Our town and civic duty

by Jane Eayre Fryer

Obeying orders, Charlie climbed out of the window on to the ladder and began slowly and painfully to descend, like a man in a daze. The smoke and flames poured out of the windows and scorched his flesh and clothing, while the firemen below played a stream of water between him and the wall for protection, and shouted words of encouragement.

His comrades reached up for him as he neared the bottom; and it is well they did, for brave Charlie could stand no more and fell unconscious into their arms. They carried him to a safe place and used first-aid treatment.

Now the citizens outside the fire lines were to see what their firemen were capable of in an emergency; a thrilling deed that takes strength, courage, presence of mind and all the qualities of true manhood to perform—the rescue of Shorty.

Through the smoke they saw Dick climb out of the window on to the ladder—but not alone. Hanging suspended over Dick’s back was the unconscious Shorty, his arms around Dick’s neck, with wrists securely tied in front.

In this manner Dick began to descend, rung by rung, bearing his heavy load. The wicked flames shot out from the windows, and the suffocating smoke almost hid the men from view. Breathless, the people watched them on the slender ladder, high in the air, surrounded by smoke and flame, one man unconscious, a dead weight on the other man’s back.

The only sounds heard were the crackling of the flames and the swish of the water as it played and sizzled on the fire. Then the silence was broken by a great crash—one of the floors had fallen in.

But Dick came quickly down, lower and lower, nearer and nearer to safety. What if his hands and face were scorching and his clothes catching fire, his heart did not flinch. To save life—that is the fireman’s first duty, and well was Dick performing it.

But Dick was not thinking of that; he had only one thought—to get Shorty to the foot of the ladder and safely off his back.

A few steps more and the deed was done. Upstretched hands supported him; his feet touched the ground—Shorty was saved.