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Show Hi '1 ; Filibusters. Ml 1 1 BY FnANK 11. SWEKT. H ' (Copyright, 1002. by Dally Story Pub. Co.l H A group of Spanish ofilccrs wero H standing In (rout of tho mess quarters H t ut Hnhia Honda. The; lintl just conio H (j 1 In from Havnna and on tho morrow H vcro to start across tho mountains H toward Cristobal on special service. It had been a long, hard march, and H thoy wcro liugry and tired. In splto H of all that wan behind and of what H might be ahead, their ono thought was I. of the meal whoso savory odors woro ' Issuing from tho hastily Improvised M ,' mcsB quarters, Tho sun was not yet M . down, but tho Bhadows of tho dato H palms lay thick about their feet. H Thoy watched them listlessly, waiting M f for tlio mess call, and thon ready to H , seek tho low thatched building whero LH Vi thoy wero to nlcop. From tho shad- (i ows of tho snmo data palms a group ( of ragged, emaciated hoys watched ? them keenly. They, too, wcro mindful M f of tho odors that came from tho mess m , quarters, for thoy Bntffcd eagerly, and B H from time to time they whispered to P j ' , ono another and pointed toward tho , building or tho officers. Presently a I , hoy -of nine or ten, with keen, snap. H j, J.. ping black eyes, stolo to a palm troo M that was hut a few yards from where M J the officers c'ood. In tho shadow of M y this ho waitod until his companions H jL had circled round to the shelter of a H . j clump of bamboos on tho other side, H and very near to tho cntranco ot tho B mess quarters. Thero they paused, as H though for a signal. i j And It was not long coming. With M a sudden wild whoop tho hoy with tho L, - snapping oyes sprang forward Into T J lno very midst of tho officers, swing- M ) ' Ing his arms and dancing about as i though ho wero mad. In an Instant nl- J. most, and boforo thoy had recovered m from tho surprlso of tho unexpected B onslaught ho had snntchod a sword Aj from ono of tho scabbards and bound- H ed away. At tho samo moment u cry H , of consternation came from tho moss M quarters, H . Hut tho ofilccrs did not notlco that H They wero too amazed, too angry at B S tho audacity of this ragamuflln, who m j had stopped a (aw yards away and was H j, ' now brandishing tho sword defiantly H ' In their very faces. With cxclaran- j U ) tlons of anger they sprang forward to H" I a man, and tlio rnganiiilllii, Instead of ft , trying to escapo, dodged this way and M . ' ' that, under tho otttstrutchod arms of i ono, behind another and almost be- Hl , tweon tho legs ot a third, all tho tlmo U' ' ! ' i taunting thorn and daring them on. H Ho was liko an eel that squirmed out H y t of their hamU oven after they caught V I him; or a Ilea that was any whero ex- m cept whero they thought It. Flvo H I ' minutes passed In oxaspcratlng dodg. i1 j, lng and doubling beforo they succeeded succeed-ed In dragging him hack, struggling i and grinning to the mess quarters. i j And It was not until afterward that I J It occurred to them that ho nad tnado no real effort to escape. "a As the nxcltcmnnt of tho chaso and B i capturo began to subside they noticed H ' I ,. . IP M 'i N J ?::- j Snatched a sword from ono of tho 1 scchbards and hounded away, i for thoflrst time that their mess cook R- and his "boy nsslstant woro shufllng , About wringing their hands. 1 j. "What urV) you doing bore, Garcia?" M one ot tho oincers domanded Impa- H ) tlently. "Oof hack and hurry up sup- , , per." ) S . Uut Garcia continued to wrlns his hands. 