The Bossier banner., 1892-02-11

3nm On the table at her Slde lay
or,3 Novel, and every once in awhile the
wbJ lhle woman, with sigh. turned
a.. 4lagng glance at its worn blue cover.
49, litter finishing the scarlet sock she had
i. q ben at work upon she hustled to the
M 3h@ which looked ont on the road
lsa1 ivnding through the valley from
noy hlareitos canyon in the north to the
M toast" stage road in the south.
q declare, Tumas," she exclaimed,
All adjusting her spectacles as she spoke,
anWf do blieve the fires comm right
4 I Iag the range. The smokes pourin'
au.a 5@Hn thick from the canyon, an it
49, pears like the brush is burnin' up at
tw,s The lake, Lor me, whatll we do if it
Ar ZONES this way? Like as not We'll
ras sst roast live"
WIN Her husband, an old man lying in an
nsss {hValid's chair, on being thus ad-
hen! dsssed made feeble gesture with his
eakl light arm. He was a hopeless para
~ bite, Jest waitin' for the las stroke" :"
orts shs wife was wont to tell to Miss
and Anna, the parsons sister, who brought
, A aer iellies and novels now and then.
ME- Johns been gone this half hour"
~ h ae exclaimed, divining her husbands
i d afaning, but he promised to be back
as afternoon fore dark, so it won't
% no good ter fret an worry. He
ddn't think the fire was half way dam
gfOus, an | alters put big store by
what John says"
- After thus declaring her implicit con-
as1 aehee in her sons opinion, she
wheeled her husband out upon the
Sleh which extended half way
q GOund the low, rambling cottage.
thsl mere she left him and went out to the
@ail stable, usually occupied by the
ears "Ffel pony which John had driven to
mes Saa Mateo that morning.
i " 'ohn McGregor, their only child,
eSa hkely young man. He had pro-
ped urea work upon the dam, then in
help process OF construction at the southern
re saa OF the valley, and in consequence
aus y was obliged to leave his parents
SOhe the greater part of the time. In
hsy % hunting season his mother was
tier 'g.e 70 board sportsmen, thus making
Oh niue money to lay by for rainy
viii 4E
from the porch of the house, buried
ven i i" was In tangle of brush, wile
hss serrE hazel nut and dense growth
hallA enaparral, one could Sc for mile.
! IA rs Tana down the beautiful valley tha
\. Ue'ween the coast range of noun
- as On the west and the San Matet
- y S.,uills on the east From the bacl
- Ae mousse this bright summer morn
- ns 'alne a Hood of melody from tn.
Issues perched in the madronos
N ~ elim bed the steep mountain sid,
~ NJ battalion of red-coa ted recruits
y. - s.s and there they were joined b,
An ehhg manzanitas and live oaks
reached and were lost in tn,
" fedwoods marshaled in battl,
~ h.s 'ar above on the crest of th
a. Ut more miles to the south
o,ss sauzy veil of smoke was waited
u As..e sne tops of these warriors an,
eea 49, down the valley. spreading an,
~ Il Z Itself in the distant blue haze
Ins ,,,,a ue north, where the mountain
~ Ae seu pn and curved at the mouth O
doua asfc,tos % Canada, lay a heav,
Isn tOms n u black smoke pushed dow
'Di n ~ ue burning brush beyond.
-. tres a e ory season these mountai
= a. a.. are OF frequent occurrence, an
~ lsssaa attributed to the care
a,eD ss H hunters, and, although the
- bar, 5.ead se many miles, there is rare
- aaee ~ ,tsllieulty in extinguishing then
g g land uey encroach upon cultivate
" ktt p,oas s man lay there, watching tn
@ sae naaS su;@ IN the blue sky. at the sam
u d s,aag ,s..aag gratefully at the odor {
aaalnea and Cast;lian rosa