Arizona republican., 1904-04-23

Suppose the fire WE travelling south and the line extending east and west two dragged east and two west fast receding from each other and every moment widening the black streak which marked the trail of the smother ed flames.
 While these four men were getting ready to do this work other cowboys wer sitting on their. horses near by. their faces lit up by the burning grass and chering their companions who were crossing the fire line to fight the main battle.
 These. however, who were idle had their work to do. Each held a rolled slicker in his right hand and when the breach was made in the fire line they divided their forces and followed the boys who were sweeping the flames in order to extinguish effectually any wnich might be left. Unextingushed spots were left sometimes by the plunge of scorched horse jerking the drag off the line of fire, or by it's strik- ing great bunch of hard turf and jumping over a- spot.
 The boys following with the rolled slickers leaned from the saddle and brushed these places out. and they did it so quickly after the drag left them that the blaze had no time to branch out into a formidable fire again. All of this work was done with the hors as running. almost at full speed
 If the fire had made much headway the line might be twenty miles or more. but many cowboys had struck it at other points and were doing the same as those described In the distance ahead of them they saw the line Of fire diminish and knew that others would meet them, and the chatter of their horses hoofs on the dry prairie soil was soon heard, and when they met their part of the work was finished.
 Horses ansmen were,hot, tired, thirs- ty, scorched and were not sorry that the battle was over. The fire under control. thousands of dollars was saved to the cattlemen in grass and cattle. Whole herds sometimes perished in a prairie fire. If the cattle were to the windward and the wind strong they were nearly certain to be destroyed un- less they could get to some ravine or creek, which was far away on the plains.
 When the strength of cattle failed they were overtaken and burned to death. If they had turned and met the fire, selected some weak spot where the grass was shorter and the flames not so fierce, and dashed through, many could have escaped: but they would run until they fell with exhaustion. and. unable to arise, the fire finished them.
 Very often cowboys that carry the drags had to hunt weak spots to cross or else there would be danger of horse and rider perishing in the effort to get through.
 Before the plan described was put in practice wagons loaded with water and tow sacks were run to a fire. and the boys had to dismount and fight the flames with wet sacks. They were sup piled with these by men galloping back and forth between the wagons and fire fighters. The dry, hot sacks were carried back as fast as wet ones were furnished
 The other plan was the best, being more rapid and efficient. Horses would get crippled and men burned at times especially when the wind was high those on the windward side being the most exposed. Some nave been known to stay in their saddles during a long run until the skin would peel from the side of the face that was next to the line of fire.