The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-02-28


and was yet little damp, but no water
had been conducted into IL.
''Cio down that ladder commanded
l Katherine pointing 70 the ladder that
/ had been left in the cistern by the work
I men, and Beulah. not without difficulty.
7 and indeed not without danger, since it
\ had been constructed for 10 such weight
\ 3s hers, obeyed. Katherine dared not
/ take time 10 run 70 the top Of the knoll
I for further observation. Every moment
\ was precious.
I a blanket and pillow, a tin pail con-
I tanning bread and cold meat, pail Of
/ water that her father had brought from
I the distant spring that morning, were
/ hastily let down 10 Beulah, and, last Of
all, the boys were helped down, and
/ Katherine herself was about to descend
when breath Of hot wind swept across
her face.
She recognized now what the keener
instincts Of the colt had told before.
The prairie was on fire!
In that moment intense mental agony
took possession Of the brave girl. The
FIRE was coming straight toward them;
Of that there was no doubt. What could
she do? She climbed swiftly up the lad
der and looked around.
A large zinc covered board, formerly
used TO put under the kitchen stove, was
standing near, leaning against the house.
This she dragged TO the mouth Of the
cistern and pulled it nearly over the
opening, and was rejoiced to see that it
was large enough TO cover the entire
space except q few inches on each side.
Then she ran TO the kitchen and got
some matches.
IT must try back firing" she said. 1T
is our only chance either to save the
house or ourselves. but can do this be
fore the Indians get here?"
Fear nerved her trembling hand as she
scratched match and, STOPPING down,
applied it to the grass few rods away
from the house.
A puff of wind extinguiShed it before
the grass caught fire. Another and yet
another shared the same fate, her hands
shaking so that she wondered how she
held the light. Another attempt was
successful, and she saw feeble blaze
run along the ground at her feet. Again
and again she applied the fire, until a
light, thin fame extended for about 20
yards each side of the house. This she
knew would soon burn over and give
the coming flames nothing to feed upon,
while the light fire she started would not
be sufficient to burn the house or stable.
She glanced around before again de-
scending into the cistern. Nothing was
i'm sight except wall Of smoke, black at
the base, red above and blue with the
writhing, curling vapor that swirled and
spread above till it was absorbed in the
atmosphere.
perhaps the Indians have gone to the
ravine for protection" she thought; eff
so, it is well we did not try it."
The air was growing hotter; the wind,
fed by the combustion of the advancing
flames, was blowing the fire in the yard
closer every minute. There was a dull
roaring beyond, where the high wall of
fire rolled like fiery breakers, gathering
force with each breath Of wind. Clearly
she could delay no longer.
"Help me pull up the ladder, Beulah,'
and this removed, she sat down with her
feet over tho edge of the cistern and
dropped into the strong arms held up to
catch her.
Don't pull me down; must pull tho
board over" she gasped. And this task
accomplished, she sank down exhausted
beside her brothers.
Harvey had been reciting to little |
Bruce the most blood curdling tales of |
Indian atrocities, and, frightened at tho |
pictures he himself had conjured up to |
brighten his brother, sat with his head |
bent forward upon his knees, sobbing
loudly.
Bruce threw his arms around RATHER |
ines neck, too frightened to speak or ut |
ter cry.
katy" he whispered, his breath com
ing in quick gasps, "are they coming, and [
will Little Crow scalp us and burn us at |
the stake, with little burning splinters |
stuck all over our bodiesT'
Harvey. brought face to face, as it |
were, with the realization of his own |
bloodthirsty fancies, gave an agonizing |
howl
Hear 'em roarp he cried. "O-o-h. !
why don't papa come? What did he go |
and leave us forT"
cit is tho roar of the fire." bis sister |
answered. with white lips; sit is coming |
nearer; but don't be afraid and don't cry, |
for il cannot touch us here"
The tide of living fire swept over |
them: the air. almost excluded from |
their cramped quarters, srew hot and |
suffocating; they could hear the crackle |
of the lurid flames, and a spark or two |
fell upon them through the crack over
head. But this fire was slight compared |
with the flaming wall, 12 or 10 feet high, |
which roared louder and still louder as
it came leaping, cracking on.
This large fire, finding nothing to con-
sumo. thanks to Katherine's foresight in
back firing" divided, when it came to
the spot already burned over, and swept
each side of the cabin.
But the air was full of flying cinders;
great clumps of grass We're taken up by
the wind and blown in every direction.
sometimes falling down through the
opening. where they were promptly
caught and extinguished by Beulah, who
had slowly recovered her wits.