Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-12-22

began TO creep on hands and feet up the
crazy StairB.
'oThere's divil bolt here" said Teddy,
pokin9 his nose through the trap; at al
he on the next fure. The haythen in this
schrap av country cudn't make O male
widout hot biscuits, an they'll not be maxim
biscuits widout -four It nj be bran in the
hape at the fut av this holly posht, on
where there's shmoke there's got ter be
fire."
Don't talk about fire." said key, twist
ing his overcoat about him and shvcring
In the gusts that sucked through the
broken windows and shook the loose sash
and soughed among the tlmbers In the
otherwise empty loft.
On the IT, ~ floor, built against the
gable end OF w mill, was the long, high
| bolt shutting OH the light and stretching
its dusty length from eave&o caves under
the shadowy timbers Of the roof. Teddy
lifted the slipping lid, sneezed at the out
| burst of impal pable dust, and in tho light
of a match spied a heap Of encouraging
Wilderness at the farther end Of the bin,
and up above him the diaphanous cylinder
| Of the cloth covered bolt.
"Av ON be maxim to sneeze ouy more"
said Teddy after he had let himself down
on the inside of the bin and unslung his
haversack, yell clap down the led, Oike,
for oncet OF begin ut Dim worse than
line mule sawin wood in the nighttime"
While Ikey struck the matches one after
another Teddy felt his way toward the
bank of -four, keeping up running fire of
comment on the situation, his voice be-
tween the box and the wind sounding like
a strangled echo.
"Uts foine velvet lined coffin Oi'm in"
said the suh' erranean voice, "big enough
to bury D company in wild the white plush
as thick NJ yer hand an rs soft as the brist
of duck, and the bocrd underneath Is
polished lOike the deck Wv piany, fit to
skate on"
"ls thur much of the shtuff on me
clothes2" said Teddy as he made his way
back into the light Of the last match, with
the full haversack in one hand and the
wooden scoop IN the other.
"Muchf" eaid Ike; you're ghost; the
old miller himself would be O charcoal
sketch 'side o you. You can take my
word for it, too, for there's nary match
left"
'No matther," whispered Teddy. "Oi've
got the shtutf for tho plum duff, and the
divil fly away wild the miller"
In the middle loft key sat down on tho
lower stair in charge of the treasure, while
of timbers and wheels In the direction Of
the windows lighted by the moon, which
were like windows Of ground glass for the
dust, which shut out everything but the
ghost Of the light, and revealed nothing
but ragged cobwebs burdened with meal
and chaf. In one, however, there was a
windy hole, through which he pohed his
eye until it rested on the four figures
grooming over the guard ire.
"Uts all right outside" said Teddy
when he had recovered his way through
the timbers and run against keys nose in
the darkness. "Oim n thafe if Snoopy
amt inshtructin thin doughbyes in the
manuel at arms. Now let's fale our way
out O. this, aisy."
The moldy smell of the pit, like bilge in
which grain has fermented, the gurgling
OF the invisible water and the cold wind
, from the opening through which they had
entered enveloped them like the ghost OF
Il blanket. The small windows in the dis
tance we're scarcely visible through the
tangle OF gearing, and the unusual dark.
ness indicated that the hrstmas moon
had plunged into enoth-r ha X of clouds.
BE LOVELY, Oike, NJ -w-.' whispered
o. Teddy; "ut's foinc t-me C..side to be
, getthin away"
The opening in the wall was before them
and the cold stars beyond and about them
, Il tangle OF hCrperS and Lafts, against
= which they bumped f. tle darkness and
then felt their way around. Every dill
Guilty past brought them nearer to the
plank alongsiGs tae wheel and their spirits
, rose with the certainty Of success. key
, was already cbUcli.4g over their clever
, ness in manipulating the guard.
, "PhWy CICH't the provost marshel'
said Teddy, sind dathale 70 dig UP tree
+ Shifts cut y the blooming graveyard al
lane thin agin the. front dure, wild t'ret
Iiundertusses, in the place aY thim infan
try shJlEs; Phwat's infantry agin arthil
I lery at short range? Beqorra. they amt il
ut, Oibe. TITS merry Christmas to tn,
, bla'gards, wild double canister, an to thu
, dvil wild un, an limbers to the rear in tn,
: slmoke an away"
With the last eXultant word Teddy troC
l peri.ously near to an opening in the floor
and ceverly saved himself 10y THROWN.
his weight on n convenient stick which
hung between him and the window towarC
, which they We're advancing.
There was moments silence. in which
Teddy caught his breath and blessed hi
stars, and then a queer, craakiug nois
: outside the window. An internal SCUM,
y Of rushing water roared and ep!ashed il
' the darkness beneath their feet; a whee
. overhead gave a groan like a human beint
= in distress; the dust rose as the 1iappinl
+ belts began to move, and beneath the hon
per on which key WAS leaning the Erea
T, stones began to wLirl and shake with
n doafeniug rumble and buzz.
!: a Ii