Show A WARRIOR BOLD BOIDO py ft ST GEORGE arthr of afuli ni mill millions Wll loni 11 r will wb x dr ck adow mill m c griat alf copyright 1801 1901 street tad and amitia now york CHAPTER XIV A battle ot of giants so some soe e of 0 the most frantic hovered at t the windows as though ready to plunge through space it the worst came they were crazed for the time being and could not be blamed many a precious life iffe went out that fatal day that might have been saved by the exercise ol of a little judgment and coolness tor for of all the attributes which mortal man inherits or acquires these prove the richest legacy in such a time of 0 actual panic having taken his beatings beail beai ings and discovered which way the numbers ran charlie started upon what he believed vas mas the last leg of his course now he must speedily realize the worst it if he came upon Ar tinos lines rooms and found them empty he would know she was somewhere about the intricate passages lost and facing death as when he first found her what a travesty of fate such a thing would be tragedies were being enacted within those walls that had many times echoed with the sounds of gayety gaiety and now ring rang with shrieks already the greedy fire fiend had cut off many from escape and yearned to encompass their destruction some doors were closed but the majority stood gaping wide open whence the terrified occupants hall had fled just as they were in passing one of these charlie had a glimpse of a lady richly attired bending over an open trunk evidently seeking becking to lay hold of 0 her precious jewel boxes ere flying mayhap they cost her what all the jewels from Cleo patras day to this could not replace life once a woman had seized upon him crazed by tear fear she clutched him as a drowning man might a straw charlie could not have his mission jeopardized by such detention he was compelled to break away shouting at the same time for her to go to the stairs and descend while the chance remained god only anew new how long this golden opportunity might be held out to them tor for the greedy flames were making hideous headway and presently the entire building would pe be a charnal house all obstacles had bad thus far been overcome by his iron will determined to reach and save arline lie he bad sy sv ept them aside as the march wind whirls the dust out of 0 its path rut eat the end was not one barrier rem remained lined charlie suspected t E not until the thing burst upon him sudden and unexpected I 1 as lightning from the clear sky overhead again a detaining hand this time it brought his forward moT movement ement to a complete stop and he realized there was something more serious in the detention than when the poor groveling chambermaid had clutched cLied his knees it waa wa a man through the haze he be had seen his presence without paying the least attention to him and now mow the fellow probably as terrified as the women frantically clung to him to the stairs or the ore fire escape let go shouted charlie and when the other laughed with devilish glee in his ear stuart turned his head to see close to his own the face of the tha bogus capt brand transformed by passion into the countenance of a fiend was it accident or deep design that brought Isla macauley cauley to this floor of the hotel at such a moment when charlie felt that ahat grip on his arm am and looked into the maddened orbs arbs ot of the ogre be seemed to realize that a great crisis in his bis life had arrived the stake was Ar airlines Arif lines nes love this man might be innocent or g bilty ot of murderous design but appearances pe arances were mightily against him his manner indicated as plainly as words this far shall you come and no farther instinct warned charlie to prepare for the worst to throw himself into a position that was aggressive even while defensive it was a wise precaution for the other even while he continued to 0 glare malevolently into his face suddenly threw himself upon stuart As he expected charlie found macauley a man gifted with tremendous muscular power like trained ath letes the two men whirled around each seeking the downfall of the other to charlie each second meant a closer approach of doom while with tho the other the passage of time brought savage satisfaction asals as his base plans grew nearer realization charlie retracted a stop step mustering every atom of power in his muscular frame for the storm which he meant to spring upon the already gloating enemy Ala macauley cauley was drunk with the success that had bad seemed to be already within his grasp ile he thus could be taken oft off hii guard and once in retreat complete rout must follow so sudden was the attack so overwhelming wh elming in its resistless energy that the ogre fell back in contusion confusion bar harlly 1 knowing just bow to meet so strange a rally and stuart followed it up he knew full well that what was worth doln at till all was worth doing well R ho a was bent on ending the struggle then and there in order to do so BO in most os t effectively he let out still another kink and surprised his enemy with ith a of tricks that completed his utter demoralization it was tho the work of 0 a gladiator charlie having stunned the ogre with a multiplicity of short arm blows hurled him in a shuddering heap aside and found himself once more free to go forward CHAP TEll XV when charlie kissed her tho the flames had been making hideous progress while this mad encounter took place and already their red tongues leaped into view at the further end of 0 the corridor charlie was panting like a hunted stag hardly able to catch his hia breath in that smoke burdened atmosphere yet no sooner had he hurled his enemy to the floor door and found the coast coash clear than he started along the hallway the numbers on the doors now stood out plainly enough thanks to the illumination afforded by the lames flames and he be linew knew he be was close to 10 where arline might be found lie he saw the door was closed it gave him a shock then she had not escaped with the first she must still be within her room ile he pounced upon the knob and turned it horrors there was no response the door utterly refused to give way being locked within charlie pounded with his hia fist upon tho the panel open the door arline open tor for gods sake the hotel is on fire ap apparently p ardently he shouted loud enough to arouse the dead yet no answer came from beyond stuart knew ot of but one resource left it was a desperate case and required a desperate remedy lie he raised his foot one mighty blow shivered the lock as completely as though a battering ram had been brought to bear against it the door flew open nothing barred his progress now and with a bound the briton was in the room arline lay upon a turkish lounge the crash of the door had done wh