Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 25, Number 37, Decatur, Adams County, 12 February 1927 — Page 3

■ TIIE I ynderstanding ■ Heart ■ gy PETER B* BiYNE I . th,, urged K iarO'H.a i.'P. u Hn-k.iind Hi ** '’ , | #a . r.l ■> •'I obt-du nee. fll »*■*• trarv liir animal turned and H Mru.ini: his steps. MaMi IfW 1 ' 11 H| ....... lb would nut go «■ xj fought iu fh ■Bi I ..I l.m'V.b-d;-HB „f mi-’es. he Ini'! Bi *' i ih,' i ’ mostly that. Bi S>l !’ vaa :i 1,10 r *’" «| « r t „. -P "I Baldy m- ■ f u ng!d atml, in th,, diceH ri ' ( th,, nor:!: wk dune bug SB fXk' I" •■ *’ y T an MM i." ,v " 1111 " s a ."' a ' Bl y». im and. while tie was tar from Ml “ Os venturing in tnal direcMl mil he ks" ”• il -‘t a few nines Mi X’ad lie wo " i ' l ' n ’ lbl " d t 0 MM lim-.i -a gramteSB Led hili about hundred feet MM °n' n." d h-vy timber. MB "--.H k.L: - i;: ■’"■ u ''' Ml in nLtruet.d vn v. of the fire and ■■ exact i ...alien and extent; MM tLiiccoitil'li^''" 1 "> li>. satisfation. Osa ;; s i -dmghM| He "'as not -a. ite<i. not even apmhensive. for h- mme of a race of ■ in hardship and MB ' aDi ,r were '.'l- '■.’■•■ath of life. ■■ Moreover. ’ Umizoils that ■H tie was tlic "ben spaces had BM H in hi:n □ ’- • ■ Possible BM tor urban (Udi, acquire. Even BM pmti had fail I ’■> kid it tn him. He BM was not afraid es lite’ Whatever life BM held for him ” ,ld a<’<''T” cheerIM fullv.igavdy '■■■:. which life |M Wfe fnr eVt ‘ r - v "‘ feature. BM 1 H»knew ' ::t ' lllllst l "' , ‘ ak eggs BM if one would have an omelette; he BM was prepared m any risk to ac|M tomplish his pt’: save that of takBB in? Biman Im h-m-e lie rode boldly. MB making no , r a conceal himself. BB He was qum- u solved on this— MB (tat it he eib (imi'.-rt-d a ranger or BB dejmiy sheriff mid the latter should BB ali upon him -nrr' nder he would |M refuse, lie would run for it and risk BB all the Intllets ;’. ould send after BB him. Perhaps one of those bullets M »wM bp friendly and. as it kissed BB bits, say: "AH rio;.-. Bob. old settler. |B Yon do not have to go back to San BB Qttenti/ 1 - I'm poiliu leave you right BB bera. at peace in your own country." B| He was troubled about the sheriff's |B b° rsf ' and rifle. ’i”' be was not a IB ,J|M - ble wondered if the sheriff B| would realize (hat ho had not really Bl stole neit!ki a.,! he had merely borBB OTe( ' ibem. He was aware that the BB b*«e was a mti< ent animal, genB| 'ourageoiH, well trained Bl “d Wl, '‘ an animint of stamina far |B i*-™ l ' rtwl 111 ’he ordinary rang? Bl * K>rse - Zeke Bentley's bound to real|B lie that if 1 get clear away I'll eend M ins horse and ril',,, back to him," he M