Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-07-25

The speaker looked at his watch; II
was quarter to eleven; his house was
just BY the gates.
ITS all rect" said Dick Rogers.
with CHEEKY smile, they're both asleep
at whOam, tired out wi the days fair
ing" With their senses rendered Goubly
acute they could hear the great beast
crunching the bones in the corner. in
the farthest corner, for after the mans
sudden appearance and exit, it had.
with a coarse growl and dragging its
booty along, retreated as far as It could
go.
The two men knew the Waterman
was somewhere on the premises. prOba-
bly, in the counting house room near
the entrance, where, if he was no. al
ready asleep. he would in all likeli-
hood await their return before going
his rounds.
The prisoners lit two of the candles
and prepared 10 devise means OF es-
cape; several methods were proposed
between them, but none seemed feast
BILE. Their first idea had been TO create
a sudden noise with their hammers
on the reverberating boiler, and
brighten the brute away; this they
abandoned and determined upon ex-
cessive quietness. In the midst Of the
| silence sounded a girps sweet voice
dick
During the terrible seconds OF time
that followed two men with blanched
faces rose with one brave impulse and
rushed 10 the man-hole 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
clambered ont-a life he would have
exchanged with no one on earth since
he had grown to hope for Jennys love.
With the fatal knowledge of what
must happen. what they almost
strangely waited for, the men had
/ hastily armed themselves. Rogers,
with a 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 I'M
! daunted courage, Rogers paused 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.
Now! Tom" cried Rogers, ste
githerr'
With their crowbars uplifted they
sprang together, one at each side of
the brute's head. What would have
happened with forest-bred lion may
be readily CONFERENCE.-The was but
a cage reared beast prone to terror and
accustomed to quail before the resoIute
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 Fitton that
tore the sleeve from his jacket, never
theless it turned, and regained the
corner where the carcass lay. over
which it crOuched, MALT angry. half
terrified, but apparently wholly pre-
pared to defend its spoil Jenny eyes
were open when Rogers lifted her up.
God love thee, lass!' cried the
man, with "a sob in his voice. Keep
thy courage up yet awhile"
Into the boiler, quick" said Fitton,
standing before them.
But it was no easy matter to get
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 as pitch inside, till
one OF the men struck 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 cheeks.
In spite Of the peril just undergone
Tom Fitton. with an odd sense of being
in the way. was busy lighting can
dies. and tinkering at a bit of tub
ing between whites. An thou'rt
not hurt. lass?" said Dick. present
~ i dinna think l am" she an
swered slowly; but Use feeling stiff
like-teil me. Dick. what wer it?'' 1T
wer just bad accident, lass-nOught
else" Aye" she murmured. dream
lily. and closed her eyes again. TO
think" whispered Rogers TO her COM
panion. ''tha' little lass should ha' COON
to meet me-"
"Weel," responded Fitton. gravely-
he had known of the young mans feel
ings this long time back-.'didna she
COON once afore. during overtime, to