But the soldiers pushed the servants aside with the butts of their guns and went upstairs. A thick smoke was already filling the whole house, and gigantic tongues of flame were coming out from the sala, licking the doors and windows. "Fire! Fire! Fire!" they all cried. Each hurried to save what he could, but the fire had filled the small laboratory, breaking out furiously among the inflammable materials. The Civil Guards had to turn back. The fire, roaring and sweeping all before it, closed the passage to them. In vain they brought water from the well. All were shouting, and crying for help, but they were isolated. The fire reached the other rooms and in thick columns of smoke ascended to the heavens. Some peasants came from a distance, but they arrived only in time to see the frightful spectacle, the end of that old building, so long respected by the elements. CHAPTER XXXVI WHAT PEOPLE SAY AND THINK. Day dawned at last for the terrorized people. The streets in which the cuartel and the tribunal were situated were still deserted and solitary. The houses showed no signs of life. However, a shutter was opened with a creaking noise and an infant head stuck out and looked in all directions.... Slap!... A sound announces hard contact between a strip of leather and a human body. The child made a grimace, closed its eyes and disappeared. The shutter was closed again. The example had been set. Without any doubt the opening and closing of the shutter has been heard, for another window was opened very slowly and cautiously and a wrinkled and toothless old woman thrust out her head. She was called Sister Ruté. She looked about, knit her brows, spit noisily and then crossed herself. In the house opposite, a little window was timidly opened and her friend, Sister Rufa appeared. They looked at each other for a moment, smiled, made some signals, and again crossed themselves. "Jesús! It was like a thanksgiving mass," said Sister Rufa. "Since the time that Bálat sacked the town I have never seen a night like it," replied Sister Puté. "What a lot of shots! They say that it was old Pablo's gang." "Tulisanes? It couldn't be. They say that it was the cuaderilleros against the Civil Guards. For this reason, they have arrested Don Filipo." "Sanctus Deus! They say that there are no less than fourteen killed." Other windows were opened and different faces appeared, exchanging salutations and commenting on the affair. In the light of the day--which promised to be a splendid one--could be seen in the distance, like ash-colored shadows, soldiers hurrying about in confusion. "There goes another corpse!" said some one from one of the windows. "One? I see two." "And so do I. But do you know what it was?" asked a man with a crafty face. "Certainly. The cuaderilleros." "No, Señor. An uprising at the cuartel." "What uprising? The curate against the alferez?"