Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1918-05-09
CHAPTER il-contlnued.

Don BaDlO, III WnDUl lne llQuoI M"'
hying, cursed impaticntly: "Caramba
9Iavc won the treasure of your whole
establishment" he inquired. per
haps you value this wench at more
than a thousand pesos; if so, you VIII
say that cheated you"
No! She's only an ordinary girl.
NV wife doesn't like her, and so | de-
teTniucd to get rid of her. She Is
yours, fairly enough" Varona told him.
"Thcn send her to my house. I'll
breed her to Salvador my cochcro.
He's the strongest man ! have
Sebastian uttered stranglcd cry
and rose to his feet. master! You
must not"
silence ordered Estcban. "Go
about your business. What do you
mean by this, anyhow"
But Sebastian, dazed of mind and
sick OF soul, went on unheeding. "She
is my girl. You promised me her free
dom. warn you"
''I5hG" The planter swayed forward
and with blazing eyes surveyed his
slave. "You warn me? OF what?" he
gruwIed.
At this moment neither master nor
man knew exactly what he said or did.
Sebastian raised his hand on high. In
reality the gesture was meant to call
heaven as a witness to his years of
faithful service, but, mlsconstrulng his
intent, Pablo Pea brought his riding
whip down across the old mans back,
crying:
".HOi None of that"
A shudder ran through Sebastian's
frame. Whirling, he seized Don Pab-
los wrist and tore the whip from his
fingers. Although the Spaniard was q
strong man, he uttered cry of pain.
At this indlgnity to guest Esteban
few into fury. "PanchO!" he cried.
~Hoi Pancho! :" When the manager
came running, Esteban explained :
"'This fool is dangerous. He raised his
hand to me and to Don Pablo"
Sebastian's protests were drowned
By the angry voices of the others.
"TIe him to yonder grating" d.
Eected Esteban, who was still in the
grip of a senseless rage. "Flog him
well and make haste about it."
Sebastian, who had no time in which
% recover himself, made but weak
resistance when Pancho CuetO locked
hIs wrists into n pair of clumsy, old
cushioned manaCles, first passing the
chain around one of the bars of the
Gron window grating which Esteban
had indicated.
Cueto swung a heavy lash; the
sound of his blows echoed through the
Quinta, and they summoned, among
others, Donna Isabel, who watched
the scene from behind her shutter with
much satisfaction. The guests looked
on apprOvingly.
Sebastian made no cutlery. The whip
bit deep; 1t drew blood and raised
wells the thickness of ones thumb
nevertheless, for the first few moments
the victim suffered less in body than In
spirit His brain was so benumbed, sc
shocked with other eXcitations, that
he was well-nigh insensible to physical
pain. That Evangelina, flesh of his
GeSEI, had been sold, that his lifelong
Gaitbfulness had brought such reward
as this, that Esteban, light of his soul
had turned against him-all this was
simply astounding. Gradually he be
gan to resent the shrieking injustice Of
Il all, and unsupported forces gathered
inside of him. They grew until his
frame was shaken by primitive savage
impulses.
After time Don Esteban cried
That will do, Cueto! Leave him nov
for the flies to punish. They will re
mind him of his insolence."
Then the guests departed, and Este
ban staggered into the house and wen
90 bed.
All that morning Sebastian stool
with his hands chained high over hi
head. The sun grew hotter and eve
hotter upon his laeerated back; tn,
blood dried and clotted there; clou,
of flies gathered, swarming over tn
raw gashes left by Cueto's whip.
Since Don Esteban's nerves, or per
haps II was his conscience, did no
permit him TO sleep, he arose abou
EOontime and dressed himself. He wa
still drunk, and the mad rage of tn
eaSIy morning still possessed him
therefore, when he mounted his hors
he pretended not to see the figur
chained TO the window grating. Sebas
tian's affection for his master was dog
like and he had taken his punishment
as a dog takes his, more in surprls
than in anger, but at this proof of CA
B0us indifference fire kindled In tn
Old fellows breast, hotter by far tina
the fever from his hy-blown sores. III