River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-08-18

a thoroughbred Kentucky mare of her
Z fathers in training under saddle or that
she had added to her wardrobe an al
most conventional habit. Captola was
so nearly perfect that l verify believe
she could have rid den on that saddle
standing on her head. and Uncle Zarah
stopped to chuckle quietly at the re
membrane.
"When afternoon came the fair
grounds We're crowded. Half dozen
young ladies in prim black and blue
cloth habits. chimney-pot hats, long
/ gauntlets and wells which they wore
I then. were gathered near the Judges
/ stand. and their escorts we're chatting
with them. waiting the order to clear
+ the ring.
/ Where il your Lady Gay Spanker,
T Henry?' asked his sister as he drove mp
with his mother Henry frowned
slightly, but before he could answer a
/ little buzz of comment called the at
+ tentiOn of all as Captola rode up unat-
I tended She wouldn't even let me ride
my old cob beside her, so 1 was there
/ before her in the buggy.
Lord, but she was a beauty. Her
slender black mare was as nettlesome
Z as could be. and tossed her long name
and tail impatiently as she obeyed that
little hand, with its touch of velvet and
f grip of steel Cap was as slim and
willOwy as a cottonwood sapling in her
/ close-fitting black velvet habit. She
had put up all her curls under little
I black velvet hat, around which was a
I long, black ostrich plume.
Miss Oates looked like thunder
cloud. 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 a loving word, and
knew the clouds had disappeared for a
/ time.
The tournament began; up and
down, around this way and back that,
under the coppery sky the ladies rode,
then paused. The judges were unde-
cided. so they went through the PAGES
/ again. No decision. The ladies would
+ please change horses.
Gap was off Rondo in an instant,
/ but many of the ladies demurred Miss
Oates positively refused to mount any
/ thing 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
10 Rondo she rode to me.
" Uncle. don't YOU smell the prairie
/ fre?' She asked. uneasily.
Yes l replied; but it's across the
I creek; 1t can't reach us
1 was thinking of the schoolhOuse,'
she replied hurriedly as the 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.
Il 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 be-
ginning to look like a yellow haze and
the air was dense and heavy with the
Odor of burned grass IL the wind
should rise-just then puff lifted my
hat. Yes. the schoOlhouse was in great
danger if the wind veered point or
two. / heard a 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 rue
/ 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 schoOlhouse,' gasped Cap,
as she pointed with her whip
ITO that moment the prairie fire, so
common thing. had not been noticed.
In 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 take her Ceppie? Nellie is
over there.
cap slid down The saddle was
flung of, and cutting the mare with
tina 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 Whitney, and
a cold nose was thrust against her face.
with a scream of joy she threw her
a; ms about Bret's neck. The faithful
li.tle mustang had broken its lariat
rope and followed its mistress. Catch
ing the trailing rope, Cap tied it bride
fashion in the halter, then, slipping out
Of her velvet riding skirt and tearing
eff her gauntlets, she said to me as she
Jumped on Bret: 4 know a short cut
below the ford; maybe ! can help and
was off
Il followed in the buggy.
cap reached the schoolhouse. The
ere 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 go
till all danger was passed.
Cap asked for Nellie Merriam.
. She cried to go home, SO | permit
ted her to 20 - about three o'clock
The teacher told me afterward that
he thought he had been struck by light
ming when Cap got her breath.
'Idiotr she blazed, to let little
city-bred six-year-old child go half a
mile across the prairie by herself.
Why. she isn't tall enough to see over
the blue str m in the buffaloes' yallow,
and she dashed away.
AT the ranch only the frightened
housekeeper appeared. Nellie had not
come, Cap rushed in the house and
grabbed a handful of matches and a
blanket from pile that was airing on
the porch. This she dipped in the
watering trough as she flew 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 rab-
bits nest. and if the wind changes one
atom to the northwest we are doomed.
was her one thought as she dug her
heels in Bret's steaming sides.
''Sure enough, as she neared the bank
of the ravine, she saw a head of damp,
dark eurls. and a little girl came clam
boring 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 fire With all
the strength left her she struck Bret a
singing blow. Go home. If YOU can
she cried, and the snorting mustang
fled before the flames. now hot upon
them
Cap struck matches and threw them
into the ravine. The fire leaped up and
ran over the bank toward the creek
Down over the hot embers. hands and
feet blistering and the child in her arms
screaming in pain. Cap crept, dragging
the wet blanket with her. The oncom-
iurr flames swami IN the edora of the ra-