The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-02-07
Shooting the Spanish Spy.
[scenes in CarEst Camp.l

IScenes in a CarEst Camp.l
Make my peace with Heaven-how
can /, and no priest to hear my confes-
sion? Take me to Estella, that 1 may,
at least, be judged" "Oh, bahl it's
useless your wasting words and time.
There is no need to trouble a court
martial. Come, take my advice; either
say your prayers in yOnder corner, or
else sit down quietly to final glass and
another cigarette" AS may be imagined,
Francisco did not readily abandon the
hope of moving the cabacilla to mercy.
He begged and prayed to be allowed to
live; he reminded him of many Incl
dents of their boyhood; he promised a
considerable sum OF money which he
had hid away, and of which no one knew
but himself; he entreated for sufficient
delay that his wife and children might
be sent for; but it was of no avail-the
partida chief remained obdurate. At
length, growing impatient, the latter
said: "Come; since you will neither
pray, smoke, nor drink, we had better
fini.h,' and he rose to his feet. Fran
cisco, with bound, was across the room
at once, striving to unbar the window
which looked out on the back, but he
was was quickly quickly seized sa by the two partidas
having foolishly," said Rosas; "you see
you are powerless. Again, will you have
another glass and smoke? Come, do
not wish to be unfriendly; and should
like to see you as comfortable as possible
at the last" Yes, yes," replied the
now thoroughly beaten man, sinking
into chair. Yes, give me wine, and
plenty of it. And see here" he con-
timed, with something like smile
lowering at the corner of his mouth,
"see here, since the smoke is to be final,
let it be long one-not cigarette, but
a cigar" The landlord was summoned
and desired to replenish the pitcher, and
as Rosas possessed nothing but cigarettes
he was also told to bring puro. "The
longest and the thickest that you have,''
echoed Francisco, despondently. And
so the wine and cigar were brought, and
the cabacilla again resumed his seat
fronting Francisco, whose glass he kept
continually filed. Under the influence
of the liquor, the poor wretch grew reck
lessly humorous, affecting to treat the
whole affair as capital joke, over which
he and Rosas would laugh at some
future day. But whenever his some
what unsteady face rested on the cold
expressionless face of the cabaciIa, he
seemed at once to realize the position
and instinctively he stopped smoking
Then he would quarrel with the quality
of the puro, complaining that he coulo
not get it to burn, and making all kinds
of difficulties when endeavoring to re
light it. Rosas at length started to hi
feet, saying that he really must lbrine
the matter to an end. "a compact is {
compact" exclaimed Francisco, in {
1. thick, unsteady voice. "You have
agreed to my smoking a last cigar; il
you want me to finish, you had better
give me one that will draw. Here, it'l
out again." and he leaned swayingly
towards the lamp, missing the wick eacf
time he approached it. Rosas was nov
pacing to and fro, hating occasionally
to watch the apparently futile efforts O
the miserable wretch to rekindle tn,
puro. Suddenly he came to determi
nation. The revolver was drawn from
its leather sheath; a couple of strides o
the sandaled feet brought him silentl,
to the back of the doomed man: tn,
muzzle was quickly placed at the nap
of the neck; there was sharp report
and Francisco and his troubles were a
an end.