Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-11-30
A RACE
WITH DEATH
By JOLIET LA SALE
Copyright. 1904. by Daily Story Pub. Co..


JUST a plain, unadulterated
| idiot!'
This announcement James Fairbairn
confidently made to himself. Though
uttered aloud it was necessarily to him
self, for he was riding over a billowy
prairie, and besides himself and his
horse and a saucy prairie dog that
watched him nervously so feet away,
there was no sign of life anywhere.
Eyes, an idiot" he repeated, solemn
ly. Nobody but an idiot would ride
out to see her to-day, even if he did
know that she was alone, after she
had told him she did not want him to
come again"
"She" was Eunice Whitworth, and
che lived with her father and mother
on a farm eight miles from the South
Dakota village of Elburn.
AS he upbraided himself his horse
had without his notice taken a turn to
the. left of the road and was cropping
the long grass, Drowned by long sea-
son of drouth and hot suns. When he
noticed this he jerked the horses head
back to the road and then looked about
him.
"Whew!" he whistled. A thick bank
OF smoke was spread over the horizon
ahead of him, and it's smell came faint
ty down the breeze, which was waxing
into something stronger than breeze
The sun shone red as copper through
the thickness.
"a prairie fret" he exclaimed, as he
touched the spur to his horse. "And it
isn't far off, either"
His horse sped along rapidly under
repeated applications of the spur. Has
lilly hitching his horse on reaching the
house, he ran up the walk and knocked
at the front door. A sweet-faced girl
in charmingly work-a-day costume
came, and when she saw who it was
her face clouded.
''You!" was all she said, but he felt
a volume of contempt in that one word.
Eyes, it's me-" he said, too hurried
TO be grammatical. 81 know I'm a fool
for coming here, but I just couldn't
stay away. We have no time to quar-
rel. though. A prairie fire is booming
this way, and you must get out Of
nere!"
81 am able to take care of myself.
thank YOU" she said, resentful of his
tone; but she looked around the house
at the clouds of smoke that were
sweeping up before the wind.
Maybe, but I am not going to risk
1T. When that fire gets into the slough
It'll jump for this place like mad. and
you must come with me- Your horses
have taken fright long ago. and are too
far away to be caught" The girl could
see them galloping madly away, and
knew that he spoke the truth
Get whatever you want to take
along. and come" he commanded.
Fairbairn swore, and then stepped
TO the corner of the house and took a
look. Great tongues of fame were leap
ing toward the house hardly more than
mile away. The fire was coming with
amazing speed, licking up the long. dry
prairie grass eagerly. Half mile from
the house was the slough he had
spoken of. a dry lake bed where the tall
grass OF several seasons lay matted and
dry. Once in such fuel the fire would
soon reach the house. Fairbairn swore
again and knocked on the door. No an
'swer. He tried the door 1t was locked
Another despairing look at the an
preaching fire sent him to the door
again in hurry. He placed his broad
shoulder against it and gave a heave
It shook, but held He tried again =.
the door fell in and he fell in over II
Miss Whitworth was not in sight. He
Can through the rooms below. and NOT
dnding her there ran upstairs. In a
room on the second floor he found her
sitting in chair. She was CRYING
There is no time for. talk" ex-
claimed Fairbairn. "Tll explain after
wards" With that he took her in his
arms, in spite of a Slight struggle. He
ran down the stairs and out of the
door, and placing the girl on the horse
thrust the reins in her hands and hit
the horse blow on the haunch with
the nat of his hand. The nag. already
alarmed by the fire, started with lear
and bolted down the road She had
gone but few feet when the girl
though with much dificulty, brought
her around and came back.
What are you going to do?" she
asked.
THE best can. I'll Ae all right
For Gods sake. col There is not mo
snent to spare!- He spoke the truth