The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-02-02

and fell faint and trembling on tho
board floor OF his bedroom. Screwed
20 the jamb OF the window was stout
eyebolt; fastened 10 this was "A long
coil OF rope. These things are the
ordinary accompaniment of American
hotel bedrooms anywhere above the
first floor, and Carr had seen them
scores OF times before. Nothing but
the excitement and the scare under
which he was laboring could have al
lowed him 20 forget them on leaving
his bed at the first alarm. Still feeling
sick and dizzy, Carr gathered himself
up from the floor, and with trembling
fingers set about casting the rope from
It's coil. The stuff tangled, and in his
hasty clumsiness he tied IL into hard
knots Time was wasted.
At last, however. the long snalSy
length of rope was flung out of the
window; and, gripping it with hands
and legs. the fugitive started his de-
scent. He was no practised climber,
and the rough hemp ate the skin from
his hands as IL passed through them;
but such an Inconvenience was only of
slight moment a far greater danger
encompassed him During his delay
the fire had gained in strength and
fierceness, and torrents Of yellow blaze
were pouring from dozens of the
windows.
He had 20 pass through two OF these,
and emerged at each lower side stifled
and blackened. But the rope remained,
hanging like thin black snake in the
heart OF the licking tongues OF fire, get
ting deeper and deeper charred every
moment. How long would IL continue
20 hold him?
Fully conscious OF his new peril, he
let the cord slip past him still more
rapidly, tin IL felt as though his hands
were being cut through To the very
bone by a red-hot saw; and tEan
. . il broke.
He felt numbing rush through the
mir, EARRING thud as of ten thousand
earthquakes, suns shooting before his
eyes and that was all OBJ
livion held him entirely.
H.
"I'm not going TO have any reporters
messing round him yet awhile, SO kind
~ git"
but, doctor, the mans coming nice
" 10 his senses again now. I've seen
him open his eyes twice. ! only ask
for four words from him, and II can't
work that up into column of per-
sonal interview, never call me press
man again
sonny" said the doctor, grimly 'if
you don't clear out OF your own accord
you'll be put" .F
''Well. anyway, tell me his name,
and III throw you in puff for that"
81 don't know IT,"
"Oh, come, now, what was on his
clothes2"
''He hadn't stitch on him when he
was brought in. He was as naked
as ham. And he didn't happen to
have an owners name tattooed upon
his hide
The reporter jotted a note. That's
rather "A good turn Of expression for "A
scare heading Naked as a ham No
marks, you say?'
The doctor forebore from speech.
lie took the reporter firmly by the arm
and led him out Of the ward At the
door he said: III you come here again
I'll break your leg and set it for you
myself"
The press-man grinncd and went.
Later on the doctor presented the
patient. over whom there had been this
controversy, with paper which con
tanned n lengthy account of the fire;
and the patient marycled at the in
ventive powers OF Chicago journalists
When. however, he came 20 the list Of
the killed, about which there could not
well be any sentimental romancing, he
put the paper down with start. For
awhile he lay still with eyes fixed on
the ceiling. Thenhis glance descended
again and roved round the ward rather
guilty. Finding that no one was no
ticing him, he once more picked mp the
paper Yes, there IL was, in uncom-
promising black and white, the third
in the list Of the killed: George II.
Carr, OF Wingford, England. Curiosity
made him search further amongst the
columns, and he found the method OF
his death described with grewsome adj
iectives and lurid headlines. This last
owned 20 being imaginative, as IL mem
toned that he had never been seen
alive after retiring for the night
Yet IL was not a bad conjecture OF
what might have occurred % man
who was slowly suffocated 90 death.
Again the paper fluttered TO the
floor, and again Cars eyes sought the
ceiling. He was thinking very hard
indeed, and couldn't quite make up his
mind 20 something. A course seemed
open before him. n course which had
some drawbacks, but a multitude OF
good points. For one thing, IL would
ease him forever OF his wife, who had
tormcnted his love into something near
akin 20 hatred; for anothc--
The doctor came and broke into his
reverie:
"Say, friend. | want 20 know your
name. The hotel registers are burned