The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1918-07-05
CHAPTER XI--continuej.

But the time came when he could
walk no farther. he tried repeatedly
;and failed, and meanwhile the earth
spun even more rupidly, threatening ~
whirl him off into space. II was ter
rible sensation; he lGy down and
hugged the ground. ciinging TO roots
and sobbing weakly. Rosa, he knew,
was Just around the next bend In the
trail; he called to her, but she did not
answer and he dared not attempt to
creep forward because his grip was
calling. He could feel his fingers slip
ping-sllpping- Ills last thought, as he
went whirling end over end through
space, was of his sister. She would
never know how hard he had tried to
reach her.
Late on the second day after the bat
tie Asenslo returned TO his bohio. Rosa
and Evangelna, already frantic at the
delay, heard him crying to them while
he was still hidden In the woods, and
knew that the worst had happened.
There was little need for him to tell
his story, for he was weaponless,
stained, and bloody. He had crossed
the hills on foot after n miraculous es.
cape from that ravine Of death. OF his
companions he knew nothing what
ever; the mention Of Esteban's name
caused him to beat his breast and cry
aloud. He was weak and feverish, and
his incOherent story Of the midnight
encounter was 80 highly colored that
Rosa nearly swooned with horror.
The girl stood swaying while he told
how the night had betrayed them, how
he had wrought incredible feats of
valor before the shifting tide Of battle
had spewed him out the end OF the
sunken road and left him half dead In
the grass. Asensio bad lain there un-
ell, finding himself growing stronger,
he had burrowed into tangle of vines
at the foot Of wall. where he had re-
mained until the fighting ceased. When
the Spaniards had finally discovered
their mistake and had ceased riding
one another down, when lights came
and he heard Colonel Cobo cursinG
them like one insane, he had wriggled
away, crossed the calzada, and hidden
in the woods until dawn. He had been
walking ever since; he had come home
TO die.
AsensiO recovered but he was sadly
changed. There was no longer any
martial spirit In him; he feared tn,
Spaniards, and tales Of their atrocities
cowed him.
Then Cobo came into the Yumuri
The valley. already well-nigh deserted
was filed 10 the brim with smoke from
burning fields and houses, and through
II the sun showed like a copper shield
Refugees passed the bohio, boun,
farther into the hills, and Asensio toll
the two women that he and they mus
also go. So the three gathered u
what few things they could carry o.
their backs and fed.
They did not stop until they ha
gained the Businesses of the Pan d
Matanzas. Here they built shelte
and again took up the problem Of liy
ing, which was now more difficult tina
ever.
The Pan de Matanzas. so called b,
cause of its resemblance to a might
loaf Of bread, became n mockery I
the hungry people covering In its she
ter. Bread! Rosa varona could nc
remember when she had last taste
such luxury. Raw cane, coconut
the tasteless fruita bomba, roots, II
pith from palm tops, these were HI
articles of diet, and she did not thirty
upon them. She was always more ,
less hungry. She was ragged. too, an
she shivered miserably through Il
long, chill nights. Rosa could measul
the change in her appearance only
studying her reflection from the su
face of the spring where she drew W
ter, but she could see that she had b
come very thin, and she judged tn
the color had entirely gone from h
cheeks. 1t saddened her. for O'Rellly
sake.
Time came when Asensio spoke
giving up the struggle and going |
They were gradually starving. he sal
and Rosa was Ill; the risk of discover
was ever present. 1t was better to &
while they had the strength than SLOW
ly but surely to perish here. He ha
heard that there were twenty thousan
reconcentrados In Matanzas: in such
crowd they could easly manage {