The Mena weekly star., 1919-01-02

continued from last week

seen the path he trod, but for that mat
ter everything was strange. In the
first place he knew that he was goinl
west. and yet the morning sun persisted
in beating holly into his face THAI
alone convinced him that things hat
gone awry with the world. He coull
remember a great convulsion of soms
sort. but Just what It was he had ne
clear idea! Evidently, though, il hat
been sufficient TO change the rotation
Of the earth. Yes, that was it: tbs
earth was running backward upon Its
axis; he could actually feel 1t whirlinl
under his feet. No wonder his journey
seemed so long. He was laboring over
a gigantic treadmill. balancing like az
equilibrist upon a revolving sphere
Well. it was a simple matter to stoI
walking, sit down, and allow himself
to be spun backward around to the
place where Rosa was waiting. III,
Wondered this ideG for some time, un
til its absurdity became apparent. Un
doubtedly he must be going out Of his
head: he saw that it was necessary t
keep walking until the back-spin o.
that treadmill brought Rosa to him.
But the time came when he coult
walk no farther. He tried repeatedly
and failed, and meanwhile the eartt
spun even more rapidly, threatening tt
whirl him off into space. 1t was ter
rible sensation; he lay down ant
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 moi
answer, and he dared not attempt t.
creep forward because his grip wat
failing. He could feel his fingers slip
pIng-slipping. His last thought, as he
wenr whlrling end over end through
space. was of hts sister. she would
never know how hard he had tried tc
reach her.
Late on the second day after the bat.
tie Asensio returned to his bohio. Rosa
and Eyangelina, 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 a 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
inter 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
I'll finding himself growing stronger,
ne had burrowed into a tangle Of vines
at the foot Of a wall, where he had re-
NAMED until the fighting ceased. When
the Spaniards had finally discovered
their mistake and had ceased riding
one another down, when lights came
ana he heard Colonel Cob0 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 the
spanlards, and tales of their atrocities
cowed him.
Then Cobo came into the Yumuri.
The valley, already well-nigh deserted.
was filled to the brim with smoke from
burning fields and houses, and through
Y 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
hatanzas. Here they built a shelter
and again took up the problem of liv-
ing, which was now more difficult than
ever.
The Pan de MataI $, so called be-
cause OF its resent zee to mighty
oar of bread. became n mockery to
me hungry people covering in Its shell
Ter. Bread Rosa var0na could not
when she had last tasted
such a luxury. Raw cane, coconuts,
me tasteless fruIta bomba, roots. the
Dlth from palm tops, these were her
irtieies of diet, and she did not thrive
ipon them. She was always more or
ess hungry. She was ragged, too, and
me shivered miserably through the
ong, chill nights. Rosa could measure
ne change in her appearance only by
'tudying her reflection from the sur
ace Of the spring where she drew wa
er, but she could see that she had be-
'ome very thin, and she judged that
ne color had entirely gone from her
'neeks- 1t saddened her. for o'Reilly's
AXE.
Time came when Asensio spoke of
living up the struggle and going In.
Ihey were gradually starving, he said,
mo Rosa was Ill the risk Of discovery
vas ever present. 1t was better to go
while they had the strength than slow
y but surely to perish here. He had
'eard that there were twenty thousand
commentaries In Matanzas; In such a
rOWd fhav oosstz aacff.- uaonava m