concluded. Zeke’s a sensible man. M "’by. h“’s known me. man and boy, B| for twenty years!" H CHAPTER 18. SS ■ Front uneasy thoughts on Zeke H Bentley, Bob's mind wandered back ■l to Monica Dede “She didn't ba v e time B| to give me that money,” he reflected. B' when 1 get over into Canada B 111 write het under an assumed name. B> Shell understand and send me the ■| money. What a fine woman she is snd what a true friend she's Ireen to B ® e - And because of me I suppose ■I she 11 lose her job in the Forest ServB ltt “. Well, she'll have Honey Valley ■ ’ini she can sell that or mortgage it ■ and buy some cattle and operate the ■ ranch. She’s a woman, but she knows ■; ow'. Ah. Monica, Monica, what a ■| Pitiful fool I’ve been! There was a I' "* len Jnu have been happy i ,. ll “ , me so «he asking — and, fool mat I was. I didn’t ask!" | “is horse picked his way up the ! L r ! g ! y B,de <lf Bni?el’s Knob, climbs ront boulder to boulder, squee#Xss refUlly throui ? h the growth of 1 hp f u °' iße 'l’°le Pine, resting when tho h le Ileed commencing 'e hard climb again when he had in i w ® easur ® r ecovered his breath. Halfason and walkh beside hint. They came to the about < the 8 m° f K "° b a “ d 10 ° ked inJs!L? U ? t 0 the north a terrify- . of g H?m« T: » presenteil itself—a wall in U f - a - mile dee P» extending Ene P f c v ßemicircle east an( l west of fire had ' ln ’ mettiatel y in hont Bnn ,,. ® add . got into a patch of tbroueh o' tfle Ha,n e® were leaping rapidhv t t le > resinous growth with a r -*Mity truly appalling. ia th?'’, W ? re ,w ° atrata of fire—that "owns un< i e rgrowth and that in the crowns % th s P r «ce; and in the helpful any n ' orniUß breeze was a the hLJ. From crown to crown “Sility , r eaped wit!l the and ‘hunderoL de , r n°niac ape; a vast, Broach of rhL ng heraltl ed the apto the main fS hideous advance-guard The sL v army "destruction. sand feet ' rr o e in clouds a thoutuming twu y Wa L d ’ the s P a rks, coals, spewed on J 3 a nd pieceß of bark were v aruum erput'L:" l Out ' vard with the * h lch alr P3 t ed >y the terrlflc heat, ' ' fr °m ‘ thl y , WaS being reflected Kr.o b . the granite fa « of Engel's ln un he muf? a > fine Btart - the bur ning twem'r “Probably been s os 1 d the ty '°’ ,r hours and the , '"ntn" Monip ßm ? ke ' Wel1 ’ the * can’t And I'm f m a « tol not reporting it. cun’t stav n ° fl trom June -bug! We "ctubbY L? ?’ eithpr ’ Baldy. This r,fia '' to the I ° n Engel ' s tvill burn a r-d run m reßt ’ and >o«Tl go crazy I <leath, Ynn’r° ! and get burned to 'hut, Baldy 6 to ° good a horse for 'h^questiLn l sl ‘ a ‘ ! we do? That’s j • Cut off from June-bug

