Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-11-01

| luc sprung Vi 400 u u metuOraDlk
one in the history of many portions oi
the Dakotas. The amount of rain in the
fall, and the snowfall of the winter pre-
ceding, had been very slight, indeed,
and there were no spring rains to en-
courage the farmers. The creek bed.
and coules were dry; the lake beds and
sloughs were as innocent of water a:
powder. magazines; and the matted
grasses and reeds standing in them were
as dry as was the grass on the prairies.
Everything invited the fire iend, whose
work on the plains is so swift and thor.
! ough-and 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 penni.ess, with moth.
ing left, even wherewith to wiring their
bread out of the soil.
In c. County and its neighbors,
/ however, all felt secure; the fires were
far north of them, and being gradually
eEterminated. Besides, they were in the
Jim River Vatls7; it is curious how much
confidence the proximity of river will
! give to the settler who Is threatened BY
prairie fires.
Mort Benedict and his father were re.
turning from the county town one day,
having been IN TO leave "mother' for &
! two days visit, and to have the breaking.
| plow repaired. For day or two there
I had been rumors of fires only twenty
miles or so to the north, and they werC
talking of this as they crossed the bridge,
four miles from home. As they reached
! the top of the hill on the west side ol
the river, Mort glanced at the northern
horizon, which was not distant, on ac
count OF range of hills running eas'
aud west, and
Did bis eyes deceive him, or was tina
smoke, just rolling up above the line o.
/ hillsl
"Look, father!"
Startled, the elder man did so.
"Good heavens, Mort! She's a. comm
an comm fast! We got t race, t save
auythlng!"
And race they did, but the fire was
racing, too; and when they drove their
painting horses into the door-yard, the
flames were only few miles away and
coming down at lightning speed.
While Tom and Roy saddled theil
| ponies and rounded up the live stoc!,
( Mr.. Benedict and the three elder boy.
! aud Bessie, in an incredibly short space
of time, put into the two wagons every
thing that it was possible TO save, after
winch Hal and George sIddlci 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 of at rapid pace to-
ward the river.
Then, and only then did Mort notice
that there WAS no sign of human life
about the Walker place. His heart gave
leap.
'Bessl" be said. sharply; "did--dio
they git awayi Did We notice EN- movin'
! roundl'
The girls eyes opened wide. "Oh
Mort haven't heard or seen a sign o
'em al day!'
Take them reins. I'm goin' baci
an see.'
de leaped from the wagon and rah
back, noting, as he did so, how hot the
air had become aud how near the big
wave Of smoke was.
Mrs. Walker, singing softly as she
hustled about the kitchen. was a bit
startled to see who her unannounced
visitor was.
mis- Walker, where's all your men.
folks2 No, didn't come fer trouble
only tbs prairie fire only little ways
off, an comm down like mad! ~
Mrs. Walker sank into chair. ooh
heavens An father sick a. bed an al
tn boys over t Berry's on breakin'-
bee!"
GOOD heavens! Amt glad CONF
back! Where's tn hosses}"
"Oh, Mortl They're all loose in tn,
paster!'
"Git what thinss We wnntuh saw
t'gether real quick! They amt no spar,
time" Aud Mort tore out Of the hous,
like a mailman, and down to the pasture
not noticing that Nellie nal entered tn,
kitchen and was staring at him, open
eyed.
| Both Mr. Walkers wagon teams wers
composed of animals usually as docrle q,
lambs; but, to-day, punched in a corner
OF the pasture, they sniffel the coming
flames, and it scented to put wild imps
into their numbering caTcasses, and it was
long, trying time before Mort could
I catch two of them, try as ne might-and
! the great fire rolled swiftly nearer. The
wind had shifted from northeast to
northwest. Mort saw, with sinking at
his heart, that there was al even chance
| Of +t
Mr.. Walker was on a feather bed on
the floor OF the wagon, and Mrs. Walker
crouched beside him. Nellie ran bacl;
into the house for the family Bible, then
climbed up beside Mort.
"Git up! Clk!" The heavy whip came
down hard on the horses tanks, and the
race was begun.
Faster came the flames; the billows
Of smoke rolled over them, now and
then dropping feIthery grass-cinders as
it passed; they could hear the roar ot
the fire and feel its hot breath whenever
the wind increased in velocity-and jim
River so far away!
Nearer came the great wave of flame
the air was dense and sufrocating. Mort,
in his frenzy, lashei the now running
horses inccssantly. Mrs. Walker wept
and prayed; Mr.. Walker now and then
gave a ieebie moan; Nellie, on the seat
beside Mort, kept her lips tight closed
and said nothing, only cliuging to the
sea; more desperately as the wagon
bounced aud lurchcd.
Mort looked at her; her silence an
gered him. "Git OIL tn seatl" he
roared. "uow dye think I en- drive,
with you sittin' thar!"
The girl obeyed, and fell, rather than
climbed, back into the box.
Mort Benedict's recollections of what
occurred after that are very dim. H,
remembers driving deeper and deeper
into the terrible heat and smoke, OF