Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-06
VICTIM WATCHES
GASOLINE DRIP
TOWARD FLAME
ONE MAN CONSCI0US-OTHER
PINNED BENEATH T0NNEAU
NEITHER ABLE TO STOP FLOW
OF DEADLY DIsTILLATE
Harry C. Freeman Makes Crawl of
Agony with Broken Arm and
Wounds and Finally Saves
J. L. EiehoIz, Companion
tcontrnued from pars onel

Dripping Meant Gasoline
During all this time 1 had been half
protestingly conscious of a steady drip
ping under the wreckage of the car 1t
annoyed me, and the lines from Kip
lng's Mutt Blanc, "A face came blind
and weeping, and 1t couldn't wipe its
eyes, and 1t said that 1 was keeping
back the moonlight from the skies,
kept running through my brain.
Suddenly, with flash of horror,
came the realization that the drip
ping was from gasoline leaking from
the tank, and it was only question
of a few moments until the fumes
would reach the lamps and we both
would be burned alive.
"Frantically l tried to get to the
lamps to extinguish the flames, but
my limbs were as helpless as the inert
wreckage of the car. moment be-
fore 1 had been almost resigned to
death, but the new horror aroused me
to frenzy
"A tiny stream of gasoline trickled
out under the car and 1 clutched at
it with my uninjured hand, as though
to check its progress For an eter-
nifty ! heard that measured drip, drip,
drip, as / searched the roadway for
light bringing deliverance. Finally
the light came, but it was a long way
off and at first could not be sure.
Saw Rescue Ahead
Larry I shouted, there's a light
coming: it's an automobile
Larry still lay motionless and I
watched the light. now double, swing
ing down the roadway. 1t reached the
divergence of the roads. If 1t came
our way 1t meant rescue, If it went
the other, almost certain death.
canmad IN that the two h19-
cons swung across the roadway like
two censers, so slowly did they move.
Always the drip, drip, drip of that
gas; always that horrid black stream,
creeping forward toward the lights.
arose on one arm as an awful
thought crossed my mind: Suppose
the lights should go down the other
roadl I shrieked aloud, and my voice
sounded puny and weak. 1 implored
Larry to arouse and help my cry.
"Afar in the night heard the creak
of the wagons. They seemed to stop
and ages rolled on as 1 lay there, look
ing at the stars. Silence for an instant.
then the drip, drip of the fluid as it
crept forward, always reaching, reach
ing for the flame. I became obsessed
with the idea that if Larry would
arouse we could then lift the machine
and escape the horror of burning alive.
Only Waiting for Breakfast
'I shook him fiercely and shrieked
in his ear. 1 fell back exhausted and
Larry said, dreamily: All right, Nell
lie, is breakfast ready"
"Then he again lapsed into uncon-
sciousness. The clouds obscured the
moon and in all the abysmal black
ness of the pit shone two points of
light, far down to the west. Aeons
passed, and still we lay there side by
ei1 fyinI fn hold Jarvis head
up so he wouldn't make that awful
strangling noise as the blood soaked
the dust beneath his face. In the un-
bearable silence there stole the insis-
tent sound of that cursed drip, drip,
drip.
"In the depression of the highway
lost sight of the lights and 1 thought
the end was coming. Then wanted 1t
to come quickly. If only the oil would
drip faster and reach the flame! But
it would not hurry.
Thought of Brave Lines
"Then l thought of the lines:
'HOut OF the night that covers
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
thank whatever god may be
For my unconquerable SOUL
"Then repeated aloud:
"In the fell clutch of circumstance
- have not WINGED or cried aloud
Under the bludgeoning of chance
MY head is bloody but unbowed.'
Larry moved and sighed heavily. I
found consolation in the sound of my
voice.
"Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms up the horror of the shade,
Yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid'
'It matters not how straight the gate,
How charged with punishment the
SCROLL
am the master Of my fate,
l am the captain of my SOUL
Rescue Comes at Last
"I heard a sound in the darkness,
heard the thud of trampling feet, then
saw light and a lusty voice roared
out the words of a song:
'Are your garments spotless!
Are they white snow?"
"I held up my bloody hand and
laughed, then | thought the man would
pass and never hear my cries Larry
aroused and, together, We sent Shrek
that must have sent thrill of horror
through any human being hearing it.
"'Put those lights outh [ cried to
the driver of the leading wagon. He
had stopped. and an instant later he
had extinguished the flames.
4" 'One of ems dead l heard him
say. touching Eigholz' boot with his
foot. l lost consciousness again when
we were loaded on the wagonload of
beeves to be brought to the city"
After being carried several miles on
the meat wagon, the men We're placed
in passing automobile and hurried
to the California hospital. There they
were attended by DR.. E. j. Cook. 1155
Elden avenfe Both will recover