The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-09-02

was nve mile descent TO Lne river
bank and tue town which stood upon
it. The glow of the furnaces seemed
brighter than usual tonight against
the blue black armament, but not un-
til he reached the summit did he real
ize that there was an unwonted tongue
Of flame reaching out from the cluster
ing buildings.
"a fire, by jingo!'
In an instant his troubles were blot
ted out. He forgot he was Jim Hap
good, the motorman, and remembered
only that he was the captain of Excel
sior Hose and that he was needed
where that tongue of flame licked the
black horizon.
Flinging open the door, lie uttered
a roar which brought the sleeping con-
ductor to his feet.
"Hi, Hank!" said Hapgood. "There's
a fire in the town. Looks like a big
one. I'm going to run fer it,
"What do you mean, Jim?'
"Mean? That I'm going to let out
every notch and send this car on the
run of it's life. Thought Id let you
know, sos you could jump off if you
are afeared,'
81 am afraid, jim" said the conduc-
tor, his face paling at the thought,
"but my place is on the car. Don't
be rash, JIM
"No, I'll not he rash," said Devil
Jim," with a smile. II, slammed the
door, let 60 the handle OF the brake
and turned the lever as far :.s it Would
90. The bulky car sprang foi ward
and downward like catapult.
That ride Henry Bsemis says he
can never forget. The great twenty
ton car rocked like a rocking horse.
It's four wheels were Eever on the
track at once. And all the while the
speed was accelerating for Jim Hap
good had no thought of using brake.
and the grade was steadily downward
His thoughts were far ahead, in the
pillar of flame now growing porten'
tously large and near, wherein he saw
his duty.
The bearded giant stood in the
scant protection of his vestibuled
front, a modern Thor framed in ice.
His eyes glowed with the joy OF the
soldier riding to the charge. He
thought not of himself nor of the poor
scared conductor behind him.
"It's wonder my hair didn't turn
white" said Beemis afterward. "But
what could l do? He would have kill
ed me if l had intertered. / just hung
on to the straps and sort of prayed. u
But there is a special providence
for brave men. The car, which seem
ed in the air most of the time, did not
leave the rails. AS the madthing
whirled into the outskirts of the town
Jim set his heel to the gong and for
the next halt mile executed devils
chorus which awoke many sleepers
along the way who had not been rous-
ed before by the dull tolling OF the
church bells.
As he neared the terminal J:m's
strained eyes caught sight of the fire
in an opening between other build
ings. 1t was a large, white frame
structure on little eminence, one
al" of which was blazing fiercely.
Jim uttered strangled cry.
1t was the house of Harker, the su-
perintendent-
The Car was slackening speed and
was running moderately when Jim
caught the sound of bell he loved
the bell of Excelsior Hose, which was
coming down a cross street as fast as
a handful Of men and boys could pull
it.
Jim flung open the door and jump
ed from his car, leaving it to run with
lessening speed to siding and into a
line of cars standing there. He smil-
ed when he heard the crash, but a
moment later was climbing up behind
his cart and getting into his fireman's s
togs, which hung where he could get
at them handily.
There had been only the most de-
sultory attempt to check the flames,
for, while willing hands were plenty
they needed leader. They did not
want for one long. Jim Hapgood
took command as naturally as if he
had been born to the purple of a fire
chiefs existence, and in less time than
it takes to write it lie had several
lines of hose connected with the by.
drants.
The wing in which the fire started