is estate
would afford Antonio Maceo and his four thousand guerrillas up there in
the mountains a splendid opportunity to come down and take the Spaniards
in the rear; he therefore retired to his own room, wrote a long letter
to Maceo, in which he fully set forth all the particulars of the
situation, and dispatched it by the hands of a trusty negro by way of
the ravine and gorge where Alvaros was supposed to have died, the negro
asserting his ability to cross the gorge at the waterfall by means of a
pine tree which he would cut down in such a manner as to cause it to
fall across the gap, and which he would afterwards throw into the abyss,
returning to the estate, after the execution of his mission, with Maceo
and his men.

The reveille was just sounding in the Spanish camp when Jack, having
placed his forces in position in open order behind a screen of bamboo
and scrub which completely commanded the approach to the mined bridge,
and also effectually masked the position of his twelve-pounder,
proceeded down the road alone for the purpose of destroying the bridge.
Ten minutes later a deep boom, accompanied by a volcanic upheaval of
dust and debris, announced the successful accomplishment of the task, at
the same time that it startled the Spanish soldiery and aroused the
curiosity and suspicion of the Spanish general, who at once dispatched a
small reconnoitring party to investigate the nature of the explosion.
Jack, who had waited to examine the result of his engineering
experiment, and had seen with much satisfaction that, while the crown of
the arch was completely destroyed, rendering the bridge absolutely
impassable, it would be a simple matter to repair the damage later on,
observed the approach of the party, and at once determined to await it,
deeming it an excellent opportunity to establish a clear understanding
with the Spaniards and bring matters at once to an issue. Accordingly,
he stood there, on his own side of the wrecked bridge, in clear view of
the approaching reconnoitring party, and patiently awaited its arrival.

Presently the officer in charge of the party, catching sight of him,
galloped forward alone and, reining up on the opposite side of the gap
in the bridge, indignantly demanded:

"Hola, Senor! What is the meaning of this, and who is responsible for
the deed?"

"I am responsible for it," answered Jack; "and it means that Senor
Montijo is not disposed to tamely submit to the destruction of his