The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-05-10
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4
her body i'll at ease. A strong and
healthy girl at the age of IS does not
often lie sleepless, but Joan was in
love, and the course thereof was not
running as smoothly as she had every
reason to believe and expect that it
would.
Joan and viii Larkins, the game
keeper had had words-altogether I'M
necessary words-about an imagin-
AIRY grievance. There were petty jeai-
ousy on his side and wounded pride
on hers. The result was that he was
sulky and disagreeable, and she
piqued and resentful of his humors.
And now, when by chance they met,
he thrust his hands in his pockets
with an offhand "Mornin', Miss West"
On which she tossed her head and re-
piled: Good day, Mr.. Larkins."
The July night had been hot and
sitting. To lie and sleep in comfort
was an impossibility; so, when she
heard the kitchen clock strike three,
she resolved to quit her bedroom, and,
without disturbing anyone, to go
down and do bit of churning in the
cool dairy.
There is very little darkness on a
fine night in the height of summer;
still, the sun does not rise so early
as three o'clock, neither does he APP
pear first in the northwest, which was
the direction toward which the dairy
window looked. Whence came, then,
that glow which was reflected upon
the white walls, dancing weirdly and
Enthusiastically? And what was that
rushing, kissing, cracking noise?
The girl looked forth upon the hill
side, wondering. 1t was on fire! That
had been the reason of the glow out
spread upon the white walls; and the
kissing, cracking sound was the rush
of the flames along the ground, as
they swept upward. consuming the
Towering gorse bushes and dwarfed
growth of oak scrub.
She gazed a moment upon the sight
with a sort of spellbound fascination;
and then the thought struck her, how
perilously near those flames were to
the cottages nesting halfway up the
hill! Their inmates, doubtless, were
all asleep. Even as the thought
flashed through her mind, her feet
were carrying her nimbly up the hill.
Breathlessly, Joan. hammered at
doors, shouting the alarm.
Fire! FIRE."
Windows were thrown open and
startled voices exclaimed: where?
Where?"
CLOSE by, on the hillside" an
swerd Joan. and she hurried away to
give the alarm elsewhere. She knew
well that to eXtinguish flames which
had once obtained a mastery over the
vegetation, which was now dry as tin
der through long-continued drought,
would be no child's play.
The scene-made so fantastic by
the fierce element against which, as
yet, none had come forth to match
their strength-was, ere long. all alive
with the forms of men vigorously
striving to beat out and arrest the
rapid onrush of flames.
AS if by magic. dark figures hur-
ried up the hillside in quick success
ion, each one armed with some weap-
on of attack wherewith to match him
self against the fiery foe.
A gentle breeze sprang up, and
famed the flames into quicker life
Whence came it? From the south
west. So there was no longer any
fear for the cottages. The fire was
climbing the hill, leaving black and
desolated track in its rear More than
one woman-Joan West among their
number-as they stood looking on,
breathed fervent Thanksgiving for
this deliverance.
"Will they beat it out afore it gets
among the trees, think YEP" asked
one of the neighbors.
A doubtful shake of the head from
the other woman.
Its got a powerful hold" said she,
land must ha' bin burnin' long afore
Joan reused the men. Lor! Joan girl,
twas providence as We had wake
full night He'll be out with the 9TH
ers, surely; he's ever first at a fire"
Joan wondered also; she had not
seen him when the men gathered
from all around.
'How come the scrub alight?" asked
another. Zone 'ud say as twas done
o purpose; for droughty as It's, the
furze don't set itself alight."
Him as done it knew what All was
about, settin' of it afre so near the
houses. All reckoned as suspicion
might fall on them as lived in EN-
This was a daring whisper to get
abroad; but one of greater import
still was that which mentioned the
name of tipsy old charcoal burner
who had been working in the pine
woods for the last three weeks, dur
ing which time small fires, soon To-
called, had given rise to several
lived eXcitements in the neighbor-
hood.
How the present fire had originated,
however, was of minor Importance
Just then. The one thing to be done
was to limit its extent and to extin-
guish it as speedily as possible. Judg-
ing by appearances, this seemed I'M
likely to happen, for the gentle
breeze grew and grew till it was
ruffled into a small gale and sent the