CHAPTER VII.
THE BATTLE OF VANNES.
The Chief of the Hundred Valleys took his departure, in order to addressa few words of exhortation to each tribe. Before proceeding to our postof battle, far from the war chariots which held our wives, daughters andchildren, my father, brother and myself wished to make sure by a lastlook that nothing was lacking for the defense of that car which held ourdear ones. My mother, Margarid, as calm as when she held the distaff inthe corner of her own fireplace, was leaning against the oak panel whichformed the body of the chariot. She had set Henory and Martha to work,giving more play to the straps which, fastened to pegs driven in theedge of the chariot, secured the handles of the scythes, which were usedfor defense in the same manner as oars fastened to the gunwhale of aboat.
Several young girls and women of our kindred were occupied with othercares. Some were preparing behind the chariots, with thick skinsstretched on cords, a retreat where the children would be under coverfrom the arrows and stones thrown by the slingers and archers of theenemy. Already the children were laughing and frolicking with joyouscries around the half finished den. As an additional protection, mymother Margarid, watchful in everything, had some sacks filled withgrain placed in front of the hut. Other young girls were placing, alongthe interior walls of the car, knives, swords and axes, to be used incase of need, and weighing no more on their strong white arms than didthe distaff. Two of their companions, kneeling near my mother, wereopening chests of linen, and preparing oil, balm, salt and witch-hazel,to dress the wounds, following the example of the druidesses, near whomthe car was stationed.
At our approach the children ran gaily from the depths of their retreatinto the fore-part of the wagon, whence they stretched out their littlehands to us. Mikael, being on foot, took in his arms his son and hisdaughter, while Henory, to spare me the trouble of dismounting from myhorse, reached out, one at a time, my little Syomara and Sylvest into myarms. I seated them both before me on the saddle, and at the moment ofstarting for the fight, I had the pleasure of kissing their yellowheads. My father, Joel, then said to my mother:
"Margarid, if fortune turns against us, and the car is attacked by theRomans, do not free the dogs until the moment of attack. The braveanimals will be only the more furious for their long wait, and will notthen stray away from where you are."
"Your advice will be followed, Joel," answered my mother. "Look and seeif these straps give the scythes enough play."
"Yes, they are free enough," answered my father, looking at some of thestraps. Then, examining the array of scythes which defended the otherside of the chariot, he broke out:
"Wife, wife! What were those girls thinking of! Look here! Oh, therattle heads! On this side the scythe-blades are turned towards theshaft of the chariot, and over there they are pointed backwards!"
"It was I who had the weapons placed so," said she.
"And why are not all the blades turned the same way, Margarid?"
"Because a car is almost always attacked before and behind at once. Inthat case the two rows of scythes, placed in opposite directions, arethe best defense. My mother taught me that, and I am showing the methodto these dear girls."
"Your mother saw further than I, Margarid. A good harvest time is thusmade certain. Let the Romans come and assault the car! Heads and limbswill fall, mown down like ripe ears at the reaping! Let Hesus make it agood one, this human harvest!"
Then, listening intently, my father said to Mikael and myself:
"Sons, I hear the cymbals of the bards and the clarions of the_Trimarkisia_. Let us rejoin our friends. Well, Margarid, well, mydaughters,--till we meet again, here--or above!"
"Here or above, our fathers and husbands will find us pure andunstained," answered Henory, more proud, more beautiful than ever.
"Victorious or dead you will see us again," added Madalen, a youngmaiden of sixteen. "But enslaved or dishonored, no. By the gloriousblood of our Hena---- no---- never!"
"No!" said Martha, the wife of Mikael, pressing to her bosom her twochildren, whom their father had just replaced in the chariot.
"These dear girls are of our race--rest easy, Joel," continued mymother, even now calm and grave. "They will do their duty."
"Even as we will do ours. And thus will Gaul be delivered," answered myfather. "You also will do your duty, old man-eater, old Deber-Trud!"added the brenn, stroking the enormous head of the war-dog, who in spiteof his chain, was standing up with his paws on the horse's shoulder."Soon will come the hour of the quarry, fine bloody quarry, Deber-Trud!Her! Her! To the Romans!"
