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SHORT STORIES.
THE TALE OF THE AMERI-
CAN VOLUNTEER.
A CUBAN STORY.
(By Neil Wynn Williams, Author of
"The Bayonet that Came Home,"
"The Green Field," etc.)
("Strand Magazine.")
(Concluded.)
Where we might be, and whether we
were moving, I could not tell. The
monotony of the black cloud beneath
offered no point that would enable me
to register any horizontal movement
of the balloon. This perception made
me suddenly anxious. Cuba is an
island. Havana is close to the sea.
With no very clear idea in my mind
what I should do with it, I began to
search for a compass. If there were
one on board I could not find it, My
eye, however, was attracted by a coil
of rope- and its grapnel, which were
attached to the outside of the car.
"Corporal," I said, abruptly addres
sing him, "you are acquainted with
the districts around Havana?'
"For miles," he replied, confidently.
"Then it will be best to descend be
low the cloud," I suggested, "and to
anchor till daylight breaks."
"As you will," said the corporal.
My determination was a resolute
one. If, when day broke, the corpo
ral should recognise that we had an
chored amongst the insurgents, our
work would be finished. But it
amongst the S-paniarsa Well, I would
again cut the cord, and endeavour to
escape by throwing overboard the
weight of the instruments and other
oddments with which the car of the
balloon was filled. Nothing, save the
loss of my life, should induce me to
sifrrender the balloon. I was a des
perate man, and still hungry for dis
tinction; you understand why.
I opened the gas-valve, and we be
gan to descend. Presently the stars
began to pale. We were sinking into
the gloom of the cloud below. The
little light that came to us grew less
and less, as shadows coiled and moun
ted vaporously above our heads. Soon
we could no longer see each otlher's
faces. The sensation of this gradual
subsidence into a formless night was
terrific. I felt the corporal press close
to me for comfort. His heavy breath
ing affected me with a sense of suffo
cation as I held the cord of the valve.
I pushed him away.
"I cannot see," he said, whimper
ingly.
His words threw me into a sudden
alarm. I let go the cord, the valve
closing above our heads with a snap.
"Stay! I was forgetting!" I said,
loudly. "It will be dangerous, im
possible, to descend before daybreak.
We shall not be able to see the earth.
In this darkness we may strike a tree
or a rock-the ground itself may
wreck us!"
"But the anchor you mentioned,"
groaned the corporal.
- "Pah!" I exclaimed, impatiently.
"We shall-not be able to see. 'How
can we throw out the anchor if we
cannot see where to throw it? We
must go no lower till daybreak gives
us an idea of our distance from the
ground. Heavens!" I muttered to my
self, "if I had not remembered in
time!"
It proved a dreary wait of hours be
fore the east showed itself in a faint
efflorescence of lilac light. The slow
expansion of this first luminosity
changed colour with its growth. A
creeping tide of yellow raised its bar
along a far horizon, and, determining
boldly, gave. cold light broadly towards
us.' Soon we were seeing deeply and
more deeply downwards. At length
the, opening shadows beneath parted
from before a heart of solidi form.
Judging that our time had come, I
opened the gas-valve.
Our descent was rapid. The form be-,
low us grew upwards. Soon I made
vaguely out the springy bosom of a
forest. I approached closer, then, re
leasing the gas-valve, I allowed the
balloon to drift horizontally, seeking
for an open space where we might an
chor. A long gulf of shadow caught
*my eye amidst the moving flood of
bosky growth. It came towards us.
The trees ended and stood stiffly at its
*edge. I let go the grapnel into this
gulf of shadow. There was a catch
ing, a catching, and thea-a sudden
jerk. At that moment the dim ex
panse of the forest stood still. And
turning to the corporal, ~I said,
joyously:
"It is all right. It has caught. We
are anchored."
A low seat ran around the inside of
the car. The corporal and I were
weary. We sat down to wait patiently
for a clearer light. Anon the corporal
volunteered a statement.
"I believe it is -the forest of Cuenea,"
he said, alluding to the trees below.
"Cuenea?" I repeated. enquiiringly.
"'Yes," he replied. "The size makes
me think so. And the swelling hill.
'with the greater trees upon it, will be
St. Sebastian. There is a town upon
the other side with a strong Spanish
garrison."
I looked over the edge of the car in
the direction that he had indicated.
The landscape was still vague.
"You think so?" I said, drowsily.
"I think so," repeated the corporal.
"Biut the light is strengthening. I
shall soon know. If it should be St.
Sebastian, we are yet some way from
friends."
"'H, well!" I yawned. "I feel dead
tired and - 'h, and hungry too."
Casting my eye round the interior of
the balloon, I observed a basket.
"Just look inside that, will you,
corporal?" I begged, pointing. "It
looks as if it might hold something
eatable."
The wicker lid creaked as he raised
it.
"The blessed heavens! There is,"
he said gaily, handing me a roast fowl
and some brown bread. ; He added,
pulling out a wooden bottle, "And
wine, too!''
A reaction was upon me.
"You are not hungry. You will not
want, any," I said, banteringly.
The corporal showed his teeth in a
wolfish grimace. They were very
white. We laughed.
My mouth was full. I. spoke indis
tinctly.
"Pardon. I did not hear," said the
corporal, holding a horn in his left
hand, whilst with the other he began
to unscrew the stopper of the wooden
bottle.
"It must be a road below," .I re
peated, referring to the gulf of shadow
in which we had anchored.
