Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-04-06

And th7t night Baptiste went up to
Mexican Joe's. They gave him drink
out of sheer terror, for he scared their
white souls with his eyes. And he
talked and muttered and the tears ran
down his face. Then one of the MeXi-
cans, known as Pete, thought he had
softened and was chicken-hearted and
he began to fool with him. Just then
the round moon got up on the white
plateau and stared at the plain, which
was so lonely save for the military
post and the place where they sold
drink. And as the lights began to
blink against the moonlight Pete be-
gan to laugh at Jean. Then Mexican
Joe sent off to the fort, and the guard
came out at the double, with Jack
among them. They We're just in time
to see murder done; for Jean caught
Pete and broke his black neck with his
hands. And back-handed he struck
Mexican Joe in the mouth; he fell chok
ing with teeth and his own knife cut
him, and Jack came in running. But
Jean was insane and blazing, and when
poor Jack took him by the arm he
looked red to Jean and the Frenchman
caught him by the waist and dashed the
boys brains out on the log wall. Then
the Corporal, who was white as a dried
alkali lake, struck Jean on the neck
with the butt of n gun and felled him.
But Jack and Pete were dead They
had to carry Jean to the guardhouse,
and it was dawn before he came to.
He knew nothing and he asked for
Jack Robertson, and he was so down
and so sorrowful that it made the men
pity him.
"Who shall tell hm?" they asked
each other, and no one would.
But as Jack wouldn't come Jean be-
gan to think, and n dull, stupefying ter
ror came crawling into his mind. Was
it true, or a bloody Imagination of a
dream? he asked himself, dry-tongued.
And presently he wept out aloud and
hung mt the heavy door and shook it.
He asked them whether it was true-oh,
was it true?
"Are you there, WinterT" he asked
of one of the men.
yes, yes, JEAN said Winter, chok
ing.
rs it true that-that | killed Jack.
Winter? If it is true, don't answer"
And Winter sat on one of the guards
beds with his face down. He never
spoke, and Jean groaned like IL man
in his great agony
He neither ate nor drank, nor spoke
again that day, and then the night drew
on, and the moon got up again, and she
looked down on two new mounds-one
was out at the back of Mexican Joe's
and the other was in the little, white
rallied military cemetery where men
were buried who died of hanging and
bullets and cut-throats when they were
tired of Uncle Sans outpost duty. But
Jean was locked up close in hell
But at Mexican Joe's there was a
great gathering, and they drank 10
Jeans hanging and told of Black Pete's
exploits at thieving and the knife
for the news had gone abroad. and Joe
corralled the half dollars that night
until it was close on L.. Then there
was change in their entertainment
The devil entered in.
About II 80 there were only two men
in the guardroom, and they were lying
on the benches dressed and asleep.
jean was walking up and down his cell
once or twice he came to the door and
felt it, Then he went back and meas
ured the distance from the wall. 1t was
only nine feet. 1t was enough
That long day had torn him in bits;
his eyes We're ringed with black cir
cles; his cheeks We're sunken; he had a
gnawing pain at the back of his head
He could stand ii no longer. He rushed
at the door with his shoulders and car
ried it into the middle of the guard
room. AS the men started to their feet
Jean seized a carbine and a belt of
cartridges and disappeared through the
open door leading to the main fort. and
ran down the road to Mexican Joe's.
He hadn't got time to go to Montreal.
The light in the shanty shone through
the windows and the door-the one
door. The MeXicans stood up against
ihe bul' lic saw -hcNlCdu joe Sldlulls
there toothless. He shot him dead
through the door as they turned. lie
killed six as they stood or wavered.
two more as they dropped for shelter
or ran. Two more he struck down with
his rifle dubbed. And then, with two
bullets in him and a bowie-knife in his
breast, he went slowly TO the cemetery.
When the guard hunted him up there
he was lying dead upon Jacks grave
London Graphic.
A Beautiful Black Diamond.