Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-10-10


do not know 10 this hour, and the only
sound was that of distant reVelry from the
camp.
"And now to the work." said 10 Oto-
mle.
"As you wish, husband, but I fear 1t
will be proftless. I do not trust that wo'
man. Faithless in all, without doubt she
betrays US. Still at the worst ycu have
the sword and can use it.
'ft matters little" answered. "Our
plight cannot be worse than 1t is now.
Life has no greater evils than torment and
death, and they are with us already"
Then sat upon tho stool, and my arms
being left sound and strong hacked with
tho sharp sword at the wooden bars OF the
window, severing them one by one TIL
there was o space big enough for us to
creep through. This being done and no
one having appeared to disturb us, Otomie
clad mo In the clothes Of Spanish sol
dier which Marina had brought for !
could not dress myself What suffered
In tho donning Of those garments and
more especially In pulling Of the long boot
on to my burned foot con mover be told,
but more than once I stopped, pondernas
whether 1t would not be better to die rath-
er than to endure such agonies- At last
it was done, and Otomie must put on the
red and yellow robe, o garb Of shame such
as many an honest Indian woman would
die sooner than be seen In, and think
that as she did this her agony was greater
than mine, though Of another sort, for to
her proud heart that dress was very shirt
q ann
minced before me with savage mockery,
saying: ..,
s'Prithee, soldier, do look my partr'
IA peace to such fooling," answered.
"Our lives are at stake How does it mat
! ter how we disguise ourselresF
stIt matters much, husband, but how
can you understand, who are man and
foreignerr Now will Chamber through
the window, and you must follow me II
you can. If not, will return to you, and
we will end this masquerade.
Then she passed through the hole swift
II, for Otomie was agile and strong as an
ocelot, and mounting the stool made
shift to follow her as well as my hurts
would allow. In the end I was able to
throw myself upon the sill of the window,
and there I was stretched out like dead
cat till she drew me across 1t, and tcll
with her to the ground on the farther side
and lay groaning Sho lifted me to my
feet, or rather to my foot, for could use
but ono of them, and we stared round US:
| No one was to be seen, and the sound OF
revelry had died away, for the crest of Pc.
DO was already red with the sunlight and
the dawn grow in the valley.
Where to-" said.
Now, Otomio had been allowed to walk
in the camp with her sister, the wife OF
Guatemoc, and other Aztec ladies, and
she had this gift in common with most
Indians-that whcro she had oncc passed
there she could pass again, even In the
darkest night
''To the south gatc," sho whispered.
'sPerhaps it is unguarded now that the
war is done. At tho least, I know the road
thither.
So we started, leaning on her shoulder
and hopping on my right foot, and thus
rery painfully we truversed some 300 yards,
meeting nobody. But now our good LUCK
failed us, for passing round the corner OF
some buildings we came face to face with
three soldiers returning to their huts from,
q midnight revel and with them some No
tive servants.
"Whom have we here'" said the first OF
these. Your name comrade.
"Good light, brother good night I
answered in Spanish, speaking with the
thick voice of drunkenness.
'Good morning, you mean, no said,
for the dawn was breaking. Your nameF
dont know your face, though 1t seems
that you have been In the wars" And he
laughed :,
you mustn't ask q comradc his name, "
said solemnly and swinging to and fro.
"The captain might send for me, and he's
temperate man. Your arm, girl Ii is
time to go to sleep. Tho sun SETS"
They laughed, but one Of them address
ed Otomte, saying:
Leave tho sot, my pretty, nnd come
and walk with u.s. And he caught her
BY the arm. But she turned on him with
so fierce look that no let her go again,
astonished, and we staggered on till the
corner of another house hid US from their
view. Hero I sank to tho ground over
como with pain, for while tho soldiers wore
in sight I was obliged to use my wounded
foot lest they should suspect. But Oto-
mic pulled mo up, saying:
''Alas, beloved, We must pass on or per
ish."
rose groaning, and By what efforts 1
reached the south gate cannot describe,
though thought that must die before
came thcrc. At last 1t was before Us, and,
as chance would havo it. the Spanish
guard were asleep In the guardhouse
Three Tlascalans only were crouohed over
q little fro, their serapes or blankets about
their heads, for tho dawn was chilly.
"Open the gates, dogsr' I said In a
proud voice
Seeing q Spanish soldier, ono o. them
rose to obey, then paused and saidi
.Why and by whose orders'"
could not SEQ tho mans face because
Of tho blanket, but his voioe sounded fa-
miusr to me, and grow afraid Still I
must speak
"Wby1 Because am drunk and wish
! 10 lie without till I grow sober. By whose
orders, BY mine am On off1cef of the
day, and If you disobey III have you fog
ged till you mover esk another question "
''Shall l call the Teules withins" said
the man sulkily to his companion.
"No," he answered "The Lord Sarce-
de Is weary and gavo orders that he should
not be awakened without good cs1sa
Keep them in or let them through, as you
will, but do not wake him"
I trenbled in every limb. Do Garcia
was in the guardhouse! What If he awe ke'
What If he calnc out and saw moS MSTe,
now guessed whose voico it was thas l
knew again. 1t was that Of one Of tilose
Tlascalans who had aided in tormenting
me. What il ne should SEQ my face' Flo
could scarcely fail to know that on which
he had left his mark so recently. ~ns
dumb with fear and could say nothing,
and had it not been for the wit of OtorIie
thcrc my story would have ended. But
now she played her part and played y well,
plying tho man with the coarse rail!onS of
the camp till ut length she put HIN ta o
good humor, and no opened the gata bid
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