Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-12-07

hereaway. Last night. You can see the
smoke Of it nov. Reckon it didn't git
ACROSS the slough. II couldn't, unless thar
was high wind; but then the wind
risias ssdit's blowin' the wrong way. te
Meantime it had been > great relief TO
Marshall Hayne 70 have large job on
his hands. lone be could push along fever
ishly. 80 we can get = work ~ the corn
shocking"
There il some excitement in "bsck-fir-
ing" even when you feel sure the blazes
you are kindling cannot get away from
you.
There were three broad burrows along
the northeast fence, and four more along
the outer border Of the tsn-yard strip Of
prairie so iDelosed. 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 no
Iarm to anybody, and a fine opportunity
given Hank Sanders. IN ''beat fire" at the
side Of CELEBRITY Bitters. An average
width Of fifty fee! of scorched sod and
bare earth and high rail fence now pro-
tected the entire easterly front Of Marsh
HAYNES farm, and in all other directions
it was fairly safe. for other reasons The
scant blowing at BItters's could be trusted
to guard The loghouse and its surround
ings.
The night after was bad one for
sleeping. if only because of the strong
smell Of burning grass continually pour
ing in through open windows. II grew
so terribly pungent by sunrise. that Mar
shall Hayne exclaimed, as he sprang out
of bed
ats coming! There's no mistake about
it. this time
A little later he remarked
wonder if old man Crawford's got
home don't reckon he has. l won't
wait for breakfast. I'll 90 right over and
see about it. She won't be there. III she
is, I'll know in time to keep away"
He did not even wait to saddle horse,
but walked swiftly away from Bitters'
without saying word to soul.
On he went with quickeniDg strides,
to and through his own domain. tie
paused for one moment in front OF the
neat but as yet Imprinted frame dwelling
There was patch OF young fruit trees
to the left of it, There were signs
around it of more Improvements to come.
and it had dumb look Of LONELINESS which
seemed 10 pIedu LOT nuIudI occuPauSy'
He shook his head.
mo. won't be a fool. IL shall stay
there. but III never put my foot over the
threshold. They say there are good loca-
TORS to be had in Kansas. I'd rather go
further,-Nevada now? COlorado?"
On again, until he was near enough to
Crawford's to make sure there was no
smoke rising from the kitchen chimney.
There was, however an abundance OF
smoke now floating down from the north
and east, and he muttered gloOmily.-
..Into the house? No, don't feel like
doing that, but I'll see that the stock is
safe I'll tether every horse out in the
winter wheat. That's green enough. The
horned critters'll run for the timber, and
the hogs are there now, | couldn't do
much for anything else, and it may not
reach the house. No, | reckon won't
go in"
1t required some little time to empty
the stables. and transfer their equine con-
tents to the middle of tn, wheat field.
Virginia Crawford's pet mare was partic
ularly FESTIVE under the kindly hands
that led her away. She may have suspee
ted that Marshall Hayne was stealing
her.
The haze in the air seemed somehow to
have settled upon his soul by the time his
seli-impOsed task was finished. He moved
more slowly than at first. and his head
dropped forward in a brooding silence.
He kept to his purpose. however, about
entering the house, and now, as if it were
a neighborhood to escape from. he walked
away across the prairie. letting his undi-
rected feet carry him vaguely northward.
Continued Tomorrow
An experienced traveller says: "The most
troublesom companion a person can have,
while being away from home, is cough and