The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1889-08-01
booty along. retreated as far as It could

booty along, reiterated as far as it could
60.
The two men knew the watchmau
was somewhere on the premises, proba,
ply In the counting house room nea,
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 to devise means of es
cape; several methods were proposed
|>between them, but none seemed feast.
BILE. Their first idea had been to create
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 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. Toe
late to arrest the rush of hurryine
feet along the fatal plank, too late tc
warn the woman who had begun tt
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 Jenny's love
With the fatal knowledge of what
must happen, what they almost
strangely waited for, the men had
hastily armed themselves. Rogers
with crowbar was first up. and Their
"a dull roar, one wild, heart-rending
cry, and after that the deep silence
again.
With calm deHberation, but un.
daunted courage, Rogers paused min
ute, while Fitton fixed the lantern or
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, 'te.
gither!''
With their crowbars uplifted thew
sprang together, one at each side OF
the brute's head. What would have
happened with a forest-bred lion may
be readily conjectured-this was but
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 Fitton 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 it's spoil. Jenny's eyes
were open when Rogers lifted her up.
''God love thee, lass!' cried the
man. with 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 a
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.
May" exclaimed Dick, stepping up
to him; "thee 60 first" There was no
need nor time to dispute the matter,
50 Fitton desceuued ana Rogers fol-
lowed. The lantern being still on the
valve it was dark as pitch inside, till
one of the men struck Il light.
''Poor lass, she's wounded" ex-
claimed Elton.
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 bit of tub
ing between whites. AN thou'rt
not hurt, lass?" said Dick. present.
ly. Il dinna think I am,' she an
swered slowly; 'but Use feeling stiff
like-tell me, Dick, what wer it?' 1T
wer just a bad accident, lass-nought
else" AYE" she murmured, dream
lily, and closed her eyes again. ITO
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
walk whoam wi thee?''
"No," returned Rogers, ''that wer
on account of her brother being sick
an lonesome, an fancying my COM
pany."
AYE" said the elder man, smiling
and shaking his head in the profundity
of his wisdom, ''thee can have it so an
thou wilt" Fitton was looking up
through the manhole as he spake,
''theer," he exclaimed, ''lantern's gone
out"
AS Jenny was by no means a delicate
city-bred woman with a consciousness
of nerves and all that they involve, but
just simple, healthy girl full of vital
ity and good spirits. when she had re-
covered the two men told her of the
presence of the animal over their heads.