THE YOUNG WAR CORRESPONDENT'S ESCAPE--THE LAWYER'S
STATEMENT--DOGGED BY A SPY.
"If he resists, shoot him down!"
Such was the cry of the Spanish captain, as unable to stop the sudden
flight of Estella, the four soldiers crowded about Howard and sought to
arrest him.
But, as before mentioned, Howard was both strong and agile, and in
rapid order he threw one soldier and then another from him. This left
a clear space on his right, and he leaped through it and sped down an
alley, taking an opposite direction to that pursued by the beautiful
girl.
Half a dozen shots rang out in quick succession, and these served to
arouse the residents of that section of the city. Many of the citizens
poured forth into the plaza, thinking there was an uprising of the
rebels, and it was long after midnight ere quietness was restored.
Running swiftly, and yet not knowing where, Howard, at the end of five
minutes, came suddenly against the side of a small stable, the alley
ending in a cul-de-sac. He was almost breathless, and sank down in
some brushwood stacked up there, utterly exhausted. He listened with
strained ears, but although he heard the sounds of the tumult in the
quarter he had left, no one was coming toward him.
"I fancy I'm safe for the time being," he thought. "I wish I knew that
fair Estella had reached a place of safety. Darling girl! how much she
risked just to be of service to me! I wonder if she understands how
much I love her? For I do love her--love her as I never before loved
any one!"
The truth had been forcing itself upon him gradually and now he
confessed it boldly, as one does something that pleases him. He was
madly in love with Estella Corona. It had been a case of love at sight,
although he hardly knew it. He could not get her dark fascinating face
from his mind, and it may truly be said that, notwithstanding their
brief acquaintance, he really idolized her.
For fully five minutes he sat where he had fallen, getting back his
breath, and speculating upon the way affairs had turned. What was best
to be done?
Estella still had the precious documents, and this he did not regret,
for it meant that they must meet again. But without his letters he felt
he could do but little toward serving the press association which had
sent him to Cuba.
In order to understand this, the reader must remember that all the
regular news sent from Cuba to the world at large, for publication, was
closely scrutinized by the Spanish Government, and was "doctored" to
suit the tastes of royalty. If the Spanish army won a battle, it was
heralded as of great importance; while, if the rebels won, hardly any
mention was made of it. Not only this, but the rebels were said to be
committing outrages of which they were never guilty, the object being
to make fair-minded Americans withhold their sympathy from the Cubans
in their righteous struggle for independence.
Howard had been sent, as other correspondents before him, to obtain
the news, pure and simple, and at any cost. It was known that no
amount of money could purchase his silence should he learn of anything
detrimental to one side or the other, which that side wished to
suppress. The correspondent sent before him had been bought off by the
Spanish leaders, but there was no danger of this occurring in Howard's
case. He would have indignantly resented the first intimation of
bribery.
In order to obtain direct information of what the insurgents were
doing, he must be armed with his letters of introduction to the various
leaders. Having heard their stories, and made various inspections,
he would then be ready to turn to the Spaniards for their version
of affairs. Personally he sided with the Cubans; but as a newspaper
correspondent, with a high idea of his position, the news, the whole
news, and nothing but the news, was everything.
He thought of all these things as he sat in the darkness, and then he
arose slowly and cautiously, and made his way back to one of the main
streets of the town, and thence to the Anglo-American Club.
He had here met a young American named Dilwoddy, who was a Cuban
sympathizer, and who knew the city from end to end. Calling this young
man aside, he explained that there was a disturbance at the Plaza del
Silveo, and asked concerning the soldiery gathered there.
"Want to catch some news first lick, eh?" laughed Dilwoddy. "All right,
come ahead; I'll take you where you can see it all, and still be safe."
A quarter of an hour later found them in the upper room of a house in
the vicinity of the plaza. From this point they could see all that was
taking place, and here Howard witnessed, for the first time, a skirmish
between the rebels and the soldiery.
He, however, took small interest in the scene. His keen eyes were on
the watch for Estella, and when he saw nothing of the fair girl, he
grew much disturbed.
Finally he left Dilwoddy, and at the risk of being captured, made a
personal search throughout the neighborhood for the girl who had proved
herself such a friend. The search was useless.
Weary and disheartened, he was about to return to the vicinity of an
American hotel, when of a sudden he ran into a tall man who at once
caught him by the shoulder and swung him around.
"Howard Sherwood! When did you arrive?"
"Thomas Herringford!" exclaimed Howard, as he caught the hand of the
lawyer who had once managed his uncle's estate. "This is lucky. I was
going to hunt you up to-morrow morning. I got in to-day."
"I expected you," rejoined Herringford. "So you are a newspaper
reporter, eh? Then you are undoubtedly here to kill two birds with one
stone, as the saying goes."
"I am."
"Come to my home--it is close by. I want to talk to you about that land
business, although I'll tell you at the start that the insurrection
here has disarranged everything. The courts are so upset you can do
nothing in them."
"I believe you. But, honestly, Herringford, is there any hope for me?"
"Why not? Those rascals undoubtedly swindled your uncle. The worst of
it is, these folks are all Spaniards, and now most of them are in the
Spanish army. There is a Captain Nocolo in the deal, and another rich
young blood named Mazenas, who has just been elevated to a lieutenancy
in the Court guard--hard people to reach just now--although it would be
easy enough to do so in times of peace."
"But I thought you said something in your letter about a lawyer named
Samuel Barker----"
"Biggest villain I ever met. He pushed through the papers for Nocolo,
Mazenas & Co. If I could find him, I have plenty to bring him to
account for. But he has disappeared into the interior."
"I am going into the interior soon, and I hope to be able to locate
him," returned Howard.
"If you do, let me know--I'll force him into some kind of a
confession," growled Thomas Herringford.
He was a bluff old lawyer, and never hesitated in coming to the point.
In the few times they had met, Howard had come to sincerely admire him.
"The Nocolo crowd managed this thing very adroitly," went on the
lawyer. "They sent to your uncle a representative who pretended that he
held a high position under the government. Your uncle trusted the man,
and, consequently, was greatly deceived. The chap's dead now, though."
"And so is Uncle Robert."
"Yes, poor fellow! and he was a good man, Howard--straight as a die. I
remember once when he----Hullo! What's up now?"
They had reached Thomas Herringford's home, and were ascending the
steps, when, chancing to turn, Howard had seen a figure that instantly
arrested his attention. It was one of the soldiers from whom he had
escaped.
"That soldier is dogging me!" he whispered. "I won't get you into
trouble. Good-night. If he asks any questions, tell him I asked you
for the nearest route to the shipping."
And in another moment he had slipped off in the dark. The soldier
attempted to follow, but Howard quickly and easily eluded him.
"They won't let up, that's certain," muttered the young war
correspondent. "Perhaps I'll have to do as many others--change my
appearance whenever I venture out."