New-York tribune., 1903-06-29

come of the stormers? Some we were tramplirg
under foot: the rest had swept on and into the
town.
Fifty second to the left said my friend as
we gained the top of the rampart. catchins up
a cry which now sounded everywhere in the
darkness. ..Forty-ttird to the right-52d to the
leftm I turned sharply to the left and ran from
him.
A rush of men overlook US. This way"
they shouted swerving aside from the line OF
the ramparts and sliding down the steep inner
slope toward the town. They were mad for
loot but in my ignorance 1 supposed them to
be obeying orders, and 1 turned aside, and
clambered down after them
We crossed a roadway and plunged into
dark and deserted street at the foot OF which
shone a. solitary lamp. Then 1 learned what
nv comrades were after. The first door they
came to they broke down with their musket
butts. An old man was crouching behind it;
and dragging him out, they tossed him from
one to another, jabbing at him with their bay
onets I ran on. shutting my ears 10 his
screams
I was alone now; and it seemed. in
forsaken town. Here and there a light shone
beneath house door or through the chinks or
a shutter I felt that behind the windows 1
passed Ciudad Rodrigo was awake and waiting
for its punishment Behind me- along the ram
parts. the uprOar SClLl CcnIlHueO- DuI tO"H'
here and for the moment had to myself; end
# was waiting; trembling TO know what my
venge would be.
I came next to a small. open square. and was
crossing It when in the corner my right
door opened softly, showing a lit passage with
in, and a moment later was as gently smut
Scarcely needing, ran on-ny feet sounding
sharply on the frozen cobbles; and with that
Jet of light 1eaped from under the door sill
across the narrow pavement and almost be-
tween my feet, and pitched head1ong. with a
shattered foot
Doubtless I tainted with the pain, for 1t
| could not have been-as 1t seemed-but min
| ute later that I opened my eyes to find the
| square crowded and bright with the glare OF
two burning houses A herd OF believing oxen
| came charging past the gutter where 1 lay
| pricked on by a score Of redcoats, yelling IN
| sheer drunkenness as they fourished their bay
| onets Two or three of them monks robes
| flung over their uniforms and danced idiot
! icalIy holding their skirts wide. I supposed it
| had been raining for food ran through the
| gutter and over my broken ankle, and in the
light Of the confagration it showed pitch black,
| and by and by I knew It for wine flowing down
| from whole cellarful OF casks which a score
| Of rnadrnen were broaching they dragged
| them forth from house the upper side OF
the square A child-he could not have been
| more than four years o%-ran screaming by
| me. From a balcony right overhead soldier
| shot at him missed, and laughed uproariously-
| Then he reloaded and began firing among the
| bullocks, now tarnmed and goring one another
! at the entrance Of narrow alley. And his
shots seemed to be a signal for a general salvo
| of random nnusketry. I cross the
! roadway with a riheman close behind her: he
swung up his rife. holding it by the muzzIe.
| and clubbed her between the shoulders with the
| butt
| All night these scenes went by rne-these and
| scenes OF which I cannot write; unrolled IN the
| blaze Of the houses which burned on, little
regarded as who lay in my gutter and watched
: them to the savage. unending music Of yells
musketry and the roar of flames
In the height of it my ear caught the regular
football of troops. and a squad OF infantry came
swinging around the corner. I supposed it TO be
a patrol sent to clear~the streets and restore
order A small man in civilian dress-a Portu-
guese by his dress-waIked gingerIy beside the
| sergeant in charge. and-as he waIked-chat-
tered and gesticulated. And, almost in the same
| instant perceived that the men wore the uni
form Of the North Willis. and that the sergeant
he held in converse was George Leicester.
! BY the light Of the flames he recognized me.
shook off his guide and stepped forward.
! ''Hurt?" he asked. Here. step out, a couple
a friend of mine. and I've something to show
him-something that will amuse him. I'm
/ mistaken
| They hoisted me, not meaning 70 be rough
but hurting me cruelty. nevertheless. and TWO of
them made chair" with crossed hands; but
they left my wounded foot dangling, and
swooned again with pain.
When I came to, we were in a straat, dark
but for their Ianterns-between a row OF houses
I and a blank wall, and against this wall they
were laying me. The houses opposite were
superior to any I had yet seen in Ciudad Rod
rigo and had iron balconies before their first
floor windows. broad and deep and overhanging
the house doors.
On one of these doors Leicester was hammer
ing with his sfdearm. the Portuguese standing
] by on the step below. No one answering. ne
( called 10 two Of his men, who advanced and,
! setting the nuzzles Of their muskets close
against the keyhole blew the door in Leicester
snatched a lantern and sprang inside, the two
rnen after him The Portuguese waited The
rest of the soldiers waited too grounding arms
some in the roadway. others by the wall at the
foot of which they had laid me.
minute passed-two minutes-and then, with
a crash a man sprang through one Of the first
/ floor windows. flung leg over the balcony rail-
and hung a moment in air between the ledge
! and the street. The window through which he
had broken was flung up and Leicester came
| running after, grabbing at him vainly as he
| swung clear
There were two figures the balcony.
/ A woman had run after Leicester. leaned for a
moment with both hands the balcony rail-
and turned as If TO run back Leicester caught
her around the waist and held her so while she
screamed-shrilly. again and again
orIaH for mt