Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-04-06

sounds made by the dinerent inhabi-
tants of the forest, announced its ar
rival.
The large animals came crashing
through the forest, guided evidently
by custom or instinct to this place of
| safety, there being no light to show
them the way Meanwhile the smaller
animals often scrambled over us, and
Occasionally singed owl or partridge
luttered down beside us on the bank
of the stream. 1
| The animals acted as heralds of the !
fire: and quickly the western sky, so |
lately ink-b.ack, turned to dull, dark |
orange and then to red. Now we could |
seq the animals all round us in the
water. each making the strange sound |
common to it, the carbon and moose
uttering low means, while the bears
growlcd and snarled at each other
and at the other animals. In the eyes
of all was the same terror felt by oue
salve3.
Evidently our foe was steadily adj
vsncing. BY this time the heat was
SO intenee that VIC we're obliged to
take to the water, an example already
set us by our dumb animal compan-
ions. We sat on the bottom of the
river with only our heads above
stream. We had soaked our wooden
coats and had them in readiness to
fling over our heads and prevent suf-
location when the worst came.
All of sudden the fire burst upon
us. shall always remember the SOL
emn moment when that lawful sea Of
fame. over one hundred feet high,
minute those giant spruces. 1 can still
hear the groans and shrieks of the
!. animals near us, the crashing of the
falling trees and the hideous roar of
! the fire. can still see that terrible
wall Of flame sweep across the river
and pillow its way on toward the east.
The heat was SO intense that the
coats over cur heads several times
{ caught fire, and the surface tempera-
Z, ture of the water rose from that of a
cool stream to lukewarm.
p For several hours the fire ragged
b furiously round us, and many times I
b thought either JACKIE or would suf-
focate. Jacko scarcely spoke, but
a when he did speak his words were
il most encouraging. His stoical forth
d tude was indeed remarkable. and was
q more than sustaining at such mo-
o ment.
Is At last, when we thought we could
e, hold cut no longer. above the terrible
cracking of the fire and the thuds of
k. falling trees we heard the distant roar
IN of thunder. Rain was soon pouring
in in torrents on every side.
i'd All night long it rained. and b,
IT. morning the fire was sufficient!
ed qnencned to allow us to return towart
or had gone before dawn, their terror o
ed man returning when the greater dan
KY ger was Fast.
ar In our backward trip through tn
CHI blackened rampicks, still smolderin
x. and steaming in many places,-,al
that remained CT the splendid fores
as through which we had passed the da
in before,-at wide intervals we cam
In across singed or partly burned cal
ur cases of different animals and birds
ICE which had been unable to reach
IA. place of safety. These were particl
lid larly common in the muskeg which
ed saw the previous day.
XIV When we reached our camp on tn
tn. West River Itzka was overcome wit
in delight, and embraced his companio
to in fervent manner, quite unusual
d." the red man. He had fully made u
led his mind that we must have perishe
ell and ls4EyVdy preparing ~ bes
;;6t the tragic news 81 our ia9e TO tt
.hs nearest Hudson Bay post.
He, too, had had a terrible exper
m ence. and, forced to bear 1t alone, ha
,,a doubtless felt it more. The West Rive
Ifs. however, is SO much larger than tt
nd Kattawagami that he had suffprc
ON less from the heat; and having SUI
NV our canoe and supplies in the rive
cal he, too, had escaped in safety.
the In spite of the width Of the rive
however-at our camp more tn;
me three hundred yards,-the fire hi
nor jumped it, and continued its territ
he. path of destruction still farther ca
,ke We afterward learned that this fl
1ur. one OF the worst ever known in
,trv north country, had started more tn
est one hundred miles to the west of
ard ana rapiais gaming heaa"ay, hao
for vanced, a mass of flame nearly tw
ty-flve miles wide, till its awful coul
v was stopped by the storm of r;
Nv. which brought us such welcome rel
cko Youths Companion.