capable of withstanding the agony that shook her frame. While sharing
in the hardships and the hazards of my struggle for life, her heart,
sustained by its own deep enthusiasm, triumphed over every obstacle. But
she was returning to a house of mourning and of woe, where life would be
one blank of desolation and stupor, to be wakened to bitter
consciousness by intelligence of our doom. The sense of my
responsibility, the full appreciation of the living death which, through
my agency, had fallen upon a home as hallowed as ever love and joy
consecrated to happiness, had burned up my eyeballs and my brain. I went
forth into the recommencing storm, utterly unconscious of its rage and
equally indifferent to fate. My comrade, who had no life to lose but his
own, and who of that was recklessly prodigal, provided he could dispose
of it to good account, stepped blithely along and uttered no complaint,
although he left behind him traces marked with blood. His terrible
indifference soon restored my self-possession, and we found shelter for
the night in a house near the spot designated for the next day's
interview. Just as we arrived there, the chief magistrate and police had
completed a search of the house. We entered as they retired, told who we
were, and claimed hospitality, which we readily obtained. The night
passed as many a similar one did afterwards. Let our hardships be what
they might during the day, we invariably enjoyed ourselves at night, and
went to bed without a fear. On the following morning we sent our hostess
into the town for shoes and other matters which were indispensable to
our further progress. She returned, evidently alarmed to death, having
read on the walls the viceregal threats against all who harboured the
"traitors." She scarcely allowed us to remain until the time appointed
for the interview, which was of short duration. We were informed that
there was no hope from that quarter, and that our safety for one hour
was extremely precarious. This intelligence and a copy of the _World_
newspaper, completed the information communicated by our former host.

Having laughed heartily over the _World_, and no less heartily at the
alarm of our host and hostess, we set out on our long journey, about
four o'clock in the evening, under very heavy rain. Our first effort was
at the publichouse, already mentioned, where we again failed. We had
some bread and punch, while drying our clothes at the fire. My comrade
became ve