The Raymer enterprise., 1919-04-03

win cp0nl1n 0olUerD en9ueo. n
and half conscious, he Il unable to
CHAPTER xl-centlnusd.
-
But the time came when he could
valk no farther. He tried repeatedly
md failed. and meanwhile the earth
spun even more rapidly. threatening 10
vhisi him of into spacs It was ter.
ibls sensation; he lay down and
hugsed 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
answsf, and be dared not attempt to
eresp forward because bis Ntp was
eailing. He could feel bis fingers slip
pdng-slippins. HIS last thought a. be
went whiriing end over end through
HpaeA was Of his sister. She would
nsvsf know how hard be had tried 10
reach her.
. .
Late on TIE second day aftsr he bat.
Dc Asensio returned 10 his bohio. Rosa
md Evangelina. already frantic at the
dslay, heard him crying to them while
be 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,
seained. and bloody. He had crossed
tho hills on foot after q miraculous es-
caps from that ravine Of death. OF bis
companions he knew nothing what
sver; the mention Of Esteban's name
caused him to beat bis breast and cry
aloud. He was weak and feverish, and
bis incohsrent story Of the midnight
encounter was % highly colored that
Rosa nearly swooned with horror.
The girl stood swaying while he told
how the night had betrayed them. how
be 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 un-
H. finding himself growing stronger,
he had burrowed into Q tangle Of vines
at the foot Of q wall, where he had 70.
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. be had wrigsled
away. crossed the calsada, and hidden
In the woods until dawn. he had besn
walking ever since; hs had come home
% die.
AsenGo recovered. but hs was sadly
hanged Thsrs was no longer any
martial spirit In him: be feared the
0paniards, and tales Of their atrocities
cowed him.
Thsn Cobo cams into the Yumuri.
0hs valley. already well-nish deserted.
was filled to the brim with smoke from
burning nslds and houses. and through
Il he sun showed like q copper shield.
refugees passed the bohio. bound
farther into the hills, and Asensio told
the two women that he and they must
also 90. 80 the three gathered up
what few things they could carry on
thsir backs and fed.
Thsy did not stop until they had
yained the fastnesses Of the Pan Dc
Aatansaa Here thsy built . shelter
and again took up the problem Of liv-
ing. which was now more difncult than
Uvef.
Ths Pan Do Matanzas, 20 called b.
cause Of its resemblance to q mighty
loaf Of bread. became Q mockery 10
he hungry people covering In IL shel-
tsr. Brsadi Rosa varona could not
remember when she had last tasted
such q luxury. Raw cane, coconutA
he tastslsss ffuita bomba. roots, the
path from palm tops, these were her
nruelss of Diet and abe did not thrive
upon them. She was always more or
lsss hungry. She was ragged. too, and
~ shivered miserably through the
long. chill nightS. Rosa could measure
he change In her appearance only By
studying her reelection from the sur.
1ace u the spring where che drew Va.
81. but shs could ses that she had b.
come very thin. and she Judged that
he color had entirely gone from her
chseka n saddened her. for O'Retlly's
mka
Tine came when Asensio spoke Of
glving ~ ths struggle and going in.
1Asy wsrs gradually starving, be said,
md 1on waG mt ~ risk Of discovery
Wns ever present. y was better 10 70
vAtle thsy Ind ths strength than slow
~ but sursly - oElah hsra He had
keard that thseo Wsee twenty thousand
BVconeenhadee = Mennsas; in such Q
issva ~ ssul1 saaly manage 70