"Who knows!" said the corporal, in
differently, giving his whole attention
to the wine that was pouring forth in
delicious amber stream.
The corporal and I had each had. a
hornful. "Drink, Mr. Officer!". said
he, handing me a second.
I looked at him over the bubbles
upon the brim. "To your health," I.
said
But the wine nlever reached my lips.
A sudden roar of sound came to our
ears from below. There was a violent
shock. And swathed about with a
dense white cloud, we were hurled.to
cur knees at the bottom of the car. The
distress of our position grew instan
taneously worse; the car began to tip
over sideways-the great pear: of the
balloon to lie over horizontally. I
felt that we were being dragged along
by some tremendous force. 'As: I
shouted to the corporal to hold on for
his life, the white cloua left us sud
denly as it had come. And the car
moved through the air in a flight
gradually steadying of its first terrific
surges. Then I guessed what had
happened.
Our anchor had caught under the
sleeper of a railway cutting. A train
had stolen upon us through a tunnel.
The anchor, or some portion of its
rope, had jammed into the engine's
cow-catcher.
I climbed pantingly to a position
whence I could see we were over the
engine of a passenger train. The driver
hailed me in Spanish, his eyes looking
fearfully upwards.
Questions and answers passed rapidly
between us.
Suddenly I drew my revolver.
"Full steam ahead!" I ordered, with
a yell. He tried to cover himself be
hind some coals.
I sent ' a bullet 'through his cap.
Another split a block of coal into fly
ing grits.
He raised his hands, 'appealingly.
"Full steam ahead, then!" I ordered,
"or I'll fire again.
He pulled a lever obediently.
The engine-driver had informed me
that the train was carrying troops. As
yet, the latter seemed unaware of our
presence above.
"If we could only reach 'the camp at
Vittoria we should be saved," said the
corporal.
"We will," I said, resolutely, noting
the 'increasing pace of the engine with.
an excitement whose like I shall never
feel again... . "No, I will not cut
the rope. And we'll carry the troops
L with us or die 'like men."
Arrows of brilliant sunlight were
glancing' off the green bosoms of the
forest as the engine approached a
curve in the line. A confused uproar
from the troops imprisoned in the sway
ing carriages below gave us warning
that they were becoming alarmed with
the furious pace at which they were
travelling. I could fancy that their
ilheads were through tile windows, en
Sdeavouring to see what was the matter)
S"Another ten minutes at thlis pace,
Sand we shall he through tihe Spanish
Sposition and amongst our nmen," said
tile corporal.
SI did not reply. I feared the effect
of the curve, towards which the train
Swas rushing thunderously.
' And if happened according to my an
Sticipation. As tile engine took tile
I cucive, our balloon swayed away from
its directly overhead position above tile
'carriages, so that the soldiers saw' us.
"H-ide your rifle! They will see it,"
I said, hurriedly, to the corporal.
SBut he was too late. The soldiers
,hand taken in their position. A door
S'flew .swinyinnlv o"'n. end I CCIw tile
head and shoulders of a man preparing
to fire at our swaying mark.
There was just time to send a bullet
at him. .
Then the engine had passed around
the curve; and we again swung out of
sight above their heads.
The corporal gave a cheer.
The line was now straight. We were
dragged furiously on for, perhaps, five
hundred yards.
"Quick," I said to the corporal.
"There! climbing upon the roof of the
second carriage."
And, as he brought his rifle to the
shoulder, I emptied my revolver at
others who were endeavouring witn
wild yells to escalade the roofs, so that
they miaht fire at us.
The attempt was over quickly. 1
looked back. Some brightly-dressed
bodies struggled by the track of the
line far behind us. .One lay stiffly
still.
Suddenly the corporal shouted
"There is Vittoria. See! the church."
"Where?" I said, bringing my eyes
away from the bodies. "You mean-
there?" I inquired, stretching my arm
pointingly over the edge of the car.
He had no time, to reply.
There was an explosion. A volley
of bullets was fired through the wooden
roofs of the carriages. One passed
hotly through my forearm.
The corporal grew busy bandaging
me.
There was another explosion. Another
volley buzzed fiercely upwards. This
time the silk envelope of the balloon
was pierced. There was an escape of
gas.
I shook off the corporal.
"More steam!"' I yelled to the en
gine-driver.
"I dare not," he answered.
"More steam!" I repeated passion
ately; and the corporal pointed his
rifle downwards.
The man obeyed.
We felt that another volley was due.
The eyes of the corporal and myself
sought the splintered roofs anxiously.
Blue smoke was wreathing upwards
from two of them. I leant far out of
the car to make sure.
"By heavens!" I exclaimed, "the
rifles have set them afire."
We were dragged onwards. Still no
bullets came. It was evident that the
soldiers were endeavouring to extin
gijish the flames in the roofs above
their heads.
But the balloon was gradually, sink
ing. Should we reach the lines' of
white tents ahead, or should we fall
among the furiously rattling wheels,
beneath, like a great wounded bird?
Lower, lower we sane with violent
oscillations. A greet mist came be
fore my eyes, my breast pressed
heavily and more heavily against the
side of the car.
I remember hearing the corporal
shout to'the engine-driver.
Then I fell, headlong and down,
down into a yielding blackness.
When I came to myself I was In the
hospital in the insurgent camp.
"I am thirsty," I said..
They gave me to drink.
I turned over on my side with a
smile. For I understood that later,
when I should climb the ship's 'side,
there would be the handsof my brother
officers outstretched to welcome me.'
And it was so!
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