As the young war correspondent gazed upon the scene he allowed the field-glasses to roam along the grated windows in the upper portion of the fortress. As he looked keenly at one of the windows he started. Beyond the grating he saw the pale, agonized face of Estella! That she had suffered greatly was self-evident. He tried to obtain a better view of her, but at that moment she disappeared. A second later the well-known form of Lieutenant Mazenas took her place! The thought that the scoundrelly Spaniard was keeping his sweetheart a prisoner in that upper chamber of the fortress maddened Howard beyond all endurance. He dropped his field-glasses and sprang back to his men. "Forward!" he shouted. "And remember, give no quarter to Lieutenant Mazenas! He must not escape, nor must Estella Corona be harmed. Forward! for Cuba and for justice!" "Cuba libre! Cuba libre!" was the cry of the men and then they swept down the cliff in a solid body and charged upon the gates below! CHAPTER XXXV. THE HAPPY WEDDING DAY. We will now return to that fateful night when Estella at the very moment she had thought to become Howard's bride had been torn from her lover's side by her father and passed over to the care of the wicked Mazenas. To her the terrible interruption came so quickly that she scarcely realized what was occurring. She remembered trying to shield Howard from her father's wrath, the rapid reports of firearms and confusion in the darkness afterward, but that was all. When she came to her senses she was in a negro's hut, and Mazenas was giving directions to an orderly concerning a wagon that was to take her away. It was then that Mazenas threatened to strike her if she did not remain quiet, and she drew her dagger to defend herself. The orderly helped the lieutenant to disarm her, and it was not long before they were on the road in the wagon. A large flat boat conveyed the vehicle over the river, and long ere day broke Estella found herself a prisoner in the then utterly deserted stone structure. "Your father told me to take good care of you and I will," smiled Lieutenant Mazenas, meaningly. "So you were about to marry that American! I'll put a stop to that for good and without delay." "Perhaps not," she faintly returned. "But I will. Do you know that I have your father's written permission to compel you to marry me?" he went on. She started, then quickly recovered. "No man can compel me to marry him." "We shall see. If you will not consent I will force you to marry me." "Never!" "Bah! Estella, you do not know me. We are alone here, and you are in my absolute power. For your reputation's sake, you should consent to become my bride." She turned as white as a ghost at his words, so full of bitter meaning. She had been standing in the centre of the apartment, but now she fairly staggered to a seat. "You--you monster!" she murmured.