Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-06-15
epithet from between his teeth.

| cans are-but the state can't force you
| to speak, and I can" Jose sneered.
"Oh yes, I can! / intend to know all
that you know, and it will be better
| for you to tell me voluntarily. / must
learn where Sonora Austin is, and !
must learn quickly, if have to kill you
by inches to get the truth"
$50! Torture, Ell? Good. I can be-
iieve it Of you. Well, slow fire will
not make me speak,
'No. A fire would be too easy, jose"
"Eh?'
Without answer Dave strobe out OF
| the room. He was back before his
prisoner could do more than wrench
at his bonds, and with him he brought
his lariat and his canteen.
"What are you going to do?" Jose in
quired, backing away until he was oace
more at bay.
''I'm going to give you drink"
"Whisky? You think you can make
me drunk 2" The hOrse-breaker laughed
loudly but uneasily.
"Not whisky; water. I'm going to
give you drink of water"
"What capers!'
"When you've drunk enough you'll
tell me why you killed your employer
and where General Longorio has taken
his wife. Yes, and everything else ]
want to know" Selling the amazed
Mexican, Dave flung him upon Mo.
rales' hard board BENCH and in spite OF
the fellows struggles deftly made him
fast. When he had finished-and ii
was no easy job-Jose lay spread.
eagled" upon his back, his wrists and
ankles firmly bound to the corners and
foot posts, his body secured by tight
ldbp over his waist. The rope cut
painfully and brought curse from the
prisoner when he strained at it. Law
surveyed him with face of stone.
"I don't want to do this" he de-
clared, "but I know your kind. 1 give
you one more chance. Will you tell
me?''
Jose drew his lips back in a snarl of
rage and pain, and Dave realized that
certain pity for his victim and no little
admiration for his courage, but such
feelings were of small consequence
as against his agonizing fears for
Alaire's safety. Had he in the least
doubted Jose's guilty knowledge OF
LOngoriO's intentions, Dave would have
hesitated before employing the bar
barOus measures he had in mind, but
there was nothing else for it. He pulled
the canteen cork and damned the
mouthpiece firmly to Jose's lips. Clos
ing the fellows nOstrils with his free
hand. he forced him to drink.
Jose clenched his teeth, he tried to
roll his head, he held his breath until
his face grew purple and his eyes
bulged. He strained like man upon
the rack. The bench creaked to his
muscular contortions; the rope tight.
ened. 1t was terribly cruel, this crush.
Ing of a strong will bent on resistance
to the uttermost; but never was an
executioner more pitiless, never did
prisoners agony receive less cOnsid.
JOse's face, 1t drenched his neck and
chest; his joints creaked as he strove
for freedom and tried to twist his head
out of Laws iron grasp. The seconds
dragged, until finally nature asserted
herself. The imprisoned breath burst
forth; there sounded loud gurgling
cry and choking inhalation. Jose's
body writhed with the commissions of
drowning as the water and air were
sucked into his lungs. Law was kneel-
Ing over his victim now, his weight and
strength so applied that Jose had no
liberty Of action and could only drink.
coughing and fighting for air. Some
how he managed to revive himself
briefly and again shut his teeth; but
a moment more and he was again
retched with the furious battle for air,
more desperate now than before. After
a while Law freed his victims nostrils
and allowed him partial breath, then
once more crushed the mouthpiece
against his lips. BY and by, to relieve
his torture, Jose began to drink in
great noisy gulps, striving to empty
the vessel.
But the stomach's capacity is linn.
tied. In time Jose felt himself burst
ing; the liquid began to regurgitate.
This was not mere pain that he suf-
fered, but the ultimate nightmare hor.
ror of death more awful than anything
he had ever imagined. Jose would
have met a bullet, knife, lash, with
out ffinching; flames would not have
served to weaken his resolve; but this
slow drowning was infinitely worse
than the worst he had thought pos
sible; he was suffocating by long,
black, agonizing minutes. Every nerve
and muscle of his body, every cell in
his bursting lungs. fought against the
outrage in q purely physical frenzy