Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-02-28

their last look at the grave of the MLei-
GERS. BODIED very i'll for any Indian who
might fall into their clutches.
CHAPTER XIV.
There was no difficulty in following the
tracks. Mr.. Mercer had possessed near
ly a thousand cattle and five thousand
sheep, and the ground was tramplcd in
n broad, unmistakable line. Once or
twice Mr.. Hardy consulted his compass.
The trail ran southwest by west.
at nightfall there was a general I'M
rolling of poncllos, and soon afterward
only sleeping figures could be seen by
the dim light of the smoldering FIRE. Mr..
Hardy, indeed, was the only one of the
party who did not fall to sleep. Thoughts
of the events of the last twenty-four
hours. of the best course to be adopted,
and of the heavy responsibility upon him
self as leader of this perilous expedition.
prevented him from sleeping. lie heard
the watch rouse the relief and lay down
in their places. In another half hour he
himself rose, and walked out toward the
sentry.
1t was a young man named Cook. one
of the new settlers to the east of Mount
Pleasant. us that you. Mr.. Hardy"
he asked, as he approached. II was just
coming in to wake YOU"
what is it, Mr.. Cook"
sit strikes me, sir, that there is a
strange light away to the southwest. |
have only noticed it the last few minutes.
and thought it was fancy. but it gets
more distinct every minute"
Mr.. Hardy looked out anNiously into
the gloom and quickly perceived the APP
pcarance that his friend alluded to. For
~ minute or two he did not speak. and
then. as the light evidently increased. he
said, almost with IL groan, at is what l
feared they would do; they have set the
prairie on fire. You need not keep watch
any longer. We are as much separated
from the Indians as if the ocean divided
u.s."
Cook gave the two short whistles
agreed upon to recall the other men on
guard, and then returned with Mr.. Hardy
to the rest of the party. Then Mr.. IIal-
dy reused all his companions. Every man
leaped up, rifle in hand. believing that the
Indians We're approaching.
we must be up INT doing" Mr.. Har-
dy said cheerfully; 1.-The Indians have
fired the pampas."
There was Il thrill OF apprehension in
the bosom of many present. who had
heard terrible accounts of prairie fires,
but this speedily subsidized at the calm
manner of Mr.. Hardy.
1.-The fire." he said, may be ten miles
away yet. l should say that it was. but
it is difficult to judge, for this grass does
not flame very high, and the smoke drifts
between it and us. The wind, fortunate
~, is light, but it will be here il little
over half IN hour. Now, let the four
gauchos attend to the horses. to see they
do not stampede. The rest form a line a
couple of yards apart, and pull up the
grass by the roots, throwing it behind
them, so as to leave the ground clear.
The wider We can make it the better"
All fell to work with hearty zeal. Look.
ing over their shoulders, the sky now
appeared on fire. Pickering tongues of
flame seemed to struggle upward. There
was m occasional sound of feet, as herds
! of deer flew by before the danger.
\ "How far will it go. papa. do You
thinkw Hubert asked his father, next to
whom he was at work.
II should say that it would most likely
stop at the stream where we halted to-
day, Hubert. The ground was wet ana
uOSSS " oOAAS- SlNll vi lue Ollcr
| side"
The horses We're now getting very res
tive, and there was Il momentary pause
from work to wrap ponchos round their
heads, SO as to prevent their seeing the
glare.
The fire could not nave been more than
three miles distant. when the space clear
ed was as wide as Mr.. Hardy deemed
necessary for safety. y regular noise.
something between a hiss and a roar, was
plainly audible; and when the wind lifted
the smoke the flames could be seen run
ming along in an unbroken wall of fro.
Birds flew past overhead with terrified
cries. and IL close. hot smell of burning
was very plainly distinguishablc.
Starting about half way along the side
of the cleared piece of ground. Mr.. Har-
dy set the dry grass alight. For a mo-
ment or two it burned slowly. and then.
famed by the wind. it gained force, and
spread in Il seni-circle of fame.
The horses were already implicated,
and half of the party held them at a
short distance in the rear, while the rest
stood in readiness to %eXtinguish the fire
if it crossed the cleared space.
Over and over again the fire crept par
tally across-for the clearing had been
done hut roughly-but it was speedily
stamped out by the heavy boots of the
Watchers.
The spectacle as the fire swept away
before the wind. was fine in the extreme.
The party seemed incloscd between two
walls of fire. The main contiagration
was now fearfully close. burning flakes
were already failing among them, and
the sound of the fire was like the hiss of
the surf upon a pebbly beach.
Now" Mr.. Hardy said. forward ;.itl
the horses. Every one to his own ami
NAL. Put Your ponchos over your OWL
heads as well as your horses"
In another minute the party stood c!us-
tered upon the black ana smoking ground
which the fire they had kindlcd had
swept clear. There. for FIVE minutes. they
remained without moving. unscorched by
the raging element around them. but
half-choked with the smoke.
Then Mr.. Hardy spoke: "It is over
now. You can look up"
There was n general expression of as
constituent as the heads emerged from
their wrappers, and the eyes recovered
sufficiently from the effects of the blind
ing smoke to look round. Where had the
fire gone? Where, indeed! The main
confagration had swept by them, had
divided in two when it reached the
ground already burned. and these col
umns, growing further and further asun-
der as the newly kindled fire had widen
ed, were already far away to the right
,,l N..ek -,If1. l.-1.l .-Y kl~~,