The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1907-10-06

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The young men with and picks went up the
mountain to meet the fire. The smoke darkened and
shut out the air yet wind lifted it now and then
let the red shine of fire through the trees The
white ovals OF the bazes the trees looked dimly
out bark like the small faces OF dryads
begging them to make haste and reckoning them TO
the right path crashed past close that the
Prince, putting out a hand to ward him OF. touched
the hot bulk of his flank Then came porcupne
at stupid trot and scurry Of squirrels, and mice
and toads
Well stop here, guess spoke young from
the Valley to whom leadership had fallen by silent
agreement and with the word went crashing in
a long line while in another line dozen picks
tearing at the inhammable cedar mould. al
though as the leader knew and the suspected.
might we'll try to delay angry bull by the
cast of pebble.
1T seems" the leader drawled between his active
strokes, as II that fore-was more anxious-to meet
us-than we are-to meet it And they worked
faster.
All but the Prince. Among the clamor he had heard
faint call from the direction Of the flames Any
thing sounding like cry for help from that drec-
ton must be answered. He ran forward. listened,
heard it again and with shout turned from the trail
grove OF beech trees whose juicy young leaves
had welcomed the fire coldly than the crisp
balsam. He leaped over small dark brook, and the
voice cried out almost at his feet. He vaulted the
trunk PROSTATE tree and the white face of Hiram
Patno looked up at him from the ground.
You got to get crow bar" said the bell-boy. IF
twas Just my leg you chop off. but this is
dead-fai, this is. Chop one OF them young
The Prince held his flask to Hirams lips fitting it
until half of its contents gone.
Thank YOU said Hiram, quietly, then turned his
approaching brightness of the fire, but brightness
among the treetops, where the moonlight. calmly
shining through space which the smoke had not
filled washed the beech leaves with silver and made
their smooth branches white birches.
The Prince nervously struck at maple
Take your time" drawled Hiram noting the n
steady sound. 1t seemed to the Prince that it took
him as long to cut through the four-nch butt of the
sapling as it takes two men with bucksaw to level
threefoot tree, yet it done at last. He thrust
again. let it be deadfall enough. don't want
to die any messer than 1 have to-"
The Prince pried, and the weight lfted-put forth
strength and his crowbar bent and cracked but
before the log could fall back he had managed to
enforce it with his shoulder 1t cruel weight
eff YOU can hold on a minute more" painted up from
beside him. "I'U pull myself out.
AS some animal shot through the spine drags itself
feeby ahead for little Hiram, laying hold OF
roots digging his fingers deep into the needles pulled
himself by inches free of the tree Then the Prince
dropped his burden with groan Of exhaustion.
Il guess maybe, you'd better have the rest OF that
whiskey, said Hiram. but the wistfulness of mortal
pain was in his voice. The Prince held the flask to
the others lips until it was empty.
Making funnel of his hands in the direction of
dlsmay he noted the sound of the had stopped.
Their position had shifted, then, or there had been
some change of tactics. Trees were still crashing.
but the noise of them from the other direction,
where the fire was telling them.
When Hiram spoke again it was in voice already
changing and fading
.'That there brook leads to the Pughole" said he.
There's a boat. . . Better get there soon's we
can on both our accounts. You're a big chap and
ant-Guess I'd try to do the same by YOU
The wind that so far had been kindly keeping the
air clear for them it with sigh, like guar
dian spirit that had helped all it could and must now
let them do their best alone The beech leaves
that had wthstood the fire shriveled and
burning with the best of them.
The Prince lifted Hiram with what care was pos
sible and waded into the brook little brook
with it's many boulders, it's choking tange of brush,
and here and there ripping fall of three four
feet. Hirams stoicsm was unequal to the strain.
He cried out sharply, now and again, the Prince
stumbled
I'D a lot rather you'd knock me on the head" he
groaned, but suppose it's arguing that"
And again he said: Maybe the fire wouldn't be SO
bad-at least it would be different. o Lord. amt
there end to it,"
And among other mutterings: But can pay you
I do that all right which caused the Prince to
wonder, he fought with the slippery stones.
But at last they came out into quiet black pool,
whose further edge walled by fire. small boat
Prince cast into it hasty armful Of spruce boughs
and laid Hiram along the bottom, then bending his
padded out The rush of flames like great
WATERFALL but their light obscured by the great
white smoke from the green leaves. which lay on the
water like mist Through this he padded doubt
fully until he thought he had reached the middle of
the tiny lake then crouched down with his face in the
spruce boughs beside Hiram.
Il guess" said Hiram, speaking in the slow and
difficult manner of the dying wed better settle up
while we can" His hand found the Princes through
the sufocating obscurty and pressed into thick
o0ong package. That's something belongs to me-
Maybe there's some would say it didn't but guess
it did, all right That and more-they hadn't no
right. - He stopped with shudder that made
the boat tremble Il haven't time to go into 1t the
way I'd like" he resumed, YEARLY, but 1 guess you
needn't fear to use it it's the price .
OF whole lot Of things that never paid for.
You do what you like with it. -
The Prince had taken the package mechanically. but
when he realized by its size and shape what con-
tanned. he dropped it like something dangerous.
What have you been doing?" he shouted into the
dying
'Dong?" muttered Hiram. well didn't kill
anybody. Tell, he killed Gessler, | might
have too easy not but 1 didn't for l guess they
mostly didn't do it just for meanness the way Gessler
did But when it came to their starting this bank,
1 thought might well have what owing to
me-"
Did you set this fire." Numbered the Prince
Fires don't need settn' this weather" answered
Hiram, calmly. Il guess likely somebody smok-
ing in the woods AS to this money, now
it's quite lot guess-enough for you and your
girl. You done pretty well by me-
Turning his head gently to side he seemed to
watch the crumbing black and red Of the trees the
bank, but his contemplation of them fixed and
peaceful that the Prince bent with suspicion.