New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-01-08

was now at liberty to join my broth
er. And I telegraphed at once, and at
eleven o'clock that evening was knock
ed up to take in the reply.
1t was short and to the point. It ran
thus: "Come along, old fellow; stay as
long as you like"
went. I lived with the detachment;
and what fun we had Fishing in fine
river close by; cricket; little shooting,
for September was upon US now; rowing
up aud down the stream; and dining with
the hospitable Irish residents, made up
the total of our days after parade or in
spection.
One guest night-for we had our little
social parties occasiopally--we were sit
ting at the open windows, when the sub.
OF the party exclaimed:
'What glare there is yonder! It's q
fire, I believe"
"Bedad, your right!" said one of the
guests. '1t's down by Sir Johns; he Las
house full. hope it's not tho house
ITSELF"
"Shall turn out the picket2' asked
my brother. why, look, it's increasing;
they may want assistance"
As he spoke the flames mounted up
and the lurid smoke rose high into the
glare above.
"Sound the fire. call and turn out the
r:ckets, Hamblyn," said my brother.
"Take the men down at the douole
Well drive over. Come along. Look
sharpi'
hurried out for coat to cover my
dress clothes. OF course, being in hur-
~, was delayed. In the dark I CROPPED
unsuccesstully, and at length when I
crossed from my room I found that the
others had driven off in the cars our
guests had come over III.
The sentry at the gate civilly 'shoul-
dered his rifle a. I passed, and in reply
to my question told me that the captain
and the whole party had gone, leaving
word for me to follow. if liked.
Eyes; but hows They've taken all the
cars, sentry"
Eyes, sir; but there's the gig, SIR"
"Whose gig?"
"Tbe boat, sir. You can scull down
almost as quick as they'll drive, yer hon
or"
would pull down. It was not far;
the moon was still bright. I knew the
river pretty we'll. No sooner thought
than done. A soldier from the guard
room came across and helped me to
launch the gig.
"That's big fire, sir; they do say it's
at the hall below. Poor creatures!
hope they'll all escape. All right, sirs'
replied in the affirmative, He let 90
the painter, with two vigorous strokes of
the light SOULS I was in the stream.
Fortunately I knew almost every turn
and bend Of the fine river or should
have more than once had very narrow
escape, If had not been quickly upset.
1t is all very we'll to row in daylight, but
in the gloom, when the banks and the
water alongside are equally shrouded, so
that where one tegins and the other ends
is an extremely difficult problem to solve,
and snags and submerged shoals are quite
invisible, the pulling down rapid stream
alone is no joke. But did not mind it
then. Urged by reckless daring, I
sculled rapidly on alone.
Alone, but for all the company of two
good planks. Whence came they, and
whittier they were bound, l did not think
but l noticed that they were kept close to
me--now swirling away, now in the dim
light meeting, then dividing, turning
round, separating themselves, and soon
ircloeing my SOULS, 60 as to impede my
way and endaager my safety. They
Rugged m SO closely at last that 1 lay on
my oars. and clutching the intrusive
boards pulled them into the boat, where,
under the thwarts' they exchanged drip
ping condolences as to what they would
do next. What they did shall be told in
due course.
"Such great effects from trivial causes spring.
The blazing house was now almost
visible. The reflection was caught by
the water just beyond me. On scud-
ded round the bend of the bank, the
stream hurrylng me down, and now I
have opened up the town reach, and the
burning and half-demolished building is
cracking and roaring half mile off.
The smske, dotted with million sparks,
flies up to heaven, while screams and
cries and the roar of falling timbers as
cend with them to the lurid sky. Those
tiny jets of water only served to aggra-
vate the thirst in the fiery threat, and
mot to quench it: no man can live near
such fire as that; the heat even in my
gig was soon felt distinctly, and the tvs
planks beneath my feet winked to each
other in the glare, and gllstened side by
side at the thought Of what was com
ing.
A yell, roarl Four people had got
upon the crlmb:ing parapet, some fee.
above the stable-roof, ana were crying
and shrieking for assistance. Twenty
men at once rushed in to offer ropes and
help. What could they do9 The un-
happy inmates. clad in evening dress,