The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1909-02-02
D0LLIE'S PARACHUTE.
y y y y
BY HARRY LONG.

AheIS WAS little town there, the
beginning of one of those wonderful
western transformation scenes
where the wilderness becomes a city
as by the stroke of wand.
The lake was a beautiful thing to
/ look upon; its shores were bold and
abrupt, In some places rocky, and
more like precipice than the banks
OF a peaceful sheet of water; on the
side opposite the town, from which
point l desired to make my sketch,
rank, dense growth OF forest ex-
tended to the very verge Of the lake,
forming a sharp contrast to the
scantily-wooded, fiat prairie that
stretched far away behind 1t, and on
every side, leaving the lake, and the
narrow belt of forest encircling it,
like an oasis in the desert.
1t was a long ride around to the
point had in view, but finally 1 ar
rived there, and with a sigh of salts
faction l tied Fleet to a tree, and
settled myself to the pleasant task
OF transferring to paper, as best l
might, some faint likeness of the
beautiful scenery.
was an artist, not only by nature
but by profession, and | had come
from my far-away home not only to
visit my sister and her husband, but
to carry back with me materials for
an ambitious landscape painting that
was to appear on the walls of the
Academy of Fine Arts
In a fit of laziness, induced by the
oppressive heat, 1 had put off nv
work until now, and found myself
nearing the end of my visit without
having taken one step toward the
chief object of my journey.
Now, therefore, finding myself at
last on the spot 1 had selected for
my grand sketch, l fell to work in
all eagerness, absorbed utterly, as
was my wont, so that / soon became
obvious or everything, save my task.
forgot poor, patient Fleet, wait
Ing for his dinner; forgot my own
lunch; 1 forgot that the hours were
creeping on-until at last 1 returned
to earth sufficiently to rail at the
heavy fog, which had latterly been
settling down over the lake, obscur-
ing my view.
Next l became alive to the fact that
fleet, my favorite horse and my net.
was snorting loudly and paving the
ground in way that plainly indi-
Gated something amiss with him.
We'll, it is time to start for home. "
thought ], as rose and stretched my
cramped limbs. "The fog is shutting
out the view. Phew some one is
burning brushwood hereatouts: my
nose shifts it, my eyes water at it,"
turned my eyes away from the
lake, and good heavensl fog. brush
wood-neither of these harmless
things was it that had gradually
darkened the atmosphere, and was
causing my eyes and nose to sting
and smart. No wonder that poor
Fleet snorted and paved the ground,
wild with Impotence and fear.
The forest was on fire-on fire I'm
the most alarming sense of the word .
1t was not slow, languishing fire.
creeping along the ground at a mod
crate rate, but fierce, roaring army
of fiery demons, leaping and dancing.
ana rushing onward with almost
A'SHeiih6 opCCu.
l shall never forget the feeling OF
utter horror and despair that over
whelmed me, as the imminent danger
or my position was thus suddenly re-
vealed to me. l actually believe the
hairs on my head rose up and stood
on end; certainly they felt as If they
dld, in the first shock Of surprise.
But that was over in moment
and, collecting my scattered senses,
l took in tho whole situation at one
rapid glance.
In front OF me bold, PERCEPTIONS
bank. totally impossible on account
or the dense underground, even II il
had not been so steep; the glistenipg
waters of the lake far below: to the
right, to the left, behind me, one I'M
broken semi-circle of hame-nerce
cracking, roaring -leaping over the
dry, parched underbrush. with n
speed hat even my heet-footed
Arabian could not hope to equal
And If he could, what would Il mat
ter, since the fierce flames imprisoned
me on three sides, and precipice on
the fourth?
with a sinking heart 7 strained my
eyes to discover some loophole OF es-
cape, some break in the advancing
wall of fire; and an ejaculation of
Thanksgiving burst from my parched
lips, as, far away OIL the left. I saw
a little, dark spot in the line of flame.
ana remembered that just there a
beautiful spring dubbed up I'm the
middle Of the forest. making pool
small and shallow, yet all-suncient Co
preserve my life. could / reach it be.
fore the army OF fiery demons should
flank It. and stretch am impassabls
barrier between me and this. my ono
hope OF safety
In one second I was on NV horses
back, and fleeing at O breakneck pace
toward that blessed spot OF refuge
an oasis. verify. I'm that desert of fire
IL was fully half n mile distant. and
though my feet-footed animal. seem.
ingly imbued with full knowledge of
all that depended on his speed. few
over the ground as even he had never
done before, ! soon saw that the race
was a desperate one, well-nigh hone.
less
The hungry cutlery and roar of
the flames, as they leaped and danced
and waltzed among the dry brush
and trees-yet ever dashed forward
ON their irresistible course mad.
n