At first the rebels were suspicious of him, but a perusal of the letters he carried convinced them that he was honest in pretensions, and then they willingly gave him such information as they desired circulated in the United States. Howard took down in short-hand all they had to say, and in less than an hour was ready to depart again. "You will remain in Santiago?" asked Captain Miguel, the leader of the party. "I will until I get a chance to steal away," said Howard. "The Spanish authorities have refused me the password." "You might obtain that, Señor Sherwood, but it would do you no good. They allow no one to pass unless he is personally known to somebody in charge. But if you wish very much to leave, I will arrange it so you can go by boat across the bay. On a dark night there will be no danger of attack from any of the gun-boats, and it will be easier to pass the lines from over there than from here." After a brief consultation Howard decided to accept Captain Miguel's offer, and promised to meet the captain on the following evening at nine o'clock. This arranged, Howard rewarded the creole with a gold piece, and was given directions to get to his hotel. The work on hand drove from the young war correspondent's mind all thoughts of Estella. All night he labored on his letter to the press association, and the precious epistle was placed in safe hands for transmission on the first outgoing steamer. The following day was a busy one for Howard. He had to procure the proper outfit in which to rough it on the road, and this was no easy matter. Finally, however, money used freely brought what was desired, and the proper time found him at the appointed place. Although he had looked about eagerly for Estella, he had seen nothing more of the girl he had so madly, and as he now thought, hopelessly loved. It was a cloudy night, just proper for the perilous undertaking at hand. The boat was manned by four sturdy negroes, and pushed off silently from under one of the deserted docks. The negroes could not talk English, but Captain Miguel had assured Howard that they knew their business perfectly, and all the young war correspondent must do was to be silent until a landing was made. In and out among the boats at anchor wound the row-boat, the quartet of negroes rowing swiftly and silently. In vain Howard tried to pierce the darkness ahead, and he wondered that the men did not lose their reckoning. Howard well knew the tremendous risk he was running. Only three days before a party of six men had been killed on this same bay for attempting to cross without permission. Discovery would most likely bring to him a similar fate. But he was not afraid. To tell the truth, the bitter parting with Estella had made him reckless. "It won't matter much if I am killed," he thought, dismally. "To think of her married to some dark-skinned, homely spaniard----" Swish! Bang!