The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-06-03
mass Of smoke, now leaping high in al
NTH hol1icln av11lf finn sasssst Hs. VI

/ with hellish exultatlon
j The discussion was of short duration.
Men, cried DR.. Burns, ssthe bridge must
go down. Bring axes, you that want to
save your homes! 7" And he seized one
near at hand himself and swung it on
high, when workman hurried up and in
terfered. s.Dr. Burns" he cried, 81 hearn
'em say there is a construction train COM
ing in at twelve tonight for to lay them
switches yonder, and now it wants only
ten minutes of twelve" DR.. Burns drop
ped the axe. Telegraph he shouted.
The man shook his head. ssToo, late. sir,
he said; "she's left the last station half
an hour ago. The men looked at one an.
other with faces from which all hope had
suddenly died ont, and sobs were heard
distinctly from the group Of women hud-
died together, the mothers clasping their
children closely.
ITO your homes, them" shouted the
doctor; ''save what you can. and when we
shout to you hurry to the bend'-a bend
in the river, which he evidently hoped
they might reach, while the men stayed
to fight the fire. But there was sudden
movement in the crowd, and Phillip Blake
stepped forward with somewhat of his
careless air, yet with manly bearing That
sat better upon him than his usual nom
chalance. "Stay here, SIR he said, land
cut down the bridge; will go and stop
the train A sigh of relief went up
from all, and many women wept and MUIR
INJURED blessings upon him. The men
made haste to provide him with red
handkerchief tied to slat; he threw off
his coat and vest and pulled his hat over
his eyes. One man spoke at last. ''lt's
sure death, Phil, and no good to come of
it." His answer was short and to the
point. "D-n you!' Then he caught
a pair of pleading eyes, and saw that Su-
sic held him a handkerchief soaked at
the faucet near by. ''Put this over your
face when you meet the smoke, she said.
''God bless you, Phil!'' He bent his
head as reverently to the blessing as if it
had come from an angel, then turned
quickly, squared himself for run and
was gone over the bridge almost before he
had started, and in three minutes more
the planks were torn up, the rafters sew
cred. the last man swan back in haste,
then the bridge fell with terrible sound
and they were saved. Men can work
rapidly with the fear of death before
their eyes.
Ihilip heard the sound, but did not
pause. With the handkerchief close
about his face, the smoke was killing
him. He bent low, but ten thousand
fiery.handed demons plucked him by the
sleeve, whispered horrible nothings in his
ears, crisped his hairs, danced in lurid
procession before his eyes, thrust red.hot
irons down his throat. On he pressed,
his feet blistering at every step, the tor
lures of thirst consuming him. and the
thought Juggling at his brain. ''All in
vain; oh, to be burned alive here, and no
one ever to know" 1t seemed to him
that he was crawling; sometimes he
, would lose himself for moment, and
, wake with horrible start to find him
self still running. At last. after what
. seemed to be hours, but must have been
only a second, for his clothes had not
, even caught the blaze, though his face
, and body we're badly burned by the
fierce heat, he left the wall of fame be.
hind him, ncared the curve Of the track,
and with his brain in q whirl, his eyes
J half blinded, struck his foot upon peb
| BILE and fell PROSTATE.
| A sudden trembling of the earth be.
E ueath him---a deep 1umbling, reused him
, Oh, heaven! hero it was, bearing down
, upon him, a great mass Of tlackness, with
one terrific glaring eye. moving noun
/ tain, threatening destruction to oil on it,
+ way. What was he here for! Some
: thing about that giant form, and he.-.oh
s could he never rememberf Ho knew il
o now: he was on his feet in moment
j, and shouting with all his force. Trying
. to shout, rather; all his efforts produc'
ing only dry rattle in his throat. Will
: desperate energy he seized handful o.
= stones and flung them at the train rs i
i came abreast Of him. They broke tn,
+ window and ratified about the head Of tn,
a engineer, who, looking out, saw by tn
Z light Of the passing train the blackenet
; and wounded remnant Of . man, franti
e cally waving stick from which fistteret
t something which had once been . rex
: handkerchief. The short. sharp whisti
' for ssdown brakes" ran out on the air
|, and the train stopped within hail Of til
n eager crowd on the opposite bank Of tn
e Wildcat river. Some went ahead an,
# viewed the danger escaped, others wen
Is back and found Philip lying in the road
!, side insensibls.
Il He va conscious that night IF ;ntens
r pain and Of men who trod softly, an
d tended him gently, whose horny hand
e touched him tenderly, and Of one who's
I, unti-ing attendance vas more skillful an
= whose voice vas more pleasant tha
l. theirs. When, later on the day after, tn
{. train passed in over the new bridge. b
d vas too weak even to ak why the
4 u - A.