The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-19
CATER VIII.
IN WHICH TASTE THE QUALITY OF
MERCY

man 10 ElS senses, as tney Will tell you
who have seen the rack applied: one is to
slack the tension on the cracking joints and
minister cordials to the victim; the other
to give the straining winch a crueler twist
1t was not the gentler way my captors
took. you would guess, and when 1 came
TO know and see and feel again a pair OF
them were kicking me alive and was sore
and aching from their buffetings.
How long time came in between my fu-
tile dash for liberty and this harsh preface
10 their dragging me back to the manor
house 1 could not tell. 1t must have been
an hour or more for now a gibbous moon
hung pale over the tree tops and all around
were bivouac fires and horses tethered to
show that in the interval a troop had come
and camped.
The scene within the great foreroom of
the house had been shifted, too. sentry
was pacing back and forth before the
door-a Hessian srenadier by the size and
shake of him; and when the two trooper
baiiffs thrust me in 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 light horse, with their colonel
at the head
AS it CHANGED. this was my first sight
near at hand of that British commander
whose name in after years the patriot
mothers spoke to fright their children. He
did not look a monster. AS 1 recall him
now. he was a short, square-bodied man.
younger by some years than myself, and
yet with an old campaigner's head well set
upon aggressive shoulders. His eyes were
black and ferrety. and mis- face. well sea-
soned by the Carolina sun, was swart as
any Arabs A man, / thought who could
be gentle-harsh or harsh-revengeful, as the
mood should prompt; who could make we'll
turned courtier compliments to a lady and
damn a trooper in the same breath.
This was that Colonel Banastre Tarleton
who gave no quarter to surrendered men.
and when looked into the sloe-black eyes
1 saw in them for me a waiting gibbet.
"So!" he raped out, when / was hailed
before him. You're the spying rebel cap
tain, eh? Are you alive enough to hang?'
His lack of courtesy rasped so sorely that
1 must needs give place to wrath and an
swer sharply that there was small doubt
of it, since could stand and curse him.
He scowled at that and cursed me back
again as heartily as any fishwife. Then
suddenly he changed his tune.
'They tell me you were in the service
once and left it honorably. / am loath to
hang a man who has worn the colors.
Would it please you best to die soldier S
death, Captain Ireton?"
1 said it would most surely.
He said should have the boon If would
tell him what an officer on the Baron De
Kalbs staff should know-the strength of
the Contientals, the generals designs and
dispositions, and know not what besides.
1 think it was my laugh that made him
stop short and damn me roundly in the
midst.
"By C., I'll make you laugh another
tune!" he swore. You rebels are all of a
piece, and clemency is wasted on your
Your mercy comes too dear; you set toe
high a price upon it. Colonel Tarleton. If
for the mere swapping of a rope for a bull
let, / could be the poor saitiff your offer
implies, hanging would be too good
for me-
'If that is your last word But stay
I'll give you an hour to think 1t over
'It needs not an hour or a minute re-
mental army-which 1 do not-Fd see you
I'd tell you. Colonel Tarleton. Moreover, ]
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 cursine
me afresh, and would be sending an aid-de-
camp hot-foot for Falconnet.
While the messenger was going and com
ing there was a chance for me to look
around like poor trapped animal in pit
fall loath to die without a struggle. We,
seeing not how any less inglorious end
should offer The eye-search went for little
of encouragement; there was no chance
either to fight fly. But apart from this
the probing OF the shadows revealed a
thing that set me suddenly in fever. first
of rape and then of apprehension.
As / have said. this gathering-room OF
our old house was in size like an ancient
banquet hall. 1t had a gable TO itself In
breadth and height, and at the farther enc
there a flight of some few steps tc
reach the older portion of the house be-
yond. The upper end of this low stair
/ pierced the thick wall of the older house
and in the shadows of the niche thus
formed saw my Lady Margery.
She was standing as one who looks anC
listens: and my rage-fit blazed out upon the
deserving of q Shadlowy figure of a man be
mind her: a man guessed in jealous wrath
10 be the baronet-a reasonless suspicion
since the volunteer captain would certainl,
have made his presence known when hi.
colonel had called for him. But while m,
heart was yet afire NJ lady moved aside a.
il TO have better sight of US below, anC
then | saw it was ne priest behind her.
While L was wfeching her and we wer,
| waiting yet upon the aid-de-camps return
| there was a stir without and when 4
/ reached the door the sentry CHALLENGED
| Some confab followed. and / overhear,
/ enough TO tell me that scouting party hat
| come in. bringing a prisoner. The colone
made me stand aside. and passed the wore
| to fetch the prisoner before him. Wher
/ the thing done L set my teeth upon
| groan. For IL was Richard Jennifer.
| Luckily he did not single me out anon,
the bystanders being fresh from the nigh
| without TO the glare OF candle light within
| and while the swart-faced colonel piled hin
| with questions / had a chance TO look hin
/ up and down. Though his arm was still II
! it's sling. he was seemingly the better OF hi
/ wound There was a glow of health ant
| strength returning In cheek and eye and
! thought him handsomer than ever wha
| time he stood forth boldly and frontet
| down the bullying colonel.
Knowing the Jennifer stock and its fin,
/ scorn of subterfuge, / feared IL would @,