Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-11-01

stallion, whose graceful head sal
high in the air, its long, luxurian1
name sweeping back over the riders
shoulder, and whose flowing tail
lashed the ground as the stecd sped
over the road with lightning-like
swiftness.
The most valuable piece Of pro
perty that Dr.. Dixon then possessed
was his stallion-"Erebus," as he
had very correctly named him-and
between master and brute there
was such affection and perfect I'M
derstanding, that none could ap-
proach, and much less lay hand
upon, the one, unless the other were
present to sanction the act with a
command. "Erebus' was a gift to
the doctor from his father, few
years before, when that father was
laid low to rest in the old Eastern
churchyard, and this fact, aside
from the natural liking he enter.
tanned for noble horsehcsh, added
much to the value Of the handsome
animal.
Faithful, as ever, to the slightest
command of his master, the black
horse was now passing over the
rough ground at high rate ofspced
head and ears erect and tapering
limbs stretching gracefully to and
fro with the evenncss of fclock-work.
Mile after mile was completed, with
out the least abatement in the pace;
and then the objective point was
reached-thc "Sugar Bush,'' with
its many homes and families clus-
tered here and there on the partially
cleared lands.
All was confusion here. Such
household effects rs could be quickly
gathered, were being thrown pro
miscuouly into the wagons of some;
others were fleeing into the road
over which our hero had come,
content to escape with life only,
their frames trembling with excite
ment and fear, and faces pallid and
horror-stricken; men were shouting
and cursing, and women screaming
and crying all were frantic to
escape from the awful hell of flame
that was scarcely quarter ofa mile
distant, spreading toward them on
the wings Of a terrible gale, and
whose roar and seething was nearly
deafening, as the giant monarchs
OF the forest were caught in the
livid arms Of fire and fell crashing
beneath the fearful power.
Doctor Dixon halted his animal
on the edge ofthe first little clearing
and endeayored, for a moment, to
take his "bcarings." The black
smoke swept by in huge volumes.
ever and anon completely hiding
the scene from view, filling his eyes
month and noctrils almost to sutfoca
tion; and the whole air was as no,
and sitting as the breath of q blast
furnace. Blinded, sweltering, and
almost asphyxiated, the physician
was more than once indebted to the
sagacity of Erebus for his safety
in the saddle after he halted
Teams, driven by frantic drivers
dashed madly through the thicl
clauds, in close proximity to the
tall stallion, and only his quicl
moves from one side to another pre-
vented the calamity of a collision.
Finally, a stronger burst of win(
lifted the heavy smoke from th,
vision for the nonce, and the quicl
eyes Of the physician detected tn,
dwelling where, he knew, Heller
Graham was visiting. twas situa
ted on the farther side of the clear
ing, and the heart of the youn.
rescuer stood still, as he saw tha
the woods Immediately in the rca
were one mass of fire, and that tn,
barns and even the roof of the hous
were in a blaze.
| Was he too late, then? 1t wa
hardly possible that the famil,
would remain on the premises il
the face of such peril. He woul,
miss and surely lose the dear object
Of his search, in the binding smok'
and rushing stream of fugitives
The thought maddcned him, and liz
urged his impatient horse forwart
toward the house at furious pac
determined to satisfy himself ere h
turned back from that wall of fire
He reached the gate; there was III
sign of life upon the place, save il
the agonizcd shrieks of the numcr
Gus cattle which, for want Of time
had not been loosed from the STALL
and enclosures in the rear. Desper
ate, he sprang from the saddle AM
dashed into the house, calling alou'
the name of her he loved so well
But there was no response; til
dwelling was disarranged, and dc
serted. Mad with grief and horror
he rushed back to his noble horse
and rc-mounting, turned back owe
the route he had come. The ca
was intense; his ears, hands an
face were blistcred and cracked; th
soft, glossy hair ofhis stced twis
ted and withercd, and the animal
frequent snorts attested that he wa
suffering as much as his rider. Yet
with eager eyes searching in ever
direction as well as they were able
he forced the trembling Erebu
down to slow walk, hoping t
catch glimpse of the maiden some
where in the vicinity, or in the las
crowd of despairing fugitives tina
was disappearing down the road.
1t seemed as if his efforts were I,
prove fruitless, after all, and he ha'
almost gained the forest on the op
posite side of the clearing, when
shrill scream rang upon his ears
woman's cry, and full of agony an,
terror. But Arthur Dixon knew
that voice above all others tn
quickest, and with an apswerip:
cry, turned the head of Erebus il
the direction of the sound-to hi
right. The thick smoke again drop
ped like pail upon the scene, ant
he could discover nothing distan
ten feet; but he urged the anima
forward, stumbling over stumps
stones and Irregularities in the soil
calling the name of Helen in anx