The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1880-04-29

grass. While the flames was getting
under way, 1 busted myself in gather
ing stray bits Of limbs and twigs-some
Of them from the edge Of the woods
and throwing them on the fire.
BE careful not to put on any hemIock
branches p shouted my father from his
heap. '4Ihe sparks may snap out into
the grassP
EImost as he spoke a live coal popped
out with loud snap and fell at my feet,
and little tongues of flame began to
spread through the dead grass. A few
blows from my pine bough had snoth-
cred them, when snapl snap! snap went
Lnree more IN three different directions.
As L rushed to the nearest I remembered
throwing on several dead hemlock
branches, entirely forgetting their snap
ping propensity.
BestOWing a few hasty strokes upon
the trst spot of spreading flame, / has
tened to the next and was vigorously
beating that, when, glancing behind me,
saw, to my dismay, that the first was
blazing again. Ahead of me was another
rapidly increasing; while the roaring
towering fame at the heap was spUtter-
ing OminOUsly, as if preparing to send
out a shower Of sparks. And, to make
matters worse, I felt a puff of wind on
my face. TerrOr-stricken I shouted:
Father! The fire is running! Come
quick|
In a moment he was beside me, and,
for a short time, we fought the flames
de, perately.
It'll reach the woods in spite Of us p
he gasped, as we came together after a
short struggle. "There isn't a neighbor
within half mile, and before you could /
get help it would be too late ! Besides,
one alone couldn't do anything against
IitW
a sudden inspiration seized me.
'pm going to signal to Harry !" I cried.
| ''If he sees it he'll come, and, perhaps, /
bring help with him. p
"HurryP he shouted back, and I !
started to the barn. The distance was
short. As I reached it I glanced over to |
HarTy's. There were some white spots
on his barn. He was signaling and, of .
course, could see my signal.
EIcitedly placed the flags in 1 f.
land, without waiting for an answer, tore .
back across the fields to the fire. 1t was
gaining rapidly. In q large circle, a
dozen rods across, it advanced toward
the woods on the other. We could not
conquer It. We could only hope to him |
der its progress until help should arrive. |
Fifteen minutes Of desperate struggle, [
and then, with ringing cheer, Harry
and his father dashed upon the scene. /
Their arrival infused Us with new cour-
age; and four pairs Of hands and four
willing hearts at length conquered the
flame, two rods from the woods
My father sat down upon a rock, and,
ss he wiped the perspiration from his
face, he said:
There, boys, your signaling has saved
the prettiest timber lot in the town of
HardWiCk! shall not forget itF'
| We're we not justly proud?
Two days after l found upon my plate
at breakfast a small package, which con-
tanned two pretty spy-glasses.
Perhaps they will enable you to en-
large your signal code,'" was Gll my
father said when thanked him.
We soon found that with the aid of
the glasses we could distinguish any
color. So we made q set of blue flags,
which gave us thirty more COmmunica- |
tons by using them in place of the
white ones. And by mixing the blue
flags with the white combinations, over
tlUO bjl7ldrsd communications could be
lsignaled. Thus we could converse with
each other by the hour.
The way we wrote down the mixed
combinations was, by using q heavy
figure to represent a blue flag; as 1915, /
which meant that positions and 4 were !
occupied by white flags, 2 and by blue
ones.
Blue flags can be inserted in the origi-
nal thirty combinations in the following
manner: y, 123, 123, 1874, 1884, 1884, /
1894, 1884, 235, 235, 2345, 2345. 2345, /
| 2345, 2S45, 2345, 2345 and so on.
Among the many recOlechOns that
thrOng my memory IN connection with
this subject, is that Of an incident which
has caused me many a hearty laugh. since
its occurrence, although at the time did
not feel particularly amused.
Harry had gOhe away visiting, giving
me no definite idea of when he would
return. So one drizzling, uncomfOrt-
able day, as was sitting rather discon-
solate at my barn window, was de-
! lighted to see several flags appear on his
barn.
Eagerly I read:
l 81. "Cag gOu 90 G-Jisbing ?" .,
The fine drizzling rain was changing
into larger drops, and there was every
reasonable prospect of q very wet day, [
and I thought he must be joking; but
! I answered:
"Wbsa?"
"NOlC," was the reply
"WHere| I asked.
"Birbee's pond"
"ATs you IN earnest 2'
II will meet you there"
II I answered "Yes," and, shOuldering
my fsh-pole, started off across lots. The
distance was fully a mile and a half, and
before I had passed over a quarter of
she distance, the bushes dripping with
rain had completely drenChed me.
When nearly there the increasing rain
became a heavy shower; but 1 kept on.
/ I reached the pond, but nothing was to
be seen Of Harry. Not frog could I
find for bait, owing to the necessarily
pouring rain, and 1 knew it would be
difficult to find a worm. So, after half
an hour of tedious waiting and mOnOtO-
nous soaking, started for Harry's, my
/ patience entirely worn out.
The rain came down in torrents rs, at
length, I turned in at the gate; and 1
suppose I looked as forlorn as q drenchcd |
rooster, for I heard a girlish giggle as L |
stepped upon the piazza, but did not |
then suspect the truth,
/ "Where's Harry 2" asked Of his /
mother whom found alone.
/ "Why, you didn't expect to find him
at home, did your He won't be back for
a number Of days yet"
(Another subdued giCgle from the
| ext rOOm.)
You're as wet as q drowned ratl
| vent on the motherly woman. What
| earth started you out = this rain?'
"Its that Hattie's WOrl- " burst OF |
angrily, and told her the whole story.
Dear me !" she exclaimed, holding up I
her hands, despairingly, ''T never did
see such torment as that girl is I pO=
| ticed she has seemed very much tickled |
over something! I'll give her real |
! scolding!'
Idarted ou- me door; and, as 1 splashed /
my way disCOnsOlately down to the road, !
heard a voice, struggling between re- |
pentance and a desire to laugh, call after |
me:
Forgive me, Charlie, but it was such a |
jOkeP'
| Hattie never meddled with her broth /
| er's signals again. For her mothers dis !
/ pleasure and the severe cold that fol |
| lowed my drenChing more than balanced |
/ the enjoyment she derived from that /
very practical joke.
Two years ago I visited my native |
town. Resuming my old place by the /
| barn window, I gazed across the inter /
vening forest to where Harry used to /