The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-09-10
because The wind Is with ms Mn,

sioN became 2 rudy light.
Hawkins clearing is only a few
miles away" Murphy went on. keep.
ing his eye on the advancing light as
he spoke; we'll have TO make fol
that"
The teams were quickly hustled to-
gether. the snorting, rearing horses
backed into their shafts, while men
swore and women tainted, and the far.
away roaring came nearer.
Murphy waited until the last panic
stricken man was slowed into a vehi-
Gle, and the terrified horse dashed into
a run; then yaulting onto his baiks
little cayuse, he dashed back TO the
bend to gauge the time between Haw.
kins' and destruction. The wind, now
due north and rising with the advance
ing night. was whirling f~irebrands into
the canyon. God" the man breathed,
deeply, God Almighty" but the tones
were not irreyerent. Its all right,
boys" he called when he again over
took the fleeing party. Don't hurry,
the amt 10 danger t ALL" But reach.
ing the side Of the foremost driver he
leaned out of his saddle to say into his
ear, Run 'em. Dick; run 'em for all
you're worth"
The flames now reached the bend,
leaped from tree to tree, catching the
giant pines and finging its flames
aiott, cracking, roaring, kissing, surg
ing. Now a towering mast crashed IN
to the canyon. Murphy saw it, A mo-
menl its light was lost in the black
depths below, A moment only. Sparks
flew upward and outward as twtgs
along the side ignited, resinous
branches fed the flame, and fierce,
torked little tongues OF fire licked out
and dashed the rising trunks.
The moon that, like a pillar of fire
by night, had been guiding their
flight, was soon lost in the rolling
clouds of smoke. Hawkins clearing,
Murphy knew, was on the river, but il
this murky chaos, where?
Keep it up, boys. You're winners.
We're almost there" He spurred his
horse to shout, You're almost there;
keep it up."
Has the fire reached the canyon?"
the cruiser called, feeling the heat
increasing.
No, ye fool, its miles from it. Ye
amt skeered, are ye?" Murphy tainted
in disgust at his want of consideration
for the women.
The horses, maddened by the instinct
Of the wild, wheeled and plunged at
every crash, while Murphy pulled
alongside and cut them into blind fury.
The roar was too loud for the occu-
pants Of the wagons to hear his reas-
Don't git %skeered,' but his
commanding tones kept them at least
from jumping out. Impeded by fallen
tree-trunks, tangles of deer-brush and
.ohaparral, their progress was slow.
Ashes rained thick upon their I'M
heads as fresher gusts of wind
arose, Ringing tirebrands after them,
while every soul cried God Almighty"
and every heart beat "Hawkins!" No
body swore now, and nobody tainted.
pinched faces stared vacantly
them, or hid their eyes from the
horror of it all.
Hold EN-! Don't jump, blame you!"
cared Murphy; "cut EN-! Hold 'em!"
And his tones, ringing out of the dark
less, still firm, still commanding, still
'~easSuring, fell like the voice of a de-
angel. Then, almost like an
'ther comet, a black figure whizzed
)aSt them. and again the iirebrand,
rarely lodged, was hurled through the
Iir and stamped out, and again the
rantiC horses were dashed forward.
-ashed until the whip fell from the
and blistered hands that held
t. But the voice still rang the as
uring Here We are right at Hawkins.
.ust a few more steps" And the
'anic-stricken people were too dazed
o wonder that half an hour later 1t
vas still Gust a few more steps, in
he same cheerful, encouraging tones.
'ut the sitting heart between breaths
Jumped God, we're LOST"
Still the blind leading the blind
ushed madly on anywhere, for no one
bought Of questioning MuTphy's gem
Gradually, however, the jolts and jars
eemed to grow fewer. and looking up
a rift in the clouds of smoke
nd ashes, the sky seemed open.
Here we are at Hawkins" Van /
Lorn shouted. Are we really there?''
lie cruiser shouted to their deliyerer. ,
Hanged if know" Murphy ,
foaned, inwardly; but to the "cruls-
:" shouted back, "Course, whar dye ,
link we've been headin' fer?" ,
His right arm, he noticed, didn't i,
'em to work, but all the time he was ;
citing so easy and comfortable as the /
lmbness grew upon him, that he :
d not care what happened. At least /
. thought he didn't care until he :
,ened his eyes and saw Juliet tearing =
, her classic draperies in order to ,
his arm. Others seemed to .
bothering around, too, saying things. =
he dead?' he heard them ask, =
ID felt big tears falling IN his face. =
considering how much ~pleasanter :
was to lie with his head on Louis 4,
with LOUIS arms around him and =
)u'S tears falling or his face, Murphy !.
opal dad M Nyhnp thn na1I 1s,n y"