Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-08-17
A BRAVE GIRL.
.'oh, daddyr' called clear, girlisl

T. les, Indy; what wanted?
I" Ma wants to know how long it'll be
lore you're ready. - z .9-,-
"Oh, tell her I'll be at the door by the
time sire gets her things ON. Be sure
you have the butter and eggs all ready
10 put into the wagon. We're maxim,
too late start to town. :"
Butter and eggs, indeed! As II Eindv,
needed reminder other than the new
! dress for which they were to be ex-
changed. -s ft.,,-.tt.4f
:; Elmer and can go to town next
time, cant we, MAJ" she asked, enter
! ing the house 7".'. --'' III e.
I 80 Yes, Indy; j hope sap was the re-
| ply. ''But don't bother me now; YOUR.
! pa Is coming already, and i haven't nv
shawl on yet, Yes, Wilbur; I'm l-cre.
just put this butter in, Indy; I'll car
~ the eggs in my lap. Now, Indy,
don't let Elmer playzwith the fire or
I min away.
And in moment more the heavy
I lumber wagon ratified away from the
door, and the children stood gazing aft
! or il for awhile, in n half-forlorn man
ner. Then Lindv went in to do her
work, Elmer resumed his play, and soon
everything was moving along as cheer
fully as ever.
After dinner, Elmer went to sleep, and
Indy, feeling rather lonely again, went
Out-of-doorS for change. 1t was a
warm autumnal day, almost the perfect
] counterpart of dozen or more Which
hail prccededit. The sun shone brightly,
and the hot winds that swept through
/ the tai grass made that-aRd. 81. else it
touched so dry that the prairie seemed
like a vast Undertook. Though her
parents lad but lately moved to this
| place, Lindy~-was accustomed TO the
sprairics. She had been born on them.
sad her eyes were familiar with nothing
else; yet, rs she stood to-day with that
brown, unbroken eXpanse rolling away
before her until it reached the pale
bluish-gray of thesky, the understandable
feeling of awe and terrible solitude
which such a scene often inspires in one
not familiar with it stole gradually over
her. But Indy was far too practical
to remain long under such an influence.
The chickens were ".peeping loudly,
and she remembered that they were still
without their dinner
As she passed around the corner of
the house with dish of corn in her
hands, the wind almost lifted her from
the ground. TWAS certainly blowing
with greater violence than during the
morning.
Great tumble-weeds went fiving by.
turning over anu over with almost light
ning-like rapidity; then, pausing for an
fnstant's rest, were caught by another
gustand carried along, mile after mile.
till some fence or other obstacle--was
reached, where they could pile up in
great drifts, and wait till q brisk wind
from an opposite direction should send
them rolling and -tumbling all the way
back But Indy did not notice the
tumble-weeds. The dish of corn had
fallen from her bands, and she stood
looking straight ahead witlIwide-open,
terrified eyes.
What was the sight that so frightened
| her? = 80 .srT-
Only a'line of fire below the horizon.
Only a line of fire, with forked flames
! darling high into the air and a cloud of
smoke drifting away from them. A!
beautiful relief, this bright, changing
! spectacle, from the brown monotony of
the prairie. I H"u"NCD
But the scene was without beauty for
Indy. Her heart had given one great
! bound when she first saw the red line.
and then it seemed to cease beating.
She had seen many prairie fires; had
seen her father and other men fight
them, and she knew at once the danger
| her home was in. What could she,
| little girl, do TO save il, and perhaps
herself and her little brother, from the
destroyer which the south. wind was
| bringing straight toward them?
Only for moment Indy stood, white
and motionless; then with bound she
was ut the well. r, Her course was de-
cided upon. If onlytime and strength
were given her, Drawing two pals of
water, she laid a large bag in each, and
then. getting some matches. hurried out
/ beyond the stable. She must fight fire
with fire. That was her only hope; but
a strong. experienced man would have
shrIhk from starting back-fire in such
/ a wind. -..s bad 80. * ..,..-,,. /
She fully realized the danger, but it,
was ifossible escape from otherwise in
evitable destruction, and she hesitated
! not an instant to attempt it. Cautious
~ starting q blaze, she. steodw a wet
| bag ready to smother the first unruly
! lla,ne.
The great fire to the southwark was
rapidly approaching. Prairie chickens
and other birds, driven from their nests.
were living over, utteriRg distressed
cries. The airafes dgIr of smoke and
burnt grass, and the cracking of, the
flames could plainly be heard. 1t was
a trying moment. The increased roar
of the advancing fire warned Indy
that she had but very little time in
which to complete the. circle around
house and barn; still. if she hurried too
much, She would lose control of the
lire she had started, and with it all hope
! of safety. 4-.-..-.-
The heat was intense, the smoke suf-
locating, 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-
lions, and in another brief interval the
tasktwas completed None too soon
either. for, the swiftly advancing col
umn had nearly reached the wagering.
struggling, slow-moving line Indy had
sent ont to meet it, -, =, e1....' A..
2 1t was wild, fascinating, half terri
bic, half beautiful scene. The tongues
OF flame, eaping above each other'with
AIRY, fantastic grace, seemed, cat-Iike.
TO Toy with their victims before devour-'
ing Them 5, - ~ 80
"A sudden, violent gust of wind, and
then with a great cracking roar the
two hires met, the flames shooting high
into the air as they rtisiind together.
For one brief, glorious moment they
remained there, tapping the ar with
tneir herce, hot tongues; then, sudden
~ dropping. they, died quickly out:
and where an instant before had been a
wal OF lire was nothing now but. a
cloud of blue smoke rising from the
blac kened ground, and here and there
a sae<iy flame, finishing an obstinate
trrft OF grass. The FIRE on each side,