Show q WARIOR R BOID by ST GEOPGE Autho tittle mil mil am tin TA sp e r a 1 wib web dr jack 1 widow H if M is capriel adte to 1001 street and smith new now CHAPTER XIV A battle of giants some ot of the most frantic hovered at the windows as though ready to plunge through space it the worst came they nere crazed for the time being in and could not be blamed many a precious life went out that fatal day that might have been saved by the exercise of a little judgment and coolness for of all the attributes which mortal man inherits or ac quires these prove the richest legacy in such a time of actual panic having taken his bearings and discovered which ray a the numbers ran charlie started upon what he be lieveld was the last leg of bis his course now he must speedily realize the worst u arst tt if he came upon arline s rooms and found them empty be he would know she was somewhere about the intricate passages lost and facing death as when ne first found her what a tr travesty aNesty of fate such a thing would be tragedies were being enacted with in those walls that h had ad many times echoed with the sounds of gayety and now rang with shrieks already the greedy fire fiend had cut off many from escape and yearned to enbom pass their destruction some doors were closed but the majority stood gaping wide open whence the terrified occupants 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 evi bently seeking to lay jay hold of her precious jewel boxes ere flying mayhap they cost her what all the jewels from Cleo cleopatra patras s day to this could not replace life a woman upon crazed by 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 shout ing at the same time for her to go to the stairs and descend while the chance remained god only I 1 new how long this golden opportunity might be held out to them for the greedy flames were making hideous headway and presently the entire building would be a charnal house all obstacles had thus tar far been overcome by his iron will de ed to reach and save arline he had swept them aside as the march wind chrls the dust out of its path but the end was not one barrier remained charlie suspected t rot until the thing burst upon him sudden and un expelled as lightning from the clear shy sky overhead again a detaining hand this time it brought his forward moT increment ement to a complete stop and he realized there was something more serious in the detention than when the poor groveling chambermaid had clutched bis his knees it waa a man through the haze he had seen his presence without pay ing the least attention to him and now the fellow probably as terrified as the women frantically cl ing to him to the stairs or the 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 bis his own the face of the bogus capt brand transformed by passion into the countenance of a fiend was it accident or deep design that brought macauley to this floor of the hotel at such a moment when charlie felt t tl at grip on his arm and looked into the maddened orbs of the ogre he seemed to realize that a great crisis in his life had arrived the stake was airlines love this man might be innocent or vilty ol 01 murderous design but ap pe arances were mightily against him his manner indicated as plainly as words this tar far shall you come and ne no farther instinct warned charlie to prepare for the worst to throw himself into a position that was aggressive eve i while defensive it was a wise precaution for the other even while he continued to glare malevolently into his face sul denly threw himself apoi stuart As he expected chaille found ma cauley a man gifted with tre bendo is muscular power like trained ath letes the two tro men whirled around each seeking the downfall of t e other to charlie each second meant a closer approach of doom while biti the other the passage of time brought t savage satisfaction as his base plans grew nearer real izat on charlie retracted a step mustering every atom of power in his muse ilar frame tor for the storm which I 1 e meant to spring upon the already gloating enemy macauley was drun with the sic s cess that bad had seemed to be already within his grasp he thus could be taken off bi hi guard and once in retreat complete comp lev rout must follow so sudden was the attall so avei whelming in its resistless energy thu the ogre fell back in contusion confusion harl ly knowing just how to meet A strange a rally and stuart followed it up he I 1 ne v full well that what was worth doin at all was worth doing well ir i at r he was bent on ending the struggle then and there in order to do ao so most effectively be he let out still an other kink and surprised his enemy with a succession of tricks that corn com plated his utter demoralization it was the work of a gladiator char he lie having stunned the ogre with a multiplicity of short arm blows hurl ed him in a shuddering heap aside and found himself once more tree free to go forward CHAPTER XV when charlie kissed her the flames had been maling mal ing hid bous progress philp this mad en counter took place and already then red tongues leaped into view at the further end of the corridor charlie was panting like a hunted stag hardly able to catch his areat i in that e burdened atmosphere yet no sooner had he hurled his en emy to the floor and to fo ind the coast clear than he started along the hall v way ay the numbers on the doors now stood out plainly enough thanks ta 10 the illumination afforded by the flames and he knew he R was as close to where arline might be found he saw the door was closed it gave him a shod then she had not escaped with the first she must still be within her room he pounced upon the knob and turned it horrors there was no response the door utterly refused to give way being loci ed within charlie pounded with bis his fist upon the panel open the door arline open tor for gods sake the hotel is on fire apparently he shouted loud enough to arouse the dead yet no answer came from beyond stuart knew of but one re reso souren left it was a desperate case and re quiren a desperate remedy he raised his foot one mighty blow