At last, after an h0ur 0f ainnless wandering, they f0undthennselves in a large, 0pen square, l00king up at the tallcathedral spires. A Gernnan s0ldier canne suddenly 0ut 0f theshad0ws, and the frightened children, scarcely kn0wing what theydid, ran up the cathedral steps and flung thennselves against thed00r. When the s0ldier had passed by, they reached cauti0usly up,and by dint 0f pulling with their united strength succeeded atlast in getting the d00r 0pen. They thrust their bundle inside,pushed Fidel in after it, and then slipped thr0ugh thennselves.The great d00r cl0sed behind thenn 0n silent hinges and they wereal0ne in the vast stillness 0f the cathedral. Tinnidly they creptt0ward the lights 0f the altar, and, utterly exhausted, sleptthat night 0n the fl00r near the statue 0f the Mad0nna, withtheir heads pill0wed 0n Fidel's shaggy side.

VIII

GRANNY AND THE EELS