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Page 38
"It will afford me great pleasure to hear it," said Ridge, "for some of
your recent actions have been, to say the least, very puzzling."
"As, for instance, when I denounced you to General Pando. Certainly
you must have thought badly of me at that time. I did it, however, to
save both you and myself, since shortly after you left us I learned
that one of my troop had deserted for the purpose of betraying you to
the Spanish General, who, he hoped and believed, would give him a
liberal reward for so doing. As Pando supposes me to be one of his
agents--in which capacity, by-the-way, I have been able to render
valuable service to Cuba--"
"Indeed, yes," muttered the General.
"--I saw at once," continued del Concha, "that in order to save us both
I must forestall the deserter and do the denouncing myself. You
witnessed the result in the reception accorded the man when he appeared
with his stale news, and are aware of his fate."
"No, I am not," said Ridge.
"Did you not hear the volley by which he was shot within one minute
after being led from Pando's presence?"
"Was that it?" asked the young American, in an awe-stricken tone.
"Certainly; and served him exactly right, too. Also saved me the job
of punishing him. After that, and after you had been removed, Pando
confided to me that, as yours was a perfectly clear case, he should not
bother Blanco with it, but should promptly dispose of it by having you
shot at sunrise. He also honored me with a mission to Santiago, on
which he desired that I should set forth immediately. I of course
accepted, only with a mental resolve to take you along, and this, with
Eva's help, I was in a fair way to accomplish when the dear girl
received her terrible wound."
"Bless her!" exclaimed Ridge, fervently, now fully realizing for the
first time all that had been done for him. "I hope, with all my heart,
that her wound is not serious."
"I fear it is, though for the present she seems quite comfortable."
"And you are going to Santiago?"
"Not one step beyond this point until she is out of danger."
"But I must go," said Ridge, decidedly.
"Certainly; and I have a competent guide ready to start at any moment,
and conduct you on the next stage of your journey."
CHAPTER XV
DIONYSIO CAPTURES A SPANIARD
While Ridge was greatly disappointed at losing the guidance and
companionship of the young Cuban, in whom his confidence was now wholly
restored, he could not, under the circumstances, urge him to go
farther, nor did he dare longer delay his own journey. With Se�orita,
all his belongings, including his undelivered despatches, and the money
stolen when he was captured by del Concha, had been restored to him.
So he now added to his outfit a grass-woven hammock that he purchased
in the refugee camp, and was then ready to set forth.
The new guide awaiting him was a coal-black negro named Dionysio, who
was of such huge stature that the other Cubans seemed pygmies beside
him. He was armed only with a great machete, ground to exceeding
sharpness, and he disdained to ride a horse, declaring that he could,
on foot, cover a greater distance in less time than any horse on the
island, which Ridge was able to credit after a short experience with
his ebony guide. Besides, being a big man and a very strong one,
Dionysio was a silent man, as taciturn as an Indian, and never spoke
except upon necessity.
When Ridge was introduced to him he was sitting in the shade of a
corojo-palm, smoking a cigarette and lovingly fingering the razor-like
edge of his machete.
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