The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-02-05

led the mare TO the door. and fairly
kicked her out to safety. lie returned
with the same blanket and rescued one
of the work horses. lie took five horses
ont. and then came out himself with his
clothes bravely on fire. lie had no
whiskers, and verify little hair on ms
head They soused five pailfuls OF water
on him. His eldest son made clean
miss with the sixth pailful because the
old man had turned and was running
down the decline and around TO the pase-
ment of the barn where were the
stanchions of cows. Some one noticed
az the time that he ran very lamely, as
if one of the frenzied horses had
smashed his hip.
The COWS. with their heads held in
the heavy stanchions, had thrown them
selves. strangled themselves. tangled
/ themselves done everything which the
inpcnuisvof their exuberant fear could
suggest TO them.
Here. as at the well, the same thing
happened to every man save one. Their
hands went mad They became incapa-
bic of everything save the power -
rush into dangerous situations.
The old man released the cow nearest
the door. and she. blind drunk with ter
ror crashed INTO the Swede. The Swede
had been running to and fro, babbling.
He carried an empty mill, pail, to which
he clung with an unconscious ferce en-
thusasm He shriekcd like one lost as
he went under the cows hoofs, ana the
milk nail. rolling across the floor, made
flash of silver in the gloom.
old Fleming took fork. beat off the
COW. and dragged the paralized Swede
70 the open air When they had res
cued all the cows save one, which hah
so fastened herself that she could not
he moved an inch, they returned TO the
front of the barn and stood sadly,
breathing like men who had reached
the final point of human effort.
Many people had come running
Some one had even gone to the church
and now. from the distance. rang the
tocsin note Of the old bell. There was Q
long fare Of crimson on the sky, whicf
made remote people speculate as 10 th'
l whereabouts of the fire.
The long flames sang their drumming
' cborus in voices of the heaviest bass
The wind whirled clouds of smoke an'
cinders into the faces Of the spectators
The form of the old barn was outlined
~ 4, black amid these masses of orange
: hued flames.
4 And then came this Swede again cry
;no as one who is the weapon OF IN
!. sinister fates: "De colts. DE colts
7 You have forgot de colts!'
Old Fleming staggered II was true
they had forgotten the two colts in IN
49, talls nj the back of the barn. Boys,
ho said II must try TO get EN- out.
= Thev clomored about him then. afraid fc
!, him. afraid ofwhatthey should see. The
> ,hev talked wildly each TO each. WI n.
;t's sure DEATH" "lle would never e
10 out," "why. it's suicide for a man
"a IN therel" Old Fleming stared. al
- sent-mindedly. at the open doors ~
- ,oo, little things" he said. lie rushs
en- into the barn.
nj when the roof fell in great funn
cd az smoke swarmed towards the SKY
- 70 the old mans mighty spirit. release
~ from It's body-a little bottle-hi
.wel,ed like the gent Of fable. III
no smoke was tinted rose hue from u
~ flames. and perhaps the unutterau
rel midnights OF the universe VIII nave
power TO daunt the color OF his soua'
bic st. James Budget.