Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-03-16
CHAPTER VII.
A sINGED PATRIOT.

After being driven from one street to an
other by the scorching of the. advancing
flames, l finally turned into an alley and
stood partly protected against the baking
radiation by the corner of building.
Betwixt the heat of the day, the fire, the
smoke, and my fruitless exertions, l was as
wet as though fresh from the river, as black
as a coal burner, and not in the fairest of
humors. My coat and hat Tiny best ones,
tool were burned by falling embers, and the
sword l had forgotten To put off was hot to
the touch and bothered my legs exceedingly.
My eyes burned as though peppered and
the roar of the mad element, the falling of
walls, the crashing of breaking timbers were
at times well-nigh deafening. Blasting hot
draughts drove down the way, and suffo-
eating pail of smoke swept through the
street as though pushed from behind by a
whlrlwind. Nothing was visible ten PAGES
off, and why / remained where l was use
less, and where my situation was becoming
as dangerous as it was unbearable, can no.
wise account for, save that I was ruled by
fate, against which no man need combat.
/ was about stepping from the mouth of
the blind alley in which had been standing,
when the figure of a man sped out of the
smoke and dashed against and then passed
me, Keeling from the blow and staggering
into the recess behind.
Slight as he was, the speed at which he
had been going nearly took me off my legs,
end had barely recovered my balance when
q dozen armed soldiers ran by, shouting and
swearing, as though in chase. With the last
oi my stock of patience exhausted, turned
ON the fellow who had run into me, and
found him at the end of the cul-de-sac, with
his back to the wall, and two blackened
fists held up as if to defend himself to the
last.
Conceiving that I had caught thief. a
ransacker of deserted houses, if not an in
cendiary, I clinched him by the collar to
dag him forth for delivery to his pursuers,
hut the fellow dealt me so smart blow in
the face that for second it caused me to see
lights.
was in the mood to cuff him into insen-
sibility, and might have done so had he not
spoken, or rather gasped:
"'Fore God, thought you a redcoat, and
tried to vex you into killing mel IF you have
| the heart of a man, do not deliver me to them
esaiu."
"Who are you?" demanded, loosening my
| hold and trying to get at his features through
| the black that covered them, though made
out no more than that part of his face was
| overgrown by young beard well singed, the
rest being so grimed that he might have worn
| a mask and been no safer from recognition
'On your mercy, then." he answered; "an
| escaped prisoner"
From where."
'sThe den lies in the heart of the fire by
this" And rolling up his eyes, the whites
| of which showed pitifully against his burned
skin, he hesitated, and then broke out again:
'sWhat is it to you who or what / ami II
| you love justice or hope for it yourself. lie,
me co."
Come, then" said I, softened more by his
| manner than his worlds, eve VIII roast here
IN three minutes. Let as get into better air .
| So, taking him by the arm, I led him into tbs
street, where the smoke was so dense thai
it became necessary to grope ones way
| Once we were IN danger of suffocation, but
! the wind whirled aloft the thick muck fol
an instant, and gradually we worked to
/ fairer spot, though still hard BY the fire.
And here it was i noticed that the hail
| of his head was burned off on one side, hi
coat scorched to finder, and his breeche.
hanging in shreds-