Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-01-12

grass VI ocNSidl SchSOhb lay ludtlSu ant
dry. Once in such fuel the fire would
soon reach the house Fairbairn swort
again and knocked on the door No an.
swer lie tried the door. 1t was locked
Another despairing look at the APP
preaching fire sent him to the door
again in a hurry. He placed his broad
shoulder against It 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 In a
room on the second floor he found her,
sitting in a chair. She was crying.
There is no time for talk" ex-
claimed Fairbairn. "I'll explain after
wards" With that he took her in his
arms, in spite Of 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 fat 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 do?" she
asked.
"The best can. I'll be all right
For Gods sake, go! There is not mo-
ment to spare!" He spoke the truth.
for 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!"
ne said, In an agony Of Impotence.
Please go! 1t is your only chance"
mot unless you come, too" she in
sisted. The horse shook with terror
and the girl kept her back with diff
guilty. you are wasting time"
"Never mind me, but go! Why are
you so obstinate?" he cried, hardly
knowing what he said.
Because L. Comet"
He turned the horses head down the
road and leaped up behind the girl.
Even with the double burden the lit
tie pony ran rapidly, but 1t went no
faster than the fire, which had been
gaining on them frightfully as they
taihed. 1t was more than halfway over
the slough, and the heat about them
was intense. The flying sparks set fire
to the grass in many places, and their
faces were often stung by the embers
that filed the air. The whole world
seemed ablaze.
On they fled, the smoke rolling about
them so they could scarcely see the
road ahead of them. The girl took one
look over her shoulder, then moaned
and buried her face in her hands.
eff you had only let me stay" he
said. She shook her head, but said
nothing. The horse was laboring
nightly, but the strain was terrific,
and her pace began to wane slightly
when they had gone about four miles.
river. 1t was small, but its high banks
and cool waters were Fairbanks goal
When he turned again from the main
road he mad only mile to CO. but the
horse was travelling painfully, and as
its pace grew less and its noble efforts
more feeble the fire slowly gained upon
them. Behind them, laughing with
glee, inexorably came the fire, shorten
ing the interval between 1t and its prey
steadily. Now 1t was barely 100 yards
behind, and when Fairbairn felt its hot
breath growing hotter he uttered a
prayer and dug his spurs deeper into
the poor pony's TANKS. The animal
gave a moan and struggled to respond.
For a moment its speed mended, and
Fairbairn almost began to feel hopeful.
Then it began to fail more than ever,
and he clutched the girl to him, almost
in despair.
Now the fire was so yards behind.
The horse was losing ground, and the
heat was becoming unbearable. Then
his heart leaped as row Of willows
showed family through the smoke
clouds ahead. The river was near and
once there they were safe. But not
yet. The horse stumbled and regained
its feet Stumbled, up again; stumbled,
up again; and then, still struggling
nightly against the weakness that was
finally overpowering Its poor frame, it
slowed up, sank to its knees, rolled
over and died.
Fairbairn was up in a second. The
girl had tainted. He grasped her In
his arms again, tossed her to his Shout
der and ran. Gods, how he ran! Ev-
cry muscle in his body was strained in
the last effort to reach the goal. But
faster came the fire. Now 1t was just
behind. Now 1t shot past far to the
right, as though it would head them
off in its fiendish cunning. It's roar
sounded a new alarm in Fairbanks
ears, and he summoned up every last
shred of strength for one final effort.
His tired muscles responded and he
shot on. But the fire was at his heels.
He felt his coat take fire, and then he
saw that the girls skirt was ablaze.
He put this fire out with his bare hand,
but the flames were all about him. The
smoke was sitting, and he could not
see his own length ahead. He could
not tell how far he was from the river,