The record-union., 1894-06-16

ing and going of great numbers OF the
negroes. Those who came, invariably
brought supplies of food and weapons OF
every conceivable kind which were stored
within the palisade. which was never
opened save To provide Miguel with food
or for the storage of these savage imple-
ments of death.
Savage indeed were thew, but still gro
tesque. There were hundreds upon hum
| dredS of guabrahaca clubs, knotted at the
top, each as heavy as iron, and many
| were fitted with scraps of Jagged metal.
Piled beside these were hundreds more
| OF the heavy sickle-like knives in use on
| the plantations in cutting cane for the
! mills. There were ScytheS set in rude
| handles wound with espartillo grass,
huge hoes, useless old carbines. ancient
swords, worn out pistols, stilettos Iand
| tield-knives innumerable, and, moro
deadly than all, murderous machetes by
the hundreds. with scores of torches
ready for the lighting, all cunningly alb
stracted from near and far plantations
and bought in stealth to this mountain
arsenal by night.
On the morning of the fourth day
! Miguel was taken from his prison TO the
hut of Cangalito. The thongs was re-
| moved from his arms, and he stood there
in the dark cabin wondering what new
| calamity was to befall him as the bla elk
| chieftain entered.
Filled as he was with the terror of his
situation, he could not help but admire
| the physical stature of this dreaded leader
| OF the Aguacate blacks. He was truly
! kingly for an African. With limbs, arms
and body of a giant, his face and head
were marvelously Caucasian in mold and
| poise, while his mouth and eyes gave his
fine features an expression of calm and
| kindly benignity. More than this, his
voice was music itself, deep, rich and So
norous, tender beyond any human tones
the youth had ever heard.
II would speak with you Miguel" said
| Cangalito, motioning his prisoner to a
seat upon fresh carpet of milk-white
| lengua de vaca grass.
He had spoken in his own tongue, and
! Miguel unconsciously answered him in
! the same languages:
Il am helpless 10 prevent any wish of
Cangalito's."
The huge African bowed his head as if
in thought for a moment. Then he spoke
to Miguel in Spanish and with quick
| gestures of his arm towards a pile OF
| brushwood and tagots lying upon a
table-like rock. through fssure of
which the dead trunk OF a guabrahaca
| tree rose like gray silhouette against the
| blue sky.
''Senor for your machete's blow upon
! Pietro's body, that was to have been your
end"
Horrible. horribler % exclaimed Mig
uel shuddering at the thought of so
dreadful death within sight of his own
| home.
mo more horrible" returned Canga-
| Ito tiercely, than the endless torture of
my brethren by their inhuman mastersii
| The man had instantly changed his
manner of benignity to that of an aveng-
| ing demon and Miguel quailed before
| him.
but the end will soon come," he re-
sumed placidly after little time. PA
ciencia, Caugalito. paciencia ~ And then
kindly and redectively again Miguel,
you speak my native tongue 2"
''Inditferently."
'Inditferently is much,' he muttered.
And Spanish, of course? ?''
"Ye es, Cangalito.'
And the English?"
Fairly well.'
1.-THE French?"
still betIer.'
And perhaps know something of Latin
| and Greek?'
LAS taught in the University of Ha-
vana; yes"
.''rhese will all be some time required
at our COURT" he continued as if thinking
aloud. Then he quickly arose, took
Miguel by the hand, and uttered the one
word. "Come!'
They wound in and out of the cabins
and open spaces among countless groups
OF half-naked blacks VINO lay in every
conceivable attitude of indolent repose iii
the sunshine and shadow OF the noun
tain summit.
These are but few," Cangalito said
quietly.
Then they proceeded to the outskirts of
the camp. Where the ascending rocky
sides stopped at the edges of the almost
II II, +f,o,,
yaux-de-frise OF guards. Each black lay
flat on the earth among the tangled ferns
and grasses, each within arms length OF
another, and each with a cleaning ma
chete III his grasp; while the single en-
trance to the almost impregnable strong
hold, through which Miguel had unwit-
tingly entered, was massed with blacks,
their naked skins rejecting the dapples
of sunshine, here and there breaking
through the branches above, like po-
lished ebony.
And all these are still but a few,
Miguel Let me show you how many
there are. They are like the leaves upon
the trees, the drops OF water in the clouds,
or the spikes upon the impossible
hedges!"
He led the youth upon the high rock
beside the unlighted pyre. From where
they stood all that can be seen from Ma
naca Isnaga's top could be clearly dis
cerned, and even more. The coffee and
cane-felds OF the Aguacate region then
swarmed with from $4,000 to 10000 toiling
blacks.
'At noon of Tharsday-your Holy
| Thursday, Miguel, when the masters of
these are mocking the true God with
their prayers. their professions, their
feasts and their debaucheres-my breth-
rem. ah, my childrenr' he added with
thrilling pathos in his tones. will in one
instant exchange slavery and torture for
freedom and peacer'
with the knife aud the torch 20 gasped
Miguel, straining his eyes toward The red
roof-peaks of his fathers plantation
home
You comprehend me-" returned Can
galito with a CLEAN of satisfaction in his
splendid eyes.
Are none to be spared ?"
No white male; not one."
"And the women? ?' groaned the hor-
ror-stricken youth, as he thought of his
mother and sisters at La Delicia.
Are to be parceled among those who
have won their freedom at the point of
the sword"
Miguel grasped the dead trunk of the
guabrahaca tree for support, but sank
upon the fagots at its foot.
"Jesu, Mariau' he at last exclaimed
pitifully. why did you not mercifuliy
take my life before adding this torture %,
Miguel need not die,'' Cangalito re-
turned with smile of assurance. "La
Delicia and those within it may be spared
if Cangalito so willsI''