The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-12-21
Away they tore through the high grass,


with the utmost possible strides of his
long, feet legs. ~ - ..
The fire meanwhile was gaining every
moment, in spite of his tremendous ex-
ertion. Emmett could see that the smoke
closed in thicker, and feel that the air
was growing hot and oppressive.
But suddenly two little dark objects
appeared few yards ahead, bobbing
above the waving grass.
Emmett gave shout of delight; it was
the black heads of Jake and Lib, nodding
rs they ran. Their hats were off, and
they were running as fast as the wilder
ness of grass would let them. In an in
slant Comet was alongside, and, with a
few sharp whoas and hard pull at the
reins, Emmett managed to stop him but a
few yards in front of the boys.
They ran to him with eager shouts,
their fright turned to Joy at the sight of
him. But without waiting to answer
them he leaped forward, caught Lib by
tie arm, and swung him up in front, then
helped Jake to scramble on behind.
Shank tight to me, Yake," he said;
then, throwing an arm around Lib and
grasping the rope, he dug his heels into
Comets ribs, and, with a shrill "Hi!
Hi" set the steer OF again at a swinging
pace.
The crackle and roar of the fire could
plainly be heard as they started, and
Comet, either Directing to his additional
burden or uneasy at the smell and the
roar of the fire, began snorting and
throwing his head on either side omin-
ously-
Emmett feared that the steer would be-
come unmanageable, and, as last resort,
determined to run him into the lake and
make him swim for it. Somewhere not
far below he knew there was an arm of
the lake about one hundred yards wide,
extending out a considerable distance
into the fiat, and this arm, or bayou, he
had hoped to reach.
He knew that Comet would not hest
tate an instant to plunge into it and swim
the steer had been known to swim
clear across the lake itself-and once
upon the other side he could soon make
his little party safe.
Suddenly the smoke lifted, and he
ventured glance backward. The sight
was appalling! The smoke, driven up
ward by the rush of heated air, was fly.
ing above their heads, leaving the jump,
ing flames in plain view.
The head fire was not quarter-mile
distant, Emmett judged, and was bearing
down on them with terrible speed, thu
flames shooting higher than he had evel
seen them rise before.
Little Jake and Lib chung to him with
out word, while Comet threw his head
about and snorted more violently thar
before.
But suddenly there was strip o
water before them; the arm of the lax
had been reached. A moment more
and they were into it with a splash, ant
Commet was swimming with his heav
burden and carrying it more easily thai
he had been able to bear it upon land
but his body sank until the water cam
up to Jake's waist, and nothing but tn
nose and horns of the steer could D
|, seen.
But swimming was much slower wor
: than running had been, and by the tim
the opposite shore was reached the fir
was already roaring at the other edge.
Emmett leaped off into the edge of tn
water, and pulled Jake and Lib wit
him.
"Here." he shouted, giving them tn
, ropes. "Hank tight to i'm; ton't let i
loose off you can holt to m. You yu'
so safe as to home now"
They obeyed manfully, and Emme
drawing a matchbox from his We
pocket, dropped upon his knees at tt
nearest dry place, and, lighting mattel
held his hat over it until the flame ha
G touched the blades of grass which !