"Alas, that is true! But let us hope for the best!" With her heart beating violently, Estella rode on beside Howard. Soon, on account of the boggy nature of the ground, they were forced to abandon their horses and proceed on foot. "I hear no sounds that would indicate any thing unusual about the house" said Estella, her ears on the alert. "The rebels must have passed the place by, otherwise, as father has directed they be paid nothing, they would have destroyed everything." "A few minutes more will tell all," replied her lover. "If we----Hark!" He caught his sweetheart by the arm, thus bringing her to a halt in the very centre of the sugar-cane field they were traversing. She listened, but the sounds that had alarmed him had ceased. "What was it?" she asked, with a blanching face. "I heard voices--they sounded like half a dozen men speaking in a low tone," he whispered. "Listen, don't you hear them now?" He was silent, and presently she nodded her head. The voices came from two directions, to the right and to the left of them. "They may be some of your workmen on guard," he went on. "They may have heard us and are coming to investigate. If they----" A loud and ringing shout from the direction of the barns made him pause. Estella grew so faint he had to catch her to keep her from falling. "Cuba libre! Cuba libre! Burn! burn! burn!" "The rebels!" gasped the beautiful girl. "They have attacked the place at last. Oh, what shall we do?" "We must get out of this sugar-cane field!" responded Howard, quickly. "It is not safe here. Come!" He turned to lead her back, then gave a start of horror, for he saw a thick volume of smoke rolling skyward, telling them that the insurgents had already applied the torch. "We cannot escape in that direction!" he cried. "We must go some other way." "We are hemmed in!" burst from Estella's lips. "See! the field is afire on all sides! Oh, Howard, we are doomed!" He looked about them. Estella was right; from every point the thick smoke arose, followed by long tongues of flame. Already they could hear the distant crackling of the inflammable cane, coming closer and closer. A few minutes more would surely settle their fate! CHAPTER XXVIII. "BACK! THAT I MAY STRIKE HIM DEAD WHERE HE STANDS!" It was certainly a thrilling situation in which beautiful Estella and her brave lover now found themselves. Surrounded on every side by leaping flames, coming closer and closer, with incredible swiftness, it looked indeed as if they were doomed. "Oh, Heaven have mercy upon us!" moaned the fair girl, as the hot ashes from the burning cane were thrown in their faces. "Howard, we must die!" "Die! Never!" he responded as he clasped her in his arms and passionately kissed her tear-stained cheeks. "Never while I have one breath left with which to fight for life! Down, Estella! quick!"