Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1896-07-21
THE CABECILLA.
BY ARTHUR A. FOLSOM.

The good father was about to fin
ish the mass when the prisoner
were led before him. 1t was in ;
wild nook of the Arichulegui noun
tains. A crumbling rock, through
which a giant fig tree forced it.
twisted trunk, formed q SORT -of7im.
provised altar, over which was laic
Carlist standard with silver fringe.
Two broken pitchers were used fol
the holy vases, and when the sac
ristan, Miguel, who served the mass,
arose to change the gospels, one
could hear the cartridges rafting in
his cartridge box. All about the
soldiers of Carlos were drawn up in
silent ranks. They were kneeling
with one knee upon their white caps
and their muskets were slung in
their shoulder belts. The burning
sun Of an Easter in Navarro concen-
trated its binding heat in this rocky
hollow, where from time to time the
fight OF a blackbird disturbed the
chanting of the priest and servant.
Higher up on peak of the noun
tains the immovable silhouettes OF
the sentinels were outlined against
the clear sky.
1t was singular spectacle to wit
ness; the priest, and at the same
time war-like leader, conducting the
mass in the midst Of bis soldiers. The
double life of the man of war and the
man of the. church was easily read
upon his countenance. The ecstatic
gaze; the hard features, accentuated
by the bronzed tint of the soldier in
service; an asceticism without pal
lor; the small, black, brilliant eyes,
and the broad brow traversed by
enormous veins that seemed to knot
the thought like cords, all bespoke
the two natures in the man. Each
time that he turned towards his con-
gregation with his arms raised to
say 'Deminus Vobiscum," one could
see the uniform under his stole, and
the handle of pistol and the hilt of
a catalan knife clashed together
under his surplice.
What is he going to do with us?"
asked the prisoners among them
selves, and as they awaited the end
of the mass they recalled all the Zero
cious acts of which they had heard,
and which had given the cabecilla a
peculiar renown in the royalist
army. -.
Strange to relate, the father was
in good humor on that morning.
The open-air mass, the victory of the
preceding night and the brightness
of Easter day lent to his face a CLEAN
of Joy and goodness. AS soon as
the service was over, and while the
sacristan removed the holy vases
from the altar and replaced them in
large box which was borne on
mule back in the rear of the expedi-
ton, the cure advanced towards the
prisoners They were a dozen OF
republican rifelemen, exhausted by
day of fighting and a night OF
anguish spent upon the straw of the
sheepfold in which they had been
confined after the battle. Pale with
fear, wan with hunger, thirst and
fatigue, they huddled together like
herd of cattle in slaughter yard.
Their uniforms full of straw, their
disordered shoulder belts, the dust
that covered them from pompoms on
their caps to the tips of their yellow
shoes, all contributed to give them
that sad appearance Of the van
pushed in which the moral abaisse-
ment is betrayed by physical lassi-
tude. r..
The cabecilla glanced at them for
an instant with a little triumphal
laugh. He was not sorry to see the
soldiers of the republic humble,
weary and ragged in the midst OF
his well-eqsipped, bronzed and
healthy mountaineers.
Viva Dios, my boys" he said
kindly; the republic feeds its de-
tenders very badly You are as thin
as the wolves Of the Pyrenees when
the mountains are covered with
snow. You would be better treated
were you serving the good cause.
Would you like to try it, hermanos2
Throw away those vile caps and put
on the white beret, AS true as it is
the holy day Of Easter to them who
will cry: Long i've the kingr
win grant them life and promise
them the same fare as my soldiers. "
Before the good father had finished
al the caps were in the air and
ebo,,fo ~ ct 1-- t..a shn Ii q. pi