Carrizozo news., 1919-06-06
CHAPTER XVII.
Rosa.


"Lookw jacket clutched at ORellly
and pointed shaking finger. "Moro
beggars Christie And those little
chlldrenl" The boy tried to laugh, but
his voice cracked nervously. "Are they
children, or gourds with legs under
themr
oRellly looked, then turned his
eyes nway. He and jacket had reached
the heart Of Matnnzns and were fncing
the public square, the Plazn de In Lib
ertad II was called. Matanzas ap-
peRred poor and squalld, depresslngly
wretched; Its streets were foul and
the Plaza de In Llbertad-grim mock
cry OF n nnme-wns crowded with a
throng such as II had never held in
O'Rellly's time, n throng OF people who
were, without exception, gnunt. list
less, ragged. There was no afternoon
parade OF iinery, no laughter, no noise;
the benches were full, but their occu-
pants were silent, too sick or too weak
TO move. Nor were there any romping
children. There were, to beasure, vast
numbers OF underslzed figures In the
square, but one needed to look twice
TO realize that they were not pygmles
or wizened little old folks. II was not
strange that JACKET had compared
them TO gouids with legs, for all were
naked, and most OF tllgm had bodies
swollen into tho likeness of pods or
calnbnshes. They looked peculiarly
grotesque with their spldery legs and
thin faces.
oRellly passed damp hand ncross
his eyes. "Just Heaven I" he breathed.
"She-she's one OF thesei"
The reconcentrados oyerran Matan.
zas in an unclean swarm streets and
plazas were congested with them, for
no attempt was made to conflne them
to their quarters. Morning brought
them streaming down from the sub
urban slopes where they lived, evening
sent them winding back; their days
were spent In an aimless search for
food. They snatched at crumbs and
combed the cutters for crusts. How
they managed to exist. whence came
the food that kept life In their mlser.
able bodies, was mystery, even to
the citizens Of the city; no organized
effort had been mnde 10 care for them
and there was insufficient surplus food
Tor half their number. Yet somehow
they lived and fingered on.
At the time Of o'Reillys arrival the
sight presented by these innocent vic
tins OF war was appalling; It reused
IN him dull red rage at the power
which had wrought this crime and ai
the men who permitted II TO continue
Spain was a Christian nation. he re-
nected; she had set up more crosses
than any other, and yet beneath them
she had butchered more people thnn all
tho nations Of the earth combined.
This monstrous, coldly calculating ef
fort TO destroy the entire Cuban people
seemed TO him the blnckest infamy Of
all, and he wondered II II would be al.
lowed TO succeed.
Fortunately for the two friends, Gen,
eral Betancourt's generosity served TO
relieve them from any immediate dan,
ger Of starvation. After making n few
purchases and eating with the utmost
frugality. they began their search.
Later they stretched themselves out TO
sleep on the stones beneath the portalel
Of the railroad station.
They spent horrid, narrowing night,
for now the general distress was
brought home TO them more poignant
" thnn ever. At dawn they learned
that these people were actually dying
OF neglect. The faint light betrayed
the presence OF new corpses lying
upon the station tiagstones. From
those still living, groans sighs, sick
mutterings rose until o'Reilly finally
dragged his youthful companion out Of
the place.
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