Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1910-11-10

ward the hospital-another nearer, an
other still nearer-and distant shouts
and then the blare Of the trumpet
"Come on! It's fre.' said Ennis
and sprang in pursuit Of the leaders.
Fire.! echoed the cry from barrack
to barrack as the men poured forth
into the night. and then as Ennis
rounded the corner and came in full
view Of the wide open parade with the
long line Of quarters beyond his heart
leaped for his throat In wild dismay.
"My God. lieutenant. it's your house!"
painted racing trooper. MY God!
And Bob's all alone!" sobbed Ennis as
he sped through the snow
All Ennis saw as he came staggering
round to the rear of the flaming fur
mace that once was house was n wild
eyed girl being led away by n group of
sympathetic women. The colonel was
bending over Bob Lanier, just emerg-
Ing from his third involuntary plunge
In the drifts and suffering objurga-
lions on his would be benefactors.
ain Gods name. Lanier," almost
walled the colonel as ut last that young
1 gentleman. likewise singed and scorch-
ed and dripping. yet preternaturally
cool for one just out Of n blazing hell,
/ found his feet and faced his command
erin Gods name. why didn't you
Jump when they told you? There was
nothing but snowdrifts below"
There was a colonel coming" said
Bob with a grin of mingled anguish
md satisfaction. ''who held that sort
of thing to be breach Of arrest"
As to the origin of the fire, Bob La
nier merely said that he had turned
the lights low in the sitting room and,
obedient to shoes" orders. had gone
UP to his roost, too wrathful and amaz-
ed over what had occurred even to
think of sleep-to think, in fact, of
anything but the colonel's words. So
absorbed was he as he slowly I'M
dressed he never noted the sounds from
below until his room of a sudden
seemed filled with smoke, and. throw
ing open the door, he was amazed to
find the hallway ablaze, the stairs I'M
passable. Running to his dormer win
dow, he yelled fire ut the top of his
voice. Sentry No. 5 heard and came
running down the back fence, saw the
peril, let drive shot and gave yell
that reused every one at the hospital.
poor Rafferty,, half craZed, half dressed,
coming leaping along among the first.
And there at his back window, chok-
ing with smoke and tossing out cloth
ing and other belongings, stood Mr..
Lanier. Some men went searching for
ladders up the line Of back yards, the
post hook and ladder truck being, Of
course, on the far side of the gar
rison. There being no extension ana
sheds to this little box, as to the lar
ger quarters up the line, other men be-
gan shouting and Lieutenant Grayson
imploring Mr.. Lanier to jump, for al
ready the flames had burst through
the windows below. Then came the
episode the regiment laughed over,
swore over. talked over, many a long
year thereafter. To Grayson's appeal
Bob's only answer was calm and de-
iberate:
"Give my compliments to the colo
mel, will you, and tell him that, my
quarters being all ablaze, I'd like an
extension OF afreStg
Then Sumter and Stannard came In,
tumultuous, and ordered him down, and
Blake and Curbit and the rest of tls
card party came tearing after them
and berated him for an absurdity and
implored him not to be an ass. And
then a bright tongue of flame licked
In through the transom behind him,
and the door panels burst from the
heat. and all the room at his back
suddenly blazed with fire. and then
went up the cry from that agonized
girl, at sound of which Lanier start
ed and strove to climb to the little
window sill, with lurid sheet tapping
down about his head, and then brace
of young Irishmen, Cassidy foremost,
} came serambling up human pyramid
smoking and smuggling below them.
I They reached the blazing caves and
, burst through the fringe of flame,
t dragging Bob forth and on to the
edge and then tottered all together
into that blessed mound of snow be-
meath, fast melting In the glare of that
l fiery furnace
ana thus were we brought 10 the
morning of Thursday, the sixth since
the eventfnl night when Miriam Ar
, nold's shrek had alarmed the gar.
: rison; Miriam, whose voice had now
been heard a second time, appraised In
frantic dread and appeal, but this
time for the young soldier who on the
> previous Friday night, forgetful of his
arrest, had rushed forth at her cry,
but this night had to be dragged
Miriam, who now lay sick from maid
!, enly shame that In one wild appeal to
:. save her lover she had SO betrayed
:, herself.
, With Thursday noon came resump.