Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-01-22
CHAPTER XIV.
FIRE!

| went to bed determined not to sleep
but to keep my ears open for sound in
the passage outside Luckily there was
creaky board, on which he had step
ped few minutes ago. If he attempt
ed to go away during the night he
would very possibly step on it again.
But | was very tired after my long
journey. Before i had been in bed an
hour l was dreaming SO wildly OF pur-
suit of my quarry through the streets
OF San Francisco that l fully believed
had awaked, got up, and gone out
after him.
in the end the dream seemed to
change The pretender had boarded
railway train, and | was with the en-
CINE driver OF another, following at a
daredevil speed. The place was reek-
ing hot. In my dream | choked in the
smoke which few into my face, and
was dazzled with the red glare of the
fire, on which the engine-driver was
piling great pieces OF fat bacon. AS
we flew along the rails the locomotive
swayed from side to side, and ! could
hear a loud rafting of wheels and OF
window glass.
Suddenly puff of smoke seemed on
the point of sitting me, and | awoke
to find myself sitting up in bed and
gasping for breath.
| had not dreamt the rafting of glass,
nor the Earring sensation, nor yet the
smoke and heat and lurid light. The
walls seemed to shake with dull vi
bration, and the window-panes were
like castanets Through the glass
traIisom over the door | could see a
2 fmn&ring, rudy glow that rose and
n, and was frightened by bursting
barks and little darling tongues of
Elbow flame. Apart from this one lu-
Id spot all was thickly curtained into
arkness by heavy pail of smoke.
Had | lain for a few moments longer
must have suffocated in my sleep.
wen as it was my brain felt dull and
Iupid, and l could scarcely collect my
enses.
Choking and coughing, tears running
from my eyes, that smarted with the
,ungent wood smoke, sprang out of
bed, and then sat down again with a
llght exclamation, drawing up my feet
Close at hand were my boots. | drew
EN- on and then fumbled about for
or two articles of clothing. The
d light that rushed past the tran
told me that escape by way of the
Rge was already cut off, and even
looked small curling tress OF
Rlew in through the crack be-
the, door and the worn sill.
window was less easy to find.
it through the veil of smoke
conjectures stole into my brain
this was the plan of Carson
willy accomplice for getting
of me?
no intention of being got rid
EASILY, however. / found the
Rpd opened the lower sash
Desrsgl = from outside my
Id lungs got FeHef for second
but the draught drew in the
pat rioted through the hall;
~ in the transom already
ed, burst with a loud explosive
and torrent of fire and smoke
in through the aperture
/ not leaped on to the window
ID without an instant's hesita-
myself swing over, | could not
fept my senses in that raging
llAtce.
+ | had had a room in the main
PblIflding of the hotel | should only have
had to step on to Veranda outside my
/ window, but in this wing (Which
| had chosen as place of residence be
cause | had inhabited it before) there
was nothing of the sort. and | ha(
|. now the space of about ten seconds tC
decide whether to jump or have my
hands burnt off my wrists.
In any case the decision could no
have been a very difficult one, but, as
lit happened, the need was rendered I'M
saore imperative by the fact that smoke
already begun to pour from the
ldow below. Very shortly escape
d be cut off AZ directions.
dough pc a severe fall
and | felt tina
wa now Cautiously
Dfesched out with one
fhe eide of the window, hang
NTH jail my weight from the other
which ctutch$d the sill My gropins
fingers anne In contact with a twisted
rope of (creebers, bare OF leaves fol
winter, and Serviceable for the use