Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-03-23

Mort Benedict and his father were
returning from the county town one
day, having been in to leave ..mothcr"
for two days visit, and to have the
breaking-plow repaired. For q day
or two there had been rumors of fire $
only twenty miles or so to the north,
and they were talking OF this as they
crossed the bridge, four miles from
home. As thoy reached the top of
the hill on the west side of the river.
Mort glanced at the northern horizon,
range of hills running east and
west, and
Did his eyes deceive him, or was
that smoke, just rolling up above the
line OF hills?
look, father"
Startled, the elder man did so.
Good God, Mort! She's a-comin',
an comm t. beat HI, too! We got
t. race t. save anything!'
And race they did, but the fire was
racing, too; and when they drove
their painting horses into tho door
yard. the flames were 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-
10 ,.,ht oh In1
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 u rapid pace to-
ward the river.
Then, and only then, did Mort no.
ticc that there was no sign OF human
life about the Walker place. His
heart gave q leap.
"Bess" he said, sharply; "did-did
they git away? Did ye notice 'em
movin' 'round?"
The girls eyes opened wide. "Oh,
Mort! haven't heard or seen sign
of 'em all day" ;
Take them reins. I'm goin' back
an see"
He lcaped from the wagon and ran
back. noting as he did so, how hot
the air mad become and how near the
big wave of smoke was.
Mrs. Walker, singing softly as she
hustled about the kitchen, was a bit
startled to sec who her unannounccd
visitor was.
Mis- Walker, where's all yer men
folks? No, didn't come fer trouble
only tbs Il prairie-tire only little
ways off, an comm down like mad"'
Mrs. Walker sank into chair.
"Oh. heavens! An father sick a-bed
an all tn boys over t Berry's on a
breakin' bee!"
Good Lord! Amt glad | come
back! Where's the horses
"Oh. Mort! They're all loose in
the paster."
Git what things ye wantuh save
t'gether real quick. They amt no
spare time And Mort tore out of
the house like a mailman, and down
to the pasture, not noticing that
Nellie had entered the kitchen and
was staring at him, open-cyed.
Both Mr.. Walkers wagon-teams
were composed of animals usually as
dOcile as lambs; but, to-day, punched
together in a corner Of the pasture,
they shifted the coming flames, and
1t seemed to put wild imps into their
numbering carcasses, ana it was Il
long, trying time before Mort could
catch two of them, swear pray, try
as he might-and the great fire rolled
swiftly nearer. The wind had shifted
from northeast to northwest. Mort
saw, with a sinking at his heart. that
there was an even chance of getting
cut off from the river.
Mr.. Walker was on fcather-bed
on the floor Of the wagon, and Mrs,
Walker crouched beside him. Nellie
ran back into the house for the fam
lily Bible, then climbed up beside
Mort
Git up! Clk.' Tho heavy whip
came down hard on the horses TANKS,
and the race was begun.
Faster came the flames; the billow
of smoke rolled over them, now and
then dropping feathery grass .cinders
as ii passed; they could hear the roar
Of the fire and feel its hot breath
whenever the wind increased in We.
lOcity-and Jim river was far away!
Nearer came the great wave OF
NJ, IT,
eating. Mort, in his frenzy, dashed
the now running horses necessarily,
cursing, praying, saying he knew not
what. Mrs. Walker wcpt and prayed;
Mr.. Walker now and then gave a
feeble moan; Nellie, on the seat be-
side Mort, kept her lips tightly
closed and said nothing, only cling
ing to the seat more desperately as
the wagon bounced and lurched.
Mort looked at her; her silence
angered him. Cit off'n tn seatr'
he roared. How dye think | en-
drive, with you sittin' thar?n
The girl obeyed, and fell, rather
than climbed, back into the box.
Mort Benedict's recOllections OF
what occurred after that are very
dim. He remembers driving deeper
and deeper into the terrible heat and
smoke, Of tearing through volume
of flame that seemed endless-name
that burned his eyes, his nostrils, his
throat, and scorched his hair and
| eyebrows--then with final leap, the
horses dashed down the slope into the
shallow river, and he knew no more.
! When Mort awoke, he could not
! for some time realize where he was,
and lay for some minutes trying to
remember Oh, yes; he was in Will
Berry's room. He remembered tho
antlers on the wall and the white
| curtains at the windows. Some one
came in softly from the next room.
"Who is it?" he asked.
Ii was Nellie, and she came and
leaned over him. ats me, Mort.
I've ben here all tn time. | thought
We knew me, sometimes. You've be'u
! sick"
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