River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-10-04
The Captain Of Thirteen
By JOHN AUSTIN SCHETTY


Williams here. Get your men with
stream on that wall. Some dead, you
say, captain"
The latter hardly heard him. In
stead, he was looking at Penfield. The
eyes Ct the two men met for moment
in sudden flash of mutual dislike,
then Williams answered.:
There's at least six of them up
there. No telling how many there
may be higher up!"
Down below all was wild commotion
now. Cries of women and hoarse shouts
of men in sudden panic came up in
medley of sound to where the fire.
| fighters stood. The guests, alive now
to their danger, crowded Railways and
| stairWays, while the elevator shot up
and down until it's top blazed into sud-
den flame, when it went down and
stayed there. Police and firemen in
| the corridors sought to save the panic
/ stricken ones from themselves. PEN
| field harrying away with his men, took
one side of the shaft, Williams the
other.
| Williams, by q roundabout way,
! worked up to the next floor toward
the street. Rooms were open, but no
sign OF life came from them. He was
coming back, when he stumbled into
some one who was feeling his way
rather blindly. 1t was Penfield, and
! he carried an AK in one hand. AS he
saw Williams his face went into a
scowl
you're the captain OF Thirteen,
| aren't you?" he demanded.
what of it," tartly replied the cap
tain.
Don't talk to me, that's ALL" sput-
tered, the other. in canseless wrath.
chats easy!" said Williams, "life's
too short!"
ooh, be ID to you!" cried PEN
field savagely, stumbling past MIN
toward the glare.
At that moment something went
wrong with the other hose. The men
below yelled, and one of them start
ed down to investigate. Penfield was
nowhere in sight. In the few moments
of inaction that followed, the flames
| on that side took new lease of life,
and with hiss and crackle leaped anew
to their task Of destruction. 1t was
then Penfield suddenly appeared at
window in dangerous proximity to the
flames. He leaned out into the shaft,
and swore when lie saw the predica-
ment of his men.
There was a sudden tear and crack!
heavy elevator tackle had burned
from it's fastenings, and was coming
down with all the impetus of its 1E
stories drop! Penfield, unheeding,
choked with anger, leaned out far
Their
Look out, men!" cried Williams.
The men with one impulse drew back
as the thing came down like a whirl-
wind, and fell, a tangled mass of cable
ard chain, far below. Penield had
disappeared! For second every one
gazed at the window in dismay.
did it take him down with it?"
| asked Hickey, yoicing the fears of the
rest.
moi" cried Williams, in sudden
| comprehension, ''but it's knocked him
on the head into kingdom come! He's
lying in that room, TIL bet! And that
fire will be at him in minute!" The
others stood appalled,. There was
no way to get across that yawning
space. To seek a way through the
rooms would take too much time.
Keep your stream over near that
window" commanded the captain,
suddenly. Here, give me one OF
those ladders!" Then they fathomed
his purpose as ne sought to lay it
from window to window. 1t just meas
ured the distance.
Another moment, and he was on it,
crawling on hands and knees to the
| rescue of the man who had reViled
him but a few moments before. He
got to the window and stepped in
side. His foot touched something
soft 1t was Penfield! The floor was
hot beneath him.
Williams saw that he would have to
carry him, and promptly set about It.
BY herculean effort, of which he was
| little conscious in the excitement OF
on his back with his arms about his
neck. Then slowly he clambered ON
to the ladder.
1t was only space of ten feet. but
| it seemed an infinite time before it
was nearly covered. The rungs of the
ladder cut into the rescuer's knees as
he slowly worked his way over, but
he held on like grim death until the
| others, reaching him, drew Penfield in
| to safety. The chief himself came
upon the scene just as this was ac-
| complished.
Your old tricks, captain" he said.
| Il hope he won't forget it,"
When Penfield came to his senses
and found what his rival had done, he
had manhood enough to resign all
further attempt to become captain of
! Thirteen.
Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowless
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