Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-09-14
! THE MASTER OF APPLEbY|
By Fr.nci. Lynds.


through the binding blue haze of it
saw the Indians running up with green
branches to beat it down lest IL should
spoil their sport oNersoon Sy silloth-
ering us out of hand.
With the chance to gasp ana breathe
again, would have confessed in full 10
Richard Jennifer and had Kim shrive
me if he would But when l called. he
did not answer. His head Was rolling
from side to side, and his handsome
young face was all drawn and distorted
as in the awful grimaces OF the aeath
throe.
You will not wonder that l could not
look at him; that 1 looked away for
Very PHYS sake, praying that ! might
quickly breathe the flames, us | made
sure he had, and so be the sooner past
the anguish crisis.
There was good hope that the prayer
would have Il speedy answer. The fires
We're burning clearer now. ieaplns up IN
broad dragons tongues OF iiaIne from
the outer edges of the fagot piles to
curtain off all that lay beyond. Through
the luminous tlameNell the vaperinS
savages took on shapes the most weird
and srotesuue; and when had a
glimpse of the dead mems row, each
hideouS face in it seemed TO Wear d
grin of leering triumph.
Thus far there had been never puff
of wind to fan the breeze. l'iit now
above the shrilling of the lnG!an chant
and the cracking of the flames a low
growl of thunder trembled in the upper
air, and a gentle breeze swept through
the tree tops.
So now | would commend my soul to
| God. making sure that the breath He
gave would go out on the wings of the
first gust that should come TO drive the
fiery veil inward. Hut when the gust
came it was from behind, sweep
| ing bosom to beat down the
leaping dragons tongues: a pouring
/ flood of blessed GOODNESS TO turn the
ebbing life tide and to set the Quilted
senses once mere keenly alert.
With the wind came the rain. a pass
ing summer nights shower of grcat
! drops scattering on the leaves above
1 and dripping thence to fan hissin, in
the fires. Then the thundcr gruwled
! again: and into the monotonuus drom-
/ ing of the Indian chant. or rather MS
| ing sharp aud clear above it, came a
! sudden rafting fire of muskciry from
/ the camp in the savanna thus, and the
/ sharp skirling of the troop captain S
! whistle silrilling the assembly
/ While yet the flames lay llattened in
the wind 1 SAW the Indians wheel and
bound away to the rescue of their camp
like pack of hounds in fl! cry. In
a trice they We're wuiowing through
1 the stream at the foot OF the powder
| boulder: and then, as the flames ieared
up again, a dark form burst through
the fiery barrier, my bonds We're cut
/ and strong hand plucked me out Of
| the Scorching hell pit.
| If did aught to help it WAS all me-
chanic;ll. l do remember dimiy some
fierce struggle to free my legs from the
| blazing tan;sic: this. and the swelling
4 sob OF JOY at the sight OF the faithful
| G'atawba hacking at Dick asiings
aud dragging him also free OF The fire.
| And you may believe the Welcome tears,
came to ease the pain of my scared
I eyes when MY poor lad had thought
| him gone past human help took two
staggering steps and hung his arms
about my neck.
C:icanoola gave Us 40 time to come
by easy stages To fullwit sanity in a
twnklin.. he ..ad puunccd upon us Ia
crush us one upon the other behind Tho
larger tree. And now ] come upon am
o.her of those hitting nstan;s s.
/ crowded with happenings that III.
swiftest pen must seem to make then
! lag. Twas all in q heart best. as Il
we're; the Catawba $ freeing OF us, his
flinging us to earth behind the tree; q
squirt of binding yellow fame from tho
foot of the powder cliff, and a booming
4 jalring shock like that of an earth
quake.
/ The momentary glare of the yellow
flash lit up a scene most inspiring
I! The spouting fountain of fire at tie
base of the grea, powder rock was
thick with nNing missiles. and on high
/ the very cliff itself Was totterin., and
crumbiing. So much SAW, then III.
CatawI,a sprailg up tn hlut us aioot b.
main strength. and 20 rush MS, With an
arm for each, heaGipng through tbs
wood toward the valley heed.
But Dick hung back, AID when tbs
/ dull thunder of the Eating rocks, tbs
crash of the tumbing c!iif and Tho sl1lii
death Wells of the doomed ones came t.
our ears, he fought loose from The n
dian and flung himself down. crying as
if his heart would break.
20 God. she's lost, she's lost,-and
have missed the chance to die With hel
or for herr,