The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-06-26

Now heard them thousand leagues
distant; now felt them reverberate in
my head. And the detonations con-
tinued.
"Nowl" thought l.
Then felt myself seized by the shout
ders and shaken, and voices sounded in
my ears. fell.
| knew no more.
Then experienced something like a
profound sleep. | dreamed that l had
been shot dead.
vi.
| l dreamed that l was stretched on a
small bed in my prison. l could not see.
l raised my hand to my eyes to take
away the bandage and touched my wide
open, dilated eyes. Was blind?
No. was in the prison in utter dark
ness.
heard the toll of bell, and trembled
1t was the ringing of the dnimds.
ut is nine O'clock" l thought, "but
what dayP"
A shadow, still darker than the dark
air of the prison, leaned over me.
1t appeared to be man. And the 9TH
ers-the other eighteen?
All had been shotl
And l?
Did live or was l dclirious in the
grave? My lips mechanically murmured
a name; always his name, my nightmare
l-"Ramon!"
"What is itP" the shadow beside me
answered.
shuddered.
"My Godw l exclaimed. sam l in
the other world?"
mol" answered the same voice.
"Ramon, art thou alive?"
eyes"
"And ~"
"Thou Also"
"Then where am ~ Is this the San
Nicolas limp Was l not taken prisoner?
Have l dreamed it all?'
mo, Basilio; thou has dreamed moth
ing. Listen.
"As thou knowest, yesterday l killed
the lieutenant-colOne in fair fight. am
revenged! Then mad with fury, kept
on fighting and killing till it grew dark,
till there was not Christian on the bat
tle-field. When the moon arose | re-
membered thee. Then l directed my
steps toward the San Nicolas Inn, with
the intention of waiting for thee.
at was ten O'Clock. The appoint
ment was for one, and the night before /
had not closed my eyes. So slept pro-
foundly. About one l gave a cry and
awoke. l dreamed that thou vast dead.
looked about me and found was alone.
What had become of thee? 1t struck two,
three, four-what a night of anguish!
"Thou didst not appear.
ebay dawned.
"Then left the inn and directed my
1tn k. Ia &c l.aI
rebels. The sun arose.
Every one thought that l had fallen
the day before.
me and the general loaded me with hon
Ors. '
"Then learned that they were about
to shoot twenty-one prisoners. A pre-
sentiment arose in my mind.
"'Could Basilio be one of them? |
asked myself. ran then to the place of
execution. The square was formed.
81 heard several shots.
"They had begun to shoot the prison
ers.
81 strained my eyes, but l could not
see.
"Grief blinded me. | was delirious
with fear.
Thou vast about to be shot!
"There were two victims only before
thee.
"What should do?
II became crazy; | screamed; seized
thee in my arms, and with hOarse voice
trembling with emotion exclaimed:
Not this one! Not this one, my gen.
eral!'
1.-THE general who commanded the |
square and who knew me for my deeds |
of the day before, asked me:
why not? Is he a musician?'
THAT word was to me what it would |
be to an old man blind from birth to see
suddenly the sun in all its brightness.
1.-The light of hope shone so wildly in
my eyes that it blinded me.
'Musiciann l exclaimed; 'yes-yes,
general He is musician-a great mu-
sicianr
SIN the meantime thou vast stretched
senseless.
what instrument does he play?'
'sked the general.
" The-the-the-yes!- exactly!
the cornetn
DO you need cornet playerp asked
he general, turning to the band of mu-
iicians.
I'm five seconds, which seemed five
came the answer:
Y es, general; there is one needed
'eplied the chief musician.
Then take that man from the ranks
md let the execution continue instantly
the Carlist chief.
Then took thee in my arms and car
led thee to this dungeon"
As Ramon ceased speaking | got up,
nd weeping, laughing, and trembling
him.
81 owe thee my life?"
"Not at all" replied Ramon.
"And why not?' | exclaimed.
"Dost thou play the cornet2''
NO"
"Then thou dost not owe me thy life.
have only compromised mine without ,
aving thee"
turned cold as a stone.
"And music?' asked Ramon, ''dost
hou know it?''
"a little, very little. remember what
hey taught us at college"
"a very little it is, or better say none!
'hou shalt die without fail, and also,
S traitor. just imagine; in less than
wO weeks the band TO which thou shalt
elOng will be organized"
1.-TWO weeksl'
Neither more nor less! And as thou
lost not play the cornet unless God per-
orms miracle) they will shoot ms both
7ithout doubt"
'ShoOt theem | exclaimed "thee!
nd for me! for me, who owes thee my
fel All! no, HeaNe forbid! In less
han two weeks l shall understand music
nd play the cornet"
Ramon laughed.
What more shall tell you, my chill
ren2 In two weeks-oh, power of the
Till-in fifteen days, with the fifteen
lights flor | neither slept nor rested
minute for half a month";, in two weeks
learned to play the cornell Whit days
hey werel
Ramon and left the camp and passed
ours and hours with certain musician
Tho came daily from a place near by TO
i've me lesson. Escdpep 1 read the
'Ord in your eyes. Nothing more i'm
ossible! / was prisoner and they
'atched me, and Ramon would not es-
ape without me.
neither spoke thought, nor ate.
was crazy, and my monOmania was
lusic--the cOrnet, the devilish cornetl
| desired 10 learn, and | learnedl" .
And IL | had been dumb should have
liked. .. .....
And II paralyzed should have walked,
blind should have seen.
Because iciiled it sol
Oil the will can do anything!
To Icish Is TO be allie.
To ioisb-that is a great world
To rish-and / advise you, children,
arm this great truth
] saved, then, my life and RamOns.
ut | was mad. and my madness was art.