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Page 46
"But I don't want to go there."
"True. I had forgotten. You wish to proceed to Enramada, where I am
to join you."
"Yes, on the second day from now."
"With only slight delay we might travel together."
"I have reasons for preferring to go alone."
"You will be in danger from the Cubans."
"Ask your guerilla captain if he thinks so."
The latter said he did not believe there were any insurgents on the
Enramada road just then, since their chief, General Garcia, had
withdrawn from Bayamo, and was understood to be collecting his entire
force near El Cobre, in the Sierra Maestra, or southern coast range.
"Very well, then," said Ridge. "I desire to leave you as soon as we
come to the Enramada road, and I wish that you would inform your
guerilla friend that I propose to do so."
"I will do better; for when we reach the forks, which will be shortly,
I will order you to take the one to the left, while we keep to the
right, and he will not dare attempt to detain you."
But the guerilla, who had determined to possess himself of Ridge's
horse and rifle, did dare do that very thing. Thus, when at the
forking of the roads the order was given as proposed, and Ridge started
to obey it, the captain whipped out a pistol, and declared that the
stranger must accompany him into Jiguani for examination before the
authorities.
At this our young trooper clapped spurs to Se�orita, flung himself flat
on her back, and dashed away on his chosen road, followed by a
scattering volley of pistol-shots, and by four of the best mounted
among the guerillas, who, at their captain's command, sprang after him
in hot pursuit.
[1] Derisive term applied by Spaniards to Cuban insurgents.
CHAPTER XVIII
DEATH OF SE�ORITA
From the earliest days of Spanish rule in Cuba human life has been held
very cheap. Especially of late years, when thousands of men, women,
and children have been wantonly murdered, has the killing of a man for
any reason been lightly regarded. So in the present instance the
guerilla captain instructed those detailed to overtake the escaping
prisoner to kill him and bring back all his property. It seemed to him
an easy task for his well-mounted beef-riders, familiar with every foot
of that region, to overtake and overpower one who had already travelled
far that day, and was evidently a stranger to the country. When they
had done so he would obtain that coveted rifle. On the whole, he was
glad that one of his prisoners had made a foolish dash for liberty, and
rather wished the other would do the same thing.
But the other contented himself with denouncing the action of the
guerilla captain in bitter terms, and promising to report it the moment
they reached the Spanish lines. At all of which the latter only smiled
contemptuously.
In the mean time Ridge, lying low on his horse's neck to offer as small
a target as possible to the shots fired by his pursuers whenever they
sighted him, was uttering words of encouragement in Se�orita's ear, and
she was responding with such a burst of speed that the beef-riders were
quickly left far behind. At length nothing was to be seen or heard of
them; and, believing that they had given over the chase as hopeless,
the young trooper allowed the panting mare who had borne him so bravely
to slacken her heading pace until it was reduced to a walk.
He was still in the broad Cauto valley, where the sabanetas, or open
glades of tall grasses, were interspersed with wide tracts of
impenetrable jungle and forests of palms. By these his view was
limited on every side, but he knew that the mountains among which he
hoped to find the insurgent leader lay to the southward. So he
determined to leave the road by the first trail leading in that
direction, and continue on it until he should meet some one willing to
guide him to his destination.
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