Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-11-03
clung to my neck as l hurried on
stumbling and tripping almost u

the rush of the fire that we had no
chance of saving anything but our
lives, even if we had cared to do
so. kept calling to my husband
to keep in sight, but, poor fellow,
there was no need of doing SO, for
| could see that mother was a great
worry to him, and that he had al
most to drag her along. She kept
looking from side to side, and try
ing to break away from him; even
then | thought how terrible it would
be if she should become furious
again. What on earth could we
do with her?
We must have gone, on in this
way for at least threc:;:iiiiIes and
was almost exhausted, for Louis
was a boy six years old and large
for his age, and l had been carry
ing him all the way. The trees
were compact, and in some places
the underground was.closc and stiff
as wire. Mother Nf,t getting
worse, and Mr.. Mechand, who was
a short distance ahead of Louis and
me, had the greatest difficulty to
make her obey him. Presently he
stopped, and evidently was waiting
for me to come up. SO put Louis
down and told him to keep along
side of me, at the same time taking
him firmly by the hand. The fire
had come much slower than we,
and | believe we must have been at
least two miles ahead of it, although
there was no telling, for l could see
nothing behind or far before me
but smoke curling like a mist in and
out Of the trees. Behind us, indeed,
it was heavier, and looked sullen,
dirty white.
We could not have been six feet
from my husband when my mother
broke away from him, and with a
loud cry darted off into the woods,
and then | knew that what | had
dreaded had indeed come to pass,
and that excitement and danger had
brought back an old sickness upon
her. She was maniac. Mr..
Mcchand darted after her, and in
the terror Of the moment l forgot
all else and followed him, leaving
poor little Louis behind. l must
have been crazy to do so, but on l
rushed, and soon saw that mother
was cunning enough to attempt to
escape by doubling on her tracks,
for saw her dress dart past the
bushes at my side as she ran di-
agonally away from me. sprang
after her, and after running for
about five minutes, found to my
horror that l had not only lost her,
but Louis and his father. Madly /
tried to retrace my steps, but there
was nothing to guide me-no path,
no blazcs on the trees. The
wind shook the trees and almost
bent them double; the sultry air
filled with smoke, and all the hor-
rors of my terrible condition made
me frantic. | rushed about help
lessly, crying and screaming,
Louis! Louis! Father" But that
last word made me calm for an in
slant, and | felt that l was not
alonc-not utterly lost in the burn
ing woods, for the spirit Of my dead
father was near end there were
guardian angels. | knelt down,
took my crucitix from my neck, and
prayed. In knecling down found
to my great JOY that my dress was
wet. | had knelt near a spring. l
bathcd my face and hands, and
soaked my hair and the upper part
of my dress. But then my boy
my little Louis. ! sprang to my
feet, and, called on the Virgin to
direct me, dashed on in the dircc-
ton of the fire. had not gone
more than quarter of Il mile when
| found my darling, standing with
head erect, and flashing eyes filled
with angry tears, trying to beat
away some wolves, which, hungry
though they were, seemed bent
only on fight. l cried "Louis!
Louis! c'est moi, ta mere.t" and
clasped him to my heart. 1t was
my boy, and he was saved. lie had
not seen his father, though once he
had heard mans voice calling,
but the voice seemed to have come
from an immense distance. ooh,
LOUIS" said l, eve are lost unless
we find him. We must run for our
lives" The boy began to cry, nd
then was ashamed OF what | had
said, and tried to cheer him up.
The fire must have been very near
us then, for could not only feel
its heated breath, but above my
head, among the treetops, sparks
and firebands were whirling in the
air. ! took Louis in my arms, de-
termincd that never again should
he be separated from me, and press
ed onward with some vague idea
that / should soon reach Wolf
river.
Night was coming on, and since
noon we had had nothing to cat.
did not feel hungry, but was tor
mentcd with thoughts of what might
happen if we should not soon reach
a place of safety, for | feared that
Louis would give out, and that was
one of the reasons which made me
carry him. My arms ached, and
my limbs were scratched, braiscd,
and bleeding. Still l made good
Roadway, and soon came to natur-
al clearing, on the thither side
oil which we sat down to rest. BY
this time nj ght had come on, and
what night! No moon, no stars,
but the cloudy heavens lighted up
afar will, the horrible fires OF the
burning woods. The clearing in
which we sat was the dried up bed
of stream which for some account
able reason had not thickly wood
cd shores, and we were at least two
hundred feet from the forest in
flame. All this time Louis, manly
little fellow that he was, had not
even asked for food, nor had he
cried since myself foolishly fright
ened him.
We sat there a long time while |
was tryinr to think where we were,