Arizona silver belt., 1893-12-09
AN INSANE TROOPER.

AN INSANE TROOPER.
 Recently while wanderius through an old Aztec mountain village in which disabled sol- diers were quartercd immediately after tho overthrow of tho heathen empire, l found am0ug soma buried camp accuutcrmcutS an old manuscript cwmn,od up with other papers in a battered leather knapsack. My kuowl-, edge ot spanish soon revealed for nae the fol- lowing curious and weird story, also 3 short explanation of it, probably written by The owner ot tho knapsack. As it nay ha of inter- est tosamc, though perhaps for no value more than that of idle curiosity, will submit the result of my discovery to public pcrusal. -THE THANsi.AroA
 Yes, upon that I was resolute-hem mus, die but how.
 Why did l crave his death? you ask, Was he rich, and poor? Was he noted for bravery and valor, and nots Was there back in Spain Q tender hearted, soft eyed senorita? No, no, man. tell you there was no object. In truth, loved him. Together we commanded com Pany of COrtes' band Side by side we fought the MeSicans, and in dividing the spells and honor gained we quaTreled only lest the other should receive too lit. tie. No, my hate was hardly earthly. It is truo tho Spaniard fights tor little cause, but not even he murders for SO little as did ' He would, though-yes, and you. too, could you either feel the motives that impelled me. F Yes, n Spaniard, but an exception, not only to all Spaniards, but to all mankind
 You may call me mad Perhaps l was according to your conception of insan- ity. For 'tis true that no one, unless moved by an urging DO less than super. natural, unless impellcd by a craving more than human, craving in human ignorance termed insanity, could be se sensitive so finely and delieately strung in all the fbcrs of the soul, as to com init the foulest of deeds for what, Co the sane, seems so small cause But in my nature, wonderfully webbed as it was by an abnormal mind, the motive to take the life of fTiend--he was friend was more irresistible to me than the most urgent desire for revenge is to my countrylnen. Any court would convict me-iudges seldom see motives, never motives supernatural-so that in telling my story do not, cannot, expect my reader Co aCquit me, because to all the act Eill outweigh the motive But, though eliminating myself, must leave this record. It is as necessary to my happiness now as his life was then
 And why was his life necessary; Why do you askl Your mind is normal you cannot understand. Yet for the sake of the record I must continue, though sure to be misunderstood. His life, then, was necessary to my happiness because of look upon his face-an expression. nothing more. When blood flowed as was frequent wherewe were, or when a vivid image of battle was recalled to his mind, whether in stories about the campfire or in dreams that look like a specter's shroud, 1t would settle over his face 4 condition of the countenance a phenomena of the facial muscles and nerves, a mere look-that was all, bat twas that which brought his death. It was centercd in the eye, more especially in the left one.
 Perhaps pity for the slain and living wounded caused that pallor, but that was not all; no, I loved him for that. There was also dark and forebodiug mel. ancholy, chaos of haunting sorrows, No; not that either. Must l give over my attempt at justifying myselfy Oh, that l could describe that look, or that your mind were as mine. But enough; 1t is impossible, l must remain con demned in the eyes If my fellow men. To you can only say that saw there upon his face a soul destroying, living picture of the grave, which in a nature such as mine reused q ghastly sensation of horror Every cord tadiaung from the eye-the left one--c0ntracted and frightened in agony. A film such as one sometimes sees enveloping the eye of a cat, of Q slight steel blue, would partial IJ unfold itself, as the skin of toad, over the hiGeous organ It drove me to frenzy-this look Life in the tomb is preferable to the simple recollection.
 1 could beuY it no longer; to me this was decided. Then with 2 calm delib- eIateress that would do credit to the sluggish ease of Hollander. but with a scheming determination equaled by no man, I decided he must die-this friend of mine. But must suffer for his mur- der, anilmlati6n of that expression would bring no happiness, and in this schemcd. Retribution I knew would fall upon me if killed him in battle, for then there were witnesses-and in camp when we were alone together the look was not there-then I loved him. You can perceive the opportunity. l needed. That expression must be upon his face and no one near And the opportunity by my ingenuity must soon possess, for I felt within me that l could not look upon hls face m that condition again unless it be to incite mo to his destruc- ton.
 An acute sensibihty verges upon in sanity. To save my mind l must take his life. That was decided. He must diel But how?
 You would not have thought me mad had you known the oily designing with which l answered How" Cool, keen deliberatiou does not characterize mad nan-not as you picture a madman,
 That lool; must be upon his face and no one near.
 But how? had 1t. The plan was clear enough, but difficult and very dan gerous of execution. Others must inno- gently suffer bVl what weight has life