Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-03-21
RACE AGAINST BUSH FIRE.

Thirty years ago was a stockman
on the Ginna-gulia run, said my host
as ne slowly slipped his glass OF the
famous wine from his own vineyard
MY eye gianees almost Unfortunately
over the wide prospect Of rolling main
and distant wooded range which. In
It's variety and wealth. went far 10
make the view from the broad yer.
anda VI Maroona home station one OF
the most attractive had ever seen in
Australia. Then my eyes came back
70 its owner. looking in his stalwart
mlddle,age. every inch the owner and
master Of II all "stockman,' said.
interrogatisely, AIR Leslie smiled.
Yes. siockman," be said. Thirty
one years ago ] began in this country.
~ many q better man has done, with
youth and strength. a fair education
and a determination TO succeed for my
stock in trade II looks a longish step
from stockman al 6inna. gulla 10 own.
er OF Aarcona, admit, aud the ques.
ton yon asked me I've minutes ago
brought hack 10 my mind-the first
step WAS basn fire.
Il had been fully year In Austria.
liza. and nearly all the time AZ CHINA.
gnlia run II Was known pretty nearly
as often By the name OF Morrison's
run as anything else In those days,
because George Morrison. the owner.
Was as well known a man as any In
New South Wales, and the run had got
is name for sheep and wool from
him
1T was on the 2aih Of January and
| the hottest day we had yet felt. was
| on eany 10 the western boundary "a
zee that our next neighbor's sheep
were not on our run and both my
horse aud felt pretty well baked be.
fore ~ got hack II was nearly Il
o'clock by that time. and breeze bad
/ Just begun 10 come up from the north
east sk rode up 10 the home station
and jumped OF. glad o. the chance "a
| ges nui Of the sun for n bit. I wac
harely settled With pipe. panpikIu
of cold Tea b. my side and month
old sydney paper 10 my hand, when
heard old Saunders shouting 10 one Of
The ssahe hands asking " amp one 81
| the hands had come IN.
My thoughts were not very eompii
nirntary ~ I hrsrd the answer, aud q
l minute after Saunders heavy iread
a. be cane around the end Of the quar-
/ Irrs. locking for me. s.iiillo. Dick be-
shouted Hack early. wee. As usual
I Well. lts lucky. for Mr.. Morrison lief
a lrgtrr 10 60 over 20 Radclin's sta
tlan today. Miss Margaret wss going
| t. take ", but irs too far for her On i
I fay like this You Won't mind going
1 llko q gend fsilawY This was iusI
Saunders al over. putting Il llkr thai
o. thai fellow couldn't object with
cut feeling like brute.
IAN right I replied. snlkIly enough
I daro say. ''wsllaby's pumped on
I sican. though. aud there's not another
horse In che stable but whaiebone
/ This uax satisfactory 10 my feelings
I for Mhaistonr Was old Saunders IN
/ yargte mount. and bad good times ans
l llttlr work, and knew he'd have al
most m soon gone himself as let amy
/ body else ride him. He didn't like !
hit, either. but after minute h
said, Well Dick. Il can't be helped
I Mind you. take care ~ him. for meal
/ 10 sun him st Bathurst IN March. Tha
I letter has got % 90 somehow.
rtn another ten minutes ] had m
ishsd my Tea. ssnwc,i away my news
! nan~r 10 walt for better times, an,
y a MI NtAA malta
Of a good twenty ave miles there ans
hack. 10 Radclifre's home station.
Z waM satisfaction 70 have got hols
az Aueh a mount as whalebonc. ans
how. for he WAS as free as paint ans
I a. strong as q lion. The first thin
that I noticed was that the hrccS'
I MAS blow lag NJ uncommoniy fresh.
vae from the northeast. TOO. and -
ilsw nearly at right angles 10 m,
Track going IL Raheiiffe's II WASH
,,a,i hut one didn't expect that, an,
Il was much better than the stagna
,san Of the morning You could breathe
freely M this wind. aud " II was
htt hot, why We were used 60 that A
was crDsslng the fiFSt ridge ] nn
tispd on looking back that Miss Nor
,is1n was going out for her usual ride
for saw Iaekcy. her black boy, lead
I Ing her horse up 10 the house.
n suddenly noticed strange ah'
very pungent smell,
II loakpd ahead, and saw a tue en-
II the hollow what locked Ike inn
aim Of smoke blowing across tn
I track. Nobody had ever been long !
I Australia without hearing Of a busl
l,rp. and although had never seei
ANYTHING OF the sort. | felt certain y
= moment that was about TO see
now / was right. We hadn't been
quarter OF mile from the end Oh .n
ralIow when first noticed the smel
~ smoke, but although Whaiebon
lad instantly broken into stead.
Gallon At the FIRST alarm the wreath
81 smoke were growing dark by TN
time We had reached the open Iroun'
aud found ourselves exposed to IN
snlI force OF the wind. by TINS uih'
hlawIng an unmistakable gale.
sit was not whalebone's first exper'
..re or q bush fire, and the n1oinen
10 reached the open ground ne gay,
~. abort, uneasy snin to windwaru
and instantly swerved on to the leI '
I Se,t instinctlvely that he was prooa
hiy The best Judge Of course unee
49,. unusual circumstances IN wnicn
s u myself. and I let him have III
q. "A