The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-11-18

There = some excitement in .'back- firing,
even when you feel sure the blazes you are
kidding cannot get away from you.
northeast fence and four more along the outer
border Of the ten-yard strip Ut prairie 80 In
closed 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 harm to anybody, and fine 0Pportu-
nifty given Hank Sanders to "beat fire. ct the
side Of Celebrity Bitters. An average width OF
nifty feet Of scorched sod and bare earth and .
high rail fence now protected the entire east
erly front of Marsh Haynes farm. anu In ali
other directions It was fairly safe, for other
reasons. The scant blowing OF Bitters' could
be trusted to guard the log-house and its
surroundings.
The night after was a bad one for sleeping,
II only because of the strong smell Of burning
grass continually pouring in through open
windows. It grew SO terribly pungent by sun
rise, that Marshall Hayne exclaimed, as he
s;rang out Of bed:
.'It's comingl There's nomistake about it,
this time"
A little later he remarked:
"Wonder II old man Crawford's got home!
don't reckon he has. won't wait for break
fast. I'll go right over and see about it. She
won't be there. II she is, III know in time to
keep away"
He did not even wait to saddle horse, but
walked swiftly away from Bitters' without say
ing word to q soul.
On he went, with quickening strides, to and
through his own domain. He paused for one
moment In front OF the neat but as yet I'M
painted frame dwelling. There was q patch
of young fruit trees to the left of it.. There
were signs around it Of more Improvements to
come, and 1t 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 PIT 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
settled upon his soul by the time his self-im-
posed task was completed. He moved more
slowly than at first, and his head dropped for
forward in brOOding silence. He kept to his
purpose, however, about no. entering the
house, and now, as If it we're a neighborhood
to escape from. he walked away across the
prairie, letting his undirected 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-bortiered, winding hOl-
IO"s tuoJ was diLuOSG d TdNlucs
1.-THE slough! l declare! Tdno idea twas
dead dry The rosin weeds, too. Never saw
'em taller. II q fire should once get in here,
now, wouldn't it burn!''
There could be no doubt of it, for the white
gum which exuded from the tall, drying stalks
OF the weeds and from their broad fOot-leaves
was the very trsasure-house of terrible heat.
the moment ne was once more on somewhat
higher ground, beyond the trees, he uttered q
sharp exclamation:
"Wind risingl l should say it was. The
fire has crossed the slough! Look yOnder!
It's making straight for mt place. o, but
amt glad Pm ready for ~
He stood still for a 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 If 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 of from going back by the way he
came, and it would be among Crawford's stub
e-felds 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
swift and keen. sits making head westerly.
It's got in behind me. The whole prairie's
afire to the northward. I've heard Of such
things, but I'd no idet I'd ever be trapped this
way myself. If had a match I'd set the grass
afire here and burn place to stand in. Haven't
q one! Have got to be burned alive!'
That was serious problem, surely, for q
strong man to face, but Marshall Hayne faced
it. He had turned deathly white, the night
before, in Virginia Crawfords parlOr, but he
did not lose shade of color now. He did but
step briskly forward, saying to himself:
"Net on this low ground, anyhow. The
grass is too thick here and there are too many
reach, and the thinnest growth. Then, when
the fire comes, I'll try a 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 h,m the prairie rose in knoll
which was almost a knob. The grass would
surely be short there and he would be able to
take 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.
1.-THE north road to town comes in over
yonder. The fire has burned along both sides
of 1t, 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 fame.
I'll wait till 1t strikes into the short grass
on the slope. Then for q charge; but must
60 straight across. II lose my way in the
smoke and run right or left, Pm dead man."
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.
sIf I'm not suffocated, and If don't STUN
bic, 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 Inkerman.
s'Now for it! Life or deathr'
He went forward with a great, stag like
bound, and the smoke-cloud closed around
him.