Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1892-08-25

:
Wal, if yer hevn't | guess yer cud jist
as soon git an idee of what it rally is as
yew cud put Niagary in gals thimble.
Fust thing you see is little curl o
smoke far off. Then, all at once, it be-
gins to git thicker and redder bout the
edges, and suddenly ye hear rush like
river comm down in full flood.
"Then up through the smoke goes a
big spout O fire, and all behind yer's
one sea O great red, roarin flames leapin
and twistin and shootin up into the very
sky and rollin after ye like II waterfall.
oval, that's the kind O thing poor old
Jack and the other two he'd got at their
heels, and reckon them bosses didn't
want much spurrin! But though they
went like the wind the fire gained on
'em, for you want start O twenty mile
to race it fair. However, they war still
putty well ahead and lookin out with
all their eyes for the fust sign O. the
clearin round the ranch, when all in a
minut the gals hoss gives just one gasp
and tumbles over. Down jumps old
Jack like lightnin and had her up in his
place almost afore she knowed what was
wrong; and then he turned to Granger,
who was a-lookin as if he'd more'n half
a mind to ride off and let 'em shift for
themselves, and says:
II can't talk sweet to her nor make
lying promises to her, but can die for
her! Could your
"How grand he must ha' looked saying
them words, and how orful t'other feller
must ha' seemed beside him! l reckon
the gal felt it, too, for she held out her
arms to him and cried:
"'Jack, Jackl for Gods sake I'm
sure the horse1l carry us both -come!
"Jack answered nary word, but
kissed her hand and gave her hoss one
cut with the whip. Away it went, and
away went Granger alongside, and poor
Jack war left there alone to diel
But I'll tell ye one thing-if ever
meet that cuss of Granger agin, I'll
skin him alive with this var bowie, you
see eff don't!
"Wal, 1t was touch and go with them
other two; fur afore they cud git to the
clearin the fire cum so close that their
clothes war putty nigh singed off 'em
with the fiyin sparks. However, they
did git hum at last, and the folks made
an everlastin fuss over 'em when they
found 'em alive after all. But when
the old dad took his darter in his arms
and thanked God that she was spared
to him, the gal bust out a-cryin fit to
break her heart and sobbed out:
"'Don't, don't, papa. I'd sooner have
died fifty times over than have been
saved sol
"And Granger, who was the only one
thar as knowed what she meant, looked
bout as happy as a wolf in trap.
However, he warn't the man to be
beat so easy, he warnt and couple o
nights arter, when the gal had begun to
straighten up bit arter her scare, he
cum around to whar she was sittin' in
the verandy, and he commenced palav-
erin her agin. She looked up at him
for minute, as if she didn't half un-
derstand what he war aimin at, and
then she clasps her hands with sort o
shiver, and cries out, in voice that
warnt bit like her own:
"'Never say another word like that
to me-never! I've allowed the bravest
and noblest man that ever breathed to
throw away his life on me-oh, the mis-
erable coward that vast
"She'd hardly spoken, when Granger
Civ a jump and screeched out:
Gracious heavenl there's his ghostr
"And off he went like forty hurri-
canes; and that was the last O. him.
GAS for the gal, she looked around to
see what had skeered him so; but the
mex minute she felt mighty like maxim
tracks arter him. For there, not ten
yards off, lookin white and ghostly
enough in the moonlight to ha' fright
ened blind jackass, stood the fgger of
Jack HOUSTON!
whether she war gwine to faint or
to run or what thar amt no sayin, for
fore she cud fix to do anythin at all the
ghost had his arm around her waist and
Civ her a kiss as didn't feel very ghostly.
"'Oh, Jack, are you really alive after
all? says she, clutchin his arm with
both them little hands O. her'n, as if to
be sure that he was actilly thar in flesh
and blood.
"'Yes, darlin,' says he, kissin her
again.
"And then he told her how he'd man
aged to sarcumvent the fire. When he
war left behind arter they'd rode off
he'd nary hope of 'scapin. and his idee
war to save hisself from the pain O.
burnin alive by BLOWN his own brains
out.
"Jist then his eye fell ON the dead
hoss, and lucky thought cum to him.
Quick as lightnin he out with his bowie,
ripped open the karkiss, scalloped out
all the in'ards, and then got inside and
lay snug, like bar in holler tree.
HE hadn't more'n jist got fixed up
fore the fire cum sweepin right over
him, hissin and roarin like Old Nick,
and maxim everythin so hot and choky
that he felt as If he cudn't bar it half a
minute longer, but he thought o her
and he put through somehow. And
then when the fire had gone by and all
war crar he cum out ag'in.
"There amt no more to be said. They
war married bout a month arter that,
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