The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-02-28


on one Knee, Tor at nignr a I7-.in cS.,a--e
better squatting than standing The
nearer his eyes to the ground the high
er and palmer objects are thrown up
against the horizon.
The rustic In the canefield grew loud
e:. and Cross Dog unlocked the safety
on his Krag. Then. ohlivious Of his
danger, old Pedro stepped noisclessly
into the clearing and the shadow Of
death. Cross Dog waited for the sec
ond native to come out of the brake
If he came in the footsteps Of his file
leader, one bullet would do duty for
two. And 1t Is pity to waste ammu-
milton. and n dirty rifle barrel makes
work. If old Jose had accompanied
old Pedro home that night. there would
have been two funeral drums to beat
next day. But as old Pedro came alone
Cross Dog hcsitated Il second ana de-
cidcd to give the intruder chance for
his life.
"Halt." lie cried.
Old Pedro started and then in his
fright came on all the faster, his wick
ed looking bolo in hand. That WAS too
much for Cross Dogs temper and
nerves, but he was nn American and
instinctivcIy hated TO kill half armed
creature whose life he could take as he
would snuff candle. Moreover, he
had an American contempt for the
fighting qualities of these brown pyg-
mics and the disposition to play cat
and mouse with them until they came
right up to the bnyonet's point. SO
Cross Dogs first shot made kite Of
old Pedro's straw hat, his second spat-
tered the mud in front of him and
three more made shallow grooves in
his bare brown legs.
There was one cartridge left in Cross
Dogs rifle when Pedro halted, painting,
ut the bayonets point. An inch more
and that cartridge would have been the
final period in old Pedro's book Of life,
for Cross Dog was not only rattlesnakc
mad, but also grossly insulted. A bare
legged Kakiack in his shirttail and q
straw hat and armed with four span
bolo had dared to charge right up to
his rifles mouth! Cross Dog felt that
he ought to kill this fool creatu-... It
was according to orders. But some
how he couldn't quite do it. So he
jabbed with his bayonet through Pc
dro's hide and gave him choice selec-
tion OF profanity and advice.
"Blink blank Gab) YOU" he exclaim-
ed, "when Melicann say halt, you dab)
halt Cab. Sa*ey? You blink blank,
caramba fool. If you Cab! keep va
moosin, blank you, when Melicann say
Gab) halt, Melicana boom-boom you,
blink blank you. blank quick! Blink
blank you Cab, when Melicana say
halt. YOU stop quick every blank tempo
till Mclicana malayoh (see) you with
his blanked mala (eyes) and talkee all
kee Come here), blank you! You Gab)
savey?"
Then old Pedro. after explanations,
was permitted to go to his nipa shack,
and the four Americans off guard re-
turned to their blankets. After crawl
ing into his shack Pedro ordered his
daughter Luisa to make light, and to
emphasize the order he beat her with
his fist in the face. And Luisa, being
only woman, made q great outcry.
Then she got big bundle of split bam-
boo and laid it upon the bed Of Goals in
the center Of the mill and famed the
bamboo into q great flaming torch.
Then old Pedro ordered her to dress
his scratches and beat her in the face
to insure obedience. The blaze Of the
torch fell upon Cross Dogs back so
that he was a fine mark for Papircios
Remington and blinded his eyes 80 he
could not see five PAGES into the clear
Ing. And Luisa's outcries deafened
his ears to the secrets of the canef1eld..
For these reasons. and not because he
|scared to interfere with PedrU'S meth
DDS ce parental discipline. Cross Dug
deliberately violated regulations and
deserted his post.
He picked up bundle OF dry, split
bamboo and marched through the sug-
ar mill to Pedro's nipa shack. He
reached In and caught that disciple of
Solomon by one ankle and dragged him
forth after the fashion Of plantation
negro who knows where the chickens
r0ost. And Pedro howled,. and Cross
Dog swore, and so brown babies woke
up and sQualled. and g hundred mon
grel dogs barked.
"Shure," said Sevenspot, reporting
the occurrence to his lieutenant, who
visited the hacienda the following day,
"when woke up thought were in
pCrgathory the day. afther the hol0.
caust av an insane asylum. dog
pound an an orphan asylum. An Lu-
lisa there. tn ould divil Pedro's daugh-
ter. sat by while Cross Dog larruned
her dad an wept tears av joy an graft
tude. I'm thinkin 'twere tn first tonne
she iver knew tn ould bandit to get his
deserts. The other amigos say he has
a brother an two sons with the Papir-
clos IN tn mountains.
EFT that's the case" said the lieuten-
+ ant, mounting his carabao. 'syou need
not bother to halt him the next time he
tries to come In after taps. don't
want this detachment to get cut up out
Of leniency to any native OF doubtful
antecedents."
I When the detachment turned out for
their chicory the morning after old Pc