Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-09-01

She brought The whip down on Inc
| nanks OF the mare. and quiverins
with fright RonJo reachcI me in two
leaps.
The Gill schoOihou &C." gaspel
Cap. ms she pointed with her whip.
TO that moment the lrair:e fire. Sc
common thing had not been noticed.
In moment all was con 'us on. Miss
Oates scres ned. Mrs Merriam Iienry's
sister, fainte1 and his mother turned
white In IN instant Henry was on,
Of the buggy with his hand OH Rondo {
neck.
May take her, Cappie? Nellie i:
over there"
flung OIL. and cutting the mare with
the silver mounted handle Of the WHIP
Cap thrust in his hand Harry was of.
followed by half dozen mounted
men.
just then Cap heard WINNER.
and cold no. o was thrust against
her face.
With a scream OF Joy she threw her
arms about Bret neck. The faithful
little mustang had broken Is lariat
rope and followed is mistress.
Catching the trail ng rope. Cap tied
it bride fash on in the halter then
slipping out of her velvet rid M skirt
and tearing of her gnntiets she
said TO me as she Jumped on Bret:
Il know short GU. below the ford
maybe | cal help" and was OF
followed in buggy.
Cap reached the schoolhOuse. The
fire guards were forty feet wide. and
the teacher aud his pupils had burned
the grass aboIt 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
E. he cried TO go home. so | per-
mitted her to do so about O'clock. 1"
The teacher told me afterwards
that he thought he had been struck
by ghtning when Cap got her breath.
Idiot? she blazed, to let city
bred sX-ycars ch Id go half
Il 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
hou iekeeper appeared. Nellie hal
not come! Cap rushed in the house
and grabbed handful of matches
and blanket from a pile that was
airing on the porch. Tbs she dipped
in the Watering trough rs she few by;
then she jumped on Bret again. with
the dripping blanket before her.
The little mischief has gone down
in that ravino where we found the
rabbits nest. and if the wind changes
one atom to the northwest we are
doomed was her one thought ns she
dug her heels in Brets steaming
sides.
Sure enough as she nea"ed the
bank OF the ravine, she saw u head OF
damp dark curls and little girl
came clam bering 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
left her she struck Bret singing
blow. go homo. il you can. She
cried and the snorting mustang fed
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- bcrs hands and
feet bl STEERING and the child in her
arms scream ng in pain. Cap crept,
dragg ng the wet blanket with her.
The oncoming flames swept to the
edge Of the ravine. and hungrlly lick
ed up the bits OF dry grass left. They
snged Caps hair and nearly cooked
her face. She could barely keep the
frantic child under the blanket. aud
could not save herself
The roar and crackle died away to-
ward the creek, the ar cooled n little.
and then came Inconsistencies
just at dusk we found them. The
men had all taken the bridge road.
two miles around. but Bret and Cap
had gone right down over the rocky
hill and across the stream dangerous
to ford at the proper places doubly
dangerous there; but they hal dared
and won.
Henry and his men rode right into
the jaws OF hell in the blue stem along
the creek. and had to retreat till the
flames had exhausted themselves at
the waters edge
We found Bret first. He had stun.
bled in n dog hole, broken his leg and
died in the fire After search OF
four awful hours we found Cap.
Through the gathering gloom the cry
ing Of the child guided us to her. The
wet blanket had saved Nellie but
poor Cap was nearly dead. She had
lost all her yellow curls Her face was
blstered and her eyes swollen shut.
Tho waist to her new habit was ire
trievably ruined aud her skirts nearly
burned of.
She was wandering a little in her
mind. and when Henry gathered her
up in his arms she put her blistered
little hands about his neck and said
sorrowfully: III I'd had a mother
maybe I'd be different.
Thank God. you are your dear
loving little self" Henry replied, with
grave tenderness, as he drew her dis.
figured face close TO his loving heart
II was baptism OF fire but it
| burned lots Of droSs out OF several ma.
lures. and blazed safe and sure way
for two of the best people ever knew
10 tread.
Yes / shall always insist that
knowing how to gallopn was in this
instance a very desirable accomplish
ment even if not according to the
English method. Washington Star.
\ Queer Legend Of Tailed Men.
When native Hollander wants 10
show his hatred for an Englishman he
simply refers 10 him as 'steeri
man" - in other words The man
with tail" The legend says that
Thomas a Beckett cursed the kentish.
men who spitefully cut of the tail OF
his horse while he was riding the
animal through that country. and
that the entire generation o. Kent
which followed wore tails like those
OF horses. John Bale. Edward vi. 8