The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-05-13

= 49, ANAS ycNe Aso1's AS0 wv
deceived me yet. It's coming out glo-
riously-gloriously. Karls n 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. 1t was
Fate after all. One must obey the
great laws of life. and the greatest OF
all Is that which makes us h we
are. M fixes forever our metes and
bounds before ever we have found our
selves. or now aught of life's mean
ing.
On Monday morning the smoke was
thicker than ever. h Squire had
business at Sinking Springs that would
Amos was going with him. AT break
fast, held always in the Hartswick
home in the morning twilight. he had
said to Rose:
II don't like the way that smokes
coming. 1t ooks to mo Jest as II the
fire might be working over toward the
Brown lot on the third mountain. I
wish Amos didn't have to go with me.
I'd send him over"
But l can do just exactly as much
good as Amos al I'll hitch I'D Pomp
after Dime and run over. II it's get
ting dangerous. I can raise a fire gang
just as quick's a man could"
IAN right; but don't go too near,
Rose. It's awful dry. and fre'l 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
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 I o'clock. therefore. Rose was
pike. All the morning It had been sur
focatingly warm. The sun had poured
down on the cover of smoke as on a
tin roof. and the dense blanket had
seemed to retain all that 1t received.
breath of air; now, however, a little
breeze was s%pringing 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 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 q valley
filled with a rh~ododendron snarl. and
the dry wreckage OF the lumbermen,
sweeps with terrific heat over miles
anu IIlllGS, llChlll8 up cSSly lIdC0 Ok I
ganic matter n leaving behind It
only %blackened rocks and sterile stone
powder. from which nothing save the
bird cherry and the blackberry car
ever spring.
BY 2 O'Clock Rose was beyond the
known as Black Log Run. Here at
length h left the road. which had
become little better than q trail. and
struck into a rood DAD hat some
81 -.--- -.
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 < The fire. as Rose
was some distance to the right in the
second valley parallel to the one she
was in: II the wind. which vas rap
idly increasing. did not shift. there
seemed to be little danger to her ia
theirs lot. It was hard. however. in
the thick smoke to Judge accurately.
It was a wild, lonesome region that
she was traverstng. n seldom visited
save by the trout fisherman in the
spring. The ridge-sides on either hand
were steep n chaotic, mere jagged
heaps of sandstone litter, and the val
in places. was snarled full OF the skel-
eton tops of old trees and OF down logs
"a dreary mass Of u which a great
jungle Of rhododendroin was doing its
best to conceal. The valley stream.
still full from the melting snow, nosed
its way bewilderedly down through the
tangle and in places overlooked the
crooked little trail. Rose. however.
kept on.
man doomed suddenly out of the tan
gle. He was right by the horses head
before h saw him. It startled her;
there Is no telling what wild charac-
ters one may find in these remote val
legs. A second glance. however. showed
her young Jim Farthing.
why. Is this your" he blurted out
in a startled voice.
Yes. I'm up to see If the Brown
lot Is In danger" h replied in bust
ness n DO you nov how the fire
Is running?"
why. yes; n It's bad" He had
come forward and was leaning over the
front wheel. II was up on the ridge
only a minute ago. n 1t looked to me
as II the fire was striking right for this
valley. The winds getting higher
thunder ~ust."
III it gets in here. will it go on to
the Brown lot?"
Cant help It," ne answered posi-
lively.
Then I must drive right back and
scare up q gang" She Strengthened
up briskly.
And I think you cam get out of
here any too quick. It's really danger
Gus here. II the fire 10 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 as fast ,as
you possibly can. Don't lose a second
She looked at him half incredulously.
She was not easily scared: his nervous
solicttude appealed to her almost HUI
morously.
But really. Miss Hartswick. there.
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
reins.
Won't you ride?" she asked, as IL by
a sudden thought. Without a word he
slid his axe into the buggy and sprans
in beside her. Then they began to
bump down the wild trail as fast as II
was safe to trot. The tense anxiety OF
/ the man written In every fAafNrA no.