The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-06-23
ua mora lne tor,nre pnll.ntly. ns son.

He bore the torture patiently, M soihs
poor dumb beast suffering Mt the hand o'
man, and would not part his iirS Tor ati
the captain = curses. But ihis MAS ohlS
tho mercitul beginning. With yrlls on
savage fury the Indians carried brands Ia
make "A slow ,ir. at his feet. and. lest that
should not he enough, u brace of thstn
climbed to The root. tore Oft the splits cor
kindling. and set The cabin wall aiiSNt u
hind him.
You may thank God, my dears, that yon
are living in Il kind!icr axe. Mlyhap tho
savage, now a-march toward the setting
sun. is still as pitiless rs he WAS. but not
in amy corner OF the world. | think, would
.Anslo-Saxon men. wearing the kings or
any Other uniform, be witnesses unmoNed
OF such Il DEVILS carnival OF torment As
this that made ma nausca;o with horror.
AS with the stretching OF The cord tue
wretched black spun aioYly round and
round before the growing blaae, his cries
were something terrible 20 hcnr. And
when the fire hight played upon his face 1t
was a sight TO freeze the blood; the eyes
shut tight against the shrive!tnG heat, The
cracking lips drawn back. the black k!n
changing TO a dry and sickly brown. And
ever and anon between tile slirieks tfe
parcned lips shaped Il plea: 20 Altssa!
MaSsa Cap'iu! shoot po' igsa and let UNI
die"
This plea for cruel kindness cut me TO
the marrow of my bones, and lacking
means to save his life, 1 thouSht l might
at least make shift to Try TO put l!ia out
of misery.
The enemy's dispositions favored me.
The saNnses. drunk with lust o1 blood,
leaped and danced around .he!r victim.
F'aiconnet sap ais horse apart beneath
the naples. and with his hodySuard OF
troopers, WAS wei! within the norder!ani
OF lurid shadow where the lire light man
gled with the night.
l cr.iit away and made a swift detour
to The light to co,ne behind the rearnnost
horseman of the troop. As his Ill luck
would have it. his horse, ~atrriShted At the
tirelit pandemouium, was in the act OF
wheeling TO run away. Be!ns numbered
with 4 musket. the man made clumsy
work OF handling his mouat. and when the
beast cani.t down in a s:or,inS trenlble to
rear atresh at sight of me. the man lung
away the :nusket and dicw his sword.
In cooler blood / might have given him
his soldiers chance, but here again il was
anothcr's life or mine. Even 80, | might
have fought him tar. had he but held his
tongue and fought in silence. But this he
would not, so ! had 10 quiet him or have
til. Others about my ears upon his shout
i.ss.
That done. ] snatcheI the mlslSct that
had cost the man his life. and, staying not
w - ~ .'''' 7.ACNA'A '''Ai -tA' 1'1' ~
er. In the interval of weapom-setting the
fire against the cabin wall had snawed Ks
way from log 10 10. and now was tapping
with its yellow tongues beneath the caves.
But lest the victim should not suffer long
enough, the Indians We're at work in Yell
Ing frenzy. logging the blaze with green
branches broken from the trees so that
the fire Itself should not be merciful.
l waited Till the slowly spinning figure
of the black saoul turn and make a
mark | could not miss. The pause gave
space for some swift steadying of the
nerves. but with the colder thought 1t also
brought q fierce and terrible temptation.
The finger on the rnusket's trigger held Il
life in pawn. and l might pick and choose
and say what life I'd take.
l glanced aside at !'alcornet. lie w:.:; ::
fa!:cr mark IMAM my poor Tomas, and BY
the laws of Co! and man had earned his
death. The tortured slave had little time
TO suffer at the worst. and with the bullet
that would give him surcease / could We'll
avenge him. More than this: that bullet
planted in my enemy's heart would save
my lady Marsery harmless. leaving me
free to go to my WI place and so to right
the wrong that | had done.
All in the pivotinE instan. of the pause
the musket swung slowly round as OF its
own %volit!on, and through it's sights !
saw the slash!ugs, gold on red. across the
%breaSting of his captains riding coat. one
little crookirg Of the trigeer-tinger and
the lead had gone upon its errand. But at
the balancing instant that piteous cry was
lifted once again: 20 Massa, Massa
Cap'm. God IA m~ussy-shoot po' nigga
ard let 'un die"
1 did as any other man would do. as you
have guessed. The great kings musket
swept another arc, and roared and belche,,.
and spat its messenger of death: and my
poor Tomas had the boon he prayed for.
And then. as if the musket flash aud roar
had been a lodestone and these fierce Cher
okeos SO many bits of steel to cluster thick
upon it. | was surrounded in the twink
ling of an eye. and whiZzlng hatchets and
rifle bullets whining sibilant We're but an
earnest OF the fate | had invited.
Continued Next Wcc..)