Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-07-13
CHAPTER III.

"You buried him alive?" For a mo-
ment l was too stunned to act. Then
hurled myself upon the man, as he sat,
with that placid smile of his upon his
lips, and would have torn his throat
out had the three wretches not dragged
me away from him. Again and again
l made for him, painting and cursing,
shaking off this man and that, strain
ing and wrenching, but never quite
free. At last, with my jacket nearly
torn off my back and the blood dripping
from my wrists, was hauled back
wards in the blight of rope and cords
passed around my ankles and my
arms.
"You sleek hound" cried. IF ever
l have you at my swordspoint will
teach you to maltreat one of my lads.
You will find, you bloodthirsty beast,
that my emperor has long arms, and,
though youlie here like a rat in it's hole,
the time will come when he will tear
you out of it, and you and your vermin
will perish together" My faith, 1 have
rough side to my tongue, and there
was not a hard word that l had learned
in fourteen campaigns which did not
let fly at him, but he sat with the han
die Of his pen tapping against his fore
head and his eyes squirting up at the
roof as If he had conceived the idea of
some new stanza. 1t was this occupa-
ton of his which showed me how 1
might get my point into him. "You
spawn" said 1, ''you think that you are
safe here, but your life may be as short
as that of your absurd verses, and God
knows it could not be shorter than
that"
Oh, you should have seen him bound
from his chair when l had said the
words. This vile monster, who dis
pensed death and torture as grocer
serves out figs, had one raw nerve
which, could prod at pleasure. His
face now grew livid and those little
bourgeois side whiSkers quivered and
thrilled with his passion.
Every good, colonel. You have said
enough" he cried, in a choking voice.
"You say that you have had very dis
tinguished career; promise you also a
very distinguished ending. Col. Ell
enne Gerard, of the Third hussars,
shah have death of his own"
"And only beg" said l, "that you
do not commemorate it in verse" l
had one or two other little ironies to
utter, but he cut me short with flu
rious gesture which caused my three
guards to drag me from the cave.
Our interview, which have told you
as nearly as I can remember it, must
have lasted some time, for it was quite
dark when we came out, and the moon
was shining very clearly in the heav-
ems. The brigands had lighted great
fire of the dried branches of the fir
trees; not of course for warmth, since
the night was already very sultry, but
to cook their evening meal. A huge
copper pot hung over the blaze, and
the rascals were lying all around in
looked like one of those pictures which
Junot stole out of Madrid. There are
some soldiers who profess to care moth
ing for art and the like, but have OIL
ways been drawn toward it myself, in
which respect I show my good taste
and my breeding. remember, for ex-
ample, that when they were selling the
plumber after the fall of Danzig,
bought a very fine picture called
"Nymphs Surprised in Wood" and
carried it with me through two cam
paigns until my charger had the mis-
fortune to put his hoof through it.
only tell you this, however, to show
you that was never mere rough SOL
der like Rapp or Lefebvre. AS I lay
In that brigands' camp had little time
or inclination to think about such mat
ters. They had thrown me down I'M
der tree, the three villains squatting
round and smoking their cigarettes
within hands touch of me. What to
do l could not imagine. In my whole
career do not suppose that / have ten
times been in as hopeless a situation.
"But courage" thought 1, courage,
my brave boy, you were not made a
colonel of hussars at twenty-eight be-
cause you could dance cotillon. You
are a picked man, Etienne, a man who
has come through more than two hun
dred affairs and this little one is surely
| not going to be the last" / began
eagerly to glance about for some
chance of escape, and as did SO l saw
something which filled me with great
| establishment.
| l have already told you that large
fire was burning in the center of the
| glade. What with its glare and what
with Its moonlight everything was as
clear Us possible. On the other side OF
| the glade there was single tall fir tree
which attracted my attention because
Its trunk and lower branches were dis
colored, as If a large fire had recently
been lit underneath it. A clump OF
bushes grew in front of it which
| concealed the base. Well, as l
looked towards it was surprised to see
projecting above the bush, and fastened
apparently to the tree, pair of fine
riding boots with the toes upwards. AT
first thought that they were tied
there, but as l looked harder saw
that they were secured by great nail
which was+hammered through the foot
of each. And then suddenly, with q
thrill of horror, understood that they
were not empty boots and, moving my
head little to the right, was able to
see who it was that had been fastened
there and why q fire had been lit be.
meath the tree. 1t is not pleasant to
speak or think of horrors, my friends,
and ! do not wish to give any of you
bad dreams tonight, but cannot take
you among the Spanish guerrillas with.
out showing you what kind of men
they were and the sort of warfare that
they waged. Twill only say that I un,
derstood why Monsieur Vidal's horse
was waiting masterless in the grove,
/ and TINT I hnrad That l,o lnd mot 4l,;e