-American War.

One day, as the little party at the casa Montijo were about to sit down
to second breakfast, Antonio Maceo suddenly made his appearance.

"Good-day, Senores!" he exclaimed, as he mounted the steps leading to
the front veranda. "Good-day, Senora! And how are you to-day?"

"Quite well, thank you, Senor," answered the Senora. "And you? But I
need scarcely ask; the mountain air evidently agrees with you. This is
a quite unexpected pleasure, Senor Antonio."

"You mean my visit to you, Senora? It is very good of you to say so.
Not knowing what facilities you may have for obtaining news, I thought I
would come down to let you know that I believe we have at length driven
the Spaniards completely out of the neighbourhood. Your friend General
Echague attacked us in force about a month ago, with the avowed
determination, as I have since learned, of dislodging us from our
stronghold; and we had the most splendid fight that I have ever
participated in. We allowed him to gradually drive us back some six
miles into the mountains, until we had drawn him into a very carefully
prepared ambuscade, and there we punished him so severely that I believe
he will not again dare to trouble us, especially as I learn that the
general himself was severely wounded. But," he continued, taking Don
Hermoso by the arm and leading him to the end of the veranda, out of
earshot of the Senora, "that is not what I came down to tell you. I
learned, only yesterday, that that fiend Weyler, maddened by his
inability to check the progress of the rebellion, and the failure of his
arms generally, has personally taken the field at the head of an army of
sixty thousand men, and is marching through Havana, on his way to Pinar
del Rio, carrying fire and sword through the province, and leaving
behind him nothing but black and blood-stained ruin. Before he left
Havana he proclaimed that a free pardon would be granted to all
insurgents who should choose to surrender themselves to the Spanish
authorities, and a certain number of those among us who have become
incapacitated through sickness have, with the consent of the leaders,
accepted his offer: but their surrender, so far from weakening us, has
strengthened our hands, for we no longer have them to nurse and look
after. But he has also issued another order, to the effect that the
Spanish troops, while marching through the country, will henceforth
destroy all buildings, crops, cattle, and ot