night
in a wood through which the road ran. They arrived back at the estate
shortly after nine o'clock the next morning, and Jack then learned, to
his profound sorrow, that the unfortunate Senora Montijo had passed away
during the night, another victim of Spanish tyranny and oppression.
They buried the poor lady on the evening of that day, in a particularly
lovely and peaceful spot, some distance up the valley, which had been a
favourite resort of her daughter. The ceremony was singularly moving
and impressive, every negro on the place following the body to the
grave, and Don Hermoso himself, in the absence of a priest, reading the
funeral service over his departed wife. But although the loss of the
lady was deeply felt by all, there can be little doubt that, all things
considered, her death was a fortunate circumstance, not only for
herself, but also for all those who most dearly loved her; for it was
only too clear that her reason had been permanently lost. Twenty-four
hours later what had been the finest and best-kept tobacco-growing
estate on the island was abandoned to the Spanish doctor and his
patients--with a staff of volunteer assistants from the unwounded
Spanish prisoners to look after them. The Montijos, father and son,
with Jack, and as many of the negro defenders as still survived, had
taken to the mountains, carrying off with them the field gun, Maxims,
rifles, ammunition, and stores of all descriptions, either originally
belonging to them, or taken from the enemy; and a very formidable force
they soon proved themselves to be.

About a month later news came to the band that Antonio Maceo, having
evaded the Spanish army in the province of Pinar del Rio, and got on the
other side of Weyler's _trocha_, had been killed in a skirmish not far
from Havana, which city he had proposed to threaten, with the object of
causing the withdrawal of the Spanish troops from the western end of the
island. This news, which proved to be true, was a very heavy blow to
the revolutionaries, who regarded Antonio as far and away their most
capable and energetic leader; and soon afterward they sustained a
further very serious loss, in the person of Rius Rivera, who had arrived
in Pinar del Rio to take the place of Maceo, but who, in the month of
March, 1897, was wounded in a skirmish near San Cristobal, being
afterwards captured and deported. Nor was this all; for about the same
time Layas, another very prominent and effect