her property which may be
capable of sheltering or assisting the insurgents in any way whatsoever;
and, furthermore, that all persons met with who have disobeyed the
`concentration' order will be treated as rebels--which means that they
will be tried by drum-head court martial and shot. I don't know whether
or not you have yet heard this news, Senor Hermoso, but you have aided
us thus far in so magnificently generous a manner that I deemed it my
duty to come down and make certain, and also to warn you of what you may
expect if Weyler should happen to find you here. As for me, I have come
to the conclusion that I can do no good by remaining pent up among the
mountains, while it is equally certain that with four thousand men I
cannot hope successfully to encounter Weyler and his sixty thousand. I
have therefore determined to endeavour to slip through the _trocha_ and
demonstrate against Havana, in the hope that Weyler will thus be induced
to abandon his march and return to protect the city. So far as you are
concerned, my advice to you is that you leave this place at once, and
either accompany me or fly to some place of safety, whichever you
please. But in either case you cannot do better, I think, than turn all
your negroes over to me, with such arms as you can spare."

"Come in and take some breakfast with us," said Don Hermoso. "This is
serious news indeed, and what it is best to do, under the circumstances,
is a matter that is not to be decided in a moment; it needs careful
consideration, and therefore I will talk it over after breakfast with
you--if you can spare me an hour or two--my son, and the young
Englishman, who, although only a lad, seems to have a man's head on his
shoulders. My present inclination is to remain where I am, and let
Weyler do his worst. I believe that, with the dispositions which we
have made since Echague's attack upon us, we can hold the estate against
all comers."

And when, after an hour's earnest conference a little later on in the
day, and a tour of the estate in the company of Don Hermoso, Carlos, and
Jack, Antonio Maceo took his leave, in order to return to his men among
the mountains, he expressed the opinion that, given an ample supply of
ammunition, and a sufficient store of provisions, it was just possible
that Don Hermoso might be able to hold even Weyler and his sixty
thousand men at bay. Whereupon it was decided that the attempt should
be made.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.