Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-03-19

w nat 40 you think, IS there help enough
here to protect the buildings?"
~ think so. We have cleared. the
house. taken down the fences, and by
my directions a ditch is to be begun at
once around the buildings. The house
can be saved l feel assured"
"Then we had better get home as
soon as we can"
Gone moment, sir. The school-chil-
dren have all come down from the
school-house, and are all here. So long
as the buildings stand they are safe;
but in case of disaster to them, l know
not to what danger they might be ex-
posed. They can not fight their way
through this fire, and they ought to be
taken beyond its REACH
The frightened faces of two of my
own children, who at that moment came
running out to meet me. convinced me
of the business of his observation. They
had seen similar fires before, and knew
enough of their horrors to feel alarmed
at the first appearance of danger. There
was no road to the east, and the one to
the north was already cnvcloped in
flame, as both Mr.. Hadley and myself
knew but too well. There was only the
Wv w OHC SOuUu, Slllu VIC liz WIS I:lDs
idly drifting toward it.
GLOW many are there?:" / asked.
81 can not tell you, sir. But do you
see the fire moving to our right? We
have no time to lose"
Can we carry them all in this WAC.
on?"
II think 80. will get them together
and see."
He called them together, and thew
climbed into the large box of the wagon,
some crying and all giving evidence of
being most sadly frightened, as well
they might. They had seen fires before.
When they were all in, the vehicle was
filled completely, and no place was left
for my hired man and myself.
Just then a shower of burning cinders
fell over the buildings, and over us all.
In an instant, under the tanning of the
wind, the roof of the house was in
flames, and on the impulse of the mo-
ment | sprang to the rescue.
at is vain, sir, entirely. Let us lose
no more time. Look yonder!"
''Drive on, drive on! l will work here
a few minutes, and overtake you if 1
can,' were my words, as / sprang
toward the house.
He had hardly started with his
precious freight, when all the men came
away from the house in despair. Its de-
struction was inevitable. The roof of
the barn had already caught, and it was
evident that further effort would be
u~navailing. The smoke was not blind
swamp directly west of us into which
the fire had not as yet penetrated. But
north of us it held complete possession
of the road. The rails were burned to
ashes, though detached and in the mid
die of the highway. Even the bedding
and furniture which had been carried
from the house, and placed upon the
freshly plowed field were all on fire.
The falling cinders had spared nothing.
Our personal safety at that moment
was really a serious question, as VIC
could not travel e~asterly so fast US the
fire would travel, and to the south the
smoke and cinders were rolling across
the road at a distance of not more than
a mile. True, the fire had not YET
reached it, yet it was rapidly nearing it,
and would certainly cross it too soon fol
our purpose.
The picture which we looked upon in
that moment was n of intense interest
to us all. Directly in front of us, and
not yet more than half a mile away, was
the stranger driving his Horses at full
gallop, seemingly into the jaws ofdeath.
A wind, full a mile to the south of us,
had furnished peculiar advantages to the
fire, and it swept through with incredible
velocity. And there was hardly a mar
who stood there in that spcll-bound
group but had a child in the wagon
which had been given into the care Of
the stranger.
We watched with brcathless interest.
Whether to wish him to make the at
tempt to go on, or to return, we could
not tell. The only avenue of escape he
WAS manfully trying, yet that avenue
seemed blocked up with Goals of fire.
"He will never get through, never p
said Hadley.
"Let us hasten, then," 1 answered.
''All is lost if he is lostn!'
ooh, this terrible fret" almost
groaned another. 'My child, my poor
little child! See! the fire has already
crossed his path. He will come back
he can not, he will o venture into
thaE."
But at intervals the horses were still,
seen going at full speed, and the daunt.
less driver urging them to still greater
effort.
We went over the road as rapidly as
we could move, and had gone a quarter
of Il mile-I do not think it was more
than that, for these events transpired
with wonderful rapidity-when we were
startled by hearing II of our compan-
ions exclaim:
THE wagon is in flames! 1 saw it! ]
saw it!!'
The smoke had begun to drive across
our path, and all paused to look eagerly
for a confirmation of this startling an.
nounccmcnt. In a moment we saw
through the smoke dimly, it was true,
yet distinctly enough to convince us
that there could be no mistake, we saw
the wagon actually on fire.
"Oh, it is horrible!" said Hadley,
"that even my children could not be
spared me!'
"Bravely, men, bravely; we must GO
through and ave them"
"Well spoken said another, "brave-
II, Is t1n u,o,.l NOW ~. ,,o III ...,:.l, ~