Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-05

believe that he meant 10 lie there, that
10 could be ended 50 without q word, that
tho man In the linen suit would not get
up and continue TO walk on over the
hills. as he apparently started 10 do-to
his home; that there was not a mistake
somewhere. or that at least some one
would be sorry or say something or run
10 pick him up.
But. fortunately, he did not need help,
ana the priests returned-the younger
one with the tears running down his
face-and donned their vestments and
read n brief requiem for his soul while the
squad stood uncovered. and the men in
hollow square shook their accoutrements
into place and shifted their pieces and
got ready for the order 10 march, and the
band began again with the same quickstep
which the arrival Of the prisoner had
interrupted The figure still lay on the
grass untouched and no one seemed to
remember that It had walked there it
self, or notice that the cigarette still
burned. "a tiny ring Of living fire, at the
place where the figure had first stood.
The figure was a thing Of the past, the
squad shook itself like a great snake,
then broke into little pieces and started
off jauntily, stumbling in the high grass
and striving 10 keep step to the music.
The officers led it past the figure In
the linen suit, and so close to it that the
file closest had to part with the column
TO avoid treading on IT, Each soldier
as he passed. turned and looked down on
IL, some craning their necks curiously,
others giving careless glance and some
without any interest at all, as they
would have looked at a house by the
roadside, or a passing cart, or hole IN
the road. one young soldier caught his
foot in a trailing vine and fell forward
lust opposite to IT, He grew very red
when his comrades giggled at him for
his awkwardness. The crowd fell in on
either side Of the band. They had for
gotten II, too. and the priests put their
vestments back I'm the bag and wrapped
their heavy cloaks about them and hur-
ried off after the others.
Every one seemed 10 have forgotten IL
except two men who came slowly to-
wards it from the town driving bull
lock-cart that bore an unplaned coffin
They were sitting on the coffin, talking
together. each with O. cigarette between
his lips and with his throat wrapped In
a shawl to keep out the morning mists.
That moment the sun. which had shown
some promise Of its coming i'm the glow
above the hills, shot uD suddenly from
behind them in all the splendOr Of the
~
filed the air with warmth and light.
The bayonets Of the retreating column
flashed in it, and at the sight Of # a
rooster i'm a farm-yard near by crowed
vigorously, and a doz,a busles answered
the challenger with brisk, CHEEKY notes
and reveille; from all parts Of the city
the church bells tangled out the call for
early mass, and the whole world of santa
Clara seemed TO stir and stretch itself
and to wake TO welcome the day just
BEGUN.
But as 1 fell IN az the rear Of the pro-
cesslon and looked back, the figure Of
the young Cuban. who was no longer a
part Of the world OF Santa Clara, was
asleep in the wet grass with his notion
less arms still tightly bound behind him.
with the scapula twisted awry across
his face and the blood from his breast
sinking in the soil he had tried to free.