The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-07


then hurried to the cabin for the milk pail
and there a terrible discovery burst upon
her. The doll lay on the porch, and Nettie
was gone!
She rushed frantically hither and thither
shouting Nettie's name, but the child had
vanished as il the earth had swallowed her
For some time she continued the search,
crying bitterly and wildly calling, but
/ without avail.
Then an idea occurred TO her. Perhaps
/ Nettie, eager to see her mother had started
/ down the trail to the mill. Inspired with
1 new hope, she started in pursuit, but as turn
/ after turn in the trail were passed and no
| bright head with white curls appeared,
hope dropped in her heart and horrible
fear took its place. 1t now seemed certain
to her that Nette had bee stolen away by
the dreadful visitor Of the previous night.
50 she few on IN search of help.
Soon after Molly left the cabin, the four
horsemen with riaeG came slowly around
the base Of the Black Butte. They were
evidently following a trail.
He was here last night or this morning,
sure" said the sheriff. 81 think he's hid on
the Black Butte somewhere"
"If he's hid on Black Butte we won't get
him in a hurry" grumbled one Of the
men. ITS the thickest place IL the
county,"
They followed the trail TO the cabin,
looked uneasy, and examined the entire
place eagerly and keenly.
II hope he hasn't hurt the kids" NUT
tered the grumbler. 1--WE most orter takon
'em down to the mill yesterday"
They soon took up the trail again, which
led along the base of the Butte and finally
disappeared in the dense thickets that
covered the hill
Hes hid on Black Butte, boys" declared
ba tEalv of m
"Ain'c you little too fast" eKpostulated
the grumbler He's got us just as much
as we've got him. He won't coma out, and
it's 10 good to crawl into that brush after
him"
Wen MAKE him come out" remarked
the sheriff coolly, as he dismounted and
stirred with his foot the thick carpet of
dead leaves that covered the ground. You
and Tom ride around TO the other side of
Butte and take positions where you can hals
him when he leaves cover. Then Jack aud
l will set fire along the edge OF the brush
half way around. The wind is right, and
it'l take the fire over the hill in half an
hour, and it won't do much damage In the
cbaparral ridges beyond
The two men rode away, and after some
time had elapsed a rife shot announced
that they had reached their stations. The
sheriff and his companion then lit torches
and began setting fire along the bottom of
the hill
The flames caught the dry leaves like
finder. and spread swiftly and flercely
then they leapsd into the brush and Jared
up with a sharp aud startling sound. Then
the wind sprang up, and fiery red serpeuts
| darted roaring up the hill, their breath
| turning everything TO flame. The bushes
were TRANSPORTED for an Instant, then they
shriveled up and vanished in the hot whirl-
| wind.
The two men stood together and gazed
upon the monster they had unclaimed.
Suddenly the sheriff started and cried out
ibid you hear anything, JACKIE
'No; what was itP
~ thought heard child crying up there
on the hill," gasped the sheriff, as pale as
death.
20. no; twas only the Kissing of the
green brush In the fire, l guess" replied
Jack a little startled.
The lower portion of the Butte was now a
roaring mass Of flames dartiug, soaring
and licking up everything with terrific
| energy. A lone redwood tres stood on the
| hill. The fire seized it and went ziz-xag "a
| the top, like red and yellow acrobat,
bowling In triumph and flinginR out ban
ners OF flame from the topmost boughs
The sheriff was still nervous and only
half treasured.
81 wouldn't have started it II I'd known
'twould burn so fierce" he muttered.
Suddenly Jack uttered yell and pointed
| upward. A tall, black bearded man was
| hastily limping across a rocky opening on
the side of the hill. He turned as he heard
the shout and shook his fist at the two men
I with gesture OF rage and defiance. Then
he halted, came back a few steps, and re-
manned a moment gazing earnestly down
| the hill.
And then the sheriff and Jack saw a ter
| rible sight On ledge OF sand-rock, which
rose above the chaparral only little in
advance Of the fire, stood a pretty little
| child, with long white curlS flying in the
heated wind. Sometimes the smoke hid
her. She was gazing at the frightful scene
| before her and screaming with terror.
20 God" cried the sheriff in a tone OF
intense agony
The officers were brave men. They ran
along the edge Of the fire, through beds OF
| glowing GOALS and amongst the blazing
stumps Of chaparraI, seeking for a place
to rush through and save the child
| Their boots Bhriveled up and
burnt their feet, their clothes smoked and
burned, and they recoiled half suffocated.
| They saw that though they might charge
through the flames and reach the child, II
would be only TO die with her. They could
never return.
They turned their despairing eyes ouoe
| luOTo tOWdTu Tue poor DaOe. Inc smoke
rolled away and both uttered frantic
shout OF Joy. The black bearded fugitive
stood on the rock beside the child. He was
stripping Off his outer garments and care
fully wrapping her in them. Then he lifted
| her in his arms and stood for a moment
calmly choosing his way Of escape.
The fire was tapping the rock. 1t was
sweeping by on both sides and rushing up
the steep hillside. The man saw that II
would be impossible to escape in that di-
| rection. He would be overtaken and de-
stroyed. He spraug down from the ledge
and disappeared.
| The merciless flames swept on. In a mo-
ment the two men below saw him rushing
down through the fiery ring, his precious
| burden olutched closely to his breast, his
face pressed against her, running, STUN
bling, falling, crawling, rising again and
staggering on. With one thought they
dashed in to help him. AS he drew near,
reelinR dizzily, they seized him and hall
led, half dragged him out of that fierce
| furnace to the cool ground beyond, where
he dropped I'D fell liteless.
They extinguished his burning clothing,
and tore the blazing wrappings from the
| child whose life be had saved They
brought water and tried to revive him, but
he had inhaled the flames, and never
breathed again.
AS they lifted the crying child they saw
that she still held in her fingers a large
black-andyellow butterfly, in pursuit OF
1