The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1853-01-06

not able to distinguish ten yards before
me. The swamp Immediately below u:
was on fire, and the heavy wind was driv-
ing dense, black cloud ofsmoke directly
towards US.
.Whst can this mean?" | cried; "Whe
can have set fire to the fallo.?"
As ceased speaking, John Thomas
stood pale and trembling before me.
sJohn, what is the meaning Of this fire p
TO, ma'am hope you will forgive me; il
was sci fire to it, and would give all !
|nave in the world, if had not done it,"
| "Wnat is the danger?''
80, Pm terribly aieard that we shall ali
be burnt up" said the fellow beginning 10
whimper.
"Wby did you run such risk, and your
master from home, and no one on the
lplace to render the least assistance?"
Il did il for the BEST" blubbered the
lad. .swhat shall we DOR
"Why, we mus, get out Of it as fast as
we can, and leave the house to its fate
I'VE can't get OUT" said the man, in q
low, hollow tone, which seemed the con
cen,ralon of tear;'I would have got out
Of il if could; but just step to the back
door, ma'am, and see."
had not felt the least alarm up to this
minute; had never seen tallow burnt,
but had heard of it as thing OF such
common occurrence that had never con
nec,ed with il any idea Of danger. Judge
then, my sarpfise, M horror, when, on 60,
ing to the back door, saw that the fellow.
TO make sure Of his work, bad fired IL 10
lift, different places. Behind, before, on
levery side, we were surrounded by wall
d fire, burning furIous!y within hundred
wards Of us. and cutting off all possibility
lof retreat; for, could we have found sn
Iapeniug through the burning heaps, we
lcouid not have seen our way through the
dense eanop} Of smoke; aud buried as we
we're in the heart OF the forest, 10 one
could discover our situation TILL we were
} beyond the reach of help. ! closed the
door aud went back to the paslor. Fear
was knocking loudly at my heart, tor our
utter helplessness annihilaed all hope ol
being able to effect our escape felt stu
fed The girl sat upon the floor by the
!; children, who unconscious oi the peril that
hung over ,hem, had both fallen asleep
She was silently weeping while the TOOL
aho had caused the mischief was crying
loud.
. 4 strange calm succeeeed my first
: alarm; tears and lamentations were use.
, ess horrible death was impending over
ls, aud vet could not believe that We
= we're t. die. SAT down upon the step OF
: he door, and watched the awful sceae in
7rence. The fire was raging in the cedar
. s~amp, Immediately below the ridge on
which The house stood, and presented d
I spectacle truly appalling.
From %, the dense folds Of a canopy oi
smoke, the ulackast ! ever saw, |eaped up
continually, red forks of lurid flames as
:, nigh as the Tree tops, igniting the branch
es IT a gronp Of tall pines that had been
left ST. nding for sun logs. A deep glSom
: slotted out the heavens IRON our sight
The air was filled with fiery particles,
: which iloated even to the door sep-while
The cracking and roaring Of the flames
: might have been heard at great distance.
Could we have reached the Lake shore,
where several canoes were moored at the
landing. by launching out into the water
we should have been in perfect safety but,
TO attain this object il was necessary 10
pass through this sea OF fire; and not a
4 aird could have flown over it with an
i zcafched wing. There was no hope in
that quarter. tar. could we have escaped
tue flames, we should have been blinded
ad ehoaeG by The thick, black, reslnous
IN ke. The fierce wind drove the flames
i The sides and back Of the house up the
clearing, and our passage TO the road or
forest, en- the right and left, was entirely
obs,ructed by sea Of flames. Our only
: ark of safety was the house, go long as il
remained untouched by the consuming
element. turned TO young Thomas, and
: asked him how long he thought that would
; be
"When the fire clears this little ridge in
! front, ma'a am. The Lord have mercy upon
us, then, or we must all go!'
"Canuot you, John, try and make your
escape, and see what can be done for ns
} I'd the chdren?"
Ny eye fell upon the sleeping angels
2 locked peacefully in each others arms, ano
I nv tears flowed for the first time. Mary
The servant girl looked pi,eously up 10 my
| lace. The good, faithful creature had moi
altered one word OF complaint, but now
he fal'ered forth:
1.-The dear, precious lambs! Oh!such a
; deathm
E threw myself down upon the floor be
q side them, and pressed them alternately
o 10 my heart, while invariably | thanked
God ,ha, they were asleep, unconscious o
danger, and unable by their childish cries
4 10 distract our attention from adopting an,
4 plan which might offer to effect their cs
7 cape.
e The heat soon became sufocating. We
, were parched with thirst, and there was
e not drop of water in the house, and none
= tn be procured nearer than the lake.
; urned once more TO the door, hoping tha,
d passage nigh, have burnt through to the
9 water. saw nothing but dense cloud o.
u fire and smoke could hear nothing bu'
q The cracking and roaring of flames, whlci
u we're gaining SO fast upon US that iels
e heir scorchng breath in my face.
! "Ah, thought (and it was most bitter
l