The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-18

over to the north. The smoke was ron
ing up black and thick. He could see
an eating line Of red. The sun was
beginning to look like yellow haze
and the air was dense and heavy with
/ the odor of burned grass. s
II the wind should rise, - he NUT
tered, and just then a puff lifted the
broad brim Of his sombrero He gazed
nervously over the broad prairie be-
tween the fairgrounds and the ranch.
Il the wind veered a point or two, the
schoolhouse would certainly be in dan
and turned just in time to see the judge
hand Honor silver mounted whip and
pair Of gloves. She turned her head
| to look for Gerald's approval, and saw
the clouds of smoke rolling up viciously.
She brought the new whip down on the
TANKS OF Kentucky, and, quivering with
Uncle Dick and Gerald in two leaps.
1.-The Centennial schoolhouse!' she
gasped, pointing with her whip.
/ Until that moment the prairie FIRE,
80 common thing with plains. bred peo-
PIE, had a,1 not been noticed; In an in
screamed and called Gerald to lift her
off her horse. Mrs. Bridges, Gerald 8
sister. promptly tainted. and his mother
turned white. Gerald leaped from the
buggy and went, not to Miss Jefferson,
who was moaning Historically, but to
Honor. He laid his hand on the mares
neck.
!. MA" ms: + I take e her, Honor' Winona
Before he could touch her, Honor slid
to the ground. The saddle was torn
off, and mounting the quivering
creature, Gerald gave her cut with the
prize whip which Honor thrust into his
hand, and he was off over the hill to-
I'd fho al 1x,h hall
men on horseback
Just then Honor heard whinny, and
a cold nose was thrust against her
cheek. With a scream Of joy she throw
her arms around Cyclones neck. The
faithful little mustang had broken his
lariat rope and had followed his mis-
or tied 1t dle-fashion in the halter,
then slipping out Of the velvet riding
skirt and tearing off the long gauntlets
and. the plumed hat, she jumped on
Cyclone.
'"The short cut just below the fordl''
she painted, and away she flew.
Honor reached the schoolhouse first.
country, and his owner saved him not
), at all on that trip. The fire guard
around the schoolhouse was forty feet
wide, and the teacher, with the assist
ance of the pupils, had burned all the
grass inside the guard about the school
house, SO the pupils were all perfectly
safe.
With Hghtened heart, Honor asked
for Winona Bridges.
& She cried to 90 home SO I let her
; start about o'clock
"Idiot!' she blazed "To let little
city-bred, 6-year.old child go half
mile across a prairie by herself. Why,
,, she ism It tall enough to see above the
| ! b1,, ooto in ho fo1o - onI
, she dashed away.
/ At the Star Cross ranch only the
frightened housekeeper appeared Wi
mona had not come! Honor rushed into
, the house and grabbed handful of.
, matches, then out again, catching as
} airing on the porch. She dipped the
r blankets in the watering trough at the
| well as she ran by, then jumped on
Cyclone, throwing the dripping blankets
) over his withers, and was off again be-
fore Mrs. Smith could gather her wits
| sufficiently to ask what was the mat
1.-THE little mischief has gone down
, into that ravine where we found the
: baby rabbits, and if the wind changes
> one point more to the northwest we are
3 doomed,' was Honor 8 gloomy thought,
4 as she dug her heels into Cyclones
streaming sides and sped on into the
very jaws Of death;
, Sure enough, as she neared the bank
t of the ravine, she saw head Of damp,
r dark curls above pair Of sturdy little
: shoulders. Honor slid to the ground
and gathered the frightened waif in her
arms. 1t was too late to ride away
4 from the prairie fire. It was nearly
, upon them. Honor was fairly faint
human strength she pulled herself to-
{ gether for the awful emergency. She
| Struck Cyclone a singing blow.
600 home, if you can she said,
i with a sob, and the frightened mustan.
> fed before the flames that were naE
hot upon them all.
Honor struck some matches and threw
, them into the bottom of the ravlne.
Down over the hot embers, hands and
=, feet blistering, and the child in her
) arms screaming in pain, Honor crept,
s dragging the wet blankets with her.
The oncoming flames swept to the edge
of the rayine and hungrilyy, licked up
Honor 8 hair, and nearly cooked her
, face. She could barely keep the fran
, tic child under the wet blankets and
| could not save herself.
The roar and crack1e of the flames
died away toward the creek, and the
/ air cooled little, and then came I'M
: consciousness.
, Just at dusk, Gerald and his party
found them. Thru the gathering gloom,
the crying of the little child had guided
| them, at last to the right place, and
not bit too soon. The wet blanket
had saved Winona, but poor Honor!
Her bright curls were burned to,
, crisp. Her face was blistered and her
, eyes swollen shut, while her. clothes
hung in scorched shreds. She was
wandering q little in her mind, and
when Gerald gathered her in his strong
arms, she put her poor little. blistered
hands about his neck and said sorrow.
fully: off I had q mother, maybe
would be different
HThank Godl you are your own dear
!. self,'' Gerald replied, with grave ten
:. derness, as he drew her disfgured face
close to his loving lips.