THE DUEL--HEMMED IN BY FLAMES.
"I see that I failed to wound you very seriously on the road," sneered
the captain, as he leaped back, preparatory to making a fresh onslaught.
"Yes, thanks to my leather-covered note-book, which turned your steel
aside," replied Howard. "But I will waste no more words with you," he
added, significantly. "You tried to swear my life away, and now you
must take the consequences."
"I am well able to take care of myself," sneered Captain Nocolo.
He was, as Estella had intimated, a skilful swordsman, and he imagined
that the young war correspondent knew little of the handling of a blade.
Howard's use of the foils at college now stood him in good stead. He
was out of practice, but realizing that it was a matter of life or
death, he was watchful to prevent his antagonist from getting the
better of him.
Click! clash! click! The swords crossed and recrossed each other with
lightning-like rapidity, making the sparks fly, and causing Estella to
stand by in silent terror, while praying mentally that Howard might
come out of the contest unharmed. She wanted to rush at the captain,
but her lover skilfully placed himself between them as he maneuvered
about to strike a telling blow.
"Ha! take that!" suddenly hissed Captain Nocolo, and quick as a flash
his sword punctured Howard's side, close under the right arm. Howard
uttered a cry and staggered, but did not fall.
"Murderer!" screamed Estella. "You knew he was not your equal."
"He brought it upon himself!" muttered the captain. "The conceit of
these Americans----"
"Defend yourself!" put in Howard, as he leaped forward again, a new
light shining in his glittering eyes.
Click! clash! fell his sword so heavily that the captain's guard was
beaten down. A second later and the young war correspondent's blade
struck the captain's neck, inflicting a deep cut, and causing the
Spaniard to throw up both arms and stagger to the bed, there to fall
unconscious.
A moment of intense silence followed, then Howard dropped his gory
blade, and turned to Estella. She rushed to him and threw herself in
his arms.
"Oh, Howard!" was all she could say, and shuddered as she buried her
face upon his shoulder.
"I had to do it, Estella," he said. "It was his life or mine."
"Is he--he dead?" she whispered.
"I think not. A wound of that sort is rarely mortal. But he needs
medical assistance."
As Howard spoke he heard footsteps on the stairs. He walked to the
doorway and met the old man, Antonio, staggering up, his head swathed
in a bandage.
"The captain----" began the old fellow, but Howard out him short.
"Get cloths and bind up his wounds, and send for an army surgeon," he
commanded. "I don't care to have the rascal's blood on my head," he
added to the trembling girl at his side.
"No, no, Howard; and yet he deserves what he got," murmured Estella.
"Oh, how thankful I am that you came when you did!" and she shuddered
once more as she thought of the perils she had escaped.
"We must get away from here, my darling," he said, as he gave her
another rapturous embrace. "The Spanish soldiers tried to detain me
when I recovered, and Tomasso and I had a fierce fight with them. By
some means we were separated, and I don't know what became of the
plucky fellow, but I do know that the soldiery will be here before
long."
"I am ready to depart instantly, Howard, but where shall we go?"
"Would you not feel as safe at home as anywhere? There your servants
will at least protect you from insult, no matter what the outcome of
this fearful war."
"But to get home--it will not be safe for you to be seen by the Spanish
authorities. They will have no mercy for a condemned criminal!"
"I will risk that. Come! the storm has cleared off, and if I am not
mistaken we can get a couple of horses from the stable below."
"Those horses belong----" began Antonio, but a look from Howard
silenced him.
The young man picked up his sword and followed Estella to the lower
floor.
They took their pick of the animals, and were soon well out of sight of
the old house in which the thrilling duel had occurred. Estella said
she knew the face of the country fairly well, and this enabled them to
take many a short cut across the fields and through the woods. On the
way she told the particulars of how Captain Nocolo had carried her off,
and of his intentions regarding her. In return he told of his escape
from the prison, and of all that had occurred since then. In this
manner an hour quickly passed.
"If your father joins the Spanish Army it will be more difficult than
ever to persuade him that the insurgents are in the right," observed
Howard. "What a pity he cannot throw off this yoke of tyranny!"
"It is indeed a pity!" sighed Estella. "But papa belongs to another
generation, you know. He cannot imagine Cuba free and enjoying the
blessings of self-government."
"I fervently hope that this conflict will establish the island's
freedom, for freedom is bound to come if it takes a hundred years to
get here."
Estella uttered a little laugh at this speech.
"I love your Yankee enthusiasm," she remarked. "It stirs all the
patriotism in my heart."
On and on they went, along a road little traveled, and now deserted
save by a few poor families who, scared by the proximity of the
cannonading, were removing to what they fancied would be safer
quarters. These people, mostly old men, women and children, stared at
them as they rode past, but asked no questions, being thankful that
they themselves were not molested.
"Here are the outskirts of my father's property," said Estella at last,
as they came to a turn where the road narrowed down to little more than
a foot-path. "Marambo lies off in that direction and over to the left
is where you had that awful encounter with the bloodhounds."
"Then we cannot be far from the house," returned Howard. "Let us be
careful how we approach. There is no telling what has happened since
you were here last."
"Alas, that is true! But let us hope for the best!"
With her heart beating violently, Estella rode on beside Howard. Soon,
on account of the boggy nature of the ground, they were forced to
abandon their horses and proceed on foot.
"I hear no sounds that would indicate any thing unusual about the
house" said Estella, her ears on the alert. "The rebels must have
passed the place by, otherwise, as father has directed they be paid
nothing, they would have destroyed everything."
"A few minutes more will tell all," replied her lover. "If we----Hark!"
He caught his sweetheart by the arm, thus bringing her to a halt in the
very centre of the sugar-cane field they were traversing. She listened,
but the sounds that had alarmed him had ceased.
"What was it?" she asked, with a blanching face.
"I heard voices--they sounded like half a dozen men speaking in a low
tone," he whispered. "Listen, don't you hear them now?"
He was silent, and presently she nodded her head. The voices came from
two directions, to the right and to the left of them.
"They may be some of your workmen on guard," he went on. "They may have
heard us and are coming to investigate. If they----"
A loud and ringing shout from the direction of the barns made him
pause. Estella grew so faint he had to catch her to keep her from
falling.
"Cuba libre! Cuba libre! Burn! burn! burn!"
"The rebels!" gasped the beautiful girl. "They have attacked the place
at last. Oh, what shall we do?"
"We must get out of this sugar-cane field!" responded Howard, quickly.
"It is not safe here. Come!"
He turned to lead her back, then gave a start of horror, for he saw a
thick volume of smoke rolling skyward, telling them that the insurgents
had already applied the torch.
"We cannot escape in that direction!" he cried. "We must go some other
way."
"We are hemmed in!" burst from Estella's lips. "See! the field is afire
on all sides! Oh, Howard, we are doomed!"
He looked about them. Estella was right; from every point the thick
smoke arose, followed by long tongues of flame. Already they could
hear the distant crackling of the inflammable cane, coming closer and
closer. A few minutes more would surely settle their fate!