She had felt misery and
knew what it was to be abandoned by every one, even her own husband,
but until now she had considered herself honored and respected: up
to this time she had looked with compassion on those boldly dressed
women whom the town knew as the concubines of the soldiers. Now it
seemed to her that she had fallen even a step lower than they in the
social scale.
The sound of hoofs was heard, proceeding from a small train of men
and women mounted on poor nags, each between two baskets hung over
the back of his mount; it was a party carrying fish to the interior
towns. Some of them on passing her hut had often asked for a drink of
water and had presented her with some fishes. Now as they passed her
they seemed to beat and trample upon her while their compassionate
or disdainful looks penetrated through her panuelo and stung her
face. When these travelers had finally passed she sighed and raised the
panuelo an instant to see how far she still was from the town. There
yet remained a few telegraph poles to be passed before reaching the
bantayan, or little watch-house, at the entrance to the town.
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