Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-04-12
BURNING PR.9IH7ES

nessed III this country, and also some OF
The mos. sublime. Every acre Of these
vast prairies (being covered for hundreds
OF miles. with crop Of grass, which dies
and dries, in the lalI) burns over during
The tall, or early in the spring, leaving the
ground Of . black and dolelul color
There are many modes by which, the fire
Is communicated TO them. both by white
men and by Intinns--lpar accident and
yet many more where il is voluntarily
done for the purpose Of getting a fresh
supply Of grass. for the grazing of their
horses. aud also for the easier travelling
during the next summer, when there will
be no old grass to lie upon the prairies,
en;angling The feet of man and horse as
they are passing over them. Over the
elevated lands and prairie bluffs, where
the grass is thin and short, ,te fire creeps
with a feeble fame, which ore can easily
step over; where the wild animals often
rest III their lairs. until the flames almos,
burn their noses. when they will reuc,-
an,ly rise, and leap over ii, and ,rot off a.
nong the cinders, where The fire has pass,
ed, and left The ground rs black as Jet
These scenes al night become indiscrba
bly, beautiful, when their flames are seen
a. many miles distance. creeping over the
sides and he tcrs Of the bluffs, Appearing
10 be sparkling and brilliant chains of liq-
uid fire lhe hills being los. 10 view hang
ing in graceful ies;oons from the skies.
Du, there is another character of The
burning 7raires tina, requires another let
ter, and a different pen To desrrbe-,he
war, or he'll of fires where the grass is
seven or eigh, fee. high, as is often Me
case for many mi es together. On the Mis-
sou.i bottoms; and the flames are driven
forward b. tie hurricanes, which often
sweep over the vast praiyies of This denu-
ded country. There are many Of these
meadows on the Missouri, the Platte, and
the Arkansas. of mary miles in bredlh,
which are perfectly level, with waving
grass, SO high, that we are Obliged 10
stand erect i'll our slirrnps. In order TO iovh
over lis waving tops as we arc riding tbfo
it. The fire in these, before such WIND.
travels at an immense and lrighilul rate
and often destroy, on their ilee,es, horse,
parties Of Indians, who are SO unlucky as
10 be oyer,aken by Ii; 10, that II travels
as fas. as a horse at full speed. but that
The high grass is filled with wild pea vines
and other impedlmenls, which renders Ii
necessary for The rider 10 guide his horse
il Tie zig.zsg paths Of The deer and bull
falocs, re'ardlng his progress, until he -
overaken by the dense column OF smoke
,ha, is swept before the FIRE alarming The
horse, which. stops. and stands terrified
and lmmovablc, ill Tie burning grass,
waited in The wind. falls abou, him.
kindiirg up in a momen. thousand fires
which are Instantly wrapt in the swelling
H~.-i .-f snake Tia, is mo, ing like black
thunder cioNld, rolling on the earth, with
its ligh,ning's glare, and its thunder rumb
{ ling as il goes.
We'll, Ba'tis.c, and Bogard aud |. and
Patrick Raymond, (who, like Bogard, hat
been a fee ,rapper in the Rocky Mum
, ,ains,) and i'ah-me-o-ne-qua. (he Re-
Ihunder.) our guide from a nclghbor'ns
village, were jogging along on HE sum
nit uf an elevated buff, overlooking al
immense valley of higI, grass. ,hro"g!
which we were about to lay our course.
said 10 my comrades, as we were a
bout to descend from the towring bluff:
: into the prairie. we will take that butla
10 trail, here HE travelling herds has'
;. slashed down the high grass. and n,akin!
r for that blue point, rising as you can JUS
: discern above the ocean Of grass. goo'
n days work will bring US over this vas
meadow before sunset We entered th'
trail, and slowly progressed on our way
being obliged TO follow the winding path:
OF the bulla'oes, for the grass was highe
than the backs of our horses. Soon al,e
we entered, my Indian guide dismounte'
slowly from his horse, and lying prosrat'
on the ground, with his face in the dirt
he cried, and was talking 10 The Spirits
The brave For said he, lover this beau
iiful plains 1welis the Spirit Of fire b.
II rides in yonder eloud-his face blacken
e with rage a, the sound of tramrling hoof
= the fire bow is in his hand-he draw
i. across the path Of the lndan:an quick
er than lightning. thousand flames ris
, and destroy him such is The talk of my
fathers, and The ground is whi.ened will
,hei, bones. Ii was here, aaid he, '.lIa
the brave son Of Wah chee-,oo, and III
strong armed wa19Iors Of his band, jus
n twelve moons since, licked the fire from
, tie blazing wand Of that grca. magician
. Their pointed spears were drawn npo'
!, ,he backs e that ,eacherous Sioux, who's
Switter flying horses led them, in vain. Il
the mIds. Of this valley of death. A cir
:, cuar cloud sprang up from the prairie a
round them! II VAS raised, and ,hei
doom was liked by the spi,it of Fire !