The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1845-02-13

preston OF his features were calm and COM
posed, and his eyes were raised TO fheavep,
with a look of hope and supplication.
/ stopped down and asked him how he
felt himself, but he made no answer, and ey-
idently did not r~ecollect me. After a min
ute or two
GLOW goes il with the fghtg'' he asked
in a broken voice.
"We have conquered, Bob. The enemy
killed and taken. Not a man escaped"
He paused a little, and then spoke again:
"Have done my duty2 May l hope 10
be forgiven?v
The Alcade answered him in an agitated
voice:
"He who hegaTe the sinner on the cross
viii doubtless 6e merciful to you, Boo. His
holy book says: There is more JOY over one
sinner that repepteth than over ninety and
nine Just men. Be of good cheer, Bob The
Almighty will surely be merciful 10 youw
ssFhank We, squire,n gasped Bob, ssyou're
a true friend, a friend in life and in death,
Well, it's come at last" said he. while a re-
signed and happy smile stole over his fea
lures. "Ive prayed for it long enough
Thank God, it has come at lasim!
He gazed up to the Aicade witha kindly
expression of countenanee. There was a
slight shuddering movement Of his whole
frame-Bob was dead.
The Alcade remained kneeeling a short
time by the side of the corpse, his1ipS NOV
: ed in prayer. At last he rose 10 his feet:
"God desirelh not the death of a sinner,
!, but rather that he may turn from his wicked
f ness and live,'' said he in a slow and solemn
tone. Il had those words in my thoughts
r four years ago, when | cut him down from
the branch of the Patriarch"
J, "Four years ago." criedI 't(hen you cut
|, him down, and were in time to save him!-
0 Was it he who yesterday brought news of
a the vicinity of the foe?''
t at was, and much more than that has he
d done," replied the Alcade, no longer sIriv-
e ing to conceal the tears that fell from bis
] eyes. "For four years he has dragged on
his wretched existence, weary, OF the world
e and despised Of all men. -Four years has he
served us, lived, thought, and spied for us,
without honor, reward, hope or consolation.
without a single hour of tranquility, or a wish
!; for ought except death. Who shall say this
man is not a true patriot? God will surely
be merciful TO his soul,' said the Alcade.
after a pause.
81 trust he WILL answered ], deeply at
fecied.
j WeweIe Interrupted al this moment by
g messenger from General Houston, TO whom
0 we Immediately fastened. All was uproaI
d and confusion. Santa Anna could not be
found among the prisoners.
a This was a terrible disappointment, TO
!, the capture of the Mexican President bad
been our principal object, and The victory
we had gained was comparatively ~unimpor-
tant, if he escaped. Indeed, the hope OIL
putting an end to the war by his capture, bad
P more than anything encouraged and stimu-
latedas to the unequal contest.
The moment was a very critical one
Among our men were some thirty OF forty
most desperate characters, who began hand
n ling their knives and casting looks on the
prisoners, the meaning of which it was i'm
e possible TO mistake. Selecting some of GU
h truest men, we stationed them as a guard
J. over the captives, and having thus assured
the safety of ihe laitef, began questioning
them as to what had become Of their gener
Is al.
rs They had none oflhem seen Santa An
ma since the commencement ofthe fight, ant
lie twas clear that be must have made his es
cape, while we were getting over the breast
L. works. He could not be very far off, ant
ID we at once took measures 10 find him. A
vi hundred men we're sent off with the prison
= ers to Harrisburgh, and a hundred others
IL capitally mounted on horses, found in tn,
Mexican camp, started TO scour the c%ountr,
ly in search of the fugitive chief. | accom-
,ir panied the latter detachment.
le We had been twelve hours in the saddle
n and had ridden nearly a hnndred miles o
of ground. We began to dispair of finding th'
game we were in quest OF, and were think
ho ing of abandoning the chase, whontat a dis
a lance of seven miles from the, campsone 0
ed our.most experienced hunters discovered th
ks print OF a small and delicate boot upon som
ne soft ground leading 10 a marsh. Following
er this trail, it at last lead us to a man stuck U
ng 10 his waist in the swamp, and so coVere
nd with mud and filth as TO be quite unrecogn
MS Fable. We drew him from his hiding place
as halfdead with cold and terror, and havin
M washed the dirt from his face, we found hir
of to be a man about forty years of age, wit
sw blue eyes, with a mild but crafty expression
icy a narrow, high forehead; long thin nos
os, rather feshy at the tip, projecting upper.
and long chin. These features tailed to
nd exactly with the description we had of III
bly, Mexican President, for us to doubt that OF
prisoner was Santa Anna himself.
ic- The only thing at all that tended TO shak
al this conviction, was the extraordinary pc
wn %troonery of our new captive. He thre
an himself on his knees and begged us, in ii
he name of God and all the saints. fo snare h