FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149  
150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   >>   >|  
he smoke, two soldiers who tried to stop him just missing his arm as he plunged in. "Here, who was that?" cried the colonel, who now came up, panting. "One of the bandsmen, sir--the lad must have gone mad!" "No," cried the colonel; "he must have known that someone was still there. The orchestra was there at that end; he has gone to save one of his comrades. Pass the buckets, my lads.--A dozen, here: take this piece of canvas and haul!" The men seized the piece pointed out and dragged at it, when a volume of smoke rolled forth; and as they got it farther away, and let in the air, there was a flash of light and then a report, as a jet of flame shot up into the air, followed by a steady, fluttering spurt of light, for a huge jet from a broken gas-pipe burned furiously. "No matter--no good!" cried the colonel. "Keep back with those buckets! Who knows where they fitted the valve to turn this off?" There was no answer, and the place now grew light; the woodwork began to blaze, the canvas to emit huge clouds of smoke, and the men around kept on making dashes in to try and find the lad who had entered the burning wreck. It was all plain enough to see; the broken gas-pipe was flaring on the shattered woodwork of the orchestra, and this and the tables and chairs upon which it had fallen were burning fiercely, and lighting up the crowd of soldiers, officers, guests, and ladies who, less hurt than their companions, were fascinated by the scene. "There's a man in there burning," shouted the colonel--"perhaps two. Volunteers, follow me!" He led the brave fellows, who sprang forward right into the fire and smoke; but they were beaten back, scorched and blinded, and an awful silence fell upon the crowd, while the woodwork crackled and sputtered and the gas-main sent forth its great waving pillar of flame, roaring with a sonorous note; and all felt that the scarlet-coated figure they had seen leap in had gone to his death. Just then up came, running, several men dragging the fire-engine hose, led by one bearing the bright copper branch. "Now pump!" shouted an officer; but the order was checked by a yell of "No!" as the back of a figure was suddenly seen leaning toward them; then a couple of steps were taken, and it was seen that whoever it was had hold of another's arm, and was dragging him out. With a cheer, half a dozen men--one of whom was Jerry--sprang in through the burning woodwork, and dragged both o
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149  
150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

woodwork

 

colonel

 

burning

 

figure

 

dragged

 

sprang

 

shouted

 

broken

 
dragging
 

orchestra


canvas
 

soldiers

 

buckets

 
forward
 

fellows

 
bright
 
scorched
 

blinded

 

beaten

 

companions


ladies

 

branch

 
fascinated
 

Volunteers

 
follow
 

copper

 

silence

 

engine

 
scarlet
 

coated


leaning

 

running

 

checked

 

suddenly

 

couple

 

bearing

 

sputtered

 

crackled

 
officer
 
sonorous

roaring

 

waving

 

pillar

 

guests

 

pointed

 

volume

 

rolled

 

seized

 

farther

 

steady