The mastiff and the rest of the war pack responded to these words withfurious bayings. The brenn, my brother and myself cast one last lookupon our families. My father turned his spirited stallion's head towardsthe ranks of the army, and speedily came up with them. I followed myfather, while Mikael, robust and agile, holding tightly with his lefthand to the long mane of my galloping horse, ran along beside me.Sometimes falling in with the sway of the horse, Mikael leaped with it,and was thus raised off the ground for several steps. We two, like manyothers of our tribe, had in time of peace familiarized ourselves withthe manly military exercise of the _Mahrek-Ha-Droad_. Thus the brenn, mybrother and myself rejoined our tribe and took our stand in the ranks ofbattle.
The Gallic army occupied the summit of a hill about one league'sdistance from Vannes. To the east their line of battle was covered bythe forest of Merek, which was filled with their best archers. To thewest they were defended by the lofty cliffs which rose from the bay ofMorbihan. At the lower end of the bay was the fleet, already weighinganchor to proceed to the attack of the Roman galleys, which, motionlessas a flock of sea-swans, lay at rest on the waves. No longer piloted byAlbinik, the fleet of Caesar, although floated by the rising tide, stillheld its position of the previous evening, for fear of running upon theinvisible rocks.
Before the army flowed the River Roswallan. The Romans would have toford it in order to attack us. Skillfully had the Chief of the HundredValleys chosen his position. He had before him a river; behind him thetown of Vannes; on the west the sea; on the east the forest of Merek:its border chopped down, offered insurmountable obstacles to the Romancavalry; and with an eye to the Roman infantry, the best of Gaul'sarchers were scattered among the mighty trees.
The ground before us, on the opposite side of the river, rose in agentle slope. Its crest hid from us the road by which the Roman armywould arrive. Suddenly, on the summit of the slope there dashed intoview several Ares mountaineers, who had been sent out as scouts tosignal to us the approach of the enemy. They dashed down the hill atfull speed, forded the river, joined us, and breathlessly announced theadvance of the Roman army.
"Friends!" the Chief of the Hundred Valleys called out to each tribe ashe passed on horse-back before the army in battle array; "rest on yourarms until the Romans, drawn up on the other bank of the river, beginto cross it. At that moment let the slingers and archers shower theirstones and arrows upon the enemy. Then, when the Romans are formingtheir cohorts on this side, after crossing, let our whole line fallback, leaving the reserve with the war-chariots. Then, the foot soldiersin the center, the cavalry on the wings, let us pour down in a torrentfrom the top of this rapid decline. The enemy, driven back again to theriver, will not withstand the impetuosity of our first charge!"
Immediately the hill-top opposite the army was covered by the numberlesstroops of Caesar. In the vanguard marched the "Harassers," marked by thelion's skin which covered their heads and shoulders. The old legions,named from their experience and daring, as the "Thunderer," the "IronLegion," and many others whom the Chief of the Hundred Valleys pointedout to his men, formed the reserve. We saw glittering in the sun thearms and the distinctive emblems of the legions, an eagle, a wolf, adragon, a minotaur, and other figures of gilded bronze, decorated withleaves. The wind bore to us the piercing notes of the long Romanclarions, and our hearts leaped at the martial music. A horde ofNumidian horsemen, wrapped in long white robes, prece
ded the army. Thecolumn halted a moment, and several of the Numidians went down at fulltilt to the brink of the river. In order to ascertain whether it wasfordable, they entered it on horse-back, and approached the nearer side,notwithstanding the hail of stones and arrows which the Gallic slingersand archers poured down upon them. More than one white robe was seen tofloat upon the river current, and more than one riderless horsereturned to the bank and the Romans. Nevertheless, several Numidians, inspite of the stones and darts which were hurled upon them, crossed theentire breadth of the river several times. Such a display of braverycaused the Gallic archers and slingers to hold their fire by commonaccord, and do honor to such supreme valor. Courage in our enemiespleases us; it proves them more worthy of our steel. The Numidians,certain of having found a ford, ran to convey the news to the Romanarmy. Then the legions formed in several deep columns. The passage ofthe river commenced. According to the orders of the Chief of the HundredValleys, the archers and slingers resumed their shooting, while Cretanarchers and slingers from the Balearic Islands, spreading over theopposite bank, answered our people.
"My sons," said Joel to us, looking towards the bay of Morbihan, "yourbrother Albinik advances to the fight on the water as we begin the fighton land. See--our fleet has met the Roman galleys."
