The San Francisco call., 1904-02-07
CHAPTER VI.
TIE EVER IMPRACTICAL FEAfI-


NINE.
II was an investigating negro child of
tender years, who, possessed of a petty
sense Of cause and effect, brought an
illuminative simplicity to bear upon the
problem OF the force pump; and a null
titudinous agitation greeted his discov-
cry that the engineers had forgotten to
connect their pipes with the river.
This naive omission was fatal to the
second warehouse; the wall burst into
flame below Crailey Gray, who chung
TO the top Of the ladder, choking. stified
and dizzily fighting the sparks that
covered him, yet still clutching the
nozzle Of the hose line they had passed
10 him. When the stream at last
leaped forth. making the nozzle fight
in his grasp, he sent IT straight up in
the air and let the cataract fall back
upon himself and upon the two men
beneath him on the ladder
There came a moment Of blessed re-
lief; and he looked out over the broad
rosy blur Of faces In the street, where
no one wondered more than he how the
water was TO reach the roof Suddenly
he started, wiped his eyes with his wet
sleeve, and peered intently down from
under the shading arm. His rowing
glance crossed the smoke and flame to
rest upon a tall, white figure that
stood, full-length above the heads Of
the people. upon a pedestal wrought
with the grotesque images Of boys; a
girls figure, still as noon, enrapt, like
the statue Of some young goddess for
whom were made these sacrihcial pyres.
Mr.. Gray recognized his opportunity.
A blackened and unrecognizable face
peered down from the caves, and the
voice belonging TO il said angrily:
Why didn't theY send up that lire
before they put the water through it?''
Never mind, Tom" answered Graf
ley. cheerfully, 'T'll bring it up"
You can't: I'll come down for IT,
Don't be every kind of fool"
You want a monopoly, do you?" And
Crailey. calling to Tappingham Marsh.
next below him. to come higher, left
the writhing nozzle in the latter's pos
session, swung himself out upon the
graphing ladder, initiating the chiefs
gymnastics. and Immediately one hand
grasping the second rung. ore knee
crooked over the lowest. leaned head
down and took the nozzle from Marsh
Marsh supported the line beneath it, the
great stream hurting forth made it a
difficult thing to manage, for it wig
gled, recoiled and struggled as if it
had been alive. Crailey made three at
tempts to draw himself up; but the
strain was too much for his grip, and
on the third attempt his fingers melted
from the rung, and he swung down
fearfully hanging by his knee, but still
clinging to the nozzle.
Give it up, Cfailey; il isn't worth it,"
Vanrevel called from overhead, not dar-
ing the weight of both on the light
grappling-ladder.
But though Crailey cared no more for
the saving Of Robert Carewe's prop
erty than for a butterf1y's wing in
China, he could not give up now, any
more than as a lad he could have for
borne to turn somersaults when the
prettiest little girl looked out of the
schooihouse window. He passed
the nozzle TO Toppingham. caught
the second rung with his
left hand, and. once more hanging
head downward. seized the noz-
zle; then, with his knee hooked tight.
as the gushing water described a huge
semi-circle upon the smoke and hot va
por, he made a mad lurch through the
air. while women shrieked; but he
landed upright, half-sitting on the low
est rung. He climbed the grappline-
ladder swiftly. in spite of the weight
and contortions Of the unmanageable
beast he carried with him: Tom leaned
far down and took it from him: and
Crailey, passing the caves, I'll. ex
hausted, upon the roof Just as he
reached this temporary security, a lady
was borne, fainting. out Of the acclaim
ing crowd. Fanchon was there.
Word had been passed to the gentle
men Of the Engine Company" to shut
off the water in order to allow the line
to be carried UP the ladder, and they
received the command at the moment
Tom lifted the nozzle, so that the
stream dried up in his hands. This was
the last straw, and the blackened.
singed and SCARED chief. setting the
trumpet to his lips, gave himself en-
tirely to wrath.
1t struck Crailey, even as he Law
coughing and weeping with smoke. that
there was something splendid and large
In the others rage Vanrevel was ordi
nolAJ ~ otcdOJ anu cool lndt this was
worth -eeing. this berserker gesture:
worth hearing, this wonderful profan-
ity, like Washington's one fit of ours
ing; and Crailey, knowing Tom. knew.
too, that It had not come upon him be-
cause Carewe had a daughter into
whose eyes Tom had looked: nor did he
rage because he believed that Crailey's
life and his we're in the greater hazard
for the lack Of every drop Of water that
should have isued from the empty noz-
zle. Their lungs were burdened with
smoke, while the intolerable smartine
Of throat. eyes and nostrils was like
the incision Of a thousand needles in
the membranes; their clothes were In
minous with glowing circles where the
sparks were eating; the blaze widened
on the wall beneath them, and Marsh
was shouting hoarsely that he could no
longer hold his position on the ladder:
yet Crailey knew that none of this was
in Toms mind as he stood, scorched.
blistered and haggard, ON the edge of
the roof, shaking his fist at the world.