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

Ny comrade shrugged his shoulders.
Il like you. Calvert, old man." said
ne. but I'm not prepared to dance on
nothing for YOU"
1T would be simplest to toss for exit"
I said.
Precisely: but. my dear fellow. I
have both hands trussed up. and no
COIN"
PRAY let me assist you." said Garcia.
"Senor Calvert. may / trouble you for
an expression of opinion?"
He leaned over the edge of the piazza
and spun dollar into the air. watched
it with a humping heart, and when for
an instant it paused, a dazzling splash
of brightness against the red-tiled roof.
/ cried: "Heads!"
The coin fell with faint thud in the
dust a yard from my feet.
"Well?" said Methuen.
Il congratulate you. old fellow. l
swing"
He frowned and made no reply. Gar
cia's voice broke the silence. "Bueno.
Senior Methuen." he said. Il advise you
to shoot straight or you will not get
home even now. You remember l said
there was still another condition. Well,
here you are: You must cut your
friend down with a bullet before he
is quite dead, or I'll string you up be-
side him."
Methuen gave a short laugh. Re
member what said about that fellow
in The NIikado,' Calvert? You see
where the humor comes in? We've had
that coin spun for nothing. You and
must change positions"
mot at all. l take what I've earned"
But l say yes. 1t works this way:
/ took 1t that the man who was hang
ing stood a delicate chance anyway.
| and l didn't feel generous enough t0
| risk 1t. But now that the senor here
has put in the extra clause, the situa-
tion is changed altogether You aren't
a brilliant shot, old man, but you may
be able 20 cut me down with a bullet,
If you remember what you're firing for,
and shoot extra straight. But it's a
certain thing that I couldn't do it If
/ blazed away till doomsday. The ut
| most could manage would be to fluke
a pellet into your worthy self. So you
see 1 must wear the hemp. and you
| must apply your shoulder to the rifle
butt-laugh," he added, in English.
Grin and say something funny, or
these brutes will think we cared for
| them"
But I was incapable Of further
speech. l could have gibed at the
prospect of being hanged myself, but
tiS hoiIoI VI tHlS otIiST OTuJul tuTHtu
me sick and dumb. And at what fol-
lowed looked on mutely.
There was a well on one side Of the
plaza and the earless man went and
robbed the windlass of its rope With
! clumsy landSman'S fingers he formed
a moose, took 1t to the great magnolia
tree and threw the moose over the pro-
/ jecting branch. The bell of the little
white chapel opposite went on tolling
gravely. and they marched my friend
up to his fate over the sun-baked dust
They passed a thong around his
ankles, the earless man lifted the moose
to his throat: a dozen of the guerillas
with shouts Of laughter. laid hold Of the
hauling part OF the line; and then q
voice from behind fell upon my ear
Garcia was speaking to me. With q
strain dragged my eyes away from the
glare of the plaza. and listened. He
was smiling wickedly.
so your pluck has Oozed away?" he
was saying. as the cigarette smoke
welled up from between the white
walls Of his teeth. WELL Of course, II
you do not care for the game, you can
throw up your hand at once You've
only to say the word. and yu can be
dangling on that bough inside OF cou-
pie of minutes. It's quite strong enough
to carry more fruit than it bears al
ready. But it's rather hard on your
friend not to try"
My wits came to me again. "You
FOOL" l cried, how can l shoot with
my arms trussed up like this? If the
Whole thing Is not mock cut me adrift,
and give me rifle"
He beckoned to one of his men, and
the fellow came up and cut Off the
lashings from my wrists and elbows
and then, with sour smile, he mo-