Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-08-07


fires in Sanilac and Huron counties, Mich.
igan, some years since. His family con-
sisted of himself. wife and baby girl
A boy of IA made his home with the
Gladdens, worked for his board and at
| tended school.
! Stephen Boyd was an orphan. Neigh
bors shook their heads when they learned
that the Boyd boy had been taken In by
the Gladdens. and prophesied all sorts
of trouble. The Boyds had not been re-
garded with favor, having had reputa-
| ton for shiftlessness, and how could the
son be any better?
Stephen was pale, ill-fed lad, with a
| cowed look in his eyes not pleasant to
! see in one so young. He seemed in a
measure grateful for the kindness of
those who gave him home, and in the
| course of few weeks Mrs. GLADDEN. be-
came really attached to the boy.
Warren GLADDEN. was absent at the
county seat on business at the time the
fire alarmed the settlers on Pine creek.
A long drouth had prepared the way for
the fire fiend, and soon the whole region
along the creek, extending to the river,
was one sea of flames
Stephen came home from school at noon
with the announcement that the forest
fires were near the school building and
that the teacher had suspended opera
Il saw the fire going through the Burl-
son swamp like a steer through a corn
field" said stephen, land / tell you
there'll be a hot time around us before
night"
''And Warren expected to return to-
day." said Mrs. GLADDEN.. 81 hope he will
not be detained by the fire."
II m afraid he can't get home today"
returned the lad. THE road is full of
fallen trees and the smoke is so thick
you could cut it with knife 1t won't
be safe even here a great while.''
What, then, shall we do?"
Maybe We can go to Silverton If we
start noW, suggested the boy.
Mrs. GLADDEN. went out on the step and
glanced at the sky, which was laden with
smoke. The roar of the fire a mile away
could be distinctly heard as it rushed
through the pine choppings. The wo-
mans cheek paled and she looked into
the house to where he baby crept along
the floor, and shuddered
Dead timber surrounded the little clear
ing. When the fire should reach piles of
brush at the rear of the house nothing
could save the dwelling from destruction.
MRS. GLADDEN. was trembling with alarm.
She regarded the boy with an appealing
look
Mr.. GLADDEN. left me here to help you."
said Stephen, land l mean to do the best
l can. The men are all out fighting fire.
and may none of them think of us till
it is too late. 1 hate to see the house
burn, and all the crops, too If you and
the baby were only safe 1 think 1 could
manage.
What would you do?"
Set fire to them brush heaps out yon-
DER
And thus hasten the destruction of
the property" exclaimed Mrs GLADDEN..
Wen, ! don't know" returned the boy,
a thoughtful look filling his eyes II
remember once when I WI
seeing men where my father worked save
a mill from burning by building back
nres, and ] think if we could burn up all
t t loose stuff about here before the big
nre comes along we would be safe"
oh, don't know what to do!' groan-
ed the woman helplessly. 81 do wish
warren was here, or some of the men,"
You're afraid to trust me?" said
Stephen.
You are only boy, Stephen
KNOW" with a downcast look Then
the lad walked away. When a short dis
tance from the house he paused and
glanced in the direction of the fire. He
saw that it was circling abount the little
clearing and that they would soon be
hemmed in.
ly. There was no mode of conveyance
out OF the clearing. Mr.. GLADDEN. having
taken the team and wagon to town with |
him on the previous day.
IL was fVe miles to the nearest town i
and escape in that direction was almost /
cut off. While the lad was debating what |
TO do a sudden idea shot to his BRAIN
A mile from the GLADDEN. clearing was |
considerable lake. Surely, thought the
BOY, this body of water would afford 1
protection If they could only reach it.
stephen ran back to the house and told |
Mrs. GLADDEN. his plans.
y GU can walk mile and the road TO
.he lake is clear, but ii may not be for
long We must go there at once"
And leave the house to burn?"
Yes, for your life and the baby's is
worth more than the house, which is
doomed anyhow, ! fear. We must hurry,
Tor the fire is coming very fast; You can
see 1t down yonder now"
Mrs GLADDEN. realized the danger and |
hastily made preparations for flight |
Gathering few necessary articles in a |
satchel, she placed this in the hand of |
stephen, then snatched up her baby. and |
leIloWed the boy across the clearing to |
the road leading to the lake.
once IN the woods. Stephen paused and
looked back saying:
Il believe 1 will start a fire. IT NAV
save the house, and l want to do all /
can 10 save Mr.. Gladden's property You |
go on down the road and I'll overtake
you before you've gone far
The lad ran back toward the house and |
soon had the heaps of brush blazing. |
w men he returned to the woods he found |
Mrs. GLADDEN. standing where he had left
her.
Why didn't you go on as 1 told YOU to
1o?' he asked, hurriedly
Because wouldn't go on without you,
stephen returned Mrs. GLADDEN., who re-
posed great confidence in her chore bow |
noW he seemed so cool under the excite- |
ment and danger incident to the occas-
on. |
well, we must hurry all the faster |
hen, he cried. Don't you see, the fire |
s going down here to the left? We NAV
be cut off yet! Hurry, hurry, Mrs. Glad
lent"
Down the forest road boy and woman
'an, actuated by the impulse of self
preservation.
sudden cutlery from Mrs. GLADDEN.
brought Stephen Boyd to a halt. Almost |
n their pathway leaped red glow
I'VE are lost" exclaimed the woman
,lasping her babe to her bosom and sink
ng to the ground.
stephen turned quickly. He saw that |
he excitement and eXertion was telling |
lpon his benefactress. Directly in their |
path had sprung a fierce flame, having
oeen started by tirebrand blow from |
Dinetop by rising gale.
The supreme moment of peril had come |
To falter now meant certain death Be- |
lind them roared the flames, which had |
low swept far past the GLADDEN. clear
ng.
Before them a fire was rapidly enlarg-
ng. famed bV the wind and fed nv, dr,, |