River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-05-23
CHAPTER xIv.-(continued.)


He ran as seldom he had run be-
fore, straining and laboring, stumbling,
recovering and plunging onward. And,
by the gods, wasn't 1t hot. The
khamsin raved and tore like a spirit
of hell-fire through that narrow alley,
turning 1t into a miniature inferno
But in the course of some minutes,
the end of the tunnel came in view;
a 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; and in the
end saw his fms 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
It. In another breath he had been
stabbed. Unexpectedly the Greek
shrieked dropped the knife as though
1t had turned suddenly white-hot in
his hands, and leaped back from
O'Rourke, nursing 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.
"O'Rourke, be all tn powers! The
masther himself! Glory, We beggar,
It's sorry l am that l didn't split the
ugly face of We wild me sthick!
This way. yer honor! Come
wild mel"
Blindly enough (ndeed 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
he had he sorely needed. And as blind
ly he 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 it was choked by a
swarm of pursuers. But-"Niver
fear!" said the voice at his side
'Tis ourselves that'H 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 av this. Knock there
vance, count tin. and knock again.
TIL lead 'em away and be wild We again
in brace av shakesl"
Benumbed by fatigue and exhaus-
ton, O'Rourke obeyed. He was aware
that his preserver with a wild whoop
had darted aside into a cross-alley, but
hardly aware of more. Mechanically
ne Numbered 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 as
he could he knocked, counted ten, and
Knocked again-while the mob that
had lusted for his blood trailed OF
down the side alley in frantic pursuit
of his generous preserver. Ana he
4 heafd with a smile. the latter's shrilI
defiant Irish yells Turing them further
upon the false scent.
IL It's not Danny" gasped the sd-
ventnrer, then myself's not the
O'Rourke! Bless the Iad!"
Bus as he breathed this benediction
the iron door swung inwards and he
stumbled across the threshold, half
faintsng, hardly conscious that he had
done more than pass from open night
to the night of an enclosed space. His
foot caught on some obstruction and
he went to his knees with cry that
was O cross between a sob and a
groan; and incontinently sell full
leigh upon an earthen Aocv. his head