The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-08-11
Prisoners and Captives
-z<E@z--
CHAPTER XIX.-(Continued.)
By II. s. MERREMAN


center of the house, bent vaguely on The
brightly dressed occupants Of the stalls
II suppose" said Helen, closing her
fan, 'that all this is rather trivial for you.
The interest you take in 1t must be super
fetal now that you are so busy.
"Oh, mol" Tyars FASTENED to begin; he
was looking past her in that strangely
persistent way into the thcater. and somc-
ching he saw there made him turn his head
quickly toward the stage.
''Halloo! I" he exclaimed. Then he
caught her wrist in his grasp. Keep
STILL" he whispered.
The painted curtain was bellyins right
forward like the mainsail of a bark, ami
from the space at either side a sudden
volume Of smoke poured forth in huge,
uneven clouds.
In second the whole audience was on
its feet. and for moment a sickening 81
tence reigned-the breathless silence OF
supreme fear.
Then single form appeared on the
stage. 1t was that OF the man referred TO
by Claud Tyars moment before; he who
played the villains part 50 unconsciously.
He was still in his dark wig and pallid
makeup. On his arm he carried the coat
he had just taken off. and the other arm,
clad In white shirt sleeve, was raised in
q gesture of command.
81 must ask you." he cried. In full.
clear voice. ito leave your seats AS
And his tones were drowned. completely
overwhelmed by strange, unearthiy
eOar the roar Of thousand human voices
ra Used in one surging wall of despair, like
the din of surf upon shingle shore.
The man shouted and his gestures were
almost ludicrous, even at that supreme
moment. for no sound could be heard
from his lips.
Then the gas was turned OUT and in the
darkness terrible struggle began Some
who came out of it could liken it to moth
Ing on earth. Women shrieked and men
forgot themselves.
AS the gas fickered and finally col
1apsed those in the stage box caught
momentary vision of wild. distorted faces
coming toward them. The pit had over
flowed the stalls. Strong barriers crum-
bled like matchwood. Into a hundred
minds at once there had flashed the hope
Of escape through the stage boxes.
Grace! Easton!" 1t was Tyar's voice
raised and yet not shouting. The crisis
had come, the danger was at hand, and
Helen knew who it was that would take
the lead. She heard the two men an
swer.
Keep the people back. l will break
open the door on the stage. 1t is our
best chance"
The girl felt herself lifted from the
ground and carried to the back Of the
box.
Helen" whispered Tyars.
Yes"
Are you all right"
Yes"
81 thought you had tainted. you We're
% quiet: Hold on to my coat. Never
leave go Of that!''
He turned away from her, and above
the din and uproar came the sound of
his blows upon the woodwork Of the door.
II seemed impossible that such strokes
could have been dealt by an unarmed hu
man hand.
Between the blows came the sickening
sound Of the struggle at the front of the
box. Imprecations and supplications. min
gied with groans and the dull thud of mer-
CHESS fists upon human faces. Shoulder
TO shoulder the two men-the American
and the Englishman-fought for the lives
of the women placed by the hand of God
under their protection. | was a terrible
task. though few women reached the front
of the box. Each man struck down. each
assailant beaten back was doomed, and
the defenders knew 1t. Once down. once
under foot. and it was a matter of mo-
ments.
Fresh assailaEts came crowding on,
treading on the fallen and consequently
obtaining an eYer-increasing advantage as
they rose on a level with the defenders
Neither seemed to question the wisdom
of Tyars' command. 1t was a matter of
life or death. Those already in the stage
box would only be crushed by the onrush
of the others were they allowed to enter.
With dszed desperation the two men
faced the frightful odds. hammering wild
ly with both fists Their arms ached
from sheer hard work and they painted
hoarsely. Their eyeballs throbbed with
the effort to pierce unfathomable dark
ness. 1t was quite certain that. their de-
Tense could not last long
Stick to it! yelled Tyars He might
have been on the deck of the Martial
during a white squall so great was the
uproar all around him. At last there
was the sound of breaking wood.
"Grace - shouted the voice Of Tyars.
Eyes"
Look after Miss Winter when we
Co."
'Easton :" he cried again.
"Yes, old man.
Come last and keep them back If Won
can Then a minute later he sbouted
"Come !"
AT the same instant the roaring crowd
OF madmen poured in over the front IF
the box, like soldiers stormny a bast;on
The door which Tyars had succeeded in
opening was so narrow as to admit of
the passage Of only one person at a time
but at this instant the larger door leading
Into narrow passage, the real exit from
the stage box. broke down before pres
sure from without. and from this point
also stream of half-demented beings
tried to force an entrance
The only advantage possessed bv tha
original occupants of the box was that
they knew the position of the small
door.
The subsequent recollection of such in
dividuals as survived were so fragmentary
and vague that no connected story of the
terrible tragedy in the stage box of the