The Heart's Kingdom

"Where is he caught, Charlotte?" asked the parson, as he edged a little

farther under the beam, which tottered and brought him to a cautious

standstill.

"His middle. Mikey's pushing and I'm pulling, but he's all bluggy. He's

dead all but his toes that wiggle."

"Hurry, Goodloe, hurry!" groaned Nickols, with what seemed a final

inspiration of breath.

"Pull him loose and come quick, Charlotte, you and Mikey. Never mind the

blood," was the firm command and in a few seconds Charlotte and Mikey

squeezed through the fast closing opening, bloody and torn, but with

the limp Stray dragged between them. A great cheer went up as Martha

turned and caught the unconscious boy in her arms, then it froze in the

throats that had been uttering it. Slowly, but more rapidly than could

be stayed by human hands, the whole heavy roof crushed down upon the

rest of the ruin; and under it and the beam went Nickols Powers with

only one deep groan. Mr. Goodloe tried to hold up the whole side of the

roof on his own shoulders and only staggered out from the very brink of

being involved in the crash. Martha sank to the ground and hid her head

in my knees and sobbed while I heard a great cry break from my father's

lips. Nickols was the last of his race and our pride was blasted when he

fell.

"Now forward, every man of you, but lift and dig carefully," commanded

the parson, as he stood on the very edge of the ruin. "Todd, you stand

at the corner and show them how to roll back the timbers to the right.

Carefully, men, but quick, quick, and with the help of God!"

It seemed hours that the men wrestled with the timbers and tore away

brick and stone and steel, but it was only a few minutes before they

pried up a section of the heavy roof and lifted Nickols from the debris

beneath.

"He's breathing," said Mr. Todd, as he laid him in the parson's great,

strong, outstretched arms open to receive him and which bore him out

through the crowd swiftly and laid him across the seats of Nickols' car.

Doctor Harding had just put Mark, a limp, heavy body, into his own car,

with Harriet to support the bleeding head, and Nell crouched beside him

with the Suckling in her arms, and sent them on up into the devastated

Town. Now he came and helped us settle Nickols on his cushions.

"Shall I send my car and Colonel Leftwick for surgeons and nurses from

the Capital?" asked the Governor. "How is it with Morgan?"

"He is dead," answered the old doctor with the calm serenity that he had

acquired after so many years of giving up his friends. "This case is

another matter. There may be a chance and I'll need help. We don't yet

know how many more are injured in the whole town. We'll need help."