Evening journal., 1899-09-11

brands had begun to fall around them
before these hurried preparations were
completed. Some Of these brands had
fallen on the roof of the house and ig.
nited sho dry shingles. They could see
through the smoke that the roof was
beginning TO blaze. Itwas a sorrowful
sight, watching the destruction Of their
home, but there was absolutely nothing
they could do TO save IT, With their own
lives in great peril, they viewed its de.
struction with more indifference than
they otherwise would.
The roar of the confagration filed
their ears now, and they had TO shout
TO each other to make themselves heard.
BY this time the breath OF the fire was
scorching their faces, and Frank shout
ed: "Mother, you and the girls get un.
der the cart. want to plow a little
more"
They did as he told them while the
brave lad struggled at the plow a little
longer The usually docile horse had
been getting very restve in the heat
and noise, and suddenly he broke away
from Frank and dashed OF towards the
south, dragging the pillow after him.
The last Frank saw of the horse he had
freed himself from the impeding plow
and was dashing wildly away from the
advancing flames.
A goodly space of freshly thrown-up
earth now surrounded the cart, but
whether it would suffice to save the frail
shelter was a question. Before crawl
ing under the cart Frank called out to
his mother and sisters to cover their
faces, and then he dashed a pail of water
over them. He had scarcely settled him.
self under the cart when another idea
came 10 him, and he was out again
seizing the pail, he had emptied he be-
gan scooping up the fresh mold and
throwing it ON top of the overturned
cart. The hot brands were falling
thicldy around him, but he worked on
with desperate fury, and soon had III,
roof Of their shelter covered with tn,
protecting loan. Then he crawled bach
under the cart, holding his handSer
chief, which he Ind saturated with wa
ter, to his blistered face and neck.
They were now in the center of tn,
roaring furnace. The fire came dowr
TO the edge OF the plowed place, but az
there was only grass and weeds TO con
sumo in the immediate vicinity the hea
was not as terrible as it would hav'
been nearer TO the burning forest
was exceedingly hot, nevertheless, anS
the smoke was sitting, but by keeping
wet handkerchiefs over their mouth
and nostrils and wetting themselve
from time to time with the water, the,
managed TO stand both the heat ant
smoke.
In spite of the earth that he had pile
on the cart, Frank feared that the WOO
might catch fire and their shelter be Dc
stroyed, so he frequently peeped out I
zee if the cart was in danger. Once h
saw that q large brand, blazing bright
ly, had fallen against the side OF th
cart spriRging out. he kicked III
burning branch away and dashed som
water on where the wood had begun
blaze. Twice afterward he found this
the cart had caught FIRE, but he extiI
guished the flames, though he was hin
self severely burned IN doing II.
His watchfulness saved their sheit'
from destruction, and after few &c
rible hours tie fury Of the fire had aba
ed, and thsy were able to come fori
from their place of refuge.
Mr.. sigsbee supposed, Of course, b
wife and children had perished, an
they, in turn, feared that ho had; an
when, on the following day eac
learned that the other was safe and NJ
harmed-except for Franks burn
which did not prove serious-thore WI
such JOY and thanksgiving that even Il
destruction Of their home could n
! make them mourn.--N. Y. Ledger.