The Monticellonian., 1918-07-12


Rugged the ground, clinging 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
failing He could feel his fingers Slip
ping-slippiDg. His 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 Asensio returned to his bohio. Rosa
and Evangelina. 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 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 ineoherent story Of the midnight
encounter was so 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 had lain there I'M
til, finding himself growing stronger,
he had burrowed into q tangle of vines
at the foot of wall, where he had re-
manned until the fighting ceased. When
the Spaniards had finally discovered
their mistake and had ceased riding
enc another down, when lights came
and he heard Colonel Cobo cursing
them like one insane. he had wriggled
away, crossed the ealZada, 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 the
Spaniards. and tales of their atrocities
cowed him.
Then CobO came into the Yumuri
The valley, already wel-nigh deserted,
WAS filled to the brim with smoke from
burning fields and houses. and through
It the sun showed like a copper shield.
Refugees passed the bohio, bound
farther into the hills, and Asensio told
the two women that he and. they must
also GO So the three gathered up
what few things they could carry on
their backs and fled.
They did not stop until they had
gained the Businesses of the Pan de
Matanzas. Here they built shelter
and again took up the problem of liv-
ing, which was now more difficult than
ever.
The Pan de Matanzas. so called be-
cause of its resemblance to mighty
loaf of bread. became mockery to
the hungry people covering In its shell
ter. Bread Rosa Varona could not
remember when she had last tasted
\such luxury. Raw cane, coconuts,
the taSteleSs fruita bomba, roots. the
pith from palm tops, these were her
articles of diet, and she did not thrive
upon them. She was always more or
less hungry. She was ragged. too, and
she shivered miserably through the
long, chill nights. Rosa could measure
the change in her appearance only by
studying her reflection from the sur
face of the spring whore she drew wa
ter. but she could see that she had be-
come very thin, and she judged that
the color had entirely gone from her
cheeks. 1t saddened her. for O'Reilly's
sake.
Time came when Asensio spoke OF
giving DIP the struggle and going in.
They We're gradually starving, he said,
and Rosa was i'll the risk of discovery
was ever present. 1t was better to go
while they had the strength than slow
ly but surely to perish here. He had
heard that there were twenty thousand
reconcentrados in Matanzas in such q
crowd they could easily manage to
hide themselves; they would at least
be fed along with the others.
No one had told Asensio that the
government was leaving its prisoners
to shift for themselves, supplying them
with not a pound of food nor a square
inch of shelter.
Misery bred desperation at last !;
-EYangelina's courage failed her, and
Abe allowed herself to be won over.
SShe began her preparations by disguis-
sfg Rosa Gathering herbs and berries,
she made stain with which she col
ored the girls face and body, then she
sewed bundle of leaves into the back
Of Nosa,s waist so that when the lat