CHAPTER V.

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."