Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-08-15

was dark n the palms rustled. She
went down a street and sadly walked
to and fro before the Americans
house, recalling the day he kissed
her as the dusk came. At times hate
raved in her. Memory drew her at
length to the alameda, and beyond it.
Under these trees had she rested in
his arms. Beyond, where h fields
were rocky-yonder in that lonely
spot beside the gorge-was the tall
iron post to which criminals were
chained to be shot. Out of the man
go-grove, out of the days of love, h
might lead him here to this iron post
and her fingers held the paper of
death. The night was very black.
Suddenly she heard a crying out.
Women and men were shouting back
| there by the town. She walked in
that direction. The shouting was in
creased, and there was a scurrylng
about near two matched huts.
"The ants! The warrior ants" was
the shout.
She came nearer to a hut. Men in
sandals went leaping with torches.
There was a strange cracking in the
matches. Behold! the ground was
black with marching millions. Scor-
| pions, lizards, spiders ran terror
stricken from hat army. The matches
were being pierced by thousands of
unseen marauders. Human beings,
Selling all things of value, fled crying
into the night.
These ants march in terrible bat
talions. There is no way known to
man to stop them. They have their
officers. They select a goal. On they
come, and all things fee before. y
house is overrun. Every living thing,
or piece of food, vanishes. All other
insects are devoured. Men must absent
themselves till the ants depart. Re
turning, all is bare. The army has
conquered, devastated, passed on.
Fascinated, she stood with some
sandaled laborers, who, on the out
skirts of this scene of ruin, watched
it by torchlight.
where will they go neNt?" cried
one.
"Yonder, yonder, in that direction.
See! The vanguard is already advanc-
ing thitEer!"
She beheld the leading battalion
forming in tours, and heading away
across the barren field. She looked
up. A strange chill ran over her. That
ironpost, yonder by the gorge stood
in their track.
At midnight she passed Stirge's
house, and he was going in. His door
was open and a faint light shone on
him. She paused, where he saw her.
Z " -
her eyes, and he spurned her. Her
bad self famed up. She a away,
wild with hate. She stood a moment
under the palms, and there a diabolic
purpose came to her.
1t had long been a custom in this
district to LEAD the culprit out very
early in the morning. Chained in
darkness to the post, he was con-
fronted by a priest. The black hours
dragged on, giving the criminal that
most solemn eason for repentance.
Five soldiers and an officer were sta.
toned near. When dawn came, and
they could clearly see, they fred.
At eleven o'clock a detachment OF
soldiers had arrived. About one, Otilia
came to the door of the decrepit bar
racks. The captain had orders to
obey the chief of police. She came to
him and said: my brother is i'll. His
servants are sitting with him. So he
sent me with this order"
She disappeared. The captain read
the command for the immediate exc
cution of one Stirge, American.
n little later the unfortunate Anglo
Saxon schemer was seized in bed,
They put on him clothes somewhat
similar to those worn by n in
athletic contests, so that he was IA
Iy naked. In the night they led him
out and on through the black mango
grove. In that stony field by the
!, gorge they chained him to a post. 4
priest came. was received with
naughty contempt, and went away
Silence, darkness, weird waiting fol-
the dawn. The gold-maddened dream,
er was a stole. He was as iron as the
post and chain. Out of the night shad-
ows a ghost-voice called from yondeI
in the rocks:
Il can free you. 1 can yet free you
Tell me once more you love me, and
life is yours"
He did not answer. The soldiers be.
lieved her crazy, or thought that St
Mary had come down..
sit is l who brought you here Give
me your heart, and it is I who shall
, take you away"
The night was yet black. He did not
answer. What stole, beyond mans
dreams of stoicism, was that man OF
A~nglo-Saxon blood! Ay, Indians car
endure. Savages can suffer and emit
no sound. But of all Gods creatures
, there is none so strong as the Ameri-
can steeled to bear.
There was wild war in her. She had
!. meant to torment him. She had not
meant that he be shot. She could
never consent to kill, her better sell
was too timid. But hts spurning had
crazed her. At dawn, she thought
sinking down on the rocks, she would
confess the substituted name, release
him. But the second self joyed in tor
! ture.
The dawn came. Yes, the chained
mans face began to show a little
white, out of the shadow. The cap.
tain formed his five men and babe
them be ready. So, the day thus slow.
ly coming. they stood waiting till they
could see; and he stood yondcr, his
arms chained high up on the post.
The minutes went by. The scene