The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-09-22
| landlord got the lions share of the id.


Peruvian naval service was not what
had been described; and he % well q
several other English adventurers, war
heartily SICK Of their bargain, and de
termined to back out Of 1t ut the frs
opportunity.
80, having been sent inshore o,
some sort Of spy service, under tn
command Of young MILDLY, they tool
charge Of the boat themselves, put tn
officer on the beach, and started dow
the coast to leeward.
After many strange adventures ant
dreadful sufferings they landed at thu
Galapagos Islands, and, as might b,
expected, they soon became scattered
Joining different ships. Tom had beer
In half dozen vessels during years.
time; and, feeling quite safe, had come
ashore in Payta, few days before
from coasting craft In which he wax
employed. He had hardly landed when
he was recognised by one of the former
officers Of the nan-of-war. He was ar
rested and tried by hasty court-mar-
tial, where the little MILDLY himself was
brought forward, and, glad enough for
this chance for revenge. swore to Tom's
identity.
He was at once found guilty Of hav-
ing mutined, deposed his superior off,
Ger. laid violent hands upon him, and
turned him ashore in hostile terri
tory. He was sentenced to death.
Next Monday said he, I am to be-
led out at sunrise, stood up in tibet cor
ner there at the angle Of the wall, and
shot by q platoon of hese Cholo scare
crows.
You may imagine how l congratu-
lated myself that had been 80 sudden
ly led to think better Of our mad scheme
and to return to my duty on board the
Marion. But what could l say to COM
fort my misguided shipmate? In three
days, for 1t was then Friday morning,
he would be put to death; there ives
no hope Of pardon or reprieve.
But the second mate, after hearing
my story, entered into the thing heart
and soul. 1t was too bad to seen an old
shipmate made q target of in that man
ner, he said, by crowd of human mon
keys, like these Cholos; and by u little
management and a few dollars used in
bribes, he thought he might save Tom
from his fate and run him off the beach.
He went ashore with me the same even
ing, and we managed another interview
with the prisoner at his pigeon-holc,
and cheered him up with a hope of de-
liverance, giving him some idea, too,
of our plan of affecting it, that he
might be prepared to act in co-opera-
ton.
I'VE Struggled coil OF rope ashore
on Sunday, and concealed IL in a pile
Of rubbish, convenient to the place
where it was to he used. We were
stirring early on the morning appoint
ed for the execution, and landed with
a picked crew before daylight No par
ticular notice was taken Of our move
ments, as we were supposed to have
been impelled by natural curiosity
to see the man shot; and We mingled
with the other spectators without sus-
picion, keeping always near each other,
however, and ready to communicate by
signals previously agreed upon.
I'VE saw Tom led forth from the
guardhouse by a file of the soldiers, and
marched across the yard to the place of
execution. Here he stood up like man
who had nerved Himself to meet his
death without flinc ching; and, as he
braced himself against the mud wall IN
the corner, his calmness extorted ad-
from his iailers.
Sunrise was the time fixed for the
execution TO take place; but, with re-
finement Of cruelty w.rthy of Peruvi-
ans, he had Deen brought out and led
to his post an hour before that time.
This circumstance, however, was IA
vorabe for our project, as it was now
just on the gray of the morning, be-
tween daybreak and full daylight.
'The Cholo officer ana his file of men
withdrew to the other side of the yard,
after having a Ter having set poor Tom
after having set poor Tom up for tar
get, as one might say. The firing party
had not yet come on the ground and
now was our time.
1.-THE wall at the angle where the
condemned man stood was about nine
'eet high, so that his guards had no
ear Of his being able to climb it, when
hey fell back and left him there; but
hey little dreamed what was going on
ha nfhnr cida ~ 70 |
communicate in low tones through a
hink or crack, and Tom, watching a
adorable opportunity, gave the WORT
n whisper, Now
"At the signal, the rope, with a bow
inc knot of sl:.table size ready tied at
he end was tossed silently over the
vail. In the dusky morning twilight,
his operation could not he seen by the
OILERS, or by the spectators who had
altered on the opposite side of the
nclosure. Tom, whose hands had been
eft free, in Difference to his own re-
uest, and sheer admiration of his sup
osed courage to meet his fate like a
ero, slipped the bow line down over
is body, and placing himself as in a
'oatswain's chair, he gave the signal
y slight Jerk.
Our whole souls, as 1t may be sup
osed, were in the muscles of our arms,
nd his slight jerk was responded 70
y one which lifted him into the air
II he had been child His hands
rasped the top of the wall, and quick
than Hash, it seemed, he was over,
nd dropped among his shiomates.
'Carambo' was the exclamation
ON the guards, as they caught a
limpse of his form against the sky.
YER the wall
Stupid half-breeds as they were.
ley rushed to the spot to assure them
'lves that he was really gone-aud i.
len rushed back again. But mean.
lille, the word had sprung among the !
okers-on, and many were ahead of s
lie soldiers in the pursuit. As they
ID considerable circuit to make be-
re they could even see the scene OF
If operations, we had time for a good
art, and made the most of it. We :
I'd made straight for our boat, which
had taken care to have all ready
r start on the instant, the oars be- p
peaked IN the rowlocks, and boy y y