Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 407 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

—— me ee ee — ty GE ae = a en a we ee mee * elgg oti ae ~- Hew The Boy Insurgent, “Tt is like that wretch!—but never mind; I | in the open woodland, where Colonel Morelos must not lose my temper; but now, Ninez, you must do something for me.” ‘*T am ready, brother.” ‘- You know the gate that leads into the Chris- tobal plantation from our land?’ été Oh, yes. ? ‘‘ Are you afraid to go there alone?” *'To-night?” ‘* 'Yes—now.” ‘** Not if you wish it,” ‘‘T ask it; but first order me some supper, and then, while [ am making my toilet in my room, run out to the Christobal gate; but let none of the slaves see you, and depart by the front door.” **'Yes, breather.” ‘¢'You will find there Isodor Chris—” ‘* Oh, brother!” ‘Sh! His life would be the forfeit if it were known.” ‘¢ No one shall know, brother.” ‘‘ Tell hin where his father is buried, Ninez, that is all, and return quickly to the house, for I shall not go into the sitting-room until you get back, and I dare not go myself, as I might be missed by my parents and an alarm follow, while if they call you, 1 will say you are here with me, ‘‘ Tsodor is waiting you, for I said you should come, if you were here; but be cautious,” ‘“‘Don’t fear that I will not, brother,” and Ninez hastily threw a mantilla over her head and left the mansion upon her errand, calling the dog that had greeted her brother to accom- pany her. CHAPTER XI. THE INSURGENT’S GRAVE. Ata a ace, Ninez De Soto walked through the w vA the faithful dog trotting close to her heels. She flanked the servants’ quarters, glided from tree to tree, and was soon in the roadway leading to the Christobal plantation. She did not expect to meet any one there, for the superstitious negroes, since the execution of the Don and the burning of the villa, never went in that direction after nightfall. Then too the road led by the Christobal ceme- tery, and that too the negroes shunned with great care, for rumors were afloat in the slave quarters, that the Don’s ghost had been seen prowling about his deserted plantation and seemingly wishing to be laid at rest in the bury- ing-ground of his family. yt walk of half a mile brought her in sight of the white posts of the gate, leading from the woodland, and the dog gave a low growl. “Silence sir! don’t you dare to bark here!” cried Ninez. A moment after she gave a low call, and in- stantly it was answered by a dark form appear- ing from a thicket. ‘Oh, Senor Isodor!” and the little maiden sprung toward him. ‘‘ Ninez! this is indeed a noble act upon your rt,” and the youth grasped the girl’s hands ton y in both his own, ‘‘Oh, Senor Isodor, how my heart feels for you in all your sorrow,” cried Ninez. ‘‘1 know it, Ninez, and I have often thought of you, and asked Senor Leon to let you come, if he could not return, for I so longed to see you for we were always great friends.” * And always will be, Senor Isodor; but what a hero you have become, for it all came out how you executed Rafael Ramirez, that bad man, for turning traitor, and killed Captain Merida in a duel, and took your mother and sister away in your yacht. “You have become a great man, Senor [so- dor, and I am proud of you.” ‘‘T hope to make you more so some day, sweet Ninez; but now I must hasten on my way, as soon as you have told me where my poor father lies buried.” In a few words the young girl told him of the burial-place of his father, as she had made it known to her brother, and then the two parted, Ninez returning to the mansion with her dumb companion, and unseen, entering her brother’s room to tell him all, while Isodor went on his way, over hill, field and dale, toward the San home, senors,” José Chapel Cemetery, which he knew well. He dared not take a road, for he expected to be seen by some band of Spaniards, or even Cubans, and it was a long, hard tramp for him and his faithful comrades. At last, just as the chapel clock tolled the hour of midnight, he sprung over the adobe wall into the cemetery. Crossing it, the party soon found themselves | —— eee Sr _ a Se OE esi, «mm, LLL LLL LLL LLL had had the Insurgent leaders buried, that they might, after death, be a warning to Cubans, through their graves, upon the headstones of which he had had inscriptions cut to suit his own views. The woodland was often the resort of gather- ings of the people, and Colonel Morelos knew that the graves would be seen there by thou- sands, The night was starlight, but following the directions of Ninez De Soto, the youth soon came in sight of the thirteen headstones. Lighting a match he ran its blaze along until he came to a grave at the end of the line, It was the one that he sought, and down by its side he knelt, while his black companions stood with uncovered heads near by. ‘‘My poor, murdered father! you shall be cruelly avenged, ‘‘ T swear it, here by the dishonored grave into which Spanish inhumanity has placed you!” Then he lighted another match, and read the inscription cut deep into the stone, It read: ‘BENEATH THIS STONE ‘SIN A “DISHONORED GRAVE ‘‘ 78 THE BODY OF “DON PIEDRA CHRISTOBAL, ‘“Once an honored officer of the Spanish army he resigned his: commission to return to Cuba and no rebellion against bis queen; but caught in his reachery, he was tried, convicted and ‘““SENTENCED TO DEATH BY THE GARROTE. “PUT TO DEATH, WITH “TWELVE OTHER INSURGENT CHIEFS, “ OcroBpER —, 1849, ‘‘TLet the fate of Christobal, the lnsurgent, and his brother traitors be a warning to all Cubans who would turn against Spain, their mother country.” Several times did Isodor Christobal read over this strange inscription, by the aid of lighted matches, until the words were engraved in- delibly in his heart. Then he arose and said: ‘* Begin work, boys!” Instantly two of