The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-05-13
The House Of the Black
J, ! ! ~. Ring e@.,ss.... 90.

4 Cun trust yOu, Rose. 1OuVe never
deceived me yet. It's coming out glo'
riously-gloriously. Karris a good Eel.
low, Rose, and he'll make o happy
And Rose went to her room and sal
long at the window in the fragrant
night, looking over at the fires which
like long, Shapeless monsters, were
crawling up the mountains. II was
Fate after all. One must obey the
great laws Of life, and the greatest OF
all is that which makes us what we
are. n fixes forever u metes and
bounds before ever we nave found our
selves. or know aught of life's mean
ing.
on Monday morning the smoke was
thicker than ever. The Squire had
business at Sinking Springs that would
engage him until late In the night, and
fast, held always in the Hartswick
home in the morning twilight, he had
said to Rose: M&...
II don't like the way that smokes
coming. 1t looks to me jest as IL the
fire might be working over toward the
Brown lot on the third mountain. ]
wish Amos didn't have to go with me.
I'd send him over"
But I can do just exactly as much
good as Amos can. I'll hitch uD Pomp
after dinner and run over. II It's get
ting dangerous, I a raise a fire gang
just as quick's a man could"
"All right; but don't go too near,
Rose. It's awful dry, n irell run
like the very mischief"
Now, don't worry about me, Pap.
Nothing's ever caught me yet" She
laughed up at him In her old girlish
way.
sure enough, Rosie, and there
won't; I'll bet on you against all Of
'em. Ho. no, ho!" He chucked her
under the chin, laughing nightly.
But look out for the fire, Dot. Don't
60 to running any risks. Them narrow
valleys are awfully dangerous. Well,
goodbye, Dot. Look out for yourself"
At / o'clock, therefore, Rose was
driving with Pomp along the second
pike. All the morning 1t had been suf-
focatingly warm. The sun had poured
down on the cover OF smoke as on q
tin roof, and the dense blanket had
seemed to retain all that 1t received.
Before noon there had not been a
breath of air; now, however, a little
breeze was springing UP, though at first
1t seemed only to increase the heat.
To Rose the experience was not new.
Every spring since she could remem-
Der, fires a swept here and there
among the valleys n ridges and there
had always been a week or two of
smoke. Often a fire, driven by fierce
w IttuS uOWh oOIlS uliliC VI NdlACg
filled with a rhododendron snarl, and
the dry ~wreckage Of the lumbermen,
sweeps with terrific heat over miles
n miles, licking up every trace or or
ganic matter and leaving behind II
only blackened rocks and sterile stone
powder. from which nothing ave the
bird cherry and the blackberry a
ever spring. :
BY 2 o'clock Rose was beyond the
second range, in the chaotic valley
known as Black Log Run. Here at
length she left the road, which had
become little better than a trail, and
struck into a wood road that some
years before had been worn smooth by
the lumbermen. This branch valley
was Cherry creek. Three miles further
on In a side spur from this valley lay
the Brown lot, a magnificent bunch OF
pines which the squire had kept thus
for from the axe. The fire, as Rose
judged from the drift Of the smoke,
was some distance to the right In the
second valley parallel to the n h
was in: II the wind, which was rap
idly increasing, did not shift, there
seemed to be little danger to her ia
theirs lot. 1t was hard, however, in
the thick smoke to Judge accurately.
1t was a wild, lonesome region that
she was traversing, n seldom visited
save by the trout fisherman In the
spring. The ridge-sides on either hand
were steep and chaotic, mere Jagged
heaps of sandstone litter, and the val
ley bottom, scarce a hundred rods wide
in places, was snarled full of the skel-
eton tops of bid trees and of down logs
"a dreary of ruin which a great
jungle of rhododendroin was doing its
best to conceal. The valley stream,
still full from the melting snow, nosed
It's way bewilderedly down through the
tangle and in places overlooked the
crooked little trail. Rose, however,
kept on.
Two miles further UP the valley a
man doomed suddenly out OF the an
gle. He was right by the horses head
before she saw him. It startled her;
there is 10 telling what wild charac-
tiers one may find In these remote val
leys. A second glance, however. showed
her young Jim Farthing.
why, is this your" he blurted out
In q startled voice.
Yes. I'm up to see IL the Brown
lot is in danger" she replied in BUSH
ness tone DO you know how the fire
is running"
why, yes; and It's bad" He had
come forward and was leaning " the
front wheel. 4 was up on the ridge
as If the fire was striking right for this
valley. The winds getting higher
every minute. l think therein be a
thunder ~ust."
IF it gets in here. will it go on to
the Brown lott"
Cant help it," he answered POSI-
lively.
Then I must drive right back and
scare up a gang" She Strengthened
up briskly.
And 1 think you can't get out OF
here any too quick. It's really danger
Gus here. II the fire Is driven over the
ridge down there by Black Log, II will
sweep this valley like a hurricane right
up through here. You could climb over
the ridge, but the horse couldn't. I'll
turn you right round. You mustn't
lose a single minute" He took the horse
by the bit and turned him almost
roughly.
There, run him out Just as fast as
you possibly can. Don't lose a second"
She looked at him half incredulously.
She was not easily scared; his nervous
solicitude appealed to her almost hui
morously.
But really. Miss Hartswick, there's
danger. If I'm any Judge at all, the
fires liable to get into the valley here
any minute. The winds getting higher
oil thn ffnna % Gha fall laAA 5rs,vg.~ N