Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-06-09

fight" VI ~ '
 Then let us appoint meeting place af- ter it."
 'eWhere?"
 At the Hermitage of St. Nicholas at one ia the morning. Ho who does not come will be amongst the dead. Is it agreed?"
 "Agreed?"
 ''Then farewellp'
 "FarewellP'
 And after an affectionate embrace Ramon vanished in the darkness of the night.
 As we anticipated the Carlists attacked us on the following day. The action was a very sangulnary one, lasting from three in the afternoon till nightfall. At about five o'clock my battalion was rudely assailed by body of troops led by Ramon, who wore the white Carlist cap and the uniform of a major. gave orders for my men to open fire, and Ramon did the same as regards the troops un- der his command. and his force and my battalion were soon engaged hand to hand.
 Wewere victors so far as this struggle was concerned, and Ramon had to fly with the scattered survivors of his force, but not until he had with his own hand shot the man who the evening before was still his colonel, and who in vain sought to defend himself from his rage.
 At six o'clock the engagement took an un-
 
 uon of my company were cut off and obliged to surrender. was led captive to the lit tie town of B., occupied by the Carl- ists since the commencement Of the cam paign, and where I expected to be shot im- mediately.
 CHAPTER II.
 It struck one in the morning, the hour of my appointment with Ramon. | was locked in a cell of the town prison. asked for news of my friend and was an- swered: raUt 4 vtf ,EsJ ~Tsf.sss <.
 "He is brave fellow. He killed one of your colonels. But he must have fallen dur ing the latter part of the battle."
 What makes you think SOP, en- quired. "E' 4ff7 as' -555'''5
 ..Bccause he ,has not returned from the field, and the men under his command can give no news of him. ss-AF
 An, how I suffered during that night. One hope remained to me, that Ramon had been waiting for me at the Hermitage of St. Nicholas, and for this reason had not re- turned to Carlist camp. # .s 4 IT ~ H-
 "How grieved he will be on finding that I did not keep the tryst," !" thought I. 'Hc will believe me dead. And after all am I so very far from my last hour. The Carlists now shoot all their prisoners, tho same as we do ourselves" i@s uuEHsait as,s
 ~At5dawn of day a priest entered the prison where all my companions were asleep. si
 "Is it death?" asked on perceiving him.
 "Yes, 7 he answered gently. .G3 Y: 5 .ir'
 Now" ....---.-,-..
 "No, within three hours time."
 Tho next moment had awakened my com panions, and yells, sobs and blasphemcs re- sounded through the prison. Every man when about to die seizes on some idea and clings to it firmly. Nightmare, fever or madness. this is what happened to me. The thought of Ramon, of Ramon alive, of Ramon dead, of Ramon in heaven, Of Ramon at tho Hermi-. tage, took possession of my brain in such fashion that I could think of nothing else during those hours of agony.
 I took off my captains uniform and put on asoldier's forage cap and great coat. In this guise marched out to death with my nineteen companions in misfortune. One only had been reprieved through being bandsman. The Carlsts at this time spared the lives of all musicians on account of the great lack of them in their ranks. ? "And were you a musician Don Pasilo? Was your life saved on that account inquired all the young people at once.
 "No, my children" replied the veteran. 3I was no musician"
 The troops were formed: on three sides of ! had drawn No. II, that is to say, I was to die the eleventh, Then1 thought of my wife .and my daughter, of yourself and your mother, my child. z ~ l sfEs.fHU Bt
 The volleys began. The sound of the shots drove me mad. As my eyes were bandaged I could notsee my companions fall, but strOve to count the volleys in order to know, just be- fore my turn came, when my existence was about to end. After the third volley, however, Host count. . .s@ F Oh those volleys will echo eternally in my heart and brain as they echoed that day. Now l thought they were thousand miles away, now the balls seemed to whistle about my very head. Still they went on.
 "Now for it." I thought, and the volley came, yet was still alive. ~s
 ''This must be it." said at last.
 ButI suddenly felt myself seized by the shoulders, and shaken, whilst voices sounded in my ears. fell, and lost all consciousness felt something akin to deep sleep steal over me, and imagined that I had been shot to death. Then I fancied that was stretched on 8 couch in my prison. I could not see. raised my hand to my eyes to remove the bandage, and found them uncovered, and wide open, dilated. Was blind. No. The prison was in darkness.
 heard q bell ringing and shuddered. It WaS LOT ScEVlCo. u IS uluo . clOCk, thought; ''but of what day2" A shadow darker than the heavy gloom of the prison bent over me. It seemed to be man. But the others-the other eighteen? They had all been shot, and was either alive or in my tomb. My lips mechanically murmured 8 name, the name that had haunted me in my nightmare. Ramon" .. "What is it?" answered the shadow by my side.
 I shuddered "Heavens! I exclaimed, "am in the other world?'
 "No," answered the same voice. Ramon! Are you living2" "Yes" A- And IF" ''You too are alive.'
 "But where am I? Is this the Hermitage of St. Nicholas? Was not made prisoner? Can have dreamed it all?'
 ''No, Basilio, you have not been dreaming. Listen. As you know, I killed the colonel yesterday in fair fight. was avenged. Yet mad with rage I continued fighting even after nightfall, till there was not soul left upon the battle field. When the moon rose re- membered you, and directed my steps towards 1 the Hermitage of St. Nicholas, intending to l await you there. It was ten o'clock. had been under arms since one and tho night be- fore had not closed my eyes, fell sound