and several members members members mem mem- bers of his staff were up early the following followIng following fol fol- fol- fol lowing morning to bid their visitor good good goodby In spite of their efforts to tomake tomake tomake make the parting cheerful It was plain that they had but little hope of ot ever again seeing this foolhardy American Johnn Johnnie's Johnnies es e's spirits were not In the tho least affected by this concealed Ill pessimism pea pes for as he told himself he had money in his pockets and Matanzas Matanzas' was not many miles mUes m away ay But when he camo came to part from Jacket he experienced experienced experienced a genuine disappointment The boy strangely enough was almost Indifferent Indifferent In In- different to his leaving he merely extended extended ex ex- tended a limp dirty hand and replied to parting words with a careless Adios 1 I In hurt surprise the former Inquired Dont wo we part good friends friends' Sure Surel 1 Jacket shrugged then turned away awny Jacket was a likable youngster his devotion was thoroughly unselfish it had not been easy to wound him With keener regrets than he cared to acknowledge acknowledge acknowledge ac ac- ac- ac knowledge OReilly set out upon his Journey following the guide whom General Betancourt had provided It was a n lovely morning sufficiently warm to promise a hot midday theair the air was moist and fresh from a recent shower This being the rainy season I the trails were soft Bott and where the rich I I I red Cuban soil soli was exposed the travelers trav tram I elers sank Into It as ns a into it wet wet putty Crossing a rocky ridge and his guide at last emerged upon an nn open slope knee-high knee In n grass and grown up to bottle palms those queer distorted trees whose trunks are Bre re swollen swollen len Into the likeness of ot earthen water Jars Scattered here and there over the meadows were the dead lead or fallen trunks of another variety the cabbage palm the green een heart of which had long formed a staple article of diet for tor forthe forthe the Spanish axes es had bad been at work here and not a a single singletree singletree singletree tree remained alive allye The green floor I of the valley farther down was was dotted dotted with the other the royal kind that monarch of tropic vegetation i which lends to the Cuban landscape Its peculiar peculiar peculiar pe pe- pe- pe culiar and distinctive beauty Yonder Is the camino said the countr countryman nn pointing Into the tie valley it will lead lend you to the I rond and there there he he turned to the northward north ward ward ls is Matanzas Go with God and dont don't drink the well water which Is polluted from the rains with a smile and n a wave of ot the hand the Ule rune turned back beck and plunged into the jun Jungle le As OReilly descended the slope he be realized keenly that he was alone andIn and in hostile territory The hills and the woods from Pinar del Rio to Oriente were Cuban or at most they were disputed ground But nut here In the plains and valleys s near the clUes cities Spain was supreme From this From f thIs moment on OReilly knew he be must rely entirely upon himself The success of ot his enterprise en en- his liis his very life life Uie hinged upon his caution his powers of ot dissimulation dissimulation tion his ability to pass as ns a harmless helpless pacifico It gave him an unaccustomed unaccustomed un un- un- un accustomed thrill by no means mean pleasant pleas pleas- ant The road when he came to It proved prated to be a deep gutter winding between red clay banks cut by the high wheels of clumsy cane carts Inasmuch as ns no I i 1 r 9 J kI S S a Youre a Tough Kid KIdI He Ho L JB r crops whatever had been ni moved ed over the road during the past s sea season ason it was now little more than an ooZy oozy sticky rut Not a roof not a chimney vis In Insight Insight insight sight the valley was deserted Here flere was a fertile farming yet no living thing no Sound Round of bells no voices no crowing cocks no lo sowing ng cattle It was depressing to OReIllY and more for there was s something menacing and threatening about It all aU Toward noon the bre breeze lessened and It became Insufferably hot bot A bank of ot clouds in the east promised a cooling shower so Johnnie sought the nearest shade to w wait lt for I it nna aj a t took ok advantage o of he Ie delay dehy to eat tat his slender slen slen- der lunch He meditatively lug Ing a sweet potato when a a sound at tit athis athis his back caused him to leap to his bis feet in alarm He lie whirled then uttered an exclamation of ot amazement Seated not fifty feet away wa was a bare legged boy similarly engaged In n a sweet potato It wa was jacket His brown broun cheeks checks were his inquisitive bright eyes eye w fixed upon OReilly from beneath a defiant scowl I- I Jacket 1 I cried Ue tIle an the devil are you doing here heren You Yo gain to let mc ong I challenged the intruder I So You followed I Ine I said after rne-after n I didn't want you you 7 0 OReilly R but Md iad no CO effect upon th the lad Ind With ct- ct n a Jacket his for such a weak form o ot lon IOD s See h here II Pc rs u ee ere now no 1 c closer 10 sere L Lets e t 9 b be e OlUm OReilly y s I hi sensIble nt t th this fl But Jacket scrambled t his left a retreated warily stuffing 7 tl tho uneaten 0 aten portion of the swe SWeet h hc his mouth It hole was vas plat nil flit 10 c Jr t r t le In IC oHi n i i MutterIng Mattering I n I Something I le voice lie he armed I stout stick hImself Iah t II I. I Come her here commanded can Jacket shook his head bead He ne made mad madea n a painful attempt to swallow an and when his utterance became more distinct distinct dis dis- he consigned his Idol to a warmer warme place than thon Cuba rIm Im a tough kid he declared Dont get gay on me mc The two parleyed briefly then when satisfied that no violence was Intended him the Ule bo boy sat down to listen Bu Buas But Butas as before neither argument nor appeal had the sll slightest effect upon him H |