The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-11-25

| the gymnasium. Schmidt was, dress
| ed in Hannels and wore light and easy
hitting slippers. Promptly at 10 o'clocl
Prudden, after wishing Schmidt sue
| cess, handed the referee the key which
released the spring and set the ma
chinery in motion and the silver be
| gan to flow
| For five days and nights Schmidt''
very exceptional athletic ability anc
his splendid condition enabled him t.
stand the strain without it having
| very much apparent effect upon him
| On the sixth day we noticed that the
deadly, dreary monotony was fast tell
ing it's tale. He spoke but rarely, but
on one occasion bust out with:
This is the invention of the evi
one himself, but if / live / will defeat
him. Do anything to keep me awake
Twelve hours to go and the last act
| of the drama was commenced. He
struggled on, but was dragging badly
as he walked from globe to globe. His
pace had degenerated into a crawl of
less than two miles per hour and again
he hung up the pail just in the nick of
time. He was slowly falling asleep as
he walked, and If there was not soon a
change all would be over
"Prudden was profoundly satisfied
that the feat would not be accomplish
ed, and huge grin irradiated his face
from ear to ear.
Miller shouted at him: Get on,
Schmidt! Prudden's grinning all over
at you! He thinks you're done for!
Look az himv
The change was electrical. What
the coffee and tea had failed to do the
mere idea of being ridiculed accom-
plished. He pulled himself together
and helped himself to some grapes, and
as he went along resumed his strength.
THE time dragged slowly on. When
but six hours to go he asked for the
temperature to be reduced, and said to
me: I'm afraid, old chap, I'm soon up.
I feel it coming on, but keep me at it
If you can. One of my eyes Is already
closed and I cannot open it. II the
other closes it'll be for good, as l have
no muscular power left to open them.
My legs are all right, but I can't keep
my eyelids from closing. Schmidt
kept bravely on. Two hours to go.
Then only ore,
'Fifty-five to go, Schmidt shouted
Miller; 'fifty-four to CO. Schmidt
But Schmidt was gone wrong again.
We dosed him with tea and coffee and
brandy. We were--everybody except
Williams--mad with excitement He
hadn't enough energy left to have any
feeling whatever, Forty-five minutes
only and $4,000 at stake!
For heavens sake end it now
cried Miller, and cry quits at half the
Not not, said Prudden; all or
Forty to go! only forty to go!'
But Schmidt laughed mirthlessly.
" 'Ha! ha! I'm going crazy, and
Prudden will keep his money. What
beautiful silver serpents are crawling
about. What a pretty present one Of
them would make for my sweetheart
/" Never mind them! / shouted;
they'll be yours in half an hour. Keep
awake. man, keep awake!' and me-
few more journeys were
imminent.
IHifty TO go ana he wanted TO wa
ter his palms with silver from his pail,
and was dissuaded in the very nick of
time. The tension was becoming UNI
oearable. Poor Schmidt's mind was
lnhinged for the time; he babbled nur-
,ery rhymes and sang snatches Of
sangs. and yet, as If actuated by Prov
dence, with many halt and stumble, !
le still struggled on
Twelve to go, both eyes closed and
lie reeled with sleep. We dosed him
With brandy; we shouted and implored !,
lin to keep at it with his eyes shut.
"The end was very near; and, believe
ne, like blind man he felt his way |
lcross the linoeum track and back |
leven weary times, and put UP his |
'ail for the last load. Pulling himself |
ogether for a final effort, he walked
traight across the pathway emptied |
t, returned, hung the pail up on the
pigot of the now empty globe. and the
anne was played and the prize won.
Cheer after cheer was given us, but
hey fell on deaf ears. Prudden had
one off in a dead faint when he saw
he impossible made possible, and the
gro, his task completed and had
almly gone to sleep, leaning against
he empty globe. From saltwater
Mich) Prison Mirror.