Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-07-15

at Orense, about six hours journey
by railway from the frontier.
AS if his attempt succeeds, he will
at once attain very great prominence,
and as in any case he seems bound
to make his mark on current Portu-
guese history, a description of him at
the present moment cannot be out
of place.
Clear Headed, Resourceful.
He is about 35 years of age, but
looks younger. His mother was Eng-S
fish, he speaks English like an Eng
Hshman, and the cold determination
with which he is planning the over
throw of the republic betrays the
methodical Briton rather than the
volatile Lusitantan. He is clear-head-
ed, resourceful, gifted with excellent
judgment; above all he has great mil
itary talent and enjoys an extraordin-
airy popularity among the Royalist
and Conservative elements in his ma
tive land
His campaigns in Africa were con-
Quoted with great brilliancy and skill,
and even if they were waged against
negroes we must remember that even
negroes have, from time to time, CIV
en- great trouble to English, French
and German troops During this Afri-
can warfare Palva Couceiro also dis
played extraordinary personal brav-
cry. This quality will stand him in
good stead during his coming invasion
of Portugal with a handful of men.
During the October revolution Cou-
ceiro was the one man on the Roy
alist side who fought well, and he
would easily have crushed the rev.
olution had 1t not been for the cow
ardice or treachery of his superiors
and of the prime minister.
When the revolution broke out,
Couceiro was captain in command of
a battery of artillery at Quehuz on the
outskirts of the capital. When he
heard the first shots he went to the
general staff for instructions but found
that institution in a state of panic
and confusion. The local general of
division was sick and had left every
thing to subordinates. The minister
of war, a man of singular incompet-
ance, revealed at the critical moment
a depth of ignorance of which even
his worst enemies had never suspect
ed him.
Demanded Order to Fight.
Paiva Couceiro, irritated at this
spectacle, asked for permission to
bring his troops into action. But he
could not get an answer. The indie
cision and confusion was too great.
Nobody knew what to do. Precious
hours were lost in futile discussions
and the drawing up of fantastic plans
Meanwhile, the great bulk of the for
ces which would have died to a man
for the monarchy were immobilized
and useless.
Paiva Couceiro at length quilted
the general staff in great anger and,
| taking a carriage drove to Queiuz at
| full speed. Before he reached the
| battery his resolution was already
taken If the monarchy must fall it
were better that it should fall in the
blood of it's faithful soldiers than that
| it should go down without a blow be-
ing struck in its defense. Like Bon
ny Dundee" he declared that "e'er the
kings crown shall fall there are
! crowns to be broke" In other words
he ordered out his battery and tried
to persuade his fellow officers in COM
mand of other attachments to accom-
pany him There other officers were
| as loyal as himself but, in the absence
of orders from the general staff, they
/ felt obliged to decline the invitation
Paiva Couceiro went without them.
He forced his way on to the heights
| commanding the city, drove before
him various bodies of republicans who
attempted to bar the way, joined fore
| es with a loyal infantry regiment
which had sttll kept the kings fas
| flying, and finally took up a position
on the heights occupied by the peni
| Tertiary, that is, in a situation com
manding the whole revolutionary
| force.
Here then began between the two
redoubts a formidable artillery due
which was The most terrible incident
of the revolution and which lasted
more than half an hour. Had it con
tinued few moments longer the rev
olution would have failed AS a mat
ter of fact, all the officers of the regu
lar army who had Joined the insur
gents fed. leaving only Machado San
tos, a non-commissioned marine OH
esr. in command of disorganizec
mass of men wildly searching fol
somebody to surrender to.
This is not exaggerated, though II
may seem to be So Innumerable &C
counts of the revolution have since
been published by republicans. anf