Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-04-15

members of the hostile houses at
tended. During the evening, Mort
found red ear in his pile, and-he
never knew what impelled him to do
it, unless it was that Nellie looked so
pretty and tempting he took his
former sweetheart in his arms and
| kissed her, not once, but three times.
As soon as it could be done without
the girls knowing of it, Bud Walker
and Harvey Free invited Mort and
Pei Horner out into the moonlit pas
ture, where Bud insisted on "having
it out. Mort demurred, but in vain,
and, much to his regret, was forced
to lick to standstill, not only the
man he hoped some day to call his
brother-in-law, but the latter's second
as we'll; Pei Horner being cripple
and unable to accommodate young
Free, who was ''pinin" on account of
his principals defeat.
The spring OF Isis memorable
one in the history OF many portions
| of the Dakotas The amount Of ram
in the fall, and the snowfall Of the
winter preceding, had been very
slight indeed, and there were no
spring rains to encourage the farm
ers. The creek-beds and coales were
dry; the lake-bcds and sloughs were
as innocent of water as powder-mag-
azines; and the matted grasses and
reeds standing in them were as dry
as was the grass on the prairies,
Everything invited the fire-tiend.
whose work ON the plains is so swift
and thoroughbred he accepted the
invitation.
From the wheat regions up North
came tales of his deadly work-of
counties almost entirely laid waste,
of hundreds made homeless and pen
niless. with nothing left, even
wherewith to wiring their bread out
of tine soil.
In c. county and its neigh
bors, however, all felt secure: the
fires We're far North OF them, and be-
ing gradually exterminated. Besides,
they were in the Jim river valley; it
is curious how much confidence the
proximity OF a river will give to
settler who is threatened by prairie
fires
Mort Benedict and his father were
returning from the county town one
day, having been in to leave mother
for a two days visit, and to have the
breaking-plow repaired For a day
or two there had been rumors Of fires
only twenty miles or so to the north.
and they We're talking OF this as they
crossed the bridge, four miles from
home As they reached the top of
the hill on the west side Of the river
Mort glanced at the northern horizon.
which was not distant, on account OF
range Of hills running east and
west. and
Did his eyes deceive him or was
that smoke just rolling mp above the
line Of hfils2
Look, father,''
Startled, the elder man did So
.'Good God. Mort, She's a-comin',
an comm { beat hi, too. We got
t race { save anything"
And race they did, but the fire was
racing. too: and when they drove
their painting horses into the door
yard, the flames we're but few miles
away and coming down at lightning
speed.
While Tom and Roy saddled their
ponies and rounded up the live stock.
Mr.. Benedict and the three elder boys
and Bessie, in an incredibly short
space of time, put into the two
wagons everything that it was posi-
Bile TO save, after which Hal and
George saddled their ponies, Joined
Tom and Roy with the herd, and the
whole procession, headed by the two
wagons, driven by Mort and his
father, moved off at a rapid pace to-
ward the river.
Then, and only then, did Mort no
tice that there was no sign Of human
life about the Walker place His
heart gave leap.
"Bessr' he said, sharply "did-did
they git away? Did We notice EN-
movin' 'roundg'
The girls eyes opened wide. "Oh.
Mort! haven't heard or seen a sign
Of EN- all day
Take them reins I'm goin' back
am sec.
He leaped from the wagon and ran
back, noting as he did so, how hot
the air had become and how near the
big wave of smoke was.
Mrs. Walker, singing softly as she
hustled about the kitchen, was bit
startled to see who her unannounced
visitor was.
mis- Walker. where's all yer men
folks? No, didn't come fer trouble
only tbs prairie-fire only little
ways off. an comm down like madr'
Mrs. Walker sank into a chair.
"Oh, heavens! AM father sick a-bed
an all TIL boys over & Berry's on
brcakin' becr'
"Good Lord! Amt | glad come
back Where's the horsesg
''Oh. Mort! They're all loose in
the paster"'
.'Git what things We wantuh save
t'gether real quick! They amt no