The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-12-10

sopo A man ran forward with Il slender
chain, which he passed rapidly round
the volunteers waist and fixed to the
rope which supported the bowk. An
other thrust m end of rope into his
hand, and stood by to reeve out the rest
as he descended. Then came the word
"Short. steady" The engine painted,
tho rope frightened, the clumsy figure,
with the machine bound about it, swung
into tho smoke, and in dcath-like still
ness, with here and there a smothered
gasp, the man went down. His comrade
at the edge dribbled the rope through
his coal-blackencd fingers as delicately
as though ii had been n silken thread.
Then came a sudden tug at it, and the
word was flashed to the engine-room, and
the creak of the wheel ceased, and the
gliding wire rope was still. Then, for
space of nigh minute, not sound was
heard, but every eye was on the rope,
and every choek was pallid with sus-
pense, and every heart was with the hero
in the fiery depths below. Then came
another warning tug at the rope, and
again the word flashed to the engine
room. The wheel spun round, the rope
glided, quivered, stopped, the figure
swung up through the smoke again, was
seized, lowered, landed. When his
comrades laid hands upon him, the fan
mel garments fell from him in hugo
blackened flakes, so near to the flames
had he been. He cast these garments
from him, and they fell, half tinder, at
his feet. Then he drew off the hand
kerchief which bound his face, and, at
the god-like, heroic pallor of his counte-
nance, and the set lips and cleaning
eyes, women whispered, pantingly, '.'God
bless himl" and the breath of those bold
fellows was drawn hard. Then he
reeled, and pair of arms like bears
were round him in second. In two
minutes more he was outside the crowd,
and restorative which came from no.
body knew where, was at his lips as he
lay upon the ground, and two or three
women ran for water.
And while ell this was doing, another
man, as good as he, was swinging down.
ward in the binding smoke. SO fierce
o leap the flames made at this hero, that
they caught him fairly for u moment in
their arms, and when he was brought to
the surface, he hung limp and senseless,
with great patches of smoldering fire
upon his garments, and his hands and
face cracked and blackened. But the
next man was ready, and when he, in
turn, came to the light, he had said good
bye to the light forever in this world.
Not this, nor anything that fear could
urge, could stay the rest. There were five
and thirty men and boys below, and they
would have them up or die. With that
god-like pallor on their lips and cheeks.
with those wide eyes that looked death
in the face, and knew him, and defed
him---down they went 1 saw these
things, who tell the story. Man after
man defied that fiery hell, and faced its
lurid, smoky darkness, undismayed, IN
til at last, their valor won the day.
The love-lon William had but little
room in his heart for superfuous scnti-
ment as he laid his hand upon the wire
rope, and set his foot in the bowk again
Yet just hope was there---that Selma
should not gricve too greatly if this
second venture failed, and he should
meet his death. lie was not, as rule,
devotionally inclined, but he whispered,
inwardly, "God be good to her." And
there, at that second, he saw her face
before him---so set and fixed that in its
agony of fear and prayer it looked like
marble. The rope grew taut, he passed
the handkerchief about his face again,
and with the memory of her eyes upon
him, dropped ont of sight. The man at
the side of the shaft paid out the slender
line again, and old hands watched it
closely. Yard after yard ran out. The
great coil at his feet snaked itself, ring
by ring, through his coaly fingers Still
no warning message came from below.
The engine stopped at last, and they
knew that the foot of the shaft was
reached. Had the explorer tainted by
the way? He might, for all they knew
above, be roasting down below that
minute. Even then his soul, newly re-
leased, might be above them.
Through the dead silence of the
crowd the word flashed to the engine
room. The wheel went round, and the
wire rope glided and quivered up again
over it. There was not man or woman
there who did not augur the same thing
from the tenser quiver of the rope, ant
when, at last, through the thinner coil
OF smoke about the top of the shaft tn,
rescuer's figure swung with the first o
the rescued in his arms, there was heart
one sound of infinite pathos---a sigh o
| relief from 10000 bIeasts---and dea(
silence fell again.
"Alive p asked one, laying hand OF
Bowker's arm. Bill nodded and pushed
him by, and made his way toward tina
marble face, nursing his burden still.
"Seliner," he said, quietly, "hero'
your sweetheart"
"No, no, no, Bill" she answered
"There's on'y one man i the world fo
me, Bill if ever he forgives me an m,
wicked ways"
Cheer and cheer of triumph rang il
their ears. The women fought for Bill
Bowker, and kissed him and cried owe
him. Men shook hands with him ant
with each other. Strangers mingled
their tears. The steel rope was gliding
up and down at rare rate now, and tn,
half-suffocated prisoners of the fire wer,
being carried mp in patches. Selma an(
her lover stood side by side and watched
the last skipful to the surface.
"That's the lot" yelled one coal
smeared giant as the skip swung up
Out broke the cheers again, peal O
peal William stood silent, with teal
in those brave eyes. The penitent stol
Il hand in his.
"Oh, Dill," she whispered, "yo
didn't think wanted him 90
"What else did you think ietche
him out for?" queried William, smi
of comedy cleaning through the man
L moisture of his eyes.
She dropped her head upon his breas
and put both arms around him, ar
Q neither she nor he thought of the crow
in that blissful moment when Mr.. Boz
a ker's courtship ended, and soul was q
sured of soul.
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