The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1868-11-10
DIEGO, THE MOUNTAIN PATRIOT.
CONTINUED.
CHAPTER III.
on THE sCAFFoLD.

The executioners stared, the judges
appeared thunderstruck, while the guard
gazed in wonder and admiration upon
the daring man who had thus nobly sac
rifced himself
| But the masses soon found their
tongues, and cheer after cheer arose up
on the air.
This fact recalled the officials to their
senses, and addressing the commander of
the troops, Durango cried:
| "Silence those wretches! Do it with
sabre and musket, or ride over them,and
trample them into the EARTH p
Then turning to Diego, the chief ask
ed: -.-- ...- ....s
care you the man VINO came to my IL
brary this morning p
II am" replied he, firmly.
"And you declare that you are not St.
Rosa, but that you are Diego Corrien
tez 2''
II am Diego Corrientez.
"What has induced you to declare
yourself thus, when you might have es-
caped?"
II am not, like Pedro Durango, cow
ard: will not see an innocent man die
in my place"
"But you are aware that you must
die ?"
"Tes, but not now"
Diego glanced at the rope, and at the
beam above his head, while smile of
scorn curled his lips.
perhaps" continued Durango, "you
think the wretched populace will rescue
you? I know they have the will, but
have they the power? Listen to their
shrieks A few moments since they were
cheering. Look at my guard. They are
cutting right and left with their sabres,
and the plebians are falling under their
strokes. See the wretched -rabbIe run.
Do you think they are likely to reseSc
youF' @f
"If they could onl,,; near my voice,
and know that i would lead them, they
wo!..d rely at my call. would not ask
/ ouem to fight for me, but for themselves.
would tell them to resist such oppres-
sion, and to avenge their wrongs"
"No doubt with'such leader as your
self they would give even my guard some
trouble. But YOU cannot make your
voice heard above those shrieks, and,
before silence is restored, you will be
hanging lifeless from yonder BEAM"
'You will not give the order for my
execution, Pedro Durango"
..INlo+ l,t
"Think you I would place myself in
the hands of such tyrant and merciless
wretch as you are, without first knowing
that you were in my land that you
dare not harm me?"
SHOW am lin your powcr?"
"Where is your child 2"
Durango turned pale as this question
was asked, and exclaimed: - a
"What Of my child ?''
"She disappeared this morning, did
she not ?' -
| "She did; but what do you know of
her.
81 will tell you. Faithful friends of
mine are among that crowd, and they are
gazing upon me. If they see me releas-
ed, all will be well !; but the moment they
discover you have harmed me, they will
leave the city, and proceed at once to
the top of yonder volcano"
"But what has all this to do with me ?"
standing upon.the crater of thatvol-
cano they will find woman. She will
be holding child in her arms. They
will say to her, your husband is no
more and the instant those words are
spoken, she will hurl the child into the
bowels OF the mountain, among the burn
ing Laval
"Oh, horriblen' groaned Durango,
covering his face with his hands, as if he
would shut out the terrible picture which
had been painted At length he asked:
| ''Who is the woman of whom you
speak, and who the child %
"The woman is Cora Corrientez, my
wife the child is Lettie Durango"
81 do not believe you"
"lou know that speak truly"
SLOW could your wife come into pos
session of my child p rsI
81 swill tel you. As / approached
your library door this morning saw
your daughter just coming from the
room. My wife was in the hall dressed
as my servant. a brief whisper passed
between us, and in five minutes after,
Lettie was on her way to the volcano"
The father believed all this to be true,
and he gasped:
| "What would you have me do ?'' lll
sPern'it me to depart, and return my
own child to me- Do this, and to-mor-
row you shall receive your daughter"
"What assurance have l that you will
return my child -
| ."Iou can only have my word"
E"Ihatis OF little moment to me- do
not even Enow that you are speaking tru-
ly with regard to the capture of Letsie" :"
"You may doubt me, but you will not
run SO fearful a risk as to act upon that
doubt" fcs4r
| For few moments Durango remain
ed in low conversation with several of
lis officers, and then turning to Diego
again, he said:
\ Il Will not spare your Hfe, even though
am compelled to sacrifice my daugh-
ter. The public demand your death and
that demand shall not he made in vain.-
But you must recollect that your own
offspring is in my power. I will deal
only with your wife. Tell me where's.
messenger will reach her, and will send
to hef'a once. We will exchange child
for child. This is all ] can do" 'f
"Then bid your Inurderers do their
work" ,.ss 5l'- -sE-5a. .zfo-5. ..-z.t p.
"Where can your wife be found:" !
: "It will be useless to find her and say
, that her husband is dead" ea
, "Surely she would not sacrifice her
d own little one Z" $40 "-'.
"She will act to the letter as I have in
| structed her" -
I A low conversation now took place
), lbetween Durango and his officers, which
Diego could not hear The yillainous
! chief said: -'sf'
/! ST know not how, "a ort Whot ron