Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-01-26
egret WIS forced 70 ''Hck'to n stand

regret. was forced TO lick to Il stand
still, not only the man he hoped some
day TO call his brother-in-law. but the
latter's second as well; Pei Homer be-
ing a cripple and unable to accommodate
young Free. who was ''pinin' ON ac-
count of his principals defeat.
That settled it. Thereafter even ten
der-hearted Mrs WaIker-who, ike Mrs.
Benedict, sincerely but silently regret
ted the trouble that kept her apart
from her old-time friend those four long
years, and who had always had Il pleas
ant greeting for all the family, especial
~ for Mort, who was Il great fayorite
of herS-cut him dead when she happen
ed to meet him, and even the fricid in
clination of the head with which Nellie
had been wont to recognize his presence
on those rare occasions on which they
met was now denied him.
All this cut Mort deeply, but he was
made of too tough fiber to show it; so.
till the end of the feud, he tried to act
DIS though he did not care-iuSt as did
Nellie who. however, was obliged-to-cOn-
TESS to herself, once in 4 while, that she
did care lots"
The spring of 1889 is am"rorable one
in the history of many portions Of 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 70 ,ncOu-
rage the farmers. The creek beds and
cOuleS We're dry, the lake-bedS and the
SlOughS were us innocent of water as
powder magazines. and the matted graS-
SEES and reeds standing in them were as
dry is was the grass on the praiTies.
Everything invited the fire-tiend, whose
work on the plains is so swift and thor
ough-and he accepted the invitation.
From wheat regions up north came the
tales Of his deadly work-Of counties
almost entirely laid waste. of hundreds
made homeless and penniless, with no
thing left even wherewith to wiring their
bread out of the soil.
. In c. county and its neighborS. how
ever. all felt secure; the fires were far
north of them and being gradually eX-
terminated. Besides they were in the
Jim River valley; it is curious how much
confidence the proximity of a 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
Il two days visit and to have the break
ing-plow repaired. For day or two
there had been rTmOrS of fires only TWEEN
ty miles or so to the north. and they
were 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 dis
tant, on account of range of hills run
nic east and west and
Did his eyes deceive him, or was that
smoke, just rolling up above the line of
hills?
Look, fatherv'
Startled. the elder man did so.
Good Heaven, Mort! She's a-coming,
an comm t. beat thunder, 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 the door-yard the
flames were only Il few miles away and
coming down at lightning speed.
While Tom and Roy saddled their po-
MES 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 every
thing that it was possible to save, after
which Hal and George saddled their pO-
-,
and the whole procession. headed by
the two wagons driven by Mort and his
father. moved off at q 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 a leap.
"Bessr' he said. sharply. "did-did
they git away? Did We notice them mo-
vim 'rOund?'
The girls eyes opened wide. oh.
Mort! I haven't heard or seen a sign
of 'em all day.
Take them reins. I'm goin' back an
see"
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 a bit
startled to see who her unannounced
visitor was.
Mis- Walker. where's all your men
folks? No, l didn't come fer trouble
only this prairie fire little ways off
an coming down like madr'
Mrs. Walker sank into a chair "Oh.
heavensI An father sick abed, an all
tn boys over t Berry's on a breakin'
beev'
Good Lord! Amt glad I come back!
Where's the hOSses?"
oh, Mort! They're all loose in the
paster!"
Git what things We wantuh save t.
gether real quick! They amt no spare
time"
Mort tore out of the house like mad
man and down to the pasture, not motto
ing that Nellie had entered the kitchen
and was staring at him Open-eyed.
Both Mr.. Walkers teams were COM
posed of animals usually as docie as
lambs; but to-day, punched together in
a corner of the pasture, they shifted the
coming flames, and it seemed to put