and forced back on Tantrum Mend<>ws — and that way the sheriff and his pose are waiting. Cut off from the country do the west, too, because by the time we can get back that way that flank of the fire will have swung east before the north-west breeze and pinched us back to whore we came from. "We’re caught Imtwoen the points of a horseshoe of fire—and that tiro will burn like the mill-tails of hell until it roaches the north fringe of Tantrum Meadows; then it will drive east. 1 can't follow it because there'll bo an army of men fighting it and back-firing from the east, and 1 can’t win through them. “If I try to get out of Tantrum Meadows at Its narrow western eml I’ll be blocked by the fire when It crosses there and sweeps eastward on the other side of Tantrum. Yes. there's a chance it will do that and climb tip over 41ogus, Monica’s there alone —she’ll stick at the lookout till the last—she hasn't any horse. . . . "Conte on, Raldy horse, we’re going back to Bogus—back in broad daylight and damn the odds. You’re ing back to Zeke Bentley, Tkildy, aW I’m going back to hell. Come on, boy, we’ve got to get out of here a-flyin’.” Down the rough southern slope of Engle’s Knob they went —now walking, now leaping, now trotting, now galloping whenever a fairly clear space of fifty yards showed. Baldy was trembling with fear, but once his back was turned on the terrifying sight, the soothing voice of his rider, the gentle strokes on his wet shoulders and neck, reassured him. Mason rode with a loose rein, giving the horse his head confident that the animal would, with the instinct and practice of a mountain-bred horse, pick the best route. Arrived at the base of the Knob, Mason pulled up and . looked back. The fire was just climbing over the crest of Engel’s! It had swept around the Knob, too, and was roaring down the canyon to the east. “Got to get through that spruc e and juniper ahead and on to the more open pine timber luyond,” he thought, “or we’ll be pinched off. All or nothing. Baldy.” And "he urged the gallant animal to greater speed. But fast as they proceeded, the fire was faster, for in spruce and juniper a forest first will travel faster than a horse. The roar of the cracking crowns, the thud of falling, halfburned limbs swelled to a roar like unto that of a furious sea, and the h<>at brought out the perspiration in great beads on man and horse. But Bob Mason knew better than to attempt to run before the fire. His sole hope lay in winning off to a flank —in getting out of its way and into timber where its progress would b e slower and his faster. Baldy grunted as he collided with a young spruce, and the man cried in agony as he felt the skin, the flesh perhaps, ripped from his knee. He felt numb, bewildered with pain and heat, and for the first time in many a year he clawed leather, for little burning particles were dropping on Baldy’s quarters and causing him to pitch instinctively in self-protection and protest as they burned through the hair. But the gallant animal never faltered in his forward course, although his black mane was beginning to turn brown and the unmistakable odor of burning hair was in Bob’s nostrils before the timber thinned jTerceptibly and the ground commence to slop< toward a flat. screamed in fear and agony, and at the encouraging shout from his rider redoubled his efforts. Now they were in a pretty little piece of park land, perhaps two hundred yards wide and three miles long, and through the center of it ran the west fork ot June-bug Creek, a wide, deep stream with higlu precipitous banks. But a mile to the west Bob Mason knew th e creek flattened out and he could ford it there. lie turned Baldy’s head in that direction and for the first time removed his hat and struck the horse with it. Down the long meadow they flew and now every drop of the thiee-quar ters of thoroughbred blood came tc life in that horse. Stretched low, his head flung outward, his scorched ears bent alertly forward, he spurned the bush gieen grass as his royal ancestors had sp'irned the soft dfft of many a race-track. He avoided springy wet ground and cleared four-fobt windfalls without a thought of what lay on the other side. And gradually the heat grew less, the hideous sound of the devouring flames died in distance, and the ford of the west folk was below him. . . . They were into it, off it, floundering in a deep pothole, swimming for a moment. Then Baldy’s forefeet clawed the gravel on the edge of the pot-hole and with a great gasping grunt he crawled half-way out, then stood and dropped his hot muzzle to 'the cooling surface. The man leaned down and scooped water up in his hat and drank as eagerly as the horse. But he was-fcug too good a horseman to permit his mount to drink his fill. He had no deMre to founder Baldy. Across the ford they plunged and into the timber on the other side. "No rest, Baldy, old man,” his rider crooned. "The west fork isn’t wide enough to stop a forest fire that travels in fifty-yard leaps. On your way, lad.” • Straight up a hill they labored, and at its crest Bob Mason pulled up. A mile to the west another fire had started and was gaining furious headway—ferocious tribute to the power of wind-driven cinders. He was being driven eastward again to the other point of tfTe fiery horseshoe! And again he asked hims.elf, "Can I win through between both points? Well, we’ll try, BiTldy.” Taking a quartering course they plunged forward, up hill and down dale, in and out between great brown tree trunks, stumbling over smooth rocks hidden in a deceitful carpet ot brown pine needles, ripping through buck thrush, white-thorn and manzanita; torn, bleeding, fainting they •

