The National tribune., 1899-05-25

It is curious fact that campaigners
with a passion for desperate ventures are
often the NEST merciful garrison officers,
Ii Capt. Holgar or Lieut.. Sllinez had been
in command OF Camp Barri7cas three oi
our prisoners would probably have been
shot on the day of their arrival, for we had
aSceriained that one OF the Soarlsn rang
arS Ind been captured before, and de
serted from Caot. BeTnars post under
aggrlvatirg circumstances; but ouI
'Atrcvido heSitated, and for several days
clung to the nope of getting Il c1ance In
transfer an assortment of his IaiihIruS to
Headquarters.
Gen. Come. indeed, had begun to pay
bounties for Spanish regulars-live sreci
mems preferred, as the menace OF repriSaiS
had prosed the only check on the III
humanity of our adversaries.
The distance to Camp BOcada was less
than 100 miles, and a month ago our
scouts had run the blockade without
serious difficulty. But the aspect of af
fairs had now changed. The portentous
turn of public sentiment in the United
States had stirred up the Spanish troops
into feverish activity, and the vegas ci
the s5lbanilla Valley swarmcd with hos
tile patrols.
But on the evening of Feb. II we re
ceived reqUisition for whatever FIRE
arms we could spare, and special order.
signed by Gen. Garcia'S Camp:
again six of our men butche-ed at Nue.
vitaS; make an example of sucl Span
ish prisoners as you may have on hard. "
The two mounted messengers signed a
receipt for Is muSketS and several horse
pistols, but declined TO cucumber them
selves with hostages, and the next morn
ing Col. Parras was obliged 10 convene
the long delayed court martial.
Sentries at the Jail were doubled: an
omnous sign that the he'discretionary pow
n
had their limits, and at p. m. it became
known that our deserter and all the Span
ish prisoners had been sentenced to atl,
but that eight of the latter had been rec
commended TO mercy, and would be re
manded to iail or continued on parole.
1t mad all along been SurmiSed that the
truculent special order from Headquarters
would be compromised somehow or other;
that the reprieve of those Spaniards had,
in fact, been predetermined, and as Il
collateral proof one of the defendants, tae
groom Of the Holguin Lieutenant, mad
been permitted TO join hunting eS
pedition that very morning.
Limo Keynes, the violator OF Col. Ber-
nails parole, had been the subject Of an
animated debate. but the arguments Of
the .Judge-Advocate had finally prevailed.
In the case OF FL Chato the vote Of death
had been unanimous, and Juan SalgacI,
the murderer Of poor Valdez. would have
been lynched before night if the court mad
tailed TO agree on mis- doom, though two Of
his comrades had surprised us by the
statement that this assassin Of con
iding sentry had, all in all, been the
most popular private soldier OF the Bay
amo garrison.
Hes quite harmless fellow at heart, ;"
said the Acting Corporal of his detach-
nent, "and few of us would have thought
aim capable of such an act. But the ex-
'lanation is that he was crazed with
1omesickness. He had left his best cirI
N Ar igon, and his time was so near out
mat ne was beginning TO count the hours
o the day OF MS return. He had even |
saved money enough to pay for his own /
passage. in case the Government should
all TO furnish him transportation; mis- /
Olks probably were waiting for him. too, |!
Ind now seeing all those pretty pros
,ectS shattered was more than he could /
Dear, poor lad. You ought to make al |
owance for temptation that no younr
ellow in his circum-