Show A STORY OF THE FREEING JC AUH OF ja inu perry 16 I 1 X ml i V honmyo A C an ca Z nil I 1 I 1 X i cut 1 fa X SYNOPSIS lieutenant holton la Is detached from his command in the navy at the outlet of 0 the spanish american war and to important secret ecret service duty while dining at a washington hotel he detects detect a waiter in the act ot of robbi robbing nir a beautiful young lady she him f or kits his roune ace ce and gives elves her name as la tossa a 1 cuban patriot later lie he meets meats her at IL ball A secret service man warns 1101 ton that the girl la is a spy senor sanor la tossa chides his daughter for or her failure allure to secure important information from holton she leaves tor for hr her home in cuba holton to Is ordered to follow her they meet on the tarn tampa train miss la toasa tells tella holton she 41 Is ft a cuban py and expresses doubt regarding the py nc alty of the united states holton Is ordered to remain at tampa to guard tile the troop transports its he receives orders to land B 1182 la ILP tossa who Is ie considered a dangerous ilan dan gerou geroux spy on cuban soil at sea he to Is overtaken by another warship w which t takes altes miss LA tossa aboard and 1 bolton Is ordered to return to tampa ile he saves the ott tran transports from destruction at the hands of dynamiters dyna miters and reports to admiral sampson for further duty 11 0 iton la Is sent to general garglas Oar claa command in the gulte guise of a newspaper correspondent to investigate cuban plots plot against the american troops and to learn the plans of the spanish navy CHAPTER VII continued nevertheless persisted his bla inquisitor qui 1 I ask you what you would do come come holton recognized by his manner a personage ot of some authority in the cuban cause pit it would be so BO easy easy for you to say bay that until cuba Is absolutely free no drop of blood in your body Is your own it would be easy to say that was the sad response but I 1 have shed my blood I 1 am old I 1 have struggled and suffered tor for my country in the intervention of the united states I 1 see tho the answer to all my struggles and to fill all my prayers I 1 am like a man who has come to the end of a long journey I 1 see the brightness ahead the load la ii eased from the back gods hand Is now at work in this island and na as his hand moves so will I 1 abide lie he has sent the americans here and he be will send them away in good season after their work Is done it if not then 10 30 be it for a moment there was silence lenca sl 1 then e It ircia spoke again you have nothing to tear it Is my thought that unless ar our amerian american an friends make a speedy ending of this 3 campaign they will be routed by disease and if they do not fly they will die surely and certainly and thus thua even it I 1 agreed with you in your contentions tent ions I 1 should still advocate leaving the matter to god time will tell and now you must sleep deep general who was that amerl american he added who remains with you an englishman a newspaper writer was the reply he Is not english he to Is american admiral sampson vouched couched for him but at any rate suppose he Is an american he might be that and still be ba a writer for the english press general garcia arose decisively As you suggest eug gest ho he said 1 I must sleep leep there Is yet much before me there Is much yet before us all grumbled the officer good night general As garcia turned to his tent the man walked to the ire fire he bo leaned down 02 tk W A powerful arm was wa thrown across his throat I 1 an ember and lighted a cigar atte the cames shone full upon his bis race face with a d half gasp holton arose in his blanket and then as the fellows fellow straightened up he sank back upon the boughs but hla his ores eyes never lett left the mans face at length with quick motion the cuban turned toward holton who had lust just time to close hla his eyes thus he lay tense listening for the sounds that would have caused him to spring to his bla feet the sounds bounds of the mans mana toot foot ps approaching him bat the sounds rounds did not come As aa holton at length opened hla his eyes ild ho saw law the man writing by the light of the fire upon a small pad lying on his hi knot knee you are ind ted a good waiter my alend i holton to hl alolf olf and rising from its his blanket he walked noiselessly toward the follow fellow he had first seen een la in the dining room at the new willard Wll lard so deeply was the man engrossed in hla writing that holtons movement was unnoticed by hini him and tor for this holton thanked him sincerely before he had gone two steps lie he acted upon impulse in rising from his blanket and without any definite intention save that of accosting jahe the man du but t now trie utility futility of doing athis this in the camp caina with garcia not yet asleep and without any well informed plans for dealing with him appealed to him forcibly ile he stopped suddenly in his tracks and then stole back to his bed of boughs I 1 holtons mind was in sore quandary quanda ry as to what to do unquestionably this man held a high place in the esteem of garcia who just as certainly had no idea that he was a spanish spy As to the she conversation holton believed he be had bad the key to that the tha spy apy was engaged