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24 - Prisoner of Morro by Upton Sinclair · Prisoner of Morro

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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty four The Cuban Courier. But the explosion never came.
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  Speaker 1: The party waited breathlessly, expecting to hear a deafening sound
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  Speaker 1: from the shell and to see the earth thrown up
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  Speaker 1: in showers about them from a safe place of bandage.
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  Speaker 1: They felt it was a sight worth seeing, and felt
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  Speaker 1: personally aggrieved when, after waiting an unconscionable time, all was
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  Speaker 1: quiet on the other side of the natural rampart of earth.
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  Speaker 1: Cliff had been surprised and puzzled in the first place
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  Speaker 1: to see the ship firing away from its antagonist instead
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  Speaker 1: of toward it, and was now more than ever perplexed.
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  Speaker 1: To add to the mystery, the ship did not fire
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  Speaker 1: another shot, either at its pursuer or in the opposite direction.
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  Speaker 1: Its only purpose now seemed to be to get away
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  Speaker 1: from the American ship. It seemed to stand a good
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  Speaker 1: chance of doing it, too, for it was evidently a
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  Speaker 1: very swift boat, and the pursuing vessel was still far away.
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  Speaker 1: That's the queerest thing that ever happened, exclaimed Cliff, when
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  Speaker 1: a sufficient time had elapsed to enable the shell to explode.
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  Speaker 1: If it was ever going to, what possessed them to
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  Speaker 1: fire over here, and what's the matter with the shell?
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  Speaker 1: I'll investigate the ladder at any rate, it's within easy reach.
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  Speaker 1: Though it seemed as though more than enough time had
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  Speaker 1: passed to give the shell a good opportunity. Still, Cliff,
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  Speaker 1: for reasons of prudence, concluded not to be too exacting
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  Speaker 1: on the thing, but to give it a fair chance.
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  Speaker 1: He didn't want to crowd it too close, so he
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  Speaker 1: waited a while longer, and then cautiously climbed up the
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  Speaker 1: side of the embankment and peered over there. In the moonlight,
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  Speaker 1: he could see the shell lying quietly upon the ground.
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  Speaker 1: There was no smoke now rising from it, and the
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  Speaker 1: fuse had evidently burned itself out. It seemed a harmless
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  Speaker 1: enough piece of steel. Now. He waited but an instant
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  Speaker 1: and then vaulted over on the other side. His curiosity
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  Speaker 1: had been aroused regarding the matter, and he, for the
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  Speaker 1: time being lost all interest in the chase at sea,
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  Speaker 1: as well as the appointed meeting under those trees on shore.
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  Speaker 1: When he picked up the shell, he was more surprised
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  Speaker 1: and mystified than ever. What does this mean, he exclaimed aloud,
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  Speaker 1: A round shell of the old fashioned type instead of
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  Speaker 1: the conical ones used nowadays. Why a shell like this
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  Speaker 1: has not been used in any navy for ages. He
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  Speaker 1: had been too excited at the moment of picking up
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  Speaker 1: the spluttering shell to note its size or shape, But
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  Speaker 1: now he saw at a glance that the one he
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  Speaker 1: held in his hand was obsolete and out of date.
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  Speaker 1: It was well enough for the old fashioned smooth bore guns,
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  Speaker 1: but those of modern make had no use for them.
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  Speaker 1: As he puzzled over the mystery surrounding the projectile, he
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  Speaker 1: suddenly heard a whistle from the other side of the embankment.
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  Speaker 1: He recognized it as the signal from the insurgent courier,
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  Speaker 1: and at once was alive to the importance of carrying
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  Speaker 1: out the instructions that had been given him. He hastily
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  Speaker 1: dropped the shell upon the and sprang up and over
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  Speaker 1: the ridge of earth. He gave an answering whistle, and
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  Speaker 1: soon a form cautiously appeared from among some bushes not
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  Speaker 1: far away Alto Kiva called Cliff. Before the newcomer had
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  Speaker 1: advanced a step, this was the challenge, meaning who goes there?
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  Speaker 1: The response came promptly, Cuba, this is the countersign of
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  Speaker 1: the insurgents, and Cliff knew that it was the courier
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  Speaker 1: who had reached the appointed rendezvous. He called out to
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  Speaker 1: him to advance, and in the moonlight appeared the figure
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  Speaker 1: of an insurgent soldier, a bombis, as he is called
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  Speaker 1: in that country, a figure with which American tars were
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  Speaker 1: to become more familiar as the war progressed. His equipment
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  Speaker 1: was typical of the insurgent soldier. Beside a pair of
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  Speaker 1: linen trousers and a knitted woolen shirt, he wore a
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  Speaker 1: short blouse called mombisa. This was a small shirt like
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  Speaker 1: vest with pockets front and back, opening at the belt,
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  Speaker 1: a handy way of carrying their cartridge, devised by them
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  Speaker 1: through necessity during the previous Ten Years War. A panama
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  Speaker 1: hat turned up in front and fastened with a silver star,
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  Speaker 1: completed his attire. For as to his feet, they were
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  Speaker 1: innocent of a covering, rather a summary outfit, thought Cliff
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  Speaker 1: as he took it in with a glance. But he
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  Speaker 1: knew that it was sufficient for the needs of the
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  Speaker 1: insurgents in that climate, and that brave hearts beat under
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  Speaker 1: the unpretentious mombisa, and brave deeds were done by the
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  Speaker 1: poorly equipped soldiers of the Army of Liberation. The newcomer
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  Speaker 1: was effusive in his greeting. I bring you greeting from
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  Speaker 1: our brave General Gomez, he exclaimed in Spanish, greetings to
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  Speaker 1: our noble friends and allies. Cliff received him cordially, but
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  Speaker 1: lost little time in preliminaries. Much more time had already
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  Speaker 1: been consumed than he had calculated upon, and he was
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  Speaker 1: anxious to have his business over with, and returned to
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  Speaker 1: the flagship with the important dispatches for which he had come.
