Show PAYING A DEBT OF KINDNESS 1 n indian brave v who never forgot tb mercy shown his hl bd band about the middle of this century there ther was a terrible uprising among the yucatan indians for a time they were able to wreak vengeance on their white quer ers and their ferocity and cruelty were horrible even so BO dark a page of history as this however is not without its story of kindness and mercy between enemies the town of peto was so eo sit bated in the indian territory that it was taken by the indians and recaptured by the whites many times once when it was in the hands of its rightful owners a number of indian prisoners were held less cruel than the savages the whites killed only in battle they allowed their prisoners to live but provisions beeam became more and more scarce and the indians indi were left to dio die of hunger one day don marcos duarte a wealthy inhabitant oi of the town was passing the house where the indians indian were and stopped shocked at the sight of a miserable emaciated creature what are you doing he asked 1 I am eating my shoes as you see was the reply 1 I am Et rt arving to death for twelve days we have had almost no food most of my companions are dead and the days of the rest are numbered don marcos looked at the miserable survivors and said you and they shall live and he sent them food every day and finally procured their freedom whatever wre tho the rights of the question between ainilian and whites w hit es in this thia case cas e human pity spoke first in his heart some time later peto was captured by the indians and the inhabitants were massacred don marcos with his wife and children awaited death on their knees in prayer they heard a party of savages approaching the house and felt that the end had bad come the head of the band however stationed sentinels around the house and ana gave this order not a hair of the head orthis of this man manor or his bis family is tabo to be touched on pain of death the family of duarte was the only one that was spared the indian who had inspired the pity of don marcos wa was paying MA hyi debt twenty years afterward in a successful uprising the indians sacked a number of villages and country houses they retreated loaded with spoil and dragging gin with them many household servants of whom they intended to make slaves the chief of the expedition askeroi one of them what was the name of hit his 1 master a ter don marcos duarte he replied the tha chief immediately called a halt how many men belong to don marcos he asked twenty four replied the rian man to whom he had spoken IN name ame them said the chief having collected the twenty four men he returned to them the spoil which had ca come me from the duarte house hanse and said go home friends you yon are free it was the indian once more paying his hia debt months companion |