Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-07-14

4
under little black velvet hat, around
which was long, black ostrich plume.
"Miss Oates looked like a thundercloud.
She had expected to see the child on her
little mustang and in the old black calico |
habit skirt she usually wore. Henry |
smiled and went to her instantly with
loving word, and knew the clouds had |
disappeared for time.
1.-THE tournament began; up and down, |
around this way and back that, under the
coppery sky the ladies rode, then paused. |
The judges were undecided, so they went
through the PAGES again. No decision. |
The ladies 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-
"'Uncle, don't you smell the prairie fireY
she asked uneasily.
eyes l replied; but it's across the
creek; it can't reach u.s.
81 was thinking of the school house,
she replied hurriedly as the judges called.
School began in Henry's district yester-
day and his sister let her little daughter
go with Rose Williams to-day and then
she rode into the ring.
81 looked at my watch-3:30-then over
to the north. The smoke was rolling up
black and thick. could see an eating
line of red. The sun was beginning to
look like yellow haze and the air was
dense and heavy with the odor of burned
grass If the wind should rise-just then
a puff lifted my hat. Yes, the school
house was in great danger if the wind
veered point or two. / heard shout OF
pleasure and turned to see the judge hand
a silver mounted whip to Cap. She turned
her head to look at me, and over beyond
me saw the clouds of smoke. She brought
the whip down on the TANKS Of the mare,
and quivering with fright Rondo reached
me In two leaps
"'The Gill school house, gasped Cap, as
she pointed with her whip
"To that moment the prairie fire, SO
common a thing, had not been noticed. In
a moment all was confusion. Miss Oates
screamed, Miss Merriam, Henry's sister,
tainted and his mother turned white In
an instant Henry was out of the buggy
with his hand on Rondo's neck.
"'May l take her, Cappie? Nellie is
over there
cap slid down. The saddle was flung
off, and cutting the mare with the silver
mounted handle of the whip Cap thrust in
his hand Henry was off, followed by half a
!, dozen mounted men.
"Just then Cap heard a winner, and a
cold nose was thrust against her face.
with a scream of joy she threw heI
arms about Bret's neck. The faithful lit
/ 20 1ov OF mud
followed its mistress Catching the trail
| ing rope Cap tied it bride fashion in the
r halter, then slipping out of her velvet
} riding skirt and tearing off her gantleti
7 she said to me as she jumped on Bret, :
. know short cut below the ford; maybe
I can help and was off.
II followed in the buggy.
| cap reached the school house. The fir
p; guards were forty feet wide and the teacher
: and his pupils had burned the grass abou
= the building and felt safe in the school
: room. The teacher said he would not lie
, the children go till all danger was passed
b cap asked for Nellie Merriam.
4 "'She cried to go home, so permittet
y her to do so about o'clock
d 1.-THE teacher told me afterward that h
thought he had been struck by lightning
e when Cap got her breath.
e "Tdiotp she blazed, to let little cit,
d bred six-year-old child go half mile acros
the prairie by herself. Why, she isn't tai
y enough to see over the blue stem in tn
8 buffaloes' yallow,' and she dashed away.
It "At the ranch only the frightened house
o keeper appeared. Nellie had not come
n Cap rushed in the house and grabbed
y handful of matches and blanket from
Vt pile that was airing on the porch. Thi
n she dipped in the watering trough as sh
d few by; then she jumped on Bret agaiI
y with the dripping blanket before her
"'The little mischief has gone down |
IS that ravine where we found the rabbit
=. nest, and if the wind changes one atom I
h the northwest we are doomed was he
le one thought as she dug her heels in Bret
l steaming sides.
s; "Sure enough, as she neared the bank {
the ravine, she saw head Of damp, dar
10 curls and little girl came clambering an
crying up the steep banks. Cap slid to I'll
r. ground and gathered the frightened wa
ne in her arms. 1t was too late to ride fro
o, the fire. With all the strength left her 81
as struck Bret singing blow. Go home
re YOU cam she cried, and the snorting mu
be tang fed before the flames, now hot upC
er them.
cap struck matches and threw into u
IL ravlDe. Inc lire leapeu up anu ran oV
rs the bank toward the creek. Down ov
y, the hot embers, hands and feet blisteriI
IL and the child in her arms screaming
Ill pain, Cap crept, dragging the wet blank
ut with her. The oncoming flames swept
as the edge of the ravine and hungrily lick
RS up the bits of dry grass left. They sing
IN Caps hair and nearly cooked her face. s.
ly, could barely keep the frantic child und
Ii the blanket and could not save herself.
err "The roar and crackle died away iowa
he the creek, the air cooled "A little and tn
came Inconsistencies.
rls Gust at dusk we found them. The m
rly had all taken the bridge road, two mil
lly around, but Bret and Cap had gone rig
he down over the rocky hill and across I
of stream, dangerous to ford at the PROF
her place, doubly dangerous there; but tn
lid had dared and won.
ex- 'Henry and his men rode right into