Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-02-27

the heavy cornice Of the old fashioned
French roof. The chief meant to fight
the flames from above.
And then a terrible thing happened.
A sudden burst Of fame came through
a second-story window directly against
the long ladder, a fame that was made
more intense by the added heat of
burning chemicals. Before the ladder
could be pushed away from the danger
the mischief was done, and the upper
section, almost completely burned off,
toppled over and fell with a ruinous
crash across the sod. At the same
moment the flames burst from a half
dozen windows on a still higher floor.
The great crowd, roped back by the DO
lice, uttered a sympathetic cry. The
chief and his hosemen were In dire.
danger. They knew it, too. Fifty feet
away from them a puff Of white smoke
suddenly shot upward.
The little group on the cornice hud-
died together close to a huge chimney.
The hose had been wrenched away
when the ladder fell. The crowd MUIR
1
stream that the biggest fire steamer
could throw would not reach the unfor-
! Inmates.
For a moment fremen and spectators
were paralyzed. To leap from that
| height meant instant death. No lad
der was at hand to reach them. The
smoke from the roof behind rapidly
grew dense. They seemed doomed.
Then came a strange diversion. A
chubby figure came darting across the
campus, the figure Of an eager eyed
student, whose face seemed afame.
His eye frightened as he stared
ahead.
Jack! Jack Olmsted!" he shouted.
"Clear the way for me-let me get
through!
Long Jack whirled about and under
stood.
make room there!" he roared, and
pushed and fought his way through
the crowd and under the rope-despite
the opposition Of the policeman. And
Sammy was close at his heels.
"Have the ropes ready, Jack"
Eyes, Sammy"
The long bow was in the boys hands
and the end of a ball of Irvine was fas-
tened to the slender arrow. He unroll-
ed the ball by tossing it away from
him. Then he carefully fitted the ar
row and drew the string taut.
The crowd comprehended and was
very quiet. The men on the cornlce
comprehended, too, and the chief drew
a little away from the chimney. Be
hind them fountain of flame sudden
ly shot through the roof.
Twang! The arrow shot upward
with it's trailing length Of string. It
struck the sloping slate roof close to
the chief, and that official fell upon 1t.
Swiftly, yet carefully he drew up the
stout twine and then a light cord, and
lastly the heavy rope. And the men
crouched low because Of the heat of
the glowing furnace behind them.
The rope was passed about the chin
| ney and the men let themselves down
one by one, the chief coming last Of all
Half way down they came to the tall
| ladder that the men had waiting for
them, and just as they reached the
ground the roof fell in with a resound-
ing and frightful crash.
Long John Olmsted overlook Sammy
Galpin half way across the campus.
He threw his arm across the boys
| shoulders.
'They are all right" he cried hah
Historically. T-I knew you had
something up your sleeve. You're the
hero of the year, you little runt" And
he gave the lad an affectionate hug
"But what's the matter with your"
And he turned the boy around.
II cracked the bow" said Sammy
MISUNDERSTANDING Plain Dealer.