of being shot down without a chance to defend ourselves? The danger
is yours as well as mine. What do you say?"

But before the men could make reply a rousing cheer from the Spanish
soldiers rang out upon the air.

The little band of Americans expected to see the forms of their enemies
appear among the trees at every second in an impetuous charge upon them.
They had no doubt that the cheers were the signal for the attack.

But to their amazement the sounds of approaching steps died out. Clif's
practiced ear told him that the enemy had halted; but at the same time
he recognized marks of enthusiasm among the Spanish forces.

What could it mean?

"Do they think they can scare us off by yelling at us?" exclaimed Clif,
contemptuously. "They don't know us, if they think so--that's all!"

The group of Americans listened intently. There was no doubt of it, the
Spaniards had halted after their vociferous cheers.

Clif decided to find out what it meant. If the Spaniards were preparing
a surprise for him, he intended finding it out.

Cautiously he climbed upon the little rampart of earth and looked away
beyond the trees where he had first seen the approach of the enemy. In
the moonlight he could plainly distinguish the forms of the soldiers.
There were not as many as he had at first supposed--they numbered not
more than fifty.

In the midst of them he recognized a figure that explained the cause of
their mysterious conduct, and at the same time aroused his fighting
instinct.

He quickly rejoined his companions, his eyes ablaze with the fire of
combat.

"They have captured the courier," he explained to his waiting
companions. "That was why they cheered so lustily. A lot of jubilation
over the capture of one man!"

"They don't have such good luck very often," exclaimed one of the men.

"They fired enough shots to repulse a whole regiment of insurgents,"
exclaimed Clif, "but it was all for the benefit of this one mambesi. I
don't believe they saw me at all, but that bullet through my cap was one
of their stray shots."

"But they must know we are here," exclaimed the men.

"I doubt it," replied Clif, "else why do they halt so near and not
charge on us? Shall we force the fight and go to the rescue of our Cuban
friend?"

"How many are there of them?" asked one of the men.

"Only about fifty."

"And there are eleven of us here! We can set them on the run! Let's do
it."

"We have done almost as much on other occa