The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1905-07-21
Betrayed 10
TbeSparlisb
BY SAMUEL LOvELAcE
BY SAMUEL LOvELA(
COPYRIGHT, 1908 by n @. Mcclure

trio looked gaunt and starved and slep,
as If sleep had not come to them fol
several nights before. 1t was 8 o'clocl
when they threw themselves down
among the land crabs, with the evening
air swarming with mosquitoes, and II
was an hour after midnight when one
OF them awoke and softly crawled over
to another and whispered in his ear:
"Diaz, awake! 1t is timer
rs the Yankee sound asleep?" asked
the other as he sat up.
Tie sleeps like a pig. Things could
not be better for u.s."
The two moved away like serpents
through the rank grass and Jungle un-
til they had covered a hundred feet,
and then they stood up and made their
way swiftly along in the direction of
the Spanish lines.
There were plenty of American ad-
venturers in the ranks of the patriots
men whose sympathies were on the
right side and who ran the blockade
and Joined the insurgents to fight for
them as they had fought for the Union
years before. Such men were at first
given the hand Of welcome, but when
their dash and bravery had earned
them promotion there were envy and
jealousy to be reckoned with.
The man left lying alone In the jun
gle was Tom Warner, good natured,
reckless and careless. Here, where he
had been fighting for six months, near
ly always on scout duty, he was called
Captain Warner. He had q commits
sion from Garcia, but the title was a
barren one He had furnished his own
weapons and clothing and had never
drawn penny from what facetiously
might be termed the insurgent treas
ury. He had won praise and admira-
ton for time, and then jealousy crept
in to make certain men hope In secret
that the Spaniards might make him
captive. They had heard of the Yam
kee fighter-aye, and felt his blows
and they had said that they would give
him no quarter If they were lucky
enough to capture him. He had sent
back a message of defiance and gone
his way, and it never once entered his
mind that some of the men whose bat
ties he was assisting to fight might
bctray him.
$50 you wish to surrender your
selves and at the same time put the
Yankee into my hands?" asked the
colonel into whose presence they were
conducted from the picket post.
Isl, Senior Colonel. We wish to fight
against our good friends the Spaniards
In, do. In
place in your hands one who has killed
many of your brave men. The reward
shall be what you will"
The colonel looked at them for mo-
ment in contempt. The ~Spaniard Is
bloodthirsty and cruel In wartime, but
he also has q code Of honor. He might
condescend to play the spy, but he
would not condescend to betray for
money
Each one Of the men was handed
five dollar gold piece and ordered to
report to the officer of the day, and the
colonel wrote few lines ash dispatch
ed them by his orderly and lay down
to sleep.
Two hours later he heard the SER
geants squad that had been sent out
coming back with their prisoner, but
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 prisoner without re-
sistance.
"And so, American, you are here,
fighting among the rebels against our
kingp' sneered the colonel when he had
eaten his breakfast and the prisoner
stood before him.
81 am fighting for the independence
of Cuba was the quiet reply.
"The independence of 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 reb-
ell dog has authority to issue commits
sions. You know your fate, senorr'
IT believe you sent me word only a
month ago that you would shoot me
without trial. IL ! had the misfortune
to be captured"
"And rest assured shall do so. No;
I will not shoot you; I Will hang you.
You are a spy, and you shall die. by
the rope"
"On what day and hour?" was the
calm inquiry.
Days and hoursw Numbered the
colonel as he showed his teeth at his
prisoner. 81 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 half from
now-you shall dance on nothing"
d"yery well, colonel" said Tom as he
saluted and fell back and was marched
away by his guard.
s'IIe is brave man. mused the
colonel later on, "but he deied me.
Yes. / viii hang him, and will make
him afraid before he Ia swung off.
when tho dogs Of renegades hear bow
he died, begging for bis life, 1t will be
a lesson to be needed. lie 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
e,.,,ru Of 10.1R and corporal was de-