The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-08-18

The battle spirit possessed the new
fireman in all it's madness. The fierce
satisfaction Of fight in the open was
upon him. That was why he had Joined
the department-to cut and hack and
smite, and do It with all the sanction
of law. Thus would he vent some of
his grudge against the world-the
world which had been treacherous to
him, and then hedged him in with con-
ventions which made redress impos-
sible. The phantom figure Of a WON
an stood out, as so often it did in his,
infamed mind from the smoke and
the steam; of a woman who had
wronged him grievously. And there
was another-the policeman.
He took step nearer.
"You-save her." he Kissed, and the
sound of his voice sounded strange
even to himself, save her, and get
the glory. That's your graft. Come,
I'll help ye." And he caught the po-
hceman by the arm.
There was that about the fireman
which frightened the man. With his
recovered strength he resisted the
movement toward the window. But
the strength of ten men seemed Knee
lands.
AS the two forms staggered into the
indistinct light from the street, fire.
men outside were raising a ladder to
an upper floor Slowly it warped up
ward. then rested on a ledge of an op-
posite side. and a man carrying a
hose in his hand ran quickly up.
Across the area-way the forms OF
two men met his view. One, in police
mans uniform, seemed struggling
back from the window; the other,
fireman, urged him forward. They
locked in an embrace, and the fire
man threw the other across the sill.
A stream of water, hard as rubber.
smote Kneeland full in the chest and
rolled him against the wall The
fireman on the ladder had turned his
hose on the strugglers.
Choking and battered by the deluge
which threshed in upon them, Knee
land caught at the sill In the mo
ment he had been at the window the
feet and skirts of a woman hanging
from the ledge above had met his Wis
ion. The instincts of the fre-fghter
were once more supreme.
The woman" he called, painting.
to the policeman. Quick, help me-"
The stream of water had ceased TO
pour through the window. The fire
man on the ladder also had seen the
woman and had turned his hose into
the room, from the ledge of which
the woman chung desperately by her
hands to escape the suffocation OF
smoke and flames.
Kneeland thrust a leg out Of the
window.
Hold this one" he shouted to the
policeman. kicking the other against
the floor to help the words. Now,
yer arm around my waist steady"
AS the policeman took hold OF him
he felt the fireman suddenly relax
in his grasp. He saw Kneeland look
up at the woman with staring eyes.
mouth opened. He heard him mutter
name; then seem to sink away from
him, as though he would slide back
into the shelter of the window.
Suddenly the fireman became rigid
once more as steel bar. The opened
mouth closed tightly over the snap
ping teeth. In voice low and hoarse.
but steady. he gave the directions.
Let go" he called to the figure
overhead, III catch yer"
The policeman felt the body he held
sway outward with the sudden impact
His muscles strained. as they gripped
at the waist which bent over till it
was level with the ledge. but the mus
cles of the fireman seemed of iron.
For few terrible seconds the forms
hung over the area, and in the grim
strain of the bodies. eyes grew blood
shot and the faces distorted with
swollen veins Then. slowly the fire.
man and his charge gained back to the
ledge, clutched it, and rolled into the
room.
Clouds of smoke still poured through
the Quilted tenement, but the
fires Roadway was checked. From
the floors overhead the men of the
hook-and-ladder truck. their work
there done. came struggling down the
stairway.
Where's Kneeland?" the captain
asked. and the next moment he saw
the three at the window. 'Hello!"
But the voice did not reach the
fireman. They lifted him unconscious,
and took him away to the hospital
The woman and the policeman fol
lowed downstairs and both spoke with
the captain.
Mother O. Moses" exclaimed the
latter "Youll-youll-" but the
woman shook her head and went
away.
Guess it'll be ours to OF our
hats to Kneeland when he gets back,
sociable or no sociable," said Burke
on the ride home. Il always gave
him credit for havin' the right sort O.
stun, anyhow. An that cop chap was
the same as claimed his rescue in
the morning. S'pose he was goin ter
try the same game again"
Yer wrong" said the captain. he
was after a chance to redeem himself.
g..