ners marched slowly, with downcast eyes, arms tied behind,
and bare heads, with the exception of white cotton caps stuck on the
back, to be pulled over the face as the last ceremony.

The roofs of the houses in the vicinity were covered with women and
children, to witness the first execution by hanging in the valley of
Taos, save that of Montojo, the insurgent leader. No men were near; a
few stood afar off, moodily looking on.

On the flat jail roof was placed a mountain howitzer, loaded and ranging
the gallows. Near was the complement of men to serve it, one holding in
his hand a lighted match. The two hundred and thirty soldiers, less the
eighteen forming the guard, were paraded in front of the jail, and
in sight of the gibbet, so as to secure the prisoners awaiting trial.
Lieutenant-Colonel Willock, on a handsome charger, commanded a view of
the whole.

When within fifteen paces of the gallows, the side-guard, filing off to
the right, formed, at regular distances from each other, three sides of
a hollow square; the mountaineers composed the fourth and front side, in
full view of the trembling prisoners, who marched up to the tree under
which was a government wagon, with two mules attached. The driver and
sheriff assisted them in, ranging them on a board, placed across the
hinder end, which maintained its balance, as they were six--an even
number--two on each extremity, and two in the middle. The gallows was
so narrow that they touched. The ropes, by reason of their size
and stiffness, despite the soaping given them, were adjusted with
difficulty; but through the indefatigable efforts of the sheriff and
a lieutenant who had accompanied him, all preliminaries were arranged,
although the blue uniform looked sadly out of place on a hangman.

With rifles at a "shoulder," the military awaited the consummation
of the tragedy. There was no crowd around to disturb; a death-like
stillness prevailed. The spectators on the roofs seemed scarcely to
move--their eyes were directed to the doomed wretches, with harsh
halters now encircling their necks.

The sheriff and his assistant sat down; after a few moments of intense
expectation, the heart-wrung victims said a few words to their people.
Only one of them admitted he had committed murder and deserved death.
In their brief but earnest appeals, the words "mi padre, mi madre"--"my
father, my mother"--were prominent. The one sentenced for treason
showed a spirit of patriotism wo