Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1907-07-26

ed beneath them.
The artillerymen, who had hitherto
fired at long range, now brought up their
guns almost within pistol shot of the
streets, and. in spite of the musketry fire
OF the insurgents, bravely posted their
batteries and began hurtling showers of
canister among the defenders of the barri-
cades.
Almost simultaneously the troops faith
tul to the government appeared in the
rear of the rebels. The insurgents felt
they were lost, for they were caught be-
tween three fires; still, they offered a
courageous resistance, for, knowing that
if they fell alive into the hands of the
conqueror they would be mercilessly shot,
they allowed themselves to be killed with
an Indian stoicism, and did not yield an
inch of ground.
The general was in terrible rage
without a hat, his face blackened with
gunpowder and his uniform torn in sew
eral places, he leapt his horse over the
corpses, and dashed blndly into the thick
of the government troops followed by
a small band of friends, who bravely let
themselves be killed at his side.
The fight was positively degenerating
into massacre, the two parties, as I'M
happily always happens in civil wars,
fought with the greater fury and OBJ
stinacy because brothers were contending
against brothers, and many of them for
whom politics were only a pretext, took
advantage of the medley to satiate per-
sonal hatred and avenge old insults.
However, this could not go on for long
thus, and it was necessary to get out of
the situation at all risks. General Guer
rero unaware of the occupation of his
house, resolved to fight his way thither,
barricade himself, and obtain an honor
able capitulation for himself and his COM
rades.
No sooner was the plan conceived than
the execution was attempted. Don Sebas-
tian collected round him all the fighting
men left, and formed them into a small
band--for the canister and bullets had
made frightful ravages in the ranks of
the insurgents-and placed himself at
their head.
Forward, forward ~ he shouted, as
he rushed at the enemy.
His men followed him with yells of
fury. The collision was terrible, the fight
fearful for four or five minutes fune-
real silence brooded over this confused
mass of combatants, who attacked each
other so savagey.
At length the Presidents troops fell
back slightly, the insurgents took ad-
vantage of it to red0ube their efforts,
which were already superhuman, and
reached the generals house. The doors
were broken open in an instant, and all
rushed pell-mell into the court yard. They
were saved, since they had at last reached
the shelter where they hoped to defend
themselves.
At this moment a frightful thing hap
pened; the gallery commanding the court
yard and the stairs were entirely eccu-
pied by soldiers, and so soon as the in
surgents appeared the muskets were
pointed down at them, tornado of fire
passed over them like the blast of death,
and in second mass of corpses covered
the ground.
The insurgents, terrified by this sudden
attack, which they were so far from anti
cipating, hurriedly fell back, instinctively
seeking an outlet by which to escape.
The tumult then became terrible, and the
massacre assumed the proportions of an
organized butchery. Driven back into
the court yard by the troops who pur-
sued them, and met there by those who
had attacked them and now charged at
the bayonet point, these wretched men,
rendered senseless by terror, did not
dream any longer of employing their
weapons, but falling on their knees before
their executioners, and clasping their
trembling hands, they implored the mercy
of the troops, who, intoxicated by the
smell of blood, and affected by the horri
bile murder fever which Seizes upon even
the coolest man on the battle field, killed
them like oxen in the SHAMELESS, and
plunged their sabres and bayonets into
their bodies with grins of delight and
ferocious laughter, and felt a horrible
pleasure in seeing their victims writhe
with heartbreaking cries in the last con-
yulsions of death.
General Don Sebastian, though wound
ed, and who seemed to have been pro-
tected by charm throughout this scene
of carnage, defended himself like lion
against several soldiers, who tried in vain
TO transfx him with their bayonets. Lean
ing against column, he whirled his
sabre round his head, evidently seeking
death. but wishful to sell his life as dear
ly as possible.
Suddenly Valentine cleft his way
through the combatants, followed by Bel
mumeur, Black Elk and Curumilla, who
were engaged in warding off the blows the
soldiers necessarily made at him, and
reached the general.
"Ah." the latter said, on perceiving
him, there you are at last, them
And he dealt him a terrible blow, but
Belhumeur parried it, and Valentine con-
tinued to advance.
withdraw" he said to the soldiers
who surrounded the general, "this man
belongs to me-"
The soldiers, though they did not know
the hunter, intimidated by the accent with
which he uttered these words. and recog-
MIXING in him one of those rare men who
can always impose on common natures,
respectfullE fell back without making the
slightest objection.
The hunter threw his purse to them.
"You dare to defy the lion at bay,
the general shouted. crashing his teeth;
.ol+bouob attacked by dogs, he can still