The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1921-06-09
I&onr,nued from last weekly
CHAPTER XVII.


hunted down the isolated detachment
OF government troops which had es-
caped annihilatiOn and capture In the
nnal rout and fallen back on the city
where, concealing themselves accord
Ing to their nature and inclination
they indufged in more or less sniping
from windows and the roofs Of build
ings. The practice Of taking no pris-
oners was an old one in Sobrante, and
rev presidents had done more than
Sarros to keep that custom alive er-
go. firm In the conviction that to sur
render was tantamOunt to facing fir-
Ing squad at daylight, the majority Of
these stragglers, with consummate
courage. fought to the death.
The capture Of Buenaventura was
alone sufficient to insure a brief revo-
luton. hut the capture of .Sarros was
ample guarantee that the resistance to
the new order of things was already
at an end. However, Ricardo Ruey
Ielt that the prompt execution of Sar-
ros would De an added guarantee Of
peace by effectually discouraging any
opposition to the rebel cause in the
u
garrisons still remained In ignorance Of
the momentous events being enacted in
the capital. For the time being, Ricar-
do was master of life and death I'm So
brante, and all of his advisers and sup
porters agreed with him that a so
called trial of the ex-dictator would be
q rather useless affair. His life was
forfeit hundred times for murder and
treason. and to he ponderous over his
elimination would SAVIOR Of mockery.
Accordingly, at midnight, priest en-
tered the room In the arsenal where
Serros was confined. and shrived him.
Throughout the night the priest re-
mained with him, and when that ear
~ morning march to the cemetery
commenced, he walked beside Sarros.
repeating the prayers for the dying.
Upon reaching the cemetery there
was slight wait until a carriage
drove up and discharged Ricardo Ruey
and Mother Lenks. The sergeant In
command of the squad saluted and was
briefly ordered to proceed with the
matter In hand; whereupOn he turned
70 SarrOs, who with the customary
sang froid Of his kind upon such oc-
casions was calmly smoking, and
bowed deprecatingly. Sarros actually
smiled upon him. "Adios, amigos" he
mprmured. Then, as an afterthougtt
and probably because he was sufficient
OF an egoist to desire to appear a mar
tyr, he added heroically: T die for
my country. May God have mercy on
my enemies"
IF you'd cared to play gentleman's
game, you blighter. you might ave
lived for your bally country" Mother
jerks reminded him In English. "Won-
der II the beggar'll wilt or will e 60
through smilin' like my sainted Emery
on the syme spot"
She need &c. have worried. II re-
quires strong man to he dictator Of
q roman candle republic for 10 years,
and whatever his sins Of omission or
commission. Sarros did not lack ami
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 a sudden rattle Of bolts as
the cartridges slid from the magazines
into the hreeches; 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. He's
too brave" Ricardo complained.
"D-- him, can't kill him as I would
mad dog. I've got to give him a
chance"
The sergeant raised his brOws ex-
pressiveiy. All, the ley fuga, that pop
ular form Of execution where the pris-
Oner IL given running chance, and the
firing squad practices wing shooting.
II the prisoner manages, mIraculouoly
to escape. he is not pursued!
A doubt, however, crossed the SER
geant's mind. "But my general" he
expostulated, "Senor Sarros cannot ac-
cept the ley fuga. He is very lame.
That is not giving him the chance your
Excellency desires ne should have"
"T wasn't thinking OF that" Ricardo
replied. 81 was thinking I'm killing
him without fair trial for the rea
son that he's SO Internally ripe for
the gallOws that trial would have
been q joke% Nevertheless, am real
ly killing him because he killed my
father-and that Is scarcely fair. My
father was gentleman. Sergeant, IL
your pistol loaded?"
'Yes. General"
"Give II to SenOr SarrOD."
As the sergeant started forward t.
comply Ricardo drew his own service
revolver and then motioned Mother
jerks ind the firing sqtad to stand
ASIDE while he crossed to the center oi
the cemetery. "SarrOs," he called, Z"
am going to let God decide which on,
llN