Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-06-21
CHAPTER xIv.--(continued.)


He ran as seldom he had run be-
lore, straining and laboring. stumbling,
recovering and plunging onward. And,
by the gods, wasn't 1t hot! The
khamsin raved and tore like spirit
of hell-fre through that narrow alley,
turning it into a miniature inferno
But in the course of some minutes.
the end Of the tunnel came In view;
lighted rift between house walls,
giving upon the illuminated street be-
yond. The sight brought forth fresh
burst Of speed from O'Rourke. He
dashed madly out of the alley,
stumbled and ran headlong into a
strolling Greek, who grappled with
him, at first in surprise and then in
resentment, while the clamor of the
pursuing rabble shrilled loud and
near and ever nearer.
+ Exhausted as he was, the Irishman
struggled with little skill before he
mastered his own surprise; ana in the
end saw his ARis written along the
blade OF thin, keen knife which the
Greek mad whipped from the folds of
his garments and jerked threateningly
above his head.
1t was falling when O'Rourke saw
1t. In another breath he had been
stabbed. Unexpectedly the Greek
shrieked, dropped the knife as though
II had turned suddenly white-hot In
his hands, and leaped back from
ORourke, nursing a broken wrist;
while voice as sweet as the singing
of angels rang In the fugitive's ears.
though the spirit of its melody was
simple and crude enough.
II "O'Rourke, be all tn powersi The
masther himself, Glory. ye beggar,
It's sorry am that didn't split the
ugly face of We wild me sthick!
This way, yer honori Come
wid me-"
Blindly enough (indeed the world
was all awhirl about him) O'Rourke
his arm grasped by strong and conf
dent hand, permitted himself to be
swung to the right and across the
street. In thought blackness again
was all about him, but the hand
,gripped his arm, hurrying him onward !;
and he yielded blindly to its guidance
without power, for that matter. TO
question or to object; what breath
ne had he sorely needed. And as blind.
iy be stumbled on for perhaps another
hundred yards, while the voice of the
rabble made hideous the night be.
hind them, Hardly, indeed had the
two whipped into the mouth of the
back-way ere 1t was clicked by a
swarm Of pursuers. But-"Nfyer
Tear! said the voice at his side.
lis ourselves that1l outwit them.
Here. now. yer honor. do We
go straight on widout sthoppin' ontil
ye come to an iron dure In dead wall
at the end ay this Knock there
vance, count tin. and knock again.
I'll lead 'em away and be wild We again
In brace av shakes!"
Bcnumbed by fatigue and exhaus
ton, O'Rourke obeyed. He was aware
that his preserver with a wild whoor
had darted aside into cross-alley. but
hardly aware of more. Mechanically
he blundered on until brought up BY
a wall that closed and made a Guide
sac OF the way.
With trembling hands he felt before
him, fingers encountering the smooth
cool surface Of sheet of metal. This
then. was the door. As carefully a.
he could he knocked. counted ten. ant
knocked again-while the mob tina
had lusted for his blood tralled of
down the side alley in frantic pursui
OF his generous preseryer. And b,
heard with smile the latter's shril