The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-08-29


ragged.
Il saw it all. saw the sick rise
from the bed of suffering, dragging
after them their sheets, like shrouds,
to perish at the hands of foreign sol
diers on the threshold over which the
day before had passed the Viaticum
| saw lying in the street the body OF
woman they had slaughtered, and
at her side her infant still nursing at
its dead mothers breast
dangerously wounded and unable
to take further part in the conflict, !
fed to Clara house
Full Of anguish and terror, she
stood at the window fearing for my
life and risking her own to see me in
case should chance to pass through
the street
Il entered and fastened the door,
but my pursuers had already caught
sight of Clara-and she was so beauti
full.
They saluted her with a roar OF
savage Joy and burst Of brutal laugh
ter, A moment more and the door
wculd yield to the ak and the flames
We were ,ost.
'Claras mother carrying in her
arms her year.old babe, led US to the
cistern or reservoir of the house
which was very deep and which was
now dry as no rain had fallen for sey.
eral months, and there We concealed
ourselves
The child have spoken of, whose
name was Miguel, was Clara brother
In the cistern we four might find
safety. Seen from the yard the cstern
seemed a simple we'll The French
would think We had made our escape
by the roof.
They soon declared that such was
the case, uttering horrible oaths while
they rested themselves in the shady
yard, In the center of which was the
cistern.
Yes, we were saved Clara bound
up my bleeding hand her mother
nursed Miguel. and |, although | was
shivering from the chill which had
followed the fever caused by my
wound, smiled with happiness.
AT this moment we noticed that the
soldiers, wishing, doubtless, to slake
their thirst, were trying to draw water
from the cistern in which we were
concealed.
Picture to yourselves our anguish
at this instant,
we drew aside to make way for the
bucket which descended until It
touched the floor.
The bucket was drawn up again.
THE well is dry cried the sol.
diers.
There must be water upstairs!'
exclaimed one.
They are going away! we all said
to ourselves.
What if they should be concealed
In this well!' cried a voice in Catalan
1T was a renegade! "a Spaniard
who had betrayed US.
What nonsense" responded the
Frenchman; they could not have got.
ten down there so suddenly!
" That is true responded the reno.
gade.
They did not know that the cistern
could be entered by an underground
passage, whose door or trap, carefully
concealed in the floor of a dark collar
somewhat distant from the house Il
would be almC st impossible to discoy.
er, We had, however, committed tho
lmpudence of locking the iron grating
which cut off the communication he.
tween the cistern and the passage and
we could not open it without MAKING
great deal OF noise.
AT this moment the babe Nivpol
began to cry.
But at his first whimper his mother
sllenced the sounds that threatened
to betray our hiding place, pressing
the infants tender face into bor
bosom.
Did you hear that% cried soma
one in the yard above.
1 heard nothing, responded ono =,
the soldiers. ' u
Let US listen said the renegade
Three horrible minutes passed,
Miguel struggled to get his voice
and the more closely his mother
pressed his face into her bosom
1t must have been an ecbor or
claimed the soldiers.
Yes, that was it" assentsd 49,,
renegade. 'ne
And they took their departure a,a
we could hear the noise Of their stanl a,.u
and the clanking of their sabers slo,,!,s aps
dying in the direction of the pate >
The danger was passed,
But alas our deliverance h.s
come too late. naa
Baby Miguel neither cr4ea
struggled now. uor
He was dead"