Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-12-11
Tbu. cam. !. sudden tng Att, aaaah.

the gliding wire was NH. inen i"'
spnrc at nigh \ minnie hp' Honna was
hruri; but every eye VIVA iou a'r rope
and every cheek was pallid with s's'
pensc, and every heart WA with toe hero
| IN The fiery depths helow Then came
another warning tug ~ the ropr, ANA
apain the word ilasled 70 the engine
room. The wheel spun round, the rop"
gldcd, quiverrd, stopped, the hGnrc
swung mp through the smoke again, was
seized, lowrrn,t. lannrd. When hiseol-
ra,les laid hands on him, the flannel gar.
ments fell from him in huge blackcned
flakes, 80 near the flames had he been.
He cast these garments from him, aud
they fell, half tinderI at his fst. Then
he drew of the handkerchief which
bound his face, aud ut the God-like he
roic pallor Of bis conntenance, and the
set lips and cleaning eyes, women whIs'
pcred pautingly. Good bless him. and
the breath Of thosc bold fellows was
drawn hard. Then be- reelcd, and and
mir of arms like u bears were around
hinrin as~~otd, l5tse2 - q
In two minutes he was outside the
crowd, and women rantor water A'in
while MI this was doing, another man,
as good ~ he was swinging downward
!, in the binding smoke. 50 fierce q leap
the flames made ut this hero, that they
caught him fairly fora moment IN the'r
arms, and when he was brought. 10 the
surface, hc hung limp and scnscless wilh
patches OF S,nonldering fire upon his gar,
mcnts, and his hands and thcc crackelI'
cd and backcncd. But the next man
was ready. and when he, in turn, came
70 the light, he said gnod-hy to the ligh'
forever in this world. Not this, no'
J anything that icar could urge, could stu,
: the rest. There were thirty.tiye mel
and BOYS below, and they would have
: them I'D or die. With that godliks pal
Q lor on thsir lips aud cheeks, with thos'
\ wide eyes that looked death in the face
and knew him and delied him--cowl
!" they went. saw these things, who tel
. tho story. Man after man detisd thu
fiery he'll, and faced the lurid, s'nok,
darkness. undismaycd, uutil At last tl'e'
y valor won tho day.
u The love Iorn William had bnt littl
room iu his heart for snpertinous sent
!" mcnt AZ he laid his hand upon the wir
- rome. aud SET his foot IN the howk again
" The rope grew taut he passed the han'
" kcrchief about his face again, aud wit
the memory of her eyes upon him, drol
10 ped out OF sight. The man at the sid
y of the shaft paid ort the slender In
again. and old hands watched II closcl,
~ Yard aftor yard ran ont. The great co
~ at his feet snaked itself ring by rim!
~ through his coaly fingers. Still no war;
:" ing message came from bslow. The 81
VI CINE stopped at last, and they knew TIL
" the foot of the shaft was reached. Fla
~ the explorer tainted by the way !
!" might, for all they knew above, be reas
Nv inv down below below nj that miuut
=. Eveu then bis sonl newly rsl~cs4
~ might be above them.
'' Through the dead silence Of the CROW
Nc the void dashed to the engine ro"i
ns The wheel went round, and the VI
ny rope glided and quivered up again ov
u" II. There WAS no, man or ~on
there who did not augur the same thi
ng from the denser CULVER Of tue rope, a
cr, when, at last through the thinner co
re. of smoke abont the top of the shaft, {
wo rescuer's figure swung with the first
the rescued in lis arms, there was hea
r" one sound of infinite pathos--;A sigh
ide relief from 1000 breasts and dead
lencc fell again.
zen "Alivcw asked one, laying his ha
on Bowker's arm. Bill nodded a
pushed hun by, and made his way
zen ward that marble face, nursing his b
den still.
''e "Semer," he said quietly, "here's Sc
IVY sweetheart"
''n "No, 10, no, BILL she answer'
WI 'thcre's on'y one man j. the world
me, Bill, if ever he forgves me and
"'' wicked ways" ...
u " Cheer after cheer Of triumph rang
mes their ears. The women fought for .
''S' Bowker. and kissed him and cried o
''' him. Men shook hands with him
''o' with each other. Strangers mingled Il
NV tears. The steel rope was going up
''' down at rare rate now, and the
NV" safiocated prisoners of the fire were b'
'''' carried mp in patches. Selma and
''''' lover stood side by side and watched
last skipful to the surface.
'ih' "That's the lot" yelled one coal-sm