"There, Esteban! Do you hear?" Turning to O'Reilly, Rosa said,
imploringly: "Please reason with him. He's young and headstrong
and he won't listen to me."

Esteban frowned. "Young, eh? Well, sometimes the young are called
upon to do work that older men wouldn't care to undertake."

"What work?" O'Reilly's eyes were still upon him. "You can tell
ME."

"I think I can," the other agreed. "Well, then, I know everybody
in Matanzas; I go everywhere, and the Spanish officers talk
plainly before me. Somebody must be the eyes and the ears for
Colonel Lopez."

"Colonel Lopez!" exclaimed O'Reilly.

Esteban nodded.

Rosa's face, as she looked. at the two men, was white and worried.
For a time the three of them sat silent; then the American said,
slowly, "You'll be shot if you're caught."

Rosa whispered: "Yes! Think of it!"

"Some one must run chances," Esteban averred. "We're fighting
tyranny; all Cuba is ablaze. I must do my part."

"But sooner or later you'll be discovered--then what?" persisted
O'Reilly.