The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1845-06-21

towards ihe WaH whtre lay lne iou
dead bodies, he passed close 10 Nina
horse; and at the moment when hi
hands were about 10 be tied behind hin
ny two soldiers, he broke from then
and casting himself on his knees claspet
the generals thigh wi,tnbo,h his shrlv
eIIed hands, crying, 'Fortthe love of lh'
Holy Virgin, spare me, spare me! oh
by the affection you bore your owr
father, sava the life.of an aged parent
] never saw the mortsrs after they lei
the village oa the first day.
Nina moyed not; his face appeared 81
though il had been chiseled out OF :
block Of brown stone. The poor sol
diers in vain endeavored 10 loosen thu
poor.old mans hands from Mina's lhig'
he cluog to and grasped with all ,h'
strength Of desperation. At length, how
ever, by dint Of repeated efforts, he wa'
removed, and having been taken in
state of exhaustion TO the fatsl wall
he speedily fell, pierced by The deadly
sbulleis.
After this awful execution. Miof
said, ia loud voice, Now let the last
man in the line be brought forward
Nina had observed, Immediately sf-
ter the old vii 'ager had been shot, thai
an interchange Of glances full OF mean
ing took place between The gypsy and
the half-witted boy, and surmised ell, Al
once, that the stranger might be inf1u.
enced bv the fear Of death 10 divulge
The secret.
On hearing the order for his being
brought foi ward, the gitano's swarthy
complexion assumed deep yellow
tinge, and he trembled from head to
foot. you have but hve minutes to
'live unless the mortars be found, said
Nina, addressing the gitano.
frhe moral construction o! the gypsy
was of vary different nature from thai
of the peasantry of the northern pro
vince Of Spain, although he had been 4
jealous hired agent Of the Csrlist junt5
in stirring up the people 10 the pitch ol,
enthusiasm 10 whibh the Navarrese hati1
been wrough, at that period, under the
videarthat all their rights, privileges and
religious observances were at stake, and
could only be secured by the annlhili-
sion Of the. Christinos. He had expect
ed 10 escape hy means Of the position in
saheh he bad cohtrived TO place himself
on the line of villagers, and had there
fore remained silent during the previ
, ous interogations; but now, finding ths
ethe very manoeuvres he had put inI
TO save his life, had on the contrary
brought him tosthe verge Of destruction.
III stfehdods hi ID sscsdts 6e Baggsa 'ppsyffmss6q
TO speak privately TO The general. HI
was led ,oliering flom fright, TO ,hs
side OF his horse. Nina was obliged to-
stoop TO listen 10 his almost inaudible
whisper, rendered doubly indistinct by
tho chattering OF his teeth. 'Senor Mi.
ma, my general esmutlered. 'if l d..
,vulge the secret, will you take me]
with your Will you protect me from
ethe vengeance o: these villagers?'
II wili,' answered Nina
-sThen--sehd party of soldiers with
-some pioneers, down the lane 10 tn,
aeft of the church, and when they srriv,
at a spot where there are large ever.I
green oars, let him turo into 6eld ,o|
the right, in the centre of II they will
see heap OF manure; lei that be remov
ed; then let them dig about three fee
deep, and they will find the mortars. >
Nina instantly gave orders 10 the abov'
effect; and during the absence Of tht
party-sbout half an hour a solemn
silence reigned in the plaza. The git
and stood close 10 Mina's horse will
dowuca.t eyes, though occasionally he
glanced fur,iveIy at the villagers, wht
all regarded him with menaciug gravi
iy.
AT length sergeant arrived from The
exploring party. and informed Nina
that the mortsrs had been found. 'You,3
life is,spsred,' SAID the general 10 ,h,,
trembling gypsy, 'and your person shall
be respec'ed.-you march with us.
III took The greater part of the ds,
TO get the mortsrs exhuned and placed
in bdilocks-carsspressed from The inhab
ciianis, who were compelled slso TO dis
pup the guns and hois, them into th'
,wsins, the owners of which were fore
dto1gnIde The, oxen, under a strong
guard.
The foregoing narrative, the leading
features OF which are traced from fact,