The midland journal., 1894-01-12
CORRALLED BY FIRE.
Story of a Wild Night Ride on
the Plains.

the Plains.
1t was the end of scorching day in
August, 1910.
The herbage of the prairie, which q
month before had been green and sue
culent, was withered to it's taproots.
| The sun had drunk the last drop from
the slough bottoms, and the mud beds
were crlss-crossed with cracks till they
looked as if they never would hold
water again.
At last the sun had set, and, tired
out from long days hunting, l
tethered my thirsty horse and
lay down myself. I had bur-
rowed with my heel and my knife fully
eighteen inches below the crust of
mud, but had failed to find water. I
know it would be morning before
enough moisture would filter into the
hole to satisfy the thirst of an abste-
mious ground hog.
A few ill-tempered mosquitoes buzzed
around, but succeeded in driving them
off with pipe of tobacco before going
to sleep
l cannot tell how long slept before
1 was awakened by the wild snorting
and struggling of my horse, Peter.
only know that the sharp clatter of
his hoofs upon the hard ground aroused
me, while at the same moment l be-
came conscious of strange choking
| sensation.
'Great God-Fire!' / exclaimed,
springing to my feet and rushing in
the direction of my horse.
The wind, which had barely waved
| the spindly grass when l had laid
down, was now blowing quite strongly,
and dense black smoke rolled before
it along the prairie and enveloped
everything in obscurity. Through this
murky mass. and above it, could dis
tinctly see dull red glow.
''Soh, Peter, sohr' 1 called as l
! groped my way toward the poor fright
ened horse, who was securely tethered
| by the fore foot, and evidently believed
himself deserted.
'Soh, Peter, sohr' My hand was
upon him and he whinnied at the
touch. then stood trembling while
| bitted him and threw the saddle upon
his back.
| AS soon as had cinched the girths
cut the rawhide lariat from his fetlock,
| then stood motionless for one instant
while l listened to determine whether
/ could spare the paltry time necessary
to take up the tether rope from the
other end.
| The heated air blew into my face,
and now and then pieces of burnt grass
fitted by me, but it was not either of
| these warnings that made my heart
stop with fear. 1t was the dull,
laundering rumble of a stampede-a
stampede of buffaloes! knew it only
| too we'll, for had heard it once be-
| fore on the banks of the Pipestone.
EASY, whoa, Pete" said severely,
as the horse began plunging violently
in his efforts to free himself from re-
straint.
hesitated no longer, but flung my
self upon his back, and he sprang mad
ly away over the smoke shrouded
prairie.
Mile after mile we raced along over
comparatively unknown country, full
of badger and gopher holes, and not
knowing at any moment whether the
next would find me still on horseback
or rolling head over heels down a
steep bank, with possibly broken
neck,
Suddenly I felt myself flung over the
pommel of the saddle into the darl1-
ness. The conclusion was terrible, as
fell squarely on my back, but did
not lose presence of mind. Springing
to my feet, dazed as ! was | CROPPED
around and grabbed Pete by the head
il1ct ha y.sci T
ever, as soon as heard his labored
breathing that we could never renew
the old rate of speed, but must find
some other method of escape from the
surging ocean of life and fire that was
steadily rolling up behind us.
Pete" gasped, for the jarring
had received had to some extent given
me back my power of speech, we're in
pretty bad fix, but do the best you
can"
From time to time I turned in the
saddle and peered back into the mys-
terious ruddy haze, but it was not un-
til had been deceived dozen times
by heavy pillows of smoke that at
last distinguished the forms of the buff
fGloes and realized that the living tide
was close upon us.
E Presently i could hear their wild
snortings as they jostled and crushed
one another in the mad race for life.
Then l could see their dark grizzled
forms against the glare, made doubly
monstrous in appearance by the mag
nifying influence of the smoke and my
own fear.
Showers of red-hot straws and grass
blades that had been caught up by the
draught and hurried ahead of the !
flames fell like fiery goads upon the
frenzied animals, driving them to re-
newed exertions.
Pete was beginning to fag, and now
and then his hind feet failed to carry
clear of the uneven sod and he was al
most thrown to the ground, but each !
time he recovered himself and stag
gered on with the energy born of |
terror.
Suddenly / was aware that we were
struggling through heavy growth of |
rank grass, and then we plunged into
an empty slough hole!
Never shall l forget the moment |
W hen Petes feet struck with a loud |
splutter into the sticky mud; or the |
half-dozen frantic plupges he made be-
fore giving in, or the moment glanced |
round over my shoulder to see how the |