The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-11-23
the bed, placed her mothers clothes with.

the bed, placed her mothers clothes with
in reach, Rugged her once and rushed
away. In two minutes more she had put
on Joel's boots, tied up her curly head in
an old comforter, and buttoned herself
into her fathers coat. She was ready to
fight fire, and she knew just how to do it.
But, first, the colts must be taken from
the low matched stable that would be sure
to blaze at the first spark. Already they
were growing restless with the strong
smell Of smoke, and that strange intuition
of danger which horses seem to possess.
Dolly had some difficulty in leading them
out, and then she hardly knew what to do
with them, fol-, she knew well enough they
would go securing off when the fire came
near. She was qulck-witted little
woman, however, and she soon had the
colts in the back kitchen, tied fast to the
old carpet loom. Then she filled the tubs
and pals with water, and set them along
the line Of the buildings, cut some heavy
branches of hemlock, and brought out the
horse-blankets and dipped them in water.
The house, behind Its clump of ever
greens, might possibly escape, but there
seemed little chance for the low barn,
the granary, and the immense stacks of
hay, yet in them lay their hopes for a
year, and Dolly determined not to give
them up without desperate struggle.
She scarcely dared look at the fire, but She
saw once how brighter light leaped up
as the flames caught barn or stack of
hay in the distance. AS rapidly as posi-
BILE she broadened the circle about the line
of buildings, lighting the thick grass with
one hand, and dashing out the flame with
the other, when it threatened to go beyond
her control. She felt almost guilty as she
saw the blaze she had kindled go sweep
ing away towards the east. carrying the
same terror to others which was rapidly
coming down upon her, but it was her
only chance of escape, and there was not
another house between them and the
river. She worked on in desperation as
the air grew thick with smoke, and at
last she could hear the roar and crackle
when the flames swept the great corn
field, fairly leaping along the rows of dry
ran back within her burned circle, and
waited for doom.
Her hands were blistered, her eye !ashes
She only watched, with every nerve tense
leap the line. 1t died down a little in
spots, crept sullenly along the edge, as if
10th to go by, famed up here and there at
a bunch of tall weeds, then, with sud-
den puF, the wind lodged a whirling
handful of cinders at the foot of the great
straw stack!
Dolly sprang at it like a tiger, tearing
away the burning straw and striking right
and left with the wet blanket. Then
little blaze crept under the fence, and she
beat the life out of it in breath. Anoth
e whirl of cinders upon the roof of the
stable, but they fell black and harmless.
Then another blaze running along the edge
of the shed, but the water was ready for
it; and Dolly, with eyes everywhere, ran,
aud beat, and trampled, until at last the
fire veered away to the south, and left the
little homestead safe in the midst of
blackened waste.
Dolly walked back and forth, around
the stacks and the buildings, whipping
out the smallest sparks, and then turned
toward the house in stupor Of exhaustion.
She wanted to lie right down on the warm
ground by the side of the straw pile and
60 to sleep, but she had enough sense left
TO reach the house, and make her way to
her mothers room.
"We're all right, mother,' she said in
husky voice, the fire has gone by;'
and dropping upon the bed, smoke, dirt,
boots and all, she sank into heavy sleep.
Her mother tried in ain to rouse her, so
she dragged the shawls over her and
watched anxiously for morning. But as
the gray light began to reveal Dolly's face,
she was terrified at its CHASTITY whiteness,
intensified by the SCOT and smoke which
begrimed it. She tried again to arouse
her, but Dolly Law in stupor, and she
could only clasp her hands and pray for
help. She crept painfully from the bed,
and was trying to drag herself to the door,
when Joel rode up on horseback, with his
wife behind him. She was stout, red
checked young woman, and, springing off
without waiting for help, ran to the back
kitchen, where there were sounds of some
one stirring.
"Miss Dolly splittin' kindlin's, I'll be
bound Joel's Jest that shiftless not to
think ont. My gracious Peter!" she ex-
claimed, as she suddenly opened the door,
and found herself confronted by one of
the colts.
She left Joel to settle matters with the
colts, and made her way to Mrs. Marshall
and Dolly, carrying the poor lady back to
bed in her strong arms as if she had been
a baby.
Don't you worry about Dolly, ma am"
she said, confidently, "she'll sleep it off,
and come out all right, and I'll just take
off my things and do for you. can stop
as we'll as not; our house was burned up,
and we just managed to save ourselves, so
you see I amt got smitch O. work to do
for myself"
Your house burned! Oh, Sarah, how
hard that is for you and JOEL" said Mrs.
Marshall.
"Yes'm, it's kind of pity, and I'd
got the incest kind of chicken pie ready
for Thanksgivin'. We never see the fire
till it was jest ketchin' holt Of us, and then
We got on the colt and raced it down the
gully to Dickerman's pond ahead of the
fire. We just made a go OF it, and set
there till mornin'., Says I, Joel, it's
day; be We right down
And Joel he looked at me and
says, kind O. solemn like, Yes I be'
And so be I, cause we might "a been
burned in our bed, leastways l might, if
Joel come home.'
Sarah had been all the time Juggling at
Dolly, pulling off boots and coat,
bathed her face and hands, and lifted
hCA upOd SAS PAAlo", Jul NAAS. MAI
shall's terror only increased at seeing
Dolly remain perfectly passive, never
opening her eyes and allowing Sarah to
lift her as if she were dead. Hour after
hour she slept on, only when Sarah raised
her on her vigorous arm, and fed her with
chicken broth, forcing it patiently into the
closed mouth, until at last little color
crept into the pallid face and the sleep was
not so death like. But even at nine
O'Clock, when the travellers arrived, Dolly
gave them doubtful recognition. She
smiled family at the childfen's kisses,
stared for an instant at her fathers anxious
face, and then went on doing and NUT
tering. Bess stole in and out on tiptoe,
the tears dropping down on her pet kitten,
and Johnny blundered about with his
mouth full of delicious candy his very
heart dissolving with grief and gratitude.
Dolly talked, about the candy, and
Johnny was impressed with the idea that
she wanted some, and actually made an
ct empt to administer small chunk, but
he was not very successful, and Dolly
Kept on muttering: "The very last night
Sho waa here ahe m ode them same candy.