The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1901-03-29

sup tnat would take me away from
this island. and you refused. Well.
scnorcS. there arc Consequences io tsiat
refusal. ana! ! am going To ac,!uairi
you with them. You may think shall
punish you today. but such is not my
pln' am simply going TO let YOU en-.
Joy the sight OF Il man drowning by
slow inches before your eyes in order
that you may have the opportunity OF
observing what Il peculiarly unpicas.
ant exit from this world such n death
is. Tomorrow shall again ask one OF
you to serve mo. If in spite of the les
son OF today he refuses. the rest of you
shall see him slowly chokcd by the ris-
ing waters. The next day | shall try
another. and so on. 1t will be interest
Ing to see how many times ] shall have
to repeat this pleasing spectacle. but
pray do not hurry yourselves to come
to decision. The island, senores, is n
pleasant one. and l shall not be dis.
tressed if my play should run even for
ten nights. 1t is Il thousand pIties that
the audience will necessarily be dimin-
ished by one at each performance
AdiOs, scnorcs"
And with that he strobe away. Some
and then followed him. and the rest. to
the number Of perhaps 80. lit fire and
prepared TO see the tragedy TO its CLOSE.
When the kindly shades OF night be.
gan to steal over the island, we crep,
from our eyrie. a bush covered slope
led from the cliff down to the beach,
some hundred yards or so from where
the prisoners stood. and down this we
scrambled. avoiding carefully every lit
tie twig that might Dctray Us by its
swapping and forcing our very hrcaths
to come lightly lest they should stir
the leaves and give the alarm.
The breeze had dropped. the air was
heavy and still, and the gabblc Of the
Spaniards' voices came to us softly
through the silence. \ slight mist had
blottcd out the stars above, and the
only light we had was tho fitful glare
OF the bonfire. 1t burned duly for the
most part. giving out dense clouds Of
smoke that rolled slowly upward till
they were lost In the dark night, but
every now and then some one would
give the logs stir, and the dartng
flames would for moment send a lu-
rid radiance over the whole scene.
There In the creek we could see Will
lie Trehalion, with the waters already
up to his chest and his smooth, bald
head shining like mirror In the fash
Ing freight. Round the fire were
grouped the Spaniards, chatting and
smoking and. standing out dark against
the uncertain blaze, were the ten forms
of the bound Englishmen.
To cut the prisoners bonds without
at the same time drawing from them Il
shout Of surprise was work to make
the least nervous fingers trcmblc. Alec
crcpt up to the first and, whispering to
him not to move 4 finger till he was
told. cut the cords that bound him to
the tree. ! went to the second and had
just drawn my knife across the first
cord when one of the Spaniards, whose
ears were sharper than those Of his
Fellows heard what he thought were
suspicious sounds and strolled lid to
see what was going on. Motionlcss we
stood rs tree trunks, and, though he
Seered curiously into the thlcket, he
could not sec us, for at that moment,
fortunately. the fire was burning dim.
He was only half satisfied, though. so
he sat him down within n fathom of
the feet of the man had been engaged
upon and there remained.
Heavens, how slowly the leadcn min
utes dragged themselves away! Time
had never seemed so long before. Ev-
cry now and again, when the laughing
talk Of the Spaniards lulled, I could
hear the monotonous lap-lap of the ris-
ing tide, which told that Willie Tire
halion's respite was growing every mo-
ment more fatally less. l could see
him, too, when the dancing freight
fell upon the waters, and, though his
stolid face showed no sign Of fear, still
bis solitary eye rovcd the shore unceas-
ingly, backward and forward, looking
for the help which. it might be, would
not come in time. The suspense was
awful.
Suddenly q voice from beside the fire
called out. "Pcpc you rascal. come and
join In n madrigal."
Pcpe rose. stretched himself, heaved
pebble playfully ut one of the bound
men and went.
AS the first words of the watchers
madrigal rose round the fire drew my
knife across the second mans thongs.
Alec looscncd the third man and the
fourth, and then blaze OF summer
lightning flashed through the sky and
for a moment lit up the smooth, shin
| ing head Of our bcatswain, whose chin
was now being Tapped by the hungry
ripples.
There was a shout. Some prying
Spaniard had spied us in the brief glare
Of the lightning fash. The madrigal
ceased in the middle Of bar and then
confusion!