The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-17

were restored by those arts of healing to
Mexieans known so we'll, they wero carried,
handcuifed In pairs, into Saltlllo and
thence to Salado. ,
Tho hoary walls OF tho old hacienda
looked down in sinister strength as tho
thinnod ranks filed in. Eight Mexioans
were outside digging trench. Ned ox-
changed look with Harvey, his oompan-
Ion In irons, and whispered, THAT means
death. " lie was not wrong A 3 o'clock
OF the same day tho prisoners were ordered
out and ranged In double line against ono
OF tho walls.
n The officer in command thon read tho
written decree of Santa Anna president
Of Mexico, decree which pronounced for
these men fate so ingenious In its tor
turo to mind and body that 1t might have
boon conceived In tho subtle brain Of
Hcrod.
Every tenth man was to be killed, the
decision to DO made by lottery. Into q
jar We're to be dropped 17O beans-l53
white and II black
Each man was to take out bean Those
drawing the black ones were to bo shot.
before the sun went down; the rest spared
death, but retained as prisoners
On March 20 the roll was called
As each hand was slowly lifted and
poised for ono single instant above tho
mouth of tho jar lifo and death must
have met and made salute.
The game was for souls, and tho die
was u Mexican bean.
Fosters name was called near the last,
and hc carelessly dropped in his left hand
v it'll pcrchanco u rcminiscence of childish
days when he had d1uo such things for
luck" and found he had picked up white
bean.
As ho returned to his place Harvey
passed him, and Ned saw in the white
drawn face of his friend no sign Of fear,
, but tho montal anguish of Gothscmane.
What was 1t he had said last night in
ono Of tho puuse5 of that long march?
That perhaps even now n 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 ho had experienced
Ned looked at tho smooth white oval of
the vegetable seed in his hand and made
q resolve. ..
When ho looked up, Harvey was Just
raising his hand. Ned noticed how it
tremblcd.
When tho fingers were withdrawn there
was something black outlined against
their bloodloss tips.
The change in his face was as of death.
| With quick movement toward his
fri nj Foster made IA sudden thrust and
gesture, and-how it was done no one
cuuit over explain-but after the slight
| coht.tsion and pcremptory orders to fall in
! line hnrvey was seen standing in his old
place, staring with bewildered gaze at q
white object in his open hand, and Ned,
erect and calm, with brow of more than
! nj al hn al al -
death. -.-
| As soon as Harvey rcgained control of
| his confused faculties he mado fransic,
pitiablo efforts to communicate with his
| friend, but was silonced at the point of a
muskot and compelled to throw himself
face downward with the rest, while the
| II doomed men were led forth, bound to-
| gethcr with cords, their eyes bandaged,
and shot repeatedly until life was extinct.
They asked the privilege of being shot
from the front, but were refused and
nlnde to sit upon log near tho wall with
their backs to the oxecutloncrs
| Six wero taken out first, then six more,
and then five.
! Darkness fell like great funeral pail
as tho last shots were fired, and stars she'd
their holy candle rays upon the dead-the
dishonored dcad-lying in one great heap,
] body piled atop of body.
There live today those whose eyes look.
ed upon that sccno, and although tho suns
of more than SO summons have since
swung above tho fort, and rains beaten
upon it, and winds tanned its rugged
sides. it stands today and will stand for
all the tomorrows, grim and changelcss,
In eternal penance, marking tho spot of a
| butchery so inhuman that 1t is worthy to
mate with the murderOus deeds of Nero.
II was not until months had passed.
4 months spent in irons in the Castle Perote,
City Of Moxioo-that Harvey Armstrong
was released and permitted to roturn home
to his wife and child.
And what u changed and saddened man
1t was who held that wife in his arms and
looked down through tears upon the face of
his frstbUrnl
ScrvilG labor and hardships had whitencd
his locks and weakened his frame, and
thoughts unspeakably sad had aged and
furrowed his brow
Whom he told Nellie about Ned, sho hid
hor face upon his breast Not even to her
husband must no told tho secret OF that
loyal heart which woman's intuition re-
vealcd to her SO long ago.
Looking up through tears, she repeated
In awcstruck tones:
''Greator love hath no man than this,
that man may lay down his life for his
friends, and softly laying the child in its
fathers arms she slipped out OF the room.
Their little daughter had been born on
tie evening of that fateful day, March 26,
and it was Il loving oonceit OF the parents
that tho buby soul, coming down from
God, had met that other soul ascending
aud bcon baptized in Its immortal beauty
and radiauce.-Million.