Year: 1871

tiifes, even III we Nau Cartu W w eo.


l kept calling to my husband to keep
in sight, but, poor fellow, there was no
need Of doing 50, for l could see that
imother was a great worry TO him, and


that he had almost to drag her along.


She kept looking from side to side, and
trying to break away from him; even


then | thought how terrible it would be
il she should become furious again.
What on earth could we do with her?
Wemust have gone on in this way
FOR at least three miles, and | was al
most exhausted, for Louis was a boy
fsix years old and large for his age, and
i had been carrying him all the way.


The trees were compact, AMI in some
places the underground was close and


stiff as wire. Mother kept getting
worse, and Mr.. Mechand, who was q


short distance ahead of Louis and me,


had the greatest difficulty to make her


obey him. Presently he stopped, and


evidently was waiting for me TO come


up. So put Louis down and told him


to keep along side of me, at the same


time taking him firmly by the hand.


The fire had come much slower than


we, and believe we must have been at


least two miles ahead OF it, although
there was no telling, for | could see


nothing behind or far before Inc but
smoke curling like mist 10 out OF the
trees Behind us, indeed, it was heav-
.ier, and looked sullen, dirty white.
We could not have been six feet from
my husband when my mother broke
away from him, and with a loud cry
darted off into the woods, and then |
knew that what | had dreaded had in.
deed come to pass, and that excitement
and danger had brought back an Old
sickness upon her. She was maniac.
Mr.. Mechand darted after her, and in
the terror Of the moment | forgot all
else and followed him, leaving poor
little Louis behind | must have been
crazy to do SO, bnt on | rushed, and
soon saw that mother was cunning
enough TO attempt to escape by doubling
on her tracks, for | saw her dress dart
past the bushes at my side as she ran
diagonally away from me. sprahg
after her, and after running Tor about
five minutes, found 10 my horror that
had not only lost her, but Louis and his
father. Madly tried to retrace my
steps, but there was nothing to guide me
no path, no blazes on the trees. lhe
wind shook the trees and bent them
almost double; the sultry air was filled
with smoke, and all the horrors OF my
terrible condition almost made me fran
tic. | rushed about helplessly, crying
and screaming" Louis Louis father


But the last word made me calm Tor an
instant, and felt that ! was not alone
mot utterly lost in the burning woods,
for the spirit OF my dead father was
near, and there were guardian angels
and kneeling, l took my crucltix from
mpnsck and prayed. In kneeling down
found ito my great joy that my dress
'ess wet. ! had knelt near a spring. l
bathed my face and hands, and soaked
nv hair and the upper part OF my
dress. But then my boy-my little
Louis sprang to my feet, and calling
on the Virgin to direct me, dashed on
in the direction OF the fire. | had not
gone more than quarter OF mile when
/ found nv darling standing With head
erect, and flashing eyes filled with angry
tears, trying to beat away some wolves
which, hungry though they were, seem
ed bent only on flight. ! cried, LOUIS,
Louis c'est moi, Ia mere, and cla-ped
him to my heart 1t was my boy and
he was saved. He had not seen hIs
father, though once he had heard a
mans voice calling, but the voice seem
ed to have come from an immense dis
tance. "Oh, Louis, We are lost unless
we find him. We must run tor our
lives The boy began to cry, and then
| was ashamed of what | had said, and
tried to cheer him up. The fire must
have been very near IL then, for ! could
not only feel its heated breath, but
above my head, among the tree-tops
spark. and fire brands were whlrIIng
in the air. took Louis in my arms,
determined that lever again should he
be separated from me, and pressed on,
ward with some vague idea that should
soon reach Wolfriver.


Night was coming on, and since noon
we had had nothing to eat. did not
feel hungry, but was tormented with
thoughts o; what might happen if we
should not soon reach place OF safety,
for feared that Louis would give ont,
and that was one OF the reasons which
made me carry him. Ny arms ached,
and nv limbs were scratched, bruised
aud bleeding. Still | made good head
way, aud soon came to natural cleal-
inc, on the thither side Of which we sat
down TO rest By this time night had
come on, and what night, No moon,
no stars, bat the cloudy heavens lighted
up afar with the horrible fires OF the
burning woods The clearing in which
we sat was the dried up bed OF a stream
which. for some unacc"untable reason,
had not thicklv wooded shores, and we
were at least two hundred feet from the
edge Of the forest in flames. All this
time Louis, manly little fellow that he
was. had not even asked for food, nor
had he cried since | myself tooIlshIy
frightened him.


We sat there a long time while ! was
trying to think where We were, but |
could come to no conclusion. | had
heard my husband speak Of a stream
which had run dry, but that was in a
northeasierly direction from our house,
and Notwithstanding the fact that was
lost, vet | had a general notion that |
was approaching Wolf river. The stars
could give me no Information, for /
could lot see them. What to do |
scarcely knew, but when the heat Of the