Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-15
TESTED COURAGE.

A group of friends sat slipping thfi,
muddy yellow bitters outside Il cafe III IT,
Boulevard Michael, and their conversation.
ran upon recently executed anarchists and
the imperturbubility with which they INST
their doom at the final hour.
Henri Caillot grew excited.
''It is couYage!' he exclaimed. "It is
mettle, fortitudc-mado Of a strong stom-
ach and nerves cf,iron."
"Pshaw!" reioined Roussell, the sculp
tor. cts nothing of the kind. It's COW
ardice moro likely"
"Yon call it terror
81 do, and | believe l name it rightly"
"Then you are a coward Yourself. You
have no stomach, Nc pluck, no nerve"
Several strangers crowded round the ia.
bles, and passersby formed an attractive
group upon the pavement. A pretty scene
was expected, but they were mistaken.
Jean Roussell looked very unlike an in
suited man thirsting for revenge.
Perhaps, he replied quietly, "you are
unable to imagine yourself in the unique
position of a man doomed to the guillu-
tine, but you may not always be so unfor.
tunate."
II should know how to die" said Gail
lot spitefully.
Certainly. You would die as you were
told. There would be no option"
"Our opinions of my courage are at
variance, M. Roussell. l am willing to
put 1t to the test"
The crowd grew expectant again.
"a show Of bombast is not my idea of
| courage" replied Roussell. Courage is
exhibited, If at all, under unfavorable con-
ditions. Good evening, messieurs."
And Rousscll, to everybody's intense
establishment and disappointment, arose
from his table and walked away.
Henri Caillot kept a bookstall at one Of
the galleries outside the Odeon theater,
and it was his custom each evening to
take u constitutional in the Luxembourg
garden opposite before adjourning to u
cafe in the Boulevard Michel.
The rain ono night prematurely drove
the band out of the garden, and the idlcrs
with it, but Caillct was not to be deferred
from his exercise. He had a regular course
in at the northeast gate, around the
fountain and across the garden to where
the gay partcrres that night looked swamp
ed and sorry. He usually sat OH a bench
near the western ratings, but the rain
was too heavy and darkness was falling
rapidly, so he took a return path, strolling
leisurely, with his umbrella we'll down
over his shoulders. OF a sudden he stop
ped, lifted his umbrella to aid his vision
and listened.
It1ilnk ~, IN x, xuvacv,jk thttndn~tt} ha ,ntl
aloud.
He was answered by an unearthly Shrek.
The unexpected reply made him start and
look behind him. But no human thing
was visible. He peered right and left into
the semidarkness and assumed his original
position. Neither man nor beast could he
see. His impulse was to walk quickly
away, and he was about to obey it, but
was arrested by a repetition of the noise,
Enthusiastically close at hand.
He felt creepy.
That sound emanated from no human
throat. The strongest lungs were incnpa-
BILE of yielding so eerie a blast, 10 vocal
| chords produce it. BY accident his eyes
fell upon tho bronze statuary near the
ratings not 20 feet distant, representing Il
faun playing with a panther.
"Holy Virgin!" he exclaimed involun-
tarily.
The jaws of the panther were moving!
And when they had opened they below
ed again, more terribly than before.
A cold shuddpr shook Caillot. He would
have fled, but he was powerless. The
slowly moving jaws, opening and shutting
with strange regularity, fascinated him.
He knew tho animal we'll. He had scanned
it with curiosity many a time when it
was a mere lump Of immovable bronze,
with jaws rigidly set that now parted and
closed, and eyes benignly gazing that now
glared with the zest of a coming meal.
And he was sure the beasts head was
swollen with expectation.
"Holy Virgin" he exclaimed again and
crossed himself, expecting each second to
see the animal spring, to feel it's hungry
breath and tho blow Of it's striking body.
But tho panther did not spring. 1t only
moved its massive jaws and beloved and
beloved until the garden echoed with tho
blasts, and Caillot's head began to swell
and his nerves to grow limp. He was sick
unto fleeing, but his feet were glued. Ho
could have fallen PROSTATE in n fit of ter
ror, but tho rain refreshed and preserved
him. So he stood where he was, fascinat-
cd, as a bird to the tortuous gyrations Of
Il snake, and gazed upon the panther's
head until, as he looked, the animals
jaws shut to and remained closed, the bel
lowing ceased, and instead he heard .
voice that in cultural tones snapped out
an imperative command:
Count six, monsieurl"
Caillot made no reply. His senses had
been 80 stupefied by the sight Of the living
statuary that he did not realize the mean.
P, ing Of the words until another sound
reached his cars and terrified his brain in
to action.
The s~tatuary movedl The panther was
preparing to spring; he was sure Of 1t.
Count six, monsleurl' The command
was repeated.
"Holy Virgin save me!' sptrsated
Caillot. ~ will Give