what a t all else had bad failed to accomplish for she had just raised her head bead and was staring at him with eyes dilating in horror as aa they discovered the whirling clouds of smoke that curled la in after him charlie ran to assist the girl to her feet at the same time calling the hotel Is on fire but be brave and I 1 will save you it if possible ills his manner calmed her more thin than all else she looked into his face and although her voice trembled she kept a brave front as she rhe said 1 I trust you with my life charlie tell me what to do and god help us both brave little woman that was wall what he thought her then and there he had believed it on that former occasion when she wandered in the dark steen dungeons and passages and now it was made doubly daubl y sure it would have been worth something to stuart at this critical juncture could he have become possessed of the valuable information which the fallen ogre had held regarding the ways and means of 0 reaching a fire escape As it was he found himself cast upon his own resources and compelled to make a virtue of necessity one thing was absolutely certain he could not count on assistance and it if they escaped it must be through hla his persistent and determined work then again he kept before hla his mind the fact that escape must be downward that flight to the root would only render their immolation the more certain each story they could descend would take them nearer the street and increase their chances of 0 being assisted through the medium of 0 the fire ladders charlie had taken his hearings bearings lie he knew the fire had not as aa yet spread over the entire building though the smoke must have done so ere now the stairs he had ascended were still free from flames though this could not long be said as they were wera in jeopardy snatching up a cloak which he h found he pressed it about arline some craze must have been running riot in his veins at the time for as her sweet face came close to his own owl lie he deliberately kissed her nor did she by look or word nord protest there was something almost holy in the act it was as though the man wished her to know the great love that was in his heart before thy faced the dreadful ordeal which might be their destruction As though he might thus seal real his claim upon the woman he be adored even though together they were doomed to journey toward another world come have courage my darling lic ho said probably few men on earth have been given so strange an opportunity to declare their love and under such conditions who could envy charlie stuart the brief spasm of 0 delight which he experienced tor for the first time he passed his arm about Ar arliner Arline lines 3 waist with a sense ot of proprietorship love is a strong factor in the race the girl might have been ren rendered renderos derod frantic with fear had bad she found herself alone face to face with the threatening destruction but with his strong arm to lean upon and the knowledge of his declared passion tu u sustain her site she could meet the dreal dread issue with courage and it required all the nerve she possessed to keep from screaming when once in the hall she saw tive the avalanche of 0 roaring lire fire at the th t er end charlie led her directly toward it yet she trusted him implicitly it wan waa a glorious symbol of 0 the power be h was to exercise in all time to come it if so be they escaped with their lives the stairs at last another minute and it might have hare been too hazardous to attempt a descent but that small space ot of time has won kingdoms ere now down one flight that much was waa saved them at any rate even should the worst happen when they started upon the second descent it was like running the gauntlet fingers of fire stretched out yearningly toward them and one even came so close that arline involuntarily uttered a scream thinking charlie who had bad thrust his body on that side was doomed this narrow escape told him that it would be utterly impossible to make any further use of the stairway in advancing their cause since below it was wreathed in flames their only course was to retreat from the fire as tar far as possible and there await rescue or provide for it through their own ingenuity still they heard the shrieks of 0 fear distracted women cowering in corners or rushing wildly through the tha corridors calling for or the help the that could never reach them such a scene ot of horror must haunt one while life lasts so fraught with human suffering and the utter inability to render aid ile he had not calculated wrongly while the smoke remained more densa den 49 than ever the danger of immediate fire was rift not so great although he saw it pushing toward them from three separate and distinct quarters as though closing in upon its victims an open window at the end ot of the tha hall ball was charlies objective point ile he had hopes of discovering there the iron ladder that would enable those who had the nerve to grasp its iti rounds to drop to safety below alas disappointment awaited him keen and cutting since there was waa no such avenue of escape provided in this quarter it was a dizzy distance down to the street and only a maddened brain could conceive the idea of leaping out into space charlie leaned out to survey surrey the situation immediately a roar of warning arose from thousands of throats below while arms waved him back doubtless under the belief that he be meant to take the mad plunge he was not quite reduced to such buck an insane policy his resources had bad not yet been exhausted charlie had his bearings now new kf k remembered the lay of the land and surely there must be a better chance of escape in the rear turning into another led in the desired quarter he on arline clung to his arm with whitened face and eyes that reflected the horror of her soul but thank heaven as yet her steps did not falter nor did she give any signs ot of collapse while his great courage remained bained to buoy her soul up the situation grew more intense with every passing second and charlie charile knew all too well that unless fortune speedily gave them ark an opening it would be too late since the fire was now sweeping with remorseless fury over the main portion of the doomed structure charlie stuart knew he had bad to solve the aroble mot his existence as well as that of the gentle being who clung so eagerly to his arm no man was ever better equipped for the fray he had bad everything to urge him on to superhuman euper human efforts abounding life with all that means to a healthy young man and besides besl dee the knowledge that he was beloved by the girl gh 1 to whom his heart had gone out yes it if ever a man had reason to strive with might and main for alo tory it was charlie stuart manfully he be met the requisition to be continued |