Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-30
By REX BEACH
Copyright. 1915. by Harper q Bros,

no. Not suouued yet. eh You heeu
curse YOU and all that is yours.
roared the maddened slave. May you
know the misery you have put upon
me. May you rot for million years
in hell" The whip was raising and
falling now. for Esteban had lost what
little self-control the liquor had left
to him. May your children's bodies
grow filthy with disease. may they
Sebastian was yelling. though his
voice was hoarse with pain. The
lash drew blood with every blow.
Meanwhile, he wrenched and tugged at
his bonds with the fury OF a maniac.
Pablo. Your machete. quick" pant
ed the slave owner. Gods blood. III
make an end OF this black fend, once
for all"
Esteban varonas guests had looked
on at the scene with the same mild
interest they would display at the WHIP
ping of balky horse, and. row that
the animal threatened to become
dangerous. It was in their view quite
the proper thing TO put il out OF the
way Don Pablo Pea stepped toward
his mare to draw the machete from ms
scabbard. But he did not hand 1t 70
his friend. He heard a shout, and
turned in time to see WONDERFUL anu
"a terrible thing.
Sebastian had braced hts naked feet
against the wall: he had bowed ms
back and bent his massive shoriders-
a
looked as bony and muscular as those
of an ox-and he was heaving with
every ounce of strength in MS enoruouS
body AS Pablo stared he saw Inc
heavy grating come away from us
anchorage in the solid masonry, as a
shrub is uprooted from SOFT GROUND.
The rods bent and twisted; there was
a ciank and rattle and clash OF meta
upon the flags. and then-SeoasI.a
turned upon his tormentor, free man.
save only for the wide iron bracelets
and their connecting chain. He was
quite insane His face was frignuu.
to behold: it was apelike in its ahiniaI
rage. and he lowered above his master
IKE some tabled creature out OF the
African jungle of his forefathers.
Sebastian's fists alone would nave
been formidable weapons. but they were
ar1nored and weighted with the oid-iasn.
toned, hand-wrought irons whlch
Pancho Cueto had locked upon them.
Wrapping the chain in his hngers. the
slave leaped at Esteban and struck,
once The sound of the blow was SICK :
Esteban varona's head gave way
There was a Mortified cry from me
other white men. Don Pablo Peza ran
forward. shouting. He swung nus
machete, but Sebastian met MIN oeIore
the blow could descend. and they went
down together upon the hard stones
Again Sebastian smote. with his mas,
siye hands wrapped in the chain and
his wrists incased in steel. ana TINS
time IL was as IL Don Pab1o's head had
been caught between a hammer and an
anvil The Negroes strength. excep-
tional at all times, was multiplied ten
fold; he had run smuck. When ne
arose the machete was in his grasp
and Don Pablo's brains were on MS
It all happened in far less time than
it takes to tell. The onlookers had not
vet recovered from their first consterna-
ton: in fact. they were stu iumo ~ :,
and Juggling at whatever weapons they
carried when Sebastian came toward
them. brandishing the blade on hiGh.
Pedro Miron. the advocate. was the
third to fall. He tried to scramble on 9s
Of the negro's path, but. being an OLD
man, his limbs were too stin to serve
him and he went down shriekfng.
BY now the horses had caught the
scent of hot blood and were plunging
furiously, the clatter of their hoofs
mingling with the blasphemies OF the
riders, while Sabastian's bestiai roar
ing made the commotion even more
hideous.
the;r lives as for vengeance upon the
slayer for Sebastian was like a goriila
he seemed intent upon killing thenl
all. He vented his fury upon wha.eVeI
came within his reach; ne struck
men and animals alike, and the shrieks
of wounded horses added to the din.
1t was frightful combat. 1t seemed
incredible that one man could WORK
such dreadful havoc in so short time
varona and two of his friends were
dead: two more were badly wounded.
and Peruvian stallion lay kicking on
the tagging, when Col Mendoza y
Linares finally managed to get a Dull
let home in the black mans brain
Those who came running to learn the
cause Of the huhbub turned away sick
and pallid, for the paved yard was a
shambles. Pancho Cueto called upon
the slaves to help him, but they skunk
hack to their quarters, dumb with ter
ror and dismay.
All that night people from the town
below came and went and the quinta
resounded to sobs and lamentations, but
of all the relatives OF the dead ana
wounded Dona Isabel took her
bereavement hardest. Strange to say
she could not be comforted. She wept.
she screamed, she tore her hair. tast-
ing the full nausecusness of the cup
her own avarice had prepared Now.
when it was too late. she realized that
she had overreached herself. having
caused the death of the only two who
knew the secret OF the treasure She
remembered. also. Sebastian's statement
that even the deeds of patent for the
land were hidden with the rest. where
ten thousand men in ten thousand
years could never find them.
Impressed by her manifestations Of
grief. Esteban's friends reasoned that
the widow must have loved her husband
dearly They told one another they
had wronged her.
THE o'REILLY."
Age and easy living had caused Don
Mario de Castano. the sugar merchant,