Arizona silver belt., 1886-09-25

groouns, boys, laborus, An hurried Off
/ towards tha plantation, where, beyond
/ the hr-wood, the daInos, stirred by a
y westerly wind, were already advancing
/ In their fiery progress We had not got
/ clear Of che high road before we could
/ perceive the flames high in the air, and
great rolling eurls and puifs Of smoke
rising over Che trcc.tops. Men with
branches Of trees, and spades and forks,
were RUNNING along the road, and then
up the lane towards the furze common,
| which was we'll nlight The young tIpus
were standing out dark in front ~ the
fire, 1t was IL grand sight, and one
shall not easily forget, A fino sight, in
deed, but terrible! .at......
Beyond the belt Of Game, in front of
( it, number Of MEN were endeayoring
| to cut away the trees and gorse so as TO
/ deprive the fire Of its fuel. Close behind
! the flames, aud Mt the sides, were men
/ with branches of trees beating the fire
out as well as they could. But more
than once they had to retreat, as the
tongues Of fire darted suddenly at them,
anu AAtNNNk Wy tiAt am E'iN|
under their feet Three parties Of men
were Convergmg towards an old decayed
tree--a hollow dry trunk, as dry as touch
| wood. In few minutes that tree would
be in the very heart of the FIRE; nothing
could save it.
/ Then tho wind suddenly changed, and
we saw the fire spread. We waited, and
HemphilI the doctor, and other gentle
men came rushing up darting hither
and thther, beating, calling directing.
( Mr.. Cardewe, at the head of thelaborers,
was equally active. The fire was increas-
| ing, The old solitary oak was doomed
/ Nothing could save it. Poor old treei
! Every one was sotTS, II had been q
( landmark for years and wears, and WAS
called the ladies Tree" There was
some tradition, some old prophecy,
about it, as it marked Mr. Andersou's
property where it was divided from Mr..
| Henphiirs.
knew the legend we'll ii was to the
effect that when the tree was dead the
Hemphill's would be chiidless--
" Aliflk tNt974a away tAlG AAtAAlNA IAENa
No Babes in HcnphiII's hail shall be-"
The verse cane into my mind, and !
said to the ladies' maid, who had run
out with the rest to see the sight:
"a poor lookout for Miss Gladys!n
But we had no time 10 talk much.
The man, whether they believed In the
legend or not, were doing all they could
to prevent the fire from reaching the
tree. They did not succeed. The flames
seemed to rush round, and even to spring
from the tree itself. We cried out,
"saye the tree!' but no one could got
near it, until the flames had united round
the trunk and utterly concealed It, 10
fierce was this famous ~bush-tire."
MY gracious me, Eliza, what's that?
Look! There is something in the tree!7
/ exclaimed. There Is something aiiyel'
"Surc enough, it looks like itl- cried
Eliza. 1See, it comes Quit It's a
woman!7
A CRY Of alarm and horror rent the
air--a gruan Of anguish from all Tire
figaro was now plainly setm-the
woman was standing upon one uf the
lower branches, waving her hand wildlyl
1t WAS Miss Anderson herself! She
was calling for help, Help, indeed! But
it looked as if no help could eyer reach
her. l heard her voice plainly now; and
--yoa win scarcely believe ne--sle was
laughing, queer wild laugh.
"Save her! Save herr screamed men
and women.
But no one would venture. Tha Games
formed q barrier iunassable. Death--a
cruel death--awaited any one who
crossed the terrible belt Of fire, which
roared anal cracked like the furnace Of
Northumberland.
Mr.. Anderson sPurred his horse reok-
lassly toward the belt OF fire. The ami
NAL reared and nearly threw him. Miss
Anderson had, as we supposed, got into
the tree thinsdng herself safe, but sud
den shift Of wind had carried the flames
toward her, and sine seemed doomed.
Five hundred pounds to the man who
viii make the effort! Five hundred apiece
to any Of your
One man had not waited. 4 man with
his nose and mouth tied up in . wetted
handkerchief rushed through the smoke.
1t was ALr. Hemphill, true to the last.
But his courage was Of no avail He
nearly reached tine foot Of the tree, but
fell. Three men rushed in, but only two
reached him; the third, black and
scorched, c0mo cut again staggering,
blinded, burnt The others did succeed
in reaching him, and ut the peril of their
lives dragged Ir HcmplilI to the wind
ward side of the flames, which were stiH
roaring TO leoward, rs Charley said,
We were ali silent and mortified, when
suddenly loud shout came over the
fields. A man, riding beautiful black
horse, leaped the hedge, and dashed,
squirting hard, across the common lard.
The horse was blindfoIded, and rushed
reclSlessly on. The rider scattered the
workers and spectators. They paused
for moment, and then, with cheer,
the horseInan plunged into the flame and
smoke, which we're passing away from
the tree now at the base, but the tree it.
self was burMng. In another moment
the rider was off his horse, which rushed
away bIindiy by itself. The gentleman
swung himself into the smouldering tree
with desperate courage, tore Miss Ander-
son from her place between the branches,
whore she sat, half-insensibie, and low
cred her to the ground She fell in a
heap, apparently dead.
The gentleman dropped down and
Efted her up, BY this time some labor
ers had summoned up courage TOO, and
rushed in as the fire abated. Between
them the lifted and carried off Miss
Anderson, who was borne TO orr little
house, quite insensible. / hurried after
them, and met them at the door. There
I came face 10 face with Capt. MARTIN