Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-10-08


then paused. The judges were unde
cided, so they went through the pace!
again. No decision. The ladie:
would please change horses.
Cap. was off Rondo in an instant,
but many of the ladies demurred.
Miss Oates positively refused to mount
anything but her own thoroughly
trained animal The contest narrowed
to Cap and two other plains bred girls
but even they dared not mount Rondo.
Cap rode each of the six horses in
turn. As she changed the seventh
and last time to Rondo she rode to
me.
1 Uncle, don't you smell the prairie
fire." she asked uneasily.
Yes replied. but it's across
the creek; it can't reach us
Il was thinking of the school
house, she replied hurriedly as the
I judges called. ''School began in
Henry's district yesterday. and his
sister let her little daughter go with
Rose Williams to-day" and then she
rode into the ring.
/ looked at my watch S:S0-then
over to the north. The smoke was
rolling up black and thick. / could
see an eating line OF red.
! | heard a shout OF pleasure and
tul ned TO see the judge hand silver
mounted whip to Cap. She turned
her head to look at me, and over be-
| You'd me saw the clouds of smoke.
She brought the whip down on the
Hanks OF the mare, and quivering
with fright Rondo reached mo in two
leaps.
The Gill schoolhouse gasped
Cap as she pointed with her whip.
10 that moment the prairie fire so
common thing. had not been noticed.
In moment all was confusion. Miss
Oates screamed. Mrs Merriam. Henry's
sister, tainted, and his mother turned
white In an instant Henry was out
OF the buggy with his hand on Rondo'
neck.
May take her Cappie? Nellie is
over there"
Cap slid down. The saddle was
flung OF and cutting the mare with
the silver mounted handle of the whip
Cap thrust in his hand Harry was off.
followed by half dozen mounted
men.
just then Cap heard a WINNER
and cold nose was thrust against
her face.
With scream OF joy she threw her
arms about Bret neck. The faithful
little mustang had broken its lariat
rope and followed its mistress.
Catching the trailing rope Cap tied
1t bride fashion in the halter then.
slipping out of her velvet rid ng skirt
and tearing of her gantlets she
said to me as she jumped on Bret:
Il know short cut below the ford:
maybe can help and was of
followed in buggy.
Cap reached the schoolhouse. The
fire guards were forty feet wide. and
the teacher and his pupils had burned
the grass about the building and felt
safe in the schoolhouse. The teacher
said he would not let the children 90
till all danger was passed.
Cap asked for Nellie Merriam.
she cried to go home. SO per-
mitted her to do so about 3 O'clock
The teacher told me afterwards
that he thought he had been struck
by ghtning when Cap got her breath.
Idiot? she blazed, to let a CITY,
bred stx-years -old. child go half
a mile across the prairie by herself!
Why she isn't tall enough to see over
the blue stem in the butfalos' wallow"
and she dashed away
At the ranch only the frightened
housekeeper appeared. Nellie had
not come! Cap rushed in the house
and grabbed handful OF matches
and blanket from a pile that was
airing on the porch This she dipped
IN the watering trough as she few BY;
then she jumped on Bret again, with
the dripping blanket before her
The little mischief has gone down
in that ravine where we found the
rabbits nest and il the wind changes
one atom to the northwest we are
doomed. was her one thought as She |
dug her heels in Brets steaming
sides.
Sure enough, as she neared the |
bank OF the rayine, she saw q head of |
damp. dark curls. and a little girl 4
came clambering and crying up the |
steep banks. Cap slid to the ground /
and gathered the frightened waif in
her arms. 1t was too late to ride
from the ire. With all the strength /
LETT her she struck Bret a singing
blow. 60 home if you can. I" she
cried. and the snorting mustang lied
before the flames now hot upon them.
Cap struck matches and threw into
the ravine. The fire leaped up and
ran over the bank toward the creek.
Down over the hot EN- bers. hands and
feet blistering and the child in her
arms scream ng in pain. Cap crept
bragg ng the wet blanket with her.
The oncoming flames swept to the
edge OF the rayine and hungrily lick
ed up the bits Of dry grass left They
5inged Caps hair. and nearly cooked
her face. She could barely keep the
frantic child under the blanket and
could not save herself
The roar and crackle died away to-