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Rosa flung her arms rapturously about her brother's neck and kissed hilorious?" she cried "Wouldn't it be wonderful, to be rich, and to want for nothing; to have fine clothes and good things to eat once ry"

"Poor little girl!"

"Wait till O'Reilly hears about this" Rosa was all exciteot me, if he does come"

Esteban caressed her "He'll come, never fear You remember he warnedyou to this For myself, of course I don't mind, but for you this life must be terrible I know it Every time I leave you my heart is in my throat for fear of what may happen in my absence--and yet I can't always be at your side"

"There! You acknowledge that I handicap you Except for lorious na of the sort More probably I'd be getting myself killed No! It's better this way Wefor us at the bottoreat piece of luck which had enabled Esteban Varona to buy a half-dozen Mausers froh Asensio's acquaintance he had profited by the dishonesty of an eneh it had taken all his money to effect the purchase, Esteban considered the sacrifice orth while The fire of patriotism burned fiercely in him, as did his hatred of Pancho Cueto, and the four trusty young negroes to whoiven rifles h to be reckoned with These blacks were excitable fellows, and wretched marksmen, but, on the other hand, each and every one had been raised with a machete at his hip and kne to use it After a few preliminary forays under Esteban's leadership they had absorbed a bit of discipline and were beginning to feel a military ardor

In the Cuban field forces there were ht better, or endured the hardships of guerrilla warfare more cheerfully, than they Gen Antonio Maceo was of mixed blood, and yet his leadership was characterized not only by rare judgment and ability, but also by an exalted abandon of personal bravery His several brothers rendered Cuba services scarcely less distinguished, and they were but of a few of le for independence was no patrician's war; the best stock of the island fought side by side with field-hands