Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-02-01


Ned did not believe that there was any
real danger, for he was well used to Billy
McAnery's 'crazy turns" as the neigh
bors called them. But when he had
dressed and looked out OF the house to
the north, it was very plain to HIM that
there was a real and awful peril. lie
had never before seen Il prairie tire. but
the sight which met his eyes left no
doubt OF it's meaning. There is little
that IS lurid, fantastic, and thrilling
about prairie fire. 1t has none Of the
spectacular and gaudy elements OF the
forest or city fire. What Ned saw was,
not the sky Redeemed by flame: but dark
masses OF smoke which, even where he
stood, were being blown by the swift,
cold blasts into his face. The odor OF
that smoke and the awful blackness in
the north told him thar a scene of horror
might be before him. He stopped to
gaze no longer, but leaped on his horse,
and rode swiftly to town.
There everything was either panic or
paralysis. Coming SO suddenly, and in
the night, the fire had robbed the people
oi their senses. Some stood gazing at
the approaching demon as ii fascinated
,y II mermaid. Others rushed hithN:
thither, weeping, swearing, and praying
by turns. Some had loaded parts OF
their household goods on their wagons
to start-whither? For ii the town was
destroyed, nothing could stop the flames
for twenty miles; and before any wagon
could go one-huif that distance, the fire
would be upon it, The cause of the fire
was quickly learned. Threshers at a
place about fifteen miles north oil town
had set fire to their straw piles. as usual,
at the conclusion OF their days work,
and the wind raising SO suddenly in the
evening had started the mischief. 1t had
whisked the burning SHAW lar and
wide, and the sparks had caught in
other straw piles, scattered shocks OF
wheat and oats and loose hay, and
before any one could realize the danger,
the fire was out Oh the prairie on its
devastating way. swiftly, eagerly, vora-
ciously bounding toward the south.
There was no natural or arflhcla
barrier TO stop it's spread. Gu the other
hand all circumstances favored it. HI"
long, dry season had lett no moisture in
the grass; there were no rivers nor
creeks in it's path; no fall blowing is
done in that frozen cline; and strewn
over all the ground We're largequantltes
Of wheat and oat straw. completely
covering the earth. and forming inst the
sort OF mat that the flames would relish.
There had been II ditch pIowed around
! the town five years before, but it WAS
now useless, and filled with straw aud
dead grass 1t seemed that nothing
but a change OF the wind could save the
town, and that meant the loss OF
hundreds OF lives. AS Cushulan stood
gazing alternately at the approaching
| tempest and at the hopeless faces of the
frightened people, he felt as he never
felt before, the absence OF the deiences OF
civilization. \ thousand thoughts ran
through his MUD; then suddenly through
| the mist OF years, came the memory al a
lecture given by a traveller who had
crossed the plains OF Kansas thirty
years before: and he wheeled his horse
sharply, and rode to the mayor, who
stood, looking as stupidity as the others.
while the black grew blacker and the
smoke became more pungent and over
powerng.
Come. Jack" shouted Cushman, with
voice OF command and triumph which
caused the stupid light TO leave the
poor wretch's eyes, and he turned to
Cushman with Il flash OF hope and glad
faith on his cuunleIaIlce which even i'm
that excited scene Cnshman felt in his
nmost heart. "We must build a
roun1er-fre to stop this one. You
know how. Get ten men. and set fire to
that patch on the left, and ten OF us will
fire This patch on the right, and be sure
TO leave enough room here to keep the
fire from catching on any OF the
buildings
The man was off in an instant, giving
orders and Selling torches. He knew at
once what was wanted. All he needed
was the leader, the man to give the hint.
Twenty men with blazing torches ran
twenty yards directly toward the on
coming demon. Then they stopped and
dipped their torches INTO the dry grass
and straw, until the whole space
somewhat longer than the north side of
the village and twenty wide, was mass
OF flames. The people stood ready to
beat it back if ii should Threaten to
catch on the buildings, while Others
poured water on the earth thus burned
over And so it was that in ten minutes
from the time that Ned Cushman came
upon that scene OF hopelessness and
utter misery, the town was saved
CoufleIS WE'RE Seut 10 lue FARMERS Nv
ing to the west, south and east, warn
ing them of he danger aud suggesting
The same remedy Perhaps some other
man might in time thought OF the Que
thing which can stop the spread OF IL
prairie fire, but you cannot make the
people OF Hudson think so. and TO this
day they declare that Nobody but Ned
Cushlnan saved this town from ben'
wiped off the map
After che work had been well done,
Cushman began to notice the constant
stream of refugees that poured out OF
the smoke, families escaping from the fire
and leaving everything behind. Their
faces told the terror in their hearts, and
many had dropped down in their
wagons as their frightened horses We're
caught and held by the people OF the
town. AS Ned looked at them a face
uplifted from Il wagon-bpd sent the
blood straight to his heart.
"Where is Mary Somers?" His brain
seemed to catch on fire, and above all the
noise and confusion there seemed to cry