The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-05-20
Black s4@
VOLTS Breed;
e-,,...., ... @ >, 49,. Dickson
BY Herbs Dickson

Cling at my bonds.
Ortez slapped me in the face with
his gauntlet. then laying his hand upon
my shoulder said with assumed gen.
%tleness:
Calm yourself, my dear brother:
think Of your unbandaged wounds:
they may bleed afresh."
Philip was conscious as the men bore
him to the edge of the we'll, but power
less to resist o u stout fellows who
cast him headlong amongst the dead
n dying to, mingle his groans and
blood with theirs. Oh. that God should
permit men to UGH deeds, and grant
the last body had been disposed of.
Ortez led the way to the banquet hall,
inviting ali his rabble to join the feast.
The banquet hall, used as it was to
scenes of turbulence, never perhaps
had looked upon sue a throng as that.
I occupied the head Of my own table,
strapped helpless in my seat. On either
side were vacant chairs. Ortez sat at
the foot. Between. the soldiery ranged
themselves as they pleased. One of
the troopers coming in late would have
taken his place beside me. but his cap
tain stopped him:
Not there, Gardier; we have other
and fairer guests for whom those seats
are kept"
SAlllloSI DIS lie. SpOhc lIe GildlIS Oh
either side Of me We're slipped away.
and after awhile as silently returned
to their places.
Sacrament of passion! In one of them
was bound the mutilated corpse of my
queenly wife, her fingers hacked off
n her ears torn u for the gems
which had decked them. Upon my left
sat little Celia. But for n lurid stripe
of crimson across her girlish breast she
mipht we'll have haan aS1aan Sn ljpht1y
death had touched her. Behind them ]
saw a tall, gaunt woman, wearing a
mans helm and carrying a pike. She
directed the men. This was a woman's
hellish work.
Ortez rose with studied politeness: /
Your wife and child, d'Artin; our
charming family reunion would be in
complete without them" And the
woman laughed aloud
My brain burned; something seemed
/ to strain and give way. 1 lost all sense
Of pain, all capacity to suffer. How
long this lasted I know not. When the
revelry was at its height, when the
wine had dulled every human instinct
in these rough Soldiers of the church, -
Ortez raised his voice above the tumult;
he knew his men were in the humor for
a diversion he was about to propose.
Now comrades" he said, for the
browning Joy Of this most blessed day.
| now for our last sacred duty to mother
church,
He came round the table and taking
a cord from the hands Of n of his
men he threw the moose over my head.
With feet bound together, hands free,
I stood amongst them, this throng OF
butchers, each with the white cross OF
Christ in his cap, the white scarf OF
Guise upon his arm. drunk and eager
for blood.
Henri Francois Placide d'Artin
whathast thou to say why we shall not
declare thy blood attainted, thy name
dishonored, thy estate forfeited. why
dog, traitor to king and church,
Speak,"
All the defiance of my race burned
fearless in my eyes: I felt my face flush
an instant at the shame Of such g
death, but replied as steadily as might
be:
mot a word to you, thou infamous
one, thou baseborn coward. murdere,
Of the helpless; not to you'll"
The cool, polite manner Ct Ortez feI
from him like a mask. He seized the
cord with his own hand, jerking me
prone upon the floor and commenced tt
drag me from the hall. A dozen willing
hands lent aid. I clutched instinctivel,
at everything which came in my way
being torn from each hold by the ruth
less Williams at the rope.
Desperate I grasped h leg of {
trooper, but a savage kick in the fac
wrenched him free, II down the stat.
they started for the open court. At thu
end Of the cord came tumbling, rolling
humping down the stone steps this al
most senseless heap which was yet
man.
Arrived beside the well. whose grea
overhanging sweep offered a con
venient scaffold. Ortez paused to loo
at his victim, Ny breath came slow.
could hardly hear their words.
Think you his senses will r%eturn?"
Possibly. SIRE" replied the man t
whom this was addressed.
Then we will wait: my swee
brother would weep to miss SO brave
spectacle as his hanging"
He sat there upon the edge of tn
we'll, whence came the groans of tn
dying, the hot, fresh doors Of the dead
and waited, f1endish in the patien
ferocity Of his more than mortal hate
After q little I opened my eyes an
stared about me. scarcely comprehend
ing where I was or what had hap
pened. Ortez called upon his men t
raise me. Being placed erect the cor
was drawn just taut enough to sustat
me standing. Now the CHASTITY wona
1 had seen in the hall pushed her wa
through the crowd.
Her son." she Kissed, and savagel
struck me in the mouth until blood 70.
lowed the blow. The cord Instant
frightened and I felt myself swim
across the well. First only a dizzines
and a parched mouth. Then the tt
multuous blood surged to my throa
beating, struggling. gurgling like som
i. pent-up mountain stream against tn
rocks. I threw both hands up to gras
the rope-heard a laugh, not a huma
laugh, yet it sounded so far, so yer
far away. away back upon h earth.
A gigantic merciful hand seemed
take my head within it's grippe and pres
out all pain.
Fiery circles swan before my eye
great crimson blotches 1oated abot
in restless clouds OF flame; the
dreams, dreams, long delicious dream
And out of the endless years
, rhythmic music, the laughter of 10
/, voiced women, and many colored hgh
came at length oblivion.
. Thus the tale ended. 1t was tt
same I had heard in far away Louis
ana, told again with all the grim ca
e nestness Of desperate truth.
j stood in the great courtyard agai
beside the ancient well, drinking e;
gerly every inspired syllable. Whe
the speaker had done, he shrank bae
into the darkness. and was gone.
1t was as though l witnessed in n
own perSon the wretched death