Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-09-28

camp. why, you Iuulluy, eau
you comprehend the difference be-
tween people on horses and people on
foot, and don't"
Frozen Pete had been quietly but
rapidly pulling on his boots, button
ing his jacket and tightening his belt.
His manner was generally SO deliber-
ate that now we both stared at him in
surprise. My view embraced the
mouth Of our camping-ground, and
between the black walls I saw, with
horror, long, unbroken line of leap
ing fame. Extending the entire
width OF the bottom, its dancing yell
low crest was just visible as it rose
over long knoll lying in its path.
How the fire started 1 do not know to
this day. Perhaps campers Oh the
prairie had set it going accidentally.
1t could not have been burning
long, for else we should have noticed
the glare in the night sky. Complete
ly hidden by our walls until within
the last few moments, the terrible
danger had crept upon us unobserved.
The fire was already within 800
yards of us, and the rough wind was
sweeping it nearer with frightful ra-
pidity- There was no time to start a
counter fire. The sheer walls on three
sides of us blocked our retreat A death
of torture was rushing straight at US.
Pete and I stared at Colonel Bailey,
while in that awful moment the sheriff
stood, with bent head, thinking how
to save us.
''This way, boys" he cried, sudden
ly, and ran straight across the canon
toward the creek. We followed and
quickly reached the narrow bluff op-
posite. The sheriff glanced rapidly
along its base. He had seen such
formations before and hoped to find
hole through the wall.
I was by his side when we reached
spot where the tall grass had been
worn down. He stopped, dropped on
one knee and then pulled me bodily
to the ground. To my astonishment
I found myself looking into wolf
burrow, perhaps Is inches in diam
eter. At its other end, scarcely Is
feet away, I could see light. Some
enterprising coyote had dug passage
through the narrow wall to the creek
beyond.
s'Seeif it's wide enough for you,.
hoy, >, crisd 1.-the o01ltonclfs = = tmaybewe
can get,through, maybe NOT. If We
can't -"
I lost the rest of the sentence as
with both arms extended in front of
me I thrust my head and shoulders
into the opening, and digging my toes
violently into the ground I showed
myself forward almost my length.
There I stuck fast. With no room to
bend my arms or use my knees, I was
helpless. Writhe and squirm as I
would, I could make no progress. In
despair I struggled back into the
basin.
''I feared il, said the sheriff, husk-
lily. eff we could use our elbows we
could make it, but as it is, God help
us.
For some seconds we stood motion
less. The fire had advanced full so
yards, and the Internal roar was buzz
ing in my ears when Pete suddenly
thrust out his hand toward the west.
Opposite us, on the verg of the bluff,
was the rascally bandit, Oche. We
could see him distinctly in the in
creasing light. There he sat astride
the colonels pony, stolidly watching
US and apparently finding a ferocious
Joy in our approaching destruction.
We had hardly time for thought,
however, before Cche dropped to the
ground. Holding the lariat coiled in
his hand, he cut it from the bronco's
neck and spraug to the edge of the
bluff at point where the wall was
slightly less steep. Instantly he
squatted down, lurched his weight for
ward and slid down the bank into the
basin below. The descent was almost
as rapid as fall, but Oche reached
the bottom unharmed, and springing
to his feet he came bounding toward
us, his lank, wiry body shooting far
through the air at every leap.
The act of the bandit in dropping
from safety to apparent death utterly
bewildered us. In the nature of
things it would not be to attack us.
The roaring of the flames grew louder,
we could hear the cracking of the
tall, crisp grass, yet we could only
stand and stare.
The Indian presently reached us.
"Throw away guns = hats !' he
cried.
"Do it, boys" commanded the
colonel, and as Frozen Pete threw
down his belt, pistol and sombrero
Oche pushed him PROSTATE to the
earth. Pete fell just in front of the
burrow, and Oche sliding past him,
strung the lasso on the grass. Pete
understood and grasped the ropc near
its centre, while Oche, dropping full
length upel the ground, wriggled his
naked boy into the burrow. Thanks
to his extl-me slenderness and to his
Indian blood he crawled through the
tuQQCl WlVn I'LL Tue ueAte!ltJ VI du
animal. Holding one end of the lariat
at his beck he drew the slack rapidly
after him, sad in less than minute
he stood on the narrow strip beside
the creek.
Pete crawled into the tunnel rs far
MS his own exertions would permit, and
now the Indian; drawing the rope
taut, pulled him along with all the
strength OF his 1.-the body. Twisting
and turning, the COY boy scraped safely
through. a.
The colonel grabbed the end of the
rope which had almost disappeared in
the burrow, and running back with it
Is feet he ordered me to go before
him. The f,e was within so yards of
u.s. The wind drove sparks and smoke
against our faces. 1t was 40 time for
chiyalrous Difference.
Dropping to the earth I grasped the