The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-03-23


struggle and dropped out a the ranks
Some beeame deranged and. wander;
ing eli. slipped down the rocky raSines
and were Killed
On the evening 81 the tenth day they
were met ~ body of Mexican eavzI-
p ard bidder % halt and gise mp thsir
arms
After three days rest, in which their
salf-spent lives were restored By those
aris Of healing the Mexicans know 70
wcii, they were carried. bandcufFed In
pairs into saltilio and thence %
salaao.
The boary walls Of the old hacienda
ooised dosvn iii sinister strength as the
liiiiaed ranks fled In. Eight Mexicans
were outside digging trench. Ned
exchanged 4 look with Harvey. his
companion III irons, and whispered:
Asfhat means death. RE was not
wc1ny At twl o'clock 81 the same
day ilic prisoners were ordered ont and
r2ayra IN double me against one Of
tic walls
Tlse 1ffccr Ia command then read
Fta ssisten decree Of Santa Ana, pres
naanecd for these men q fate so In
ae.gious Ia It's torture TO mind and body
80. y might have been conceived in
The subtle brain Of a Herod
Every tsnth man was 70 be killed.
The decision to he made by lottery
Ia,o jar were u be droprl one
haa Irei and seventy beans ono hun
slrcl ana fifty-three white and seYen-
teen black
Eaeli man was to take ont bean.
Those drawing the black ones were 10
b silot before the sun wentdown; the
rest spare death. but retained as
prisoners
I, was dark and cloudy day. this
g5sii DC March, with high winds that
whipped tic sand into great waves and
blew II aeross the plains.
EeSonl tie door Of the courtyard
nothing could be seen but the flying
sand
ovcr all spread the dusky canopy Of
the heavens
a Mexican soldier mounted stool
ara haId aleft ths fatal pitcher.
The roll was called
As each hand was slowly lifted and
poised for one single instant above the
ii 81 the jug life and death must
haze met and made salute.
The game WAS for souls, and the die
ss;.s a Mexican beani
Fosters name was called near the
last AMI he earclcssly dropped 10 his
left han1, with perchance reminis-
eenea Of childish days when he had
iane such things for luck, and found
he had picked up white bean
Al hs returncd 10 isplaee Harvey
PASSED him, and Mel saw in tile white.
drawn facc of his friend no sign 81
fear, but the mental anguish 81 Geth-
scmane
What was it he hal said las night IN
one Of the pauses Of that long inarch2
That perhaps, even now, baby
voice was waking faint echoes IN his
little home, and that the anxiety he
was bearing for another was sharper
with pain than any physical torture he
had experienced
Ned looked at the smooth white oval
Of the vegetable seed in his hand and
made a resolve
When he looked mp Harvey was just
/ raising his hand. Ned noticed how II
treinbIesl
When the fingers were withdrawn
there was something black outlined
1 against their bloodlcss tips.
/ The change in his face was that 81
death
With quick movement toward Iii.
i fricnd. Foster made sudden thurs
and gesture and it was no on,
/ could ever explain but after the Sigh
confusion and peremptory orders to fal
| in line Harvey was seen standing in hi:
| old place staring with bewildered gaz,
at a white object in his open palm, am
i Ned. erect and calm, with brow o
more than mortal beauty, awaiting til,
4 signal Of death
As soon as Harvey regained contro
! Of his confused faculties he made fran
| tic, pitiable efforts to communicat,
/ with hia friend, but was silcnced 1t tn,
point Of musket and compelled X
throw himself face downward with thu
/ rest, while the seventeen doomed mer
/ were led forth, bound together will
cords, their eyes bandaged, and sho
repeatedly until life was extinct. The,
asked the privilege of being shot from
the front, but were refused, and mads
TO sit upon log near the wall will
Their backs 10 the executionerR
Six were taken out FIRST, then 81,
fmore and then five.
| DARKNESS fell like great funeral pal
rs the last shots were fired, and star.
| sired their holy candle rays above thu
lead; tile dishonored dead, lying ii
one grsat heap. body piled atop 81
body Nora q Perry, in Omaha Bee.
sPooay ard Dtdn't Care who Knew II.
! Tire newly welded couple boarded
| the tain at a village station and !
,eFowd of bout a hundred people saw
lthein oT The groom was strapping
yeung fellow, with sunburhed face and
hands and bears grease on his hair.
| Wills the bride might have been The
/ Hired galn on the same farm. They
| Ind no sooner taken seat than be
put Ills arm around her and began "a
eafcss ale Of her hands A voice in
rear ofthem cried ont .'Spoonst" but the
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