The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-09

barrels of the guns and advance slow
lV, pulling the shrieking, shrinking
halfnaked wretch after them--to i'm
plor the officer who s~uperintends the
execution TO have mercy on him anC
not punish him o severely. Mos
high-born one! have pity on me. d.
not let them beat me too hard, Be
father to me, and | shall pray God 70
you every dav of my life, Do not xii
me; have mercy on me and SO Oh
That was all that Jerebjatnikof want
ed he Immediately made a sign to til,
corporals to cease their preparations
and the following conversation tool
place:
MY dear friend, what can do foI
You You know very we'll that | mus
obey the law.
Most high-born one. it is all in
your hands be merciful."
do you think that | do not fes
sorry for youl 1t is not pleasant fol
me 10 stand Ivy and see them beat you.
| am not a bad man, o know. Oh
maybe you think | am"
Most high born one. we know
that you are our father, and We your
children, Be a father to mel = cries
the convict, beginning to feel hopeful
about his future.
Look here, my friend: | know
that you have enough good sense 10
understand that it is not | who punish
you. Humanity commands that |
should be merciful to you, you poor
%sinncr!'
You are pleased to speak the truth,
most high born onsp
Yes, | ought to be merciful to
you, even if you were the greatest sin
ner on the face Of the earth. But what
can [ do against the law must serve
Goo and my country and it would be
wrong in me to disobey the laws"
Mos high-born one!-'
".Well, | will be merciful TO you
for once. | know that [ am SHINING
against the law. but | shall do it just
this one time, and not be too hard upon
you. Stop u moment. Suppose harm
you by my kindness, instead Of help
ing you to become Il better man For
aught | know you may take 1t into your
head TO think that you'll be let off as
easily every time, and 20 and do some
thing worse; and then | shall have to
answer for it all
Most h~igh-3orn one | will try
and keep my friends and foes from sin
uiDgl swear before the throne OF
the Creator
We'll, we'll. Promise me that you
will sin no more =
May the Lord Almighty strike ms
DOWN dead; and my |, when | so to
that other world
Hush do not swear. Your word
is quite sufficient. Will you promise
me &
Most high-born one.3
- forgive you for the sake of your
teas, and because you are an orphan,
are you not Z
/ am. most h%ieh-born one. | am
quite alone in this world-my father
and nother are both dead!
Il forgive you because you are an
orphan; but, mind, it is for the last
time.-Take him away adds he, in
sucn a kind voice that the convict does
not know how to thank God enough
for such a kind hearted officer. The
drum sounds; the terrible procession
starts at last the first soldiers lift their
sticks.
Beat him!' shouts Jcrebjatnikotf,
1T the top of his voice. 'Flog him !;
strike him harder, harder, harder!
Faster, faster Flog the orphan; fog
the %scoundrel! Go at it; go at it
More, more more! Faster faster!
The blows rain down on the unfortu-
nate wretch; he shrieks and stagsers
with the pain, while Jerebjatnikof
runs down the line behind him, held
ing his sides and bent double with
laughter. He is delighted with his
trick and. when he can stop laughing
for u few seconds, he roar. again: Flog
him beat him sOundly. Flog the or
phan; beat the scoundrelp
occasionally he would vary his
mode of action. The convict begins
as usual to plead for mercy. Jerebjat
nikof listens grave.,y to him, and says
at last:
Look here, my friend, | shall pun
ISL YOU severely for you deserve X.
But | will not let them tie you to tha
butt-ends of their guns. Run down
the lire as fast as you can and you
can. and you will get through it in Il
shorter time. What do you think,
Would you like to tryf
The convict hesitates a moment.
He does not quite like this novel
method but he says to himself: Al
ter all, he may be right. | shall Iun
down the line as fast as | can. and get
through the whole thing in a much
shorter time, and perhaps even escape
u few blows
81 think / will try it, most high
borne one.
Very we'll. OFF with YOU Then,
Look sharp = shouts he to the soldiers,
knowing very well hat the victim will
not escape a single blow for woe betide
the soldier who misses his aim The
convict starts at full speed, hoping to
reach the end of the green street be-
fore the soldiers have well lifted their
sticks, but suddenly falls shrieking to
the ground-al the sticks seem to fall
on his back at once. No, most high
born one | had rather be punished
according to the law says he rising
slowly to his feet, and looking pale and
scared while Jerebjatnikoff, who has
been looking forward eagerly to this
finale, shrieks with laughter"
Anything more painful than this
could hardly be imagined, and yet, in
this as in SO many other cases, fact far
outstrips the halting steps Of fiction.
During one fhis frequent Illnesses, our
author was in the hospital at the time
of the death Of the poor young soldier
whom we have mention az swallowing
a glass of brandy mixed with snuff, in