in the process of poisoning the minds of cuban leaders against tho the americans a plot which it if carried forward successfully and rapidly might seriously affect the present campaign and at the same time have a decided tendency to give point to certain relations already strained with several powerful foreign nations ono one thing was sure the tha moves of this man must bo be checkmated check mated and 11 sharply just how was the question holton lay there deliberating what he ought to do for mere than an hour and still undecided when the spy set pot tied things for him by slipping his pad in his pocket and walking toward his horse ile he stood for a moment there his head bead turned toward garglas Gar aar clas little hut 0 of leaves and grasses and then mounting ho he rode oft off down the trail holton now lost no time in deciding on his course obviously it was to the interests of hla his government that this man be watched and so waiting tor for a minute until the bushes had closed behind jhb spy be started in pursuit after leaving the lines holton quickened his stops steps keeping well within the shadow of the bushes until he be was within fifty feet of the rider presently the bottom of the mountain was reached and the spy continued on through the maniguat managua jungle As ho he broke through into the open hot holton t on made a little detour ind and came out on the beach crawling now about seventy five feet from where the man was standing holding his bis horse by the bridle and gazing out over the bay where could be made out the light of a dispatch boat As the officer watched him the spy raised his hand band and a low but penetrating whistle broke the stillness of tho the night A lantern waved from a craft in the bay and in a few minutes the rattle of oars in ID their locks sounded bounded As the boat came shoreward holton now breathlessly interested wriggled his bis way nearer the spy and flattened against the sand and sh shielded elded by small growths of chap chapA atral TraI he be awaited the arrival of the boat As it grated on the beach a tall officer sprang out and holton had no difficulty in recognizing him as one ona pt af general shatters aids well said the latter 1 I thought you were never coming 1 I thought so too was waa the reply there was difficulty in getting out of the camp but now I 1 am hero here and I 1 have information the general wishes all right what Is it itt calixto garcia to la not your friend ile he Is one of the leaders in a plan to attack you once you have rid Sant santiago lago pro province vinca of at the spaniards I 1 can give you proof the spy epy drew draw from his bis pocket the pad upon which he had been writing and tearing off a sheet handed it to the ofil officer who read it by lighting a mutch match and holding it in front of the paper that to Is a copy ot of a letter which general garcia wrote tonight to general castillo and general rabi 11 are you sure aura ot of this absolutely but I 1 will say this much the message me asage as I 1 have it Is not word for word I 1 read it after he wrote it for he showed it to me after he fell asleep I 1 wrote it from memory very tery well hava hate you anything else elsa ti to tell me WIN will agurcia carry out the tha arrangements made with general shatter this afternoon oh yes ho he will you will under viand that nothing which will hinder binder american success against the spaniards will be done ouicla and tile the other cuban generals are looking to the ho future very well ill report to the commander in ahlet what are your future intentions T 1 I should like to accompany you to the Seg aranca general shatter may have some come questions quest loae and to lu any event I 1 shall feel safer at sea just at prie out ent you tee DM tho the spy py added my role rol ut as one of the leaders leader ls of the cuban junta coupled with my supposed belief in tho the absolute integrity and diola of tho the united states as regards cuba sometimes lead me into danger garcia who to la ray my friend believes behaves la in me but castillo Castl llo I 1 have reason to think la Is suspicious garcia meets castillo Castl llo tomorrow and so BO he shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands all right grunted tho the american jump into tho the boat defore before tho the spy obeyed ho he turned for a moment and repeated his whistle then in a very mild voice he ha said it to la time senor tor for your salad malad with dressing holton hollon knowing the words were addressed to him was on tho the point of scrambling to his bis feet when a powerful arm was thrown across hla his throat throttling him while at the same caino time his hands and feet were seized and bound in a twinkling A gag was then slipped into his mouth and he lay thero there helplessly regarding the four figures who stood over him what to Is it itt he heard beard tho the officer cincer say bay Ale merely rely was the reply an In inquisitive soldier from Garci Gar claa ast camp they bother me so BO you have no idea well was the laughing reply you c certainly erta seem to know how to deal with them now come on it you are coming thank you yes lie ha delly ered a volley of commands in spanish speaking BO rapidly that holton could not understand a word the men replied in kind and then the officer and the