Mikael and I looked in the direction the brenn was pointing, and saw ourships with their heavy leathern sails, bent on iron chains, grapplingwith the galleys. The brenn spoke true. The battle was joined on landand sea simultaneously. On that double combat depended the freedom orslavery of Gaul. But as I turned my attention from the two fleets backto our own army, I was struck to the heart with a sinister omen. TheGallic troops, ordinarily such chatterers, so gay in the hour of battlethat from their ranks rise continually playful provocations to theenemy, or jests upon the dangers of war, were now sober and silent,resolved to win or die.
The signal for battle was given. The cymbals of the bards spoke back tothe Roman clarions. The Chief of the Hundred Valleys, dismounting fromhis horse, put himself some paces ahead of the line of battle. Severaldruids and bards took up their station on either side of him. Hebrandished his sword and started on a run down the steep hill-side. Thedruids and bards kept even pace with him, striking as they went upontheir golden harps. At that signal, our whole army precipitated itselfupon the enemy, who, now across the river, were re-forming theircohorts.
The _Mahrek-Ha-Droad_, cavalry and footmen, of the tribes near that ofKarnak, which my father commanded, darted down the slope with the restof the army. Mikael, holding his axe in his right hand, was, during thisimpetuous descent, almost continually suspended from the mane of myhorse, which he had seized with his left. At the foot of the slope, thattroop of the Romans called the Iron Legion, because of their heavyarmor, formed in a wedge. Immovable as a wall of steel, bristling withspears, it made ready to receive our charge on the points of its lances.I carried, in common with all the Gallic horsemen, a saber at my leftside, an axe at my right, and in my hand a heavy staff capped with iron.For helmet I had a bonnet of fur, for breastplate a jacket of boar-hide,and strips of leather were wrapped around my legs where the breeches didnot cover them. Mikael was armed with a tipped staff and a saber, andcarried a light shield on his left arm.
"Leap on the crupper!" I cried to my brother at the moment when thehorses, now no longer under control, arrived at full gallop on thelances of the Iron Legion. Immediately we arrived within range we hurledour iron capped staffs full at the heads of the Romans with all ourmight. My staff struck hard and square on the helmet of a legionary,who, falling backward, dragged down with him the soldier behind. Throughthis gap my horse plunged into the thickest of the legion. Othersfollowed me. In the melee the fight grew sharp. Mikael, always at myside, leaped sometimes, in order to deliver a blow from a greaterheight, to my horse's crupper, other times he made of the animal arampart. He fought valorously. Once I was half unhorsed. Mikaelprotected me with his weapon till I regained my seat. The otherfoot-soldiers of the _Mahrek-Ha-Droad_ fought in the same manner, eachone beside his own horseman.
"Brother, you are wounded," I said to Mikael. "See, your blouse is red."
"You too, brother," he responded. "Look at your bloody breeches."
And, in truth, in the heat of combat, we do not feel these wounds.
My father, chief of the _Mahrek-Ha-Droad_, was not accompanied by afoot-soldier. Twice we joined him in the midst of the fight. His arm,strong for all his age, struck incessantly. His heavy axe resounded onthe iron armors like a hammer on the anvil. His stallion Tom-Bras bitfuriously all the Romans within reach. One of them he almost lifted offthe ground in his rearing. He held the man by the nape of the neck, andthe blood was spurting. When the tide of the combat again carried Mikaeland myself near our father, he was wounded. I overcame one of thebrenn's assailants by trampling him under my horse's feet; then we wereagain separated from my father. Mikael and myself knew nothing of theother movements of the battle. Engaged in the conflict before us, we hadno other thought than to tumble the Iron Legion into the river. To thatend we struggled hard. Already our horses were stumbling over corpses asif in a quagmire. We heard, not far off, the piercing voices of thebards; their voices were heard over the tumult.
"Victory to Gaul!--Liberty! Liberty! Another blow with the axe! Anothereffort! Strike, strike, ye Gauls.--And the Roman is vanquished.--AndGaul delivered. Liberty! Liberty! Strike the Roman hard! Strikeharder!--Strike, ye Gauls!"
The song of the bards, the hope of victory with which they inspiredtheir countrymen, caused us to redouble our efforts. The remains of theIron Legion, almost annihilated, recrossed the river in disorder. Atthat moment we saw running in our direction a Roman cohort,panic-stricken and in full rout. Our men had driven them back from thetop of the hill, at the foot of which was the tribe of Karnak. Thecohort, thus taken between two enemies, was destroyed. Slaughter wasbeginning to tire Mikael's arm and my own when I noticed a Roman warriorof medium height, whose magnificent armor announced his lofty rank. Hewas on foot, and had lost his helmet in the fight. His large baldforehead, his pale face and his terrible look gave him a terrifyingappearance. Armed with a sword, he was furiously beating his ownsoldiers, all unable to arrest their flight. I called my brother'sattention to him.
