CHAPTER XXVII.

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!