spy stepped into the boat and were rowed offshore CHAPTER VIII A grim announcement the acu who proved to be three gigantic negroes and a white walto man inan attired in the blue drill uniform of a spanish officer with a little cockade in hla his felt hat jerked holton to his bis feet cut cu the and hurried him toward the trail finally as hints of dawn appeared overhead the party arrived at a small clearing where were picketed some score of horses with their riders evidently a contingent of spanish cavalry there was a short conference and then tho the gag was taken from holtons gioi tons mouth and he was lifted upon a pony the cavalcade took up the trail which ran alongside the mountain below the camp of garcia in the direction of santiago As aa tho the sun rose a halt was called in a little valley find and preparations were mado made for bior what holton believed would be ba a stay of considerable duration it was then that tor for the tha first time a word was spoken directly to holton an officer not the one who had figured in his capture but the man in charge of the detachment confronted the american as lie he sat mat on the ground and releasing his hands placed a guard over him you will have opportunity unity for two hours rest he said bowing then we shall proceed at once to santiago but why have I 1 been captured T protested holton 1 I am a non combat ant lie he produced his credentials as correspondent spon dent of the london standard the officer examined them carefully then he placed them in his bis pocket 1 I am convinced you aro are lying he be replied simply our information concerning you la IR exceedingly accurate FT for your sake I 1 crupt the papers may bo be found correct for he bo shrugged hla his shoulders you are a opy epy A chill passed over holton lie he had not thought of that before A opyl spy I 1 and in war time they had a summary way of dealing with such after a very meager break breakfast fut the men mea throw threw themselves upon the ground chatti chattier nr anil and smoking and ana holton did likewise he felt la in its fullness ull the relief of having his hands band tree free arid and in largo large measure despite the guard standing over him and the men all about he ha became possessed of greater confidence in hla his ability to meet this situation the most moat dangerous that had ever confronted him fearing no doubt the proximity of carlias Gar Car claa cias men the soi soldiers aters did not move until late afternoon and then with great stealth all talking la in thu the ranks being rigidly silenced holton had bad had opportunity for several hours sleep ile he was thereby greatly re fre shod and under reaction his fears for or himself were considerably lessened dusk fell and still the march continued on through the night went the tha men and without a stop until dawn when camp was made in a clearing which had been cut where two of the tha mountain trails met and crossed creased here as a 6 the heavens grow grew bright fires were lighted and a meat meal prepared after which sentries were posted then tho the camp settled down for sleep holton had bud no idea how many billee allea had bad been covered since his capture but felt it must be a great many stand ing up he could now see far away over the hills bills the twisk twinkling ling lights of a ago go and these he could not help viewing with dread at nightfall the march was again taken up and at dawn tho the force was alt within III 12 a few faw miles of tho the city A squad was sent bent on ahead to report to general linares Ll narea but came flying back in a few hours with messages to the tha effect that tho the soldiers were leaving for el paso and that the troops of tho the united states would shortly advance from El Pl boney there were other matters too in the tha papers brought by the messenger and them hem seemed to concern holton olton II for the officer while reading it glanced at him with a troubled face at length ho he came up to holton and draw him to one side 1 I am sorry to inform you he ha said saad that I 1 have orders here to hang biag you at once stepped back as though ho he had been struck in the face hang mo me at oncel decried he cried those aro are my orders ordera signed by the commander ln in chiet of this province but there thera must bo be some mistake holton went on 1 I am not a spy but even it I 1 were I 1 certainly have dono done nothing to justify an act so unfair inhuman and outrage outrageous ouR 1 I do not seo see how any mistake could havo have been made camo came back the anwer answer here you see tho the warrant signed by muller the generals aide then general linares did not sign that warrant no it reads general linares orders ordera and Is then signed by muller but surely holton beian began there to Is no time tor for argument my brother wo we are ordered to Gua lemast nad and havo have va tima to I 1 atil am earry sorry but the fellow shrugged his shoulders and pointed to the order aidor holtons mind worked liki lightning thi men were enga engaged geld in breaking camp and tho the ono ong who had been guarding holton had bad turned aside at the of fibers approach and now with his bis back toward the two was ext extracting raking a clip of bullets from his ble mauser behind holton was an apparently impenetrable jungle of mant |