The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-09

Ills dEu. I1cE lie uatk10CN
it to her were cut short by seeing him turn
and run rapidly up the ladder, as if be had
forgotten something of Importance.
You've done enough" she called, but
he went on, shouting back words she did
not understand, for the roar of the APP
preaching confagratiOn was drowning out
all other sounds
She gave the baby to George and sprang
up the ladder; but one of the half decayed
rounds gave way and in falling several
others were broken by her weight, thus
imprisoning them within the well. She
crouched down, clasping her little ones,
stung, amid her fears, by the thought that
she had always been too hard upon Jess
Then she remembered the open chest
"Our money will be burned, she groaned.
well never get out Of debt now"
But while she trembled and waited, the
wind above increased to a hurricane. A
billow of fame rolled above them, accom-
panied by a sullen roar as of monsters
rage at the partial escape Of its prey. De
scending whiffs of smoke and ashes nearly
suffocated them, and the children began to
cry. Mrs. Willard. thinking of jess, could
only murmur over and over again:
OOI
Meanwhile the Lao. measuring with his
eye the nearing line of fire. ran into the
house, reappearing directly with some
thing which he thrust under his coat. He
started back to the well, but another in
slant convinced him that he could not
reach that haven in time. The fire was
nearly there. Its power and fury were
simply terrible. Great areas of tall grass
were whirled upward into an endless crest
of rolling flames that seemed to lap up the
very earth beneath.
he turned with hf.f sob, and ran back
to the house. 1t was built of dry pine upon
wooden blocks and covered with tempo
rary roof of thatch. There was absolutely
no safety there.
Hardly conscious of aught now but a
frantic fear, he hurried down by the cow
pen where several head of cattle were
plunging about. He threw down the bars
to give them a chance. though it seemed as
if none but winged creatures could escape
the devouIing monster behind. The cattle
made for the creek bottom. jess thought
of the shallow well there. Could he reach
it, there was yet n bare chance TO save him
self by plunging into the water. But,
looking back as be ran, he saw that he
would be overtaken. The house and hay
stack were already swallowed up behind
that moving wall of flame and smoke
What could he dos u was terrible to
have to face, in utter helplessness. such a
death. He stumbled over something and
fell. 1t was the hide Of the steer slaught-
cred by Mr.. Willard, and which Jess, be
fore this, should have stretched out to dry.
There was a small bare space Of trampled
earth around, the hide was still wet and
might not burn He shook it out and
crawled under, neryouSly tucking the
edges about his cxtremities as he lay with
his face TO the ground.
While he worked the heat suddenly grew
sitting Then the awful roar swept down
upon him and he could not breathe. The
sizzling hide appeared to shrivel, and the
scorching sense of suffocation became in
tolerable. Then he remembered no more.
Half an hour later Mr.. Willard, accom-
panied by his neighbor Scott, galloped
upon the scene. The poor man was half
crazed with anxiety. but soon they heard
Mrs. Willard calling from the dry well. A
few minutes later he was embracing his
wife and children as they stood upon the
scorched and blackened earth
This is q sad sight, Ellen" said he,
pointing TO the still burning ruins around.
1.-THE money is gone, too, ! reckon
"If it hadn't been for Jess we wouldn't
a one of us been Left alive. Oh, Silas"
her voice rose under a sudden renewal of
terror. Where can he bas He ran back
at the last moment, spite of all ] could say.
I'll never forgive myself for mist-ustin'
that boy"
I'm afraid it's all up with him." re-
turned Silas dejectedly. "The fire must
have come up mighty sudden. Scott here,
overlook me half way to Sherman to let
me know. 1t missed his place, but cut US
off from coming here till now. We met
The cattle. Perhaps jess ran back to let
them out. I'm afraid, though, that there S
no chance for the boy"
Yet they saw no dreadful sign Of Jess
about the ruins of the house. He must
have gone on. Beyond the cowpen they
saw the blackened hide of the steer, with
the hair scorched away Silas gave it a
kick as they were passing, exposing hu-
man foot. He uttered a cry and pulled the
skin aside There lay poor Jess upon his
face like one dead. His hair was singed
and his clothing scorched. Mrs. Willard
raised the boy up and placed his head in her
lap. The movement exposed the buckskin
bag Of money, which he had evidently
sought, by lying upon it, to preserve to
the last.
Water, Silasr' cried his wife as her eyes
filled with motherly tears. ''If he dies I'll
never forgive myself"
Water was brought from the well in the
bottom.
"Silas." said Mrs Willard as they ali
labored 10 restore the hoy, she must have
gone back for that" She pointed to the
bag of banknotes. I've feared for some
time he knew where it was, and the
thought, God forgive me, used 70 make me
uneasy. But Ill make il up 10 him; I'll be
a mother to him IL he'll only live
When jess revived his first inquiry was
after the money; thea his eyes rested upon
Mrs. Willard and the children. Then be
smiled.
Lucky didn't dry out that hide" he
murmured.
In the course Of time Silas Willard re-
covered from his losses AID lis substance
rapidly increased. jess. loved and trusted
now, remained with him and came 70 man
hood. When the farm grew into great
cattle ranch and Er. Willard moved 20
Sherman he was made general manager.
"And better manager and truer man
never walked. 4" was Mrs. willard 5 perpet-
ual verdict.
jess never lost the bold upon the mot hers
heart which his courage and devotion hai
Won for him during that terrible DAY
William Perry Brown Ia Yankee BLADE.
Why America Gives Freely to Ireland
Americans cannot forget that. according
"a the fesrf-nouy taken 10 London ir-r