Page:Tales of Today.djvu/231

Rh the intervening hills, the sound of the funeral knell, the long-drawn, wailing lament of the bell mourning the dead. The Carlists were ringing the knell of the dying, and the poison had done its work.

"The bells of Hernani, too, as if wishing in their turn to do honor to the dying man, had gradually ceased ringing; they were silent, up there in their tower, and all that was heard was the tolling of the knell, the distant knell.

"Then, all at once, the knell, too, ceased tolling and a silence settled down upon the crowded place, as if the wind had whispered to all those ears the news that all was over down there in the valley.

Zucarraga is dead!' said old Garrido.

"Araquil cast a burning glance toward Pepa, as if beseeching her to read his thoughts.

It is for thy sake! It was for thy sake!' he said to her reproachfully.

"Pepa turned away her head.

"Then the general, addressing Juan, coldly said:

Araquil, what disposition do you wish made of your two thousand douros?'

The money?' Araquil had understood. 'Let it be given to the poor. I want nothing for myself, not even a cross in the graveyard.' Pointing to the platoon that had acted as guard to him, he added: 'That is for me, I suppose?'

Araquil, no man takes a soldier's life by poison,' replied Garrido.

"Then Juan Araquil made the sign of the cross, kneeled before the priest and said aloud: 'God have mercy on my soul!' And now the bells of Hernani were tolling the knell for the dying, even as those of