The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-01-15
U UPpE M A. i, JA Il NC

Tile girl, carrying heavy vase Of wine
and bouquet of heliotrope. AS the
child passed between the soldiers, a
sergeant thrust his rifle barrel in her
way, but a young lieutenant put it
aside with his sword, and smiled down
upon her as she went fearlessly for
ward, and, lifting her olive-tinted face,
handed La Costa the wine.
The Cuban took it from her and
stood bareheaded in the fierce sunlight,
a picturesque scarccrow of a man, un-
kempt and ragged, but with the grace
OF Old CASTLE showing in every move
ment. Then, after touching the vase
with his lips, he passed it to Marshall,
and picking the child up, kissed her
Oh either cheek as he took the flowers
from the little brown hand.
''Pobre La Costo, pobre Americana,
dele uno tambien (give him one too),''
she said, and, placing her gently on the
ground again, with a ''Grac:as, nina
mia," he smiled as he handed the Amer
lean spray Of the scented blossom.
Marshall felt his eyelids quiver, and
a kind of gasping sob rose from the
crowd; but at sharp word of COM
mand the dusty troops moved forward
down the winding street. A cracked
bell began to toll, and, as its harsh vi
brations rose on the heated air, deep
silence fell on the spectators, the jingle
of arms and tramp of heavily shod feet
sounding hollow and strange.
"It is the good priests of Santa Mar
ia; they say the mass for our rest, y
said La Costa quietly to his compan-
ion, crossing himself as he spoke.
By-and-by the troops swung out in
to the wide sunlit plaza, where, at the
head of 4 scanty battalion of Cazadores,
4 little stout colonel of infantry waited
their coming. ''Stand the dogs there.
You have ten minutes to make
ready, and then you die. First you
shall see where you lead your follow
ers," was all he said in answer to Mar
shall's protests that he was an Ameri-
can citizen, and the two were rudely
thrust back.
The scene was striking one. Three
double lines of Cazadores formed the
sides of hollow square, the front rank
facing outwar(s towards the restless
crowd, the rear turning inwards with
rifles at the shoulder A seething mob
surged to and fro beyond. Every flat
housetop swarmed with spectators,
while against the white wall of the
church of Santa Marta, when formed
the fourth side of the square, stood
four ragged peasants with handerchiefs
bound round their eyes, whose crime
might have been the destroying OF
bridges or possibly the supplying OF
starving fugitvcs with food and shell
ter. Every weathered tile, and the
gray households along the red roof
stood out with sharpness against the
azure. The intense sunlight lit up
every detail of the stained white cloth
ing of the trembling wretches who wait
ed their end, the lofty cross over the
gable of the church throwing black
shadow upon the hot flags at their feet.
course that bell-will it never
cease?" said the officer, as the monoto.
nous jarring note filled the plaza with
it's vibrations. Then La Costa turned
towards the crowd, but before he could
speak, a sergeant smote him in the face
with the hilt of his sword-bayonet and
the blood flowed from his mouth.
An angry cry and a hiss broke from
the mob, and they surged wildly for:
ward, snatching out their knives, only
to recoil again before the flashing line
of steel as the CaZadores bayonets came
down ut the charge to the level their
breasts.
Now the time had come, and theil
was no possible escape, the American
felt all hesitation drop from him, and
as the odor ofincense driftcd out, ming
led with the sound ofthc organ, priest
in his vestments stepped forth from the
shadowy interior and strobe towards
the colonel.
"Stop-in the name of the church
it is sacrilcge-and thou shalt do nc
MURDER" he said tearlessly; but the
plump colonel only laughed, cruelty
answering:
81 do justice and not MURDER" then
turning aside disdanfully, gave he or
Ger: axe tll;lI man away.
Two Cazadores forced the indignant
padre back, and great hush fell or
the crowd. Breathing hard, Marshal
listened to the sound of the chanting
and the drone of the organ, while the
harsh tones of the bell grated on his
quivering nerves. Then the rifle bar
rels flashed in the sunlight and came
home to the shoulder with rattle
the colonel dropped his sword point
and voice called "Tira!'
A crackle of red flame blaZed out
followed by the crash of a volley as the
rifle muzzles jerked upwards, and a
heavy wreath of blue smoke rolled
across the faces of the crowd. Mar
shall felt the blood stand still in his
veins, and for moment dared not turn
his head. When he did so, he saw one