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Mautang replied with more blows, when suddenly a bullet whistled, followed by a loud report. Mautang dropped his rifle, uttered an oath, and clutching at his breast with both hands fell spinning into a heap. The prisoner saw him writhing in the dust with blood spurting from his mouth. "Halt!" called the corporal, suddenly turning pale. The soldiers stopped and stared about them.
Yet, among the soldiers there was one who looked with disapproving eyes upon so much wanton cruelty, as he marched along silently with his brows knit in disgust. At length, seeing that the guard, not satisfied with the branch, was kicking the prisoners that fell, he could no longer restrain himself but cried out impatiently, "Here, Mautang, let them alone!" Mautang turned toward him in surprise.
Mautang remained silent for a moment and then, apparently having discovered the reason, calmly rejoined, "Ah, it's because they are enemies and fight us, while these these are our own countrymen." Then drawing nearer to Carolino he whispered, "How stupid you are! They're treated so in order that they may attempt to resist or to escape, and then bang!" Carolino made no reply.
"What's it to you, Carolino?" he asked. "To me, nothing, but it hurts me," replied Carolino. "They're men like ourselves." "It's plain that you're new to the business!" retorted Mautang with a compassionate smile. "How did you treat the prisoners in the war?" "With more consideration, surely!" answered Carolino.
One of the prisoners then begged that they let him stop for a moment. "This is a dangerous place," answered the corporal, gazing uneasily toward the mountain. "Move on!" "Move on!" echoed Mautang and his lash whistled. The prisoner twisted himself around to stare at him with reproachful eyes. "You are more cruel than the Spaniard himself," he said.
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