Rose Mortimer; Or, The Ballet-Girl's Revenge — page 45: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ee i —— ee oe oaaien THE BALLET-GIRI.S REVENGE. 3g oe and then, with a savage curse, returned to the stage. The uproar by this time had reached its height. Upon his making his appearance behind the foot- lights he was saluted with a torrent of abuse. ‘* Ladies and gentlemen,”’ said he, appealing to the rabble before him, “it’s not my fault. I’ve paid her her salary, and she won’t dance. I can’t make her. Ifyou can I wish you would.” Scarcely were the words out of his mouth when half a dozen young ruffians sprang upon the stage. CHAPTER XV. THE RABBLE—THE CHASE—UP IN THE “‘FLIES’’—A LAST CHANCE—“‘ FIRE! FIRE!’’—THE STRANGERS —THE MYSTERIOUS CONVERSATION—THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF A DARK PLOT, WITH a savage whoop, which would have done credit to the lungs of Red Indians, they rushed across the stage, flinging the manager upon his back as they dashed passed him. ‘Stop! Stop!’ he roared. ‘‘ Police! Police !’’ But it was too late now to remedy the mischief. He ought to have thought what damage this tag- rag and_bob-tail would do to his theatre before he spoke so imprudently. Now he might just as well have tried to stem a raging torrent with his hat. They poured past him howling and shrieking. They drove the terrified carpenter before them like chaff before a hurricane. There were two or three ballet-girls whom Rose had not seen, their dressing room being on the other side of the stage. Into their private apartment the mob burst, how- ling for our heroine, and sending the girls flying in every direction with shricks of terror. One of these damsels, to get rid of her persecutors, informed them where our heroine was to be found, and they instantly turned and rushed in the indicated direction. Rose seemed to comprehend instinctively their de- sign. The sound of their hurrying feet coming in her direction, mingled with the shrieks of women and oaths of men, first apprised her of the approaching danger. The warning was but very short, Almost the next moment there arose a fiendish yell without the door. Then came splitting blows upon the panel. ‘“ What are we to do?’’ asked Rose, in terror, of her companion. “How am I tusay?” retorted the other fiercely. “Tf they kill you, you will only have yourself to thank.” ‘‘ What do you say ?”’ “T say what I mean. Your own stupid squeamish- ness haa brought all this upon you.” ‘© What do they want ?’’ ‘‘ They wanted you to dance again, and you wouldn’t. You'll be roughly handled, my fine lady, mark my words if you ain’t.’”’ “Tell me, without wasting any more time in talk, How can we escape ?”’ “* No way that I know of.”’ ‘¢ Yes, there must be a way.”’ “‘ Well, find it.” ‘“‘ Where does that other door lead to ?”’ ‘© You'd better go and see, I shan’t help you.” The panels of the outer door by this time were splintered beneath the blows of those without. — oo Had not the door been protected inside by a wooden bar placed across it, it would long since have been broken open, But the roughs were not to be thus kept at bay by a trifle. A party of five or six, finding that their separated efforts were useless, formed themselves into a sort of battering-ram. Altogether they hurled themselves suddenly against the door. It creaked and trembled, Another rush. The doorposts began to tear away from the wall. The plaster of the ceiling to trickle down upon their heads. Now came the last effort. . A terrible crash, a dozen strong, and the door was carried, doorposts and all. But while these vigorous measures were. being’ adopted by the mob Rose was by no means idle. The other door, about which she questioned the dresser, she found to be locked. But the lock was not of a very formidable nature, Fear lent her strength. She soon mastered this opposition. Flinging herself against the door, she flung it open with a loud crash. Then rushed ont. Before her there was a winding: staircase, leading to the flies. Without hesitating a moment she sprang lightly up the steps. ; But the mob, breaking in, caught sight of her muslin skirt as she fled before them. With a ferocious yell they followed in pursuit. On she fled, caring not where she went, staying not to consider whether there was a safe footing to be found up among the dusty scenery and confused assemblage of ropes amidst which she had taken refuge. On she ran. There was a beam before her, scarcely broad enough to stand upon with both feet set together. She passed across without a moment’s hesitation. The roughs, afraid to follow, howled after her in fury. Others, taking a hasty glance around, sought out a ladder on the other side of the stage, and scrambled up to cut off her retreat. With flashing eyes and heaving breast the young and lovely girl turned panting to face her foes. She cast her eves around in search of some other outlet. There was no way of escaping, however, except by the road she had come*by or the other staircase, now blocked up by her assailants. The only chance for her then was to dodge her pur- suers about among the flies, across the beams, in and out among the tangled cordage and the Inmbering machinery. A wild and exciting chase it was for both hunters and hunted, but a cruel one to the latter. From beam to beam she flew with lightning speed, the agile wretches springing after her, utterly reck- less as it now seemed of their lives and limbs. Scarcely a step did she take without the danger of a frightful fall. More than once the rotten woodwork crumbled be- neath her, but she sprang lightly on, now and then tottering and staggering, but recovering herself as though by magic. The longer, however, the race continued, the more intense became her fear of falling into the hands of the wretches now so intent upon hunting her down. Comicbooks.cO