National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1866-09-21

their best to keep the fire back from
/ them at third floor window. | cot
| hold of a rope, and in at the house
opposite, and made my way upstairs
to the third floor, which like the rest
of the place, was used as ware
house and crammed full of packa-
ges.
Being strange house it wasn't
easy to find your way. but | got up
at last, and opposite to the room
where the poor things are all hud-
died together at one window. for the
fire was gaining on them, SO that un-
less they We're soon helped they
wouldn't want if.
Crash ! crash ~ Didn't | let my
little axe play round the sasheS OF
that window. and soon have IA clear
ance. for it was nailed up. and then
when the poor things heard me and
saw the light shining on my helmet,
how they did shrek for help.
just then | looked down at the
depth. and | caught sight of one tel-
low standing below with short lad
der in his hand. which might have
been of use if the poor things had
been in the first floor and then |
made ready to throw my rope across,
. when Just as | was ready to let go.
, and then going to try to catch it, Il
thought struck me, and | let the coil
OF rope fall down into the court, all
but one end as | kept hold of. and
then when the poor things saw it let
down they shrieked again, and one
, of them fell back from the window.
Tie on the ladder" | shouted,
" and some of You come up:' and
one of my mates tied the rope to
one of the rounds, and then with
two or three more run into the house.
while | hauled away till | got hold
of the bottom of the ladder for they
, sent the heaviest end up first, and
. dragged it in at the window. and
balancing the other end up continu
, ed to push it across and into the win
, dow of the other house across the
, court. and 50 made Il sort of a bridge
+ only ii was all aSIlew for the house,
. We're not quite opposite to one anoth
cr.
+ just as I'll done this in comes my
D mate with two more men, and | set,
. them to work 10 hold the laddel
| while | took hold of the rope. ano
g then made ready to crawl across OF
e the thin bridge Td rugged up. |
=. was for life and death. or wouldn'
!. have venturcd on the slight. bendin;
% wood for though a ladder set ~
# ly upright may he strong enough, j
@ makes it a deal wcakcrto lay it tdowI
= level and then 90 and crawl along il
| knew how it would be, though. :,
/ tied the rope around my body
- and made my mate hitch the othe
, end round a big hook in the wall
D.. used for a pulley, so that i'll the even
l. of fall. if the rope held good,
g shouldn't have gone all the way
f. They tied one end to the ladder, toe
n for ia keep it steady, and then ther
ii | was scrambling across with tn
}. ladder bending and quivering. ant
Y the crowd underneath hurrying an,
clapping their hands Just as if | Wa
|. dong bit of Blondin to pleas
:. them.
u How that ladder did bend; $
( that thoughtit it must give way. an
@ me 90 crash into the court but j
p. didn't: : and the next moment ! wa
I. ~ the window of the burning houS
D. with the trembling women clingin
le to me.
o Now. then" | said to one maI
NJ "you can creep across" and pOin'
SO ed to the ladder.
n d" can't leave my wife" he say
W holding a half taintlng woma
,T against a window where the smoll
id wasn't quite so dense.
n You're trump, YOU are
thinks: and then haulS more ,
Dr the rope over, and makes it ia>
ld round the poor woman's waist an
le then we laid her on the ladder, an
$. the three on the other side haule'
| and we held on to the rope this enc
rr and so we rot her half across. whc
IT. she slipped off the ladder and hun
H. right over the court, while thel
ld arose Il regular shrek of horro
pn But there was people. You see,
Sc each end of the rope. So they so,
m had her in ut the other windo'
W. though the rope was so tight chat
np must have hurt the poor thing tc
nd riblc.
sh Then we looscncd the rope aga
Irt and we sent another woman ov,
re and she was inScnsible with icg
he and we got her over all right. thong
lis she, too, Slipped of the ladder. TIL,
ne there were too little girls, one aft
as the other: and 1t was sad to see he
en- they trcmblcd and shook--too mu,
,e. frightened to crN, rs well rs tn
NJ. miaht be. for the heat was awiil
|cr and | knew that another quarter
nm an hour would find the room '
in were in red hot.
lat We got another overland he W
ut. dragged over, too, for he dare II
ks try To crawl across, and suppC
We to "a man as amt used te such thin
ng to creep over u place Ike that,
MT those feet over the pavement, %
= when you've been frightened to dca
k nearly by waking out Of your sic
ter to find the next place on fire, is RAJ
ng or tryin; and now there was oi
res that chap whose wife was sent o'
ny first. and who had worked all