Evening star., 1897-02-20

well, who from his position could see the
fear-demented man pressing the crowd on
braunt and hampering him. "be a man and
stand back. Don't fight. There's time for
all to get out
"Ah'H crack your skull for We shouted
Braunt, hoarsely, over his shoulder Re
member we've to pass me before We get to
the stair, an little good your fightin ill
do ye"
At last the knot dissolved, as a log lam
on river suddenly gives way when the
Key log Is removed. BrauEt stood now
with his back against the door post, while
sartwell took his place at the turn Of the
stairs. strenuously f1inging torn and ragged
items of humanity into safety. Several CT
those who had been at the point Of the
wedge lay at his feet, senseless or dead
mere was no time to discover which. Now
and then girl he hurled down the stair
tottered. fell and lay where she fell
ny doesn't some one come to carry
those women out?' groaned the manager,
who had asked one after another whom he
had saved to send help to him.
AT last two of his men appeared
ITS bad fire, Mr.. Sartwell," said one.
es, yes. know. Take down two each
II you can, and send up more men Tell the
clerks to see that the iron doors between
the buildings are closed. Are the cremen
here?'
Five engines, sir"
Good. Get down as quickly az Won ran
and send up more help"
e 6 devil. DO We think to sneak past
me-? cried Braunt. seizing Scimmins. who
mad at last fought his way through
Don I waste time with that man. Braunt
My God. don't you see the flames, The
roof viii be in on us in a minute! Fling
him down here"
He stays behind me till the last souls
Out. snarled Braunt, between his teeth
Sartwell said no more. 1t was no time to
argue or expoStulate, and Braunt although
pinning Scimmins to the wall behind him
| continued to eXtricate the women as fast as
= m n q fyl MI
knot was continually forming at the door
and was as continually unloosed by the
stalwart, interchangeable arms of Braunt
You are smothering me-" whined Scim-
| minis.
II hope so.'' said Braunt
Inc situation was now hardly TO be
borne. The smoke ascending the stairway
met the smoke pouring through the door.
yet, In spite of the smoke the room was
bright, for steady column of flame roared
up through the shaft, making It like a
blast furnace.
Are they all out?' gasped sartwell
coughing, for the smoke was choking him
An think so. sir. but Ah'll have a look
Some may be on the fioor,'' and Braunt as
he spoke hurled Scimmns into the room
ahead of him, pushing the door shut so
that Sartwell would not hear the man IL he
cried out. The manager, stranglng in the
smoke, appeared to have forgotten tina,
Scimmins there
Down on your hands and knees. We
hound. and see If any O. the women We
felled are there,'
scimmins already on his knees
TheIe's 10 one here. Open the door,
open the door, he cried.
Braunt opened the door an inch or two
''All out, sir!" he shouted
Thank God for THAR said Sartwell.
\ Come down at once There's not a mo-
ment to lose"
! I'm be down as soon as you are, sir.
| Rum
| The manager tumbled down the cracking
Il IAN rlF.+ Al t,ti inc but
Now. We crawling serpent. I'm going TO
/ keep ye fere till ye're singed. / saw your
/ yiliainy, ye cowardi"
The terror-stricken man mstook the pur-
/ port OF Braunts words and thus lost all
chance of life.
Il swear to God / didn't mean it," he
cried The match dropped before
knowed it. Gods truth. II did. Brauntr'
What. Ye fired tn works! Ye! With
! the women here ye tried to starvei Ye
dropped the match! Ye crawling, murder
| Gus fiend"
Braunt crouched like a wild beast about
| twitching nervously. Breathing in short
| quick gasps. for the smoke had him by the
throat. his fierce eyes ghttering In the
I flames with the fearsome light of tnsa nity
| he pounced upon his writhing victim and
| held his struggling figure with arms up
stretched above his head. Treading over
| the quaking floor, he shouted:
! Down, ye craven devil, into the hell We
| have made"'
The long, quivering shrek Of the doom.
ed man vas swallowed and quenched in the
/ torrent of fire.
Braunt stood In the center Of the tremb-
| hing. sagging floor. with his empty hands
still above his head. his face upturned, and
| swaying dmly in the sitting smoke A
| iremans ak crashed in a window; a spuri
| of water burst through the opening ant
| Kissed against the ceiling.
Jessie! Jessie! Ltstent the Dead March!
| Ny girl! The-real-march!'
With a rending crash the floor sank into
| the furnace.
Chapter XVI.
Barney Hope drove his tandem I'D and
down the parade. to the glory of East
bourne. but with small satisfaction to him