The Washington times., 1904-07-10

! Zanosa. but the latter saw sudden
! flush of color sweep across the girl
cheeks at her words. The mcmentary
confusion told the willy old woman al
that she sought to learn
She swept the plain with her rowing
| eyes TO see what more was passing. AT
I that moment the advancing column of
British appeared in sight above the crest
Of the hill. With an unpleasant smile
Of satisfaction, Zanosa exclaimed:
''Ah. here come the men OF the north.
Now we shall see some pretty sport at
bloodletting"
Anita started forward. She felt an
unreasoning impulse to go to the side
of her lover, to be with him in the COM
ing struggle. Zonosa plucked her gown.
Here, foolish onet" she said quick
! ly. This is no place for you unless
you wish your beauty to be torn by the
shot that will fill the air presently"
The girl suffered herself 70 be drawn
back. Then. at the witchs suggestion,
the two moved little further up the
cliff, where. behind the safe shelter Of d
/ great boulder. they watched the conflict
that was just beginning.
Anita was hardly aware of her own
existence during the terrible hour that
! lolloMtu. All LtI lIiOuBIlS Ntlt No-i-
centrated on. the struggle taking place
before her.
When the two lines met in the first
i sharp encounter it seemed to her that
her heart stopped beating. She could
scarcely repress an outcry as she saw
the wounded man falling
Perhaps Carlo was among them. Per-
haps he was being killed before her
very eyes. and she not knowing it.
MOI she could see the figures OF the
officers running up and down along the
line Doubtless Carlo was one of those.
lighting bravely and encouraging his
men.
Thus. with alternating hope and fear
the gil followed each doubtful issue Of
tse stubborn conflict. At one moment
ii seemed that the Spaniards were gain
ing the ascendency and in the next as
4 though they were certain to be over
come.
1t seemed ages since the battle had
begun; would 1t never end?
! Zanosa likewise watched the struggle
with keen interest, though with far DIFF
ferent emotions from those experienced
by the girl. From time to time she ad-
dressed remarks to her companion on
the progress Of the strife. but these
were unanswered and. Indeed, unheard.
Therefore, she fell silent Ike the girl
and watched the scene before her.
A smile parted the wrinkled lips OF
the toothless bag. Somehow 1t pleased
her 10 see these men, Of races that she
despised, tearing at one another $
throats ike wild beasts.
As Il began TO be evident that the
! Spanish line was slowly giving way, the
blood fairly froze IN the girls veins in
the agony of these moments. When at
length the fatal break came and they
were swept toward the edge of the cliff.
bitter cry escaped her
She could look no longer, but bowed
her head upon her arms to shut out the
scene that she knew was about to take
place.
She remained in this position. not
daring 10 look up. until Zanosa. who
was touched by the sight of her despair.
plucked her sleeve. saying:
Come away, child; 1t IS all over"
Stirred into action by the words, the
girl sprang up once more. She did not
look toward Zanosa even. but started
away in the direction OF the battlefield,
. this time unheeding the calls that the
witch woman sent after her.
Only one thought was in the girls
nind-to find her lover. Her hope for
the success of the Spanish attack had
been replaced by a consuming anxiety
. 10 know the fate OF Carlo.
She did not weep: her pain was too
: great for that She did not wonder
whether she would find Mertrez alive or
; dead. She only knew that she must
, learn the truth.
f. ] -
struggle had ended, the English soldiers
= were already busy attending TO the
I wounded A short distance away sat
the little group of Spanish survivors
gloomy and powder-stained A quick
glance assured her that Mertrez was not
: among them.
: Anita moved quickly about the field
, looking into the faces OF the dead and
5 wounded men stretched upon the ground
Occasionally she paused TO move some
suffering trooper into a more comfort
able position.
Some Of the British soldiers gazed al
, her curiously, wondering how she had
come so suddenly upon the bloody
scene. But they understood that hel
mission was one OF mercy, and so said
nothing 20 her.
There were many kinds OF faces among
those that the girl searched. Some OF
! them were so torn or burned by powder
that II made her shudder to look upor
them. But Carlo was not there
Anita went the length Of the line and
! back again. Nothing was 10 be seen
: OF Mertrez. He must have been among
those who were driven over the cliff
Anita approached the spot whence the
path led down the side Of the roc. Sol
dIers were bringing up the wounded who
} had lodged among the nearer projec-
lions OF the cliff. Most Of these were
c-oaning horribly with the pain OF
crushed and broken bones.
sickened by the sights about her
Anita walked little distance along the
edge Of the precipice. Her quest
seemed q hopeless one. She would TAX,
ore look below and then leave the spot
Nerving herself for the effort. she ad-
vanced to the edge OF the rock and
looked down. AS she did so. her heart
? which a moment before seemed TO be
; standing still, began to beat furiously
There. directly below her. on the
broad ledge which formed a continual
: ton OF the one from which the path
led, lay the form Of a man. He was
lying upon HIS face. but the girl felt