Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-09-26
.RA,R1E FIRE.

A PRAlhlE-
.cr,p.ion of the Oncomfng
,rnt', p the Wall of Flame.
has spent the greater part
eTAo tbe Western plains gives
IL. 5s;ag description of a prairie
5 n-s III sprang up to see one of
W., W. ' horses-a veteran in years
sdaie ';ance-standing with his head
SIe ens ,ir and pointed due west.
u !, 'A 1ooks as tixedly as if his eyes
; ne ,h , power to turn, his nos
's W., 'n and dilate with excitement.
ann W him a full minute. He was
F', /. 10 exhibit alarm, but now one
~ .e ~ another throws up his head
, ol to the west.
!; !.' Ieen night we should have
~ W. election. Had there been a
ll's END the odor would have come
.o S There is only a gentle
s'l angus hing, dying under the
~ bnt resurrected and given q
s If lie at intervals by an I'M
IT,, aver. But now we can see the
irving heavenward and shutting
,a Of the west from our vision
s ss horses show signs that no man
n, intake. A great wall of flame
u: .as in length is rolling toward
nnc] AID driven by breeze of It's
cation, but coming slowly and
IL 1t takes me two or three min
= climb to the top of one of the
and from my elevated position L
81. grand view of the wave Of fire
Is driving before it everything
work fast. Blankets are wet at
rrlps ard hung up between the
70 make a bulwark against the
and smoke, the horses doubly
"a camp equipage piled up aud
d and before we are through we
visitors. Ten or twelve buffaloes
thundering-pass the grove-halt
e.urn to its shelter, crowding as
tothe horses as they can and show
fear at our presence. Next come
or four antelopes, their bright
buIging out with fear, and their
is blowing out the heavy odor
&barp shorts. One rubs egainst
ID ticks my hand.
b! Yelp! Here are half a dozen
) which crowd among the buffa-
nd tremble with terror, and a score
penis race over the open ground
i the wet ditch which carries off
ierhowing of the spring. Last to
and only a mile ahead of the
which is licking up everything in
III. is mustang-.a single animal
has somehow been separated
+ his herd. He comes from the
racing to reach the grove before
Fe shall cut him off, and he runs
) life. With his ears laid back,
pointing, and his eyes fixed on the
ibis pace is that of thunderbolt.
ops square over one pile of camp
and goes ten rods beyond before
! check himself. Then he comes
|g back and crowds between two
horses with a low whinny.
Pre- is roar like Niagara. The
drives over us in a pail like mid
The air seems to be one sheet
be. The wave has swept up to
lge Of the bare ground, and is di-
/ to pass us by. We are in an
The horses snort and cough, and
|e, the wolves howl and moan as
BAT and smoke become intolerable.
flor five minutes, and then relief
!. The flame has passed, and the
lis driven away. In this path is
eze, every Whit of which is an
len minutes the grove is so clear
oAe that we can see every foot of
AGAIN. A queer slgnt IL Is. IL
cen the haven of refuge for snakes,
Is gophers, prairie dogs, rabbits,
es wolves, antelopes, deer, buff
horses and men-enmity, antip-
aud hunger suppressed for the
that all might live-that each
escape the tiend in pursuit.
half an hour nothing moves.
the mustang filings up his head,
the last Of the smoke from his
lis, and starts off with flourish OF
'els. The buffaloes go next, the
md the antelope follow, and in five
les we are left alone.
fifty miles to the north, west and
there is nothing but blackness-a
cape of despair. Away to the east
all of fire is still moving on and on,
cable, relentless, fiend whose
St is death, and whose trail is de-
ton and loso1o+;nn