New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-07

JUST dIlcf udTk pdSotu HVot
stone Butte Riding to the top
OF It saw spread out at my feet dozen broken,
serpentlnc wandering lines Of fire all over the pralr
to the south. The grass short, there was no
wind and the fires burning slowly, and the
lines Of flame were In and out in thousand
curves and angles, each fne crlnkled, hckeHng
line of fame seemingly wandering about the prairie
Some were coming up the further sldo 0f a bt'le
knoll and pecping above the dark outline OF its top
at first only two three detached points OF hame
looking like the eyes of some great demon peerng
above the III, then I'm short detached lines, ana
finally g. nc long and unbroken line OF brilliant
color II ~ It would gradually zigzag It's way down
the hill III at last 1t sank of sight with more
broken lines and demons eyes in little valley ana
left the hill blacker and darker than before watched
the crnIdcd lines OF fro for half hour till was
dizzy and uncertain to directions. MY pony was
doubtful as to the aesthetic or practical value Of the
display and tossed her head and shifted al It with
numerous mlsgiyings. being reminded, perhaps, OF
time in her wild existence when with her
startled herd Of companions she had been driven for
miles with the hungry fire close behind, finally leap
ing in the welcome waters of stream while
the bahlcd flames licked up the long grass dropping
tho bank behind.
Indeed the western pony does not take kindly to
prairie fires a general rule Two nights later ]
overlook little party Of stockmen from Buffalo,
Wyoming, who were driving band of about $50
ponies through to Pierre to be shipped east /
camped with them by little stream bearing the
romantic name of Frozen Mans Creek About
midnight the wind freshoned and q fire up with
considerable rapidy from the southeast and despite
the efforts Of tho two night heriers the ponies,
judging discretion TO be the better part Of
valor scampercd oil the burned section to the
north This forced us to roll out of warm blan-
kes, to take the saddle horses and to go after the
frightened ponies, the raw. eastcrly wind being too
some extent warmed by tho heated remarks OF the
Matters were not frightened when It Logan to
rain about daylight, tho rain speedily turning into
wet, clinglng snow, which fell rapidly all the fore
Sometime about 8 O'Clock, the then
falling at It's fastest, got the scattered ponies to-
gethcr, and without anybody betraying enough weak
TO speak Of breakfast started on. The fire had
long before gone out and the heat of my companions
remarks was somewhat abated, and altogether VIC
presented somewhat forlorn appearance urged
the reluctant little horses the blaclened prairie
in the face of the storm. About noon the storm
ceased, the sun tried to struggle out, and after
had had dinner left the pony band behind. For
couple Of hours tho prairie dazzling white, in
sharp contrast to its former backness but soon
under the uncertain glory' OF the November sum- the
snow began to slip away and the old blackness came
back
Every prairie town where the people arc not actI-
ated, as they frequently are, by spirit Of criminal
carelessncss, IS surrounded by fre-brealL This
usually made by ploughng few burrows Just out
side and entirely around the town. Further out, say
100 yards another circle OF burrows Is made and then
the grass IS burned between This efectually pre-
vents any hostile fire from taking the city. 1t very
frequently happens that this rc-brcak Is constructed
after the fire which IS intended to guard against
has appeared On such occasions while party
goes with brooms, shovels, old grain-sacks and
other weapons to stay the progress Of
the fire as much possible, another
attaches teams TO all the plows that can be found
and begins to make the needed burrows. The attack
Ing party IL usually headed by the Mayor, while the
Justice Of the Peace the leading lawyer Is apt 10
lead the pillow brigade. AS soon as the burrows are
turned the back fire" between Is started and usually
the town is saved. Perhaps the people get great
deal enjoyment of than If the matter had
been attended to while the danger was remote.
We're It not for the possibilities of back firing
the annals of prairie fires would record many more
deaths remember in 1873 being with little party
in what is sully County Dakota, exploring for
good town site where might found a city and
with small effort on our part become millionaires.
We camped night the headwaters Of the
Okobojo Creek. The grass all about thick and
tall All day long we had noticed smokiness about
the air. and evening approached the strong south
wind brought faint odor Of fire. AS darkness set.
the southern horizon. We knew there was an ex-
tensive fire in that direction, but did not think il
would reach us that night so lay down to sleep with
feeling Of uneasiness. There four in the
party two slept in tho wagon, while the other two
being ono Of them, took blankets and made beds I'm
the grass One lay little distance in front of the
wagon and the other as far behind, with the idea
that would scent horse thieves either white red
should any appear-somothlng We certainly should not
have dOnn I'm he fra of
the horses fell at two O'Clock in the morning.
and the frightened animal rushed so tho end OF
its picket line, and tugged at it, and set up that
unearthly nolsc which only horse is capable of
when badly scared. My companion guard awoke
speedily tumbled out. We of us too soon
we could feel the heat our faces. But little
distance to the s0uth-perhaps II farther than 1t
seemed, but it not fart was fierce hgh-Ieap-
ing, surging, roaring wall Of fire. The smoke rolled
above heads and almost touched the white wagon
top The fire surged and and fell, and leaped
ana plunged and cracked and roared and the black
driven I'm faces and settled around us II seemed
as II the fire to the east and west was already al
vanced past us and that the line Of flame was
as day but When we f turned to the north Efh
looked into great black inky cave, at the mouth
Of which our horses plunged and neghcd and cleaned
back at the dreaded fire with crazed and bullying eyes.
regret that ! cannot state with truth that We had
but one match. and enlarge the anxiety with
which we watched It flicker almost go out. and
then burn bright and clear but canno-we all had
as If none of us would ever find them. 1t looked
If the fire had covered half the distance us before
the first match was produced then II my brother
sentinel who brought II TO light. He a short dis
lance in front Of the wagon which stood parallel with
the FIRE, that the fire hp proposed starting would
not reach the horses, and lnet I'm the tall grass
The first match went out, quite after the most ap
proved form The next did better, 1t burned. the
dry bunch of grass caught. the fame swired ND in
our faces we leaned anxiously over II. and then
leaped TO the next bunch then to both sides
away TO tho north making a rapidly growing oasis
of safety IL was none too We cut the picket
ropes and led the horses around upon the burned
space, one of us beating out the feeble flames that
tried to work toward tho wind We hastily pushed
the wagon TO place OF safety and stood behind II
to screen our faces from the fierce heat The fire
swept up TO our little burned spot, reached an
grlly. but found nothing feed on. again leaped
high I'm the air, swayed, waveicd, lckcred and went
out. We safe.
-, The air was hot and sitting FOR several minutes.
men came the cool, strong wind which was
sweeping the flames away to the north, our little
saving IRE overtaken and swallowed up In the greater
A half hour later there a feeling II great
storm had passed, and far away TO the north the
smoke hung like cloud with the fire PLAYING angrly
about; low down, In broken lines, as the lightning
sometimes does after thunder storm. There was
no sound save tho steady rush OF the wind, which
was moi loud as the long, dry grass It had murmured
through before was pone