The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1910-09-22
Through the Wall
By
kCLEVELAND MOFFETT
Copyright 1000, by ID, Appleton Co.
Copyright 1900, by D Appleton s Co.

my cont and vest. KIP them INTO strips
and Great God! There's the smoke
now
AS he spoke thin grayish feather
curled out between two of the upper
logs and aoated away: another came
belo" q Somewhere De Heidelmann-
Bruck had pressed an electric button,
and under the logs deadly sparks had
jumped in the waiting finder. They
were prisoners in a huge, slowly heat
ing oven stacked with tons of dry
wood.
I'VE must stop this he cried. and.
/ tearing the shirt from his shoulders.
/ he ripped II into fragments and wedG-
/ ed these tight between the logs.
I'VE must have more cloth" he said
| grnvcly. ITS our only chance, little
/ friend I'll put ont the candle! There!
/ Let me have-whatever you can and
be quick"
4 Again he worked with frantic haste,
stutling in the last shreds and rags
that could be spared from their bodies
I whenever Il dull glow from the other
side revealed crock in the barricade.
There" he painted; that's the best
we can do. Now it's up to God! be-
lieve we have stopped the draft he
said after moment.
Suddenly faint sound broke the
stiffness, and the detective started vio-
lently. Ii was a low, humming sound
that presently grew stronger and then
sang on steadily like buzzing wheel
He moved about in perplexity- IL
seemed to him that he felt current
of air.
alice. come here" he called. "Stand
where am. That's right. Now put
out your hand. Do you feel anythingP
II feel draft" she said.
AS she spoke the humming sound
strengthened, and with it the draft
blew stronger.
"MercifuI Cod" cried Coquenil in a
flash of understanding, "it's . blower"
NJ. Paul turned his face upward and
listened attentively. mo doubt of 1t!
It's sucking through an air shaft up
there I'm the ceiling"
IL don't understand"
"He's forcing a draft from that room
10 this one He has started a blower,
i tell you, and
"What is blower?" put in Alice.
At her frightened tone Coquenil
Gained himself and answered gently:
'It's like bis electric fan. It's draw
ing air out Of this room very fast with
a suction. and I'm afraid unless
Just then there came a sharp pep.
followed by kissing noise. as if some
one were breathing I'm air through shut
teeth. THE blower has sucked out
one of our cloth plugs. There goes an
other"' he said as the popping sound
was repeated. And another! It's all
Off with our barricade. little girl"
THE fire may come through a lit
tie he told her comfortingly. but
-Pll fix it so you will be-all right.
Come. Well build another barricade.
You know wood is bad conductor
of heat. and-if you have wood all
about you and-over you, why, the
fire cant burn you"
oh" said Alice.
"We'll go over to this door as far
from the passageway as we can get
Now bring me logs from that side
pile. That's right"
Most of the smoke at first was
borne upward by the blowers suction.
and Alice was able to help Coquenil
with the new barricade. They built
this directly in front of the iron door
with only space enough between it
and the door to allow them to crouch
behind It. They made 1t about five feet
long and three feet high.
Lie down there" he directed.
"Stretch right out behind the logs and |
keep your mouth close TO the floor and |
as near as you can to the crack under
the door. You'll have plenty of cool. !
sweet air. Now I'll fix a roof over
this thing. Just shut your eyes and |
rest. Understand, little friend?"
"Ye-es," family.
He turned toward the barricade and /
saw that the flames were licking their |
way through the wall of logs. The /
heat was becoming unbearable Co /
quenil crawled in behind the shelter
of logs and crouched down beside the
girl. She was quite unconscious now,
bhA was iifdNhAilI
ly, with face flushed and red lips parted.
Suddenly there was crumbling of
logs at the passageway. and the cham
Der became light as day while a blast
of heat swept over them. Coquenii
looked out around the end of the shell
ter and saw flames a yard long shoot
ing toward them through widening
breaches in the logs
Then be thought of his mother She
would know that her boy had fallen in
q good cause as his father had fallen.
Alice stirred uneasily and opened
her eyes Then she sat up quickly.
and there was something in her face
Coquenil had never seen there. some
thing he had never seen in any face.
She cried: You have taken my
beautiful dolly. Poor little Esmeralda.
You threw her up on that shelf. Will
lie-yes. you did"
Then, before Coquenil could prevent
it. she slipped out from behind the
shelter and stood up in the fire bound
chamber.
Come back he cried. reaching aft