The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-09-17

you suppose they care about thing
like these?' he added, rafting tn
handouts viciously. "While we wer,
sleeping here, like the gentle lamb
we are, he slipped his hands out, un
TIED the rope from his ankles and left
taking the broncos along as memento,
OF pleasant trip with FOOLS"
Then let's follow him!"I exclaimed
ieaplng up; but the sheriff gripped me
by the trousers.
I'm thankful" he said, earnestly
that I'm not the only idiot in this
camp. Why, you dummy, CAM
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. Ny view embraced the
mouth OF our camping ground, and
between the black walls saw, with
horror long, unbroken line of leap
Ing flame. Extending the entire
width OF the bottom, its dancing vel
low crest was just visible as it rose
over a long knoll lying in its path,
How the fire started [ do not know to
this day. Perhaps campers on 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
~ 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 IA.
pldlty. There was no time to start q
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
~, and ran straight across the canon
toward the creek. We followed and !
quickly reached the narrow bluff o.
posite. The sheriff glanced rapidIv
along its base. He had seen such
formations before and hoped to find a
hole through the wall.
L was by his side when we reached
a 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
found myself looking into wolf
perhaps IS inches in diam
eter. At its other end, scarcely Is
eet away, I could see light. Some
coyote had dug a passage
through the narrow wall to the creek
,eyond. 0N
'see if it's wide enough for YOU,
10Y cried the colonel; ':maybe we
an get through, maybe not. If we
ant -" W.
lost the rest of the sentence as
,l'4 both arms extended in front of
lie thrust my head and shoulders
1to the opening, and digging my toes
lolently into the ground I showed
lySelf forward almost my length, /
here stuck fast. With no room to t
end my arms or use my knees, I was I
eIpless. Writhe and squirm as I
ould, I could make no progress. In
espalr l struggled back into the E
asin. WIZ 1
I feared it" said the sheriff husk. 9
Y. eff we could use our elbows wa =,
uld make it, but as it is, God HELM " "
For some seconds we stood motion.
IS. The fire had advanced full 50
rds,and the internal roar was buzz. ~
6 IN my ears when Pete suddenly !,
rust out his hand toward the west p,
oposlte US, on the verg4 of the bluff 4
Is the rascally bandit, Oche. We at
uld see him distinctly in the in. n
easing light. There he sat astride "
g colonel's pony, stolidly watching f.
ana apparently finding ferocious a,
IN our approaching destruction. II
We had hardly time for thought. Of Of
wever, before Oche dropped to the Or Or
'qnd' Holding the lariat coiled in S E,
hand, he cut it from the bronco's NJ
tx I. and sprang to the edge of the o oy
IN at point where the wall was in
5htly less steep. Instantly he ~ ~
lated down, lurched his weight for. AZ AZ
rd and slid down the bank into the WI
I'm below. The descent was almost w. ~,
rapid as fall, but Oche reached on
bottom unframed, and springing Oh or,
MS feet ne came bounding toward ca,
his lank, wiry body shooting far c co.
ough the air at every leap. fo,
BE act of the bandit in dronn;no ~,
n safety to apparent death utterly on,
7lldered us. In the nature Of III,
lgs it would not be to attack rs, WIZ
roaring of the flames grew louder. ai r
could hear the cracking of the ras
crisp grass, vet we conld onlv