Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-09-04


them fcr the effect Of the aurora bore 5
Little Ladis!;s, thinking It all Cream, w.
rubbing his eyes.
1.-THE forest is in flames ;" said Yegor.
Then we are lost.7 cried Nadege, with
look of despair. "Oh! Yegor! that afte1
suffering and hoping so much we should
come here to die! All! if I could have fore
seen it, At Irkoutsk, at least, I should have
been buried beside my father"
| And she burst into tears.
You take alarm too quickly, Dearest
said Yegor, gr4sping her hands; you dc
spair too soon! Am I not here! Are we not
resolved, all of Us, to perish if necessary tt
| save you!"
| ''Oh! see how the flames are advancingp
! cried She
| Fear nothing, Nadege! I viii save your
| cried Yegor; I'VE will save you'll But dc
not paralyze our strength"
| ''Be calm, be calm, my children :" said M
Laheur. Let US effect our retreat together
and in good order. We must not separate
will be your guide"
| But we cannot abandon our camp pos
| sessions, observed Yegor, our garments
and our provisions! If we do, what will be-
| come of u.s."
And the horses7" said the little Pole, or
| perceiving the three animal which, in thei1
fright, were Juggling at their ropes.
THE horses" said NJ Lafeur st viii
suffice to release them. Their instinct viii
teach them how to escape without u.s."
Yegor set the horses at liberty
Nadege hastily gathered tae objects which
flle'l her hut, and, first of al, the precious
transcription fathers songs of exile
Ladislas made bundles of them. Yegol
and the Partisan attended to the clothing
| and food.
| ''Above everything" said Yegor, stoutly
working away, ''we must be careful of our
| stock of powder!"
AT last they set out, now preceded now
followed by Wab.
| The cOntagration increased with frightful
rapldlty. The larches, pines and all the
! reSlnouS trees famed like immense torches
The tallest of these trees, burning from root
to crown, rose in close ranks like enormous
| pillars OF fire. The flames, kept from as
cendlng by the wind, extended their raw
| ages affair The huge branches detached
| themselves from the trunks with a crash.
| and, an instant after, the giants of the
forest fell, one upon another with hollow
thuds.
Fire-brands and sparks, forcibly hurled
| into space. fell everywhere like incendiary
| fuses, kindling new confagrations. A show
| er OF fire accompanied them. On some
| elevated points, groves of tall trees, with
their upper branches burning, suggested
| lighthouses overlooking a sea Of fire in
| which were surging hither and thither, like
f1re-ships, lofty ridges of tame.
| Soon this immense furnace spread around
| its insuppOrta6le heat; the confagration fan.
ned by the wind transformed this abandon
| ed boreal region into torrid zone. Here
and there, a huge bird was seen, borne away
Ill the tempest of fire and smoke and recall.
| ing the tabled phoenix reproduced from the
| flames of it's funeral fire
| Wolves foxes wild sheep, hares, and
even brown bears were fleeing in terror,
! pursued by an intense light; heath-coclzq
SKINNED along the ground, uttering half,
stifled cries
The iugitives, struggling beneath burdens
| much too heavy for them, although they had
! sacrificed a portion of their possessions.
marched straight ahead, without turning
around and with but one thought, one aim
| to escape being burned alive.
! They advanced through a fiery semi-circlc
which was rapidly gaining upon them and
| bringing its two extremities closer and
| closer together as if to stop them in the
flight. Yegor noted the progress Of the con
! f1agration with despairing gaze, but took good
| care not to communicate his terrible appre-
| tensions to his companions
| Suddenly, Nadege stopped and said to him
in a faint voice:
| Il can walk no longer, Yegcr!"
''What is the matter!" asked the youre
| man.
81 don't lynouz- or,,otior, Saar ,,o-,I,.,,,-
| My limbs bend beneath me. It impossible
| for me to advance another STEP"
Then | viii carry you," answered he.
rcsolutely.
I2e cast aside his burden and, selling the
| ycung girl in his arms, bore her courageous.
ly away.
| Nadege noticed the advancing flames and
comprehendel, as Yegor had done, that they
wonld speedily cut off their l,--elt
Oh heavenw cried She II am re.
tarding your pace and exposl2; Jon AL to
| deata!"
No, mol" said Yegor; tive are getting
: along very rapidly, and you are no heavier
| than a turtle-dove!"
| But Yegor, see the flames which the
wind prevents from rising above the trees
| Ihey will soon be upon us; already the
| smoke stiles me- Save youl5elf-save Lad
islas! Hasten-hastenl If necessary, sac,
| rifice met"
Sacrifice you, Nadege? How can you
talk IN that way? If you die, it will be only
after L myself have succumbed"
| Ali this is too much!" murInured Mad
ege. lean hold out no longer. 1t seems to
me that my life is leaving me. Yegor, adieu
but never forget mel"
| AS i'll a feeble voice, she uttered these
words, which the roar of the confagration
would have overpowered, had not Yegol
gathered them from the lips which murmur
el them, Nadege lost consciousness.
In the prevailing rudy light, Yegor die
| not perceive her pallor; but he saw that he1
| eyes were closed and realized that she ha0
swooned.
what is the troubled" cried M. Lafleur.
who, with Ladislas, was a few steps in ad.
vance.
''Ahl see, my dear Monsieur!" answered
the young man. ''She looks as though she
| We're dead"
1T will amount to nothing" replied the
| Partisan, briskly But the accident is to
be regretted. Where is the package you
were carrying?"
II left it at the foot of a tree; it contained
all the little possessions of the dear child.
The torrent is not far distant, is its"
mo; I hear it." said M Lafeur. ga dash
of cold water will revive her"
LET US hasten on"
Now, blazing fire-brands fell upon thei1
path and it was necessary to step over them
Several times NadereS dress al'rOJyly