Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-11-19
A RACE WITH DEATH By JOLIET LA SALLE
Y M JUST plain. unadulterated
Copyright. i0oz. by Daily Story Pub. Col

| Copyright. 1904 by Daily Story Pub. Co.,,
 AJ I'M JUST plain, unadulterated l jdiot!"
 This announcement James Fairbairn confidently made to himself. Though uttered aloud 1t was necessarily to him. 1 self, for he was riding over a billowy 1 prairie, and besides himself and his | horse and saucy prairie dog that watched him nervously 50 feet away. there was no sign of life anywhere. l \ "Yes, an idiot!" he repeated, solemn Iy. 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 she lived with her father and mother on farm eight miles from the South Dakota village of 9Elburn. 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 l of smoke was spread over the horizon \ ahead of him, and its smell came faint ly down the breeze, which was waxing into something stronger than breeze. 1 The sun shone red as copper through 1 the thickness.
 "A prairie ire!'' he exclaimed, as he touched the spur to his horse. "And it , isn't far of, either"
 His horse sped along rapidly under repeated applications of the spur. Has I tiIy hitching his horse on reaching the i house, he ran up the walk and knocked at the front door. A sweet-faced girl i in charmingly work-a-day costume came, and when she saw who 1t was her face clouded
 "You!" was all she said, but he felt volume of contempt in that one word.
 s'Yes, it's me" he said, too hurried to be grammatical. 1T know I'm fool { for coming here, but just couldn't stay away. We have no time to quar- rel, though.si.A prairie fire is booming this way, and you must get out of I here!"
 i fI am able to take care of myself, i 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 am not going to risk it. When that fire gets into the slough 1 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 l 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 look. Great tongues of flame 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 a 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 l 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. It was locked. Another despairing look at the ap- preaching fire sent him to the door again In hurry He placed his broad shoulder against 1t and gave heave It shook, but held He tried again; the door fell in and he fell in over it. Miss Whitworth was not in sight. He ran through the rooms below. and not finding her there ran upstairs. Tn room on the second floor he found her, sitting in chair. She was crying. There is no time for talk,' ex- :laimed Fairbairn. "I'll 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 flat of his hand. The nag, already alarmed by the fire, started with leap and bolted down the road. She had gone but few feet when the girl, though with much difficulty. brought her around and came back. What are you going to dor" she asked.
 y"The best can. I'll be all right. For Gods sake, go! There is not mo- ment to spare!" He spoke the truth, Tor the fire was in the slough grass, coming for them at race-horse speed. and the wind blew hot in their faces. Sparks were beginning to fly. about them.
 Mot without you," she said, calmly.
 "But the horse cannot carry two!" he said, in an agony of impatience. "Please go! It is your only chance"
 Mot unless you come. too she in sisted. The horse shook with terror