The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-10-30
SAVED BY A STEER.

Qulred who was its best known ana most
reputable citizen, the answer in almost
every case would have been Emmet Car
len, and almost any settler could have
pointed out on the level prairie, from his
own door, the house and buildings of the
young Norwegian upon the crest of "Tip-
Top Knoll" at the head of Rush Lake.
Emmet began life in Lake Township
rs many other Norsemen in many other
regions of our new West have done, with
no possessions save change of clothing,
but, at the end of few years, he had,
by his thrift and industry, secured and
improved new farm and placed himself
on the sure road to comfort and plenty.
At the time of which write, however,
it was not so much his thrift that made
him a marked man, but certain daring
cool-headedness which he had always
displayed when courage and intrepidity
were demanded.
Once, at his own great peril, he had
carried food and extra clothing to a
school-teacher and a half-dozcn small
children who were confined in little
school-house, nearly a mile from any
habitation, by one of the fiercest biz
yards ever known in that region. This
happened during the first year of his stay
there, and while he was working for his
board and attending school with the lit
tie ones whose lives he had saved.
Strangely enough, he was again to fig
ure as the rescuer of two of these same
children from another sweeping storm,
one even more terrible than the dreaded
blizzard, storm of fire, as it swept over
the tall, dry grass of the unbroken
prairie.
To this exploit, however, there was
another party, Emmet's big steer,
"Comet," without whose aid, indeed, the
children must have perished.
This animal was quite as noteworthy as
bis master. "Comet" was huge, long
legged, long-horned steer. For two
years Emmett had only his help in plow-
ing and cultivating the "Tip- Top" home
stead, except that the breaking of sod
was done by hired "breakerS.
The young Norseman hitched his steer
to a heavy cart, and drove him to market
at the small but ambitious town of
Boomerang, eight miles distant. In
winter, when snow fell and the roads
were good, light sled took the place of
the cart.
Before the sled Comet soon gained q
local reputation for speed upon the road.
His gait was steady, long-stepped trot,
like that of an elk, and nearly as swift.
At any rate, it was soon an admitted fact
that there were no horses in the neigh
borhood that could pass Comet in trot-
ting match. This was abundantly proved
by many races along the road to town
and back, where the drivers of the teams
or single horses had tried and failed to
'igo by" the fleet steer.
One day in October Emmct was
blowing. The day was one Of those
common to that season in new prairie re-
gions, smoky, with strong northwest
wind smelling of burned grass, a fine
dust of cinders sitting down, and the sun
shining through smoke and dust with a
dull red glare. But as Emmett had
some time before burned a broad "fire
break" around his shauty, grain and hay
stacks, he noted these evidences of rag
ing fire without uneasiness. They came
at some time every autumn.
1t was about the middle of the after
noon that little Jake and Lib Walker
came into his field, bringing some grain
bags which Emmett had lent their father
to use during his threshing the week be-
fore.
Walker lived at the foot of Rush Lake,
about a mile from the school-house,
where the young Norwegian had taken
lessons in English, and these little fel-
lows, Jake and Lib, had been his school
mates when the ''big blizzard" came,
cutting them off suddenly from home
and imperilling their lives.
"Hallo, Yakie; halo, Libbie! You a
koot fays fom home, amt ita" was En-
NETS greeting as the lads came up, each
staggering under back-load of sacks.
"We've been good deal further'n
this more'n once" said Jake, "and
we've got to 60 clear round the lake'n
drive the COWS home yit tonight.
They're away over yonder," pointing
across the lake, "where the wild rice
grows long the edge, and pas gone to
town"
sit you ride town on tenn packs
t'ere," said Emmet, ''unt rest yo' lecks,
unit I feel let Comet rest, too. I did
tink meppe as I coot flemish tot
plowin' py nighttime, put ton't know
off I ken to ut"
And then, seated on the plow-bcam
he talked pleasantly with the boys for a
few minutes, then, telling them that he
would carry the sacks to the house when
he turned out, badc them ''look out unit
not ket lost cen tenn tall krasses"-
grass-as they trudged sturdily away
toward the upper end of the lake.
The lads had been gone from the field
about half an hour when Emmet noted
with alarm that the smoke which had
pervaded the air all day had thickened,
until now the sun was almost clouded
over, showing only dull red disk. The
smell of burning grass had grown more
pungent.
Ills fears were aroused wholly Oh ac-
count of the two boys who had gone to
the other side of the lake. The field in
which he was at work lay upon the south
side of the hill upon which his shanty
stood, shutting off the view to north and
west, from whence the wind was blow
ing.