"Guilhern," said he, "if they have fought everywhere as we have here, weare victorious. That soldier, by his gold and steel armor, must be aRoman general. Let us take him prisoner; he will be a good hostage. Helpme and we'll have him."
Mikael immediately hurled himself on the warrior of the golden armor,while the latter was still trying to halt the fugitives. With a fewbounds of my horse, I rejoined my brother. After a brief struggle,Mikael threw the Roman. Wishing not to kill, but to take him prisoner,Mikael held him under his knees, with his axe uplifted, to signify tothe Roman that he would have to give himself up. The Roman understood;no longer struggled to free himself; and raised to heaven the one handhe had free that the gods might witness he yielded himself a prisoner.
"Off with him," said Mikael to me.
Mikael, who like myself, was stalwart and stout, while our prisoner wasslim and not above middle height, took the Roman in his arms and liftedhim from the ground. I grasped him by the collar of buffalo-hide whichhe had on over his breastplate, drew him towards me, pulled him up, andthrew him across my horse, in front of the saddle. Then, taking thereins in my teeth so as to have one hand to hold the prisoner, and theother to threaten him with my axe, I pressed the flanks of my horse, andset out in this fashion towards the reserve of our army, both for thepurpose of putting the prisoner in safe keeping, and to have my woundsdressed. I had hardly started, when one of the horsemen of the_Mahrek-Ha-Droad_, happening that way in his pursuit of the fleeingRomans, cried out, as he recognized the man I was carrying:
"IT IS CAESAR--STRIKE--KILL HIM!"
Thus I became aware that I had on my horse the direst of Gaul's foes. Sofar from entertaining any thought of killing him, and seized withstupor, my axe slipped from my hand, and
I leaned back in order thebetter to contemplate that terrible Caesar whom I had in my power.
Unhappy me! Alas for Gaul! Caesar profited by my stupid astonishment,jumped down from my horse, called to his aid a troop of Numidianhorsemen who were riding in search of him, and when I regainedconsciousness from my stupid amazement, the blunder was irreparable.[10]Caesar had leaped upon one of the Numidian riders' horse, while theothers surrounded me. Furious at having allowed Caesar to escape, I nowdefended myself with frenzy. I received several fresh wounds and saw mybrother Mikael die at my side. That misfortune was only the signal forothers. Victory, so long hovering over our standards, went to theRomans. Caesar rallied his wavering legions; a considerablere-enforcement of fresh troops came to his aid; and our whole army wasdriven back in disorder upon the reserve, where were also ourwar-chariots, our wounded, our women and our children. Carried by thepress of retreating combatants, I arrived in the proximity of thechariots, happy in the midst of defeat at having at least come near mymother and family, and at being able to defend them--if indeed thestrength were spared me, for my wounds were weakening me more and more.Alas! The gods had condemned me to a horrible trial. I can now repeatthe words of Albinik and his wife, both killed in the attack on theRoman galleys, and battling on the water as we did on the land for thefreedom of our beloved country: "None ever saw, nor will ever see thefrightful scene that I witnessed."
Thrown back towards the chariots, still fighting, attacked at once bythe Numidian cavalry, by the legionaries and by the Cretan archers, weyielded ground step by step. Already we could hear the bellowing of theoxen, the shrill sound of the numerous brass bells which trimmed theiryokes, and the barking of the war dogs, still chained about the cars.Husbanding my ebbing strength, I no longer sought to fight, I stroveonly to reach the place where my family was in danger. Suddenly myhorse, which had already sustained several wounds, received on the flankhis death blow. The animal stumbled and rolled upon me. My leg andthigh, pierced with two lance thrusts, were caught as in a vise betweenthe ground and the dead weight of my fallen steed. In vain I struggledto disengage myself. One of my comrades who, at the time of my fall, wasfollowing me, ran against the fallen horse. Steed and rider tumbled overthe obstacle, and were instantly despatched by the blows of thelegionaries. Our resistance became desperate. Corpse upon corpse piledup, both on top of and around me. More and more enfeebled by the loss ofblood, overcome by the pains in my limbs, bruised under that heap ofdead and dying, unable to make a motion, all sense left me; my eyesclosed. Recalled to myself a moment later by the violent throbbing of mywounds, I opened my eyes again. The sight which met them at first mademe believe I was seized with one of those frightful nightmares fromwhich escape is vain. It was the horrible reality.
