St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-23

EOIWdIu, NtttiCD.
Everybody ill the ward and in the
nurses room was awake and astr now.
The man with the club heard hurrying
footsteps behind hirn. TO his maddened
brain they were the footsteps of
enemies; and dcliriouS fear over
mastered discipline. He threw the club
from him. and with q yell which
eurdled the blood of those who heard
it, he dashed head foremost through the
window in the end of the room.
The dead-lipe!' shouted Dick,
springing forward.
He was just in time to catch the poor
fellow by Que of his ankles as he fell
outside the window. The boy held OH
desperately with one hand, for life de-
pended on his grast. The fail would
not hurt the man; but if he got loose
he would run for the fence.
and one of the guards would surely
shoot him at the dead-line.
But before help could come, the man
had wrenched mis- ankle from Dicks
grasp and was dimly seen by the light
of the stars running this way and that,
as if seeking place to hide.
Pursuit began as soon as few clothes
could be hurried on. A message was
sent to the officer of the guard, so that
the sentiDeis might be instructed not to
shoot, and everybody started out to find
the fugitive. In the course of the
search Dick found himself alone. not
very far from the dead-line barricade,
and widely separated from all the
others.
He heard low moan near him and
traced the sound to deep ditch which
ran across that portion Of the ground.
Going cautiously to the SPOT he discov-
cred the man they were all after lying
iii the mud at the bottom of the ditch
and moaning out the words of some
kind of prayer. The boy spoke kindly
to him and put hiS hand on him. Then
ne discovered that the poor fellow was
quite naked. In his flight he had torn
off his clothing until not yeStigc re-
NAMED
The diScOyerer was about to shout
his success to the others, when the man
ast0nished him by spriDging suddenly
out of the ditch and kneeling on the
ground berore him.
''Oh, Satan" plead the lunatie, hold
lug up his hands to the boy. Spare
me! Let me go this time.'
In spite of his pity for the sufferer
Dick could not help laughing at this
very unflattering appeal. But he had
no time to indulge i'm merriment or even
to shout to his companions, as he had
been about to do.
The mans pleading mood suddenly
changed. In an instant he became pos
SeSsed by a mad fury either OF desperate
fear or equally desperate hatred. What
ever the impulse was it gave him a de-
termination it seemed nothing could re-
slst and strength that was tremendous.
He rose from his knees with bound,
and before Dick could move or utter
cry the madman'S naked arms were
about him, almost cracking his ribs in
their terrible embrace. and he was
hurled to the ground with such force as
to stun him for a moment.
He was rendered GREATNESS and voice
less by the shock, and before he had
time to recover himself in any degree,
the man had an arm around his neck,
haH-choking him by the garroting press
ure. and holding h!m thus his captor
started TO drag him across the ditch and
toward the fence.
The poor boy struggled desperately,
but what could he do? The man was
not holding him upright, but WAS drag
ging him over the ground, so that the
victim could not get his feet under him
even for second.
Dick tried to overthrow the man by
ciutching at his legs, but the naked
limbs were slippery with the slime OF
the ditch and his hands could get no
hold upon them. He tried to tear that
terrible arm from his throat, but all his
puny strength was only that of pigmy
against giant. He stroYe to cry out
for help, but the clutch on his throat
made that impossible. He could only
breathe in Suffocated gaSpS. and not the
faiutest sound could he utter.
And all the time his wounded arm
was being cruelty hurt. Sometimes il
was half crushed against the side of the
mailman and sometimes it was ruth
leSSly dashed against the ground as the
man crOuched down i'll his flight to
escape Imaginary blows aimed at him
from the air: ID elk could hear the voices
of his comrades, but. OH SO far away
as they wcrei They seemed TO be in
every part of the grounds except here,
where they were needed. Ii only they
could be attracted in this direction!
But he himself could make no sound to
call them: and his terrible companion
was as silent as aghost, stealing swiftly
away from them with his prey
whittier?
A chill OF deadly fear struck the boy
as the answer to this question came to
his mind. He felt rather than saw that
they were approaching the fence. and
to get to the fence they would have to
cross the dead line! Yes. Tie could
see, with eyes biOod-Shot and half blind
ed 10y this horrible sutfecatiOn the fatal
barricade. not a rod ia advance of them.
Had the guards all been notified yet?
Ii so, there was hope of help for him.
but if not. sentry'S bullet would very.
shortly end all this frightful experience.
tf,fxr ,,f
lets in battle. hut dozen battles would
be nothing to tn S.
Swiftly, without uttering sound and
without relaxing hairs breadth of
that fearful grasp, the man StrCde foa-
ward. With all the desperate energy
he could summon Dick stroye to cry out
to the guard. He could not even whis-
pei. He saw the barricade Just before
them. They had reached it. His mer-
cilesS prosecutor stopped and swung
him lightly over the low rail prepare
tory 60 stepping over it himself.
The challenge OF the guard rang out
unanswered. Again it was sounded.
and this time it was accompanied by the
click of Il musket'S lock. 1t was horri-
bic to be speechieSS at such time!
And poor Dick was between the musket
and the man who ought To be shot, il
anybody, The man leaped over the
rail. Suddenly shout sounded FROM
another part of the parapet,
Don't shootW
The running footsteps of the mesSen-
ger were heard OH the boards. and then
other running footsteps ON the ground.
But it was the senseless body of Dick
Lanford that his comrades picked up.
The man they were out to find was
caught by the guards as he was scaling
the fence.
ax#
s'Doctor," said Dick, when he had
been bruu5 ht back to consciousness, IL
want you to get me ready to go to the
front as soon as possible. | think. some
hnv that I'D fool Safpr If I yyerp in n