Evening star., 1921-05-29

Bile poise. carried the lighted candle
| nimbly into bed drawing the silk
covers up around his chin with a per-
ceptible shiver He lay for a moment
with his eyes closed. his head strong
ly silhouetted against the pillows.
Then he spoke.
Il am a Magellan. I hate my enemies.
Forgiveness is both comic and degrad-
! ing. II is safer to kill than to trust
nationalist"
Pug srinned. III take the RESPONSE
blity for GonelE. Mr.. President"
Diego opened his eyes. and Pug saw
glnam of FIRE and humor in them.
You're A scamp" he said. Give me
that pen over there and sheet of
raper I make you present of Carlo
Gonelli's life. He is liar. thief. the
will stab YOU in the back. Now run
along. I want to sleep. You might go
by way of the door"
Pug glanced at the scrawled pardon.
folded it carefully. and went to the VIM
dow. With one leg across the sill he
turned to wave his hand. NO. thanks,
he said Il might miss the sunrise" He
heard Diego's snort Of impatience. then
he dropped To the street. MY shoes.
| Where the deuce"
Here. signore.' The sentry came
running out of his box and presented
flourish. Il preserved them for you"
DUG accepted the shoes sravely.
stepped into them and offered the
sentry cigarette. You're damn poor
shot, Giovanni" he remarked.
The sentry. with a cautious upward
! look at piego's window. brought his
fingers to his cap. viva il Signor Pug"
liz said under his breath.
Diego's soldiers trotted briskly away.
their swords and spurs rafting. 1t was
dark again. the complete and impene-
trable darkness which comes just before
dawn. The stars winked out one by
one. The air was sweet. inexpressibly
fresh; little puffs of damp air came from
the harbor across the fiat-roofed houses
and the tangled gardens. once there
was Whirring of wings and a shrll.
fragmentary chorus of birds, as if some
tina had brought news of the coming Of
he great round sun. Diego's soldiers
threaded maze OF crooked streets.
turned at right angles. and came out on
the water front. where the broad Espla-
made dwindled into a narrow way Of
wharves. warehouses and railway tracks,
the beginning of that half-moon of
waste land which dwindles at one tip
into the snov-white beaches of il Capo.
Then. suddenly. it was quite light again,
as If great curtain had been lifted in
the east. Pug saw a filthy street pitted
with mud puddles. dila apidated buildings.
infinitely deserted and forlorn. Heaps
of rubbish. loot from the American rail-
way stores. still smodered from the
revolutionary conf1agrations of the night
before. and Pug thought. What a con-
founded fool I am. feeling sorr!- for this
fol ~ Ia hal Wv 'icv, nth
The soldiers broke into a trot and
the littlest one-he Of the cigarette
painted cheerfully: ut would be
pity to miss the execution. after so
much trouble. The fortress is just
ahead there, where you see the high
WALL
The sky behind the Santa Chris
tina was afame now. Against the
sudden glory of light the mountains
were purple black. like peaks in a
fantastic and unreal On the farther
most point of thrusting land the
!! Capo light still burned. a tiny white
fame combating the sHy's confagra-
tion.
The fortress gate swung open to
admit them. and they hurried up a
steep ramp to the courtyard. 1t was
dusty place inclosed by four high
walls. Little knots of soldiers
lounged in the doorways and whole
TO" ol ueJeCteO pTlSoHeTS- IdSeeu
filthy and haggard. squatted in the
dust and quarreled together over
the stub of cigarette.
This way. signore."
Diego's soldiers ran across the
courtyard, plunged through low
door and. threading a maze of pas
sageways came out on the ramparts
of the forthess directly above an
other and smaller quadrangle.
"E,cco, Signor Pug. The execu-
ton"
Pug looked down and saw the
firing squad directly beneath him. A
sleepy officer gave command in a
stifIed voice, and all the rifles were
lifted with a precise and ominous
rattle. Facing them. an unlighted
cigarette in his mouth. his hands
clasped behind his hack. Carlo Gonelli
stood quietly waiting.
Pug pushed Degos laughing SOL
diers aside. leaped and landed on his
feet about two yards behind Gone!li
WANT a light. Gonelli"' he asked.
The officer shouted. the rifles wa
vered. and the lounging soldiers in
the background. suddenly galvanized
into action. howled uproariously
Gonelli turned and met Pug's eyes
with look of concentrated hate and
despair.
Much obliged" he said, in a calm
voice.
Pug grinned as he struck the
match. i've got pardon for you
in my pocket" he whispered. but
play TO the gallery if you can. \