the crew stepped forward and struck their ati into the grave. Quickly they throw out the yielding earth, until becoming tired, two others relieve them at their work, and thus alternating, half an hour passes away when a shovel strikes a hard sub- stance, ‘‘ Tt is the coffin, Senor Master,” said Bueno, Isodor started and stepped nearer, and soon the earth was thrown out to the coffin, about which ropes were fastened, and slowly it was raised from its loathsome resting-place. The hand-barrow was then placed near, the coffin was put upon it, blankets thrown over it, and the spades’and shovels dropped into the grave to lessen the weight upon the return. . “Now, boys, we must return, and it is so late I think we can venture back by the road, ‘‘Let every man speak out as he gets tired, and thus relieving each other we can go on without halting long.” The barrow was‘raised upon the shoulders of four of the slaves, two other's took their position, one upon either side, Bueno brought up the rear and Isodor led the way. Crossing the cemetery, they scaled the adobe wall into the road and walked at a swinging pace, a man stepping in from time to time and relieving a tired comrade at the barrow, Isodor and Bueno also taking their turns, Thus a league was gone, half the distance to their boat, when suddenly out of a gateway, leading into the Ramirez plantation, where had lived Rafael Ramirez, the traitor Cuban, rode two horsemen. Their manner and the jingling of their accou- terments told that they were Spanish soldiers. They beheld the strange cortege, as soon as Isidor saw them, and instantly sung out the words, sharp and threatening: ‘‘ Halt! what have we there?” “A dead comrade whom we are bearing replied Isodor, stepping to the front, as one of the slaves welieved him at the barrow, which he was bearing when they halted. : ’ ‘ : CHAPTER XII. THE FIGHT FOR THE DEAD. ‘¢ Who is it that is dead?” came in the stern tone: of the horseman who had hailed Isidor and his party. LE ‘‘My comrade Piedra,” Senor Officer,” an- swered Isodor, referring to his father by his Christian name. ‘* ‘Where did he die?” ‘* Back at the tavern, senor.” ‘* Who are you?” ‘‘ My name is Chisto, senor.” ‘* Are you a Spaniard?” ‘‘ No, senor, a poor Cuban.” ‘* And your companions?” ‘‘ Are slaves, senor, whom I urged to bear my poor comrade home.” The Spanish officer turned to his companion and said something in a low tone, to which tho other replied in an equally low voice, after ly the one who had been making the queries, said: ‘‘ There is something strange in your carrying a dead body along the highways after midnight, and I shall hold you here until my companion rides to the Spanish camp, half a mile distant and brings a guard to turn Ne over to until you can be investigated, for | believe there is something wrong here.” Then turning to his companion, he continued: ‘Fonda, you go tocamp and report to Cap- Lae Valdez, while I remain as a guard over this party. ‘Yes, senor,” and thesecond officer was turn- ing away when Isodor called out: ‘** One moment, senor!” The youth saw that he must act and prompt- ly, did he wish to save his father’s b from being retaken, and the lives of himself and faithful crew. ‘* Well?” and the Spaniard turned back. ‘*Do you go to the camp at the town?’ ‘6 No. ?? ‘*T thought if you did, you might ask Padre Carmichael of San Jose Chapel if it was not all right.” ‘“IT go to our camp over in the edge of the Ramirez woodland.” ‘*T did not know that there was a Spanish camp there.” ‘* Then you must be a stranger in these parts, if you do not know where our camps are located, since you accursed Cubans began your uprising, or i us to leave pleasant quarters for field ife. ‘* Senor, I am a stranger here, and I have de- ceived you; but if you will allow me to -whisper to you, [ will tell you something of great in- terest.” ‘*¢ Hold on, Fonda, before you go, and I’ll hear what he has to say,” and the Spaniard rode for- ward a few steps, when Isodor, as he bent over in his saddle, seized him with an unexpected grasp and dragged him headlong to the earth. ‘* Hold him, Bueno!” cried the youth, and he sprung forward to grasp the rein of the other horseman, who suddenly drew a pistol and fired, while he attempted to dart away. The shot missed its aim, however, and, in an- other instant the Spaniard would have been off, when Isodor fired, and the man, uttering a cry fell headlong from his saddle, In the mean time Bueno had sprung upon the Spaniard, whom his young master had dragged to the ground, and, with the aid of two others of the crowd had bound him securely. ‘‘ We've got him safe, senor,” cried Bueno. ‘¢ And this one is dead: but hark!” As Isodor spoke, the notes of a distant bugle was heard. ‘Tt is in the Spanish camp, and sounding the alarm, ‘Quick, Bueno, gag him, and tie him so he cannot escape.” ‘‘ Better kill him, Senor Master,” muttered Bueno. ‘No, Bueno, I will not strike even a Spaniard when he is down, or wholly in my power. ‘There, that will do; now let us be off!” The Spaniard was thrown to one side of the road, and again raising the barrow, the party started on their way at a quick walk. It was yet several miles to the coast, and the bugles sounding the alarm were ringing thr ough the Spanish ea ‘Tt is a cavalry encampment, Bueno, so it will not take them long to get here,” said Iso- or. ‘The pistol-shots alarmed them, senor, for 1 guess Spaniards are scared Of their shadows, since the uprising in the island.” ‘‘They’ll be more frightened yet, Bueno, if all goes Well; but we must leave the highway atthe next plantation-gate and take to the fields, and they cannot find us so easily as they may think, for the darkness is in our favor.” . There was a gateway a short distance ahead, and into this they turned, just as they heard the sound of galloping hoofs,