him. He promises the planters a speedy ending to the
war, and says he is absolutely sure of the final triumph of the Cuban
arms.

In the mean while, he has slipped past General Weyler, who is marching
over the country, declaring it pacified.

The truth of the matter is, that in the so-called pacified country, which
lies between Weyler and Havana, the entire insurgent army is assembled and
at work.

In this very district that General Weyler declares to be so quiet, the
rebels are using dynamite with deadly success. They are placing bombs on
the railroad tracks, and trains are being blown up almost daily, killing
many Spanish soldiers.

News of encounters between the enemies is constantly being brought in.
Every day some small fight occurs that does little for the cause, but
shows that the Cubans are still unconquered.

General Gomez had a long talk with the representative of one of our most
reliable newspapers, and told him that he has over forty thousand soldiers
fighting for freedom, but that unfortunately he has not enough guns or
ammunition for more than half the number. He says that nearly every
soldier carries a machete, which is a weapon in use among Spanish
Americans. It is half knife, half cleaver, and is carried by the peasants
for general use upon the plantations. It makes a formidable weapon, but
is, of course, not so valuable as a rifle would be.

General Gomez said that if his men were only well armed, he would give
battle to Weyler, and would without doubt beat him. He declared that he
could raise seventy-five thousand men in a month, if he only had the
means of arming them.

He spoke in a most determined way about the proposed reforms, and repeated
that he would take nothing from Spain but freedom. He went on to say that
the hatred of Spain was now so strong in Cuban hearts, that were the
revolution to fail, he was sure that a large majority of Cubans would
leave their homes, and go and live in a foreign country, rather than
continue under the hated rule of Spain.

He was asked what he thought about the way the United States was treating
Cuba.

This was rather a difficult question for him to answer, because he was
talking to an American; but General Gomez is a brave man, and a sincere
man, and he was not afraid to give his real opinion.

He said, that while he did not think that the United States was allied
with Spain to bring about the defeat of the Cubans, he thought the refusal
to recogni