4 ,, I ., "Thuyu Is none," ho walled. "No K- J moatii no brcadB, no fruits. Oh, Hjt'j I enor,! oh, senorsl What shall wo do7 B(' ! Me ixnd my boy Joso wero finishing a Bsjo p f beautiful stipper-oh, so bsautltul! H;; I tnl a hordo of wild creatures rushed HS 4u lT alul tlirow Uour 'nt0 my 'ace ani HI iW. f H.;p kt' I KJakL MJsaBBsi;.j -LiiiJ-L---'f ',-. tripped Joso, and when wo recovered thero wcro no meats, no breads, no fruits. Oh, senorsl oh, scnors!" Two or three of tho ofilccrs rushed Into tho mess room. When they ro-turnod ro-turnod their fnecs wero blank. "Gnrcla's right," thoy said, "tho placo Is stripped as clean as though visited by locusts." Then thoy stopped abruptly, as though making a discovery, and glanced nt tho captlvo. "You aro responsible re-sponsible for this," ono of thom declared. de-clared. Tho hoy grinned. "SI, senor," he snld composedly, "why not?" - . -,SJlllls JZ2; "Let this be a lesson." They stared at him and at each other. Was tho boy mad? If so, It was a madness that must bo punished. "Shooting Is too easy for a thing llko that," scowled tho ono' who bad lost his sword. "It's a cuso for banging." bang-ing." "No; hanging's too easy," declared nnothor, gloomily, "You don't know how hungry I am. But thero goes tho pursuit," as they saw soldiers scattering scat-tering among tho palms. "Perhaps tho supper will be recaptured." Tho boy "sniffed. "Flvo minutes' start," ho grinned significantly. "A thousand men couldn't find tho' boys now. They know hiding places your soldiers never dreamed of." Tho officer In command looked at him curiously. "Thero Is something behind this," ho said thoughtfully. "Yon aro old enough to understand tho consequences conse-quences ot such an act, and too wlso to throw away your ltfo for a little meat nnd a faw loaves ot bread," Tho boy's eyes began to flash and for tho first tlmo his face lost Us grinning derision. "I havo risked my ltfo tor a little meat and a few loaves of bread," ho declared quickly, "and I do understand Just what tho consequences aro. But whnt is life when my mother Is sick and starving, and when my sisters and grandfather and grandmother aro all clan Ing. I would risk It, and loso It, too, a hundred times. Tho boys havo food enough now to last them a month," IiIb voico ringing with exultation. exulta-tion. "You may kill mo If you Want to. But you haven't soldiers enough to get tbo food hack. And it wasn't stolen, either. You havo destroyed our crops and tnken our cnttlo and fruits, and they would pay for this a thousand times over," Ho throw his head hack and looked squarely into their eyes. "Thero is another thing I don't mind telling you," ho went on sturdily; "ray father's away lighting, nnd I would bo away fighting too, if I woro old enough. As It Is, no boys look after tho family." Hero tho grinning derision deri-sion returned to his face. "Tho hordo of 'wild creatures' your cook tolls about wcro just my three brothers and two of my cousins, tho oldest only thirteen. They'll look after tho family fam-ily now, rr' when this food Is gono, they'll fl d ,omo way to get more. Now kill mo if you want to. I'm not afraid." A curious expression had been coming com-ing Into their eyes. Abovo all things a soldier respects bravery. "Come, gentlemen," said tho officer In command gruffly, "wo must sottlo this at once. Camp will bo broken early, and thero will bo no tlmo then. Tho enso Is a flagrant ono, and calls for severe punishment. But I will Icavo tho sentence to you, Do Outse," to tho officer whoso sword had been tnken; "as tho most aggrieved of us; tho first vote bolongs to you. What punishment la adequato to the of tense?" Tho cMcer scowled, "I would condemn con-demn him to perpetual banishment from us," ho nnswered harshly. l I A i you, liouimont," to the omen. ,vho lii.4 confessed ho was hungry. "Do dulse Is too mild, too mild," this officer said, scowling also. "I would add that In addition to his en-tonco en-tonco the condemned be made to carry away a sack of flour as large as him-clf him-clf as large an a man can lift." "And you," "and you," to the otl.u. afflcern. "I consider tho sentence Just, and recommend It," said one. "And I," "and I," said others. "With perhaps a llttlo moro added to tho burden," finished the last Judiciously, "A prisoner of this kind should be crushed." "Very well, gentlomon," said the officer of-ficer In command, "you will see that tho sentence 1b carried out to tbo letter. let-ter. And you," turning severely to tho wonderlrg boy, "let this bo a les son. Never do a thing unless you are ready to do It with your wholo heart. If you had shown a whlto spot, I would havo had you shot." |
