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Esteban explained, briefly, "He dared to raise his hand in anger against one ofas he turned upon hisif I told you that I a Your soul is black with this criirl?"

"The devil! To hear you talk one would think you were a free man" The planter's eyes were bleared and he brandished his riding-whip threateningly "I do as I please with irl? Well, she's in the house of Salvador, Don Pablo's cochero, where she belongs I've warned him that he will have to tame her unruly spirit, as I have tarating, but at these words he suddenly roused It was as if a current of electricity had galvanized hiroaned under his weight His eyes began to roll, his lips drew back over his blue gu his expression of ferocity, Esteban cut at his naked back with the riding-whip, crying: "Ho! Not subdued yet, eh? You need another flogging"

"Curse you and all that is yours," roared the maddened slave "May you know the misery you have put upon me May you rot for anow, for Esteban had lost what little self-control the liquor had left to hirow filthy with disease; h his voice was hoarse with pain The lash drew blood with every blow Meanwhile, he wrenched and tugged at his bonds with the fury of a maniac

"Pablo! Your machete, quick!" panted the slave-owner "God's blood! I'll make an end of this black fiend, once for all"

Esteban Varona's guests had looked on at the scene with the sa of a balky horse: and, now that the anierous, it was in their view quite the proper thing to put it out of the way Don Pablo Peza stepped toward his mare to draw the machete from its scabbard But he did not hand it to his friend He heard a shout, and turned in ti

Sebastian had braced his naked feet against the wall; he had bowed his back and bent his massive shoulders--a back and a pair of shoulders that looked as bony andwith every ounce of strength in his enor coe in the solid round The rods bent and twisted; there was a clank and rattle and clash of s; and then--Sebastian turned upon his tormentor, a free man, save only for the wide iron bracelets and their connecting chain He was quite insane His face was frightful to behold; it was apelike in its anie, and he towered above his le of his forefathers