The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1890-01-08

they were going to have feast.
She began directly the preparation
of The breakfas' hut when it came
to The killinc Il he rabbit, her
heart failed H. Yet it was not
the first! 0pe i the soldiers hit it
a blow behiud '.e ears with his fist.
Once the an nal was dead, she sue
ceeded in skinning the red body; but
the SIGHT Of the blood that she felt
cooling and CLOTHING, made her
tr, mble from head TO foot; and al
ways she saw her big boycutin two.
his BODY red also, like that Of this
still palpltating animal. !.
She sat down at the table with
her prnssians, but she could not eat
a single monthful. They did not
heed, but deVoured the rabbit. She
looked at them sidewise, saying not
a word, maturing an idea, her face
so expressionless that they noticed
nothing. @Hu1 a.
Suddenly she asked: ,"Here we
have lived a month together, and |
do not even know your names. :"
They understood, not without diff
Guilty, what sbe wanted, and told
their names. That did not satisfy
her; she made them write them
on piece of paper, with the ad-
dresses Of their families, then, rest
ing her spectacles on her big nsse,
sha considered this unknown writ
ing after which she folded the paper
aud put it in her pocket, on top Of
the letter which told Of her sons
death. When the meal was over
she said to the men: II am going
to work for you" &.44a -..'-,.
And she began TO carry hay into
the garret where they slept. They
we're astohished at this work; she
explained TO them that they would
not be 20 cold; and they helped her.
They piled up the bundles till they
touched the thatched roof; and thus
they made sort of large chamber
with four grass walls, warm and
perfunled, in which they would sleep
maryellously we'll. s-. D.
Atdinner time one of them be-
came anxious on seeing that Mother
Savage still ate nothing. She de-
clared taat she had cramps. Then
she lighted good fire TO warm her
self, and the four Germans went up
to their lodging by the ladder which
they used every night. As soon as
the trap door was closed, the old
woman took away the ladder, then
noiselessly opened the outside door,
and went to get some bundles Of
straw, with which she filled her
kitchen. She went barefooted in
the snow, so softly that they heard
nothing. From time to time she
listened to the unequal snoring Of
the four sleeping soldiers. -
When she judged her prepara-
tions sufficient, she threw one Of the
bundles into the fire, and when it
was we'll attained, she scattered it
over the Others, went out, and
watched. In a few seconds the en-
tire interior Of the cottage was Illu-
minated with a raging light; then it
became a fnghtful bed OF Goals, a
gigantic glowing oven, from which
CLEANS shot through the narrow
window and threw dazzling rays
upon the snow. Then a loud CRY
came from the top Of the house,
followed by q chorus Of human
shrieks, heartrending appeals oi
anguish and fear. Then, having
burned through the trap-door, a
whirlwind Of fire burst into the
attic, pierced the thatched roof, and
rose TO the skies like an immense
torch; and the whole cottage wa
wrapped in flame. #., Il ..
Nothing more was heard within
but the cracking Of the fire and the
Trembling Of the beams. The roof
suddenly fell in, and the cottages
| glowing carcass shot a great shower
81 sparks into the air, amid cloud
OF smoke. The fields, lighted BY
the fire, shone like a sheet Of silver
tinted with red. A bell in the dis
tance began to ring. Old Mother
Savage remained standing befor,
her destroyed dwelling, armed Will
lher gun. her sons gun, fOrfear thai
one Of the men might escape. Wher
she saw that all was over, she tlrev
her weapone into the embers. A
loud report rang ont. People cam,
lhurrying up--peasants, Prussians
They found the woman sitting on
trOe-trunk, tranquil and satisfied. 4
German officer Who spoke like sol
Of France, asked her:
"Where are your soldiersi" al
j She stretched out her thin arm
toward the red mass Of dying fire
and answered in q strong voice:
"In there" - H.
They pressed around her. Th
prussian ashed: r v.l
...f.
ri. EaLjrEI .s