Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-04-16

! A%A pale blue eyes
SGA which shone and
~ twinkled in enjoy
ment of the narrative; neither can +
hope to suggest his vivid and pictorial
style of telling it, How breathlessly
I have myself hung upon his lips in
agony OF apprehension for the fate of
the hero. Us he dipped his hands into
the but that is to anticipate. L sus-
pect that critical listener-if any one
could listen and remain critical, which
I doubt-might have detected some
vagueness as to date and place. If
my memory serves, the old gentleman
told the tale as story Of the Carlist
rising in Spain, and dated it about '34.
But it is fair to say it may have been
Mexico or China, and any date you
please. So now for the story.
The generals had been in consulta-
tion all the morning. Hour after hour
passed by, and the wretched prisoners,
closely guarded, waited on in all the
agony of suspense. There were four
hundred of them in all, few baggard
women and half-starved children
am. ng them. As you may imagine,
there was not much conversation. The
men, for the most part, were dogged
and sullen. Some of the younger ones
assumed mood of forced gayety which
deceived no one. And still captives
and captors stood watching for signs
of movement abont the entrance to the
Generals tent which would announce
the end of the conference, and that the
faeful decision had been arrived at.
st last, soon alter noon, there was
murmur of excitement. The SOL
diers OH guard drew themselves up in
military fashion and roughly con-
strained their prisoners into line. The
Commander-in-C Chief of the victorious
army emerged from the tent, mounted
his horse and advanced slowly to
where the captured force was drawn
mp, as if lie did not half like the duty
he had to discharge. He held a pa
per in his hand, and as he reined up
his horse and proceeded to read it,
you might almost have heard the pull
sations of four hundred hearts.
The substance of the message was
awful. Every man, woman and child
was to be shot; they would be allowed
until 6 o'clock next morning to pre-
pare themselves for death. The gen.
erals were determined to strike terror
into all hearts. Moreover, it was well
known that provisions were scarce,
and it was easier to shoot their pris-
oners than to feed them; SO the four
hundred were doomed.
The scene that followed this fright
full proclamation battles description.
Some of the male prisoners who had
awaited it with most apparent uncon-
cern broke into wild volleys of oaths
and curses. Fathers clasped their
children in their arms, as if with the
intention of defending them. The
children were the least moved in all
the throng. Such was the effect upon
the condemned. But more serious,
and Of far greater moment, was the
effect upon the victorious army. Sol
diers trained to find terrible Joy in
battle have an unconquerable aversion
to cold-blooded massacre and to shoot
ing down defenseless men, women and
children, simply because they have
fought a losing fight. Moreover,
these prisoners were of their own flesh
and blood, natives of the one father
land; and the bitterness OF civil war
could not destroy the fact of their
common race and lineage. The con-
sequence was that in the course of an
hour or two it became known to the
generals that their own troops were on
the verge of mutiny.
Then there was further conference,
held in hot haste, and lasting late like
the other The sun went down upon
the misery of that doomed host, which
had only death to look for with the
dawn. About 10 o'clock the sound of
trumpet was heard through the
camp, and confused noise as of troops
rapidly mastering. Then followed
second proclamation. The generals
had decided to be less than just that
they might be more than merciful.
They would make an example of forty
ont of the four hundred; and, as the
fairest method of determining which
of the prisoners should die, they would
compel them to draw lots in the
morning. Four hundred papers
would be placed in bag, and of
these four hundred papers forty would
bear blood-red cross; the remainder
of the papers would be blank. Every
man, woman and child must draw out
paper, and for the forty who drew
those with the red cross, Death; for
the rest, Life.
At the appointed hour an officer gal
loped up with the bag, shaking it as
he went, that every one might know
that tho tokens of Life and Death
were fairly mixed. Then he dis
mounted, and the business of drawing
lots began. There was breathless
stiffness in the camp, and it was curl
Gus to notice how the prisoners be-
havcd under their ordeal. Some of
them, when they drew blank, waved
the little white paper above their
heads. Others. scorning any exhibi-
tion, strobe away to the right Of the
ranks with impassive countenances.
Further and further down the line
moved the officer with the bag, and
man after man drew ont white pa
per, and took his place with those
who had safely passed the ordeal.
The first fifty drew blanks, the second
fifty drew blanks, and, as you may
imagine, the relief which came to
them meant increased anxiety to those
who still had to draw. Indeed, low
murmur of astonishment and indigna-
tion began torun through the three hun
dred left. Thereupon the officer