The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-09-05
CHAPTER I

11le picture O1 NdII1S AdAAc o1dlAO- ing there in the moonlight by her soddy, the memory of Carrie Lane close in his arms, left Mark Deuel shaken, plotted out all other thoughts for him on the long, lone some ride back to town from Rock Creek.
 He had told her he loved her, he recalled now, trying to piece together every fragment of the moment, and she had whispered she loved him; Carrie Lane, whom he'd seen first in the land once only few days ago, loved him!
 Over and over, Mark glowed with that thought as he rode through the night to Sioux Springs; over and over, Mark re- lived every unbelievable moment of it throughout the next day. When he went to sleep, "A hours after he had said goodby to her, it was with Carries whisper lull- ing, like sweet music, in his ears.
 He was dreaming of her when he awoke. But in the dream the moonlight had changed to stif1ing darkness; the cool breeze had be- come scorching. The parched prai- rie was on fire. With Carrie, terror stricken, he dreamed he was fight ing through the night to the shall low well Ed Taylor had dug, as flames lighted the new soddy, smoke choking them every step of the way.
 Like lightning; Mark bounded out of bed, rushed to the window. There WAS smoke in the air. In the first dim light of dawn, the sky glowed fiery red toward the north and Rock Creek
 My God" moaned Mark, Car rie-Carrie!"
 Re dressed, ran from the house toward Newt Gales livery stable for a horse and turning the cor ner, found the town suddenly alive. The dusty main street of Sioux Springs was wild melee of running shouting men.
 Mark joined them, drew up panting in front of the livery stable where crowd gathered around foam-flecked horse and tousled, bareheaded youth. Mark recognized the lad instantly, the Sage boy from upper Rock Creek. The Stages lived north and east of Taylors and Carrie. The fire might be dangerously close to Carries claim.
 Mark pushed through the crowd, gained the boys side.
 How bad is it?" he asked, hreathless.
 Pretty bad" said the boy. "It had been burning quite a spell when the Blakes discovered it and rode over to wake us up. Pa sent me right in for help. There's mo- body much over on that side to fight fire"
 Has it reached the creek?" Mark shouted another question.
 "No, but it's heading straight that way - fast. It'll reach it without nobody stopping it."
 Mark knew what that meant, paled suddenly at the thought. The crowd knew it, too. Once over Rock Creek there might be no stopping 8 pairie fire. The town itself was in danger.
 There was 8 shuffling of feet, Q weighted, explosive silence. These men wanted someone to take the lead, Mark felt, and he seized the opportunity.
 "All right, young Sage" he said, turning to the men for tacit approval, well turn out the town and go back with you"
 The men scattered in all direc- tionS.
 It was an unforgettable scene, dawn in Sioux Springs; the sky hanging low, dull, suffocating; wagons rumpling, homesteaders, yelling; a handful of women, white faced, standing in a knot by the store; horses galloping of in the dust toward the fiery blotch on the horizon from which 8 great black cloud of smoke rose toward the heavens.
 Mark was one of the first to ride north, Newt Gale at his side. Together they mad hastily grabbed up old coast, socks, anything with which to fight the grassfire. Others carried slickers, shovels, horse blankets dipped in a tank at the last minute and still drip ping water over the horses Hanks. The wagons came last, loaded with blows, and men instructed to cut wide furrows ahead of the