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1927.

pressed forward. Bob Mason could not toll from which direction the hear was greatosT—the oast or the west All bo know was that the western point of the horsetdioe was advancing with twice the speed of the other point, forcing him up to the latter. Baldy was spent. To force him now without a breathing spell would mean that ho must fall from exhaustion, and once he went down Bob Mason know he woulA not get up. And without Baldy he knew he could never reach the safe haven of Tantrum Meadows. Indeed but for the momentary rofreshmenr gleaned in the ford of the west fork of June-bug. they could not have come as far as they hull. He dismounted, removed the saddle, massaged the horse’s hack, readjusted the sadijle-blanket and saddle again. This operation, he knew, would ease the bruised and aching muscles of Baldy's tired back and withers. Then he wont forward at a running walk, gazing calmly about him, estimating his chances and the lay of the country before him, Presently he descended into a little valley,' and to the west of it a spur thrown across cut off the wind from that direction. “The fire from that quaiter will drop to half-speed for a while,” was the hunted man’s comforting thought, “so we'll not be in too great a hurry,. lllaldy. Take it easy, old man. Dewff in that valley there’s a spring and another drink waiting for us. Easy. boy. Easy does the trick —oh, good Jesus Christ!" The words were not a blasfhemy. They fell from his dry lips as an agonized prayer, a plea for mercy. From where h e was he had a clear glimpse of the narrow little canyon below him—a narrow strip of park land, like all these hidden mountain valleys and passes, and through the center of it ran the road from ranger headquarters up to the June-bug Creek station, where it joined thZ June-bug trail —wide enough for an automobile to travel —and continued oh up into the Modoc country. Mason'knew that people not connected with the personnel of the San Dimas National Forest quite frequently used this road —or trail, as it really was—to avoid a long detour oVer the county and state highways; hence, as he topped the rise, he paused and swept the trail with anxious eyes, for he half expected to see it lined with trucks filled with hastily recruited fire fighters sent up by the chief ranger. Instead, he saw approaching swit't’y from the direction of June-bug a small automobile with one person in t; at the speed with which it came down the little valley Mason knew the motorist barely won through from June-bug awl was hoping to get safely o the country farther west. CHAPTER 19. Mason, gleaning a perfect view of the sitnation from the heights above, knew that there was no hope. “You’re trapped, my friend,” he cried aloud. ‘Trapped like a tat! 1 can’t stop you you're too far away and my throat is to odry. You’ll be half-way up the larrow trail on the western spur when the fire will meet you, coming over on both sides of the trail. You won’t be able to turn around. The heat will bowl you over—gone like a dead leaf!" Yet he booted and with his hat beat his weary horse down the hillside, □earing gradually west, regardless of his own safety in his anxiety to be of possible service to the unwary motorist below. He "cursed aloud as his rantic signals remained unseen, his loarse, piping shouts unheard. He was not an escaped convict fleeing from man’s punishment now. Once more he was Bob Mason, a son of the □pen rafige, a man and not a number, answering the call of his simple faith and true to his masculinity. He h'ad forgotten himself, for in his desperate rush he had approached close enough to see that ther motorist was a woman! A woman in a shiny, pretty little roadster. Ah, God, she had left the narrow of meadow ind disappeared in the growth of valley scrub. She was climbing the trait to that barrier spur, oblivious of the demon bounding up the reverse slope to devour her. Balhy, grunting and far spent, lumbered off the hillside and out on the flat; he took the trail at a weary trot, though Mason flogged him with his hat, cheered him on with curses and endearing words. Into the scrub they went, following the trail as it wound among the somber shadows, out into -sunlight, into the shadow again — from life to death, from death to life —upward, onward, into the acrid odor of wood smoke again, into puffs of hot wind that careened over the crest of the spur into the ravening maw of the forest demon. And presenting he caught up with the woman — and hope died in his heart. She had almost reached the top of the grade when the futility of attempting further advance had become all too apparent. Frightened, bewildered, she had attempted to turn her car in the narrow trail and she had not been equal to the operation The little roadster had backed off the grade, and lay wheels upward some twenty feet below. Bob Mason urged Baldy down alongside the battered car. And then he saw. The vehicle in turning over the first time, had evidently flung the driver clear, but it had continued to turn and now the twisted wreck lay, on a little shelf of hard ground, across the" chest of the unfortunate driver, pining her remorselessly, a hopeless sacrifice to the demon. No, there was no hope! Not one chance in a million. It would require far more strength than he or Baidy possessed to lift that car off its victim—jacks, blocks and tackle, perhaps a team of horses. And thg woman was conscious! She looked up at him with tragic brown eyes out of a white but strangely resolute face. She spoke. “No hope, neighbor. Get out! My baby . . . there was a little spruce and the car hung against It . . . ten sec-

onds— tilted ... I throw the baby down-hill — dear. Thon the spruce cracked and the car —camo down on me. Don't try to save mo —save the baby. Be merciful —don’t leave mo to --he burned alive!" Bol>Mason's face puckered In agony. Ho glanced down the hillside and saw i: little while bundle that moved—a faint cry reached him. He nodded : nd drew his rifle fro mthe scabbard "I'd do as much fnr a yellow dog,” ho muttered. “Why shouldn't I do it far her?" He gazed down on her and i.odde; she closed her eyes and the llflo eitme up to his shoulder. "Oh, Christ, forgive me," ffe prayed in a strange whisper-and pulled away. (TO HE COWTINI’ED) Copyright 1828 Peter H Kyne by arrangement with King Features Syndicate, Inc —o — - Scripps-Howard Interests Buy New York Newspaper New York. Feb. 12. —(United Press) —The New York Evening Telegram today was purchaser by the ScrippsHoward interests. Passing of the distinguished newspaper from the hands of Wm. T. Dewart, who recently purchased the Evcning Sun and Evening Telegram from the estate of Frank A. Munsey, was ; nnounced jointly by Dewart and Roy W. Howard, chairman ot the board of tile Scripps-Howard organization. The acquistion of telegram by the Scripps-Howard concern will bring the total of the Scripps-Howard Newspaper publications up to 26 and will mark its first appearance in the NewYork field of Journalism.

