The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-29
A PRAIRIE FIRE.
Thrilling Episode of Life On the West
ern Plains.
How a Party Was Suddenly Alarmed aud
Proved ItseIf Equal TO the
Emergency.
colorado Star

| found himself listening, with a group Of
others, to the conversation between members
of the company. They were Iecounting the
various events of the day and spinning yarns
for the benefit of their guests.
Eyes" said Con Groner, the cowboy sher-
! iff of the Platte, after entertaining the party
with interesting stories of the West and tell
| ing of the exciting times in Shermsn's cam
paign 10 the sea aud strengthening out his
| five times wounded leg, you can bet that
there is nothing so terrifying as prairie fire.
| Why, just think of the Chicago and your
Boston fires, when solid wood and stone walls
were the fuel, and you can Judge what bur
ricsne of destruction must ensue when the
thick, tall, dry grass of the plains gets
started and there are none OF the barriers in
the shape of streets to stay it. Great Scott
| how il makes fellows hair stand on end,
1 even when be thinks of it."
well" said Buck Taylor, rs he heightened
out another section of has gigantic frame,
that was no slOucn O. scare at The Platte
/ last fall, If my memory nerves me right"
"You can bet your last dol-piece that It
wssn't," says Jim Lawson. | thought Setn
1 would lose his long hair that day. Why It
| Just walked old John Nelson up and he did
work like q beaver-you'd thought he had q
five years' job to DO in dsy-wsil he
just fl it TIL his beard and eyebrows were
siDged."
Bropc ho Bill, "Codys homestead, horse
ranch and the Wild West rancho, where old
Johns outfit was came darned near going,
boys"
Old Pop Whittiksr was on q visit 10 Cody's,
| and when Johnny Burke asked him what he
thought of 1t. the Old man swung his one fla
/ II 4 a. ~@l.
thought the judgment day had come, and for
once I'd have bet my pile on the BiOle" and
when every thing had settled down, poor old
Pop asked Burke on the quiet: "S2y, John;
how soo2 do We start for New York;" con-
| tributed Seth, the pony express rider.
Yes, and Burke and Pop lit out couple
OF days after and said they had business in
New York." sarcssticalIy remarked little
Dude Baker.
Here's julie Keen, our handsome treas.
urer, he can tell ABBOTT it, heard him and
Major North-God bless him-tell about it,
ana had the nightmare afterwards. dresmt
that Bills beautiful home, his inmense
horse rancho, barns stables and corrsls, had
| gone and the Wild West camp too, and
these ponies here were blackened ciuders."
Gays John Hancock, ex Marshal OF North
| Platte, with q serious look, as IL the picture
still haunted hiH memory.
1.-THE town had narrow escape, aud as
| ii was my first view of such a scene,
| can never forget IT. started rotund
| Keen, SIS he turned the lock In his cash.
box.
That day The town was full OF people
there must have been over hundred horses
and teams, within square OF fuckers;
some tied, others browsing around according
10 the custom there. Groner had resigned,
and Hancock also, TO come With, this show
and the folks were discussing their SUGGEST
ors. The boys were In 'Tuck's' iTrigating
when some one at the door remarked:
"Look at that fellow GINNING: wonder
what's behind him2' Coming over the
prairie like streak OF lightning was Bil's
racer, "kile," who has record OF ;i3 On, on
be came the crowd becoming more puzzled
until little John Nelson, Without saddle or
bride, only Just tho halter rope, dalhed by
unable TO stop him, and shouted 60 Cody
who was anxlouely watching him, FIRE.
Prairiei Pop sayn whoa boy, whoa boy"
While the little bali breed courier was curb.
ing his eteed and turning him toward the
crowd all hastily scanned the horizon aud
with blanohod cheeks realized what the dis
tant black cloud meant ~ the wind was
dead ON To the town. Kite oreling
around. HIS young rider literally yelled
out bia mtalage. Pop says 80 prairie
hre-to come pretty. damn quick
or lhere'll be hell (which was hardly
necoppafy 10 start tho crowd, who already
were scfambllng into bugglos, catching
horses, teiging Blankets overcoala, getting
blankets out OF the st0res, matches rope,
kefotene, anything which would assist ia
the struggle With the flames Buffalo Bu'e
ranches were Ina the direction from which
the lire was approaching a fact, they we're
ell that separated the fire from the town, aud
N they burned the town must gD also. Bul
was mounted on old Charlie in a twinkle.
be eagerly inquired after the plows aamlle
OF relief spreading over HE features when
informed that they we're NJ tho ranch aud
all "a
n lash, followed helterskelter by the whole
crowd In the direction OF the thick, black
smoke which was rolling up ia tho east aud
increasing Ia volume avery moment IL vas
grand pieht 10 see them ~ they spread out
with their leader NJ the head dashing across
the plains. About two miles out they we're
met by scores aud scores OF frightened cat
tie, horses aud mules rubhing on tn madden.
ipe terror 90 escape, Cody hastily ordered
tome Ct hia men 90 head them 20 that they
would eroea the railroad track, banind which
strip pf land had been burned over fow
days before IA anticipation Of juat such an
event, and then be daehed on again.
| Abont halt mile beyond the homestead,
Major North, Buck Nelson and the rancho
man had already started six big plows-tour
and six horses TO plow-s mao on the
ALONGSIDE, two men taking turnh az the
hAn dies aud while | am telling 10, ploWed
strip Of land, or fire break, was made 10 the
river bank, teams with waterbNrels were
streaming along And. dashing here aud
there, giving orders and dispAtohing ooariera,
rode Cody, whose arrival was crested With
shouts. HIS orders were quickly oheyed by
ell, and soon could zee that the little army
and its commander had been trained by sad
experiences how and what 90 do. Dipping
the ropes in kerosene aud lighting the same,
Cody and a number OF others rode along side
OF the iurrow nearest the approaching
danger, setting fire 10 the grass close 20 the
plowed ground. A burning line 20 the river
was coon slowly cracking against the wind,
while with wet blankets ran here and there
men whipping out any stray sparks that
CROSSED the border or fell from the air, which