Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-11-14

When smoke first boiled up over
! the neighsofing peaks, the people at
| the cedar camp grew FESTIVE We had
sheen aware for some time of Il grave
fire menace. but with the concrete
evidence of smoke, the fear that lies
| slunbering IN every human brain
stirred and stretched itself. 1t was
seven miles out to Comparative safety.
! Seven miles of virgin forest over a
road that was eight feet wide through
out most of its length. Seven miles
and only one way out. Of course there
was the slim chance of a mountain
trail for countless miles in another
direction, but it was bad bet and
at best it meant leaving cars and per-
sonal belongings behind.
Our fears were lulled to rest by a
brief shower that subdued the fire and
aroused hope that the drouth was
broken. Peace lasted but few days
then another fire broke out 1t was
| seven and half miles away it is
] true, but what are seven and half
miles to an unclaimed monster like
! that? And wild rumors drifted in
| seemingly from nowhere. The fire
was beyond control and they were
| letting it go-The wind was blowing
gale on the mountain tops-The fire
was leaping forty rods at a swoop-
Then some sane person suggested
| going to the smoke chasers cabin for
little first hand information. We
found that the fire was raging un-
controlled, but it wasS not being left
to work its own sweet will. They were
expecting rs men in by motor truck
in the next two hours. While we were
there, the telephone rang and the
smoke chaser received orders to put
over dish water Three camps had
lost all equipment during the day and
not having enough new supplies to re-
place the burned kits, they were
bringing everything they could rake
up to meet the emergency. Some
needed washing before loading on the
pack trains. | went home we'll salts
fled that system which ordered dish
water over 20 miles Of wire was COM
petent to take care of me!
After that we made regular pill
grimages to the cabin to relieve taunt
nerves. And what interesting sights
we saw. Fifty to go men with bedding
rolls under their arms, scattering
through the surrounding trees and Sc
Letting places to spend the night be-
fore taking the trail in the morning.
Huge camp stoves with the mess crew
flying around handing out plates of
chow to the waiting men. Horses eat
ing out Of nose bags, and on the nights
when it was necessary to rush more
men to the fire zone without delay,
the head packer and his assistant
swiftly, eypertly, rolling packs for the
pack train that would take the trail
by the light Of the moon or the first
grey glimmer Of morning.
Then the tention eased up a bit.
The fire had covered 26 miles but it
was headed straight toward Canada
and. as one woman said, we would
let the English do the worrying for
few minutes while we got our
breath!
Things were so quiet that my hus-
band took the opportunity to make a
trip to Kalispell on business. He would
be gone two or three days but / was
not nervous. | had been training N.Y.
self to let others do the worrying!
About three hours after he left, the
ranger came into camp to get all the
men he could to rush to a new fire
that had just broken out. Five miles
away this time but as usual, going the
other way.
That night with but few men left
in camp, failed to sleep well, and no
doubt insomnia was prevalent The
hours of the day wore away and there
was no news. About o'clock in the
afternoon we caught sight of a puff
crest of neighboring peak, and while
our eyes were glued to it, it rolled up
in such sickeningly black mass that
it froze our blood. We looked at each
other and waited for someone to say
something. Someone did! The Pinto
Swede galloped down from the skid
way his eyes bullying out so you could
have knocked them off with stick.
He pointed wildly at the black erup-
ton and shouted, "See them flames?
It'll be down on us inside of 20 min
utesW There were no flames in sight:
only faint glow in the sky, but from
that moment half dozen would have
taken their oath that they saw flames.
And they say that only women have
Mysteries! We had needed leader
and it had been supplied We milled
around like flock Of frightened
sheep. In fact we did everything ex-
cept baa! What was the latest news
from the cabin? There hadn't been
any latest We had let the other fell
low do the worrying
A stampede started for the cabin.
~ 4 i
the boss coming back with a map.
With that map he attempted to show
us that there were two peaks and two
ravines between US and the fire.
eyes, know it looks as though it
was the other side of that hill, but
you see it isn't. 1t is three miles away
and going the. other way"
AS it had been fives miles away
and going the other way at the last
report | judged that it was doing