The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-10
/ II

The canyon, with its almost perpen-
dicular sides, behind, and the cattle by
this time hardly hundred yards away,
surely the little party did seem doomed.
We're gonners now, certain" cried
Pete rolling over on his face and bury
ing his face in his hands, as the ground
began to shake beneath the tread of
: the advancing herd. AS for Kio. his
nose was now actually resting on Dud-
ley's shoulder, while Dudley himself
! still smoked.
On-on came the cattle, snorting and
believing louder. it seemed, with every
step, and with, if anything, increasing
! speed. Now less than so yards inter
vened. and Dudley for the first time
manifested some uneC<ineSs, and ner-
vously took a step or two in front of
Pete and Kio. as though hoping the
cattle, seeing him, might still come to
stop or change their course. As he
did so he gave a sudden start. A wide
strip of rank, high and very dry prairie
grass, about midway between them
and the cattle and running parallel
with the canyon for several hundred
yards, caught his eye. An idea and a
flash of triumph shot across his face.
Dashing his pipe from his mouth, he
ran forward and dropped upon his
knees beside the grass, and. in less
time that it takes to tell it, had
match out of his pocket and lighted.
What are you going to do?" cried
Pete, raising himself excitedly upon his
elbow.
Dudiey's answer was to stoop still
lower and hold the match carefully be-
tween his hands until it was well
lighted. Then, with the same wonder
full GOODNESS and deliberation, he leaned
forward and touched the grass with it,
instantly jumping back and onto his
feet-and not a whit too soon. The
grass, dry as finder from drouth of
many months, caught at once and a
great red flame went circling heaven
ward with a sudden loud roar The
same moment the two red steers and
the cattle Immediately following
plunged madly into it. Awful We're the
cries of pain and bewilderment as far
Their and farther into the flames they
were pushed by those behind.
But stop they could not, and over and
over they rolled in the flames until two
score and more lay piled up in a con-
fused, believing, burning mass. Then,
and not until then, was there the
slightest diminuton in the terrible
pressure from behind. Still the fate
of the little party hung in the balance,
for it looked as if enough cattle might
yet be pushed through to bring about
their destruction. But it was only for
a few minutes. The ferceness of the
flames and the rapidly increasing bar
rier raised by the burning bodies were
too much for even such an apparently
Irresistible host, and Dudley and Pete
and Kio were saved; but they them
selves did not know it for some little
time afterward. owing to the smoke
and excitement.
Pete was the first to see it. Springing
TO his feet, sprain and all, and it proved
a bad one, he rushed up to Dudley, and,
throwing his arms around his neck,
embraced him with a warmth that the
latter said afterward made him feel as
though his own life was far from out
of danger yet. 1t likewise came near
proving fatal to Kio, in whose fright !
ened condition it took but little to (
alarm, and he almost jumped over the !
bluff into the canyon at the unexpected I
outbreak.
AS may be imagined. Dudley was a /
hero during the rest of his visit and to |
this day his bravery and GOODNESS are !
the talk and admiration of the COWBOYS /
in that part of the country.