Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-03-28

his duty to mis- employers; it now
behooved him to save himself. Sharp
ly conscious of his inability to do
more than hobble along with his
twisted ankle, he stood appalled, at
the volcano through which he must
pass to reach the stairs two hundred
feet away.
Could he ever do it? He would
have jumped from the window; but
three-story leap to the frozen ground
was to dangerous for legs and spine.
But he could not stop where he was,
for the building contained many
boxes and kegs of high explosives.
Crash! A shower of splintered
glass cut his face and hands, as big
rocket burst through the partition
window in front of him, barely miss
ing his head.
Mclean lodged instinctively. Gel
sus covered in terror between his
legs. 1t was not safe to linger
second longer. He must run the
gauntlet to the stairs.
He stumbled out into the main
room. Through the smoke the cleo
trio bulbs glimmered palely. Steady
discharges of fireworks shot back
and forth from wall to wall; in the
space between there was no security.
Reflected rockets were darting in
every direction. Roman candles,
| flowerpots, star shells rained fire
One place was as safe as any other.
AS Mclean hesitated, rocket
| whizzing over his shoulder made him
| drop suddenly on his hands and knees.
One of those giants might go straight
through him. He did not dare to creep
along the floor. for the alleys were
now alive with exploding fireworks,
and his eyes might be put out.
A Roman candle from an adjoining
table set Celsus's hair on fire. ~
was too much for the bull-terrier. He
turned to bit the spot and put out the
flames. Then, yelping, his tail be-
tween his legs, he bolted ignominious-
ly for the door.
On low truck close by the office
stood a large empty tin can, like a
metal ash-barrel which during work
| ing hours was wheeled from table to
table to receive paper and pasteboard
waste 1t was four and half feet deep
| and good yard in diameter. The last
rocket had quickened the watchman's
wits. The instant this receptacle
caught his eye he saw safe way of
reaching the door.
Grasping the can with both hands,
he swung it into the air, inverted it,
and dropped it over his head letting
his arms slide gradually UP the III
side. until his palms rested on the
bottom. 1t served as movable
bomb-proof, protecting him effectually
from the knees up. Below that he
must take his chances. AS fast as
mis- injured ankle would permit, he
began to limp down the central alley.
The sounds from without came to
him mufiled. The whirring of rockets,
the banging of cannon crackers, the
fusillade of smaller punches blended
together into pandemonium that
would have been deafening to unpro-
tected ears.
Whang! The impact of a rocket
against the tin close to his left ear
set the metal vibrating under his fin
ger-tips. Crash! bang! A giant
dynamite cracker exploded on the
floor not three feet away, and the
shock struck his calves like blow
from club. He trod through several
punches, swapping round his ankles
like spitefnl puppies. His feet struck
against all sorts of debris. exploded
and uneNploded, swept from the Ia
bles by constant explosions.
The can was fairly heavy, and when
McLcan's arms became tired bearing
its weight. ne let it rest party on the
| top of his head. The great trouble
| with his suit of armor was that it
had no peep-holes. All the light that
| reached him was lurid duskiness
reflected from the floor. Now and
then ne banged against a table
brought up all standing, and was
Obliged to change his course. But
he was making very fair progress
when an unexpected calamity befel
him.
A mine of red fire ignited under his
feet. Up puffed mushroom-shapet
cloud of smoke, pungent, irritating
binding. The suffocating fumes in
stantly filled the inverted can, rush
ing into the watchman's eyes ant
nostrils, until he could neither see no
breathe.
| At any cost, Mclean must free hi
lungs; already he was strangling
He threw off the can, and stood I'm
protected in the midst of the BON
bardment.
Biff! Boom! s-s-s-s! Bing! R-r-r
Bang! Bang! Bang-bang! Bang!
Mclean was something more thai
two-thirds of the way down the alley
the door was at least fifty feet away
A pungent, lurid smoke, lighted b,
incessant explosions, overhung every
thing. Pinwheels gyrating like mad
zigzagged viciously and aimlessl,
mere and there. Purple green an,
violet flames told where mines wer
burning. The floor shook with tn
deafening detonations of the dyna
mite crackers.
The Waterman wondered If his eye
and ears would ever be good for any
thing again.
A crash shook the building; par
TALLY emptied box of powder hat
ignited. Then on sudden the Who'll,
room was lighted with the glare of RET
fire. 1t was most gorgeous cele
bration. Mclean was having it al
to himself, and not enjoying it bit
One glance he cast into the can
but the smoke still chung there, thicl
and heavy. He could not put his heat
into it again.
Shielding his face with hands ant
arms, ne stumbled toward the door
In its black opening he caught ;
glimpse of Celsus's blunt muzzle AM