Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1916-02-24

upon the cook-shack and the desert
ed cabins. empty ever since their for
mer occupants had turned their coats
for Hampden's two-year contracts.
Suddenly Coosnah. lying on the
step, got up and shifted the air. 81
Ietz looked at him, her fingers ar
rested. Then he sat down on his
launches, threw up his muzzle. and
began to bay. a melancholy. lonesome
sound.
Hush" said Siletz. hush, Coos
nah!" And she, too. lifted her head
after the fashion of wild things
smelling the sultry atmosphere.
"Mother!" she cried swiftly. ut g
fret"
The general creaked up and bur.
ried to the steps, but already Siletz
was OFF and running up the valley
toward the cutting When she reached
the donkey Sandry was standing be
side it, but the girl passed him with
out a glance, running to where the
foreman set a choker.
john" she cried: "John-:here's
a fire on the west RIDGE"
Every mar within hearing dropped
his work instantly and stood up.
Gail in tn men," said Daily as he
yassed the donkey-engineer, ian send
EN- along We'd better all go. Mr.
Sandry. faint likely it's much, but
we got to stomp it out. whatever tbs.
| ben a lookin' fer EN-"
They all traFled down the valley on
dogtrot. 1t took them the better
part of an hour. but when they went
down there was not spark left
alight.
What do you suppose started it,
John?" asked Sandry.
"Oh. some darned little college
snipe from Corvallis, likely, with a
gun an cigarette Or mebbe it was
some camper stayin' overnight on
the ridge-some greenhorn. An it's
mighty dry-mighty dry"
They went back to the cutting,
though every jack of them lifted up
his uyCJ from time to time to the
ridges ~tound At supper the loggers
discussed the forest fires of other
years, the topic opened by the Incl
dent. 1t was a close night with
dark e&y, though the heat had given
way to the sweet GOODNESS of the
coast under the mysterious ocean
wind, and Sandry from his old seat
at table looked out at the western
ridge.
john" he cried, rising suddenly,
its broken out again."
Sure enough. Against the upper
darkness little red tongues licked fit
fully up and the men, white and In
dian, tumbled out 81 the cook-shack
1t was twelve clock when they
turned in, and Sandry was puzzled.
The next day nothing happened.
Then at dawn of the day following
the camp awoke to see a fine, fairy
white haze all through the valley and
the crest of the west ridge, for half
mile, sending up fanciful pearl
piumOo III IhC oOiI luOIulllB. lHIb
time it had gained a start end the
camp turned out in earnest.
John" said Sandry solemnly. that
is no college boy with his cigarette.
Could 1t be Hampden?"
The foreman turned upon the
owner
You hain't a real westerner, yet.
Mr.. Sandry," he said with a smile.
You think Hampden'd resk his yella
pine-as fine timber as there is in tn
whole state? He'd bury tn Ratchet
an come fight with US like brother
first"
Then what's setting those fires?-
for 1t looks as If they are being set
My God! Look there! There's an
other!"
A merry, red eye winked and leaped
and died, to leap again across the
early twilight at the valleys head.
That's damned close to our cut.
TIM" cried Daily starting down the
uopVtain on sliding run.
and that last fire, burning strongly
where no brand could have dropped
even with wind, marked the begin