The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-07-16
ZEN of the Y. y.

fuel A few. men, stationed along
furrow or trail, can keep the small
back-fre from jumping it, although
they would be powerless to check the
momentum of the main fire.
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 In
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 few feet the
| forward side of 1t was pounded out
with wet sacks. 1t didn't matter about
the other side. 1t could be allowed
to eat back as far as 1t liked; the
farther the better.
Good boy, Linl" Transley shout
ed, as he drew up and surveyed opera
lions. "She played us 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 a mile 1t will beat around
our south flank and lick up every
| thingi"
Transley jumped from his horse. He
eezed Under In his arms and liter
ally threw him into the saddle. you're
played, boy" he shouted in his fore
mans ear. "l,ldc down to the river
and get into the water and stay there
Then Transley 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 a barrel at the end and set
1t 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 an
other barrel on the ground. In this
way, instead of having the men all
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 fresh supply. Soon
they had the first mile secure. The
back-fres had all met; the forward
line of flames had all been pounded
until there was no danger Of 1t jump |
ing the burned space. Then Transley !!
picked up his kit and rushed 1t on |
to a new front farther south. At in
tervals 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 1t |
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 1t, Transley; you
can't hold It'll" said one of the men.
Transley hit him from the shoulder.
He crumpled up and collapsed.
A mile and half had been made
safe, but the smoke was suffocatingly
thick and the roar of the oncoming
fire rose above the shouts of the fight
ers. Up galloped the water wagon;
made a sharp lurch and turn, and
front wheel collapsed with the shock.
The wagon went down at one corner
and the barrels were dumped on the
ground.
The men looked at Transley. For
one moment he surveyed the situation
rs there a chain?' he demanded.
There was.
Glitch on to the tire of this broken
wheel. Some Of you men yank the
hub out of 1t. Others pull grass. Pull,
like HI was after YOU"
They pulled. In a minute or two
Transley had the rim of the wheel
flat on the ground, with team
hitched to 1t and q 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 1t out again as 1t came over,
and the men were able to keep what
remained In check, but as he length
sned his line Transley had to leave
more and more men to beat out the
ire. and had fewer to pull grass. The
sacks were too wet to burn; he had
o have grass to feed his moving fire
;preader
At length he had only teamster
md himself, and his fire was going
nut. Transley whipped off his shirt,
oiled 1t into little heap, set fire to
t, and ran along beside the rim, fir
ng the little moving circle of grass
inside
1t was the teamster, looking back, /,
Who saw Transley fall. He had to !
Irop the lines to run to his assistance.
nd the horses, terrified by smoke and
ire and the excitement of the fight,
bolteC. The teamster took
'ransley In his arms and half car
Tod half drapged him into the Snfe | I