The Pulaskian. (Pulaski Heights [Little Rock], Ark.) 1915-1929, 1918-05-10
CHAPTER II-continued.


dying. cursed impatiently: "Caramba !
Have won the treasure of your whole
establishment he inquired. "Per-
shaps you value this wench at more
than thousand pesos; if SO, you will
say that / cheated YOU"
mol She's only an ordinary girl.
MY wife doesn't like her, and so | de-
termined to get rid of her. She Is
yours, fairly enough" Varona told him.
..Then send her to my house. I'll
breed her to Salvador. my coehero.
He's the strongest man have"
Sebastian uttered d strangled cry
gand rose to his feet. Master You
must not"
"Silencei" ordered Esteban. go
about your business. What do you
amean 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"
1IIh?" The planter swayed forward
snnd with blazing eyes surveyed his
slave. you warn me? OF what?" he
growied.
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, misconstruing 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
strong man, he uttered cry of pain.
at this indignity to guest Esteban
ffew into a fury. "Panchor' he cried.
1gGoI Panchor' When the manager
ecazne running, Esteban explained:
ssThis fool is dangerous. He raised his
hand to me and to Don Pablo"
Sebastian's protests were drowned
10y the angry voices of the others.
"Tie him to yonder grating" di-
qrected Esteban, who was still in the
grip of senseless rage. "Flog him
well and make haste about it."
Sebastian, who had no time In which
TO recover himself, made but weak
resistance when Pancho Cueto locked
his wrists into pair of clumsy, old
Fashioned manacles, first passing the
chain around one of the bars of the
iron 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; it drew blood and raised
welts 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. SO
shocked with other excitations, that
he was well-nigh insensible to physical
pain. That Evangelina, flesh of his
flesh, had been sold. that his lifelong
faithfulness 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
1t 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, Cuetol Leave him now
Tor the flies to punish. They will re-
mind him of his insolenee."
Then the guests departed, and Este
ban staggered into the house and went
TO bed.
ALI that morning Sebastian stood
with his hands chained high over his
head. The sun grew hotter and ever
hotter upon his lacerated back; the
blood dried and clotted there; cloud
of flies gathered, swarming over the
raw gashes left by Cueto's whip.
Since Don Esteban's nerves. or per-
shaps it was his conscience did not
permit him to sleep, he arose about
aoontime and dressed himself. He was
still drunk. and the mad rage of the
early morning still possessed him;
therefore, when he mounted his horse
he pretended not to see the figure
chained to the window grating. Sebas-
fIan7s affection for his master was dog
like and he had taken his punishment
as a dog takes his. more in surprise
sthan In anger, but at this proof of cal
4ous indifference fire kindled in the
odd fellows breast, hotter By far than
The fever from his hy-blown sores. he