The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-11-19


border of the tenyard strip OF prairie so in
closet to be burned over. The grass on this,
while pretty dry, was nowhere very luxuriant,
and before the day was over the work was done
with 10 harm to anybody, and fine opportu-
nifty given Hank Sanders to "beat fire. at the
side of Celebrity Bitters. An average width OF
fifty feet of scorched sod and bare earth and
high rail fence now protected the entire east
erly front of Marsh Haynes farm. ana in all
other directions 1t was fairly safe for other
reasons. The scant blowing of Btters could
be trusted to guard the Lighthouse and its
surroundings.
The night after was bad one for sleeping,
il only because of the strong smell OF bu ming
grass continually pouring in through open
windows. 1t grew so terribly pungent by sun
rise, that Marshall Hayne exclaimed, as he
rang out of bed:
'Its coming There's no mistake about it,
this time.n
A little later he remarked:
/ tWonder IL old man Crawford's got home
/ don't reckon he has l won't wait for break
fast. I'll go right over and see about it. She
won't be there. If she is, I'll know in time to
keep away"
He did not even wait to saddle a horse, but
walked swiftly away from Bitters' without say
| ing word to soul.
| On he went, with quckening strides, to and
| through his own domain. lie paused for one
moment in front of the neat but as yet un-
| painted frame dwelling. There was a patch
IL.
! were signs around it of more Improvements to
| come, and it had dumb look of Loneliness
which seemed to plead for human occupancy
1t required some little time to empty the
stables and transfer their equine contents to-
the middle of the wheat field. Virginia Craw-
ford's p t mare was particularly FESTIVE under
the kindly hands that led her away. She may
have suspected that Marshall Hayne was
stealing her.
The haze in the air seemed somehow to have
/ I,r4 l. IL
posed task was completed. He moved more
slowly than at first and his head dropped for
forward in a brooding silence. He kept to his
purpose, however, about not entering the
| house, and now, as if it were neighborhood
| to escape from, he walked away across the
! prairie letting his undrected feet carry him
vaguely northward.
The first words he spoke came from him
when, after wandering mile or so, he found
himself in deep, tree bordered winding hol-
| low. that was almost ravine
| The sloughg | declare! Idno idea twas
| dead dry. The rosin weeds, too. Never saw
'em taller If a fire should once get in here,
now wouldn't it burnr'
There could be no doubt of it, for the white
| gum which eXuued from the tall, drying stalks
OF the weeds and from their broad foot-leaves
was the very treasure-house of terrible heat.
he did not linger long in the hollow, but
the moment he was once more on somewhat
higher ground, beyond the trees, he uttered
sharp exclamation:
| 'Wind rising! l should say it was. The
fire has crossed the slough! Look yonder!
| It's making straight for my place. o, but
amt | glad Pm ready for 1t !"
He stood still for moment and looked
| around him The scene he was gazing upon
was well worth some careful study. The wind
was, indeed, blowing more strongly. The line
of the advancing fire was broken and irregular
| but II one fact was palmer than another it
was that the great blaze to the eastward had
not only broken the feeble barrier of thin for
| est in its way, but was travelling furiously
down along the slough itself. 1t would surely
cut him off from going back by the way he
came, and it would be among Crawford's stub
b e-helds in ten minutes more, and then among
his ricks and stables, and no power could save
| the homestead.
It'll be an awful coming back for them"
he muttered; but his next word was almost
shout: Pm penned in" His chances were
swift and keen. ITS making head westerly.
| It's got in behind me. The whole prairie's
| things, but I'd no ide I'd ever be trapped this
way myself. If had match I'd set the grass
ahre here and burn place to stand in. Haven't
one! Have got to be burned alive?'
That was q serious problem, surely, for
| strong man to face, but Marshall Hayne faced
| it. He had turned deathy white the night
before, in Virginia Crawford's parlor, but he
did not lose shade Of color now. He did but
step briskly forward, saying to himself:
Not on this low ground, anyhow. The
grass is too thick here and there are too many
weeds. | must go for the highest knoll | can
reach, and the thinnest growth. Then, when
the fire comes, I'll try rush. Reckon that's
my only chance"
He walked more swiftly after that thought
came to him. Then he even ran, for at some
distance before him the prairie rose in knoll
which was almost knob. The grass would
surely be short there and he would be able to
take a wider look about him.
| He reached it, and the air on the little sum-
NIT was easier to breathe in.
| Fire. fire, fire, in all directions. It was
sweeping vigorously down through the tall
blue glass and rosin weeds of the slough away
there behind him, but there was too much
black smoke from them to guess how near 1t
might be to Crawford's. 1t was well for him
he had not sought an escape in that direction
The north road to town comes in over
yonder. The fire has burned along both sides
of it, nobody knows for how far. There's a
double buggy, now, coming along, away back
1t must be old Crawford's. No, they're not in
danger, but then"
He paused there, for the blazing line in front
of him was drawing nearer. Harder and
harder blew the wind too, and higher leapt
the red tongues of the flame.
:" PHI wait till it strikes into the short grass
on the slope. Then for charge; but / must
go straight across. If | lose my way in the
nhIohC anu run IiSlb VI lClti LII u uedu
His trousers were already tucked into his
boots. His coat was carefully buttoned up to
his chin and the collar of it turned up, while
his handkerchief was made to cover as much
as possible of his neck, and flap Of it was
drawn across his mouth. Then his slouched
hat was pulled over his forehead, and all was
ready.
'If I'm not suffocated, and if I don't STUN
BILE, believe can get through
Cool and calm and strong; every nerve was
tense and every muscle was utterly ready
And now, sending before it dense clouds of
rosin weed smoke the prairie fire began its
fierce charge up the slope, like the English in
fantry at lnkerman.
snow for it! Life or deathln
He went forward with a great, stag like
bound, and the smoke-cloud closed around
him. t, H,I.4a ilHl
He had not been watching the double buggy
for some few minutes, but there had been
something in it worth watching. The driver
was alone on the front seat, with bag of
| flour beside him, and he did not turn to look
behind him as he steadily remarked:
1T isn't of any use, mother That blaze IL
reach our place before we do"
! Stern and silent sat old Mrs. Crawford
while her husband was speaking; but young
er and better pair Of eyes had been straining
their vision upon the smoke wreathes and ed
dies ahead.
"Father! There's a man on the hill He
will be burned" vi. t1 .......
"God pity him! That's sol"
The buggy had been driven along the prairie