Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-05-15

hc uldue no sign That he was aware
OF her existence. She may have found
consolation in the reflection that EN-
DRY jackson and a half dozen others
seemed hardly conscious of the exist
ence of any other girl in Hondu coun-
ty. That is, if she needed consola-
ton. She had taken up a ranch at
the head of Antelope canyon and her
claim shanty-which was one of the
neatest and finest finished in the
county aforesaid and calculated to
satisfy the most exacting commits
sioner-had been put up by a bee of
kind-hearted young men in spite of
her earnest remonstrances. She gave
dance in it when it was finished,
under Mother Lashabaugh's wing,
and a very charming little hostess
she made. But that was the one
dance that Milt Sowash did not at
tend.
In fact, he did not go anywhere
near the claim until the early part
of the summer. Then he happened to
be hunting horses in that neighbor-
hood and was suddenly overcome
with a burning thirst, which he
thought might be alleviated by dip
per of water from the schoolma ANS
bucket. He was Aot supposed to Know
that it was her claim, and then there
wasn't one chance in a million that
she would be there; so he absent
mindedly spurred his horse through
the limpid waters of Elkhead and
took the canyon trail.
After all, he did not go up to the
house. The reason for that was that
as he gained the crest of the Hill he
saw a little figure, which his keen
eyes made out to be the schoolma am,
running rapidly toward the head of
the canyon. At the same time a puff
Of hot wind brought to his nostrils
the smell Of smoke. Then he under
stood that the grass was on fire and
that the little schoolma'am was rum
ming TO save her hay land. He
chuekled to himself and pressed his
big roweled spurs to his pony's side.
The little schoolma am heard the
sound Of hoofs behind her and, stop
ping turned a white face and terror
widened eyes to sowash as he rode
up.
"Ohi" she cried. "The frel The
fire. What shall / do?"
what was you calculating to do?"
drawled Sowash, with easy insoleuce.
BLOW it out?"
She seemed to forget her fright in
her anger, and, turning from him
without a word, began TO run on.
Sowash laughed and rode by her and
ON to the long line of little, Pickering
flames that, driven by the light
breeze, licked up the dead grass
matted at the roots of the waving
green and left a blackened wilder
ness behind. A hundred yards from
the line he leaped from the saddle
and rapidly loosened the cinches and
threw it on the ground; then, jerking
off the saddle blanket, he spread that
isto convenient form and, trailing it
behind him over the fringe of the
fire, made for the place where it was
burning most iercely. Here he had
to stop and beat the fire into subjee-
ton. and when this seemed accom-
plished to rush TO another point and
fight there. 1t was in his favor that
the wind was not blowing strongly;
also the canyon here was narrow
mere pass, where the grass ceased
at the foot Of barren slopes on either
hand. So there seemed to be some
hope But that was always supposing
that he could WELD his blanket with
unhagging energy and increasingly
In spite of all he could do the fire
gained.
As he paused for a moment, gasp
ing with a breath of pungent smoke
he felt a touch on his arm. 1t was
the little schoolma am, and now her
eyes were shining with a look that
made Milt's heart thump.
Its no use" she said. "Stop now;
you've done all you can. Do stop"
sowash laughed A moment ago he
might have given up. But now! He
shook oa the clasp of her hand on
his arm. not urgently, and, throwing
the blanket down, performed a de-
moniacal dance along its length.
When he raised it the fire was
stamped out. Toward the hill an
other outbreak claimed his attention.
and he rushed at it and attacked il
furiously. Subduing il, he turned |
back and then he saw something that |
made him waste some valuable sec |
onds of time in blank amazement. |
The little schoolma am had Slipped /
of her skirt and was logging the fire I
with that garment with magnificent |
yiror and effectiveness.
Sowash repressed with difficulty an /
impulse to whoop.
il was work Of time even then, /
but eventually they gained the vic
tory. and Sowash leading the pony /
they went back to the house to-
gether.
Il don't know what TO say to thank 1
yon." said the little sehoolma' am, in 4
a blushing fervor Of gratitude'
Don't say nothing" returned So
l. -