Twenty paces from me I saw the car in which my mother, Henory my wife,Martha the wife of Mikael, their children, and several young women andgirls of the family had taken refuge. Several men of our kindred andtribe, who had run like myself to the cars, were defending them againstthe Romans. Among the defenders I saw the two _saldunes_, fastened toeach other by the iron chain, the symbol of their pledge of brotherhood.Both were young, beautiful and valiant. Their clothes were in tatters,their heads and chests naked and bloody. But their eyes flashed fire,and a scornful smile played on their lips, as, armed only with theirstaffs, they fearlessly fought the Roman legionaries sheathed in iron,and the Cretans clad in jackets and thigh-pieces of leather. The largedogs of war, shortly unchained, leaped at the throats of theirassailants, often bearing them over backwards with their furious dashes.Their terrible jaws not being able to pierce either helmet orbreastplate, they devoured the faces of their victims, killing withoutonce letting go their grips. The Cretan archers, almost withoutdefensive armor, were snatched by the legs, arms, shoulders, anywhere.Each bite of these savage dogs carried away a chunk of bleeding flesh.
Several steps from where I lay, I saw an archer of gigantic stature,calm in the midst of the tumult, choose from his quiver his sharpestarrow, lay it on the string of his bow, pull it with a sinewy arm, andtake long aim at one of the two chained _saldunes_, who, dragged down bythe fall of his comrade, now dead by his side, could only fight on oneknee. But so much the more valiantly did he ply his iron-capped staff.He swung it before him with such tireless dexterity that for some timenone dared to brave its blows, for each stroke carried death. The Cretanarcher, waiting for the proper moment, was again aiming at the_saldune_, when old Deber-Trud bounded forth. Held tight where I layunder the heap of dead which was crushing me, unable to move withoutcausing intense pain in my wounded thigh, I summoned all my remainingstrength to cry out:
"Hou! Hou! Deber-Trud--at the Roman."
The dog, increasingly excited by my voice, which he recognized, dashedwith one bound upon the Cretan, at the moment when the arrow hissed fromthe string, and buried itself, still quivering, in the stalwart breastof the _saldune_. With this new wound his eyes closed, his heavy armslet fall the staff, his other knee gave way, his body sank to theground; but by a last effort, the _saldune_ rose on both knees, snatchedthe arrow from the wound, and threw it back at the Roman legionaries,calling in a voice still strong, and with a smile of supreme contempt:
"For you, cowards, who shelter your fear and your bodies under plates ofiron. The breastplate of the Gaul is his naked bosom."[11]
And the _saldune_ fell dead upon the body of his brother-in-arms.
Both of them were avenged by Deber-Trud. The terrible dog had hurleddown and was holding under his enormous paws the Cretan archer, who wasuttering frightful cries. With one bite of his fangs, as dangerous asthose of a lion, the dog tore his victim's throat so deeply that twojets of warm blood poured out on the archer's chest. Though still alive,the man could utter no sound. Deber-Trud, seeing that his prey stilllived, fell upon him, roaring furiously, swallowing or throwing asideshreds of severed flesh. I heard the sides of the Cretan crack and grindunder the teeth of Deber-Trud, who dug and dug, burying his bloodymuzzle up to the eyes in the man's chest. Then a legionary ran up andtransfixed Deber-Trud with one thrust of his lance. The dog gave not agroan. He died like a good war-dog, his monstrous head plunged in theRoman's entrails.[12]
After the death of the two _saldunes_, the defenders of the chariotsfell one by one. My mother Margarid, Martha, Henory, and the young girlsof the family, with burning eyes and cheeks, their hair flying, theirclothes disordered from the struggle, their arms and bosoms halfuncovered, were running fearlessly from one end of the chariot to theother, encouraging the combatants by voice and gesture, and casting atthe Romans with no feeble or untrained hands short pikes, knives, andspiked clubs. At last the critical moment came. All the men were killed,the chariot, surrounded by bodies piled half way up its sides, wasdefended only by the women. There they were, with my mother Margarid,five young women and six maidens, almost all of superb beauty,heightened by the ardor of battle.
