Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-05-14
The House Of the Black
szs ! ,.s.. Ring Copyright. 1905

1 can trust you, Rose. You've never
deceived me yet. It's coming o glo-
riously-gloriously. Karls a good fell
low, Rose, and he'll make you happy.
And Rose went to her room and sat
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. and fixes forever our metes and
bounds before ever we have 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
Amos was going with him. At break
fast, held always I'm the Hartswick
home I'm the morning twilight, he had
said to Rose:
i don't like the way that smokes
coming. II looks to me jest as IL the
fire might be working over toward the
Brown lot on the third mountain. /
wish Amos dldn't have TO go with me.
I'd SEND him over"
But / can do Just exactly as much
good as Amos can. IN hitch up Pomp
after dinner and run over. III it's get
ting dangerous, / "a raise n fire gang
just as quick's a mar could"
"All right; but dom go too near,
Rose. It's awful dry, and ire'll run
like the very mischief"
Nov, 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, hoi" He chucked her
under the chin. laughing nightly.
! but look out for the fire, Dot. Don't
go 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 moor there had not been a
breath of air; now. however, q little
breeze was springing up, though at first
IL seemed only to increase the heat.
To Rose the experience was not new.
Every spring since she could remem-
Der, fires had swept here n there
among the valleys and ridges and there
had always been a week or two OF
smoke Often a fire, driven by fierce
winds down some funnel of a valley
filled with a rhododendron snarl, II
the dry wreckage OF the lumbermen,
sweeps with terrific heat over miles
and miles, licking up every trace OF or
ganic matter and leaving behind 1t
only blackened rocks n sterile stone
powder, from which nothing save the
bird cherry and the blackberry IA
ever spring.
~ - a. y - ~.,-- AN-r,ns kAA
second range, In the chaotic valley
known as Black Log Run. Here at
length she left the road, which had
become little better than n trail, and
struck into a wood road that some
a before n 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
valley parallel TO the one she
was In: IL the wind, which was rap
idly increasing, did not shift, there
seemed to be little danger to her ia
theirs lot. II was hard, however, In
the thick smoke to Judge accurately.
1t was a wild. lonesome region that
she was traversing, one seldom visited
save by the trout fisherman In the
spring. The ridge-sides On either IA
were steep and chaotic. mere Jagged
heaps OF sandstone litter, and the wall
ley bottom, scarce a hundre rods wide
In places, was snarled full of the skel-
eton tops of old trees and of Town logs
Ia dreary mass OF ruin which a great
jungle OF rhododendroin "a doing it's
best to conceal. The valley stream,
still full from the melting snow, nosed
it's way bewilderedly down through the
tangle and in places overfiowed the
crooked little trail. Rose, however,
kept on.
Two miles further UP the valley a
man doomed suddenly IL OF the tan
gle. He was right by the horses head
before she saw him. 1t startled her;
there is no telling what Wild charac-
tiers one may find In these remote val
legs. A second glance, however, showed
her young Jim Farthing.
why, Is this you?" he blurted out
In a startled voice.
Yes. I'm up TO see IL the Brown
lot In In danger" she replied In busi-
ness tone. DO you know how the fire
is running?
why. yes; and it's bad" He had
come forward and was leaning over the
front wheel. Il was up on the ridge
only a minute & and II looked TO me
as III the nTt was CtIlkilS IiSUL lOI lilc
valley. The winds getting higher
every minute. I think therell be a
thunder ~ust."
IF 1t gets in here, will it go on to
the Brown lot"
Cant help IT, he answered posi-
lively.
Then I must drive right back and
scare up a gang" She Strengthened
up briskiy.
And / think you can't get out OF
here any too quick. It's really danger
Gus here. III the fire is driven over the
ridge down there by Black Log. 1t 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 rs fast as
you possibly can. Don't lose a second"
She looked at him half i~ncredulously.
She was not easily scared; his ervou
solicitude appealed TO her almost hui
morously.
'But really, Miss Hartswick. there's
danger. II I'm any judge at all. the
fires liable to get into the valley here
any minute. The winds getting higher
all the time" She fell into driving at
titude instantly and shook out the
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