The Press., 1898-07-21

fOrcibly proves the peculiar VlrIue O1 the Vegetable Compound
 talked down or dead by this time. "Shall we go and seei" asked 8 guard.
 "No, hombre. Let the poor brute alone," said another.
 To the men who watched all night for fear that the prisoner might escape it seemed a century before midnight gave way to the darkness that comes before dawn, though to the prisoner quien sabe? Such waiting is hard even on the men who are not to die, and there was a sound of relief when at last the first bugIe sounded. It was time to get the prisoner and march. Because @ soldier is allowed two priyileges-to be executed before dawn and to be shot in his uniform-there was no need to change the clothes of Private Santiago Moreno. So far as costume was concern ed he was ready.
 In front of the prison, stiffly drawn up into line in the darkness. stood the squad of the Twenty third Private Mo- reno's own regiment) which was to at- tend to the Claw of fire, and in the corridor waited impatiently the two guards who were detailed to walk on either side of him. The prisoner, how ever, was not ready, and deep disgust and scorn were shown on every face when the warder appeared and stated grimly that the prisoner was weeping como un nino and had begged one mo- ment's grace. Weeping indeedl A pret ty way for a soldier of the Twenty third to die And men who had thought pri- vately that they would aim low in the ley de fuga hardened their hearts. A coward did not deserve such treatment. That the prisoner. barely visible in the gray dawn. was perfectly calm and difference to them. Perhaps he had mustered up some courage after his weeping, but he had played the coward for all that, and a towards death was no loss
 Out on the bare, swampy plains of San Geronimo, just where Mount Ajus- % rises up, bleak and rock covered, was the place of execution. The walk was not long for the men, to the sound of the mufied marcha, but very dreary. There was hardly light enough to see each other's faces, and the trees and cactus shrubs loomed up gray and ghost ly along the side of the rocky trail. As for the condemned man, though he might have played the part of a coward | in the prison, there was no sign of fear | now. With quick, light steps, almost outdistancing the regular pace of the others, he. walked out bravely, as though going to another decoration by ell presidente instead of to the death of 8 murderer at the hands of the very men with whom he had fought at Ma. tanzas and Huella and other places, arm to arm, back to back.
 | Here was the spot, and, with his back to Ajusoo, his feet sinking into the damp ground, and the gray mist of the morning resting like @ pail about him, the prisoner was allowed to stand for a moment, while the captain made a brief address, concluding with the statement that only because the prison. CT was a soldier the Claw of fire' would be put into effect-when the word "uno" was pronounced be was to run for his life. On the craggy side o1 Ajusco he might find shelter, perhaps. "Uno-dos-tres would be counted. at "tres," the squad would fire. There. fore he would have to hasten-other. wise, God have mercy on his soul.
 "Atencionr' The soldiers stood on guard.
 "Unor' was counted slowly. The prisoner stood stock still, and the man nearest swore that there was 8 smile on his face. "DosP'. (Dios de Ia vida, was he paralyzed, that be could n6t run, even to save his lifeD and at last slow ly, "Tresi Firep'
 MotionleSs, mortified, the men had watched. Still the prisoner stood there, head up and shoulders back. At the sound of the "tres,'' however, muskets were lowered and every hammer pull ed. Out thundered the salute of bullets 8 veritable hail of them, and the soli tary, pathetic figure tottered. then reel ed over, face downward in the damI grass. Dead, of course! How could il be otherwise? The captain should have
 looked to make sure, but he wanted hil
 breakfast and some cognac. Merely glancing casually at the body, he gave the order to march, and with the marchs once more ringing out the men trampet
 back through the light of the coming day to barracks and breakfast, leaving
 the dead man alone on the plain.
 The next day Private Santiago More
 no himself, whom we have seen sho
 and left dead on the San Geronimo
 plains. was there at sunset, pale. crazet
 with grief and holding in his arms { dead body in the uniform of a soldier
 but with the sweet, peaceful face of 1
 woman who had offered up her life fo
 8 friend. When the sun went down, hi
 lifeless form remained, still olasping- even in death-the other body that hal
 been thought his.-Herman Felix il
 Argonaut. 8@.'