On the morning of the third day, and while they could distinctly hear the sounds of heavy firing in the vicinity of Morro Castle and the Estrella battery, Walter and Gilberto started off, each on horseback. The youth felt once more like himself, for the Cubans had continued to give him drinks of herbs which had entirely banished the lurking fever in his system. Before leaving Walter heard from the negress Josefina. She had escaped injury, and fled to the northward, there to join a great number of women and children, the wives and young people of the insurgents. The course lay along a stretch of tableland and then up the side of a small mountain. At one point on the mountain top there was a clearing, and here a distant view could be obtained of the ocean to the south of the "Pearl of the Antilles," as Cuba had often been termed. "Your ship's over dare," explained Gilberto, pointing with his long fingers. "Might see dem if we had glass like dis." And he shut up one hand and placed it over the other, in imitation of a spyglass. "Do the Spaniards guard the coast?" "To be sure, senor, very heaby guard, too, at Aguadores and Guantanamo Bay." "Then we'll have to go slow when we get near the water's edge." "We no go to water right away, senor--wait till we see de coast clear. Gilberto find you good hiding-place and bring eating, and there you stay till I say come--not so?" "I suppose that will be best. I'm sure I don't want to be taken prisoner again," concluded Walter, very positively. On they went, down the opposite side of the mountain. They were now travelling in an easterly direction, and before night many miles were covered. At last they came to a series of rocks overlooking the ocean, but situated at least a quarter of a mile back from the beach proper. "Here is a good place to hide; Gilberto know it well," said the guide, and pointed out a rude cave. "Here _Americano_ can stay many days and Spaniards not find him. You take it easy, and I bring food to you." And then Gilberto hurried off alone. Walter was glad to rest, for the travelling even on horseback had been very trying. He sat down, and in half an hour Gilberto returned with some bread, some jerked beef, and a number of other eatables, done up in a bit of coffee sacking. "Dere, dat last two, t'ree days," said the guide. "Now lay low, as _Americano_ say, and Gilberto come back one day or udder. I take horses, and say _buenas noches_." And with this good night, Gilberto disappeared down the trail, leaving Walter to himself. Strange as it may seem, the youth never saw or heard of either Gilberto or Carlos again. CHAPTER XXII THE LANDING OF THE MARINES AT GUANTANAMO While Walter was in the depths of the Cuban wilderness, trying to escape from the Spanish soldiers, history, so far as it concerned our war with Spain, was moving forward rapidly.