emed recently
torn and was covered with dust.

"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 butt 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 w