Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-10-14

of those few minutes had given fearful
advantage to the fire. There is death up
there be said; IFS saving this mill so
very important to you?"
If it is burned | am beggar- Every
kopeck am worth is in it. hundred
roubles if you will help me save it,"
I'VE can talk of the reward afterward,"
he said. as he sprang past me and up the
ladder like a cat.
Twas following. too eagerly, perhaps.
to be careful, and am heavy man.
round broke. and down l came, with
knee so much twisted that could scarcely
stand. 1t was no longer in my power to
climb to the roof.
But from where 1 propped myself
against a wall. | could see that ragged
fellow, who was up and doing enough for
three or four ordinary men. You should
have seen how he sent the shingles rat
ting down. Seen from below, he seemed
at times to be working with fire all around
him. but he went on without minding 1t.
| | never saw an Englishman-let alone
Russian-go to it with better will. l
heard the people round me say
| that he worked more like hend
than a mortal mainland so he did. He
handled the burning wood as though his
| fingers had been iron instead of flesh and
bone, and scarcely seemed to shrink from
the flames that blazed up round his face.
| He never appeared to rest or stay for
breath till he had succeeded in cutting off
the communication between the fire and
the mill.
made the men below set the ladder as
handilv as they could for him to get down,
ha I,d hoct tn roonh t Rnf no
must have been quite used up, besides be-
ing pretty much blinded and suttocated
with the smoke. Anyway, he lost his
footing, and down he went through the
rafters, and crashed among the burning
rubbish below. 1t was an ugly fall.
We got him out as well as we could;
and such scorched. smoke-blackened.
sma 'hedup copy of Gods image should
never wish to see again. But he was still
alive. and to the proposal to carry him
straight to the hospital said. NO; take
him to my house." So they took him in.
/ After we had got the fire quite under,
and made all safe about the mill, limped
| to the side of the bed where they had laid
the poor fellow. He had come round
bit by that time. He tried to open his
eyes, but it seemed to me that the fire and
smoke had not left him much power OF
seeing with them. He spoke, however,
more distinctly than might have been ex-
pected, and his first question was whether
the mill was safe.
told him that owing to his pluck it
was. | was surprised to find that he rec
ognized my voice. and still more when he
named my name. "You do not know
me-" he said-and, indeed, it was not
likely that any one should know such
crushed and shapeless mass Of cinder as
be was-"You do not know me-Feodor
Stepanovitch. They caught me. and took
me back. knew you when you spoke
to me in the street, but dared not answer.
lest they should suspect you of having be-
friended me. have escaped from them
again, and am going home to lvanova.
must see my wife and that villain Maka-
rolf"
He lay little, and then added: 81 am
glad | was here to help you toni CHIT.
am glad they did not take me again be-
fore got here. do not think the politzia
will take me again"
And they did not; for he was dead with
in an hour of that time.
That, sir. is the end of my story of a
Siberiak. De you happen to have light
handy; for, somehow. have let my pipe
out? And, bless me. my pipe bowl is
quite wet. believe Pm crying. What
an old ass am !-LondOn Society.