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ACROSS THE ROCKV MOUNTAINS, ETC. 305 



extremity of the city proper, and upper portion of the Ahnendral. 

 Here the prisoners were lifted to the ground, their coats and hats 

 removed, and thrown in a heap together, and each man placed by 

 a sort of arm chair which had been previously provided, the legs 

 of which had been driven firmly into the ground. A large body of 

 troops, to the number of perhaps six hundred, was then brought 

 forward, and stationed around the square; the city guards, on 

 horseback, were arranged within these, and outside the whole 

 open space was crowded with people, as well as the heights over- 

 looking the spot. 



After a long and painful pause, the culprits were seated in the 

 chairs, their arms and legs firmly bound to the upright pieces, and 

 a handkerchief tied around the eyes of each. 



From this moment every thing was conducted with the great- 

 est despatch. A file of twelve men was drawn up within about 

 five yards of the victims ; the commanding officer waved his 

 sword over his head — every man clapt his musket to his shoulder 

 and fired a rattling volley in the very faces of the poor criminals. It 

 was most wretchedly, most cruelly managed. I had posted 

 myself on the top of a high fence near, and could see clearly 

 every thing that occurred. The volley was fired before even the 

 executioners were prepared ; they had evidently expected more 

 exact and definite orders, and the saturnine priests were taken 

 wholly by surprise, as, when the report of the muskets broke the 

 awful silence, they were whispering ghostly comfort, and 

 administering extreme unction to the unhappy sufferers. As the 

 smoke cleared away, the terrified padres were seen scampering 

 from the area, and mixing in the crowd without. As I antici- 

 pated, not one of the poor wretches was killed. Some were 

 grievously wounded, and struggling convulsively in their bonds, 

 but several seemed to have escaped altogether. Among these 

 were the colonel and young Florine. The former raised his 



hand, and tapped his breast several times as though directing 



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