The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-06-14
/ NJ A SURREY FIRE
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
IOAN WEST could not sleep. Her
III mind was troubled and restless.
II body i'll at ease. A strong and
healthy girl at the age of IS does not
often lie sleepless, but Joan was in
,are 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
teeper, had had words-altogether un-
necessary words-about an imagin-
n 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
nioued 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
stiaing. To lie and sleep in comfort
~ss an impossibility; SO. when she
heard the kitchen clock strike three,
sAe resolved to quit her bedroom, and,
without disturbing anyone. to go
down and do a bit of churning in the
cool dairy.
There is very little darkness on .
Ane night in the height of summer;
still, the sun does not rise SO early
as three o'clock, neither does he ap-
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
fantastically? And what was that
rushing. kissing. cracking noise?
The girl looked forth upon the hill
aide, wondering. 1t was on fire! That
had been the reason of the glow out
spread upon the white wallE and the
hissing, cracking sound was the rush
Of the flames along the ground, as
they swept upward. consuming the
{ 1owering gorse bushes and dwarfed
growth Of oak scrub.
She gazed moment upon the sight
with . sort of spellbound fascination:
and then the thought struck her. how
perilously near those flames were te
she cottages Nesting halfway up the
Aill! Their inmates, doubtless, were
an asleep. Even as the thought
aashed through her mind. her feet
we're carrying her nimbly up the hill
breathlessly. Joan hammered a
aoors, shouting the alarm.
Fire! FIRE."
Windows were thrown open ant
startled voices exclaimed: "Where
Nhere?"
Close by, on the hillside" an
q sWerd Joan. and she hurried away t.
gise the alarm elsewhere. She. knew
vel that to eztinguish flames whicl
! had once obtained mastery over tn
ssesetation, which was now dry as tin
uer through long-continued drought
would. be no child's play.
The scene-made so fantastic b.
we fierce element against which, a
VA, none had come forth to mattel
sas.r strength-was, ere long, all aliy
With the forms of men vigorousl,
.sFavlng to beat out and arrest tn
lspid onrush of flames.
n II by magic, dark figures hur
'sd up the hillside in quick success
IN each one armed with some weaI
q Of attack wherewith to match him
I'll against the fiery foe.
- gentle breeze sprang up, an
.aned the flames into quicker lif'
unence came it? From the soutf
a. So there was no longer an
assf Tor the cottages. The fire wa
snmblng the hill, leaving a black an
oiated track in its rear. More tina
ne woman-Joan West among thei
samper-as they stood looking ol
sthed fervent thanksgiving fc
TINS deliverance.
NlH they beat it out afore it gel
song the trees, think YEP" aske
.e OF the neighbors.
doubtful shake of the head frol
sae other woman.
!. IS got a powerful hold" said sh
IS sno must ha' bin burnin' long afol
= reused the men. Lor! Joan gil
Ix ssas providence as ye had a wax
night. He'll be out with the otl
surely; he's ever first at a fire.
soan wondered also; she had NJ
him when the men gathers
on all around.
How come the scrub alight % ask
tner. "0ne nd say. rs twas dol