The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1899-08-31


pace had degenerated into crawl of
less than two miles per hour, and again
and again he hung up the pail just in
the nick of time. He was slowly fall.
ing 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 accom-
plished, 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 at him.
"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, renewed his
strength.
"The time dragged slowly on. When
but SIX hours to 60 he asked for the
temperature to be reduced, and said to
me: Pm afraid, old chap, Pm soon up.
L feel it coming on, but keep me at it
If you can. One of my eyes is already
closed and [ cannot open it. If the
other closes it'll be for good, as have
no muscular power left to open them.
My legs are all right, but 1 can't keep
my eyelids from closing Schmidt
kept bravely on. Two hours to go.
Then only one.
"'Fifty-five to 60, Schmidtp shouted
Miller;-'ffty- four to 60, Schmidtr
"But Schmidt was going wrong
again. We dosed him with tea and
coffee and brandy. We were-every-
body except Williams-mad with ex-
citement. He hadn't enough energy
left to have any feeling whatever.
Forty y-fve minutes only, and ten thous-
and dollars at stake.
"'For Heavens sake, end it now.'
cried Miller, and cry quits at half the
money!
"'Not now,' said Prudden; 'all or
nothing
"'Forty to go. only forty to gop But
Schmidt laughed mirthlessly.
ella. ha. Pm going crazy and
Prudden will keep his money. What
beautiful silver serpents are crawling
about. What pretty present one of
them would make for my sweetheart
"'Never mind themp [ shouted; :;
they'll all be yours in half an hour.
Keep awake man, keep awakeY and
mechanically a few more journeys were
covered. But a total collapse seemed
imminent.
"Thirty to go, and he wanted to
water his palms with silver from his
pail, and was dissuaded in the very
niche of time. The tension was be-
coming unbearable. Poor Schmidt's
mind was unhinged for the time; he
babbled nursery rhymes and sang
snatches of songs, and yet, as if actu
ated by Providence, with many a halt
and stumble, he still struggled on.
"Twelve to go, both eyes closed, and
he reeled with sleep. We dosed him
with brandy: we shouted and implored
him to keep at it with his eye shut.
''The end was very near, and, believe
me, like blind man he felt his way
across the linoleum track and back
eleven weary times, and put up his
pail for the last load. Pulling himself
together for a final effort, he walked
straight across the pathway, emptied
it, returned, hung the pail up on the
spigot of the now empty globe, and the
game was played out and the prize
won.
"Cheer after cheer was given by us,
but they fell on deaf ears. Prudden
had gone off in dead faint when he
saw the impossible made possible; and
the hero, his task completed, had calm
ly gone to sleep, leaning against the
empty globe" BARLEYCUTTER.