Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-05

found that the pipeman lay unconscious,
with leg caught under a beam: and when
he struggled to raise the beam the man
made dry clucking in his mouth like .
child in a fever. Corrigan got his great
hands under the ioist and strained in vain
to raise the broken end of it. till the cords
In his back panied at their roots. Then he
fell on 1t furiousiy with his AK, his head
swimming; and the blows cut into the tim
Der with a sound that grew fainter and
fainter to him, that they seemed like the
strokes of a lumbernans ak in the woods
at a distance. He was growing sick and
heavy that he could hardly lift it. His
knees began TO loosen, and then there was
the roar of whirlpool In his head and he
sank on his face and tainted.
Meanwhile. Capt. Meaghan, on the para
pet of the adjoining roof. alternately cursed
Corrigan. the unfortunate pipemen, the
roof. the fire and his own keen eyes that
had failed to note the insecurity of the
water tank. He stamped on the ledge like
sailor on his deck. and the language he
used was from the deep seas. He had given
his orders. There was nothing to do now
but to wait. And it was thing which Mea-
gan had never learned to do.
When Gallagher returned with the life
lines the captain flung himself on the lieu
tenant and snatched the lines from him.
He tied one quickly under his arms, at
tached the other to his wrist and ordered
the men to lower him to Corrigan. They
braced themselves for his weight. He threw
leg over the parapet. Hurry up, there, y
he shouted to the pipemen appearing with
the hose. Hurry up, there! Train her on
the blaze in the middle. All right. Lower
away"
a shower of water from above revived
Corrgan in the smoking debris His helmet
had fallen off and the cool stream poured
on his head. He struggled to his feet. hat
Ing the smoke and TIE heat with the per-
sonal hatred of a soldier for the enemy who
has wounded him. He fell on the obstinate
1oist with empty hands. "Yuh wud. wud
Suh?' he kept muttering. "Yuh wud. wud
yuh?'-fghtins with the beam in his mad
ness until his hands We're numb with bruises.
And then he Strengthened up and threw
himself at it in frenzy, and his huge bulk
came down like IA sack of sand on the end
of it and finished the work his AK had be-
gun.
The rest was a delirium-years of de-
lrfum-in which he finally got the pipeman
free and passed him to Capt. Meaghan who
appeared through the smoke from nowhere.
and tied rope around him and stood him
up despite his protests. The roof fell from
his feet and he seemed to soar uD miles,
struggling. He thought he had been tied to
balloon, and he was talking foolishness
when the men lifted him over the parapet
and laid him on the roof.
He WAS saved, and he had saved the only
pIpeman who escaped; the floor had fallen
with the others just as aid had come. But
he knew nothing of all that until the fol-
lowing day when he found himself lying on
his back between the cool sheets of hos
pital cot and passed his bandaged hands
over the bandages on his face. He heard
Lieut.. Gallagher says: He's all right A
bit singed l guess. How are his eyes?'
strange voice answered: We'll know
tomorrow
Corrigan said. weakly: They're all right.
can see down here and laid his hand on
the side of his nose where there a glim-
mer of light below the dressings.
The lieutenant laughed. Couldn't BAN
dage over that nose. Be quiet, now. We
want you back to the house as soon's you
get on your feet. The chiefs promoted
you
Corrigan tried to understand what he
meant. but the pain in his head prevented
him. He asked: 'Whur'd yuh get the bal
loon?''
They called him Balloon at the house
when he reported for duty two weeks later,
hut he had been entered on the roll of merit
and his pay had been increased and his
name was large in the land.
Capt. Mea CHAN scowled at him in fierce
congratulation. 'Yuh should We waited fer
orders. Corrigan," he said, gruffly.
Yes, sir he apologiZed. Il didn't know"
No harm done" Meaghan said. "Yuh'll
be the ladder committee. There's an
other man on the bright work.