AstheElmersrodehomeafterthelastofthehappypicnickershaddeparted,theynoticedaheavycloudofsmokeinthesouthernsky,andMr.ElmeraskedMr.Marchwhathethoughtitwas.
“Itlooksasthoughsomeofthesettlersdowntherewereburninggrass,thoughtheyoughttoknowbetterthantostartfiresonadaylikethis,”answeredMr.March.
“Soastoburnofftheolddeadgrass,andgivetheircattleachancetogetatthatwhichimmediatelyspringsupwhereverthefirehaspassed.
Butthepracticeoughttobestoppedbylaw,formoretimberandfences,andsometimeshouses,aredestroyedeveryyearthanallthecattleinthecountryareworth.”
“Well,Ihopeitwon’tcomeourwaytonight,”saidMr.Elmer,“andfirstthinginthemorningIwillsetthementoworkclearingandploughingawidestripentirelyaroundtheplace.
Insteadofdyingoutatsunset,asitusuallydid,thewindincreasedtoagaleasdarknesssetin,andMr.Elmercastmanytroubledglancesatthedullredglowinthesouthernskybeforeheretiredthatnight.
MarkandFrankoccupiedthesameroom,forMr.Marchhadnotyetfoundtimetobuildahouse,anditseemedtothemasthoughtheyhadbutjustfallenasleepwhentheywerearousedbyMr.Elmer’svoicecallingthroughthehouse,
askedMark,ashetumbleddown-stairsandburstintothesitting-roomonlyabouthalfdressed,butrapidlycompletingtheoperationasheran.“What’sthematter?Isthehouseonfire?”
Althoughitwasstillseveralmilesoff,theycouldalreadyheartheroaroftheflamesrisingabovethatofthewind,andcouldsmellthesmokeoftheburningforest.
Theyweresoonacrosstheriver,andwhileMarkrantothehousesofMr.BevilandMr.Cartertowakenthosegentlemen,Frankbethoughthimselfofthechurch-bell,whichhungfromarudeframeoutsidethebuilding,andhurryingtoit,seizedtheropeandbegantopullitviolently.
Theeffectoftheloudclangingofthebellwasalmostinstantaneous,andthecoloredpeoplebeganpouringfromtheirtumble-downoldhouses,andhurryingtowardsthechurchtoseewhatwasthematter.
Manyofthemintheirhastecamejustastheyhadjumpedfromtheirbeds;butthedarknessofthenightandtheirowncolorcombinedtohidethefactthattheywerenotfullydressed,untilsomelight-woodtorcheswerebrought,whentherewasasuddenscatteringamongthem.
Frankquicklyexplainedthecauseofthealarm,andthemenhurriedofftogettheirteams,ploughs,andaxes;forMr.Elmerhadbeensokindtothemthatallwereanxioustodowhattheycouldtohelphiminthistimeoftrouble.
Amongthefirstboat-loadthatFrankferriedacrosstheriverwasBlackJoe,withhis“ok”attachedtoaverysmallplough,withwhichhefeltconfidenthecouldrendermostvaluableassistance.
Bythelightoftheapproachingflamessurroundingobjectscouldalreadybedistinguished,andastheyhurrieduptothehousethefirstcomersfoundMr.Elmer,Mr.March,andJanhardatwork.
Theywereclearingbrushandhaulinglogsawayfromtheimmediatevicinityoftheout-buildings,andhadgotquiteaspacereadyinwhichtheploughscouldbesettowork.
InthehouseMrs.Elmer,Ruth,andAuntChloehadcollectedallthecarpets,blankets,andwoollengoodstheycouldlaytheirhandson,andpiledthemnearthecistern,wheretheycouldbequicklysoakedwithwater,andplacedoverexposedportionsofthewallsorroof.
Asfastastheteamsandploughsarrived,Mr.Elmersetthemtoworkploughinglongfurrowsthroughthedrygrassaboutarodoutsidethelineoffencenearesttheapproachingflames.
