, 1886-03-30

~ ANthF ~ ~ AAtAb Will ItAA III
his eyes. But he was patient with her
and said:
Very well, dear, as you like"
She drew herself up haughtily. could
have boxed her ears had she been my
girl. He was too gentle with her. Some
women don't value n man unless he is
pretty hard with them, and poor Mr..
HemphiIl wasn't hard enough for Miss
Gladys.
She set off by herself. and he followed
her; the doctor and all the stable-men
had already gone. BHlSwain came with
me-. Round in the farm-yard the men
were calling out for help; and the oun
try was up.
All the men turned out-servants,
grooms, boys, laborers. All hurried off
towards the plantation, where, beyond
the fr-wood, the flames, stirred by a
westerly wind, were already advancing
in their fiery progress. We had not got
clear Of the high road before we could
perceive the flames high in the air, and
great rolling curls and pulls Of smoke
rising over the tree-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 well alight. The young trees
were standing out dark in front of the
fire. 1t was a grand sight, and one l
shall not easily forget. A fine sight, in
deed, but terriblel
Beyond the belt Of flame, in front of
it, a number of men were endeavoring
10 cut away the trees and gorse so as 10
deprive the fire OF its fuel. Close behind
the flames, and ct the sides, were men
with branches of trees beating the fire
out as well as they could. But more
than nee they had TO retreat, as the
tongues Of fire darted suddenly at them,
and licked up the grass and gorse almost
under their feet. Three parties of men
were converging towards an old decayed
tree-a hollow dry trunk, rs dry as touch
wood. In a few minutes that tree would
be in the very heart Of the fire; nothing
could save it.
Then the wind suddenly changed, and
we saw the fire spread. We waited, and
watched the great towering flames. Mr..
Hemphill, the doctor, and other gentle
men came rushing up. darting hither
and thither, beating, calling, directing.
Mr.. Cardewe, at the head of the laborers,
was equally active. The fire was increas-
ing. The old solitary oak was doomed !
Nothing could save it. Poor old tree,
Every one was sorry. 1t had been o
landmark for years and years, and was
called the Ladies Tree" There was
some tradition, some old prophecy,
about 1t, as it marked Mr.. Anderson's
property where it was divided from Mr..
Hemphill's.
l knew the legend well. 1t was to the
effect that when the tree was dead the
Hemphill's would be childless-
when passes away the Ladies' Tree,
No Babes in Hemphillis hall shall be-"
The verse came into my mind, and l
said to the ladies' maid, who had run
out with the rest to see the sight:
"A poor lookout fer Miss GladysIp
But we had no time to talk much.
The men, 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,
Save the treel" but no one could get
near it, until the flames had united round
the trunk and utterly concealed it, so
fierce was this famous "bush-fire."
my gracious me, Eliza, what's that
Look There is something in the treelT
I exclaimed. There is something alivelr
Sure enough, it looks like itln cried
Eliza. "See, it comes outl It's a
womanlr
A cry Of alarm and horror rent the
ARA groan Of anguish from all. The
figure was now plainly seen-the
woman was standing upon one of the
lower branches, waving her hand wildly
1t was Miss Anderson herself She
was calling for help. Help, indeed But
it looked as if no help could ever reach
her. l heard her voice plainly now; and
you will scarcely believe me-she was
laughing, a queer. wild laugh.
Save heri Save herl" screamed men
and women.
But no one would venture. The flames
formed a barrier impossible. Death-a
cruel death-awaited any one who
crossed the terrible belt of fire, which
roared and cracked like the furnace of
Nebuchadnezzar.
Mr.. Anderson spurred his horse reck-
lessly toward the belt of fire. The ami
NAL reared and nearly threw him. Miss
Anderson had, as we supposed, got into
the tree thinking herself safe, but a sud
den shift Of wind had carried the fames
toward her, and she seemed doomed.
~Five hundred pounds to the man who
will make the effort Five hundred apiece
to any Of youi"
One man had not waited. A man with
his nose and mouth tied up in n wetted
handkerchief rushed through the smoke.
1t was Mr.. Hemphill, true to the last.
But his courage was of no avail. He
nearly reached the foot of the tree. but
fell. Three men rushed in. but only two
reached him; the third. block and
s~corched, came out again staggering.
blinded, burnt. The Others did succeed
in reaching him, and at the peril Of their
lives dragged Mr.. Hemphill to the wind
ward side of the flames, which were still
roaring to leeward, as Charley said.
We were all silent and Mortified. when
suddenly a loud shout came over the
fields. A man, riding a beautiful black
horse, leaped the hedge, and dashed,
squirting hard, across the common land.
The horse was blindfolded. and rushed
recklessly on. The rider scattered the
workers and spectators. They paused
for a moment, and then, with a cheer,
the horscman plunged into the flame and
smoke, which were passing away from
the tree now at the base, but the tree it
self was burning. In another moment
the rider was off his horse, which rushed
away blindly by itself. The gentleman
swung himself into the s~mouldering tree
with desperate courage, tore Miss Ander-
son from her place between the branches