Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-10-11

my Nllc itu SSCIl Hi'llN l'4'ii le hiSN
| had seen her father and other men fight
them, and she knew at once the danger
her home was in. What could she, a
little girl, do to save it. and perhaps
herself and her little brother, from the
destroyer which the south wind was
bringing straight toward them?
Only for a moment Lindy stood
white and motionless; then with a
bound she was at the well. Her
course was decided upon. If only time
and strength were given her Draw
ing two pals of water, she laid Il large
bag i'll each, and then. getting some
matches, hurried out beyond the stable.
She must fight fire with fire. That
was her only hope; but strong, eXpe-
rienced man would have shrunk from
starting back fire in such wind.
She fully realized the danger; but it
was possible escape from otherwise in
evitable destruction, and she hesitated
not an instant to attempt it. Cautious
ly starting blaze, she stood With a
wet bag ready to smother the first un-
ruly flame.
The great fire to the southwark WAS
rapidly approaching. Prairie chickens
and other birds, driven from their nests,
were flying over, uttering distressed
cries. The air was full OF smoke and
burnt grass, and the cracking of the
flames could plainly be heard. II was
q trying moment The increased roar
Of the advancing fire warned Lindy
that she had but very little time in
which to complete the house and barn;
still, if she hurried too mIch, she would
lose control of the fire she had started,
and with it al hope of safety.
The heat was intense, the smoke
suffocating, the rapid swinging of the
heavy bag most eXhausting, but she
was unconscious of these things. The
extremity OF the danger inspired her
with wonderful strength and endur-
ance. Instead Of losing courage, she
increased her almost Superhuman eXer-
tiOns, and in another brief interval the
task was completed. None too soon,
either, for the swiftly advancing col
umn had nearly reached the wayering,
struggling, slow-moying line Lindy
had sent out to meet it.
1t was wild, fascinating, half terri
ble, half beautiful scene. The tongues
of flame, leaping above each other with
airy, fantastic grace, seemed, cat-hke, to
toy with their virtues before deyouring
them.
A sudden, violent gust Of wind, and
then with great cracking roar the
two fires met, the flames shooting high
into the air as they rushed together.
For one brief, glorious moment they
remained there, tapping the air with
their fierce, hot tongues; then suddenly
dropping, they died quickly out; and
where an instant before had been a
wall of fire was nothing now but cloud
of blue smoke rising from the blacken-
ed ground, and here and there a sickly
flame finishing an obstinate tUt Of
grass. The fire on each side meeting
no obstacle, swept quickly by, and
Lindy stood gazing, spell bound, after
it, as it darted and flashed in terrible
zigzag lines farther and farther away.
"Oh, Lindyr called shrill little
voice from the house. Elmer had
just awakened.
eyes, I'm coming" Lindy answered,
turning. But how very queer she felt!
There was roaring in her ears louder
than the fire had made; everything
whirled before her eyes; and the sun
seemed suddenly to have ceased shining.
all was SO dark. Reaching the house
by great effort, she sank, faint, dizzy
and trembling upon the bed by her
brothers side.
Elmer, frightened and hardly awake,
began to cry and as he never did any
thing in halfway manner, the result
was quite wonderful. His frantic
shrieks and furious cries reused his
half-fainting sister as effectually as if
he had poured a glass of brandy be-
tween her lips. She soO1 sat up, and
by and by color began to return to the
white face, and strength to the ex
haUsted body. Her practical nature
and strong will again asserted them
selves, and instead of yielding to feel
ing of weakness and prostration, she
tied on her sun-bonnet firmly, and gave
the chickens their long delayed dinner.
But when, half an hour later, her
father found her fast asleep, with the
glow from the sky reflected on her
weary little face, he looked out of the
window for a moment, picturing to
himself the terrible scenes of the after
noon, and then down at his daughter.
GA brave girl!'' he murmured, smooth
ing the yellow hair with his hard,