CARTHAGO DELETA EST 477 



rumbled like a distant express train. It was decidedly un- 

 pleasant, but as we had had lighter earthquakes before and 

 always found them over with one shock I lay still. Some 

 time after there was a second, slight, shock. By this time 

 the people were pouring into the streets and the women were 

 screaming and working themselves into hysterics. This 

 also I had heard and as my room opened directly on the 

 street, at easy jumping distance, by means of an immense 

 casement window, I had no real fear of being hemmed in and 

 indeed thought it was all over. Things were calming down 

 and I had almost fallen into a doze when we heard the roar 

 coming again and at 1.15 there was a really terrific shock. 

 The bed rocked, the walls shook to and fro and groaned, 

 the wooden ceiling creaked, the windows rattled horribly 

 and plaster and tiles began to fall. This time I did not 

 dare to get up but buried my head under the pillow as some 

 protection against tiles in case one should break through the 

 wooden ceiling. As soon as the violent shock was over and 

 one could stand, I rose and dressed after a fashion, standing 

 by the window to be ready to jump if necessary. There 

 were no more hard shocks before I left the room — in fact 

 I was in and out many times gathering more garments — but 

 an almost constant trembling, very disconcerting. With 

 one exception every person in the hotel was out, a most ex- 

 traordinary pajama and nightgown parade! One by one 

 we slunk back for more clothes, carrying things to the patio 

 or vestibule to put them on. In the streets wailing, shriek- 

 ing women ran up and down, babies cried, dogs howled and 

 barked and every cock in town crowed. But there was no 

 real disorder. The police were everywhere and efficient; 

 they pressed the horses in the livery stables into service 

 and patrolled the streets well. Although the electric light 

 poles rocked to and fro like drunken things the lights did not 

 go out, which no doubt added greatly to the orderliness. 



