The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-07-27

The speaker looked at his watch; /
was a quarter to eleven; his house wa
just by the gates.
Its all rect" said Dick Rogers
with CHEEKY smile, "they're both asleel
at whoam, tired out wi the days fair
ing" With their senses rendered doubly
acute they could hear the great beas
crunching the bones in the corner, il
the farthest corner, for after the man.
sudden appearance and exit, 1t had
with II coarse growl and dragging its
booty along, retreated as far us ii could
go.
The two men knew tho watchmar
was somewhere on the premises, proba-
bly, in the counting house room neal
the entrance, where, if he was no. al.
ready asleep, he would in all likcli.
hood await their return before going
his rounds.
The prisoners lit two of the candies
and prepared to devise means of es-
cape; several methods were proposed
| between them, but none seemed feasi-
bic. Their first idea had been to create
a sudden noise with their hammers
on the reverberating boiler, and
frighten the brute away; this they
abandoned and determined upon ex-
cessive quietness. In the midst of the
silence sounded girls sweet voice
"Dick."
During the terrible seconds of time
that followed two men with blanched
faces rose with one brave impulse and
rushed to the man-hole-too late. Too
late to arrest the rush of hurrying
| feet along the fatal plank, too late to
warn the woman who had begun to
make the hard working life of Dick
Rogers a thing worth striving for,
worth living for, AYE, worth dying
| for," he cried within himself. as he
clambcred ont-a life he would have
exchanged with no one on earth since
he had grown to hope for Jcnnys love.
With the fatal knowledge of what
must happen, what they almost
strangely waited for, the men had
hastily armed themselves. Rogers,
with Il crowbar was first up. and then
"a dull roar, one wild, heart-rending
cry, and after that the deep silence
again.
With calm deliberation, but un-
dauntcd courage, Rogers paused a min
ute, while Fitton fixed the lantern on
the safety valve.
The lion was standing over the body
of the PROSTATE girl, where she had
fallen, in the hollow formed where the
top of the boilers met.
And then both men confronted the
animal.
wow! Tom" cried Rogers, .'te-
githern
With their crOwbars uplifted they
sprang together, one at each side of
the brute's head. What would have
happened with Il forest-bred lion may
be readily onjectured-this was but
Il cage reared beast prone to terror and
accustomed to quail before the resolute
action of man. The sudden onslaught,
the light that dazzled its vision, the
fury and cries of the men as they en-
couraged each other, and the rapidity
of the blows all served to beat the
brute off, and though it swerved and
struck an angry paw at titton that
tore the sleeve from his jacket, never
theless it turned, and regained the
corner where the carcass lay, over
which it crouched, half angry, half
terrified, but apparently wholly pre-
pared to defend its spoil. Jenny's eyes
were open when Rogers lifted her up.
God love thee, lass.' cried the
man. with u sob in his voice. Keep
thy courage up yet awhile"
Into the boiler, quick!'' said Fitton,
standing before them.
But il was no easy matter to get IL
nearly helpless woman through the
small aperture. The lion stood snarling
and crushing itself against the wall,
just as it was accustomed to do in the
cage during performances. Jenny was
slowly climbing down the manhole.
"Go in next, Dick" said Fitton,
turning round.
Nay" exclaimed Dick, stepping up
to him; thee go first" There was no
need nor time to dispute the matter,
so Fitton descended and Rogers fol-
lowed. The lantern being still on the
valve it was dark rs pitch inside, till
one OF the men struck IL light.
Poor lass, she's wounded" eX-
claimed Fitton.
Jenny had indeed tainted, and lay
there, her dark head soon pillowed
against Dicks shoulder; her sweet face
upturned to his, while he waited in sad
anxiety for the long-lashed eyes to lift
from her colorless checks.
In spite OF the peril just undergone
Tom Fitton, with an odd sense of being
in the way, WAS busy lighting car-
dies, and tinkcring at bit of tub
ing between whiles. "An' thou'rt
not hurt, lass?" said Dick. present
ly. Il dinna think / am," she an
Swered slowly; but Use feeling stiff
like-te!l me, Dick, what wer it?' ut
wer just bad accident. lass-nought
else" Aye" she murmured, dream
lily, ANA clio cl hcr eyes again. 40
think" whispered Rogers to her COM
panion. 'tha' little lass should ha' COON
to meet me-"
"Wcel," " responded Fitton, gravely-
he had known of the young man S feel
inrs this long time back--'.didna she