Abovethemhundredsofbirdsflutteredandcircledwithshrillcriesofdistress,until,bewilderedbythesmokeandglare,theyfell,helplessvictims,intotheterriblefurnace.
Wildanimalsofallkinds,amongwhichwereasmallherdofdeer,dashedoutofthewoodsaheadofthefire,andfledacrosstheopenfieldunmolestedbythemen,whoweretoobusytogivethemathought.
Inhiszealtodohisutmost,andtoshowwhatasplendidanimalhehad,BlackJoewasploughingfaraheadoftheothers,whensuddenlyhesawrushingfromtheforest,andcomingdirectlytowardshim,abear.
Terror-strickenatthissight,andwithoutstoppingtoreflectthatthebearwashimselftoofrightenedtoharmanybodyjustthen,Joedroppedtheplough-handlesandran,leavinghisbelovedoxtoitsfate.
Astheflamesapproached,thepooranimalbellowedwithfearandpain,andstruggledwildly,butunsuccessfully,togetfree.
ItwouldhavecertainlyfallenavictimtotheflameshadnotMark,whohadbeenbusylightingback-fires,seenitsdangerandrantoitsrescue.
Cuttingtheropetraceswithhispocket-knife,hesettheoxfree;andfollowingtheexampleofitsmaster,itgallopedclumsilyacrosstheopenfield.
TheoxfledwithsuchabellowingandsuchajanglingofchainsthatpoorJoe,whowashiddenbehindagreatstumponthefarthersideofthefield,wasnearlyfrightenedoutofhisfewremainingsenseswhenhesawthisterriblemonsterchargingoutthefireanddirectlyuponhim.
“Iallusknoweddatarokwassomfinbetter’ncommon;butwhenIseehimcomea-rarin’an’a-tarin’,an’a-janglin’rightfo’me,I‘lowed‘twasoleNickhise’fcomefo’BlackJoe,shonuff.”
Astheotherploughmenweredrivenfromtheirworkbytheheatandtheswirlingsmoke,theysetback-firesallalongtheline,andretreatedingoodordertothehouse.
Mrs.ElmerandRuthhadalreadytakenrefugeontheferry-boat,fromwhichtheywatchedtheprogressoftheflameswiththemostintenseanxiety.
UnderMr.Elmer’sdirectionthemencoveredthewallsandroofofthehouse,whichhadalreadycaughtfireinseveralplaces,withwetblanketsandcarpets,andpouredbucketsofwateroverthem.
FromthesesuchvolumesofsteamarosethatpoorRuth,seeingitfromadistance,thoughtthehousewassurelyonfire,andburstintotears.
Sobusywereallhandsinsavingthehousethattheypaidnoattentiontotheout-buildings,untilAuntChloe,whohadbeenworkingwiththebestofthemen,screamed,“Oh,dechickuns!dechickuns!”
Lookingtowardsthehen-house,theysawitsroofinabrightblaze,andAuntChloerunninginthatdirectionwithanaxeinherhand.
Theoldwomanstruckseveralpowerfulblowsagainstthesideoftheslightbuilding,andbrokeintwoboardsbeforetheheatdroveheraway.
Thiswasthelasteffortofthefireinthisdirection,fortheportionofitthatmettheclearedspaces,newfurrows,andback-fires,soonsubsidedforwantoffuel;whilebeyondthefieldsitsweptawaytothenorthward,bearingdeathanddestructioninitscourse.
Whilemostofthemenhadbeenengagedinsavingthehouseanditsadjoiningfences,asmallparty,underthedirectionofMr.March,hadguardedthemill.
They,however,hadlittletodosavewatchforflyingembers,itwassowellprotectedbyitspondononesideandtheriverontheother.
Bysunrisealldangerhadpassed,andheartilythankingthekindfriendswhohadcomesoreadilytohisassistance,Mr.Elmerdismissedthemtotheirhomes.
