Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-02-23


is no college boy with his cigarette.
Could it 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 p
for it 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
tint" cried Daily starting down the
mountain on a sliding run.
| And that last fire. burning strongly
where no brand could have dropped
even with a wind. marked the begin
ming of such time of anxiety. of fear
that grew and mounted to heart-still-
ing panic. of superhuman labor as
Sandry, a year before, could not have
believed possible-a time to be long
remembered in the coast country.
By eight o'clock next morning the
! little wind from the backwater had
| freshened with a deyiish perversity,
blowing the creeping flames merrily
| toward the north.
Daily sent Siletz on Black Bolt to
Toledo. to ask for a dozen men to
help in the fight
He abandoned the one on the
ridge, for fire goes down hill slowly,
and set his men again in the valley.
Within an hour after Siletz left,
men began to arrive by the road-on
horseback. in wagons, and later on
| foot, for there is no call like that of
Fire" in the big woods to bring re-
cruits They put themselves under
Daily's orders and fel. to with a will,
beating out the surface flames. cutting
| every sapling In sight, digging
trenches to head on any ground fires
that might be started.
But destiny was against the Dill.
| lingworth. The wind-"unusual," to
use that overworked word of the re-
gion truly for once-grew steadily.
and despite the trained work. for ev.
cry man knew this business, it rushed
the flames through the underground
faster than they could handle it.
Daily, black with smoke and ashes,
ali ok n fu
heels watching his methods, learn
ing everything he could. listening.
picking up. catching on with light
ming rapidity. He knew himself to
be ignorant, and where he was the
head with his interest at stake he
must MAKE himself competent.
BY night Daily was grim and silent
hoarse with shouting, and he stamped
into the porch. where the women
watched the flames that flared red
against the night in hundred
| places on the west ridge and up the
hills on both sides at the cutting.
"S'letz, honey" he rasped, IN have TO
call on you agin. They's a new
one over the first shoulder toward
the East Belt-up in tn old cuttin'
Ride down to Toledo an tell 'em to
send tn town. Wen need 'em all.
can't spare a man-I'Ve sent out
six to hunt tn devil behind this. an
if ketch him I'll kill him. damn
himi"
"Sonl" said Ma from the shadows
So Siletz and Black Bolt and Coos
nah Numbered down through the
darkness to save the Dillingworth,
and the heart in the girls breast was
throbbing with anxiety for Sandry-
black as Daily. and as rough looking,
fighting with his lesser strength.
Westerner at last by every sign.
BY midnight the town was there,
and Daily saw among the crowd Har-
ris, his old saw-fler, young Anwor-
had deserted to the god of gold They
kept sheepishly in the background,
but they were there for the common
good that Daily had spoken of-they
would have answered a call from a
real enemy in such a crisis. for that
is the way of the West.
Ma Daily, passing her interminable
tin cups of coffee-she had brought a
great iron kettle and boiled it over
fire on the ground-stopped before
Anworthy. the curly headed boy OF
whom she was very fond, with hand
on his shoulder.
I'm mighty glad TO see you, son"
she said kindly. and the young scape-
goat had the grace to blush.
Destiny was against the billing.
worth. The wind leaped and shout
ed up between the hills and by mid.
night the flames suddenly leaped up
as if a restraint had been removed.
Huge, red streamers flung themselves
out against the black night sky,
reaching half way to the zenith.
Dense clouds of smoke leaped and
bellied to the heavens, while the roar
that appalls woodsman' g heart began
to sound throughout the hills.
John Daily, working like a giant.
went white beneath his CRIME at
sound Of it.
MY Cod" he cried hoarsely. it's
goin' away from us!"
And Sandry, halted a pace away
by that cry of despair, looked upon
the first really great sight of his life.
tn he driver Of n military, car in