The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-07-09
CHAPTER III.
THE WAY OF EcrApn


During the night which should have
preceded his execution Alfonso Bacas
had received visit from the parish
! priest of Salem, who duly performed his
spiritual offices Then, having been ask
ed II he desired any special favor before
going to execution, he begged for a bot
tie OF brandy, which was brought to
him by permission of the civil and mil
itary authorities-that is to say, of Don
Luis. The half Of this brandy served TO
hll gourd which the prisoner had in
his cell; the rest he offered to the senti-
mel charged to keep watch over him.
The soldier began to make excuses, but
Alfonso insisted so pleasantly that the
other did not know how to refuse with
out giving last insult to q comrade so
near death.
The sentinel then accepted it through
propriety, drank it through civility and
ended by going to sleep through the eff
fects. Bacas lost no time in laying hold
OF the helpless man and dragging him
into his cell. Then he mounted guard
in his place. This was at O'Clock in
the morning
Alfonso had scarcely time to take up
his position when the night patrol was
heard coming to relieve guard. The
condemned man struck his forehead in
despair. In exchanging the password he
could not fail to be recognized. Moth
ing short of miracle could save him.
Flight was impossible, so he waited.
The sergeant who commanded thu pa
troll was sort Of half caste who had
come, nobody knew why, from the Ar
gentine Republic, to which, for reasons
best known to himself, he showed no
desire to return. Fortunately this man
knew very little Portuguese, and as soon
as Alfonso recognized him he came to
the conclusion that IL would not be very
difficult to outwit him. In fact, the
change Of guard was made without any
trouble, and Alfonso ready to drop from
fright followed haltingly behind his
three or four comrades in order to
continue the patrol and return to the
guardhouse. But it was precisely this
return to the guardhouse which consti-
tuted his most formidable danger.
So far there was nothing to fear. The |
half caste and the soldiers were half |
asleep as they walked; but If, as always |
happens, there should be a single one |
awake among those at the post all would
be lost.
Alfonso mt once took a final resolu-
ton. The patrol marched in an orderly
fashion along the ramparts. The fort of
Salem had never undergone siege, and
yet, most luckily for him, there existed
On the eastern side Of the Notifications a
'ort Of breach, commenced by the sun
md continued by time the most irwin
,iblc enemy of all.
The ramparts, formed of earth held
ogether by bricks, had at this point
lightly fallen away, and, though il
would have been difficult to climb up
his way into the citadel from the steep
less Of the activity, still q desperate
nan might make the attempt of roll
ng down to the bottom at the risk
4 breaking his head. On every other
ide Of the fort Alfonso would have
cen obliged to use thick rope In or
er to descend from the ramparts and
mis- was not the moment TO 10 and try
D get one. As TO the gates, they were
'ell guarded, for Don Lnis vagaert had
DO little 10 do not to have introduced n
cry severe discipline into what he
allied his army.
At tba "orpspt then, that tbs nstrcl