f behind a post. More shots,
more reports were heard from the direction of the convento, followed
by cries and the sound of persons running. Capitan Tiago, Aunt Isabel,
and Linares rushed in pell-mell, crying, "Tulisan! Tulisan!" Andeng
followed, flourishing the gridiron as she ran toward her foster-sister.

Aunt Isabel fell on her knees weeping and reciting the _Kyrie eleyson_;
Capitan Tiago, pale and trembling, carried on his fork a chicken-liver
which he offered tearfully to the Virgin of Antipolo; Linares with his
mouth full of food was armed with a case-knife; Sinang and Maria Clara
were in each other's arms; while the only one that remained motionless,
as if petrified, was Crisostomo, whose paleness was indescribable.

The cries and sound of blows continued, windows were closed noisily,
the report of a gun was heard from time to time.

"_Christie eleyson!_ Santiago, let the prophecy be fulfilled! Shut
the windows!" groaned Aunt Isabel.

"Fifty big bombs and two thanksgiving masses!" responded Capitan
Tiago. "_Ora pro nobis!_"

Gradually there prevailed a heavy silence which was soon broken by
the voice of the alferez, calling as he ran: "Padre, Padre Salvi,
come here!"

"_Miserere!_ The alferez is calling for confession," cried Aunt
Isabel. "The alferez is wounded?" asked Linares hastily. "Ah!!!" Only
then did he notice that he had not yet swallowed what he had in
his mouth.

"Padre, come here! There's nothing more to fear!" the alferez continued
to call out.

The pallid Fray Salvi at last concluded to venture out from his
hiding-place, and went down the stairs.

"The outlaws have killed the alferez! Maria, Sinang, go into your
room and fasten the door! _Kyrie eleyson!_"

Ibarra also turned toward the stairway, in spite of Aunt Isabel's
cries: "Don't go out, you haven't been shriven, don't go out!" The
good old lady had been a particular friend of his mother's.

But Ibarra left the house. Everything seemed to reel around him,
the ground was unstable. His ears buzzed, his legs moved heavily and
irregularly. Waves of blood, lights and shadows chased one another
before his eyes, and in spite of the bright moonlight he stumbled
over the stones and blocks of wood in the vacant and deserted street.

Near the barracks he saw soldiers, with bayonets fixed, who were
talking among themselves so excitedly that he passed them unnoticed. In
the town hall were to be heard blows, cries, and curses, with the
voice