Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1924-06-28
ZEN of the Y. ..

| momentum or the main nre.
This was Linder's position, except
that he had no furrow TO work against
All he could do was tell Off men with
sacks and horse blankets soaked 10
the barrels of water to hold the back
fire In check as best they could. So
far they were succeeding AS soon
as the fire had burned a few feet the
forward side of II was pounded out
with wet sacks. 1t didn't matter about
the other side It could be allowed
to eat back as far as 1t liked; the
farther the better.
Good boy, Lin!" Transley shout
ed. as he drew up and surveyed opera
lions. "She played US a dirty trick,
didn't she?"
Under looked up, red-eyed and
coughing. 1--WE can hold It here" he
said, but we can never cross the val
ley. The fire will be on us before we
have burned mile. II will beat around
our south flank and lick up every
thing!"
Transley jumped from his horse. He
selzed Under In his arms and liter
ally threw him into the saddle. You're
played, boy :" he shouted in his fore
mans ear ride down to the river
and get into the water, and stay there
until you know we can win p
Then TransIey threw himself into
the fight. AS the men said afterwards,
Under fought like a wildcat, but
Transley fought like den of lions
When the wagon galloped up from
the river with barrels of water Trans
/ ley seized barrel at the end and set
It bodily on the ground. He sprang
/ into the wagon, shouting commands to
horses and men, A hundred yards
they galloped along the fighting front:
then Transley sprang out and set az.
other barrel on the ground. In thls
way, instead of having the men gil
/ coming to the wagon to wet their
! sacks. he distributed water along the
/ line Then they turned back, picked
| up the empty barrels, and galloped
to the river for a fresh supply Soon
/ they had the first mile secure. The
! back-fires had all met; the forward
| line Of flames had all been pounded
| out; the rear line had burned back
/ until there was no danger Of 1t jump
4 ing the burned space. Then Transley
/ picked up his kit and rushed it on
/ to a new front farther south. At in
teryals OF hundred yards he started
fires, holding them in check and beat
/ ing out the western edge as before.
But his difficulties were increasing
/ He was farther from the river. II
took longer to get water One of the
barrels fell Off and collapsed. Some
Of the men were playing out. The
horses were wild with excitement and
terror. The smoke was growing denser
and hotter Men were coughing and
gasping through dry, scared lips.
You can't hold It, Transley; you
can't hold it," said one of the men
Transley hit him from the shoulder.
lie crumpled up and collapsed.
A mile and a half had been made
safe, but the smoke was suffocatingly
thick and the roar of the oncoming
s
ers. Up galloped the water wagon |;
made sharp lurch ana turn, and a
front wheel collapsed with the shock.
The wagon went down ut one corner
and the barrels were dumped on the
ground.
The men looked at Transley. For
one moment he surveyed the situation.
rs there chaln7' he demanded.
There was.
Hitch on to the tire Of this broken
wheel. Some Of you men yank the
hub cut Of It, Others pun grass. Pull,
Ike hi was after yout"
They pulled In a minute or two
Transley had the rim OF the wheel
flat on the ground. with a team
hitched to II and little pile Of dry
grass inside. Then he set fire to the
little pile Of grass and started the
team slowly along the battle front.
As they moved the burning grass In
the rim set fire to the grass on the
prairie underneath; the rim partly
rubbed It out again as II came over,
! bLA Ale men were dble 10 keep WtAF
remained In check. but as he length
ened his lire Transley had 10 leave
more and more men TO beat out the
fire, and had fewer to pull grass. The
sacks were too wet to burn; he had
to have grass TO feed his moving FIRE
spreader
At length he mad only teamster
and himself, ana hts fire was going
out Transley whipped Off his shirt.
rolled 1t into a little heap, set fire to
It, and ran along beside the rim. fir
ing the little moving circle of grass
inside
It was the teamster. looking back.
who saw Transley fall He had to
drop the lines to run to his assistance.
and the horses. terrified by smoke and
fire and the excitement OF the fight.
Immediately bottled. The teamster took
TraBSley IN his arms and half car
ried, half dragged him into the safe
area behind the back-fires, And few