The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1879-02-20

hundred dead iu ia. streets and on IL,
stone TeOts of The houses.
AmpUd!a then. with lhc CUSTOMARY
craft ui Li, cJmirEWrU. Tr-ortrd z,
siTata-cm. and Sent white llag Wit.
Gen la Vega uruiug th- Texans. q.
rapliUlat-. aud Offering highly fi.irsr
ble Terms. and as ID Wa, known tilII f.
large additional fore. iai already ar.
rived iu tine vicinity. tir rangers ar
c.pted the proposition a;'i LAID aoWI
their arms.
Nevertheless. every article OF t.I- ~
cuu agreement. hy which the prison
rTS iIal been induced rJ surrender. was
violated in few days. and powerful
guard marched them of To- the city Ui
Mexico. Their sufferiugs and priya-
tiUus during tac journey almost sur
UaSs belief. and many Of them sunk
under melancholy. hunger and fatigue.
and Were uu,rLcrcl Iv the WAY.
Bat still the youth. Jack Phelps.
whO bad especially distinguished him
self during the battle. and bitterly uI-
posed the cIpitulatiOu. maintaining
his usual flow Of spirits. laughed and
tested as mcrrily as ever. However.
beneath the @iittcriHg crust Of this
Z lryity, be concealed q deep and daring
design. and having communicated the
desperate plan 10 the other captiYcS.
they suddenly assaulted and over
I powered their armed guard, and
. although nearly twice as numerous ;lS
I themselves: and while they were cn-
tirely without weapons.
! They then started 10 retreat home
l ward. bHt the whole country arose
I around them, and meeting the trO0gS
I Of lancrs. commanded by that traitor.
( CJHIlrs. they were all again made
] prisoners.
For this attempt t. escape the
Mexican government urIcrel the
( bloody sentence of dccimaliUu, which
WAS executed on the summit of a lofty
mountain between Monterey and Sal
tillO. 4 little before sunset two hun
dred Texans were marched into line to
draw lois for death. The cruel Can
alcS, with smile of demon. counted
out into his hat 4 number of beans
equal 10 that Of the captain, every
tenth bean being black, while the rest
were white. lie then Shook the hat
thoroughly. and carried il along The
line for each man to thrust his fingers
beneath the cover of Il handkerchief,
and by the award Of impartial cllnce.
extract his own doom.
The suspense and horror Of the scene
dciicd all powers Of pictorial deScrID-
ton. Features grew liyid that never
paled in the most perilOus crises of
burning battle, and brave nerves shook
like leaves in the wind. which would
not have quiyercd before the fiery or
deal Of a hundred pieces of artillery.
The strange uncertainty Of this novel
contest with the YiewleSS fateS, pro-
duccd general and fearful agitation.
Many of those who drew the color of
death, uttered involuntary mOanS,
while some screamed wildly. aS if they
already felt the cold lead in their
heart.
At length the Ominous hat approach
ell the three brothers, who stood in the
centre Of the room. Jack Phelps put
in his hand. and remarked in laughing
tones:
Captain Lewis, I'll bet you Il hun
dred dollars that | draw a black
beam
Done cried the other ina careless
voice
Il have won il" exclaimed the youth,
in accents Of blended joy and triumph,
rs he held up the hue of death, and ad-
ded-~Such is always my luck" but
whether he referred to the bean or the
result Of wager, the Mortified spectators
could not well determine.
William also extracted the uHfOTtu-
nate color, while Capt. Lewis and the
third brother drew the hem Of safety. !
Immediately the twenty doomed |
prisoners were placed in a line, with |
two hundred loaded muskcts aimed at |
their hearts, while the last red rays Of |
the setting sun reflected from the 1
SNOWY tops of the distant mountains |
Illuminated the awful scene. The at /
muSphere, though chilly, WAS clear |
and calm, and ribbons OF ileccy clouds
tlOatcd i'll the west, like wings of rain |
bow, while some hardy birds sung
Sweetly among the naked trees, naked
as they were.
All ut once Jack Phelps called out
eagerly
Captain Lewis, I'll bet yOu another
hundred that the Tascals can't hit ncr
But the reckless ranger, who had |
never before been known to refuse a |
wager, answered with an ley shuddcr. |
Good Heavens, Jacki how c;ln you |
Jest at such 4 moments"
The ruthless CJnalcs now proclaim |
ed:
"PrisOners, say your prayers, for you
die in three minutes.
Some of them turned their eyes mp
ward and mUttcred with pale lips
their last petitions; some of them gave |
their friends mOurnful commissions !
for Their families far away, while 9th |
erS shouted fierce curses in the faces of /
their foes: and a few cried simply |
loud farewell to their more fortunate |
comrades.
At length CanalcS sounded the final !
signal, fire \ loud roar reYerberat- |
ed among the mountains, and when |
the smoke cleared off nothing was
seen of the doomed band but Il score of |
bodies stretched upon the bloody !
earth.
The order was Immediately given to |
march amile further into the valley |
hGfprc CRcamung fui the night, while |
Il party of soldiers remained to bury |
the curpScS.
But when one Of these advanced to 1
strip the form of young Phelps, the |
ranger bounded To his feet. and knock |
ing over the astOnished Mexican, I
sp=ang upon his horse and effected his |
escape.
1t seems that at the word "lirc," he |
had thrown himself forward upon the |
ground, but SO brief IN instant before |
the others a. not To attract notice, and
thus avoided the common fate. The
utmost eXertions were made for his
recovery, but without success.
Three months afterwards lac reached |
san Antonio in company with 4 very |
beautiful Mexican girl. to whom he |
was chiefly indebted for his final de |
liyermcc from the pursuit Of his enc
mics.