The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-22
CHAPTER VIII.
In Which 1 Taste the Quality Of
Mercy.

Two ways there be to fetch stunned
man to his senses, as they will tell you who
have seen the rack applied; one 10 to slack
the tension on the cracking Joints and min
lister cordiaIs to the victim: the other to
give the straining winch q crueler twist. Il
was not the gentler way my captors took.
az you would guess: a pair OF them were
kicking me alive and I was sore and ach-
ing from their buffetings. 49,,
How long a time came In between my flu
tile dash for liberty and this harsh pref
ace to their dragging of me back to ths
manor house, could not tell. 1t must have
been al hour or more. for now a gibbouS
moon hung pale above the tree-tope and
all around were bivouac fires and horses
tethered to show that in the interval q troop
had come and camped.
The scene within the great fore room Of
the house had been shifted, too. A sentry
was pacing back and forth before the door
"a Hessian grenader by the size and
shake of him: and when the two
trooper bailiffs thrust me in. and I had
winked and blinked my eyes accustomed to
the candle light. I saw the table had been
swept OF its bottles and glasses. and around
1t. sitting as in council. were some half
score officers of the British hghi-borss with
their Colonel at the head.
AS It CHANGED, this was my frst sseht
near at hand of that British commander
whose name in after years the patrioR
mothers spoke to fright their children. He
did not look monster. As recall him
now. he was short, square-bodied man,
younger by some years than myself. and
yet with an old campaignez's head wen set
upon aggressive shoulders. His eyes wcrv
black and ferrety. and his face, well sea.
soned by, the Carolina sun. was swart -
any Arabs. A man. thought, who could
be gentle harsh or harsh-revengefui. an the
mood should prompt who could make well.
turned courtier compliments to . lady ard
damn trooper in the self-same breath.
This was that Colonel Banastre Tarieton.
who gave no quarter to surrendered Men,
and when l looked into the sioe-bIack eyes
I saw in them for me a waiting g.bbet.
''SoV' he rapped out. when l was hailed
before him. You're the spying rebel Can
tain. Ell? Are you alive enough to hang:'
His lack OF courtesy rasped SO soreiy
that must needs give place to wrath and
answer sharply that there was ANAL Doubt
Of it. since could stand and curse him.
HIS scowled at that and cursed me back
again as heartily any hshWife. Then
suddenly he changed his tune.
They tell me you were In the service
once and left 1t honorably. I an ioash to
hang q man who has worn the ooiorA
Would 1t please you best to die soldiers
death. Captain Ireton?'
/ said it would. most surely.
He said l should have the boon II would
tell him what an officer on the Baron dc
kalb's stan should know: the strength az
the Continentals. the Generals designs ard
dispositions. and know not what besides
l think it. was my laugh that made him
stop short and damn me roundly In the
midst.
by God. I'll make you laugh another
tune!" he swore. You rebels are all Of 4
piece. and clemency Is wasted on your
Your mercy comes too dear: you set too
high price upon it, Colonel Tarlston. II,
for rnn nj "a
bullet, 1 could be the poor caiti6 your offer
implies, hanging would be too good for me-"
IF that is your last word But stay;
III give you an hour to think 1t over"
1T needs not an hour nor q minute"
replied. If l knew aught about the Con.
tinental army-which do not-rd see you
hanged in your own stirrup leather before
I'd tell you, Colonel Tarleton. Moreover. I
marvel greatly
AT what?" he cut In rudely.
''At your informant's lack Of invention.
He might have brought me straight from
General Washington's headquarters while
he was about It. 'Twould be no greater lie
than that he told you"
He heard me through. then fell to curs.ng
me afresh, and would be sending An aide-de-
camp hotfoot for Falconnet.
While the messenger was going and COM
Ing there was q chance for me to look
around like a poor trapped animal in pit
seeing not how any less inglorious end
should offer. The eye-searoh went for little
OF encouragement: there was no chance
either to fight or fly. But apart from this.
the probing Of the shadows revealed thing
that het me suddenly In a fever. first Of ,
rage, and then OF apprehension.
AS I have said. this gathering-room Of
our old house was in size like an ancient
banquet hail. 1t had gable to itself in
breadth and height, and at the farther end
there was flight o. some few steps to 4
reach the older portion Of the house he
Yond. The upper end Of this low stair