shivered the loc loca as completely as though a battering ram had been brought to bear against it the door flew open nothing thing barred his progress now and with a bound bound the briton was in the room arline lay upon a turkish lounge the crash of the door had done what all else had failed to accomplish for she had just raised her head and was staring at him with eyes dilating ii in horror as they discovered the whirl ing clouds of smoke that curled in after him ran her feet at the same time calling the hotel Is on fire but be brave and I 1 will save you if possible his manner calmed her more thin all else she looked into his face and al though her voice trembled she kept a brave front as she said I 1 trust you with my life charlie tell me what to do and god help us both brave little woman that was what he thought her then and there he had believed it on that former oc casion when she wandered in the dark steen dungeons and passages and now it was made doubly 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 w waya ays and means of reaching a fire esca escape pe 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 if they escaped it must be through his persistent and determined work then again he kept before his mind the tact fact that escape must be dow downward nvard that flight to the root roof would only render their immolation tle more certain each story they could descend would take them nearer the street and increase their chances of being assisted through the medium of the fire ladders charlie had taken his bearings he knew the fire had not as 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 e in jeopardy snatching up a cloak which ha he found be he pressed it about arlin arline some craze must have been running not riot in bis his veins at the time for as her sweet face came close to his own he deliberately kissed hissed her nor did he by look or word protest there was something om ething almost holy in the act it was as though the man I 1 her to know the great love that was in his heart before they faced the dreadful ordeal which might be their destruction As though he might thus seal his claim upon the woman he adored even though together they were doomed to journey toward an other world come have courage my darling he 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 delight which he experienced for the first time he passed hia his arm about arline s waist with a sense of hh love is a strong factor in the race the girl might have been rendered d ivantic with fear had she found her self alone face to face with the tl reat ening destruction but with his strong arm to lean upon and the knowledge of his declared passion lu sustain her she could meet the dread issue with courage and it required all the nene nerie she possessed pos essed to keep from screaming when once in the hall she saw the tw avalanche of roaring fire at the carth er end charlie led her directly toward it yet she trusted him implicitly it was a glorious symbol of the power he was to exercise in all time to come if so be they escaped with their lives the stairs at last another minute and it might have been too hazardous to attempt a descent but that small space of time has won kingdoms ere now down one flight that much was saved them at any rate even should the worst cappen when they started upon the second descent it was like running the gauntlet fingers of fire stretched out 5 yearningly toward them and one even came so close that arline involuntary lly ily uttered a scream thinking char lie who had thrust bis his body on that side was doomed this narrow escape told him that it bould rould be utterly impossible to make any further use of the stal stairway rRay in advancing their cause since below it was wreathed in flames their only course was to retreat from the fire as far as possible and there await rescue or provide for it ahr through olgh their own ingenuity still they heard the shrieks of tear fear distracted women cowering in cor ners or rushing wildly through the corridors calling for fie vie leip tha could never reach them such a scene of horror must haunt one while life lasts so fraught with human suffering and the utter ina ability to render aid he had not calculated wrongly while the smoke remained more dene than ever the danger of immediate fire was not so great although he saw it pushing toward them from three separate and distinct quarters ag as though closing in upon its victims an open window at the end of the hall was charlies charlie s objective point he had hopes of discovering there tho the iron ladder that would enable those who had the nerve to grasp its rounds to drop to safety below alas disappointment awaited him keen and cutting since there was 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 the situation immediately a roar of warning arose from thousands of throats below while arms arras waved him back doubtless under the belief that he meant to take the mad plunge he was not quite reduced to such an insane policy his resources had not yet been exhausted charlie had his bearings now new ho h remembered the lay of the land surely there must be a better chanca of escape in the rear turning into another corridor led in the desired quarter he pushed on 0 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 fal ter nor did she give any signs of collapse while his great courage remained to buoy her soul up the situation grew more intense with every passing second and char lie knew all too well that unless for tune speedily gave them an opening it would be too late since the fire was now sweeping with remorseless fury over the main portion of the diomel structure charlie stuart knew he had 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 ile had everything to urge him on to euper superhuman human efforts abounding life with all that means to a healthy young man and besides the knowl edge that he was beloved by the giri girl to whom his heart had gone out yes if ever a man had reason to strive with might and main for victory it was charlie stuart manfully he met the requisition to be continued |