Willmar tribune., 1904-05-25

nize it easy. There's hanging lamps
that don't look as If they was meant
to burn respectable oil in decent
houses. And there's couches without
any legs, like bed made up on the
f1oor-divans, don't they call emf
all in stripes and gaudy colors, and
heaped up with soft pillows, Down.
right heathenish, call it. There's q
big table in the middle that's got big
white cloth flung over it as if there
vas something on it that was too
wicked even for Hall to look at long.
We shall find something pretty there.
I'll promise you, when we get down.
Well, we'll, it's a wicked world we live
in"
rs there any women there?" in
quired the intelligent Stocker, with
more interest than he had previously
manifested. "A harem's place where
they keep a lot of lovely women, amt
it? I've seen one at the 'Quarium
when went to London. They had
golden hair, and wore trousers made
Of gold and stuff, and lay about on
couches and looked cross"
mo, that's what I can't make out, ~
replied his chief. There amt no wo-
men, but there soon will be, you mari;
my words. Hall and lubbock have
gone to fetch 'em now they have got
it all ready. That's why there's nc
one at home to-day. A pretty pair OF
rascals they are, a bringing their Ro-
mand Catholic ways into a Christian
country. I'll harem 'em before I've
done. You go and see if you can find
me bit of rope so as I can fasten il
to the chimney stack and let myself
down into the room. I'm going to se5
what's on that table, harem or nc
harem.'
The search for rope was appar.
emily successful, and as the sergeant
had in the meanwhile been working
hard to make the hole in the roo1
large enough to admit his body, he
bade Stocker come up and hold on tt
the end which was hitched to the chin.
ney stack, while he lowered himself
into the room.
Curiosity getting the better of dis
cretion, I very guardedly inclined my
head outward an inch or two beyond
the projecting rim of the table, anc
twisting my neck round, looked up.
The sergeant, hanging on to the rope
had just got clear of the hole in the
roof, and was preparing to lower him
self down hand-over-hand. Through
the opening over his head, the rec
and bovine face of Stocker was star
ing. He was watching the sergeant's
progress with eager interest, but tht
movement of my withdrawing heat
apparently attracting his attention, hi
craned through the aperture, ant
catching sight of me, pointed dowr
with an excited yell to where I was
lying.
Whether the shout so startled the
sergeant as to cause him to lose his
hold, or whether what happened was
caused by the letting go by Stocke1
of the end of the rope which was
hitched around the chimney stack,
cannot say. All know is that the
unfortunate sergeant fell with a crash
pulling down with him one of thu
lamps that lighted the table, This
lamp, though of oriental and ancient
manufacture, had been prostituted by
Hall to so base a use as the burning
of paraffin; and as artificial light was
necessary, even during the daytime
in our prophets chamber, the lamp
was unfortunately burning at the time
AS it fell it struck the edge of the
table and cannPned-a terrible tongue
of fire-against the wall, which, as
the reader knows, was draped, tent.
wise, from floor to ceiling with some
Indian fabrics. The room, being di
rectly under the roof, was always hot
and this fabric had evidently become
as dry and infammable as tinder.