"Ay, sweet mistress. Do you not know of that? I fancied it was that which brought you to the place. You know I followed Captain Nocolo and Lieutenant Mazenas after they left the plantation. They went to the house of an American lawyer named Barker, and there the three planned to poison Señor Sherwood." "Merciful heaven!" burst from Estella's almost bloodless lips. "And what further?--tell me quickly, Tomasso. They did not carry their dastardly plan into execution?" "The lieutenant meant to do so at once, but I thwarted his evil designs. The poison was a whitish powder in a vial, and the lieutenant had it in his pocket when he left Lawyer Barker's home. I followed him to his headquarters near the depot, and when he changed his coat, to direct some dirty work on the embankments, I slipped in, poured the poison out of the vial, and substituted some baking powder which stood handy." "Thanks, a thousand times for that, Tomasso," murmured Estella. She was so wrought up she could scarcely speak. "And what was done with the powder?" "Lieutenant Mazenas was to hire one of the jailers to give it to Señor Sherwood. Soon after I changed the contents of the vial he put on his good coat again, and rode down to this prison and went inside. I have no doubt that the scheme has all been arranged, and already the dose has been given to Señor Sherwood, or he will receive it ere morning." The tears started to Estella's eyes. What a narrow escape Howard had sustained without even knowing it. She grasped Tomasso's hand fervidly. "I shall never forget you for this, Tomasso," she said. "Your work this night has gained my eternal friendship. Oh, that we were inside the prison, to watch over Howard until deliverance comes." "You'll be inside of the prison quick enough," sang out a rough voice behind them, and in an instant four guardsmen sprang out of the darkness and pounced upon Tomasso and Estella. They struggled to escape, but it was useless, and five minutes later they were both prisoners within the Marambo stronghold. Estella kept up her courage as long as possible, and then utter despair overmastered her, and she sobbed like a child. Instead of assisting her lover, she had only compromised herself. CHAPTER XXIII. CONDEMNED TO DIE!--TOMASSO'S WORDS--A GALLANT RESOLVE. The drink of water which the Jailer Luigi had intended should bring death to Howard Sherwood, was unsuspectingly swallowed by the young war correspondent. It was bitter, but that was all, and as much of the Cuban water has a salty flavor, he considered this nothing unusual. After giving him the water, the jailer hurried away, confident that Howard would soon be a dead man. Left to himself, the young man threw himself on his bench, and gave himself up to his reflections. "I'll be tried in the morning, that's certain," he thought. "Now, the question is, what defense can I make?"