Beadle's Dime Novels No. 126: Old Jupe — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

82 OLD JUPE. had assumed frightful proportions. The wind arose, as the heat rarefied the air, rushing and roaring along, bringing scattered flakes of flame to light the scourge in different places at once. ‘The street on which stood. Luke’s property was soon red with the advancing fire ; ere an hour had passed, his stores tumbled down upon their ruined contents. There was no insurance for San Francisco property in those days ; Luke’s loss was heavy; the month before he would not have cared for it, but now he had a half-formed feeling, as if splen- dor of worldly gear could repay Mary for some of her wrongs, and he was sorry to see the destruction of the best part of his income. His loss he could well bear, however, when he compared it with many others, men who, when the sun went down, were worth their hundreds of thousands, when it arose were penniless. Still the sea of fire rolled and spread, overflowing half the city. Many aspects of the scene were grotesque as well as appalling. Luke went hither and thither, cool and courageous, lending a helping hand wherever he could. One poor China- man he pulled out of his little shop by the tail of his head, just as the shanty fell about his ears. He aided in tearing down buildings, in hopes of arresting the fire by depriving it of its food, but the high wind carried it triumphantly over gaping spaces. He had been out several hours, and had followed on before the monster, working until quite exhausted, when he found himself not far from his boarding-place. Half an hour before, that street had been considered safe. Many of the in- mates of the hotel, tired with looking at, or working at the flames, had retired to rest. Now, the hotel was all ablaze | Luke thought of Jupe, and was rushing up to see if he were safe, when a great cry of horror ran through the multitude. It was supposed that all the women and children had been taken from the building, which was burning downwards from the upper story, when a woman appeared at one of the win- dows. The room in which she stood was already on fire; they could see the flames bebind her, as her slender figure appeared in the casement. She acted as if half stifled and stupefied by the smoke, evidently not understanding the direce- tions shouted to her from below. | “Hold-on! only one instant. For God’s sake, only one connicloooks.com