The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-02-28


In this manner, as though she were
calling, as though her beast soul, in
cOnsOlable, had also a memory which
would not be erased
One night when Semillant had re-
commenced her wailing, the mother,
all Of a sudden, had an idea-the idea
Of a ferOeious savage She meditated
upon 1t until the morning; then rising
with the coming Of the dawn, went
to the church. She prayed, Frustrated
upon the pavement, humbled before
God, beseeeching him to aid her, to
uphold her, to give her poor, wearied
body strength 70 revenge her SON
Then she went home. There was in
her little yard an old, battered barrel,
which gathered the rainwater from
the caves.
+ She emptied it and turned IT upside
down, made 1t fast in the ground with
heavy logs and stones; then she
chained Semillant to the barrel and
went into the house
She walked then, continuously, in
her room, her eye always fixed on the
shores of Sardinia. He was there, the
murderer.
The dog bowled all day and all night.
In the morning the old woman
brought her water in an earthern jar,
but nothing else; no soup, no bread
The next day ended Semillant slept,
stretched out. In the morning her
eyes were burning, her coat rough and
awry, and she pulled desperately at
her chain
Again the old woman gave her moth
barled with-a hoarsened voice The
next night passed Then, the next day,
Mother SavOrini begged two bundles
Of straw from a neighbOr.
She took some old clothes which her
husband used to wear and filed them
with the straw, so that a human body
was represented
Having stuck a long stick in the
ground IN front Of the barrel, she tied
to it the manikin. which seemed IN this
way TO be standing up Then she made
a head out of old cloth
The dog, surprised, looked at the
man of straw and became silent,
though devOured with hunger That
night the woman bought at the gro
GERS two pounds OF meat pudding, re-
the barrel. and fried the pudding.
SemiIlant, crazed. heaped and fOamed
at the mouth. her eyes fixed or the
pan, from which the smoke entered
her very stomach
Then the mother made of the smOk-
ing pudding a cravat for the man Of
straw She took great pains in arrang-
ing IL about his neck, as though she
wished the grease to soak in. When
she had done this she unclaimed the
dog. With one bound the animal
reached the throat Of the manillin, and
with her feet on his shoulders began
to tear. She fell back with piece of
her prey in her NAV Then she
launched herself again burying her
fangs in the strings around the throat
and, Selling some bits of food, fell
back again, and then, maddened with
excitement, leaped again on the figure.
She carried of the entire face by great
bites, tearing the throat into rags.
The old woman, mOtiOnless, watched
with illuminated eyes Then she re-
chained her beast and, having fastened
it again for two days, went over the
strange proceeding For three months
ercise, TO this meal gained by savage /
teeth attack She didn't chain the dog
now. but urged her on with gestures
upon the manillin.
She taught the dog to tear it, to de-
YOUR 1t, even when there was no food
hidden il its throat. She would then
reward the dog with fried pudding
Whenever Semillant would see the
manikin. she would begin to tremble |
violently, then turn her eyes to her
mistress. The woman would scream
VA in a piercing voice, raising her
finger.
When she judged the time come.
Mother SavOrini went one Sunday to
communion and confession. Then, /
having dressed in mems clothes, like /
those of a poor old man, she was rOwed /
by a Sandman fisherman across the
strait.
She carried a large piece of meat |
pudding in a linen sack. Semillant had
tasted for two days Every minute the
old woman made the dog smeII~t the I
food.
They entered LongosardO. The
Corsican woman walked with a limp
She went to a baker shop and asked to
be pointed out the way TO the house
of Nicolas Ravolati- He had resumed
his old trade-that Of a carpenter. He
worked alone at the back Of his shop.
The old woman opened the door and
called: He, Nicolas"
He turned; then letting 60 of her
dog, she cried: va, va, devOur, devOur
him.
The maddened animal bounded for
ward and seized him by the throat.
The man oDened his arms closed uuon