The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-05-20

upop. I snapped down the sights, put
the butt-plate to my shoulder and cud-
died the stock with my cheek. Here
for the first time was a chance of some-
thing steadier than a snap shot.
/ pressed home the trigger as the
well-rope reached one extremity OF It's
swing. Again few loose ends sprang
from the rope, and again the body be-
gan slowly to gyrate. But was 1t
Methuen was firing to save or was
merely wasting shot to cut down
mass Of cold dead clay?
think that more agony was COM
pressed for me into q. few minutes then
than most men meet with In life
time. Even the overlooking gueri!las
were so stirred that for the first time
their gliding ceased, and two or them
Of their own accord handed me cart
ridges. / slipped one home and closed
the breech- block. The perspiration was
running in Il stream from my chin.
Again | fired. Again the well-rope was
shipped. and l could see the loosened
strands ripple out as q snake unwraps
itself from branch.
One more shot God in Heaven! |
missed why was ! made to be muir
derer like this? Garcia's voice came to
me coldly. Your last chance. senor.
l can be kept waiting here no longer
And think you are wasting time Your
friend seems to have quilted us al
ready"
Another cartridge. I sank to one
knee and rested my right elbow on the
other. The plaza was hung in breath
less silence. Every eye was strained
to see the outcome Of the shot The
men might he inhuman in their cruelty
but they were human enough In their
curiosity.
The body scan to enc end Of its
| swing: ! held my fire. 1t swung
back, and the rifle muzZle followed
Like some mournful pendulum it passed
through the air, and then a glow OF cer-
tainty filled me like a drink. I knew
could not miss that time; and fired;
and the body in q. limp and shapeless
heap fell TO the ground.
With a cry threw the rifle from me,
and raced across the sunlit dust. Not
| an arm was stretched cut to stop me-
Only when I had reached my friend
! and loosened that horrible ligature from
his neck did 7 hear voices clamoring
over my fate.
"And now .his other Inglese, your
excellency." the earles man said, shall
we shoot him from here, or shall we
string him up in the others placer"
But the answer was not what the fell
low expected. Garcia replied to him on
shrek Of passion. You slaughter
ing brute" he cried, another offer like
that and I'll pistol you where you stand.
You heard me pass my word do you
dream that couud break it? They
have had their punishment, and If we
see one another again. the meeting will
be none Of my looking for We leave
this 2uebla in five minutes. See to
your duties. Co."
| The words came to me duly through
| the heated air. l was almost mad with
| the thought that my friend was dead.
and that the fault was mine, mine, mine
alone!
I listened for his breaths: they did
not come. / felt for a heart-throb:
there was not so much as futter. His
neck was scared by ghastly ring. His
face was livid. And yet 1 would not
admit even then that he was dead
With cry seized his arms and moved
them first above his head till he looked
, like man about to dive, and then
clapped them against his sides; re-
peating this an infinite number of
times; praying that the air l drew
through his lungs might blow against
some smouldering spark of humanity
| and kindle 1t once more into life.
The perspiration rolled from me: my
mouth was as a sand-pit; the heavy
scent of the magnolia blossoms above
sickened me with its strength; the sight
| departed from my eyes. l could see
nothing beyond small circle of the hot
dust around which waved and danced
in the sunlight and the little green
lizards which came and looked at me
curiouly and forgot that l wa human
And ther of a udden my comrade
gave sob, and his chest began to heave
of itself without my laborious aid. And
after that for awhile l knew very little
more. The sun-baked dust danced
more wildly in the sunshine; the liz