The Red Cloud chief., 1884-07-18
.Nor' I s..psd. sA0oght you

, inc 81 our hess3we realized the ap
} psllinp truth AZ our perfect helpless
ness. In the Eror and confusion. the
: matches hadfbeen forgotten, and We
vere left ri no defence ave the pitt
fully inaA4uate one of those few fur
Moraf ran for the wet cloths, an
lpiyine6nc to each, stationed US at h
ferya4, gave US our orders in hurrt I
tonZ, taking herself the most dang
outpost in front of the towering he a
6k, and then wi waited.
Like . terrible picture the 3 ,ena
Rises before me a l write. There i =
awful sublimity in a prairie Fl =
there is in a storm at sea VIII d n
familiarity can efface. What then.
must it have been to the tP mbline
woman and children who bshe. "a r :r
its awful splendor for the first imee ..
On it came in the longF IIshspe ]
have since learned to knes well
The head-fire. the point q the v. a
rushing tongue of flames t.apiug into
the air sixteen or eightseei teet, and.
like fiends for their prey,
~springing forward, so thSt tkoir sum.
NIT was some feet in adSs.nco of their
base. From this apex, r,hich with a
furious wind will OUT .rsyel a fast
horse, the side-fire streH bed far away.
The cracking roar Ind the dense
smoke thick with cinde q, vere appall-
ing; while soOn the I'M .nso heat smote
our faces like q blast rom q furnace.
Small were ourtho ,ses, yet we deter
n,tmod ~ hatf1a tn - 1~.H W. l;,tIo
knew the mad stren'st h Of our foe, and
with the bravery o desperation with
stood the fierce b sat and it was not
till the dense smok', seemed almost over
hanging US thatIw . hed from our posts.
We ran as fast a our wearied limbs
would carry us. The horses were all
out. we led out the calf from the barn.
and dragged ey srything movable to the
plowed ground n the midst of which
the house stDoL.
The fire va, upon us almost before
We finished IL was evident that the
stable was ieyoted to destruction. as
well as the oats which were stacked
within a ifes feet of it. All our fears
stood a Tttle aside. The grass was
tramped :-round it. and it seemed that
We migf. save th.t. We four stood
guard, Stesting the fire down as it
reached The low grass.
1t wss adesperate struggle. the flames
leaped mp in our very faces. smuggling
eyebrsWD and hair; and but for moth
er's pfeceution i'm the matter of dress.
we n ust certainly have been e~nvel"ped
in fl,gmeB. Our shoes became so that
the, bufned our feet. Yet nearer and
mes re- the greedy fire ate its way. We
gu illod it in one direction only to have
it stoel upon us from another. while the
tar from our swollen eyes ran Ove
CDR smoke-begrimmed faces. which,
,,ikesOur hands. were burned almost to
bliotering. But when the fire had SUBJ
sided IL stack still stood. though sur
ronnded by a blackened line which al
lost touched it.
When the need of exertiOn was over,
mother sank on the ground nearly faint
Eing. and we all dropped beside her,
breathless, scorched and utterly ex-
hausted.
Il am thankful that our home ard
children are spared" she sighed:
there is little else left. and | must go
to my babies now" she added. ''PoOr
father, this will be a 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 G~uivering. ''She ruined
Off: 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 you?" 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 a wailing
cry she sank fainting to the floor. The
cry awoke the baby, and she and Tom
my hurst into a 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
minutes she opened her heavy eyes and
sprang TO her feet, but sank back from
utter exhaustion.
"Oh. don't stop for me. children!
run! search everywhere" she cried.
wildly. $50! GO"
AS she stopped speaking. l heard the
thud of hoofs. Father had seen the
smoke, and leaving the wagon and one
horse. had galloped home on the other.
Thank God. you are all safe" he
exclaimed as he entered.
No one told him. Who could tell?
What ais you alp" he asked,
huskily: lis it worse than l sep"
We told him then. He shivcred with
horror, and grooming. Please Heaven.
we will find her YET" rushed from the
house.
Suddenly We heard . cry of agony.
and looking out, | saw that father was
Standing in a swale where the fire had
ragged the fiercest. fed by resin-weeds.
which shot up nine and ten feet high. |
Almost benumbed with dread. dragged
myself to the spot.
1t was one of those sights it will take
a lifetime to efface. for there. face /
downward, lay what had been u
Sadie. Nearly all of her clothing had
been burned. and the sweet, dimpled
flesh and bright curls were now dis.
colored and burned.
What a death for our darling! Father
bore her homeward, sending me before
to break the news to mother: but nv
face told the story before my trembling
lips.
us She much d~isfnnredY, she fall