An Eagle Flight Part 41

"What are you looking at?" demanded the directorcillo, who had gathered all his evidence.

"I was looking, senor, to see if I knew him," stammered the man, half uncovering, in which he managed to lower his salakat even farther over his eyes.

"But didn't you hear that it is a certain Jose? You must be asleep!"

Everybody laughed. The confused countryman stammered something else and went away. When he had reached a safe distance, he took off his disguise and resumed the stature and gait of Elias.

XLIX.

Vae VICTIS.

With threatening air the guards marched back and forth before the door of the town hall, menacing with the b.u.t.t of their rifles intrepid small boys, who came and raised themselves on tiptoe to see through the gratings.

The court room had not the same appearance as the day of the discussion of the fete. The guards and the cuadrilleros spoke low; the alferez paced the room, looking angrily at the door from time to time. In a corner yawned Dona Consolacion, her steely eyes riveted on the door leading into the prison. The arm-chair under the picture of His Majesty was empty.

It was almost nine o'clock when the curate arrived.

"Well," said the alferez, "you haven't kept us waiting!"

"I did not wish to be here," said the curate, ignoring the tone of the alferez. "I am very nervous."

"I thought it best to wait for you," said the alferez. "We have eight here," he went on, pointing toward the door of the prison; "the one called Bruno died in the night. Are you ready to examine the two unknown prisoners?"

The curate sat down in the arm-chair.

"Let us go on," he said.

"Bring out the two in the cepo!" ordered the alferez in as terrible a voice as he could command. Then turning to the curate:

"We skipped two holes."

For the benefit of those not acquainted with the instruments of torture of the Philippines, we will say that the cepo, a form of stocks, is one of the most innocent; but by skipping enough holes, the position is made most trying. It is, however, a torture that can be long endured.

The jailor drew the bolt and opened the door. A sickening odor escaped, and a match lighted by one of the guards went out in the vitiated air; when it was possible to take in a candle, one could see dimly, from the rooms outside, the forms of men crouching or standing. The cepo was opened.

A dark figure came out between two soldiers; it was Tarsilo, the brother of Bruno. His torn clothing let his splendid muscles show. The other prisoner brought out was weeping and lamenting.

"What is your name?" the alferez demanded of Tarsilo.

"Tarsilo Alasigan."

"What did Don Crisostomo promise you for attacking the convent?"

"I have never had any communication with Don Crisostomo."

"Don't attempt to deny it: what other reason had you for joining the conspiracy?"

"You had killed our father, we wished to avenge him, nothing more. Go find two of your guards. They're at the foot of the precipice, where we threw them. You may kill me now, you will learn nothing more."

There was silence and general surprise.

"You will name your accomplices," cried the alferez, brandishing his cane.

The accused man smiled disdainfully. The alferez talked apart with the curate.

"Take him where the bodies are," he ordered.

In a corner of the patio, on an old cart, five bodies were heaped under a piece of soiled matting.

"Do you know them?" asked the alferez, lifting the covering. Tarsilo did not reply. He saw the body of Sisa's husband, and that of his brother, pierced through with bayonet strokes. His face grew darker, and a great sigh escaped him; but he was mute.

"Beat him till he confesses or dies!" cried the exasperated alferez.

They led him back where the other prisoner, with chattering teeth, was invoking the saints.

"Do you know this man?" demanded Father Salvi.

"I never saw him before," replied Tarsilo, looking at the poor wretch with faint compa.s.sion.

"Fasten him to the bench; gag him!" ordered the alferez, trembling with rage. When this was done, a guard began his sad task.

Father Salvi, pale and haggard, rose trembling, and left the tribunal. In the street he saw a girl, leaning against the wall, rigid, motionless, her eyes far away. The sun shone full down on her. She seemed not to breathe but to count, one after another, the m.u.f.fled blows inside. It was Tarsilo's sister.

The torture continued until the soldier, breathless, let his arm fall, and the alferez ordered his victim released. But Tarsilo still refused to speak. Then Dona Consolacion whispered in her husband's ear; he nodded.

"To the well with him!" he said.

The Filipinos know what that means. In Tagalo it is called timbain. We do not know who invented this judiciary process, but it must belong to antiquity. Truth coming out of a well is perhaps a sarcastic interpretation.

In the middle of the patio of the tribunal was a picturesque well curb of uncut stones. It had a rustic crank of bamboo; its water was slimy and putrid. All sorts of refuse had been thrown around it and in it.

Toward this Tarsilo was led. He was very pale, and his lips trembled, if he was not praying. The pride he had shown appeared now to be crushed out; he seemed resigned to suffer. The poor wretch looked enviously at the pile of bodies, and sighed heavily.

"Speak then!" said the directorcillo. "You will be hung anyway. Why not die without so much suffering?" But Tarsilo remained mute.

When the well was reached, they bound his feet. He was to be let down head foremost. He was fastened to the curb; the crank turned, and his body disappeared. The alferez noted the seconds with his watch. At the signal the body was drawn up, too pitiable to describe; but Tarsilo was still mute. Again he was let down, again he refused to speak; when he was drawn up the third time, he no longer breathed.

His torturers looked at each other in consternation. The alferez ordered the body taken down, and they all examined it for signs of life; but there were none.

"See," said a cuadrillero, at last, "he has strangled himself with his tongue!"

"Put the body with the others," ordered the alferez nervously. "We must examine the other unknown prisoner."