The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-05-05

my Wild Irish b%lackthorn, Don
Juan Cafetero."
81 hope, old man, he has ere now
that which all brave Irishmen and
true deserve-a harp with a crown.
In life the Irish have the harp with
out the crown, you know"
"How did he dieY" Webster whis-
pered.
"He died hard, with the holes IN
rront-and he died for you"
Two big tears trickled slowly
through Webster's closed lids and roll
ed across his pale cheek. "Poor, lost,
lonesome, misunderstood wreck" he
murmured presently. "he was an ex-
tremist In all things. He used to sing
those wonderfully poetic ballads Of his
people, remember one that began
Green were the fields where my fore
fathers dwelt.' think his heart was
In Kerry-sO Wen send him there.
He's my dead, Ricardo; care for his
body, because Tm-going to plant
Don Juan with the-Shamrocks. They
didn't understand him here. He was
an cxile-so I'm going to send him
home"
Gle shall have a military funeral"
Ricardo promised.
"From the cathedral" Webster add
ed. "And take a picture Of it for
his people. He told me about them.
! want them to think he amounted to
something, after all. And when you
get this two-by-four republic Of yours
going again, Rick, YOU might have
your congress award Don Juan a
thousand dollars orc for capturing Sar-
rOs. Then we can send the money to
his old folks"
"But he didn't capture SarroS,"
Ricardo protested. "The man escaped
when the guards cut their way
through"
"He didn't. That was q ruse while
he beat 1t out the gate where you
found me. l saw Don Juan knock him
cold with the butt of his rifle after
I'd brought down his horse"
"Do you think he's there yet"
"He may be-provided all this didn't
happen the day before yesterday. If
/ wanted him. I'd go down and look
for him, Rick"
"Tll go right away, Jack"
"One minute, then. Send q man
around to that little back street where
they have the wounded-it's a couple
Of blocks away from hereto tell
Mother jerks and the young lady
with her I'll not be back"
They're both outside now. They
must have gone looking for you, be-
cause they found you and Don Juan
first and then told me about It"
"Who told your
Mother jerks"
"Oh! Well, run along and get your
man."
Ricardo departed on the run, TAX
ing the sentry at the door with him
and in his haste giving no thought
to Mother jerks and her companion
waiting for the doctors verdict. In
the palace grounds he gathered two
more men and babe them follow him;
leading by twenty yards, he emerged
at the gate and paused to look around
him.
Some hundred feet down the street
from the palace gate Sarros' bay
charger lay dead. When Webster's
bullet brought the poor beast down,
his rider had fallen clear Of him, only
to fall a victim to the ferocity Of Don
T-.- No a- ~ low
stunned and bleeding beside his mount,
the stricken animal In its death-strug-
gle had half risen, only to fall again,
this time on the extended left leg Of
his late master; consequently when
Sarros recovered consciousness follow
Ing the thoughtful attentions Of his
assailant, it was to discover himself a
hopeless prisoner. The heavy carcass
Of his horse pinned his foot and part
Of his leg to the ground, rendering
him as helpless and desperate as a
trapped animal.
For several minutes now he had
been striving frantically to release
himself; with his sound right leg
pressed against the animals back
bone he tried to gain sufficient pur-
chase to withdraw his left leg from
the carcass
AS Ricardo caught sight of Sarros
he instinctively realized that this vas
his mortal enemy; motioning his men
to stand back, he approached the
struggling man on tiptoe and thought
fully possessed himself Of the dicta-
tors pistol, which lay In back Of him,
but not out Of reach. Just as he did
SO, Sarros, apparently convinced Of the
futility Of his efforts to free himself,
surrendered to fate and commenced
rather pitifully to weep with rage
and despair.
Ricardo watched him for a few Sec
onds, for there was just sufficient Of
the blood Of his Castilian ancestors
still in his veins to render this sorry
spectacle rather an enjoyable one to
him. Besides. he was so per cent
Iberian. a race which can hate quite
as thoroughly as 1t can love, and
for q time Ricardo even nOurfShed the