had ridden with him all that day under the guise of a Cuban patriot.
It was that of Enrico del Concha.




CHAPTER XIII

TO BE SHOT AT SUNRISE

Never in his life had our hero experienced a feeling of such utter
helplessness as he did upon recognizing del Concha. The treachery
unfolded by the man's words was beyond his comprehension, and he knew
not how to combat it. For a moment he stared speechless at the
traitor, then he turned to the General, who was gazing at him with
stern inquiry.

"Your Excellency," said Ridge, "the man who thus seeks to gain your
favor, and, as I suppose, a reward, by denouncing me, is doubly a
traitor. He kills Spaniards at every opportunity, and now seeks my
life at your hands because he knows that I am one. It is true that I
was captured by him and his band of Cuban ruffians. To save my life, I
told him the story that he now brings to you. After thus allaying his
suspicions, I seized a favorable opportunity to escape. By the
superior swiftness of my horse I finally reached this place in safety,
though pursued by him to your very lines and hotly fired upon, as can
be proved by many witnesses. Now, therefore, I, José Remelios, bearer
of despatches from the Señor Carranza, denounce this man as a doubly
dyed traitor, and demand that he be arrested on a charge of being a
Cuban spy."