The herald., 1914-09-10

| IlIN OF nuns OuI
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
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 at
its dead mothers breast.
Dangerously wounded and unable
to take further part in the conflict, u
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 should chance 10 pass through
the street.
81 entered and fastened the door
but my pursuers had already caught
sight Of Clara-and she was so beautt
full!
They saluted her with a roar OF
savage JOY and burst of brutal laugh
ter. A moment more and the dool
| would yield to the AK and the flames
| We were lost!
"Clara's mother, carrying IN hei
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 cisterr
seemed a simple well. The French
would think we had made our escape
by the roof.
They soo1 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 l was
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 water
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 II
touched the floor.
The bucket was drawn up again.
1.-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 voice in Catalan
! 1T was a renegade! "a Spaniard
who had betrayed US!
What nonsensen responded the
l. Frenchman; they could not have got
ten down there so suddenly!
THAT is true responded the rene
gade.
They did not know that the cisterr
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 discov
!" er. We had, however, committed the
D, impudence of locking the iron grating
y which cut off the communication be
tween the cistern and the passage, anC
We could not open It without making {
great deal of noise.
Z AT this moment the babe Migue
q. began to cry.
n But at his first whimper his mothe
0, silenoed the sounds that threatened
to betray our hiding place, pressin,
the infants tender face into he
bosom.
Ibid you hear THAR cried som
one in the yard above.
n. 81 heard nothing responded one o
- the soldiers.
Let US listen, said the renegade
Three horrible minutes passed.
j" Miguel struggled to get his voice
"a. and the more closely his mothe
pressed his face into her bosom.
"Tt must have been an echo!' e,
=, claimed the soldiers.
Ives. 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 deliverance ha
come too late.
Baby Miguel neither cried nc
struggled now.
He was dead"