The Romans, sure of this prize of their obscene revels, and wishing totake it alive, consulted a moment on a plan of attack. I understood nottheir words, but from their coarse laugh, and the licentious looks whichthey threw upon the Gallic women, there could be no doubt as to thefate which awaited them. I lay there, broken, pinned fast; breathless,full of despair, horror, and impotent rage I lay there, seeing a fewsteps from me the chariot in which were my mother, my wife, mychildren.--Oh, wrathful heavens!--like one unable to awake from ahorrible dream, I lay there condemned to see all, hear all, and yet toremain motionless.
An officer of savage and insolent mien advanced alone towards thechariot and addressed to the women some words in the Latin tongue whichthe soldiers received with roars of revolting laughter. My mother, calm,pale, and terrible, exhorted the young women around her to maintaintheir self-control. Then the Roman, adding a word or two, closed with anobscene gesture. Margarid happened at that moment to have in her hand aheavy axe. So straight at the officer's head she hurled it, that hereeled and fell. His fall was the signal for the attack. The legionariespressed forwar
d to the capture of the chariot. Then the women rushed tothe scythes, which on each side defended the cart, and plied them withsuch vigor and harmony, that the Romans, seeing a great number of theirmen killed or disabled, conceived a wholesome fear for such terriblearms, so intrepidly plied. They suspended the attack, and, applyingtheir long lances after the fashion of crow-bars, succeeded, withoutapproaching too near, in shattering the handles of the scythes. Thissafeguard demolished, a new attack commenced. The issue was notdoubtful. While the scythes were falling under the blows of thesoldiers, my mother hurriedly said a few words to Martha and Henory. Thetwo, with a look of pride and determination on their faces, ran towardsthe cover which sheltered the children. Margarid also spoke to the youngchildless women, and they, as well as the young girls, took and piouslykissed her hands.
At that moment, the last scythes fell. Margarid seized a sword in onehand and a white cloth in the other. She stepped to the front of thechariot, waved the white cloth, and threw away the sword, as if toannounce to the enemy that all the women wished to give themselves up.The soldiers, at first astonished at the proposed surrender, answeredwith laughs of ironical consent. Margarid seemed to be awaiting asignal. Twice she impatiently cast her eyes toward the shelter, wherethe two women had gone. Evidently, as the signal she seemed to wait forwas not given, she was trying to distract the enemy's attention, andagain waved her cloth, pointing alternately to the town of Vannes and tothe sea.
The soldiers, unable to take in the meaning of these gestures, looked atone another questioningly. Then Margarid, after another hasty glance atthe redoubt, exchanged a few words with the girls round about her,seized a dagger, and, in quick succession struck three of the maidens,who had nobly bared their chaste bosoms to the knife. Meanwhile theother young women dispatched one another with steady hands. They hadjust fallen when Martha reappeared from the enclosure where the childrenhad been hidden during the battle. Proud and serene, she held her twolittle daughters in her arms. A spare wagon-pole stood in front of her,the upper extremity of which was at a considerable elevation from theground. She leaped on the edge of the car; a cord was around her neck.She passed the end of the cord through the ring at the extremity of thepole. Margarid steadied it in both hands. Martha leaped into the airwith outspread arms, and hung there, strangled. Her two little children,instead of falling to the ground, remained suspended on either side ofher breast, for she had passed the noose around their necks also.
All this occurred so rapidly, that the Romans, at first struck dumb withastonishment and fear, had no time to prevent the heroic deaths. Theyhad barely recovered from their amazement when Margarid, seeing all herfamily either dying or dead at her feet, raised to heaven herblood-stained knife, and exclaimed in a calm and steady voice:
"Our daughters shall not be outraged; our children shall not beenslaved; all of us, of the family of Joel the brenn of the tribe ofKarnak, dead, like our husbands and brothers, for the liberty of Gaul,are on our way to rejoin them above. Perhaps, O Hesus, all this spilledblood will appease you;" and with a hand which did not waver, sheplunged the dagger into her own heart.
All these terrible events which happened around the Chariot of Death Iwas compelled to behold, as I lay nearby, pinned to the ground. My wifeHenory not having emerged from the enclosure, I concluded that she hadput an end to herself there, first putting to death my little onesSylvest and Syomara. My brain began to reel, my eyes closed; I feltthat I was dying, and thanked Hesus for not leaving me behind alone whenall my dear ones were to enter together upon the other life in theunknown world.
But, no, it was here below, on earth, that I was to return to life--toface new torments after those I had just undergone.