Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-06-12
Selett aSlisteuanp.
THE LAUGHING HERO.

1t was the morning of the 18th of March,
1886, Aurora, mother of dews and mistress
of golden clouds, came, as she almost ever
comes to the living scenery of the plains of
Goliad-a thing of beauty, queen of the sky
on athrone of burning amber, robed in the
crimson Of fire, with a diadem Of purple,
and streamers of painted pink. Oh it was
a glorious dawn for the poet to sing Of earth,
Or the saint to pray to heaven; but poets
song or saints prayer made the mathis of the
place and the hour. Alas! no; it was a
Very different sort of music.
A hundred hoarse drums roared the loud
reueiUe that awoke four hundred Texan pri-
soners and their guard-four times their
number of Mexican soldiers the elite of the
Chief Butchers grand army.
The prisoners were Immediately summon
ed to parade before the post, in the main
street of the village, and every eye sparkled
with joy, and every tongue uttered the in
voluntary exclamation of confidence and
hope
"Thanks, Santa Anna He is going to
execute the treaty! We shall be shipped
back to the United States! We shall see
our friends once more !"
Such were the feelings which the Ameri-
can volunteers, and the few Texans among
them greeted the order to form into line.
The line was formed and then broke into
two columns, when every instrument of mus
ic in the Mexican host sounded a merry step
over the prairie towards the west.
Five minutes afterwards, singular dia-
logue occurred between the two leaders Of
the front columns of the prisoners:
"What makes you walk so lame, Col,
Neil? Are you wounded?" asked tall,
handsome man, with blue eyes, and bravery
flashing forth in all their beams.
"Col. Fannin, I walk lame to keep from
being wounded, do you comprehend ?" re,
piled the other with laugh as no words
might describe-it was so luxurious, like
the roar of the breakers of sea of humor
it was, in short, laugh of the inmost
heart.
~ do not comprehend you, for am nc
artist in riddles" rejoined Fannin, smiling
himself at the ludicrous gaiety of his com
panion, so strangely ill-timed.
"You discover that am lame in each leg, ,
said Colonel Neil, glancing down at the mem
bers indicated, and mimicking the move
ments of a confirmed cripple, as he laughed
louder than ever "And yet, ne added, ir
whisper, have neither the rheumatism
in my knees, nor corns on my toes, but
have two big revolcers in my bootsn
"That is violation of the treaty by which
we agree to deliver up our arms" Col. Fan
min mournfully suggested.
"You will see, however, that I will neec
them before the sun is an hour high" re
piled Neil. "Ah" Fannin, you do no
know the treachery of these base Mezicans.
At the instant the sun rose in the sky 0
extraordinary brilliaucy, and million flower
cups flung their ordors abroad over the greer
prairie, as an offering to the lord of light
when the mandate to ''halt' was given b.
one-of Santa Anna's Aids, and the two col
umns of prisoners were broken up and scat
tered over the plain, in small hollow squares
encircled on every side by Mexican infantr,
and troops of horses, with loaded musket
and drawn swords. And then came mo
mentary pause, awful in its stiffness, anc
disturbed only by an occasional shrek O
terror, as the most timid among the captive
realized the impending storm Of fire and ex
tinction of life's last hope.
And then the Internal work Of wholesal
murder was began, and scene ensued sue
as scarcely might be matched in the annal
of hell itself! The roar of musketry burs
in successive peals like appalling claps c