The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1921-03-25
By PETER B. KYNE
ICopyrighs. by PetsI B. Kynsl
CHAPTER ,<vIl-contlnued.
10


eff you'd cared to play a gentleman's
game, you blighter, you might ave
lived for your bally country" Mother
jerks reminded him In English. "Won-
der If the beggar'n wilt or will e go
through smilin' like my sainted Emery
on the syme spot"
She need not have worried. 1t re-
quires a strong man to be dictator OF
a roman candle republic for ID years,
and whatever his sins of omission or
commission, Sarros did not lack anil
NAL courage. Alone and unattended he
limped away among the graves to the
wall on the other side of the ceme-
terry and placed his back against It,
negligently, in the attitude Of a devil
may-care fellow without worry In
life. The sergeant waited respectfully
until Sarros had finished his cigarette;
when he tossed 1t away and straight
ened to attention, the sergeant knew
he was ready to die. At his command
there was sudden rattle Of bolts as
the cartridges slid from the magazines
into the breaches; there followed a mo-
mentary halt, another command; the
squad was aiming when Ricardo Ruey
called sharply:
Sergeant, do not give the order to
fire."
The rifles were lowered and the men
gazed wonderingly at Ricardo. Hes
too brave" Ricardo complained.
I'd him, can't kill him as l would
a mad dog. I've got to give him a
chance"
The sergeant raised his brows ex-
pressively. All, the ley fuga, that pop
ular form of execution where the pris-
Oner is given a running chance, and the
firing squad practices wing shooting.
II the prisoner manages, miraculOusly,
to escape, he is not pursued
A doubt, however, crossed the ser
geant's mind. "But my general" he
expostuIated, "Senor Sarros cannot ac-
cept the ley fuga. He is very lame.
That is not giving him the chance your
Excellency desires he should have"
II wasn't thinking Of that" Ricardo
replied. 81 was thinking I'm killing
him without a fair trial for the rea-
son that he's so Internally ripe for
the gallows that a trial would have
been q joke. Nevertheless, / am real
~ killing him because he killed my
father-and that is scarcely fair. My
father was a gentleman. Sergeant, is
your pistol loaded?"
Eyes, General"
''Give It to Senior Sarros"
AS the sergeant started forward to
comply Ricardo drew his own service
revolver and then motioned Mother
jerks aud the firing squad to stand
aside while he crossed to the center Of
the cemetery. "Saros," he called, II
am going to let God decide which one
Of us shall live. When the sergeant
gives the command to fire, shall open
Ere on you, and you are free to do the
same TO me. Sergeant, If he kills me
and escapes unhurt, my orders are to
escort him to the bay in my carriage
and put him safely aboard the steam
err"
Mother jerks sat down on a tomb
stone. Cords truthI' she gasped,
''but there's a rare plucked 'un." Aloud
she croaked: "Don't be a bally ass,
sir"
"Silence I" he commanded.
The sergeant handed Sarros the re
VOlver. "You heard what said7" Ri
cardo called.
Sarros bowed gravely.
'You understand your orders, Ser
geantT'
ayes. General"
every well. Proceed. If this pris-
Oner fires before you give the word
have your squad riddle him."
The sergeant backed away and gazed
OWIishly from the prisoner to his cap
tor. Ready" he called. Both revOl
yers came up. Sire" he shouted
and the two shots were discharged 81
simultaneously. Ricardo's cap Dew OF
his head, but he remained standing
while Sarros staggered back against
me wall and there recovering himself
samely, fred again. BE scored a clean
miss, and Ricardo's gun barked three
times; Sarros sprawled on his face
rose to his knees, raised his pistol
halfway, fred into the sky and slid
forward on his face. Ricardo stood be
side the body until the sergeant ap
preached and stood to attention. his
attitude saying:
sIt Is over. What next, GENERALLY"
Fake the squad back to the arsenal
sergeant" Ricardo, ordered him cOOlIyI