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  Speaker 1: I am by your words, he said, in reply to
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  Speaker 1: the other Cuban. Liberty is assured by force of American arms,
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  Speaker 1: and at the same time we have our own score
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  Speaker 1: to settle with Spain. It will be done, said the Cuban.
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  Speaker 1: But to business, continued Cliff. You have some papers for me,
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  Speaker 1: have you not, Yes, replied the courier, raising his flouse
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  Speaker 1: and drawing forth a package of papers from its place
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  Speaker 1: of concealment. Important dispatches from our General for your gallant
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  Speaker 1: Rear Admiral. Besides much information concerning the Spanish fortifications and troops,
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  Speaker 1: there are details of our own plans and preparations which
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  Speaker 1: it would be ruinous to have falled into Spanish hands.
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  Speaker 1: I'll see that the Spanish don't get them, he said,
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  Speaker 1: with a confident air. Be cautious, exclaimed the Cuban. The
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  Speaker 1: enemy have made one effort to intercept them. I was
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  Speaker 1: pursued a mile back from here, but my knowledge of
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  Speaker 1: the country enabled me to give them the slip. It
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  Speaker 1: was that encounter that delayed me. This was a danger
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  Speaker 1: that had not been reckoned off on. Every preparation for
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  Speaker 1: the transfer of the papers had been arranged with utmost secrecy.
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  Speaker 1: But did the Spaniards know of your mission here, asked Cliff,
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  Speaker 1: in some surprise. I know, not, replied the other. It
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  Speaker 1: is incredible how they could have discovered it. But I
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  Speaker 1: do know that I encountered a detachment of their troops,
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  Speaker 1: and that they pursued me. Then they may be following
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  Speaker 1: you to this point, exclaimed Cliff. I think, not, replied
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  Speaker 1: the Cuban. I made a wide detour and know the
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  Speaker 1: ways of the land too well to leave any trail. Nevertheless,
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  Speaker 1: said Cliff, our business is transacted, and the sooner we
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  Speaker 1: go our respective ways, the better. The papers are now
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  Speaker 1: in my care, and I shall run no risk of
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  Speaker 1: their falling into the hands of our enemies. You are
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  Speaker 1: a wise officer, exclaimed the Courier, and before we part,
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  Speaker 1: allow me to present you this it may interest you.
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  Speaker 1: With this, he drew from his mambisa a paper, which
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  Speaker 1: he quickly unfolded. It proved to be a sheet about
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  Speaker 1: ten by fourteen inches, and Cliff could see, as he
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  Speaker 1: examined it by what light the moon afforded that there
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  Speaker 1: was printing on both sides. This, said the Courier, somewhat proudly,
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  Speaker 1: is the first copy of Las Villas ever printed. It
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  Speaker 1: is set up and printed at General Gomez's headquarters under
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  Speaker 1: his own direction. It contains, besides orders and an address
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  Speaker 1: from our beloved General, an account of your intrepid Dewey's
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  Speaker 1: victory at Manila, Ah. That was a magnificent victory, yes,
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  Speaker 1: ascended Cliff, and there will be others. The American battleships
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  Speaker 1: are invincible, exclaimed the Cuban, with enthusiasm. With such noble allies,
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  Speaker 1: we cannot fail to secure our liberty. We are no
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  Speaker 1: longer instruments, but members of the regular Army of Cuba.
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  Speaker 1: God bless America. The Cuban seemed in a fair way
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  Speaker 1: to continue his rhapsodies indefinitely. But Cliff, having secured the
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  Speaker 1: papers for which he came, was now intent upon delivering
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  Speaker 1: them as soon as possible to the rear Admiral. He
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  Speaker 1: therefore intimated as much to the courier, and the ladder
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  Speaker 1: took his departure. Cliff watched him disappear among the trees
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  Speaker 1: in the direction by which he had approached. Now men,
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  Speaker 1: said he addressing his companions to the boat. The New
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  Speaker 1: York will soon be back, ready to receive us. But
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  Speaker 1: they had not taken more than a few steps toward
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  Speaker 1: the shore, when Cliff suddenly stopped, as if remembering something.
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  Speaker 1: Hold on just a minute, he exclaimed that shell, I
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  Speaker 1: have special reasons for wanting to carry that along. It
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  Speaker 1: will take but a minute to find it. As he
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  Speaker 1: started toward the ridge of earth beyond which he had
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  Speaker 1: thrown it, they were all startled to hear the sounds
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  Speaker 1: of musketry apparently near at hand. One volley was quickly
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  Speaker 1: followed by another. Cliff sprang upon the embankment for which
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  Speaker 1: he had started, and looked off beyond the clump of
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  Speaker 1: trees in the direction from which the sounds came. He
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  Speaker 1: was in that position but a moment or two. A
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  Speaker 1: half dozen reports in quick succession readed his appearance. One
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  Speaker 1: bullet passing through his cap, he dropped on his feet
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  Speaker 1: to the ground beside his companions. The Spaniards, he exclaimed, hurriedly,
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  Speaker 1: at least a hundred of them. From what I saw,
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  Speaker 1: they were hurrying in this direction and not far away.
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  Speaker 1: They were on the alert on the instant. The sounds
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  Speaker 1: that reached their ears told them unmistakably that the force
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  Speaker 1: of the enemy far outnumbered their own and were rapidly approaching.
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  Speaker 1: Should they await an attack or run for the boat
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  Speaker 1: and of Chapter twenty four recording by Tom Weiss Tom's
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  Speaker 1: audio books dot Com