Evening journal., 1899-09-11
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At uAEtA tue hOIoC Oh- ne udu not AZ
vaheea an eighth OF a mile beyond the
Stcarns place before he realized that
the fire had crossed the road in front
He could see the orange flames through
the smoke.
With a groan he turned the horse
about and started on the backward road.
The instinct OF self-preseryation IS
strong, and wife and children were now
nearly forgotten in his Efforts to es
cape a dreadful death Reaching the
drive leading up TO the Widow Stearns'
house he turned the horse In and drove
up He knew there was a meadow lot
south Of the house, and thought that by
setting fire to the dried grass IN front
of him and following in the wake Of the
FIRE he might escape destruction from
the flames behind. Then he remem-
bered there was very deep well back
Of the house. That, he thought, prom
ised greater security than the other
plan.
The roar and craclse of the fire to the
north was deafening now, and the heat
was becoming intolerable. Springing
from the wagon Mr. Sigsbee cut the
/ harness and turned the horse loose.
Perhaps he can escape he thought.
Then he ran toward the well. It did
not astonish him to find a stout rope
securely fastened to plank, which lay
across the mouth of the well. He was
too terrified TO be ustonished at any
/ thing. Selling the rope he quickly let
/ himself down. finding some interstices
in the wall ia which he could place his
feet, and thus relief the strain on the
rope. After descending many feet he
heard a voice, and looking down recog-
nized in the shadow the Widow stearns.
Finding herself in peril she had
sought safety in the deep well. The
season had been unusually dry, and
there was but little water in the well.
Mrs. Stearns was standing on the we'll
bottom, and the water did not reach
TO her knees.
Comparatively little smoke pene-
trated TO the depth Of the well, while
the fire roared and cracked overhead
and gradually spent its fury.
Meanwhile exciting events were
transpiring at the Sigsbee farm. When
his father had gone Frank hitehed the
remaining horse to a plow and started
to plow the field lying northwest of the
house. He wanted to get as large a
space as possible plowed up before his
fathers return. The plan was If help
returned with Mr.. Sigsbee to plow as
large an area as they would have time to
clear around the house and barn. In
this way they hoped to save both struc'
lures. Accordingly, Frank commenced
plowing at a considerable distance from
the house, and plowed quite long fur
rows. But he had not got many fur
rows plowed before he noticed that ths
wind was blowing much stronger from
= the direction of the burning forest
e and soon after little flakes Of ashes be
gan to fall about him.
p There won't be time 10 do itl" h
said to himself with a little gasp. ."
, wish father was here" he thought, hi
e heart failing him in the face OF Tn
dreadful danger, whose full terrors n
was only just beginning TO realize
q Something seemed to come up into hi
mouth, which he gulped down. Thei
S he thought Of his mother and twi
= young sisters. There was no one {,
protect them now but himself. IA
1 must think of some way to save them
He looked despairingly toward tn
D house and barn, dimly visible through
e the smoke. 1t was useless to try 10 saw
4 the buildings; they were piainl.
4 doomed. Life was the most preciou
n thing, and that was all that must b
thought of now. But how could eyel
e life be saved in the face of such Ere
r Frank knew it would be useless 70 tr,
j. to reach the village. The fire wouil
b have crossed the road before they coul'
get half way there. There was on
s other road, but it ran right up towar
e the fire a few rods beyond the farm
4 house. The only direction in whic
n they could fee would be southwar
}. into the woods. Frank knew the fores
e was thick there with dry underbrusl
which would greatly impede their owl
e progress, and at the same time haste
II the progress Of the fire. 1t weuld b
d terrible TO have the fire overtako then
in the forest. He would rather take hi
r. chances in the cleared space.
G a hot cinder, blown a consideraol
e distance in front of the fire, struck hi
Il cheek, and he started as if it had sud
e denly burned an idea into his brain.
" Hurryiug with the horse and plow I
d the house, he called out 20 his mother
3, She and the girls had been at the sout
is side and had not noticed how danger
ously near the fire was getting.
s. Mother" Frank called, "you and IN
e Cirls see if you can pull the cart out c
e the shed and down ipso the field sout
81 of the house. The fire viii be on MS in
Ie little while, and we've got to save ou
e. selves"
d Hastily explaining his plan to her, i
ID drove the horse TO the field and bega
plowing at a spot about 100 yards sout
g of the house Mrs. Sigsbee and the tw
e. girls managed 10 haul the cart from III
he shed and down into the field. Whe
10 they got it there Frank stopped plov
j. ing long enough to help them overtur
le the cart in the center of the space
a had plowed. The cart was boarded Z