THE LAST MOMENT--"TAKE AIM! FIRE!"
To make a resolve was an easy matter; to carry it out was extremely
difficult.
Although the guards were fully occupied at the gates of the prison,
they did not forget Howard, and as soon as they saw him walking toward
the exercising prisoners they ordered him back to his place.
"You are not to speak to any one!" cried the captain of the guard.
"Attempt to do so, and you may find yourself dead before the other man
can answer!"
And then the Spaniard, thinking he had said a very smart thing, laughed
coarsely, and his companions joined in his hilarity.
This, however, did not deter the young war correspondent. He was
condemned to die, so if he failed in his effort, he could lose nothing.
He stood in the place designated; then, at the first opportunity he
slipped away, and into the open prison doorway.
When he had been confined at the end of one of the upper corridors,
he had noticed how the numbering of the cells ran, and now he had no
trouble in locating cell 47, in a wing of the building farthest from
the street gate, and in a section devoted entirely to females.
He ran up to the cell door and peered inside. All was gloomy enough,
but he recognized the beautiful form on the bench, as Estella sat
there, her face buried in her hands.
"Estella!" he called, softly.
She started and raised her head. Then she gave a glad cry and rushed to
the grating.
"Howard, is it really you?" she faltered.
"Yes, my darling!" He kissed her through the cold iron bars. "Oh, my
love, why did you dare so much?"
"I did it for your sake, Howard!" she murmured, and blushed crimson as
she spoke. "I could not bear to think of your being here."
"But now you are a prisoner, too!" he said, sadly. "Oh, what a terrible
misfortune!"
"How did you know I was here? Have you seen Tomasso?"
"Yes, and he gave me the number of the cell. Oh, Estella, I would make
any sacrifice to set you free!" he went on, passionately.
"And I would do the same for you, Howard. But I am afraid we cannot
help each other. You--how is it you are here?"
"I slipped from the guard while I was in the yard."
"And what are they going to do with you? Are they going to give you a
trial?" she questioned, hastily.
He could scarcely answer her. He lowered his eyes, but she compelled
him to speak.
"I have had a trial--at least, what they call a trial," he said, in
such a low voice she could scarcely hear him.
"And the verdict, Howard--what was it? Tell me--you don't answer. Did
they--they find you guilty?"
"Yes."
She gave a pitiful sob, and clutched the iron bars tightly, to keep
herself from falling to the floor.
"And what is to be the next step, Howard?--tell me the whole truth."
"I am to be shot within the hour!"
"Oh!"
That one little stifled exclamation, yet how much it meant! She tried
to say more, but from her parched lips, pale with terror, there came
only a heart-wrung moan.
"It was Captain Nocolo's work. He swore my life away!"
"And Lieutenant Mazenas tried to poison you!" she said, at last. "You
are surrounded by enemies and cannot expect fair treatment. Oh, how my
heart longs to aid you, Howard!" she went on, with another sob.
"You noble and sweet girl!" he burst out. "There is not such another
loyal heart in the whole world!"
"You may hit upon some way to escape. Take the first chance, no matter
how desperate. Try, try, Howard, for my sake!"
"And what of you, Estella?"
"Never mind me. Save yourself! I will----"
"Hold! What means this?" shouted a voice at the turn in the corridor,
and a yellow-skinned creole jailer stalked up.
Not stopping to think twice, Howard pounced upon the fellow, and hurled
him to the floor.
"A single word and your life will pay the forfeit!" said the young war
correspondent.
And then, as the guard quickly arose to his feet and began a desperate
struggle to overpower his antagonist, Howard hit him a heavy blow
behind the ear. With a groan, the creole fell back unconscious.
It was but the work of a moment for Howard to find the jailer's keys.
With them he unlocked the door of Estella's cell and also liberated his
own wrists.
"Come, Estella," he said, in a low voice. "See! I have his pistol and
his sword. Let us make a dash for liberty together!"
"I will go with you wherever you say!" murmured the beautiful girl.
"Henceforth I am what my friends call me--Estella, the little Cuban
rebel!"
"And, I too, shall fight in the cause of Cuban liberty!" returned
Howard. "That is, if we are fortunate enough to escape."
Side by side they ran down the corridor and toward a door leading to a
portion of the prison yard reserved for the few female prisoners, as
well as for the family of the resident jailer. The door was bolted, but
not locked, and they were quickly outside and in the pouring rain.
"Had we any sort of a ladder we might scale yonder wall!" said Howard.
"But without a ladder we can do nothing."
Scarcely had he spoken when a rifle shot rang out, and a bullet plowed
its way through his sleeve and scratched his arm. Estella gave a cry of
terror.
"We are discovered!"
The shot from the rifle was followed by a shout from the guard, and
in a few seconds half a dozen heavy feet were heard running in their
direction.
"You had better go back, Estella!" whispered her lover. "Lock yourself
in the cell, and you may escape punishment. I will stand here and fight
it out."
Estella shook her head.
"I will remain by your side," she whispered.
There was no time to say more. The guards came running up and Howard
was surrounded. He fired one shot, and then the pistol was taken from
him, and he was thrown down and overpowered.
"Howard! Howard!" he heard Estella cry, and looking up, he saw her
being carried off by a burly Spanish officer and Captain Nocolo!
The young war correspondent's hands were bound behind him, and with
savage blows he was driven out again into the prison yard, from where
the exercising prisoners had now retired.
"Come! say your prayers!" cried his guard, brutally. "There is no time
to waste on you. We must get you off our hands and then go out and
fight the accursed insurgents, who are prowling about in the rain and
fog."
"Are they so near?" exclaimed Howard. "Oh, that they might save me!" he
thought.
He was given no time to speculate, however. All about the prison was
in a state of excitement, and this being so, the guards thought only
of settling his case. Had they had their own way, they would have shot
him down where he stood, and left him where he fell. But certain
formalities had to be gone through with, and these occupied several
minutes.
During the interval of time the booming of a cannon on the outskirts
of the city caused a general alarm to be sounded. The rebels, under
Captain Martinez, had commenced hostilities!
The boom of the cannon was followed by a roar of artillery from the
Spanish guns in Marambo. Then the cannonading became general.
In nervous haste, the guards led Howard out into the centre of the
prison yard. He was blindfolded and placed in position. A squad of
eight soldiers, with rifles, stood in line but fifty feet away.
"Prisoner, if you would pray, do so at once," said the officer in
charge. "You have but a single minute to live."
Howard could not reply; he was past that now. It looked indeed as if he
must die. Silently he commended his soul to his Maker, and awaited the
awful moment of doom.
The officer held a watch in his hand. The seconds ticked away
rapidly--ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty! The minute was up!
The watch was put away.
"Are you ready, men?"
There was no answer. Each of the eight soldiers stood with his rifle at
a carry arms.
"Take aim!"
The rifles came up, each to its shoulder, and eight shining muzzles
were pointed at Howard's heart.
"Fire!"