The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1904-09-24

neaf0 IN the distance, and the IAN
glow became q rudy light.
Hawkins clearing is only few
miles away Murphy went on, keep
ing his eye on the advancing light a.
| he spoke; well have to make 70
| that"
| The teams We're quickly hustled to
gether, the snorting, rearing horse!
backed into their shafts, while mel
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 int
| a run; then Vaulting onto his balky
little cayuse, he dashed back to ths
| bend to gauge the time between Haw'
klns' and destruction. The wind, now
| due north and rising with the advanc-
ing night, was Whirling frebrands into
the canyon. God" the man breathed
deeply, God A'Mighty!' but the tones
were not irreverent. It's all right
| boys he called when he again over.
| took the fleeing party. Don't hurry
| the Amt no danger t all" But reach
| ing the side Of the foremost driver he
leaned out OF his saddle to say into his
ear, Run EN-, Dick; run EN- for all
you're worth
Ine flames now reached the bend.
leaped from tree to tree. catching the
giant pines and f1inging its flames
aloft, cracking, roaring, kissing, surg
ing. Now towering mast crashed in
to the canyon. Murphy saw it. A mo-
ment its light was lost in the black
depths below. A moment only. Sparks
flew upward and outward as tWigs
along the side ignited, resinous
branches fed the fame, and fierce,
forked little tongues of fire licked out
and dashed the rising trunks.
The moon that, like pillar Of fire
by night, had been guiding their
fight. was soon lost in the rolling
clouds Of smoke. Hawkins clearing,
Murphy knew, was on the river, but in
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, we fool, its miles from it. We
amt skeered, are ye?" Murphy tainted
in disgust at his want of consideration
for the women.
The horses maddened by the instinct
of tho wild wi, 80
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-
suring 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
ehaparral, their progress was slow.
Ashes rained thick upon their un-
covered heads as fresher gusts of wind
arose, f1inging frebrands after them.
while every soul cried God Almighty!'
and every heart beat "Hawkins!', No
body sWore now, and nobody tainted.
White, pinched faces stared yacantly
before them, or hid their eyes from the
horror Of it all.
Hold EN-! Don't jump, blame you."
roared Murphy; "cut 'em! Hold 'em!"
And his tones, ringing out Of the dark
ness, still firm, still commanding, still
reassuring, fell like the voice Of de-
liVering angel. Then, almost like an
other comet, a black figure whizzed
past them, and again the frebrand,
barely lodged, was hurled through the
air and stamped out, and again the |
frantic horses were Iashed forward, !
Lashed until the whip fell from the
burned and hlistered hands that held |!
it. But the voice still rang the as |
sur1ng Here we are right at Hawkins. |
just a few more steps, And the |
panic-stricken people We're too dazed
to wonder that half an hour later it |
was still "just a few more steps, in
the same cheerful, encouraging tones.
But the sitting heart between breaths
pumped God, we're lost,''
Still the blind leading the blind
rushed madly On anywhere. for no one
thought Of questioning Murphy's gen
Gradually, however, the jolts and jars
seemed to grow fewer, and looking up
through a rift in the clouds of smoke
md ashes, the sky seemed open.
Here We are at Hawkins'i" Van
Horn shouted. "Are we really there?,,
he cruiser shouted to their deliyerer.
Hanged if know!a Murphy
inwardly; but to the acruis-
r. shouted back, Course, whar dye
hink We've been headin' fer?"
His right arm, he noticed, didn't
eem to work, but all the time he was
Getting SO easy and comfortable as the
lumbness grew upon him, that he
lid not care what happened At least
le thought he didn't care until he
'pened his eyes and saw Juliet tearing
Up her classic drapeFies in order to
'andage his arm. Other seemed to
Re bothering around. too, saying things.
Is he dead?" he heard them ask,
nd felt big tears falling on his face.
10, considering how much pleasanter
was to lie with his head OF Louis
ap, with Louis arms around him and
.ou's tears falling on his face, Murphy
tayed dead. But when the cold lips
T the erstWhile tragedy queen bent
own and kissed his freekled forehead.
ne time seemed ripe for him to re-
i've. And when be looked up into
he smoke-begrimm face above him.
nd saw that it. too, was scratched ana
leeding, he forgot his own disabilI-
nG Rllf Il 4..e.-.-z-. [