She entered the tent and seated herself. As she waited a feeling of drowsiness overpowered her. Finally, scarcely knowing what she did, she threw herself on the cot in the tent and slept. The soldier who occupied the tent peeped in and saw her.
“Gee,” said he to his messmate, “she don’t want the commander now. She has already made a night of it and needs nothing so bad as sleep.”
“Let’s wait till she awakens and then keep her to ourselves.”
“We ought to have some rent for our tent.”
“Sure.”
When Ambrosia awakened several hours later one of the soldiers was at her side and the tent was closed and darkened. She remained in the tent two days, during which time she was repeatedly assaulted by the two soldiers. Instead of finding a refuge, she had merely fallen into another trap. There really is no escape for a creature that is hunted, especially if that creature be a woman.
[1] Convento—Not a convent, but a priest’s residence. The reason given for American officers occupying conventos in the Philippines was that they were the best buildings there. [↑]