Such was the cry of the Spanish captain, as unable to stop the sudden flight of Estella, the four soldiers crowded about Howard and sought to arrest him. But, as before mentioned, Howard was both strong and agile, and in rapid order he threw one soldier and then another from him. This left a clear space on his right, and he leaped through it and sped down an alley, taking an opposite direction to that pursued by the beautiful girl. Half a dozen shots rang out in quick succession, and these served to arouse the residents of that section of the city. Many of the citizens poured forth into the plaza, thinking there was an uprising of the rebels, and it was long after midnight ere quietness was restored. Running swiftly, and yet not knowing where, Howard, at the end of five minutes, came suddenly against the side of a small stable, the alley ending in a cul-de-sac. He was almost breathless, and sank down in some brushwood stacked up there, utterly exhausted. He listened with strained ears, but although he heard the sounds of the tumult in the quarter he had left, no one was coming toward him. "I fancy I'm safe for the time being," he thought. "I wish I knew that fair Estella had reached a place of safety. Darling girl! how much she risked just to be of service to me! I wonder if she understands how much I love her? For I do love her--love her as I never before loved any one!" The truth had been forcing itself upon him gradually and now he confessed it boldly, as one does something that pleases him. He was madly in love with Estella Corona. It had been a case of love at sight, although he hardly knew it. He could not get her dark fascinating face from his mind, and it may truly be said that, notwithstanding their brief acquaintance, he really idolized her. For fully five minutes he sat where he had fallen, getting back his breath, and speculating upon the way affairs had turned. What was best to be done? Estella still had the precious documents, and this he did not regret, for it meant that they must meet again. But without his letters he felt he could do but little toward serving the press association which had sent him to Cuba. In order to understand this, the reader must remember that all the regular news sent from Cuba to the world at large, for publication, was closely scrutinized by the Spanish Government, and was "doctored" to suit the tastes of royalty. If the Spanish army won a battle, it was heralded as of great importance; while, if the rebels won, hardly any mention was made of it. Not only this, but the rebels were said to be committing outrages of which they were never guilty, the object being to make fair-minded Americans withhold their sympathy from the Cubans in their righteous struggle for independence.