J STARTING TODAY! I | A TWO WEEK’S SALE OF GERBER BETTER-BUILT g e FURNITURE. AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUY 1 QUALITY FURNITURE AT THE LOW PRICE. fi Sale Held At Our Store Room 243 W. Monroe St. s 5 • I BB ' I Ii I i R 5 SUITE No. 1 ‘ SUITE No. 2 SUITE No. 3 ffi 0 ’A $275 Value. High grade Mo- A $175.00 Value. .lacquered A $l(»5.00 Value. .lacquered LE e hair, carvings in back, panels, Velour, wood carvings in back, Velour. Wood carvings on feet and feet, full webb bottom, all panels, fronts and feet. Moss . ■ ........i s Moss -ind tow fill- iuE g moss filled. Damask reversible filled, webb re- ‘ mi / ‘ hi, 1 ® 5 cushions. vesible cushions. c<l lc ' erMblc cushions. Special for two weeks Special for two weeks. Specitil lor Iwo Weeks. $198.00 $145.00 $135.00 sj | SUITE No. 4 SUITE No. 5 SUITE No. 6 j| 0 A SIBO.OO Value. High Grade A $155.00 Value. High Grade A $150.00 Value. High Grade gg § Mohair. Reversible cushions, Jacquard Velour. Webb con- ‘ , Jacquard Velum-. Webb con- S h . i , „ struction. moss 1 tiled reversible struclion, moss lijlctl. reversi- gfi] f »steel construction. , . , , „ ie S cushions. tile cushions. e Special for TvCo Weeks. Special for Two Weeks Special for Two I $147.50 . $135.00 $130.00 I | SUITE No. 7 SUITE No. 8 SUITE No. 9 | A $145.00 Value. High Grade A $130.00 Value. Jacquard Vc- A $1’25.00 Value. Jacquard Ve- -J] fi Jacquard Velour. Wood slat lour. Steel slat construction, lour. Steel construction. C construction, reversible cushion tow filled, reversible cushions. LE e Specitd for Two Weeks, Special lor Two Weeks, Special lor two Weeks, ’ $125.00 $98.00 $75.00 | s s | Every one of these suites have 3 pieces, ]f we f ] o no t have the suite on the floor ifj Dfivenport Chair and Fireside. They that you |jke b)?st you may select your 1 are built the same as the other suites J . * , , x =b - that make Gerber’s Furniture so style and cover and have it budt to ’ popular. your individual taste. ! Gerber Furniture Store | 243 W. Monroe St. DECATUR, INDIANA Phone 60$.

Report That Judge (Jury Will Retire Is Revived New York, Fob, 12.—-<United I're-s) Reports currojii for two years I hat Judge R. H. Gary would retire In April as (hairman of the board of the U. S. 'Steel Corporation and be piieceeded by former Gov. Nathan L. Miller of New York were revived today. The Now York \rbrld printed at length, today a story of the plans for Gary's retirement, saying that it has obtained Its'lnformation from sources Intimately familiar with the affairs of the corporation and is not to be offset, by diplomatic denials or refusals of comment by the principals ’ involved.” The World said Miller was Gary’s own selection as his successor but J that formal approval of the selection . by the board 4)f directors remains to be given. o Bowen Farm Sale • Highly Successful i ' Joseph Bowen’s auction sale, held ’ at his farm near Willshire. Ohio. Weds nesday, was one of the most successful of the year, totalling over $9,000 r it is reported. The sale, well advertis- ; ed thiough the Daily Democrat and - other papers and t > Mr. Bowen’s 1 wide acquaintance and high standing, drew a large crowd, the bidding was brisk and everything sold at good

prices. The work of the nuctlonncers. Col. Roy Johnson and William Me . era, of this city, and R. 11. Bevington, es Ohio, was of high grade and Mr. Bow j (•ii Is moio than plen-ed. Billy Putter son handled the clerk's end of Ihe - uli j , and did it to perfection, W. A. Kiepper liss returned from i trip to Florida and Cuba and i-pirt a delightful time.

B : THE HIGHWAY LEADING TO PROSPERITY Along this broad highway you will find THRIFT. ECONOMY. AMBITION, Persistence and last but not least a'BANK ACCOUNT. If you have not a Rank Account you are on the wrong highway. ’ Better get on this highway before Adversity over- ' tak&s you. THE PEOPLES LOAN & TRUST CO. I * ' BANK OF SERVICE |

GIFT AND HAT SHOPPE Como in and be fitted in Mm of our new corselet.!<ri or girdles. Every garment guaranteed. 36UJ NOTICE I, the undersigned, will not be rej sponsible so rany debts contracted by i George I’. TeTTfffd, from tills date, February S, 1927. and lids is notice that th,, said George I'. Telford Is not my agent nor agent for Decatur Country f’lub. Signed 33-Ct PAUL SCHULTE.

THREE