The Saint Paul globe., 1905-01-22
s::.sl s::::.:s.l 4 oHANGE OF PROFESSION |II:=s


German scowled. The smoke irri-
Cant you shut yer yap for half
minute?s he complained.
Hanrahan groaned and turned to.
him. D'you think there's any he'll? %
he asked in a husky whisper.
German laughed. 'Aw, cut it Out" ,"
he said. You're scared. That's all
that's wrong with YOU.
There was a crash of breaking win
dows in the airshaft. The flames
roared up, Tapping like a banner in the
wind.
'.Help.'' Hanrahan screeched. "Help.
Hell
German clapped hand over his
mouth. We'll, you lobster" he said.
Aw, don't, Bull = he pleaded. "Don'ti"
German stood up in the thickening
smoke and looked down on him. Say"
he said, IF you got any breath to
waste, you'd better save it for yer
prayers. This roofs going to drop you
in hole SO hot 1t won't leave enough
of you fer the devil to raise a blister
on. Shut up, win you ?''
He turned away from him and
climbed the ladder to the top of the
tank, so that he might sit down there
in quiet He could hear the engines In
the street whistling frantically for coal
from the fuel wagons, and they sound
ed very far away. He reached down
into the scuttle and drank from his
helmet again. The air came up cool
from the tank. He lay with his face
in the draft Of it, and shut his dry eye
9 lids on his aching eyes, szss =
Although he had threatened Hanra-
han with the collapse of the roof, he
had spoken in anger, to terrify him into
silence, and not because he believed
that either of them would lose his life.
q of OIL,
his breath was too strong in his body
for him to realize the possibility Of
death. II the crew below did not find
some means of reaching him, he hoped
to live out the fire where he was.
Chiefly, he was angry and bewildered
by his own anger-because Hanrahan
: had gone to pieces and made such a
noise. He could not think. The heat
was wearing on him. He lay there,
And in fact the men below were all
ready planning to reach him. For a
time Capt. Ball had been so busy fight
ing back the flames on the twelfth
floor that he did not think of the two
men whom he had left on the roof
1t was not until sparks and burning
woodwork began to pour down the ele-
vator shaft that the possibility Of the
situation occurred to him. Fortunately
the building was "freproofed," and the
progress of thu flames would be slow. :
He called two of his crew to get
scaling ladders, and leaving his lieu
tenant In charge Of the pipes, he ran
to the southwest end of the building
J to be farthest from the fire-and open
ing a window there, looked up. He
. could see no signs Of fire In any win-
= dow above him. Looks all right" he
J told the men. but you'll have to. be
quick. Keep your eyes open for the
!. windows hahind u011 -
They had a coil Of life line and two
ladders. They used but one of the lat
ter, going up together for greater speed
At their first window they saw the
wisdom Of Capt. Balls instructions
!, The room within was sitting with
smoke and heat, and as soon as they
opened a vent in 1t the fire showed In
the darkness.
J, At the fourteenth story a light OF
flames was already glimmering behind
the broken pane. The smoke poured
J out on them as they beat in the glass
and hauled up the ladder. Then went
ahead, however, and while they were
climbing up the wall from that window
! they heard the rush of a "back draft
below them and looked down to see the
flames in the thirteenth story cutting
: them off.
! A cry Of warning from Capt. Bal
was answered by a faint shout above
them. They looked up to see GormaT
peering down over the edge of tht
water tank. Capt. Ball shouted tt
them, Come down the ropei" The.
looked down to see that German hat
| disappeared.
"Jim," the upper man said, 1--WE cam
/ reach EN- They tied the end Of thei
, rope hurriedly around the shaft of tn
ladder, and each took a twist Of it il
the hook of his belt and dropped.
They slid down through fire an,
:, smoke, blistered and blinded, to Capt
Ball, who caught each as he came an
drew him in the window. A fireman