The herald., 1914-09-10

|
ragged.
L saw It all, l saw the sick rise
from the bed of suffering, dragging
after them their sheets, like shrouds
TO perish at the hands OF foreign sol
dicrs on the threshold over which the
day before had passed the Niaticum!
| saw lying in the street the BODY OF
a woman they had slaughtered, and
at her side her infant still nursing al
its dead mothers breast.
Dangerously wounded and unable
to take further part in the conflict.
fed to Clara's house.
Full OF anguish and terror, she
stood at the window fearing for my
life and risking her own to see me in
case l should chance TO pass through
the street
81 entered and fastened the door.
but my pursuers had already caught,
sight Of CIara-and she was so beauti
full
They saluted her with a roar oil
savage Joy and burst of brutal laugh
ter. A moment more and the door
would yield to the ak and the flames
We were lost!
"Clara's 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
eraI 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 cisterr
see med a simple well. The French
| would think we had made our escape
by the roof,
They sooa 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 l, although wa:
shivering from the chill which had
followed the fever caused by my
wound, smiled with happiness.
AT this moment Ne noticed that The
soldiers, wishing, doubtless, to Stake
their thirst, were trying to draw watel
from the cistern in which we were
concealed.
Picture to yourselves our anguish
at this instant!
I'VE drew aside to make way for the
bucket which descended until i
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 ali salt
to ourselves.
!. What if they should be concealed
In this welll' cried a voice in Catalan
1T was a renegade! "a Spaniar
who had betrayed US!
What nonsense.' responded tn
D. Frenchman; they could not have got
ten down there so suddenly
THAT is true responded the rene
gade.
They did not know that the cister
could be entered by an undergroun
passage, whose door or trap, CAREFUL
concealed in the floor Of dark celia
), somewhat distant from the house,
o, would be almost impossible to disco
w. er. We had, however, committed tn
%, impudence of locking the iron gratin
~ which cut off the communication b
tween the cistern and the passage. an
we could not open 1t without making
great deal of noise.
.sS' AT this moment the babe Migu
m. began to cry.
N But at his first whimper his moth,
10, silenoed the sounds that threatent
to betray our hiding place. pressir
the infants tender face into h
bosom.
Ibid you hear THAR cried son
one in the yard above.
m. 81 heard nothing responded one
the soldiers.
Three horrible minutes passed.
~ Miguel struggled to get his voit
20. and the more closely his moth
pressed his face into her bosom.
at must have been an echon ,
claimed the soldiers.
Ives. that was it, assented t
. renegade.
And they took their departure, a
we could hear the noise of their ste
-. and the clanking of their sabers SLOW
- dying in the direction of the gate.
: THE danger was passed.
But. alas! our deliverance
come too late.
Baby Miguel neither cried I
struggled now.
}. He was dead"