The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1930-11-27
Marcella's Fighting
Spirit Aroused
By ELLA MAE BROWNING


nR OBJ" Marcella cried. 81 can't
- stand this any longerl Look
Just look at that house No run
ming water, no shade. no comfort ]
Nothing but heat and drudgery and
miseryl"
Il know IT'S been hard for you,
Marcela. It's not what you've been
used to. But We'll have comforts In
time. Just look at that wheat.
Every golden head means gold in
our pockets. Well build a better
| house,"
Promises, always promises" she
snapped. Il hate it,"
That night, in the little rough
board dwelling, they ute their sup
per in silence. But when Bob had
finished he pushed back his chair
and gave voice to his thoughts.
i've been thinking maybe you're
right, Marcella." he said kindly.
Maybe we'd better get out of this.
Just as soon as the crop is sold
we'll go back home.'
But Mareella knew that his whole
ambition was wrapped up in that
wheat field.
The next day she stood in the
doorway watching him anxiously as
he strobe off to put his heavy reap
er in the field.
Ii was hot day. So hot that
Marcella lett her work in the kitch-
Ell and sat in the scanty shade at
the side of the house.
The house was surrounded with
fringe of dry. dead grass, all that
remained of lawn they had plant.
ed so hopefully that spring.
Suddenly she sprang TO her feet.
Bob was running toward the house.
flashing the team before him.
Prairie firel" Bob shouted,
''Darned fool | am, never plowed
6reguard around the house,"
In a moment he had hooked his
team to the pillow and started fur
row. The ground was hard. baked
In the sun. But the team worked,
sweated. strained in the collars.
driven on by the sharp sting of
the lash and Bobs everlasting
shouts.
The fire surged toward the little
home in its furious march, famed
by a breeze newly sprung up. Mar
celia watched the onward rush OF
the flames in utter stupefaction.
She had a vague sense of her own
ineptitude, but even that was pass.
i've. All her life she had depended
Oh others for physical protection.
Then she saw the flames eating
into their own fields. Devouring
Bob's precious stand of wheat like
a ravaging monster.
Then something snapped within
her. She was imbued with sud
den urge Co fight. Bob she yelled
at the top of her lungs, what can
do, oh, what can | do?"
Pump water came the instant
reply. Get all the empty sacks
you can find Get ready to fight
fire!"
Marcella flew at her task. She
forgot everything but the encroaeh.
ing danger.
She ripped open bale of wheat
sacks and dragged them to the
pump. The water trough was near
ly dry, so she SET furiously to fill.
ing it.
Through the yellow haze Mar.
celia caught glimpses of Bob, driv.
ing the horses mercilessly in an
endless circle about the dwelling.
The horses snorted in terror as the
thick gases burned their nostrils.
But Bob was a fighterl Bob
would keep going, somehow
Then through the din Marcella
heard cry and looked up to see
Bob slump to the ground in a heap.
Instantly she dropped her task and
ran to him.
Badger hole" he groaned as she
came up painting. I'm done up,
Marcella! Leg bustedr'
Marcella wasted scant time on re-
Election. The fire was almost upon
them. The heat was terrific. She
jerked the pin and the frantic team
bolted. She dragged Bob away over
the burrows to the shelter of the
house.
Bob's work was finished, but hers
was fairly begun.
The little house stood, with its
scant protection, amid a raging,
cracking inferno. Marcella's arms
and legs were soon covered with
burning heat-blisters. but as the
danger increased, so did her fight
ing spirit rise up to combat it.
Many times she climbed to the
roof and put out sparks that threat
ened the house, and again at the
stables.
For what seemed hours and hours
and hours she dragged those
blackened, water-soaked, steaming
sacks, through the murk, beating
back the flames in an endless. tire
less circle. Then. almost as quickly
as it had come, the fire passed on.
The heat gave way to the cooling
breath of evening and Marcella
dropped at Bob's side in exhaus-
ton.
"Thank God we saved our home.
Bob" she said weakly.
EYES," he answered, you saved
it, Marcella."
Three days later Bob lay on the
bed looking out upon the world of
his lost hopes. Then he glanced