The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-11-23

side now. We must 90 IN Dy lne ran
road. And we must 20 by train. The
$50 is almost due, and we must capture
that. Come on. men,
So the men ran full speed for the Old
town station, Jack going with them, fer
now the railroad cut between Oldtown
and Third Sand was the only breach in
that wall of flame. What dreadful hap
penings there might be, even now, with
in that wall they could only imagine, for
they could not see.
The I: 80 train up was already at the
station when they got there. 1t had
taken on a score of hardy men besides
Il willing crew.
The people never tire of telling how
those brave mon came back out of the
sectLiu. furnace of blazing tanks and
dcrricks and houses, their clothing
scorchcd, their hair siugcd, the sides OF
the train charrcd and smoking, but
bringing with them every soul out Of
Third Sand.
Every soul but one-a little child.
But poor Jack missed all that. 1t al
most broke his heart when his father,
discovering him just in time, put him
off the train and babe him stay behind.
for boys were not allowed on that trip.
Then Jack started for the hilltop again.
But he thought of something and stop
ped.
Whats going to become of little Katy
all alone there in the woods? Shell burn
to DEATH"
Round hill was all ablazc. he remcm-
bercd. That meant that Katy was Who'll
ly cut off from the help that had gone to
the others. Even if they knew Of her
lonely plight or remembered her at all
they could not possibly get to her. He
started off again, running as he had nev-
er run before. And this time he ran
straight to his work shauty at home.
ON get her out of that" he painted as
he ran. oh, but it's lucky | took no.
ton to that old hand carr
In two minutes he had the rckety Old
car on the rails. had mounted il and was
working the levers with all his might
The old car wabbled and tottcrcd as it
flew along. 1t was not fit for such trav-
cling as this, and some of the wooden
rails were loose. No matter things must
hold together for this one trip. come what
might.
Rounding n spur of the hills. he came
in full sight of the fire. Every tree on
Round hill was blazing. So was every
tree surrounding the little cabin. The
cabin roof was on fire in places. He
made all this ont as he sped along through
smoke that almost blinded him and
through heat that scOrchcd him. even nj
this distance. He kept sharp lookout
now on both sides of the track. Katy
must surely have run away from all that,
and she could run no other way than this.
4 l,frt
answer,
The rattling levers stopped midstroke.
A cry of diSmay rose in his throat, but
died there to choking gasp. \ volcano
had bazcd up before his oycs-a great
column of fire and smoke shooting aloft
higher than the highest Of the blazing
trees.
"Thc tank, Its full! 1t will boil over.
and then I'll get her out, though But
I'll have to do it between two minutes"
On again now, Between burning trees
that dropped blazing iirchrands all about
him. over rails already charrod and
smoking, on To the door of the cabin
then in under the cabins roof He had
to wait his chance for that though, for
the wind sent an eddy Of fire between
him and the door. He could hear The
oil bubbling in the oyerhangng tank
while he waited, and he saw that its
supports were on fire. The whole great
lake of burning oil might fall at any
moment. Truly there was no time to be
wasted.
He dashed in, and there lay the child
motionlcSS on the floor, Was she asleep?
Was she dead? No time to find that ont
now. lie caught her up, dashed ont with
her, put her on the car, turned it-hc
never knew how-and ratified away, yer
the smoking rails.
He heard Il sudden great rushing roar,
and all the world behind him seemed
in flames. All the previous burning was
but bonfire TO this, for the ovcrhanging
tank had fallen, the cabin was Il crushed
heap of blazing CmherS and "A hurrying
torrent of fire was chasing the flying
car. That was desperate moment,
but i'll the next there was safety. The
farthest wave of the death food set fire
to the rails just behind the car then fell
back and gave up the chase.
Jack might take his time now and
ease the strain on his cracking muscles,
He stopped to learn whether his little
passenger were living or dead. He gave
a great shout on finding that she breath
ed. The shout and the frcer air they
were in partially reused her from her
stupor of suffocation. a stupor that
would soon have been death but for his
coming. She opened her eyes slecpily,
put out a hand to him and whispered:
Something did become of me, didn't
it,"
And this is another of the stories that
all the men and all the women of Old
town toll about the great fire. How Boy
Jack brought safe and sound out of the
furnace the only human being that the
men could net save-a little child
Cleveland Star.