Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-02-19


S And, as l live, the peril is not ye
e owe r." suddenly exclaimed the broth
e er. "See-see-a fire has brok
Il out on our right, and is coming t
& US like whirlwind! God have mer
? cy on u.s."
e He spoke with an energy tha
1 would have startled his hearers with
n out the fearful words he uttered
t But when they followed the direction
f of his quivering finger, a Shrek burs
4 YfroIn n the two females, while the usu
ally collected husband turned ashy
: pale, not for himself but for her who
: was dearer to him than his own life
A fire, during the last few minutes
} had started to life in the forest tc
their right, and as the wind was from
that quarter, the flames we re seen a.
, head shooting down toward the road
which the bridal party WAS versing,
roaring, Kissing, and Numbering as
they drew near
"Dri i've faster, for heavens sake
on the gallop"' exclaimed the hus-
band, as he comprehended the immi-
nency Of their danger
The brother made no answer, for
be well knew their fearful situation,
but whipped the horses into run
The chaise flew along the narrow for
est road with a rapidity that neither
of the party had ever before witness
ed; for eve n the animals themselves
seemed aware of their peril, and
4 strained every sinew to escape from
the fiery death which threatened
them.
Their situation was indeed terri
bic, and momentarily becoming more
precarious. The fire, when frstseen,
was, at least, mile of, but nearly
equidistant from a point in the road
( the bridal party was traversing; and,
as the c cpn1agration swept down to-
wards the road with velocity equal
to that of the travellers, it soon be-
came evident that they would have
barely time to pass the fire ere it
swept across the road, thus cutting
off all escape! Each saw this; but
the females were now paralyzed with
fear Only the husband spoke.
"Fasterl for Gods sake, faster!"
he hoarsely cried; "seq you not that
the fire is making fd + yonder tall
pine? We shall not he able to reach
the tree first, unless we go faster
9 l will do my best" said the broth
er lashing more furiously the foam
ing horses. "Oh Cod that l had
turned hack when Ellen wished mel"
On came the roaring fire-on in
one mass Of fame--on with a veloc-
ity that seemed only equalled by that
of the flying hurricane. Now the
flames caught the lower limbs of a
tall tree, and in an instant had Kissed
to its top-now they shot out their
forky tongues from one huge pine~to
another far across the intermediate
space-and now the whirlinS fire
whistled along the dry grass and moss
of the swamp with rapidity which |
the eye could scarcely follow. Al
ready the fierce heat Of the conHagra- /
ton began to be felt by the travel
ers, while the horses, feeling the in
crease of warmth, grew restive and /
terrified ! The peril momentarily in
creased. Hope grew fainter. Be
hind and on either side the conha-
grafton roared in pursuit, while the
advancing flame in front was cutting
off their only avenue of escape
They reyc girdledly .tre! Faster
and quicker roared the flames to-
wards the devoted party, until at
length despair seized on the hearts
of the travellers. Pale, paralyzed,
silent, inanimate as statues, sat the
females; while the husband and BROTH
er, leaning forward in the carriage
and urging the horses to their ut
most speed, gazed speechlessly on the
approaching flames Already the
fire was within hundred yards of
the road ahead, and it seemed beyond
human probability that the travellers
could pass it in time. He gave one
last agonizing glance at his inani-
mate wife. When again he looked
at the approaching flames, he saw
that during the momentary glimpse
they had lessened their distance one
hall. He could already feel the hot
breath Of the fire on his cheek. The
wind, too, suddenly whirled down