forgive me!" screamed the voice of
the victim; but his last accents ended in a death-cry, for as he spoke, the
bayonets flashed for an instant in the air, and the next were plunged into
his body. Twice I had essayed to speak, but my voice, hoarse from shouting,
came not; and I could but look upon this terrible murder with staring eyes
and burning brain. At last speech came, as if wrested by the very excess of
my agony, and I muttered aloud, "O God!" The words were not well-spoken,
when the muskets were brought to the shoulders, and reeking with the blood
of the murdered man, their savage faces scowled at me as I lay.

A short and heart-felt prayer burst from my lips, and I was still. The
leader of the party called out, "Be steady, and together. One, two! Ground
arms, boys! Ground arms!" roared he, in a voice of thunder; "it's the
captain himself!" Down went the muskets with a crash; while, springing
towards me, the fellows caught me in their arms, and with one jerk mounted
me upon their shoulders, the cheer that accompanied the sudden movement
seeming like the yell of maniacs. "Ha, ha, ha! we have him now!" sang their
wild voices, as, with blood-stained hands and infuriated features, they
bore me down the rampart. My sensations of disgust and repugnance to the
party seemed at once to have evidenced themselves, for the corporal,
turning abruptly round, called out,--

"Don't _pity_ him, Captain; the scoundrel was a deserter; he escaped from
the picket two nights ago, and gave information of all our plans to the
enemy."

"Ay," cried another, "and what's worse, he fired through an embrasure near
the breach, for two hours, upon his own regiment. It was there we found
him. This way, lads."

So saying, they turned short from the walls, and dashed down a dark
and narrow lane into the town. My struggles to get free were perfectly
ineffectual, and to my entreaties they were totally indifferent.

In this way, therefore, we made our entrance into the Plaza, where some
hundred soldiers, of different regiments, were bivouacked. A shout of
recognition welcomed the fellows as they came; while suddenly a party of
Eighty-eighth men, springing from the ground, rushed forward with drawn
bayonets, calling out, "Give him up this minute, or, by the Father of
Moses, we'll make short work of ye!"

The order was made by men who seemed well disposed to execute it; and I was
accordingly grounded with a shock and a rapidity that savored much m