The Argosy for May — page 138: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

TROUBLE IN BUNCHES. The purport of it was that the two no- torious Americans—and our crimes were all mentioned and magnified—had been captured, and would be shot in the prison- yard at two o'clock in the morning. There was a choking and stifled feel- ing in my throat. It had not been so difficult to be calm when there was hope of escape. But with this hope gone, with the notice of our execution in my hands, all my calmness seemed to leave me. ‘Poor Kate! Poor Kate!” I mur- mured. ‘“‘ How I would like to see you once more before I die! I doubt now, Balover, if it was right for me to let her know I loved her.” ‘Well, you couldn’t help it, could you? How can you hide love? I’m sorry that Isobel loves me now. Yet—l don’t know. It’s something of a com- fort.” ‘Small comfort it was to me to know that the girl whose love I had won, and from whom I had had only that farewell kiss, was to be left grieving in the wilds of South America. I knew she was safe now with O’Donnell, but my thoughts were far from cheerful. © That day was the most miserable I ever experienced. Every hour that brought us nearer the terrible ending of our lives made us more depressed. At last we gave up trying to carry on any conversation, and just paced back and forth in the dungeon, glancing down at the floor as we passed each other, neither daring to look each other in the face lest both should break down and give way to our pent-up feelings. At noon we received our dinner. It was better than the meals we had been given before, and we ate it, I don’t know why ; but all men condemned to death do eat heartily. -And at supper -time we had another goed meal. ‘Then darkness fell. It was now merely a question of a few hours. If we had had any hope that the consul would act in our behalf, that hope vanished with the daylight. We knew no official work would be done after nightfall. Oh, what a dreary, horrible waiting! Waiting for th€ summons to follow a suide to the patio, and there stand up to be shot dead! . 320 We heard the great bell in the Santa Rosa cathedral chime the hour of mid- night. - ‘Two hours more!” I heard Balover mutter. ‘‘ Only two hours more to live.” Those two hours were dismal and long, but at last they were over. We heard a drum. ‘The ground in which our cell was dug seemed to tremble with the tramp of feet. “It is time,” said Balover. minutes and all will be—” Suddenly there was a terrific explo- ‘A few sion. Detonation after detonation split the air. The ground seemed to heave upward. Gaping holes were made in the top of our cell as the earth and stone and. adobe came crashing through. “The ships have bombarded town!” cried Balover, grasping my arm. It did not seem like a bombardment to me. The explosions seemed to be in the prison itself. , ‘Whatever it is,’’ I said, “‘ here’s a hole big enough to crawl through. It can’t be any worse even if we are caught.” We wriggled ourselves up through a hole, and found ourselves in the long hall of the prison. Men were rushing about with lanterns, shouting, cursing, and try- ing to find out what was the matter. We were not noticed. Nobody paid any attention to us. Everybody was scared out of his wits. We reached the road. “Run,” I said to Balover—‘ run for your life. Let’s get back to O’Donnell’s camp.” We started. Beyond the prison there was a dark clump of woods. As we ran along the road, from these woods a figure darted toward us. “Bob! Jim! Wait, we’ve got horses.” Great Heaven, it was Kate Arnold! And then from the trees, leading two horses, came Mary O’Donnell. ‘“ We didn’t dare bring any more. We can ride these two and hurry,” said Kate. We wasted no time, but Balover took Mary and I took Kate, and we bounded away. . “I don’t understand how you_hap- pened to be there when the explosion - took place,” I said to Kate when we had gone far enough to slacken our pace a little. CORNICLOO© S Come on. the — (C@