Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-01-29

u.
not cwy any more when MS gets way
from the nasty smoke. 1t hurts our
eyes awful I"
In an inclosed field back of the
house were Wilson's two farm horses
together with four cows and six Young
cattle belonging to both families, who
hau lately begun to use this, the least
snrlveled of the pastures in common.
Marie had determined to save the
dumb creatures if possible, and repay
ing each one of the twins parting
kisses with n hearty word of cheer,
she caught up bride and hurried
out to the field. Here she found the
lnstinctively frightened animals hud.
died close in fence-corner. Letting
down the bars and slipping the bride
on one of the horses, the practiced
/ girl sprang to his back, and, after
some trouble, succeeded in driving the
/ whole herd down to Pine River, living
somewhat south of east and nearly a
{ mile away
Then, through binding smoke, she
rode Mt full speed back to the house.
y
the river. But by this time the front
OF the forest was roaring sea of fire
The boundary fence had caught, and
great masses of burning leaves were
whirling over into the fields. The
heat was sitting; in n few short min
utes more the dwelling would be
wrapped IN flames, yet the good horse
might yet save the three young lives.
Sliding to the ground, Marie threw
taA reins over post, dashed into the
house, ierked pair of blankets from
her own bed, soused them in tub of
water, folded them saddlewise on old
Dicks back, snatched up the children,
set them astride the horses shoulders,
and mounting behind them turned to
fly.
; Too late! On glancing toward the
5 way whence she had Just come, she
A. SAW, to her dismay, that csc pc in that
81 direction was cut off, an advanced
De tongue of ever widening flame having
d. already crept across the path, while
Ne on, and fearfnlly close now, came leap
'r ing waves of fire, projected from the
l. forest
Is What was to be done? The heat was
q becoming intolerable and the horse
frantic She could no longer hold the
= boys to their seat she and they would
be thrown and, perhaps, killed on the
= spot
y "Oh," moaned the brave girl, "why
u did | not save the children at once and
81 let the poor cattle go?"
81 ''Will MS be burnt up auntie?" pitt
III fully asked little Pete, as she scrambled
L off the plunging horse with her precious
charges.
IL ''No no, my pets you shall not be
burned! |" exclaimed Marie; for sud
u denly there had flashed across her
: mind a possible means of salvation.
Dragging the blankets to the ground
and freeing Dick from the bride, she
" struck him sharply across the quarters
{ with it, when the intelligent beast
o wheeled about and galloped away, for
u tunately due north now the only safe
point; for, though he might run he
7' fore, and at first outstrip the pursuing
II flames, they would quickly cross the
Il intervening space and catch the un-
= broken forest to the northeast of the
/ farms.
A. Connecting Moreau's with Wilson
III house was II lane, sixty feet wide
bounded on either side by a rail fence
c, and 4 little way beyond Wilson ther,
III was, as our heroine now recollected, {
y milk house, chambered deep in the
. slope of a solid clay mound Could
> the three reach this all would be well,
u as it was absolutely impervious to fire,
e and by the time both houses aud barns
were consumed, the grass and rallied
flames would die out and leave the
fields passable for further flight if
necessary.
, Raising Pete in her arms, the girl
g wrapped him and herself in one of the
wet blankets, enveloped Sammy in the
| other and, bidding him hold tight to
9 her, set off down the lane.
But before they had gone one-half
r of its three hundred yards of length,
the fence on the left caught fire, driv-
, ing them over to that on the right.
A little way farther they struggled
on and then poor Sammy, not having
= wit enough to keep the protecting
blanket properly before his mouth, in
'A'''NN' bhN phhBVhO anu bhuh
enseless to the ground.
, Marie uttered a despairing cry. The
place of refuge was yet fully one hun
Is dred and sixty yards away. She could
- not shield and carry both children at
Ie once. Must she abandon the uncon.
II scious boy? No, thousand times no.
though fractions of seconds were pre.
e cious and the danger appalling.
n Bravely she rallied her senses; and.
e knowing that quite close to the earth $
o surface the air was comparatively free
e of smoke, she laid herself fiat down,
t with little Pete in her arms, rolled
S Sammy over and over, mummy-like
in his blanket, secured it about hin
i with half dozen wire pins, snatche(
y from her hair, and in an incredibly
lr short time was again on her feet.
'r Now she told the trembling Pete to