The Bossier banner., 1891-12-24

act hastily, the Pacha deliberated most
carefully whether this really could be
the most brutal death he couId con.
ceive; and then, believing there was no
more effectual means of barbaritv, he
called to Navarrese mason, who was
also Christian slave. ''Michel" he
SAID: you see this empty mold of
beton; for the present leave it: I have
mind to make beton of that dog of
Oran who refuses to come back to the
faith of Islam. Poor Maitre Michel
had to obey, but he finished his DAVIS
work with sad heart. AS soon as he
entered the 'Bango" (for he also was
prisoner) he found out Geronimo and
told him Euldj Ais command. Geron-
lmo heard the command in perfect
silence, and then very camly he
answered.: Gods holy will be done,
Let not those miserable men think
they will frighten me out of the faith
of Christ by the idea of this cruel
death. May my blessed Saviour only
pardon me my sins, and preserve me
my soulp'
The whole of that night this brave
young Arab spent in prayer and pre-
paration for the death tortures which
he knew were awaiting him. Must not
the memories of his high military honor
and fame, the kindness of Juan Caro-.
the love of his fair young wife, have
flashed through his overstrung mind
like some beautiful, glittering dream2
Was nothing left? Nothing real? Moth
ing but death-death so ghastly in it's
fearful savagery that the very life be-
yond seemed hidden away? All! it
was not too late even now. The sem
tence could still be recalled, and great
er earthly power than Geronimo had
ever had was yet within his reach!
Every line in that martyrs face, as he
stood before his plaster cast told us
what his cry must have been then; told
us silently how his cry for strength
was answered. Between two and three
O'Clock the next morning guard sum-
moned him to the Pacha's presence.
There he stood, a suffering, patialt
prisoner in CHAINS, before a great null
| titude of Turks and Arabs in all their
gorgeous magnifcence. Then he was
dragged by hooting crowd, striking
him and beating him. to the gate Bah
el-Oued, where he again stood before
the Pacha in the midst of his pompous
retinue. Euldj Ali then addressed him
slowly and clearly; he pointed out
every detail of the fearful death; he
showed him the block of beton, and
every torture of such death was care
fully explained. Then he ended his
speech with: Dog! you refuse to re-
| turn to the faith of Islam?" II am Il
Christian, and as Christian l will die, =
was the noble Arabs answer. "Asyo
will" replied the Pacha- "Then here, :"
pointing to the beton, 'shall you be
buried alive" ''Do your will Death
shall noU make me abandon my faith, +"
were Geronimo's last words The
Pacha raised his haud, some soldiers
stepped forward, they removed the
chain from the prisoners leg, they
| bound his hands behind his back, they
crossed his legs and tied them; then
they took him up and laid him with his
face downward into the mold The
| plaster was poured over him, and
Tamango, renegade Spaniard, want
| ing to show what fervent Mohametan
he was, jumped on Geronimo's body
and broke his ribs. This act pleased
Euldj Ali SO much that others followed
his example. For twenty-four hours
Geronimo lay bleeding, suffering, dy-
ing in that block of beton; the jeers
and oaths of his enemies must have
| been ringing in his ears, the African
sun in it's intense power must have
poured upon his aching head; but brave,
| faithful and unmurmuring, this noble
Arab lay there till the weary day and
night were over, and another morning
broke upon that beautiful Algerian
| land. But in the land above, we be-
| lieve the gates of the kingdom of
heaven were thrown open, and Ge-
ronimo, bearing the palm in his hand,
was admitted into the noble army of
martyrs.
For three hundred years this story
was handed from one generation to an
other, till some people treated it as a
romance; but thirty-eight years ago,
when alterations were being made, and
the wall had to be taken down, the
workmen came upon a strange hollow
place and some human bones. The
governor, remembering this story, di'
rected plaster of paris to be thrown
into the mold, and very soon the life
size figure of Geronimo appeared, pro-
claiming the truth of the martyrdom.
The cast is now kept in the museum at
Algiers; it shows slight figure. face
with the veins all raised, poor mouth
closed with patient, determined ex-
preston; the hands are tied, the legs
are swollen; even the very broken ribs
are lying there. Three hundred years
of history holding its peace; and To-!
the very stones, as it were, cry out,
and the noble Arabs martyrdom is
brought to ight.-London Spectator.
with the first money earned by
| writing" said Mrs. Beecher Stowe, Il
bought feather bed. After this l
thought that l had discovered the phi
losopher's stone, so when new carpet
or mattress was going to be needed, or
when at the close of the year it began
TO be evident that my family accounts,
like poor Dora's, wouldn't add up,
then used to say to my faithful friend
1 Ill