Ittookseveraldaystorecoverfromtheeffectsofthegreatfire,andtorestorethingstotheirformerneatcondition;butMr.Elmersaidthat,eveniftheyhadsufferedmorethantheydid,itwouldhavebeenavaluablelessontothem,andoneforwhichtheycouldwellaffordtopay.
SoonafterthisMr.ElmerdecidedtogotoTallahasseeagaintomakeapurchaseofcattle;for,withthousandsofacresoffreepasturageallaroundthem,itseemedapitynottotakeadvantageofit.
ThistimehetookMarkwithhim,andinsteadofgoingdowntherivertoSt.Mark’stotakethetrain,theycrossedontheferry,andhadJandrivetheminthemulewagonfourmilesacrosscountrytotherailroad.
Ontheirwaytheycametoaforkintheroad,andnotknowingwhichbranchtotake,waiteduntiltheycouldaskalittlecoloredgirlwhomtheysawapproaching.
Shesaid,“Disyerehumpetyroad’lltakeyo’toMistoGilcriseses’plantation,an’denyo’turntoderightoberdetrabblin’roadtwelyo’cometoBrerSteve’sfarm,an’tharyo’be.”
“Father,whatisthedifferencebetweenaplantationandafarm?”askedMark,astheyjourneyedalongoverthe“humpety”road.
“AsnearasIcanfindout,”saidMr.Elmer,“theonlydifferenceisthatoneisownedbyawhite,andtheotherbyacoloredman.”
Theyfound“BrerSteve’s”housewithoutanydifficulty,and,sureenough,theretheywere,asthelittlegirlhadsaidtheywouldbe;for“BrerSteve”livedclosetotherailroad,andthestationwasonhisplace.
MarkwasdelightedwithTallahassee,whichhefoundtobeaverypleasantthoughsmallcity,builtonahill,andsurroundedbyotherhills.
Itsstreetswereshadedbymagnificentelmsandoaks,andtheseandthehillsweregratefultotheeyeoftheMaineboy,whohadnotyetlearnedtolovetheflatcountryinwhichhispresenthomestood.
TheyspentSundayinTallahassee,andonMondaystartedforhomebeforedaylight,onhorsebackanddrivingasmallherdofcattle,which,withtwohorses,Mr.ElmerhadboughtonSaturday.
AsSaturdayistheregularmarket-day,whenallthecountrypeoplefrommilesaroundflockintotowntosellwhattheyhaveforsale,andtopurchasesuppliesforthefollowingweek,Markwasmuchamusedandinterestedbywhathesaw.
AlthoughinTallahasseetherearenostreetauctionsasinKeyWest,therewasjustasmuchbusinessdoneonthesidewalksandinthestreetshereasthere.
ItseemedverystrangetotheNorthernboytoseecattleandpigsroamingthestreetsatwill,andhewonderedthattheywereallowedtodoso.
Whenhesawoneofthesestreetcowsplaceherfore-feetonthewheelofawagon,andactuallyclimbupuntilshecouldreachabagofsweet-potatoesthatlayundertheseat,helaugheduntilhecried.
Withoutknowingorcaringhowmuchamusementshewascausing,thecowstoleapotatofromthebag,jumpeddown,andquietlymunchedit.
Thisfeatwasrepeatedagainandagain,untilfinallyanendwasputtoMark’sandthecow’senjoymentofthemeal,bythearrivalofthecoloredownerofbothwagonandpotatoes,whoindignantlydrovethecowaway,callingher“aolegood-fo’-nuffin’.”
“Becauseshecan’tclimbatree;”forhethoughtthisparticularcowcouldclimbatree,andwould,ifabagofsweet-potatoeswereplacedinthetopofitwhereshecouldseeit.
ItwaslateMondayeveningbeforetheyreachedhomewiththeirnewpurchases,andboththeyandtheirhorsesandtheircattlewereprettythoroughlytiredwiththeirlongday’sjourney.
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