The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-03-21
CHA .n, NNiV.
a ND b;ess ;2e also. my father
u cried Mercedes. kneeling Dy
4 AlNl1.aGn'S SiGn


fit helnmate indeed thou hast shown
thyself for so brave q soldier By your
leave your excellency. You will in
Gulge an old mans desire to bless the
marriage of the son as he did that Of
the mother. No obstacle, I take it,
now exists to prevent this most happy
union
None" answered the viceroy as the
young people rose and stood before
him, "and glad I an that this happy
solution of our difficulties has come to
pass.
my lord" said Agramonte, 'there is
not one Of us who would not give all
he possessed to stand in the young
Lord de Guzman's place"
sWeIl, WE'LL" continued the old man,
stwhen we have restored order in the
town we shall have a wedding cere-
mony-say tomorrow"
"Your exceIlency, there is one more
thing yet to be DONE" said Alvarado as
soon as he could be heard.
cart ever making objections, Captain
AIvarado-Don Francisco, that is. We
might think you had reluctance to the
bridal" exclaimed the viceroy in some
little surprise. ''What is it now:"
''The punishment of this man,
Il gave him into your hands,
.Dammev' shouted old Hornigold. 81
wondered if in all this fathering and
mothering and sweethearting and Civ
ing in marriage he had forgot
Not so. The postponement but
makes it DEEPER answered Alvaradc
gravely. ''Rest satisfied
'.And shall have my revenge in full
measure?'
sIn full, in overAowing measure,
senor.''
.Do you propose to shoot me" asked
the buccaneer chieftain coolly, 'or be-
head me-"
'.You shall see."
"When?''
Tomorrow.
The somber, sinister, although IN
known purpose Of the Spaniards had
new terrors lent to it by the utter in
ability Of the buccaneer to foresee
what was to be his punishment He
was a man Of the highest courage, the
stoutest heart, yet in that hour he was
astonied. His knees smote together;
he .clinched his teeth in a vain effort
to prevent their chattering. All his
deviltry, his assurance, his fortitude,
his strength, seemed to leave him. He
stood before them suddenly an old,
broken man, facing doom portentous
and terrible, without a spark OF
strength or resolution left to meet it,
whatever it might be. And for the
first time In his life he played the
craven, the coward. He moistened his
dry lips and looked eagerly from one
face to another in the dark and gloomy
ring that encircled him.
Lady" he said at last, turning to
Mercedes as the most likely Of his enc
mics to befriend him, you are wom-
an. You should be tender hearted.
You don't want to see an old man, old
enough to be your father, suffer some
unknown, awful torture? Plead for
me? Ask your lover. He will refuse
you nothing now
"An eye for an eye,' said the girl
slowly, "a tooth for tooth, life for
life, shame for shame" her voice ris-
ing until it rang through the room.
"In the name Of my ruined sisters,
whose walls come to US this instant
from without, borne hither on the night
wind, / refuse to intercede for you,
monster. For myself, the insults you
have put upon me might forgive, but
not the rest. The taking Of one life
like yours cannot repay"
"You hear%' cried Alvarado. Take
him away"
Zone moment cried Morgan. "Holy
father, your religion, it teaches to
forgive, they say. Intercede for me!'
His eyes turned with faint hope to-
ward the aged priest.
"Not for such as thou," answered the
old man, looking from him. II could
forgive this,'' he touched his battered
tonsure, "and all thou hast done
against me and mine. What suffering
comes upon me can bear, but thou
hast filed the cup Of iniquity and must
drain it to the dregs. Hark ye-the
weeping Of the desolated town! l can
not interfere! They that take the
sword shall perish by it. 1t is so de-
creed. You believe not in Cod
.I will! dor' cried the buccaneer,
clutching at the hope.
81 shall pray for thee; that is all"
"Hornigold," cried the now almost
frenzied man, his voice hoarse with
terror and weakness, "they owe much
to you. Without you they had not
been here I have wronged you griev-
ously, terribly, but I atone by this.
Beg them not to let me so, but only to
kill me where stand! They will not
refuse you Had it not been for you
this man would not have known his
father. He could not have won this
woman. You have power. You'll not
desert an old conrade In his extremity?
xl~.~ oyad