The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-10-25
Susie and the Prairie Fire.

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Just at the meeting-place of wide
prairie and deep forest, stood, many
years ago, little log house.
Within dwelt girl by the name of
Susie. She did not live alone, for the
house was full with her parents and old
er brothers and sisters. But my story
is of her, the youngest and the pet of all.
It would take long to tell the city girls
of to day how Susie lived and knew what
it was to be happy.
When the log house had stood in it's
place about three years, and had been
clasped and covered by the clinging
arms of the forest vines, Susie noticed
one afternoon a great commotion in the
household. The neighbors who lived
nearest came and talked to her father out
in the meadow with hurried, excited
voices. Her brothers fastened to put
on their heavy boots and stout leather
mittens. While her mother and sisters
went round with troubled faces, all the
men hurried off together to the prairie
how far she could not see in the gather
ing darkness. Soon after, the wind,
which came in slight puffs from the
direction in which they had gone, brought
with it the smell of smoke.
"Say, mamma, where has papa gone,
and what makes everybody look so
frightened % said Susie pressing close
to her mothers side with the sobs COM
ing in her voice.
"Susie, dear, don't be frightened
dou't cry, but be mammals little woman.
1t is prairie fire, and papa and the boys
have gone to help put it out"
"Will it come here, mamma-will it
burn our house?"
"No, dear, hope not. 1t is long
way off, and the men will burn some of
the grass, not far from the fields, so that
when the big fire comes there it will
stop, because there will be nothing fol
it to burn"
Then her mother hurried away to see
that coffee was made and food prepared
for the men who would be up all night.
Susie stood at the door in the darkness
and looked toward the south, where she
saw, far away, dull red CLEAN, which
sometimes flashed up brightly, but more
often seemed to her excited fancy like 8
great fiery snake, crawling toward hel
home. Out here lay her fathers corn
fields, and there came the dreadful fire
ready to devour them.
Then thought flashed into her mind.
Susie was courageous little girl, and
had energy enough for two. Perhaps
she might help put out the fire. He,
mother and sister were too busy to no.
tice her movements. Without pausing
to think what mamma might wish her to
do, she ran through the door-yard and
was soon making her way across the
meadow toward the cornfeld. At last
she reached the end of the field and
looked out on the broken prairie.
Stretching out of sight on either hand
was a red line of flame rising toward the
sky, and covering it with dense cloud
of smoke. The sparks flew in every di-
rection, and many, yes, very many, were
brought by occasional puffs of wind
near to where she stood. But she soon
made discovery which caused her to
forget the distant fire. Some sparks had
lit in the dry grass by the rail fence not
far away. The grass had kindled and
the blaze was spreading and beginning
to curl around the rails, and just on the
other side was her fathers corntield. II
was but the work of moment to find q
stout stick, and then Susie's labor be.
gan. How intently she beat the grass
and stamped on it with her little shoes
She soon found that she was really
smothering the flames, and though hel
face and hands were hot and her arms
ached, she kept on until not one spark
was left, and only the burnt grass and
slightly blackened rails were left to
show what Susie had done.
"But, oh I'm so tired" she said.
81 wish 1 could find papa" Her tired
limbs soon gave out, and she sank down
with sobs which would come into her
throat. Alone and in the dark and
tired out, no wonder the tears fell as
she lay on the grass, until her sobs
grew less and sleep shut her eyelids
down.
After a while, when the fire had been
extinguished, her father reached home
to find the house in commotion.
ooh, father have you seen Susie ?''
said his wife, coming to him with terror
in her face.
"Susie is she gomez" he said, hoarse-
ly, for he was very tired.
{" She is lost We have searched the
whole place and called and called, but
we can't find her anywhere"
" Mother" said the oldest daughter,
"might she not have followed father to
the fields!"
"The child! the poor darling per.
haps she did and who knows into what
danger she has gone? The wolves are
around tonight" and she shuddered
with fear.
Mother" said her husband, "she is
in Gods hands, wherever she may be.
Come, boys, we will search the fields ;
and he hastened out with lantern, while
his sons and neighbors who had returned
with him followed with such means o.
light as they could obtain.
1t did not take long to trace Susie tc
her resting-place, for they knew she
would follow in the direction she hat
seen them take. When her father PAUSED
not far from the path over which he
had passed a short time ago, put tn,
lantern down hastily and took her in hi
arms, what a shout went up from thos,
who were near! Her mother and sisters
who had followed the others, crowded
aro,1pd with taars of iov Auok anal h,