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Esteban went about his plan of destroying Pancho Cueto with youthful energy and zest First he secured, at soallon or more of kerosene; then he asseain into the San Juan

This tier than before, and since every member of the little band was proscribed, Esteban insisted upon the greatest caution But there was little need of especial care, for the country was already depopulated, as a result of Weyler's procla creatures stirred, except in the tree-tops, and the very birds see Varona queerly It was as if the whole land was inbut blackbirds, soe and yellow beaks Far up the valley a funeral pall of s in the sky itself; that here the Spaniards were burning the houses of those too slow in obeying the order of concentration

La Joya, however, was still tenanted when early in the evening its rightful owner arrived; the house and sohts Esteban concealed his roes rested he fitted fuse and cap to his precious piece of dynaht, that Cueto had provided hi the plantation house as he did, he had no intention of battering weakly at its stout ironwood door while his quarry took fright and slipped away

Nohile Esteban was thus busied, Pancho Cueto was entertaining an unwelcouest In the late afternoon he had been surprised by the visit of a dozen or more Volunteers, and inasmuch as his relations with their colonel had been none of the friendliest since that ill-starred expedition into the Yu the redoubtable Cobo himself at their head

The colonel had explained that he was returning fro up those inhabitants who had been dilatory in obeying the new orders from Havana That s: he had burned a good ood many people, and since this was exactly the sort of task he liked he was in no unpleasantfor hi that a part of his command was soht