The short
breathings and the chattering of teeth, lately so audible from within
the interior, gradually subsided, and were succeeded by whispers of the
females, and soon after by words pronounced in a louder tone; whilst our
mangled guides, by groans and writhings, gave evidence of returning
animation.
Our first care, when thus left to ourselves, was to see if anything
could be done for our unfortunate guides. We found them rolling over in
the dust, and moaning inarticulately, excepting that the conductor would
occasionally murmur forth some of those sainted names whose aid he had
vainly invoked in the moment of tribulation. Having taken down the light
from the top of the coach, we found them so much disfigured with bruises
and with blood, that recognition would have been impossible. The finery
of poor Pepe, his silver buttons and his sash of silk, were scarcely
less disfigured than his features. There happened to be in our party a
student of medicine, who now took the lead in the Samaritan office of
binding, with pieces of linen and pocket handkerchiefs, the wounds of
these unhappy men.
The wounded men were at length placed in a cart, and sent back slowly
to Amposta, the mayoral showing some signs of returning sensibility,
but the unfortunate Pepe evidently in his last agony.
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