Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-10-10

there in time, we knew; but was the
feat she had undertaken possible? 4? 1t
was the uncertainty that made the
suspense so awful.
With the roaring ferceness of a
million furnaces, the fire came closer,
and already sparks were floating to-
ward US. Then we heard noise of
horses galloping through the thick
scrub timber ; and presently, mad
with terror, a mob came into view,
tearing and racing for their lives.
With them, in hopeless confusion,
were sheep, kangaroos, wallabies,
wild-dogs, and emus; while overhead,
hawks, crows cockatoos, magpies, ca
giles, and all manner of birds, few
screeching before the hot blast.
Our track by this time was broad
and clear, and, if only the wind would
drop or change, we might consider
ourselves safe.
Seeing that nothing else could be
done, we mounted our terrified ami
mails and rode down into the creek
bed. Then there went up shout /;
and at the same instant, through the
high grass, a maddened and terrified
horse, with q woman and child sway
ing to and fro upon its back, thun-
dered towards US. That it wasn't
Cassie, we could tell, for this rider
and child were tied on. Seeing the
other horses in the creek, the poor
beast leaped over the edge, and fell
upon the soft sand at our feet. We
rushed forward, secured it, and, as
fast as we could, unbounded the pre-
cious freight. Needless to say, it was
The Opposition and her child.
Cassie must have travelled as fast as
her horse could gallop to the Black
fellows Well in the Ten-mile Pad
dock and then turned due east along
the foot of the Ranges towards the
gully where she lived. From the well
to the huts she must have had the
heat of the fire full in her face, for at
the highest calculation the flames
could not have been five miles in front
of her. Then turning the hillside, she
saw the buts below her.
In three minutes she was beside
them, calling and shrieking to her
enemy to come forth and be saved.
The terrified woman, according to her
own account, had shut herself into the
bark "humpy," for she knew it WAS
worse than useless to trust to her
lameness in the dried up scrub. As
the flames appeared on the hilltop,
she saw through the window Cassie
descending the track on the hillside /;
then she lost sight of her until she
heard her name called and rushed
out.
"Save me, save me, Cassie Quin J"
she cried-"save me and my little
Emily. Take 'er, and I'll pray for ye
and bless your name forever |"
Cassie had by this time dismounted.
"Come on, then-git on 'ere," she
shouted. "But wait, where's some
green hide? I'll have to tie yer on,
or yer'll let the kid drop--1 know yer
will. That's right now. Stick to 'er
tight, and make for our 'ead station.
Go on ! Git !"
"But you, youp' screamed the
frightened woman as the horse plunged
and snorted at the on-rushing flames
"there's no room for you. You'll be
killed !"
"D'ye think I'm baby, and don't
know how to take care of myself?
I'm all right. You git"
AS she spoke, she struck the horse
savagely, and he bounded away, and
the next moment had disappeared
down the track, the mother and child
rolling wildly in the saddle as they
went. Then Cassie turned to the
gully and saw the approaching flames.
Her sacrifice was complete. Death
was inevitable. She gave one glance
round, found that her escape was cut
of, and then rushed into her own hut
aud shut the door.
That night, as soon as it were posi-
BILE, we organized search party and
went out to hunt for her. We had
not far to look. We found her in her
own hut, which, by some strange
chance, was untouched, lying on the
floor quite dead-suffocated. On the
back of the door, evidently scratched
with a nail, were these words: IL sed
she wer liar; I'm sorie."