Cañon City record., 1905-08-17

money.
Each one of the men was handed
ave dollar gold piece and ordered to
report to the officer of the day. and the
colonel wrote a few lines and dispatch
ed them by his orderly and lay down
to sleep.
Two hours later he heard the ser,
geant's squad that had been sent out
coming back with their prisoner. but
he turned over and slept again. 1t
would be time enough to settle with
the Yankee In the morning. The squad
had been guided to the place where
the captain still slumbered, and he
had been made a prisoner without re-
sistance.
And SO, American, you are here
fighting among the rebels against our
king-' sneered the colonel when he had
eaten his breakfast and the prisoner
stood before him.
Il am fighting for the independence
of Cuba" was the quiet reply.
aThe independence of a mob Of dogs.
However, that makes no difference
You are not one Of them. You have no
right here. You may have commits
sion, but / do not recognize 1t. No reo-
ell dog has authority to issue commits
sions. You know your fate. senorF'
Il believe you sent me word only a
month ago that you would shoot me
without trial II l had the misfortune
to be captured
And rest assured shall do so. No;
1 will not shoot you: will hang you
You are spy. and you shall die by
the rope"
..on what day and hourf' was the
calm inquiry.
Days and hours-' Numbered the
colonel as he showed his teeth at has
prisoner. Il have no days and hours
for the hanging Of such as you.
string them up at my own convenience
At 10 o'clock-an hour and n half from
now-you shall dance on nothing!
Very we'll, colonel" said Tom as he
saiuted and fell back and was marched
away by his guard.
He Is a brave man." mused the
colonel later on. but he defied me
Yes. will hang him, and l will make
him afraid before he Is swung on.
When the dogs OF renegades hear how
he died, begging for his life. II will be
a lesson to be needed. He is hungry
and thirsty. but he shall neither eat
nor drink before the execution"
The force under the colonel comprised
about 400 men Orders were sent out
to parade. all but the sentinels. under
arms at lo:l5, and a corporal was de-
tailed to see to the erection Of gal
lows. His work was not arduous or
langthy. A smail tree trunk was
passed from the crotch Of one tree to
another and noo>eI rope tied to its
center. The prisoner would be placed
on a pork barrel-an American pork
barrel for the grim irony-and II would
be kicked from under him.
At the hour named by the colonel
the troops were under arms and form
ed three sided square around the gal
lows. Then the prisoner was brought
out. His elbows were tied behind him.
and In his contempt for the Cubans
who had sold their officer the colonel
ordered the two men TO march with
the condemned man and act as his ex-
ecutioners. They had sold a man for
money. but when II came to playing
the part of hangmen they rebelled.
They hung back. but the colonel or
dered the lash applied.
When the prisoner was led under the
noosed rope the colonel faced him and
made him a butt OF ridicule. He point
ed at his rags, at his starved looks, at
his unkempt appearance. and the SOL
diers in line laughed. From ridicule
he turned to sarcasm and thence To
abuse and rcviIement. and during the
long half hour the prisoner faced him
calmly without word. There were
not ten men in the lines who did not
feel a secret admiration for him. The
colonel had failed TO shake his nerve,
and. chagrined and angered. he order.
ell one of the leserters to place the
barrel and the other to assist the pris-
oncr 10 mount.
Then II was that one OF the betray
ers felt the stings OF conscience. He
was the one who was placing the bar
rel. He knew what he was going to
do would bring him perhaps n more
cruel death than that designed for his
captain. but he did not hesitate. Like
a dash he whipped out knife aud cut
the prisoners bonds. and, though TAX
en- by surprise. Captain Tom bounded
away toward the forest.
In his excitement the colonel called
upon the lines to fire and ran after
the fleeing man. A yolley was let 60,
and when the smoke cleared away the
colonel lay dead on the ground, the
victim OF twenty bullets.
For moment every soldier seemed
dumb and without power to move.
Then there We're shouts and yells. and
the lines broke and became mob.
When order was restored the rene
gudes were no longer in sight. The
innrrln ahcltcr,d fhctn md thu .>antaIn