The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-03-10
each Penitente was placed, az he
emerged from the Morada, long

scourge of braided yucca fibre ending
in a thick fringe, which, at the first
sound of the flute and tom-toms, he be-
gan to WELD with all his strength as
the penitential file wendell its painful
way toward the Hill OF Calvary.
Under the torture OF their quiyering
| flesh the Penitentes reeled and stag
gered but kept rhythmic time with the
| dismal music, and the bleak night wind
that whistled across the barren hills,
and cut into the aching gashes of the
naked backs, bore the mockery Of the
tom-toms over the mesa to the little
shack under the hill.
Onward toward the cross the file con-
tinued, weary and faint from loss of
blood, but still plying the scourge
which was now clotted with blood that
made the fringe into knotty ropes.
A few of the women began to falter.
Penance and fasting had so weakened
their bodies, their spirit, too, began to
fail. One who had started among the
first, and whose energy in the Morada
had been noted by all others, was soon
seen to flag under the stress of the
heavy climb. Little by little she began
60 lose ground. Those who had been
far behind her at the outset now passed
her and left her toiling along. Finally
she was the last one in the procession.
her footprints marked in blood, but she
kept on desperately, knowing that
every bleeding step was bringing her
nearer the cross and the expiatiOn Of
her sin. Once, as the air grew black
about her, she stumbled and fell, and
in accordance with the rules of the Or
der could not be succOred, but seeing
with half-blinded eyes the cross that
was not yet reached, she rallied her
failing powers, and with logged des-
peration started on again. The cross
must be gained, for therein lay her only
hope of eXpiatiOn.
Round and round the hill in ever
varying circles the penitential file
wound. The last fainting Penitente
marked the distance, as nearly as her
failing senses could discern, to two
more turns when the goal would be
reached. She was now several PAGES
behind her neighbOr, staggerig and
muttering to herself and unable longer
to ply her scourge. Dark wavering
shapes arose out of the chaos around
her, their hideous height towering be-
tween her and the cross. When she
threw out her arms in wild appeal
toward the holy summit OF the hill, the
shapes faltered and fed back into the
darkness, but when she looked again
the cross, too, wavered and disappeared
in lurid blotches of red
One more round was thus slowly and
painfully made, and now only the last
and smallest circle of all remained. If
she could summon strength enough to
crawl the rest of the way she might
still reach the cross. Her darkening
mind circled about the one thought,
keeping time with the tom-toms, IF
can only reach the cross-if I can only
-only-"
But the rigors of her fasting, the
scourgings, the remorse that had been
preying on her spirit, overmatched her
powers, Madre di Dois!-she was sink
ing Almost within reach of the cross
just in sight of her expiration, and left
dying on the outskirts of the last circle
her sufferings all in vain and her cause
lost!
With moan she dropped, almost at
the foot of the cross, but with her sin
still upon her. She threw out her
arms in last appeal and fell across
the long, black shadow that stretched
its memorable arms above her while the
procession wound on without her
Jackson, having given up all hope of
Nita's return, had, by some ironical
chance'of fate, chosen that same night
to set out for the mountain. AS he
slipped out of the shack he turned for
a half amused, half regretful, glance
behind him at the braided mat left I'M
| finished on the floor, the rude crucifix
on the wall, and the poor contrivances
toward little creature-comforts devised
by Nita's deft hands; then slung his
knap-sack and started off.
Guided by the sounds that came in
| fitful gusts across the mesa, Jackson
| turned to the direction of the Hill of
Calvary. The tragedy was over. All
, but one had reached the cross and re-
ceived dissolution for their sins.
On the outskirts of the crowd little
group bent above the form of the fallen
Penitente. With reverent fingers some
one removed the mask from her face,
and the Pickering light of the torches
| revealed the agonized, distorted fea-
| lures of Nita, fieet-footed,, strong
| limbed black-eyed Nita, no longer
beautiful, but torn and bleeding, in. tn
hope of expiating her sin in order that
she might be worthy to follow the
Gringo over the mountain; her features
emaciated almost past recognition, and
her countenance not stamped with the
seal of peace death often leaves.
With quick glance Jackson saw that
Nita was dead. With another glance
! into the faces before him he saw that
the sooner he was on the other side of
the mountain the better it would be
for him. The long months of Danish
ment he had undergone had been irk-
some to him, and he was heartily glad
to be able to get away. He might still
| be in time, he hoped, to meet his party