The Monticellonian., 1918-08-23

wore black scOwl upon his face, while ] q long puckering scar the full length of one cheek lifted his mouth into a crooked sheer and left exposed a glimpse of wolfish teeth.
 O'Reilly was at a loss to fathom this sudden alteration of attitude, the whls- tie of indrawn breaths and the whis- pered curses, until he heard some one mutter the name, "Cobo." Then indeed he started and stiffened in his tracks. He fixed a fascinated stare upon the fellow.
 Colonel Cobo seemed no little pleased by the reception he created. With his chest arched and his black eyes gleaming inadvertently he swag- gered through the press, clicking his heels noisily upon the stone flags. When he had gone Jacket voiced a vicious oath.
 'So that is the butcher of babies !' exclaimed the boy. Well. now, I should enjoy cutting his heart out"
 o'Reilly's emotions were not entire ly unlike those of his small companion. His lips became dry and white as he tcied 10 speak.
 What a brute That face Ugh !'
 He found himself shaking weakly, and discovered that new and wholly unaccountable feeling of discourage ment had settled upon him. He tried manfully to shake 1t off. but somehow failed, for the sight of Rosa's arch enemy and the mans oyerbearing per sonality had affected him queerly. Cobo's air of confidence and authority seemed to emphasize O'Reilly's impo- tenee and bring it foreibly home to him. To think of his lustful persecu- ton of Rosa Varona, moreover, terri fled him. The next day he resumed his hut-to-hut search, but with a listless- ness that came from a firm conviction that once again he was too late.
 That afternoon found the two friends among the miserable novels which en- eireled the foot of La Gumbre, about the only quarter they had not explored. Below lay San Severino, the execution place; above was the site of the old Narona home. More than once on his way about the city OReilly had lifted his eyes in the direction of the latter, feeling a great hunger to revisit the scene of his last farewell to Rosa but through fear of the melancholy effect 1t would have upon him he had thus far resisted the impulse. Today, how ever, he could no longer fight the nor bid desire and so in spite of Jackets protest at the useless expenditure of effort, he set out to climb the hill. Of course the boy would not let him go alone
 Little was said during the ascent The La Cumbre road seemed very long and very steep. How different the last time O'Reilly had swung up it. The climb had never before tired him as 1t did now, and he reasoned that hunger must have weakened him even more than he realized. Jacket felt the exer- ton. too he was short of breath and he rested frequently. 0'Reilly saw that the boys bare, brown legs had grown bony since he had last noticed them, and he felt a sudden pang at having brought the little fellow into such q plight as this.
 Well. hombre." he said when they paused to rest, I'm afraid we came too late. I'm ,.fraid we're licked"
 Jacket nodded listlessly; his opti- mism. too, was gone "They must all be dead or we would have found them before this" said he When O'Reiny made no answer he continued. Tt is time we thought of getting away from here eh?"
 Johnnie was sitting with his face in his hands. Without lifting his head he inquired: How are We going to get away? It is easy enough to get into Matanzas, but" He shrugged hope lessly.
 Jacket frightened at the thought of escape. "Ho! I'll bet we can find hole somewhere" said he. We're not like these others. They haven't the spirit to try" There was moment of silence, and them. "Caramba You remember those jutias We ate? They were strong, but I would enjoy the smell of one now. Eh? Another week of this and we shall be living on garb age like the rest of these poor peo- pie"
 Leaving Jacket to take his time Johnnie completed the climb alone meditating upon the boys words. "The spirit to try!' Where had his spirit gone, he wondered. Perhaps it had been crushed beneath the weight of misery he had beheld surely he had seen enough. Hourly contact with sick ness and misfortune on such a gigantic scale was enough to chill anyone's hopes. and although his sensibilities had been dulled his apnrehensions had been quickened hour by hour. Now that he looked the matter square iy in the face, it seemed absurd to be- lieve that a tender girl like Rosa Va roma could long have withstood the hardships of this hideous place strong CT people than she had sueeumbed, by the hundreds Even now the hospitals were full. the sick lay intended in their novels. No one. so far as O'Reilly knew. had undertaken to estimate how fast they were dying or the number of dead which had already ridden out of Matanzas in those rumbling wagons, but there were many. What chance was there that Rosa had not been among the latter?
 AS he breasted the summit of La Cumbre. O'Reilly beheld at some dis tance bent figure of want It was q negro woman, grubbing in the earth