National Republican., 1885-06-29
BEL RUBI /;
or, THE
CHILDREN OF THE EARTHQUAKE.
CHAPTER /.
THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE.

llCusult-bCthtfbI 10 anu lFOi
The bay was crowded with shipping Two
men-of-war lay near the new marble quay,
just completed; which was already pOpu-
lar resort for fashionablcs aud unfashlon-
ables, TO gather Of an afternoon and listen
to the playing of the bands.
In the midst OF this peace and pleasure
came low, rumbling, iarrlng sound. The
windows ratified horses stood still, snort
ing and trembling, refusing TO move further.
Every one gazed in the face Of his neigh
Dor, growing pale-he knew not why and
then, "a 'sc tremor ceased, people laughed
uneasily, and said to each other that 1t was
'nothing, after ALL"
But still the horses refused TO bulge when
whipped up,
Then came another rumble, which rose TO
a roar. The tremor was renewed, and be-
came a swaying TO aud fro. Men and
women staggered like drunlards; and In the
midst of It the tower OF the church Of San
Lorenzo was seen 10 be tottering 10 its fail
over the square of the same name
People came running from the houses IN
every street, frantic with fear, making in
stinctively for some open place. Tho square
was the nearest and Us the tower was be-
held shaking, bitter cry rose from the
crowd.
Some tried to flee, but their limbs refused
to sustain them on the heavlng earth, which
added dizzy sickness to their misery and
fear.
Then-cRAsH
The great tower, $50 feet high, fell into
the square. crushing hundreds The heay-
ing became succession of waves. Hills
rose and valleys sank where all had boon
level.
Then came a shock more violent than
before and the rattle of falling buildings
echoed through the doomed city.
People ran as hard as they could toward
the river, with tho instinct of hunted ami
mails to seek the water, Seliishness ruled
the hour, aud men struck fercely at
women and children If the poor things got
In the way.
In the midst.of the crowd near the square
stood carriage. The panic stricken
horses had refused to stir. In the carriage
sat two ladies with babies In their arms.
Both were richly dressed, but both had
been abandoned In that hour by their nurses
All distinctions of rank were lost, and they
only remembered that their babies were
crying, and that they must hush them.
Then came lull in the tremor OF the
ground, and both mothers sprang out of
the carriage and began to run with the
crowd
AS they did so, one said hastily to the
other, In English
"Koop up your courage, Marie. IL you
give way we shall never escape"
The other, who was nearly fainting,
gasped 49,
mo, we are not lost ~ retorted the first,
who seemed to have courage In spite Of the
terrible commotlon. "Only don't drop
down. Keep on you feet, whatever hap
pens, and hold fast to the baby !"
Then they began to rup IN the crowd,
where all seemed frantic with fear.
Out In the harbor, by the pier, the two
men-of-war were scene OF hurry and con
fusion.
Their anchors were down; their officers
shouting hoarse orders as they prepared to
get the ships out to sea.
One was English, the other French.
In the midst OF the commo tion, the
captain Of the English ship heard voice
hailing him from boat shooting past:
uGuy! Gttyi Kcre are yOug"
The English captain uttered fervent
"Thank Godl'' under his breath; forho rec =
ognized the voice and foreign accent.
A young officer, in French naval uniform
was waving his hand from the stern Of the
boat, us IT passed the frigate, and called out
in French ~ will save them. Be not
afraidr'
The English captain waved his hand in
reply, but his face was as pale rs that of a
corpse. His wife and child, and that OF the
| French officer, were both ashore, aud he
dared not leave his duty to save them,
| Then, as the boat glided towards the quay,
the English captain gave a shrug TO his
shoulders, as If to control the nervous shud-
| der he could not avoid, and turned his at
| tentlon to his own ship, resolutely repres-
slug every feeling but that OF strict duty.
At the moment the first rumble of the
earthquake began, small, half-decked
craft, with single mast, supporting huge
lateen sail, was floating not far from the
| pier, her crew OF three men trying TO propel
her from the vicinity by means OF clumsy
| sweeps
When the first tremor came, 1t was not
noticed on the water, but the sailors heard
the rumbling sound, and the captain--a big,
swaIthy young fellow, with Keen black
eyes and huge side-whiskcrs--rosted on his
Our moment 10 look round and say in
Spanish;
"That thunder ought to give us wind
| boysh The next minute the second shock
came up through the water, like u blow, ,and
the captain turned a shade paler through
his bronze,and muttered ina voice Of appre
| hension;
"lIother Of HcareRl IL Is he earthquake
Pull your best for the open sea God help
us all Pull, say
The words, "thC edrihqdke,n were
enough for the two Spaniards who com
| luscu lut crew, WllSll lHty nedTu lltln
They bent to their oars with all their might,
and the boat began to move through the
| water.
They were leaving the pier rapidly, when
the three men felt u sudden sinking, as II the
boat were going down. The water seemed
to drop from under them, and then they were
swept ont to sea, with a rush, rs fast as O
horse could have galloped, the sensation Of
sinking growing stronger every moment.
Two OF the men, who were pulling, dropped
their oars and fell on their Knees, In tho IN,
stinct of man when he can do nothing more
raising their hands TO Heaven, aud praying
wildly for mercy.
The captain, on the other hand turned hiI
face toward them, and snarled hercely
"Get to your oars, you fools The saint
can't stop The Garth9uakei Get 20 your oarsP
The next minute he himself was hurled
from his place by violent shock, and th'
men raised a shrek Of terror, Their nerve
were completely unstrung by what had jus
happened.
The boat aCds high and dry on tho bottom
of the bag, and they could see the waite
rushing out 10 sea, as " It were being
sucked up by some strange monster, reveal
ing the ground, jagged with rocks, and in
terspersed with pools of mud.
But the dauntless captain did not give
way. lie rose from the place where he haI
been thrown, and called TO his panic
stricken mon;
set 10 yOur oars LOOK THEREr'
He pointed TO the retiring wave. 1t hat
paused In its course, and was stationary
while great wall Of water was beginning
10 curl over at the top, as II the contendlnl
forces We're struggling for the mastery,
| The trembling sailors obeyed him Instinct