The Washington critic., 1885-06-29
BEL RUBIO;
Or THE
CHILDREN OF THE EARTHQUAKE.
CHAPTER /.
THE GREAT FApTUOITAEr

Two men-of-war lay near the new marble
quay, just completed; which was already
popular resort for fashionables and un-
fashionables, to gather of an afternoon
and listen to the playing of the bands.
In the midst of this peace and pleasure
came low, rumbling, jarring sound. The
windows ratified; horses stood still, snort
ing and trembling, refusing to move fur
ther.
Every one gazed in the face of his
neighbor. growing palc-he knew not
why; and then, as the tremor ceased, peo-
pie laughed uneasily, and said to each
other that it was nothing, after ALL"
But still the horses refused to bulge
when whipped up.
Then CAME another rumble, which rose
to roar. The tremor was renewed, and
became q swaying to and fro. Men and
women staggered like drunkards; and in
the midst Of it the tower of the church of
San Lorenzo was seen to be tottering to
its fall over the square of the same name.
People came running from the houses
in every street, frantic with fear making
instinctively for some open place. The
square was the nearest; and as the tower
was beheld shaking, bitter cry rose from
the crowd.
Some tired to flee, but their limbs re-
fused to sustain them on the heaving
earth, which added dizzy sickness to
their misery and fear.
Then-CRAsH!
The great tower, two hundred and eighty
feet high, fell into the square, crushing
hundreds. The heaving became a sue
cession of waves. Hills rose and valleys
sank where all had been level.
Then came shock, more violent than
before, and the rattle of falling buildings
echoed through the doomed city.
People ran as hard as they could to-
ward the river, with the instinct of hunted
animals to seek the water Selfshness
ruled the hour, and men struck fiercely at
women and children if the poor things got
in the way.
In the midst of the crowd, near the
square, stood n 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
in the tremor of the ground, and both
mothers sprang out ofthe carriage and be-
gan to run with the crowd.
AS they did so, one said hastily to the
other in English:
Keep up your courage, Marie. If you
give way we shall never escape"
The. other, who was nearly faintlng,
"Oh, my God we are lostr'
"No we are not lostv' retorted the first
who seemed to have courage in spite of
the terrible commotion. "Only don't drop
down. Keep on your feet, whatever hap.
pens, and hold fast to the baby
Then they began to run 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 commotion, the cap
tain of the English ship heard voice
"Guyi G,y' Vcre are youP"
The English captain uttered n fervent
"Thank Godn' under his breath; for he
recognized the voice and foreign accent.
A young officer in French naval uni
form was waving his hand from the stern
of the boat as it passed the frigate, and
called out in French, 81 will save them.
BE not afraidp'
The English captain waived his hand in
reply, but his face was as pale as that of Il
corpse. His wife and child, and that of
the French officer, were both ashore, and
he dared not leave his duty to save them.
Then, as the boat glided towards the quay,
the English captain gave shrug to his
shoulders, rs if to control the nervous
shudder lie could not avoid, and turned
his attention to his own ship resolutely
repressing every feeling but that Of strict
duty.
AT the moment the first rumble of the
earthquake began, n small, half-decked
craft with Single mast, supporting Il
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, il was not
noticed on the water; but the sailors
heard the rumbling sound; and the cap
tain-a big, swarthy young FELLOW, with
keen black eyes and huge side-whisSers
rested on his oar a moment to look
round and say, In Spanish:
THAT thunder rNslt To give MS wind,
boys The MT minute the second
shot came up through the water Ii Ike a
blow, and the captain turned q shade
paler through his bronze, and muttered,
in voice Of apprehension:
"lIOtha Of HcdteW II is he earthquake.
Pull your best for the open sea! God help
us all Pull, | sayn'
The words, "hc cdrthqudkc," ," were enough
| for the two Spaniards who composed the
crew, when they heard them. They bent
| to their oars with all their might, and the
1 Dbul DtSul W lllpNc Nllt NultI,
They were leaving the pier rapidly,
when the three men felt sudden sink
| ing, as if the boat were going down. The
water seemed to drop from under them,
| and then they were swept out to sea, with a
rush, as fast as II horse could have gal
| lOped the sensation of sinking growing
| stronger every moment.
Two of the men, who were pulling
| dropped their oars and fell on their knees
| in the instinct of man when he can dc
nothing more, raising their hands ia
| Heaven, and praying wildly for mercy.
The captain, ON the other hand, turned
| his face towards them, and snarled
! flercely;
"Get to your oars, you fools! The saints
| can't stop The earthquake! Get TO yOWr OarSP
The next minute he himself was hurled
| from his place by violent shock, and the
men raised shrek of terror. Theil
| nerves We're completely unstrung by what
| had just happened.
The boat l0ds high and dry on the bottom o.
| he bag, and they could see the water rush
] ish out to sea, as if it were being sucked