Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-02-15
CORRALLED BY FIRE.
Story OF a Wild Night Ride on
the Plains

The heritage OF the prairie, which a
month before had been green and sue
culent, was withered TO its taproots
The sun had drunk the last drop from
the slough bottoms, and the mud beds
were criss-crossed with cracks till they
looked as II they never would hold
water again.
AT last the sun had set, and, tired
out from long days hunting, I
tetbered my thirsty horse and
lay down myself 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 II 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 I succeeded In driving them
off with pipe Of tobacco before going
TO sleep
! cannot tell how long slept before
! 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 be-
came conscious of strange choking
sensation.
Great God--Firer" exclaimed,
springing to my feet and rushing in
the direction of my horse.
The wind, which had barely waved
the spindly grass when | had laid
down, was now blowing quite strongly,
and dense black smoke rolled before
1t along the prairie and enveloped
everything in obscurity. Through this
.murky mass, and above 1t, could dis
tinctly see dull red glow.
"Soh, Peter. sohi' called as
CROPPED 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 l
bitted him and threw the saddle upon
his back.
As soon as I had cinched the girths
cut the rawhide lariat from his fetloclS,
then stood motionless for one instant
while listened TO determine whether
could spare the paltry time necessary
W 'nhN VIZ NAAN iOPc Nht
other end.
The heated air blew into my face,
and now and then pieces of burnt grass
fitted by me, but II was not either of
these warnings that made my heart
stop with fear II was the dull,
laundering rumble of stampede-a
stampede of buffaloesl knew 1t only
too well, for had heard 1t once be-
fore ON the banks Of the Pipestone.
EASY, whoa, Pete" said severely,
as the horss began plunging violently
in his efforts to free hipself 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 a
comparatively unknown country, full
of badger and gopher holes, and not
knowing ut 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 felt myself flung over the
pommel of the saddle into the da -lS-
ness Tho conclusion was terrible, as
| fell squarcly 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
just us he was rising. | knew, how
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
n pretty bad Ok. but do the best you
can"
From time TO time | turned in the
saddle and peered back into the mys-
FERROUS ruddy haze, but II was not nm
til had been deceived a dozen times
by heavy pillows of smoke that / at
last distinguished the forms of the buff
fEloes and realized that the living tide
was close upon us. Z.
Presently | could hear their wild
snortings us they jostled and crushed
one another In the mad race for life
Then 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
fren2ied animals, driving them to re-
newed eXertions.
Pete was beginning to iag, 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
Rered on with the energy born of
terror.
Suddenly ! was aware that we were
struggling through a heavy growth of
rank grass, and then we plunged into
an empty slough hole!
Never shall | forget the moment
when Pete's feet struck with n loud
splutter into the sticky mud; or the
half-dozen frantic pluuges he made be-
fore giving in, or the moment glanced
round over my shoulder TO see how the
buffaloes would fare.
Pete struggled on, pulling his feet
from the clay with noise like the draw
ing OF cork, but. tired and handi-
capped by my weight, he was not able
to keep ahead Of the living line that
was gaining upon him with every
stride, and which was now scarcely
twenty-five yards behind us.
sprnng from the horses back, and,