recital with intense interest.

"Lopez and Crittenden and every man jack of the expedition," replied the
captain, solemnly.

"Who was the next to try it?" asked Harry, whose eyes shone with
excitement.

"Up to this time the grievances that inspired the Cuban colonists to
revolt were mostly of a political character, based upon that bone of
contention that inspired your own revolution against the
British--taxation without representation. The little island to-day pays
to Spain every year over $20,000,000 in revenue. In 1868, a lawyer
named Cespedes declared independence of Spanish rule on a little
plantation at Yara. He had back of him only one hundred and twenty-eight
men, but in a few weeks after his declaration ten thousand men gathered
under his leadership. A republican form of government was established,
with Cespedes at its head. General Quesada commanded the poorly equipped
but determined and patriotic army. Until 1878 the insurgents held the
field with about fifty thousand men. They constantly met and vanquished
the Spanish forces under the Count of Valmaseda, but the resources of
the Spaniards were greater, and finally the Cubans were disintegrated,
but still maintained a guerilla warfare, constantly harassing and
defeating the Spanish forces sent against them. But neither side made
any progress toward the end and at the end of the year both were ready
for a compromise, which resulted in the treaty of El Zanjon. At this
time the Spaniards were commanded by General Campos, and the insurgents
by Gen. Maximo Gomez--that grand old warrior who still holds the field
for Cuba against the forces of Spain--I kiss his hand."

Captain Dynamite, as he mentioned the name of Gomez, rose to his feet,
bowed solemnly and reverentially, and lifted to his lips an imaginary
hand.

"Fighting, still fighting for Cuba," he whispered as he resumed his
seat. After a moment's pause he shook himself as if awakening from a
dream and continued his narrative.

"That treaty promised Cuba representation in the Spanish Cortes, or
congress, but while it was kept in the letter it was broken in spirit.
The government obtained control of the polls and the deputies, or
representatives elected were always government tools or sympathizers. So
poor Cuba, after her long struggle, was no better off than before, and
in 1894 Jose Marti, at the head of a new insurrection, set sail from New
York with three ships, men, and munitions of war. But the Unit