Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-26

insultingly, and leave US. Yellow men pol
Lutte the air Co..
The taunt frenzied the mulatto. 1t liter
ally swept him off his feet with rage. He
drew his knife and flew at Gordon with
screaming ferocity. He was within an ace
of killing the man, when some thought
caught and checked him.
"A good trick, you cunning beast" he
cried, still painting with passion, but to
Kill you now would be a mercy-how great
mercy You have no notion of yet But,
just 10 keep you civil, take that-and THAR
He dug his knife twice into Gordon's
cheek; then, as If afraid 10 trust his self
control longer, he rushed down the track.
The devil!' said Chisholm. hoarsely He
means business. If he had knitted us l
wonder how much pain it would have
saved?'
Men face to face with death are rarely
laxative. They have too much to think
about. No other word passed between the
Englishmen. Gordon mopped his bleeding
cheek as best he could on his knee and
shoulder, while Chisholm, leaning up on one
elbow, found himself vaguely counting the
buttons on his own leggins. Yet both were
keenly alive-alive with the alertness OF
every sense which only at such time comes
to men. The minor sounds near by, the
chittering of bats in the roof the furtive
rustlings in the thicket behind, seemed to
pierce through the babel of the swamp, but
all were drowned in the howls and shrieks
with which the stream of blacks rushed
down upon them to hale them before the
judgment seat of EMO.
Gordon they drove ahead but Chisholm
who was literally too weak to walk, they
dragged and showed through the huts and
along the damp path toward the front of
the Enghenio, where a great fire lit up the
scene, core of red and black set in the
white enchantment of the night
Emio was seated in Gordon's long chair,
his legs luxuriously stretched out For
awhile he appeared to take no notice of the
prisoners. but an ominous twitching flick
cred at the corners of his mouth.
When at length he ordered silence the cir
Gle gathered densely in.
Gentlemen" began Emio, addressing the
crowd. He was keeping a strong hand
upon himself, but at the word he stopped.
for Gordon, looking around the ring of
black faces and cleaning eyes, smiled.
Look at him; look at the tyrant! He is
sneering at you We know how tyrannical
he has been in his treatment of the colored
gentlemen on these estates He has pre-
tended to give you freedom but what have
you gained? Is life sweeter? Don't you
sweat and toll just as you have always
done? The difference is only in name. Yet
he expects you to be grateful. The laws of
Brazil were not made for us, but for the
tyrants But now that you are free you
: have the right to make laws for yourselves.
Use your rights, then, and judge this Cor
don and the other as you please. Who can
prevent your
He's telling you les Gordon struck
in. You will be punished heavily for to-
nights work. Have you forgotten what
the government did to the people on the
| Barumba plantation?"
Emio shrieked order TO silence him.
Into the intricacies of that mock trial
there Is no need to go. Vociferous blacks,
men and women, elbowed and outyelled
each other III their eagerness to heap up a
mass of accusation. False witnesses We're
at d premium, and whenever the prisoners
attempted to speak they were silenced at
| the instance of EMO by a dwarf negro,
who beat them on the mouth with a club.
| At last the long and to the court, delight
| full business came to an end. The prisoners
were each found guilty.
Have you anything to say for yourself"
asked Emio.
Gordon, standing stark and tall, began
| to make answer; but he was not allowed
| to get very far, for he spoke Of the VEN
geance which would most assuredly follow
| and fall. and he spoke of 1t In such a man
ner as to produce a visible effect on the
| black faces that surrounded him.
At length came the moment for the pro-
/ nouncement Of the sentence, and Emio
arose from his chair and spoke.
You know, children of the forest and
| swamp, that You are doing right" he said.
\ in a high-pitched voice; "for. has not the
great water god shown himself to his peo-
pie after SO long time? 1t L. Q sign. He