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

of the horse. A sudden cry from the
girl aroused him.
Look. See there"
The smoke had d%eepened until they
could scarce ses beyond the horses
head, and now clots of SCOT the size
of leaves were falling all about them.
One that lighted on the laprobe had the
CLINT OF fire in 1t.
Hold up quick" he ordered sharply.
and she pulled horse onto his
"Hark.."
A spluttering roar. mingled with
fierce cracklings and shrieks, was right
ahead of them. Something hurting in
mad panic up the trail almos crashed
into the horse. 1t veered into the scrubs
not six feet from the buggy. a deer with
a%ntlers. A rabbit In mad delirium
scurried under the very wheels. The
horse began prancing n snorting.
rearing and paving the air. then back
Ing and lurching and crashing into the
rh~ododendron. The girl did not lose
her head.
The wild CLEAN OF the fire. dull
through the smoke, was in full sight
now. and the Dad was like that of the
sea. The wind was sweeping 1t up the
narrow gut. flashing on the flames like
q bison stampede. They fell upon the
}dry tops, licked them up as If they were
oil and tar, leaped agilely into the live
hemlocks, roared up their trunks. and
stood waving in air, mad flags, 20 feet
above the topmost twigs.
The terror of the horse was almos,
plungs forward and throw himself into
the fire; 1t was all both OF them could
do to keep him from breaking away.
They could hold him but an instant
more.
Jump" he ordered fercely. "ws
must leavo hir, n nd ~, Pnr ~, ly,,,,
Jump"
No, sir! Here. AXE the laprobe and
wind it round his head" She threw IL
to him with deft swing. "Quick!" He
obeyed automatically. In an instant
she was beside him, n she too had
the horse by the bit.
Here! let me tax him." she ordered
sharply. Now lift the buggy round.
Sharp there" 1t was urned in an in
slant
Get in." she commanded, and he
obeyed her with a jump. Take up the
reins there! Quick" She led the horse
a few steps. then bounded back and
sprang into the buggy like a cat.
Give EN- to mel"
Again they bumped and rolled and
slowed along the mad trail. She was
driving now for her life. and 1t was o
sight to stir the blood. Young Jim al
most forgot the CHASTITY death that was
leaping after them as he watched this
and watchful. and every movement OF
muscle and tom of voice counted. II
was no small thing to drive a panic
stricken horse with fire all about him.
He was in a mad scurry, shying and
rearing and plunging and ready at ev-
cry instant to smash them into a wild
heap, but she held him true. She talked
steadily-soothtng, threatening, coax
ing, urging now in high key, now in
low. and the horse seemed to under
stand her. They were back now to
where h had met Jim. and now they
We're crashing beyond. AS to what i'm
pulse might be at the end neither had
a thought. Their one impulse was to
fly on and on. like the deer and the
rabbit.
All at once the horse stopped short.
almost pitching them over the dash
board. A great tree top, bristling with
dead snags. lay right across the trail.
"Il fix that" he shouted, leaping
from the buggy and laying hold Of It
nightly. But the thing was braced
and anchored. For a single moment he
writhed with 1t. then he leaped back
n caught up his axe from the buggy.
A dozen swift strokes, a pitching of the
severed branches. right and left. and
he turned excitedly.
You AM get over the log he yelled.
I'll run ahead to see II there are any
more. An instant and she saw him fall
with frenzy upon another top. The re-
lief was only for a moment. Thicker
and thicker grew the tree tops across
the road until all at once they culmin.
ated in a grand tangle that a days
work would not penetrate.
They had come to the end Of the
trail; there was no possibility of adj
vanc1ng another foot
He ran hither and thither excitedly,
but there was no exit. Then he turned
in desperation.
There's only one chance" he cried.
Lead the horse and try to get over
the ridge"
mo. sir; we don't leave Pomp," she
shouted half angrily. Cant we build
a counter flre7"
There's too much wood. We'd roast
between two fires"
IF we take Pomp out of the buggy
can we pull him VI tho rocks?"
It's too steep. Can't be done. I've
been there" indeed 1t was Impossible.
1t would be like taking a horse up the
great pyramid.
But Well try 1t all the same.'' There
was a snap to her words tina made op-
position useless. Come, help me take
him out"
She was by the side of the horse now,
freeing him deity from the buggy. The
roaring Of the flames made tafkinR al
most impossible; the smoke was like a
blanket; their eyes. smarting and quiv-
ering In the reeking atmosphere, could
scarcely distinguish the nearest
objects. Once a spark set Are to
her dress. but he extinguished
it with the laprobe. The he
threw the robe over her shoulders, and
h tied the ends under her chin.
(c~ontisued Next Wesk.l
Recalls the Revolution.
TX From Tho DnjIo1o1.tt