Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-04

were dry and swollen in our mouths, there
was the pressure of an iron clutch on our
windpipes, fire in our threats, and the
pangs of hunger that tore at us like iron
pincers. But We could hear that the BAN
ats above were anxious to be gone; they
mad but very few charges for their guns,
and 1t was apparent that they were afraid
of collision with the poems of the hacien-
da- Glarfng at each other with bloodshot,
uncertain eyes, Castro and ina gined long
fngly a vision of men in ponchos squirting
madly out of the woods, bent low, and
swinging riatas over the necks of their
horses-with the thunder of the galloping
hoofs in the cave. Seraphina had with
drawn further into the darkness. And,
with shrinking fear, 1 would Join her. to
eat my heart out by the side of her tense
and mute contemplati ton.
Sometimes Manuel would begin again,
castro! Castro. Castro!" till he seemed
to stagger the rocks and disturb the placid
sunshine with an immense wave of sound.
He called upon his victim to drink once
more before he died.
More than once I would stagger off far
away into the depths of the cavern in an
access of rage, fling myself on the floor
bite my arms, beat my head on the rock.
l would give myself up. She must be saved
from this tortured death She had said
she would throw herself over If l left her.
But would she have the strength? 1t was
impossible to know. For days 1t seemed
she had been lying perfectly still, on her
side, one hand under her wan cheek, and
only answering Juan" when l pronounced
her name. There was something awful in
our dry whispers They were lifeless. like
the tones of the dead, If the dead ever
speak to each other across the earth sep
arating the graves.
Her forehead was white; her hair merged
into the darkness which was gathering
slowly upon her eyes, her cheeks, her
throat She was perfectly still. 1t was
cruel, it was cdious. it was intolerable, to
be so still. This must end. I would carry
her out by main force. She said no word,
but there was in the embrace of those arms
instantly thrown around my neck, in the
feel of those dry lips pressed upon mine. in
the emaciated face. in the big shining eyes
of that being as light a feather, a pas
sionate mournfulness of seduction, tena-
cious clinging to the appointed fate, that
suddenly overawed my movement of rage.
I laid her down again, and covered my face
with my hands. She called out to Castro.
He reeled, If drunk, and waited at the
head of her couch, with his chin dropped
on his breast.
"Vuestra Senoria," he muttered.
Listen well, Castro" Her voice was very
faint. and each word came alone, as If
shrunk and parched. Can my gold-the
promise of much gold.you know those
men-save the lives-?"
He uttered a choked cry. and began to
tremble cropping for her hand
ISL senorita. Excellency, ST. 1t would.
Mercy. Save me. am too. old to bear
Listen Castro And Don Juan?"
His head fell again.
Speak the truth, Castro.
He struggled with himself; then, rafting
in his throat. shrieked, MOI with a ter
rible effort mo. Nothing can save thy
English lover"
"Why?" she breathed feebly
He ragged at her in his weakness. Why?
Because the order had gone forth; because
they dared not disobey. Because she had
only gold in the palm of her hand, while
Senior O'Brien held all their lives in his.
The accused Iuez was for them like death
itself that walks among men, taking this
one. leaving another. He was their life,
and their law, and their safety, and their
death-and the caballero had not killed
him
His voice seemed to wither and dry up
gradually in his throat. He crawled away,
and we heard him chuckling horribly some
where, like mailman. Seraphina stretched
out her hand.
''Then, Juan why not together = like
this?"
If she had the courage of this death, I
must have even more. 1t was point of
honor. 1 had no wish, and no right to
seek for some easier way out of life. But
she had a womans capacity for passive
endurance, serenity of mind in this mar
tyrdom confessing to something sinister in
the power of love that, like faith can move
mountains and order cruel sacrifices. She
could have walked out in perfect safety
and it was that thought that maddened me.
And there was no sleep; there were only
intervals in which 1 could fall into de-
lirious reverie of still lakes Of vast sheets
of water. 1 waded into them up to my lips.
Never further. They were smooth and cold
as ice; stood in them shivering and strain
ing for draught. burning within with the
fire of thirst, while a phantom all pale, and
with its hair streaming. called to me
Courage from the brink in Seraphina's
voice. AS to Castro, he was going mad
He was simply going mad. as people go
mad for want of food and drink And yet
he seemed to keep his strength He was
never still.
He had the strength, and sometimes he
could find the voice. to hurl abuse, curses
and imprecations from the mouth of the
cave. Great shouts Of laughter exploded
above, and they seemed to hold their
breath to hear more; or Manuel, hanging
over, would praise in hooking mellifiuous
accents the energy of his depunciations.
1 tried to pull him away from there, but
he turned upon me fiercely; and from pru-
dence-for all hope was not dead in me
yeti left him alone.
That night l heard him make an extraor-
binary sound of chewing at the same time
he was sobbing and cursing stealthily. He
had found something to eat then!
could not believe my ears. but I began to
creep toward the sound, and suddenly there
was a short, mad scuffle in the darkness,
during which nearly spitted myself on his
blade. At last, trembling In every limb,
with my blood beating furiously in my
ears, / scrambled to my feet, holding
small piece Of meat in my hands. Instant
ly, without hesitating. without thinking, /
plunged my teeth into it only to lirg
it far away from me with a frantic execra-
ton This was the first sound uttered
since we had grappled Lying prone near
me, Castro. with rattle in his throat,
tried to laugh.
This was a supreme touch of Manuefs
art; they were pressed for time and he
had hit upon that deep and polite invention
to hasten the surrender of his beloved VIC
tim. l nearly cried.with the fiery pain on
my cracked lips. That piece of half-putrid
flesh was salt-horribly salt-salt like salt
itself. Whenever they heard him rave and
mutter at the mouth of the cave they
would throw down these prepared scraps.
1t was as if / had put live coal into my
mouth.
"Hav' he croaked feebly. Have you
thrown 1t away? 1. too; the first piece. No
matter. / can no more swallow anything,
now"
His voice was like the rustling of parch-
ment at my feet.
mol / can bear this no longer" he
uttered with force. He refused to bear it.
lie suffered too much. There was no hope.
He would overwheim them with maledic-
tons. and then leap down from the ledge.
"Adios. senior"
1 stretched out my arm and caught him
by the leg. 1t seemed to me ! could not
part with him. 1t would have been dis