Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1924-09-06
BY HAROLD CARTER



That was the beginning Of the boy.
colt. Hogan could never be sure,
when he went to his cot in the sta.
ton house. that he would not wake
to find himself ON the floor, with the
bed legs sawed through. Or that his
locker would not have been broken
into. Or that his uniform would not
be, a mass of tattered rags. Or some
thing worse.
He meant to stick 1t out for Nora g
sake. Nora was to arrive from Ire
land the following month. and they
were to be married at once.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!
1t was the sound of James night
stick upon the sidewalk. There is no
installing that sound, and the signal
is never given except in desperate
emergency
Hogan spun around and began run
ming along the avenue toward his fel-
low patroln,up. At the further end
was gathering mob Of men.
"What Is IT." he beloved.
MAN murdered his wife! Crazed
with dope!" he heard somebody say.
Upon the bottom step James lay.
There was bullet wound somewhere
In his body, and he was drenched~ with
blood. And at the top stood the drug.
crazed mailman, shouting defiance to
all who dared try to take him.
Hogan did not pause Just an in
fc re l.o
police. Up the stairs he ran, three at
a time, and as he reached the middle
Of the flight he felt an odd twinge in
his leg and heard the crack Of the re-
volver. Another bullet spun past his
shoulder. A third struck the wall.
and again Hogan felt that sudden
twinge-in his right arm this time.
The night-stick dropped from his hand
and he caught 1t in his left.
Another bound and he was upon the
mailman, who was fighting like fury
He swung the empty revolver down
upon Hogan's head with thud that
felled the patro!man to the floor.
Then, with yell, the maniac had
darted up the stairs.
Hogan looked down. He saw the
frightened mob around the door. He
tried to rise, but his limbs failed him.
A yell broke from a thousand
thrOats below. Hes fired the
housed"
A thin wisp Of smoke crept down
the stairs. Then fiery tongue be-
gan to lick the wall above him, and
Hogan could hear the mailman yell
ing as he watched the cOnfiagratiOn.
Below him he saw James huddled up
at the foot of the stairs.
The sight Of him seemed to give
Hogan new vigor.
He never knew hoY he reached the
upper floor. But when he got there
the mailman was too busy to notice
him, for he was standing over wom-
ans body and chuckling as he watched
the spreading flames. With his last
reserve of strength Hogan leaped at
the man and brought the night-stick
down upon his head. He fell like a
stricken OK.
Hogan picked up the body Of the
woman and staggered down the stairs
with her. He saw that she was still
living.
A roar of cheering greeted him as
he carried the woman to the street.
Up, up he went, through drifting
clouds of smoke and scorching lire.
Now he was on the upper floor and
had picked up the body of the drug
crazed man. He swung him In his
arms, but the weight was too heavy
and Hogan pulled him down the stairs
after him, wrapped in his OWE. tunic.
He laid the body on the sidewalk
just as an ambulance came hurrying
up. A surgeon leaped from the
vehicle.
"Will he live?" asked Hogan.
"He's dead" the, surgeon answered,
giving the body cursOry survey.
Hogan almost swore-only he re-
membered, that he was Il policeman
.Not him." he said, and pointed to
the body of his friend.
ooh, I beg pardon" said the sur
econ. Eyes, it's only flesh wound.
He's coming to how. Why. what's
this on your coat?"
"Never mind me-" gasped Hogan
and fell into the surgeons arms.
And it was odd, but the first
thought that came into his mimi after
that was the fear that somebody had
sawed through the legs Of his bed.
The man at his beside must have
understood, for he stretched out his
hand and took Hogan's in his.
"Glory be, my lad. you're coming
to-" he said. "NO, there won't be
any more bed-sawing, Hogan. Say.
lad, you've got to get well as quick
as you can, because the boys are wait
ing to give you another sort OF re-