Dodge City times., 1884-07-17
"Nor' l gasped. Il thought YOU

in vain, and then, with dreadful sink
ing at our hearts. we realized the ap-
palling truth and our perfect helpless
ness. In the terror and confusion, the
matches had been forgotten, and we
were left with no defence save the pitt
fully inadequate one of those few fur
rows!
Mother ran for the wet cloths, and
giving one to each, stationed us at in
tervals, gave MS our orders i'll hurried
tones, taking herself the most danger
Gus post in front of the towering head
fire, and then we waited
Like terrible picture the scene
rises before me as | write. There is an
awful sublim:ty in a prairie fire, as
there is in storm at sea, which 10
familiarity can e.face What, then.
must it have been to the trembling
woman and children who behcld it IN
its awful splendor for the first time?
On it came in the long V shape |
have since learned to know SO well.
The head fire, the point of the Y. a
rushing tongue of flames. leaping into
the air sixteen Or eighteen feet, and,
like fends ravenouS for their prey,
springng forward, SO that their sum-
nit was some feet in advance of their
base From this apex, which with a
furious wind viii out-travel a fast
horse, the sde-tire stretched far away.
The cracking roar and the dense
smoke thick with cinders, were appall-
ing; while soon the intense heat smotc
our faces ike blast from a furnace.
Small were our hopes, vet we deter
mined Io battle TO tie last. We little
J knew the mad strength of our foe, and
with the bravery o desperation with
; stool the fierce heat, and it was not
till the dense smoke seemed almost over
! hanging us that we fled from our posts.
! We ran as fast rs our wearied limbs
would carry us. The horses were all
out we led out the calf from the barn.
and dragged everything movable to the
riowcd ground, in the midst of which
the house st cd.
The fire was upon us almost before
we fin n:shed. 1t was evident that the
stable was devoted to destruction, as
well as the oats which were stacked
within few feet of it. All our fears
were now for our wheat-ric&, which
stood little aside The grass was
tramped around it. and it seemed that
we might save th:t. We four stood
guard. beating the fire down as it
reached the low Grass.
1t was desperate struggle, the flames
leaped up in our very faces, singeing
eyebrows and hair; ald but for moth
er's precaution in the matter of dress,
we must certainly have been enveloped
in flames Our shoes became so that
they burned our feet. Yet nearer and
nearer the greedy fire ate it's way. We
quelled it in one direction only to have
it steal upon us from another, while the
tears from our swollen eyes ran over
our smoke-b -begrimmed faces, which,
like our hands, were burned almost to
blistering. But when the fire had sub
side our stack still stood, though sur
rounded by blackened line which al
most touched it.
When Tie need of exertion was over,
mother sank on the ground nearly faint
ing. and we all dropped beside her,
breathless, scOrched and utterly ex-
hausted.
''I am thankful that our home ard
children are spared,' she sighed:
there is little else left, and must 90
to my babies nOw," she added. "PoOr
father, this will be sad home-coming"
"Ah. how sad we little dreamed,
We opened the door upon a pitiful
picture. Baby Nell had cried herself
to sleep, and on the floor beside her
crib, lay Tommy with his little troubled,
tear-stained face. Our entrance reused
him, and he sat up in drowsy bewilder-
ment.
"You poor children!'' mother cried,
you have had a lonely time: but where
is Sadie?'
Il don't know, mamma" he an
swered, his lip quivering. ''She runncd
OF: said she wanted to see the big fire
too. Icouldn't lock the door, and so
she went"
"Where did she 60, child and when?"
cried mother.
''She went towards the stable. O.
mamma You don't s'pose she's got
burned up, do youa'' he added, asking
with childish frankness the question
which was knocking at all our hearts.
AS he spoke, mothers overtaxed
strength gave way, and with wailing
cry she sank fainting to the floor The
cry awoke the baby, and she and Tom
my iurSt into doleful chorus of wall
inc, in which we older ones silently
joined.
We laid mother on the lounge and
applied water to her face, and in a few
she opened her heavy eyes and
sprang to her feet, but sank back from
utter exhaustion.
"Oh, don't stop for me, children!
runl search everywhere!' she cried,
wildly. $50! go''
AS she stopped speaking, heard the
thud of hoofs. Father had seen the
smoke, and leaving the wagon and one
horse, had gal oped home on the other.
Thank God, you are all safe" he
as he entered.
No one told him. Who could tell?
"What. ails you all?'' he asked, !
huskily: is it worse than | se,?''
We told him then. He shivered with |
horror, and groaning, "Please Hea en-, I
We will find her YETI rushed from the
house.
Suddenly we heard cry of agony,
md looking out, saw that father wSs
Standing in swale where the fire had
'aged the fiercest. fed by resin-weeds,
which shot up n ne and ten feet high.
Almost benumbed with dread, dragged
myself to the spot.
1t was one of those sights it will take
| lifetime to etface; for there, face
downward, lay what had been our
Sadie. Nearly all of her clothing had
Deen burned, and the sweet, dimpled
iesh and bright curls were now dis
,olored and burned
What a death for our darling. Father