The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-22
CHAPTER /

tteIilurReu EIaptHlHE uOlll III cutb ol'iuhe'SAA
by profession, as no said to his intimate
friend, but called by his enemies, and
those who had suffered from Ills tiune-
ro,s lniuuitles pirate plain and simple.
3 1lo strobe up and down tho two rooms
which were Ills temporary quarters du-
ring his confinement Yes, sad to relate
though 1t IT, Captain Brent was confined
In durnnce vilo and did not like 1t. III q
II have no doubt that they arc hot"
said short stout inar who sat leaning
buc In d long arm chair near one of the
windows looking out Upon tho court
yard OF the governors palace which
stood over opposite " y.
4 sl'.tt seems to ME. however, X you Will
permit mo to make n suggestion, that
they arc not as hot as the place that
got are going tot s5 s
& He chucked asthma ticnlly and then
Became. pretcrnaturally grave ut the
ugly expression that came Into the others
face.
see hero, Col. Mercer, It seems to mo
that your remark Is not called for. II
may DO true that i am not going 70 DO
hanged because of your foolish laws and
regulations, and 1t may be that have
only IN hour or 80 to live, but 1t 1s
mighty bad taste, It strikes mo, for you
couple of rooms like these, his only view
confined to tho governors palace, a
wrctched trWvcsty3 upon architecture, by
tho way and even that you have the
poor taste TO ds1g,Ire II the thing IS
possible. by erecting the gallows on
which IL am to be hung this very morn
Ing directly IN front OF It," h
f5"You should feel honored instead OF in.
suited, captain. The gibbet." Captain
Brent raised his hand deprpcatingly, he
! did not Ike that word and he was O.
person OF decided tastes. both bad and
good II repeat tho gibbet Is never
raised in the palace square except for
{ criminals OF the highest grade. This is
but tho second time since governor
4 Fitzmorris took the post that It has
happened" .ii
}!ti"At what time is this, to you. inter-.
esting ceremony to take placer It must
be very tlrcsomo to sit as sort OF a
death watch over me, 4
40. not Mt all assure you. You see,
this post OF aide-de-camp to his excel
lcncy Is a very monotonous one IN the
main, unless he takes into his head to
visit some OF the nelghboring Islands.
"a to tell the truth you arc great
source OF amusement to me, and / shan
! quite miss you. !"
4 "Rcaly! I never could understand the
British idea OF humor before. II !
nmusc you It seems to me that you are
making mighty poor return In hang
Ing mo. to say nothing OF the fact that
you are cutting on your supply so to
much FUN here. II I afford you amuse-
ment under tho pleasant conditions &
The aidc-de camp, with the usual i'm
5perturbabiity OF his nation saw nothing
to cause d smile, and gazed stolidly at
The prisoner.
But you have not answered my Ques-
zion. When Is the pleasant little cerc-
49,, r Il - %nly
prominent part, to come or At what
hour do you pull the string
The officer took his watch from hi1
pocket and looked at It casually. Then
jumping to his feet he cried:
Why plcss my soul! It Is almost I
o'clock. His excellency will have fin
Il lshed his coffee In few minutes and
tho execution takes place mmediatefy
after that" S
n You are horribly abrupt. Col. Mer-
cer! 1t strikes me that you might at
least gave man some slight warning.
I have not even time to change my
clothes. or rather to dress. and I do OBJ
ject to being sent into eternity In a suit
of blue and white striped pajamas! i
may be ovcr-particular, but first APP,
rearnnces are always the most Impress
I've, and one never knows whom one may
meet on going to a strange place."
Sc my dear Captain you have plenty of
time to dress. We have to parade the
troops to receive his excellency. You
never heard OF a British Governor gem
cral being piescntat affairs Of this sort
without troops, my dear sir. and the
troops must be parallel first. It we H.
be wretched bad form were they not"
He gruvely saluted Captain Brent and
departed.
CHI PTER II
81 'That donkey makes me feel as though
would like to put bullet through
him." growled the captain, as he walked
governor and general and his troops
STILL there is no use In grumbling about
matters.
He stepped to the door, and opening It.
looked out into the hallway which ran
from front to rear of the ones tory build
Ing which served as his prison.
Up and down the stone corridor tramp
4 ed the sentry.
"stupid work that" said Brent. as he
smiled chcerfully at the man. could
give you better employment and four
times the wages IL you were on my boat,
n and T was, too" no added with know
ing look.
Tho man appeared to notice nothing,
but he halted opposite to where the pl-
rate stood.
Il. ''Why didn't you say so before? It's
too late now" and then he marched stol-
idly on.
B-rrrrrr- brrrrrrr- rub a-d ub-rub-a-d b,
and Brent could not resist the tempta-
tion to rush to the window to see the
troops as they marched into the hot and
dusty square.
Company after company filed out OF
4he barracks and turned into the palace
yard with steady tread, flags flying and
band playing for all the world as Brent
Thought, as thought was the jolliest oc-
casion that could be imagined,
\ "Confound them" he said to himself.
show well they do look. And IL I hadn't
been such an ass as to put myself In
the power of this nincumpoop of a gov
ernor general, instead of getting him out
on board the Badger first. this need never
have happened.
The music ceased as he spoke. The
Vine was quickly formed and tho adju-
tant turned tho command over to tho coll
7 pnel, t
"That trescnle though well-mennlng
Mercer" lnutt"red Brent. MS he loaned
against tho side of the window. IT sup
pose that he. will be sending for me next
Well, the comedy Is about oyer. Yes.
here they come now" #
f9 AS no spoke. the adjutant, accompanied
BY n sergeant and 10 or u men, marched
ranidly across tho courtyard tn the build