The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-07-09

end q the fsud. he tried 10 ACT ~ though
hs did not caSs---just. % did Nellie: Who.
onoe IN ! willis shat aha did ears slots."
Thc spring % 1881 II = memorable enc In
the history Of many PORTIONS Of tbs DakO.
taA The smount Of rain In the fall and
tbs snowfall OF the Water precedipg had
been vesy slight. Indeed. ard .hers we're no
creek beds aad coWlsss were dry; ths lake
beds and sloughs weSs ~ innocent OF wsta,
% powder magazines, aud tho matted
grasses And ,esds start na IN them vera ~
dry ~ the grass on the .ptairiea. Every
tho plains u % swift md thorouah-and
he accepted she invitation.
Y ON the wheat regions up nsrth cams
tales Of bis deadly Work-of counties
almost laid waste. of hundreds made
homeless rnd pennilcs,. With nothinR left
even whsrewith 10. wiring their bread out Of
the soil.
In c. eounty and its nsighbora, how
ever. all felt secsrt; the fires were far
north Of them and being gradually extsr-
minated.
Besides. they we're in the Jim rivsr val
ley; II 10 curious how nuch confidence the
Proximity Of Z river will give to tho settler
who 10 thrsatsnsd ~ prairie hrss.
Mort benedict aud his father were FetuYn-
ing fre0 the country town one dRy. having
been In TO leave another" for a two days
visit md 10 have tho breaking pillow re-
paired. For a day OF tive there had been
Tumors OF Ares only twenty miles or 10 TO
the north AID they were talking Of this az
they d osssd tho bridge four miles from
home. As thoy reached the top OF ths hill
on the west side Of the river Mo I glanced
At The northern horizon. which was not dis.
tant on acsount OF q range Of bills running
snst and west. snd-did his eyes deceive
him or was that smoke just rolling up
above the line Of hills?
Look, fathoI!'
Startled. the elder mnn did "a.
Good God, Moftl she's . comm. and
comm = beat hi, too! We've got TO race
Z save anythinRw
And race they did, but thsh was racing,
too; and when they drove their painting
horses into the dooryard the flames were
only . fsw milos AVA and coming down at
lightning speed.
While Tom md Roy saddled their ponies
and rounded up this live stock, Mr.. Bene-
dot and the three elder boys and Bessie. in
An incredibly short space Of time, put into
She two wagons everything that IL was pos
sible TO save. after which Raj and George
saddlsd their ponies, joined Tom and Roy
with the herd, and the whole rrocelsion.
headed BY the two wngons driven by Nc t
and his father. moved of n q rapid paos
toward tbs river.
Then. and only :hsn. did Mort notice
that there was no sign OF human life about
Tho Walker place. His heart gave n leap.
"Bsss!"' hs said sharpl '.did-did they
get away. Did you notice 'em movin'
The girls eyes opened wide. "Oh. Mort!
I haven't hoard or seen a sign OF en- all
dsyw
&c.,"
He lsaped from the wagon and ran back.
noting az no did 20 how hot the air had be-
come and how near the big wave of smoke
was.
Mrs. Walker. SINGING softly, as che
bustlod about the kitchen, was a bit stAr-
tied to see who her un%announced visitor
was.
Mis- Walker, where's all your men folks?
No, I didn't como fer trouble-only THIS q
down like madp'
Mrs. Walker sank into a chair. 'Oh
heavens! An father sick absd an all tn
boys over = Bsrry's or q breakin'-bee!"
GOOD Lord! Ant / glad l come back?
Whst els tn hosses?"
ter!'
Git what things ye wantuh save t'gether
real quickl They ant no spare time. ~
And Mort tore out of the house like a mad
man and down to the pasture, not noticing
that Nellie had entered the kitchen and was
bbAElNx ~ I'LL Op0H-0ye0s NN"
Both Mr.. Walkers wagon teams were
composed Of animals usually as docile aa
lambs; but to-day. punched together in the
corner of y pasture, they shifted the coming
flames and it seemed to put wild imps into
their numbering carcasses, and 1t was a
long. trying time before Mort could catch
two OF them, swear, pray, try MS he might
and the great fire rolled swiftly rearer.
The wind had shifted from northeast tn
northwest. Mort saw with a sinking at his
heart that there was IN even chance of get
ting cut off from the river.
Mr.. Walker was on a feather bed on the
floor Of the wagon. and Mis-. Walker
crouohed beside him. Nellie ran back into
the house for the family Bible, then
climbed ~ b,side Mort.
Git up! Cik!" The heavy whip came
down hard on the horses' tanks, and the
race was begun.
Faster came the flames; the billow OF
smo ke rolled over them. now and then drop.
ping fsathery grass binders as it passed;
they could hear the roar of the fire and feel
its hot breath whenever the wind increased
in ~velocit, and Jim liver 80 far away.
Nearer came the q eat wave OF aame; the
air WAS dense and suffoeattug. Mort. in his
frenzy. laehed the now running horses in
cessantly. cursing, praying. saying he knew
not what. Mrs. Walker wept and prayed.
Nd. Walker now and then gave q feeble
moan. Nellie, on the scat beside Mort. kept
her lips tight closed and SAID nothing. only
olinGinR 10 the scat more desperately % the
wagon bounced and lurched.
Mort looked al her. Her silence anRersd
him. cit off'n th' ssat!" hs rosrsd. Glow
o'vs thiuk ! ON drive. with you sittin' thar
The girl obeyed. and fell. rather than
climbed, back into the box.
Mort Benedict's rscolleetions Of what oc-
Cured after that arc very dim. Ho remem-
bers of diving dstp r and deeper into ths
tetrible heat and smoke. Of tearing through
. volume OF flame that seemed endless
flame that burned his eyes, his nostEils, his
throat and scorohed his hair and eyebrows
then. with a final leap, the horse dashed
down the slope in.o the shallow river. and
he know no more.
When Mort awoke he could not for eome
time realize whore he was, and lay for q me
time trying to remember. Oh. yes; he wna
in Will Berty's room. He remembe ed this
Antlers on the walls and tho wh.ss curtains
~ the windows. Some one came in softly
from the next room.
"Who 10 it?' he aaked.
1t was Nell. and she came and leaned ovel
him. IT'S me. Mort. rve been here all
the time. ] thought ye knew me some
times. You've been siok."
EAR. 70 here = stay, Nell-always.
neanY"
She sat down on the edge Of the bed and
A