Then came a sound of confused shouts
as if something had happened at the other end of a cross street that we
were passing. Could it be a house had been struck by the lightning? No, the
shouts increased and changed to cries of terror. Soon we guessed the cause,
as we heard a rushing sound of galloping horses, which, frightened by the
flash and the clap of thunder, came in sight around a bend in the street
enveloped in a cloud of dust, dragging a heavy wagon behind them.
Instinctively Paula retreated to a protecting doorway and I huddled in
terror close beside her.
"Lisita!" she called suddenly. "Look! look!" What I saw was something that
seemed to freeze my blood! Directly in the pathway of the onrushing horses,
totally unconscious of his danger, was a little boy of about three years
old toddling along in the middle of the road. One instant more and it would
have been all over! Suddenly Paula left our shelter like a shot from a gun.
Then I heard a sharp cry that rent the air like a knife, and then--I can
remember little more--just a confusion of people running hither and
thither, and then for me all was darkness, but in that darkness I seemed to
hear still that piercing cry of anguish.
Pages:
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239