Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1899-03-10


ton of the autumn was in the cool
night air. The stiffness as Jim and
Miss Waring drove along over the ST.
lent plain was broken now and then
by sharp, startling rattle, sound
once heard never to be forgotten, the
danger signal Of the deadly rattle
snake coiled up in the long, brown
grass.
"Hit appears to me-" Jim was say
ing, that that air wind don't bOde any
good TO the settlers round these parts" "
"Why so, JimY
"Guess you hain't ever ben on one
of our Dakoty perairies afore, Miss
Waring, or you wouldn't have asked
such a question. There's two things
out hyar that's more feared than the
Old Nick himself-one on 'em's perai-
rie fire1nd another's perarie with the
wind a-blowin' a y-mile-an-hour
gale"
They rode on again in silence. Agnes
Waring had come from the far great
city to visit her brother on his Western
ranch. Jim, the man-of-all-work, was
driving her out from the station, fifteen
miles from the ranch.
"By the long-horned spoons" said
Jim suddenly, rising in his seat and
stopping the horses with tremendous
jerk, "look over there, will you? Thars
biZness for us, sure's you're a foot
high! Git up there?" he yelled to the
horses, and, giving one of them a sting
ing blow with his whip, they sprang
into run. Across the level plain shone
a light, the light at the ranch head
quarters nearly mile away. To the
left of it a dull, reddish glow had come
up and now and then, at the horizon
line, where the darker part of the sky
was lost in the prairie, sharp flames
were darting up.
Don't be skeered," Jim calculated,
as he whipped the horses into a yet
more furious pace; "there amt no dan
ger-leastwise for U.S."
Alice was self-possessed city girl
with a generous stock of old-fashioned
common sense; but she was startled at
Jim's actions and her face had grown
pale.
"Everything's all right" said Jim as
reassuring as he could under the cir
cumstances; don't you be skeered."
He had seized the reins between his
firm, strong teeth, and now with one
hand, now with the other, now with
both, he was whipping the horses into
still greater speed. "Hate-ter-lick a
team-like this"-as the wagon bounced
and tumbled and ratified along; 'hate
ter do hit-but hit-can't be helped
when there's life-depends-on It,"
A few moments more and the horses
dashed up to the big ranch headquar-
ters house. Jim threw the lines to the
ground and seizing Alice by the waist,
jumped out with her.
Sorry to be so imperlite, but there
amt any time to wait-kin you ride
hoSsbackY'
Barely waiting for an affirmative an
swer from the GIRL who was passion
ately fond Of riding, and who modestly
owned the gold medal for superior
horsewOmanship in her city riding
club, jim ran to the barn, flung n mans
saddle on a beautiful horse, and before
Alice had time to recover from her sur.
prise at this novel Introduction to hel
brothers establishment, the horse was
before her.
"You say you kin ride; wa'al here's
the best chance to show hit you ever
had in your life. Thars the best hoss
In Mcleod County-racin' blood FOL
five generations; there amt nothin' bu
a perairie fire kin ketch him. JumI
him, Miss Waring, ride straight toward
the fire yonder; thar amt no dange
now till you git ter Mule Crick. Jes
over the crick quarter of mile or S,
thar's n Russian woman an her ST!
weeks old baby. She's all alone, 70
/ saw her husband in town when W.
left They haln't backfred an inch
and you've got to git the woman an,
her baby over the crick. See? I'd q,
myself, but the wind Is shifted an,
this hull ranchll be in danger afor
long. You'll pass your brother and
parcel O. men backhrin' along the line
don't stop for any explanations, bu
ride fer the crick an ride as IL OIL
Harry was on yer track! You been
afeerd, be your
The blood had come back to the pal
cheeks.
You say there's little danger of m
losing my life, Jlm?"
mot bit-ef you only git tina
woman across the crlck in time; br
don't wait-jump quick, fer the Lord
sake, or you'll be too late"
With n rude toss he threw her int
saddle as If she had been child, an