se
of transporting some of the sick and lame prisoners; but before it
had proceeded a mile upon the road it either broke down or was
found to be too heavily loaded. At all events, McAllister was
ordered by Salazar to hobble along as best he might, and to
overtake the main body of prisoners, now some quarter of a mile in
advance. The wretch had frequently told those who, from inability
or weakness, had fallen behind, that he would shoot them rather
than have the march delayed; not that there was any necessity for
the hot haste with which we were driven, but to gratify his brutal
disposition did he make these threats. Although he had struck, and
in several cases severely beaten, many of the sick and lame
prisoners, we could not believe that he was so utterly destitute
of feeling, so brutal, as to murder a man in cold blood whose only
fault was that he was crippled and unable to walk. He could easily
have procured transportation for all if he had wished, and that he
would do so rather than shoot down any of the more unfortunate we
felt confident: how much we mistook the man!

'On being driven from the cart, McAllister declared his inability
to proceed on foot. Salazar drew his sword and peremptorily
ordered him to hurry on, and this when he had half a dozen led
mules, upon either of which he could have placed the unfortunate
man. Again McAllister, pointing to his swollen and inflamed ankle,
declared himself unable to walk. Some half a dozen of his comrades
were standing around him, with feelings painfully wrought up,
waiting the _denouement_ of an affair which, from the angry
appearance of Salazar, they now feared would be tragical. Once
more the bloodthirsty savage, pointing to the main body of
prisoners, ordered the cripple to hurry forward and overtake
them--_he could not_! 'Forward!' said Salazar, now wrought up to a
pitch of phrenzy. 'Forward, or I'll shoot you on the spot!' 'Then
shoot!' replied McAllister, throwing off his blanket and exposing
his manly breast, 'and the quicker the better!' Salazar took him
at his word, and a single ball sent as brave a man as ever trod
the earth to eternity! His ears were then cut off, his shirt and
pantaloons stripped from him, and his body thrown by the roadside
as food for wolves!'

In the following extract, of a different description,