The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-04-18

bowlers had given him. The children
were at home, abed and asleep. He had
told them to go to bed at o'clock, ii
he wasn't back. and they -hadn't the
slightest inclination to disobey the wise
and careful, Seaboy. They never had
any fear, for they were too used to the
dark old elephant TO mind him, and as
for thieves-what had they TO fear from
them2 They never thought of them.
AS Seaboy drew near the elephant
and looked uD at the grim. dear old
blind creature, making believe watch
the sea, even in the dark. moonless
night, he stopped short. and his brave
heart thumped. The elephants eyes
were deep. dusky red.
Seaboy rubbed his own, and looked
again. Yes, the eyes were a blood red.
And at that moment from the side of
the big howdah, which was perched on
the elephants back, a thin, long,
quivering tongue of fire shot in the air.
and licked the wooden column.
The elephant was on fire.
"Seaboy" yelled Fire, FIRE." with
all his might. and started on a run,
hitching up the narrow leather strap
around his slender waist He didn' [
know what work lay ahead of him.
He could see the sullen light glowing
through the dusty windows. The tin
! sheets of the elephants hide began TO
curl up with a ripping crackle, and
smoke oozed out as if the poor creature
were steaming. Then the paneS broke
with sharp crash of the glass, and
! sparks began to mount like showers of
| firefiies. and were blown all about in
the dark sky.
The childreni
When he got near, some firemen were
on hand already. "Seaboy" tried to
make his way up the stairway in the
leg TO their room in the shoulder but
the smoke at the top was too dense,
and he had to come back. He got the
fireman to plant a ladder up against
the shoulder, and they could not pre-
vent his climbing up first. He knew
where the children were, he said
The window was shut, but only a
small, round stick held it, and so with
a blow of his fist ''Seaboy'' broke it in
and clambered over the narrow ledge.
He rushed to the bed and felt it all
over. There was nobody there, He
shouted their names, but there was no
answer.
Could the children have got out?
Would they not have seen him and
run to him in that case? They might
have been awakened by the heat, or
the smoke. and tried to get out. The
smoke at the top of the leg stairway
had been so thick that he couldn't
stand it. Then it was just like them
to try some other passage in the ele-
plant in their fright.
He heard a shout from below. He
ran and looked down.
Say" shouted a fireman, THE kids
are at the window near his hind leg,
looking out. Can you get EN-? This
is the only ladder long enough to reach
up. and if you can get EN- and bring
'em here. twill save time
''All right yelled back ''Seaboy" and
instantly disappeared He knew the
winding route to this window. He
hurried along it. The smoke between
was so thick he could hardly breathe,
and the heat burned his face. But he
dashed on.
There they were wailing and trem-
bling. standing on an old box and peer
ing through the window.
Come quick with me- cried Sea |
boy" Keep your mouths closed and
hurry
He clutched one hand. of Eily's and
another one of Tommy's in his own
grimy little paws and started back
The heat was most intense, and the |
smoke terrible. But "Seaboy" knew !
there was no safety or fight except /
that way, and he pressed on. He could |
hear the flames roaring below him in |
the poor elephants stomach. Ely held |
back, but he dragged her through the
smoke and heat not lOosening his grip |
on their hands for an instant. His
lungs were so full of smoke he could |
hardly breathe.
At last They had reached the room
in the shoulder. A fireman was waiting
on the ladder. "Seaboy" and Tommy
passed the moaning Ely out to him.
Then -Seaboy" helped Tommy out, and
the firemen grasped him. He had
passed Ely to another fireman below
him on the ladder.
GO n head with i'm lx'n dnlxrr
by myself" said "Seaboy," chokingly.
WAITING FOR THE DAWN.
The firemen hurried down. AS soon
as they had deposited the children they
looked up There was no "Seaboy'' in
sight One of the firemen clambered up
the ladder as fast as he could go. The
smoke was pouring out of the window
now. 1t drove him back at first. Then
there was a little lighter burst of
and the fireman dropped inside.
1t was as he had thought. The in
volume of smoke had choked
"Seaboy' who had fallen back, and
was lying in a heap under the window.
They passed him out. The fireman
barely got away himself. and he was
not halfway down before thin red
darting tongues shot through the thick
black smoke from the window. as if
the fire was irritated at the loss of its
prey.
The two little Garrity's were dread
fully scared. but not much hurt. But
'Seaboy," That last instalment of hot,
acrid smoke filling his lungs was too
much for him He breathed with the
difficulty and his eyes We're ,
red and watery He tried to speak but
could not, with gasping and coughing.
He looked at the stricken children.
Amid the spasms of his labored breath
ne found time to smile bravely at
hem. Then, since he could not speak, .
ne put his hands on the ground. dug
INTO it. and turning it with the palm
Up, raised it quickly through the air.
He smiled again. as
lie saw they understood his last COM
'orting word, the hint of the resurrec-
ion day, and then "Seaboy" gave two
n three quick catches of his breath, I.
lis small, vigorous body stiffened out
n a solemn way and he lay perfectly
still.
They buried him next to Mrs. Gar
'ity. In three months Easter had come
md the grass was shooting up in tiny
Fellow green blades over his SMALL
ounded grave. The priest. in passing
hat way, saw two children standing
With quiet faces looking down upon it,
he tiny grass blades.
AS he approached Ely looked up into
lis face. He smiled tenderly on the .
wo young ones, so badly bereft again.
I'VE thought perhaps Seaboy' would !
.ome uD today" said the little girl,
With solemn shyness.