Dodge City times., 1884-07-17
on THE PRAIRIE.

Il
Our house stood alone in the midst O
vast prairie. 1t seemed very lionel,
to my mother. dare say, AMI though
we children were content, l think sht
hungered for the old homestead in the
East. Still she seldom spoke of it, anc
kept up brave heart before father and
us children. She had, that first yeal
after moving on the prairie, strang,
fancy when alone of closing the doors
drawing the curtains. and shutting ou
the sunny outer world. 1.-The cart!
seems SO vast" she would say, ..il
wearies me TO see it stretching into the
sky. | feel such an atom in the uni
verse"
Father wasted no time in fancies OF
regrets. A mortgage had swallowed
up the old homestead, and thank ul nc
lived in a land where such an alterna-
tive was possible. he devoted head and
hands TO creating new home for bis
loved ones in the West.
AT the end of the second summer we
felt that we were well established in
our new house. Like those of our few
nelghbors, it was Il small, unpainted
dwelling, built very economically. with
as few angles as possible, looking
mother used to say--''like an upturned
dry-goOds box.''
The summer had been delightful, and
the dry season. which prevails to a
greater or less extent nearly every year,
came too late to damage the growing
crops materially; but it dried up the
shallow water-courses and parched the
rank grass dry and brown, so that it
rustled drearily in the fierce south
winds.
One morning, it was the 2Cth of Sep
tember-a date written for Us in letters
of fire-father started for Prairievlle.
How the wind ragged that day. The
house quivered in every beam. The
fires were not kindled, for mother 5
greatest dread during such wind torms
was fire. Suddenly one of the children
rushed in, eXclaiming: 81 see a black
cloud of smoke off in the south!''
L saw mothers fa e grow white.
''Can it be a prairie lire, and on such
day. she exclaimed, flying to an up
per window for better view Silently
we crowded around her. watching the
dark cloud that widened every instant,
and was driving toward us with fright
full swiftneSs.
After brief survey mother turned
away, saying: at rs Il prairie fire. We
must fight it. my children, as best we
may Her face was pale rs death. even
to her lips; but she spoke in firm
Voice, for our mother could be a brave
woman when there was need.
inhf
frightened chorus
There were six of us: Will, delicate
boy of thirteen: ten-year-oid Jamie, a
robust little fellow; the little ones Tom
my and Sadie-precious Sadie!-baby
Nell and |, Dora, girl of fifteen.
Mother did not answer us. She was
bustling about making preparations,
gathering up an armtul of woollen
clothes from the pegs on the wall. what
for l, in my ignorance, could not guess.
Snow, boys!" she cried, harness the
horses to the wagon and lit the plow
in. We will 60 to the south side OF the
farm and do what we can. We VIII
take CT our cotton dresses, Dora" she
added, land put on our flannel ones,
then run to the well and draw a tub of
water"
frightened into silence we obeved.
mother wetting the cloths in the water
as drew it from the WELL Then, with
many parting in functions to the chill
dren, we left them.
When we reau he'd the southern edoe
OF our farm, the painting horses were
hltched TO the plow. We expected
to strike a few burrows and set a back
fire to meet the fiery flood pouring down
upon us. This was mothers hone but
II was an almost impossible task: for
the ground was baked hard. and the
plow, dulled by the summers work.
resisted all efforts of Willie weak arms
to hold it in the ground, and Jumped
and slid yards at a time The painting
horses strained and pulled, ierked for,
ward and flew back, and on the second |
furrow stopped shot and refused to
start again.
And all this time the fire was rushing |
on. Already the air began to be filled |
with cinderS. Mother grew despera e.
LET me take the pillow, Willie, She |
said, II am stronger than YOU are. per-
haps can hold it. You drive the horses.
lead them, whip them, anything to
make them go, for everything depends
Oh them -
Again they struggled on, mother
clinging desperately to the plow, now
holding it with all her scantv STRENGTH.
then beng half dragged behind it when.
thrown out, it slid over the grass.
Jerked fur.ously along by the frantic
horses which Jamie guided and Will
whipped.
l. compelled to lie idle, stood watch
ing to catch the first glimpse of the ad-
vancing flames. They had Just returned
to the starting-point, leaving four fur
rows a ragged line behind them, when
l saw tongue of fame, and then an
other and another, flash out through
the dense smoke which had now rolled
mp but mile away, and screaming
Here it comes !'' scrambled from NV
perch and ran with the news to mother.
She and Will had seen it, and stood
looking in each Others faces with
frightened. despairing eyes, but only
for an instant.
Turn the horses loose, boysr' she
cried; land, Dora, give me- the matches
and help me start back-fre; you
brought the matches. didn't you, child?''
she exclaimed, seeing my look of dis
may as ] thrust my hand into my
pocket and brought IL out empty AGAIN.