The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1866-09-20

"lhc sooner you're across and INC
"i;k you the better | shall Ike it," I
sayss and then | took Il lock round to
sec t'U" matters were, when tl,cr" came
Il crash aud puff, and in Il moment the
flames Came wrcathiny and twir!in: up
trom underneath where ! stood. and
just as the last cha hal lis leg ON the
window-sI'l aud was going t, tip the
roi'c round him, he gave a ycI| and fell
back, on rather | pulled !i;m hack into
the smoky room, aud he tainted dead
away.
lie m"<t have yo!.r: down crash into
tho court if J. hadn't have dragged at
him; but there WAS no time to luse. I
made the rope fast and got him on to
the ladder, with the flames darting up
| through the rounds aud burning his
hair; and then ] shouted 70 them to
haul, and haul Trey did with nc try
ing to steady !i;..1 viii! MY end of the
rope; but before he was quite across
something went snap, and I staggered
back in the room, holding ON by the
piece Of burnt through rope, and with
My heart sinking as I felt that my own
salvation WAS partly gone.
just then the flames were waited on
one side, and | saw flat they were drag
! ging in the last Of the seven, and I felt
now as if I'd done good nights work,
and it was time to save myself. I'm
not usEamed t. own it. [ did feel
frightened as threw down that piece
OF rupe, aux! it lnust have been some
ding like cry "f horror l gave, when
| got hold Of the ladder ard felt it burn
my hands, and then as / tried TO bear
upon it: felt it crumblc away, and that
| Was without a way to escape.
Far above the noise of the fire and
water came the shrek Of the crowd as
the burned ladder fell away and hung
blazing by one end against the opposite
house, while there came up such a rush
of fame past the window that I could
not look out; but directly after I heard
the fierce rush Of water, and could see
that four branches were dcluging the
window, and all beneath for my mates
knew what a danger I was in.
ran to the window, aud was beaten
back by the water, while the smoke
that came up was quite binding Then
I tried through the hot vapor in the
room to see if I could get out Of the
door and reach the roof. but just at that
moment there came a dull flash through
the smoke, and / could see that the
back Of the house was on fire, while
from the way the flames rushed up
again in front aud filed the court,
knew that there was no help to be Ia!
'tst'' ,r.,~~:t~, f- +>~y .--~s 10 bout
en- from the window.
I'd been iii some dangers IN my time
but till now there had alN ays seemed
road out, and US tore turiou>ly around
the place with the sweat dripping off
me, and the horrible fear of death so
close at hand, l seemed to be regularly
unncrved, and fell to shrieking and cry
ing out that my mates had deserted me,
when they were on the roof and had let
down rope to ne, but I could not see
it and then at last one Of them was
let down, AID tried to get in at the win
dow, bnt the flames beat him back and
groan came from the people as they
saw all that had been done.
as l told you, seemed quite to lose
my nerve, and ran about shrieking for a
few minutes, and then I fell down on
my face npon the hot floor; but direct
iy after, nv mind seemed to come
again, aud l felt that if | must die /
should have done my duty, and had
saved seven poor creatures; and as |
thought that { 7osc to my knees, and
some words came to my lips s-words
that came to my bcart as | thonyht Of
those who were cnce saved from the
burning fiery furnace; and ! prayed
that l too, might be saved.
and all it was hard to pray there
70 keep your thoughts in the midst Of
that fierce, suiIccatiny heat OF smoke
and steam from the water pouring iuto
the room. And how everything else
but the words ui' prayer came into ones
mind and it,was as ii the devils dcs-
pairing, disappearing devils were Kissing
in my cars to curse and shrek oaths.
Then, too, came the thought Of those
at home, and tho little golden curls that
| should play with no more; and how
coul,l now understand the dread nv
wife always had OF what she called my
frigh,tul business. Yes; had saved
seven that night; but it was hard to die
- hard to give up life at eight ond
twenty, and suffer the death from which
had saved so many.
1 :ouldn't help it just then, for grim
smile came oyer my face as I tlioug ght
it was my old enemy, tho fire, being re-
vcngcd upon nv; but directly after l
tried to pray once more, and then IN
the midst of the smoke | gave wild
cry, dashed off my helmet, dragged my
belt undonc, and kicked OFT my heavy
boots, half suiocated, and had off my
thick coat too, and then with my heart
beating with hope, thanked God for
the thought, and the next moment |
was over the crate bars aud in the big
chimney OF the old house.
| r. WAS Tull Of smoke, and I could