He was thinking: "Mercy has been shown. I have been reserved
for this. Instead of destroying that one child, I am to save these
other children."
He had no doubt; he knew that he would do it. Nothing could stop the
man who was doing his appointed work.
To all others the thing seemed impossible. He had taken off his jacket
and put it over his head, and the women became silent when they saw
him climb high on the ladder and spring blindfold through the flames.
The ladder fell with half its length on fire and then smoldered like a
shattered torch. Then they saw clouds of smoke pouring outward from a
window; and the flames on the balcony lessened and grew dim, as if
choked by the smoke. Then there came a shout, and the men with the
stretched rug moved stanchly to his call.
He was out again on the balcony, with a child in his arms.
"That's one," he shouted, as he dropped her to the men below. "I
b'lieve they're all alive."
So he came and went, rapid and sure, carrying his burdens. "That's
two.... That's three.... That's four. They're well-nigh
suffocated--but they're alive." He crawled on the floor to find them,
snatched the blankets and sheets off the beds, wrapped them from head
to foot. "That's five.
Pages:
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529