Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1916-06-29
,lder even than grandfather.

older even than grandfather.
Years and years before, the land
had all been covered with trees;
great chestnuts and oaks and NAPLES
and many other kinds of trees had
grown there.
When grandfather's father came
and began to clear the land, he
chopped down many of the trees
and hitched his oxen to the stumps.
The great beasts pulled and pull
ed, until at last the stumps came
out.
AS he had no boards or wire to
make fences, grandfather's father
had set the stumps in a funny line
around his COW pasture and orchard
and fields.
He put the farthest fence on
boundary line, and there it was still
although the stump fences around
his fields and pastures had been
removed and other fences built,
long ago.
In the summer days Alta loved
to play down by the farthest fence.
1t was great fan to dabble in the
brook, and she had built several
log cabins for her dolls of pieces
of dry limbs of trees.
AS the summer heightened the
days grew warmer, no rain fell, the
grass became yellow and the leaves
of the trees began to curl. Grand
| fathers corn withered in the fields
and the we'll ran low; but still the
brook by the farthest fence ran
trickling over the messy stones, for
it was fed by an unfailing spring.
One day late in summer grand
father took the little girl and Don
the dog and went for long walk
higher and higher, where the cool
breezes were blowing.
When they were hungry they
spread their luncheon under chest.
nut tree and afterward they gath
cred bluberries.
How delightful lit was to be on
top of the mountain. They could
see way, way off, where the river
lay far below them. Alta was sor-
ry when grandfather said it was
time to return home.
They had not gone far on the
way down, when suddenly Don lift
ed his head and shifted; then he
barked sharply.
Grandfather looked around, then
bidding her stay where they were
he climbed to the top of a lutte
knoll where he could see better. In
a few minutes he came back, and
hastily lifting the little girl in his
arms, he dashed down the trail.
Grandfather did not need to tell
Alta what the trouble was. The
smell of smoke told her that a
forest fire was raging not far away.
She did not cry out, but chung to
her grandfather with her arms
clasped around his neck.
On and on they ran. Once grand
father stumbled but he did not
fall. And all the time the smoke
got thicker and thicker until they
could not see their way, but they
could see great tongues of fire
leap from tree to tree.
At last grandfather could run
no longer. The smoke blinded him
and his breath came in great gasps
He dropped down on the ground to
rest.
Alta tried to be brave, but she
thought of some berry pickers
who were caught by forest fire
and persisted and a terrible fea]
clutched her heart
Don't be frightened" grand
father said. "The men are fightine
the fire, and will find us.
Alta crawled through the brusl
little way to look for water. 81
only grandfather could have wate]
/ he might feel better, and we coult
, go on, she thought.
Grandfather, grandfather" sh,
shouted, its the farthest fence
2 We're almost home. Come and
will show you where you can ge
l water at the brook.
Grandfather CROPPED his way thru
the bushes and Alta led him to ;
g place where he could climb tn,
fence easily. Then she led him t.
the brook where the clear waite
was dancing as merrily over tn,
e stones as though there was no fir,
to destroy the beauty of it's sur
e roundings.
They drank of the cool water ane
q grandfather felt much better All