ch the army had begun to distribute.
The men were largely occupied with shoveling cinders from the stronger
roofs and floors into heaps three to six feet deep along the roadside.
Many two-wheeled carts loaded with salvage, drawn by donkeys or pushed
by peasants, were making their way along, the women with bundles on
their heads or carrying poultry.

"In the square of San Giuseppe was an encampment of soldiers, with low
tents. Near a destroyed church, in coarse yellow linen shrouds, were the
bodies of thirty-three of the persons who there lost their lives. The
peasants were sad, but uncomplaining; in fact, for so excitable a people
they were wonderfully calm. As evidence of the thrift and self-respect
of these, we were not once asked for alms during the afternoon."

THE KING AT THE FRONT.

The Italian Government did all it could at the moment to alleviate the
horrors of the situation, sending money to be expended in relief
work and dispatching high officials of the government to give aid and
encouragement by their presence. The King, Victor Emmanuel, and Queen
Helene reached the scene of destruction as early as possible and lent
their personal assistance to the work of rescue.

Obliged to leave his automobile, which could not move over the
cinder-choked road, the King went forward with difficulty on horseback,
the animal floundering through four feet of ashes, stumbling into holes,
and half blinded by the fall of dust and cinders.

"How did you escape?" he asked a priest whom he met in his journey.

"I put myself in safety," was the reply.

"What do you mean?" asked the King.

"Realizing the danger, I left Nola."

"What!" cried the King, with a flush of anger. "You, a minister of God,
were not here to share the danger of your people and administer the last
sacraments? You did very wrong and forgot your duty."

Reaching Ottejano, the King did what he could to expedite the work
of rescue at that central point of disaster, more than a hundred dead
bodies being taken from the ruins in his presence. He stood with set
pale face watching the removal of the victims and directing the movement
of the workers. During his visit at the front he inspected the temporary
camp hospitals, in which the soldiers were caring for the injured and
suffering, speaking to the poor victims, giving them what comfort he
could, and asking what he could do to relieve their distress. Every
request or desire was received with sympathy and