The Raymer enterprise., 1919-04-17
CHAPTER xiii-centlausd.

Z inferred a. much from what Lo-
pss told me-" The general nodded his
white head swell, you'll make good
soldier, and we shall be glad TO have
you" he extended his hand. and
oRsilly took It gratefully.
The city Of Matanxas was 'padned.' :
So ran the boastfui bando Of the cap
tain general And this was no exag-
gefation. ~ anyone could ~ from
the number Of begga1 thera OF al
his military operations. this 'paci6ca-
ton" Of tho western towns and prov
inces was the most consplcuously sue
cessful and the one which gave valeri-
ano weyler the keenest satisfaction;
for nowhere did the rebellion Lift Its
head-except perhaps. among the
ranks Of those disaRected men who hid
IN the hills, with nothing above them
but the open sky. Al for the popula.
'tion 1t large, II was cured Of treason
II no longer resisted, even weakly. the
law Of Spain. The reason was that It lay
dying. Weylers cure was simple, EN-
cacious--it consisted Of determination.
swift and pltilesA
Poverty had been common In Matan-
sas. even before the war, but now
there we're 20 many beggan In the
ciy that nobody undertook to count
them. When the refugees began To
pour In BY tho Thousands, and when
It became apparent that the govern
ment intended to let them starve, the
better citizens undertook an effort at
relief: but times wsrs hard. food was
scarce, and prices high. Moreover, It
soon transplred that the military
frownsd upon everything like organ
ised charity. and In consequence the
newcomers were. perforce. abandoned
to their own devices. These country
psopls were dumb and terrified at the
ulsfogtunes which had ovsrtaken
them; they wandered the streets IN
aimls0 bswilderment fearful Of what
blow might next bsfaIi. They wers
not used to begging. and therefore
thsy did not often implore aims; but
an day long they asked for work. for
brad, that their little ones might i've.
Work. however. was even scarcer than
food and tho ume soon came when
they crouched upon curbs and door.
steps. hopeless. beaten. silently re-
proachful Of those more fortunate
than they. Their eyes grew big and
hollow; their outstretched hands grew
gaunt and skinny. The sound Of weep
ing women and fretting babies b.
came . common thing to hear.
Dogs and cats became choice articles
Of Diet until they disappeared. The
government did supply one quality Of
food, however; at intervals, II distrib-
uted yucca roots But these were
starchy and almost indigestible. From
eating them the children grew pinched
In limb and face. while their abdomsns
bioated hugely. Natanzas became
psoplsd with . race Of grotesquely
uisshapen nttis folks, gnomes with
youns bodies but with faces old and
ack
OF course disease became epidemic.
for In the leaky novels. dirt.noored
and destitute Of any convenience. there
could be no effort at sanitation. Con-
ditions became unspeakable The chill.
drsn died hrst. then the aged and In
arm. Deaths fn the street were not
uncommon; nearly svery morning bod
ies ware found beneath the portalea.
Starving creatures crept to the mar
kst in the hsps of begging q stray bit
a food, and some Of them died there.
bstween ~ empty stalls The death
wssonA heavy with their daily freight,
rumblsd csasslsasly through the
stzssts adding 10 the giant piles Of
uuburied cospseg outside the du.
Typhoid, smaIlpox, yellow fsvsr.
raesd unchscksd The hospitals were
crowded. and sven IN thsm tho com
monest necessities wsrs lacking. It II
beIlevod that men have returned from
- esva bot ~ ons. slthsf 6paniard
= ouban. lad svsr ben Known b
0oun nrum 90 q theee pesthcussA
- = ennnoQuunca thoee Who yera
-