The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1899-02-03

outlet to the world outside except the
| small hole at the top through which
,he poles of the ladder pointed to the
dark and lowering sky; 20 dark
skinned. wrinkled-faced stern-v:saged
.warrIVrs, with naked bodies painted in
mysterious symbolism which denoted
their .habhorrence of the practices Of
which their captive was accused; NO
Hight save that gwen from two or three
smoky pine torches, which merely
J served to heighten the gloom and rem.
tder.. more terrible the merciless faces
| Of the. warriors.
t. Seated ON the ground in the center
Of the circle formed around him sat
the captive. No movement was pOs-
sible. and the gag prevented the is
suance of any sound from his tips; only
the fercely. proudly disdainful fash Of
| his eyes. sand The unrepressed snort of
anger denoted the defiance his tongue
ionged to utter.
AS he sat there his captors began to
sing. Wild. weird. piaintive, thrilling.
passionate in turns. it was all the time
pregnant with woe for Nick:
In our hands Is he
The cruel, treacherOus witch
Who oilghts and slaughters BY nendish
Our sheep. our cattle and our children;
WhS xSe Win ~. w1skss fury
Haste we to his overthrow!
With speed and skill his arts o'erturn!
Seek we now ourselves 10 save
Fer he drive us to the grave"
The song ended. one by one his ac-
cusers stated what they had suffered
at his hands. No stolid. Indifferent In
dams were these. but quick-witted,
alert. active to arouse indignation and
anger against the one man hated. de-
| spised and yet feared. who. by COM
| pulsion. crouched before them. Fierce
| were the words, fiercer the gestures
and more fierce still the looks cast to-
wards the accused witch as the mar
| rations proceeded.
No word, of defense was asked OF
him; no explanation looked for. A
prejudged case allows no defense; no
explanation can change the convic-
| ton of prejudice. Nick knew this well
enough and he awaited without antici-
| patton, knowing full well what the YER
dict would be.
Na-u-che. the war chief of the tribe.
finally gave the word for what was
to be done. 1t was now daylight. The
| early beams of morning light lit up
the valley. with its dead lava flows side
by side with the living stream. and
made brilliant the red and gray walls
of Ta-ya-o-la-ne when Nick was
| brought out from the estufa and con-
| veyed to the plaza. or public square.
behind the ruins of the old church.
| built under the direction OF one of the
Jesuit priests who followed the redoubt.
| able Vargas. Here convenient cross
beam supported upon strong posts at
forded good hanging place. Nick was
rudely stripped entirely naked, and his
| feet tied together. Then his arms were
stretched behind him and his wrists SO
tied that his hands were back to back.
with the thumbs upright. A stout
rawhide rope was now fastened to his
wrists and thumbs, the other end
thrown over the crossbeam, and sew
eral willing hands, upon a signal from
Na-u-che, hoisted the unhappy victim
of this merciless procedure seve raj feet
from the ground. AS he there swung,
suspended from the ground. the who.e
of his weight resting upon his thum bs
and wrists. and the rope decorating his
skin and flesh to the very bone. be
was asked-nay. commanded-t, con-
| TESS his witcheries. The gag was re-
moved to allow his answer. But what
| could or would Nick confess? He had
nothing to say, and q second time be
was hoisted. this time with fierce inn
| precautions, equally without success; q
third attempt brought forth blows
from the onlookers, and a STORM Of
Kisses. sneers and reviiings from the
men and women of the village who had
now gathered in a crowd to witness the
punishment. even unto death if need
be. of this hated foe of their peace.
| But by this time Nick's friends were
aroused. They complained to the few
whites who were in the village. and IN
! reference on Nlck's behalf was at once
made. He was releasedfrom his cruel
bands, his wounds attended to. and q
courier sent post-haste to the COM
| mandant of the United States military
post at Fort Wingate for troops TO
arrest the perpetrators Of this deed of
darkness. Two days elapsed and an
officer with several men appeared on
the scene. The warlike Zunls. always
intolerant of outside interference in
their affairs, viewed with bitter anger
the arrival of these men. and urged On
by the unwise counsels of some of the
more daring resisted the troops, as
| sailed them with foul names FROM their
housetOps. led them into q trap. aud
there. by force of superior numbers,