The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-11-26

IdBeu.
Il saw il 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 o.
woman they had slaughtered, ant
at her side her infant still nursing a.
It's dead mothers breast
Dangerously wounded and unable
to take further part in the conflict,
Hed to Claras 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 roar OF
savage JOY and burst Of brutal laugh
ter A moment more and the door
would yield to tho AK and the flames
We were lost.
"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 sew
eral months, and there We concealed
ourselves.
The child have spoken OF. whose
name was Miguel, was Clara's brother
In the cistern we four might find
safety Seen from the yard the cistern
seemed a simple well The French
would think we had made our escape
Uy the roof
They soon declared that such was
the case, uttering horrible oaths while
hey rested themselves in the shady
yard, In the center of which was the
3lstern
YES, we were saved. Clara bound
lp my bleeding hand, her mother
nursed Miguel, and /, although | was
3hiyering 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 Stake
heir 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 il
ouched the floor
The bucket was drawn up again.
The we'll is dry cried the sol
liers.
There must be water upstairs!
exclaimed one
They are going away we all said
10 ourselves
What If they should be concealed
this well, cried a voice in Catalan
It vas a renegade "a Spaniard
/ who had betrayed u.s.
What nonsense" responded the
Frenchman; they could not have got
en- down there so suddenly!
THAT is true responded the rene
gade.
They did not know that the cisterI
could be entered by an underground
passage, whose door or trap, carefully
concealed in the floor OF a dark cellar
somewhat distant from the house, Il
would be almost impossible TO discoy
nr We had however, committed th'
mpudence Of locking the iron grating
which cut Off the communication be
ween the cistern and the passage, ant
We could not open it without making {
great deal OF noise.
At this moment the babe Migue
)rgan to CRY
hut at his first whimper his mother
5ilcuCed the sounds that threatened
o bctray our hiding place pressin.
4 be Infants tender face into he
BOSOM.
Did YOU hear that? cried som'
)ue iu the yard abcYe
~ heard nothing responded one o
he soldiers
Let us listen, said the renegade
Three horrible minutes passed
Miguel struggled to get his voice
and tho more closely his mothe
pressed his face into her bosom
IL must have been an echo g,
,laimed the soldiers
Yes. that was IT,! assented tn
renegade.
And they took their departure, an
we could hear the noise Of their step
and the clanking of their sabers slowl
dying in the direction OF the gate
The danger was passed
but, alas, our dcliverance la
come too late
Baby Miguel neither cried no
struggled now
He was dead'"
Must Show Weinbt nr Nolu,,.