of doom. I saw several of
these sorrowful dramas.

One was in an old-fashioned street where old southern houses with iron
dogs planted about the lawns had been pressed in upon by
lodging-houses and corner groceries. It seemed mockery to think how
the people in the aristocratic old houses must have raged at the
intrusion of the corner stores. How futile it seemed now!

Came a dapper young cavalry lieutenant into the street. From their
porches people watched him with pathetic anxiety. They could see the
sentry's heels click together and his carbine snap down to a present.
With a few words the officer would hurry on.

Making a megaphone of his hands, the sentry would turn and bawl these
words up the otherwise silent street: "This street is going to be
dynamited; if you want anything in the grocery store, go to it!"

The balance of his remarks, if there were any, would be lost in a
shout of applause from the crowds that seemed to smell such things. A
rush for the grocery store would follow.

Men would come out laden to staggering with loot--canned goods, flour,
bacon, hams, coffee--as much as they could possibly pack.

I saw one little girl not over four. This was the day she always had
been dreaming of. Hugged to her heart was an enormous jar of stick
candy, big enough to give her stomach-ache for the rest of her life.
She could hardly lift it; but she put it down to rest, then went
panting on.

At the warning of the sentry, the whole family in each house would
rush back through the front door to rescue whatever treasure lay
nearest their hearts. They only had four or five minutes. Men would
come dragging bureaus and lounges. Often a man would be pulling along
the family pride, the woman shoving from behind.

In one thrilling rescue I had the distinction of participating. An
elderly woman grabbed me excitedly by the arms and gasped, "Catch it."

She pointed to a dejected canary perched on a window sill. I shinned
gallantly up the side of a dead wall; just touched the canary bird
with the tips of my fingers. It flew and a lady caught it triumphantly
like a baseball as it came down. She went away "mothering" it.

Presently, the sentry would shout another warning and the people would
scurry away, peeking out from behind safe corners. As if by magic, the
streets would be thick with soldiers. The engineers would place the
dynamite and they would all hurry out of danger.

Bang! And the grocery store would go scatte