The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-06-20
THE PRESS.
springfield Republican,
The DEVILS Cross.
CONCLUDED FROM SATURDAY.

My extravagances, vices and crimes brought
on me the anger of my father, who cursed
me when he died. Having no means of
living / persuaded other youths in as bad a
condition as myself to form band and live
as freebooters. We chose this country for
the scene of our exploits and the abandoned
castle for our shelter, because owing TO its
isolated position and bad name we thought
ourselves secure from interference. One
night round our bonfire under the ruined
arches, we were debating who should be
chief of the band. Each asserted his ella inns;
some were quarreling among themselves !;
others half intoxicated placed their hands
on their dagger hilts to emphasize their
words, when clash of arms accompanied
by hollow sound of footsteps made us turn
pale and spring to our feet. The sounds
came nearer and nearer We drew our
swords, determined to sell our lives dearly,
when suddenly man tremendous of stat
ure, armed from head to foot, with vizor
down and brandishing an enormous broad
sword, strobe toward us. Placing the weap-
on upon a broken column he said in voice
like the sound of rushing waters, IF any
one wishes to be chief on my ground while
| am here, let him WELD this blade We
were all dumb with terror but on recover
ing our speech, with one voice We pro-
claimed him our captain and swore fealty to
him by tremendous oaths. From that hour
led the way. Fire never touched him
bullets never hurt him. Never once has he
taken off his armor or raised his vizor; he
never joined us in our revelry or shut his
eyes in sleep. Swords pierced the joints of
his mail, but they neither wounded him nor
drew blood. He despises gold and abhors
beauty. Only when our hands were red
with human blood, when women sore AIMED
and prayed for mercy, and oldmen fell dead
before pur hlouc onlv then did our capfai,
exult and laugh aloud"
Many were the prisoners who followed
the speaker from the scaffold, but the mys
FERROUS captain was invisible, and added
daily fresh recruits to his standard. The
desperate peasants at last made up their
minds to consult sanity man who lived
outside the town in a small hermitage dedi-
Gated to st. Bartholomew. This venerable
hermit, after having implored divine pity
through his guardian saint (who, as we all
know had very close and very fire.
quent personal encounters with the dev-
i'll, advised them to lie in wait for the. en-
envy at the foot of a crooked path which led
from the castle, and to use no other arms
TO seize him than short prayer, which they
were to commit to memory, and with which,
so the chronicle states, St. Bartholomew
took the devil prisoner
The result exceeded their widest hopes,
and another sun had not risen upon the vii
lage of Believer before groups of peasants
were relating to each other in the Plaza
Mayor, with mysterious air, how that
night the famous captain of the Segre had
been brought into the village on the back of
mule, and chained hand and foot. Hard
ly had the news spread from mouth to
mouth than the whole village surged to-
ward the prison. The parish bells sum-
moned the authorities to the town hail. and
all waited anxiously the hour when the
prisoner should appear in Court. The judg-
es In such cases, were authorized to ad-
minister sharp and summary justice. AZ
ter celebrating among themselves for few
minutes, they sent for the culprit to hear
his sentence.
The Plaza Mayor as we'll as the narrow
streets through which the prisoner had to
pass was packed to overlooking with people.
The popular indignation was so intense
around the prison doors that the guards be-
came alarmed for their own safety and were
much relieved " hen the order came to bring
out the prisoner
When he appeared dressed in armor from
head to foot, vizor down, deep murmur of
delight thrilled through the densely-crowded
ranks, which slowly opened to let him pass.
All recognized the armor of the old Senior
del Segre, which had terrified them so
much in days gone by; that black plume had
been seen too often waving from that he'll
met to be easily forgotten. The mysterious
bandit at last reached the town-hall, his ar
Eaor rafting and creaking as he moved.
The judge iu trembling voice asked him
his name. The silence was oppressive.
All strained to catch the slightest whisper
from the prisoner, but the captain stared at
his judges with an insolent and contempt
nous air which exasperated them. Three
times they repeated the question and three
times he answered nothing.
h 1: I
the popuiace. 'fLet us see whether he will
dare to insult us face to facep'
Uncover your face" said the judge.
The captain stood perfectly still.
1--WE order you by our authority to I'M
cover.''
No movement on the part of the captain
I'VE command you to uncover in the
name of our sovereign counts" shrieBed
the Judge.
Still there was no sign of comprehension.
AT last public indignation reached such a
pitch that one of the guards threw himself
upon the culprit, and by force tore his vizor
open up to the forehead and down to the
throat. A cry of horror burst from the as
sembled crowd. The helmet was empty, en-
tirely vacant, and before they had time to
recover themselves, the armor detached it.
self, piece by piece, and with deep and
horrible groan, sank to the ground.
The spectators fled precipitately, and the
news soon spread through the village that at
the death of theI' wicked caballero, " the devil
had inherited the fiefs of Believer.
When the tumult had subsidized the judges
decided to hang the armor in dungeon I'M
I'll they could receive orders from the Arch
bishop of Toledo. This required several
days. The answer, when it came was short
and decisive.
Hang the armor in the Plaza Mayor of the
village; if the devil occupies it he must then
either abandon it or hang with it''
This ingenious answer delighted the peo-
pie of Believer, and they forthwith prepared
a gallows in the middle of the square. When
it was ready they went to fetch the armor
from the prison. On the threshold they
were met by the alcade imploring par
don. His face was frightened and as pale
as death itself.
1.-The armor has gone," he said in tremu-
lous tones
The crowd stood paralyzed and the alcade
went on to say:
81 had always believed this story of the
armor to be fable invented to protect some
noble of high rank, who, for reasons of
state, could not be punished. Under this
impression made up my mind to watch
The armor and surprise some one getting
into it. Night after night crept down
noiselessly to the cell door and listened at
the key hole, but not a sound was to be
heard. In vain looked through a little
hole near the door. The armor remained
on the straw where it had been flung
Last night, not being able to convince my
self that was wrong in my surmises, lit
my lantern, unbolted the door of the pris-
ons, carefully shutting them behind me and
crept to the cell, determined to touch the
armor and convince myself that it was emp
ty. Twas fumbling for the kew, when the
cell door was thrown open and gauntleted
hand dashed me forcibly back against the
wall. Heavy footsteps, accompanied by a
clank of spurs, died away in the distance.
Then lost consciousness"
When the alcade had finished, the people
shrieked with disappointment and rage land
could hardly be restrained from tearing the
author of this new misfortune to pieces.
But knowing the prayer by which the cap
tain could be recaptured, it was not very
difficult to get him once more into their
hands. This time they nailed the pieces of
armor separately on the gallows, where
they kept vigilant guard over them. But
all in vain. A black cloud was seen scud-
ding across the sky. 1t increased until it
was directly over the gallows, and, descend