The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-08-18
Of keeping the means of ASSURING

Of keeping the means Of ASSURING
bread to his children.
With as great solemnity as though
it had been a sanity relic the old man
drew from behind the door the treas
ure Of his house, an old fintlock mus
ket, and he caressed its worm eaten
stock.
He loaded it himself. He knew that
old friend better than any one. His
stiffened hands grew lii her and young
as he handled the old gun-a hand
full of powder and wadding made of
tarred rope and now the charge of
balls fbuckshot they werel, double and
more than he would have put in had
the game been other than what he
expected it would be, and all rammed
down hard and tight He had a score
to pay as well as Sento; but, being a
wise man, he had never told of his
forced contribution. But now he put
more than buckshot into the gun. He
put hate and vengeance in it. He put
death in it. He put all the malice of
an impotent person in it. Oh, yes; the
gun was well loaded for it's work! If
The gun did not burst with its double
load it would be almost a miracle.
The old man lighted several blessed
candles and set them before his patron
saint. This duty done, he awaited
events.
Sento closed his house that evening
carefully and while it was still light
went to the old man. A short time
later, by the light of the stars, Sento
watched the old man place the gun.
TO avoid every chance of missing he
wished to give Sento the last instruc-
tions-to aim straight at the old ovens
mouth and to be calm When the ban
dts stopped to seek the money he was
to fire. A child could not miss them.
Upon the advice of the old man SEN
to hid himself behind the masses of
the geraniums in the shadow of the
house. Then he must wait patiently
until they came. And hours passed
centuries rather.
Suddenly the frogs in the ponds be-
yond stopped their croaking. Then
through the paths came two shape
less figures, which seemed to him to
be two enormous dogs They were
crouching to hide below the hedges.
Finally he could see that they were
two men crouching almost double.
There they are!s he muttered
through his ehattering teeth
Every moment they turned. looking
about, fearing to be surprised. They
inspected the masses of bushes and
geraniums and even approached the
door to the house and listened at the
keyhole. All these maneuvers had |
brought them near Sefto twice, but he
could not tell who they were. He held
the barrel of the gun firmly. His cour-
age grew stronger. These must be the
murderers of poor Gaffaro. He must
kill them in self defense.
They reached the oven. One Of them
stopped and thrust his hand into the
oven, occupying exactly the firing line.
The shot would be superb. But what
OF the other one, who would be free?
sento began to feel the anguish Of
fear, and his forehead was moist with
cold sweat. Killing one, he would be
disarmed before the other. And if he
allowed them to return with empty
hands they would burn his house at
least.
Finally the one who was watching.
impatient at the slowness Of his COM
panion, rejoined him. In one sole dark
mass the two men stood searching the
leep oven. That was the psychological
moment, and sento, setting his teeth,
ired.
When that gun was discharged the
whole huerta felt the coneussion. A