The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-12-18
FLAMING FINISH
CHAPTER XVIII

aa@As ctrn&kafd vent Win tfefa
back up 20 the hotel The long
shadows from reof and spire
frightened. and Il Vas night. Not
even cunnar had thought they
could hold out % long.
Hours before ostsrh0im had
taken q party into the hills To try
10 silence the gun. But ne had not
come hack. and II had kept firing
long after he should have reached
IL
Then. At twilight. a man came
staggering In from the bridge 70
tell how that small group had
been overwhelmed. and Trygve.
his shells all spent. had died.
charging the Germans with the
butt end Of his gun. He went At
them. crying. Long live Norway
the man said He must have got
three or four before they brought
him down"
The doctor came hack from the
hotel alone and vent TO work. his
eyes looking darker and more
tired. his cheeks ssgging, his once
soluble lips drawn taut He
shook his head TO their questions.
Only to the pastor would he tell
what had happened. Johann was
sthere." he said. so 20 badly
hurt he asked me to end Il for
him-ms. his own father"
In the general store. svsrre
Trog sat by the wireless and
called over and over again. Nam
500 Molde Trondheim
:. we are fighting in Helgelsnd.
The people of Trollness have
risen against the cermans-- And
from all over Norway. from little
senders In the hiils. from small
villages. from groups In the cities
In cellars. from hidden stations on
the farms. the excited word came
back, Hold fast"
The butcher ran after Gunnar.
who was on his way out TO the
road. There Is only one thing 10
do" he cried. Shove off the
boats while we have time. and
make for England"
On every corner, men sat in the
snow at their machine guns and
kept firing. holding. when often
they did not know whether those
on the next street were still alive,
whether the Germans were not
already at their backs. In the
red glare from burning houses on
the north road. a small party Of
the enemy charged to the very
edge Of the square, and Cunnar,
Kjerlof, Jensen and half a hun
bred more beat them back hand
to hand.
But now they were at the end.
Get the stores TO the boats"
Gunnar ordered. and went back
to the square.
The men at the guns turned
blackened faces toward him.
Where TO. Gunnar7 What do we
do?"
Get word TO the gun crews"
Gunnar said. we sail for Eng
land" And his voice was as cas-
ual az II he had said. we sail TO
the Lofotens." or. I'VE 60 fishing
in the morning"
They began carrying foodstocks
to the boats. About a thousand
rounds OF ammunition were left.
One of the machine guns had
been hit and put out OF the fight.
but they took II anyway. and the
rifles they had captured On the
docks, men busted themselves at
the gasoline pumps. filling the
tanks, while behind them the red
glare in the sky rose higher and
higher.
But Malken had an idea. The
bridge 10 destroyed" he cried. II
We took boats to the south shore
of the ford they could never fol-
low US. And before troops came
up from stoksund over the snow
on the roads we could be miles
back In the valleys. How would
they ever get soldiers at us In
the mountains7 We could hold out
for months"
Il know that region" Kjerlof
said. and they remembered II had
been he who had led Hammer
ever those hills 10 the border.
And the women" said Aale-
sen.
II stay with the men," solveig
broke In. Those who want 10
can 10 10 Sweden. At least they
will be safe until after the war"
Gunnar paced rapidly back into
the shop. Fishermen carrying out
supplies hurried faster when they
heard what had been decided
Others ran out to the road. to
the line back Of the church. TO
the alley beside the sboemsksr's
shop. Keep hold Of your rifles
when you come" they cried.
The flames rose higher In the
background In . burst Of wind
the schoolhouse caught. and the
whole turbulent square grew
bright.
Margit ostsrholm. white Of face,
and looking much older. was with
Fru Eriksen, helping wounded
men down to the boats solveig
had run upstairs and come back