The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-08-12
THE HOUR AND THEM
A Tale OF Revenge.
nj ROBT. BARR
CCopvriohi, 1891, bp TIE Author.)

(copvrioht, 1891, bp TIE AuthorJ
Prince Lotarno rose slowly TO his feet, casting
one malignant glance at the prisoner before him.
you have heard, s. he said, what Is alleged
against you. Have you anything in your defence2"
The captured brIgand laughed.
1.-THE time for talk is past" he cried. This
has been a fine farce of a fair trial. You need
not have wasted so much time over what you
call evidence. knew my doom when I fell into
your hands. Killed your brother, you will kill
me. You have proven that l am a murderer
and a robber; l could prove the same of you II
YOU were bound hand and foot In my camp rs l
am bound In your castle. IL Is useless for me to
tell you that | did not know he was your brother,
else il would not have happened, for the small
robber nlways respects the larger and
more powerful thief. When n wolf is
down the other wolves devour him. |
am down, and you will have my head
cut off or my body drawn asunder in your
courtyard, whichever pleascs your Excellency
best. 1t Is the fortune Of war, and l do not com
plain. When I say that am sorry l killed
your brother I merely mean l am sorry you
were not the man who stood in his shoes when
the shot was fired. You, having more men than
I had, have scattered my followers and cap
tured me. You may do with me what you
please. My consolation Is that the killing OF me
will not bring to life the man who is shot; there
fore. conclude the farce that has dragged
through so many weary hours. Pronounce my
sentence. l am ready"
There was a moments silence after the brigand
had ceased speaking. Then the Prince said In
low tones. but in a voice that made itself heard
in every part of the judgment hall:
Your sentence is that on the 10Th Of Janu-
airy you shall be taken from your cell at 1 o'clock,
conducted to the room Of execution, and there
beheaded."
The Prince h~esitated for a moment as he con-
Cluded the sentence. and seemed about to add
something more, but apparently he remembered
that n report OF the trial was to go before the
King, whose representative was present, and he
was DESTROYS that nothing should go on the
records which savored Of old-time malignity;
for 1t was well known that his Majesty had
u particular aversion to the old forms Of tor
ture that had obtained heretofore In his king
dom. Recollecting this, the Prince sat down.
The brigand laughed again. His sentence
was evidently not so grewsomo as he had eX-
pected. He was a man who had lived all his life
in the mountains, and he had no means of know
ing that more merciful measures had been in
troduced into the policy OF the Government.
IL will keep the appointment" he said. "un-
less I nave a more pressing engagement"
The brigand was led away to his cell. 1T
hope" said the Prince. that you noted the de-
liant attitude Of the prisoner"
II have not failed to do so. your Excellency."
replied the Ambassador.
81 think" said the Prince, that his treat
ment has been most merciful."
~ am certain, your Excellency." said the AM
bassador. that his Majesty will be Of the same
opinion. For such a miscreant beheading Is too
easy q DEATH"
The Prince was pleasedto know that the opin-
ion Of the Ambassador conceded so entirely
with his own.
The brigand Toza was taken TO q cell In the
northern tower. where. by climbing on q bench,
he could get q view of the profound valley, at
the mouth of which the castle was situated.
He well knew its impregnable position. COM
manding, as 1t did, the entrance TO the valley.
He knew also that II he succeeded in escaping
from the castle, he was hemmed in by noun
tains practically unscalable, while the mouth of
the gorge was 80 well guarded by the castle that
it was impossible to get to the outer world
through that gateway. Although he knew the
mountains well. he realized that, with his band
scattered, many killed, and the others fugitives,
he would have q better chance of starving to
death in the valley than Of escaping out Of IL.
He sat on the bench and thought over the situa-
ton. Why had the Prince been so mercifuli
He had expected torture, whereas he was to
meet the easiest death that a man could die. He
felt satisfied there was something In this that
he could not understand. Perhaps they in
tended to starve him to death, now that the ap-
pearance of a fair trial was over. Things could
be done in the dungeon OF a castle that the out
side world knew nothing OF. His fears OF starva-
ton were speedily put to an end by the appear
ance of his jailer with a better meal than he had
had for some time. for during the last week he
had wandered q fugitive in the mountains until
captured by the Princes men, who evidently
had orders to bring him in alive. Why then
were they so anxious not to kill him in q fair
fight II he were now to be merely beheadedf
"what Is your namef ~ asked ToZa-
81 am called Paulo." was the answer.
"Do you know that 1 am to be beheaded on
the fifteenth OF the month";"
~ have heard So" answered the man.
"And do you attend me until that timef"
81 attend you while / am ordered 70 do 80. II
you talk much. l may be replaced"
THAT, then, is a tip for silence, good Paulo,"
said the brigand. II always treat well those
who serve me- well; / regret, therefore, that I
have no money with me, and 80 cannot recon-
pense you for good service"
THAT is not necessary" answered Paulo, II
receive my recompense from the steward"
"Ah, but the recompenss OF the steward and
the recompense OF a brigand chief are two very
different things. Are there so many picktngs In
your position that you arc rich, Paulof :"
mo, | am u poor man."
"well, under certain circumstances I could
make you rich"
Psulo's eyes glistened, but he made no direct
reply. Finally he said In a frightened whisper:
II have tarrled too long; / am watched. BY
and by the vigilance will DO relaxed, and then
we may perhaps talk OF riches"
With that the jailer took his departure. The
brigand laughed softly To himself. Evidently"
lie said, "Paulo is not above the reach OF q
bribe. We will have further talk on the sub
ject when the watchfulness is relaxed"
And so IL grew TO be a question Of which
should trust the other. The brigand asserted
that hidden in the mountains he had gold and
Jewels. and these no would give TO Paulo II he
could ~contriye his escape from the castle.