The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1914-12-18


over
The good priest would attend to the
spiritual things--so he had been taught
to believe-and he had no fear OF
death.
Strangely, the insuTrecto thought,
great, burning desire now possessed
him to be fair to the little senoritn
who loved him.
The i'ttle senorita lived not far be-
yond tha eastern hills; over which the
FIRST II. . Q, the SUN would come steal
ing presently.
Why had not the great longing come
to him until he faced the end OF
things? He had wronged her, but he
knew that she would be watching for
the sunrise.
The senorita's troubled face, which
he had kissed when he rode away for
the the last time, had haunted him
through the nights unbroken silences.
He rolled cigarette and blew the
smoke through the narrow, iron-barred
lookout, but the little senorita's trou-
bled face would not leave him.
The breaking day was growing
brighter-not long now until the sun
rise. 'tIe could see the jagged rocks
and the sparse growth on the hillsides
that had appeared so barren a while
ago.
Then it occurred to Pedro that per-
haps it might not be too late. Per-
haps, dying, he might make good
,he fair promises in which she had
believed, and which would give to her
and to her unborn child his name.
IL would be little enough to leave as
sgacy.
1t was only just. Yes, he would do
that if he might The insurrecto re-
solved that when the good priest came
to mend the spiritual things, he would
make his confession and enlist the
priests good Offices to secure the con-
sent of the commander of the rurales
to stay the execution until courlers
might be despatched over the hills to
tie little, pale, troubled senorita
sTRtef'pa for the sunrise, .e-e
They would bring her to become his
bride and widow. Yet this would help
her, because she was to live and suf-
| fer AT the most it would be but a
short hour longer. Surely, thought
Pedro, the commander would agree.
Resolved on his course, the insur-
recto found himself anxiously watch
ing for the coming of the good priest.
Presently he saw him approaching,
| riding astride his little pony down the
yrt,,sli Il fohxr lA
yond the eastern hills where the little
senorita lived.
Why his haste? Surely It was not
with relish that the good priest came
on such a mission. Still he hurried.
AS he drew nearer he appeared to
be excited Certainly he was not In
a pious mood.
The condemned insurrecto, looking
out Though the narrow opening In
the prison wall, watched without un-
derstanding the great joy he saw In
the smiling face of the priest.
When the prison door swung open
for the priest to enter PEDRO under
stood.
MY son." he heard, Il bring you
| good tidings. There are to be no more
executions! You are free, my son!"
The insurrecto stared blankly, un.
comprehendingly, silently, for a mo-
ment.
The first ray of the morning sun
piercing the gray dawn and stealing
through the lookout at which he had
been standing called him to himself
He saw his prison door swung a1ar,
but he made no motion toward the
freedom, the coveted life it offered.
He remembered that there was
| something he had resolved to say TO
the good priest. 1t faltered on his
| lips.
Receiving the priests blessing, the
insurrecto walked out into the sun
shine and breathed again the fresh
open air of the hills. 1t was exhilar-
ating after his confinement in the
musty, ill-smelling prison.
1t was life He had not known be-
fore how precious life was.
A roadway led from the prison. Pc
dro walked along it to point half .
league away Here it forked.
One highway led over the eastern
hills to She village where hved the
little senorita watching the rising OF
the sun.
The other led to unknown places
beyond the western mountains, whera
there might be still more fighting;
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