The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-09-10
TIE DESERTER.

Ia. In the rugged mountains and on the
rough upands twenty thou.a and Mexcens
sept on their arms, conf lent Of victory on the
morrow. Day after dsy they had Struggled
Though arid deserts and rocky ps-,es, toward
their present position, certain the Northcfn
Inrai"s would be at last annihllatCd before
Their overwhelming numbers. And besides.
those twenty thousand men knew well the
talent OF their chief--Santa Anna man
beyond question an accomplished military
com'r ander, and who, had he COMMANDED
Anglo Saxon, Gallic or Celtic troops, would
have made his name renowned to the end of
time.
Santa Anna sat Mt the door of his pavilion,
looking out over the land where the
wa,chircs Of TavIo, and his five thousand
men burned in the dim distance.
"To.mouow, ,houcht Santa Anna, "we
will destroy these Yankee invaders root and
branch. Ore sinca blow shall finish the
cafnpsgn."
Ju't then his thoughts were interrupted.
Guardsmen brought into his presence a uan
with hand. bound behind, and blood flowing
from s,ber cut on the forehead.
This Is The dese,ter, Pinonci Rodcrigo,"
said they. awe discovered him in the noun.
tain, at An ancient ranch. What shall be his
fate?'
Santa Anna glanced at the prisoner. The
light Of the torches fell upon face of singu
lar geutIen ~ and benevolence of expression,
tlcnded with frn ness--one Of those beaut
iu faces that we sometimes zee in portraits OF
the Spanish gentry.
ais there any d ub' I" quorcd the general.
Ia 1nas NOT .apv "A
"SpcaS Roderigo, have you anything to say?"
The prisoner shook his head-sadly, hope
la,,ly. He knew there was 40 mercy for
him. To plead would have been in vain.
Santa Anna pointed to the rsyin- near at
hand The soldiers appreciated his meaning.
a privste had been shot there that dav for
the same offence. All that Santa Anna said,
was:
Cannot pardon desortion in presence Of an
enemy. Let him die at mi night
No other word was spoken, save that the
prisoner as he was led away, and exclaimed
aloud
"O Inrz, Inoz! Lost foreycr!"
That agonjzing exclamation struck q chill
TO the heart of the most hardened that heard
it, ard Santa Anha himself, the victor or "a
Hundred bloody fights gazol regrerfuly after
The prisoner til tho latter vanished il thr
daIkuess
It was Midnight. Santa Anna had Just
dismissed council Of officers, and was alone
in his tent. Only at the entrance stood the
armed guarlS. suddenly there was a noise.
The gusr@'meu were challenging some now
conner. There was heard the sound Of
struggle 4 sweet toned voce-the voice Of
a womas-crel: 81 will pass; | will see
him" aud the next instant there burst into
the presence Of the chief female, aud threw
herself in a supphcaing attitude at his tet
"Pardou, parlon.' she cried, 'pardou for
him! lie meant no wrong. 1t was for me
he incurred thepenalty. Save him--O, save
him I"
Santa Anna looked upon the woman arl
.aw that sh" was young aud surprisingly
beautiful, Large snl dark were her Spanish
eyes AS he gazed into their iotly, sparkling
and mwniu depths, "A feeling came upon
him Ike a memory OF something halffpryot-
ten, hall realized. 1t was with surprise that
the sentinel who had followed her into the
tent found himself mo;ionod back
IL have yet to learn for whom YOU plead" .
Santa Anaa.
"For Rolcrigo-for my husbandn cjacua.
ted the lady. Hes no traitor. His colonel .
offered me insult Rod rigo struck him -
The lsh-the lash was ordered for hi, no5,
back. But cut the bonds and We fed to
be mountains. For me he did it, unworthy .
me. Pardon him or Kill mor'
Santa Anna es,aycd to raise the lovely wo.
man. She slipped from his grasp aud clasp
cd his knees
NO." she exclaimed mot till YOU pardon
him. Let me die for him if need be. Only +
set him free. He is biayc-ho is true. You .
must not xiii hi -
Santa Anna felt distressed. But his voice
aud look were cold As tho srows Of Popoca,a.
pei. He shook his head and said:
Though you plead till the break of the
last da" it shall not save him. His fault :
TOO groat for pardon It is midnight now
the hour Of hi, doom. If You wait here the .
bullet, that takes his life may lie driven home
in their deadly tubes. You may see him if
You hasteu.'
"Lot me 90 10 him - she cried in agony.
Take mo to NY hu,baud.'
Santa Anna spoke To- the gaarlsmon:
at il well, let her see him. Half an hom
more or less is Of small account. Bat see to .
it that the man is dead when the clock strikes
one"
The lady wrung her hands. The Generals .
words had hardly died away when
he was again alone. The guard, eager and
oatnc,', had departed with the lady, and in
san a Annals bosom ihere was left tie mem
ory Of her agony like haunting spiri.
In tie rsyiuo, hat an hour after dawn
among the dense shadows Of the bushes, half
A dozen torche, threw lulid light on score
If gIitorng bayonets 4 prisoner stripped for
,n execution, aul a taiutug woman. The
prisoner was Rolergo, standing there with
toIded arms.
"Quick!" ho cried, "qui,k! | cannot wit.
n.ss her agony. Let the blow fall before
sorrow unmaus me-.
o, he de,paring frmnc>s Of that voice -
The par nc kisses had NIL been given, aud
.lutlus wIh despair, the lovely Incz had
lecn torn from her husbands arms. Now
,ho lay there upon the ground, her head sup.
rortel by a krccng soldier, whio another
was bathing her hands and brow with water.
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