Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-09-11

or had stood. But he gave no heed to
the fires which had started amid their
ruins
| After what seemed to him hours,
though they were only minutes, he
heard motor ambulances on their way
from the old country town which bore
| the name of Bratelling.
And then there came, oh, bitter
irony, the long drawn-out "All clear"
| Some one running across the grass
stumbled, and nearly fell over him.
Look out!" he cried feebly. Then he
/ heard the surprised voice of a retired
schoolmaster named jenkins, now Chief
Air Raid Warden, why, I declare, it's
Mr.. Coalmanl Are you all right?"
"All right?' God, what a question?
Feeling dizzy and faint. he called back,
I'm very far from all right
| The man addressed moved a few
steps away. What a surly fellow was
this rich builderl He said coldly.
you've been more lucky than many of
us, Mr.. Goldman, for your house wasn't
touched: only one window broken.
saw your dog jump through it just
now Why, there is the little fellow.
He's looking for you. Aren't dogs cute?"
Sure enough, Tom Goldman felt
Toby's tongue licking his left hand; it
was the first time that had ever hap
pened, for Toby knew quite well that
Boys father begrudged his keep.
And now Boys father groaned aloud
Look here, Jenkins? My wife and lit
tie son are buried under that shelter
of mine. was blown out of it."
The warden's voice altered and be-
came kind. We've got Mrs. Goldman
all right, though one of her feet is
badly crushed. But she's not worrying
about that. All she's thinking about is
you and her boy. If you and she got
out, the child surely got out, too"
Tom Coalmans brain began to func-
ton and the power of money became
suddenly very present to his mind.
IF you can get some men to come
and dig at once Jenkins in what re-
mains of my shelter they'll have a
hundred pounds between them, once
they've found my boy" he could not
bring himself to finish the sentence
with dead or alive
The warden turned on his heel, and
running into the roadway, got to-
SCbIiSi Aoul Willis llNIpNAS. iA-'S AitAS'
been doing grand work, eXtricating
the dead and injured from the bombed
houses, with often danger to them
selves, and with no thought of reward.
Mr. Jenkins was an idealSt, and he
felt ashamed of mentioning that hun
dred pounds; but he did mention it,
and even he sensed it made differ
ence.
aff Ia O1, h
fearful pain, Tom crawled along as
near as he could to where his shelter
had stood, and in the glare now
thrown out by fiercely burning house,
he watched while every bit OF what re-
manned of the substantial little build
ing was laid, mostly in small pieces,
close to him.
At last the man who had acted as
foreman to the others came and looked
down at him, There's nothing there,
SIR" he said feelingly. Two OF the
hunks were flung clear, but two were
smashed to smithereens."
My child must be under there. For
Gods sake, 60 on looking!"
Another digger came forward, We've
just found this" and he held out the
cot blanket in which Boy had been
wrapped.
A third man came near, THAT your
dog over there?"
"Ay, it is
Then your little boy must have
been in one of the hunks which wasn't
smashed. The dogs been shifting all
over it, and it looks to me as if the
child must have been flung clear-in
the bunk"
Faint and weak as he felt himself
to be, Tom staggered to his feet. He
and Toby, for once, had a common in
terest, for the dog was running around
now, obviously seeking his little master.
Boys father called out weakly.