A Ride For Life

Önr vvlio has niívcr seen ;i prairie in' ean liave bul little idea of the teror it inspires in the breast of a persou . ho is likely to beconie exposcd to its l'ury. My father w;us a lïontiersman. md trom a chiltl I was accustomed to Ihe wild rude lile of a fnr west home. Many a ïiiglit when the sky was lit iip witil the lurkt glare of the great lires that swept the prairies for miles irouud, I would sit and watch then, jut an incident wliich came near costii}r me my life, cured me forever of my infatuation for sueli scènes, and wluel) I will liere relate. My father moved west from Kentucky to retrieve his fallen fortunes by slarting anew among ent i re strangers, on au equallty with theui as far as finalices were concerned. I never found out the exactcauseof liis reverse of fortnne, but I have a dim suspicion that it resulted frem too strong an attraction tor the sjwrts of the turf. It was a subject carufiilly avoided in the family. Of all the thoroughbred horses that father owned, he brought bat one west, a yearling colt, which he gave tender care. The colt graw op in line forin and splendid fettle, and inheriting my fathers fondness for hoi-ses, became my especial pet. My father brokehim so gradually that I can hardly remember the time he became four years oíd I was on his back onstantly, gallopmg over the broad prairies free as air. No road seemed oo long, and no animal so swift that I mild notovertake it. "We seemed to ïave ft complete understanding, ind ny guidingof the hoise was more by oud and gestare thtoby the use of that nstrument of torture in "some hands, the jiidle. I Ie would stop at c mmaud, sheer ;o riglitor left by a motion of tlwhead, r rear on bind feet at a given signaL Cnowing hls aetiona so intimately and ïis ohcying my directions so quickly ind faitlifully, it was not difficult to keep equilibriuin ander most trying iircamstanees, for I knew what to deend on. One evening as I was helpng prepare supper, my father came in md told me l must mount Fleetfoot ind go in search of part of the cattle that had not come un with the drove !íQW that preeious commodity known is boys was notan articlc of onr fainily, md I was aa used to the saddle as any leidsman for miles around, aceordingly [ was soon cantering over the prairie, nul although there was a storm brewng in tlie weat and a high wind at my back l rode as fearless as a young Inliap. Now it had been no uncommon thliig of late for the eattle to stray trom their conimon range as it was getting late i-ntheseaaon and this with a want of rain liad driwl and parcheil the tall rank grass excepting alongthe banks of streams, accordingly I took my course t#ward the river wbich lay about four miles off. However there were prospects of a heavy rain just now, and after riding something over two miles I turned to retrace my steps, when what was my consternation to lind that a large prairie lire had originafced between me and my home. The wind was tnereaslng every moment and luul been the canse of deafening the toar of the llames, which now spread bcfore me far and wide. My mal iiiijiuise wa lonue iroiiml il, Dut the smoke was already filüiig the air and, compaiatively Bpeaking, the llames were already upan me. My only choice was to outride it. Xearly two miles to the west lay the river and if I could veach it 1 was safe. Bat a wide ra vine lay between and I well knew if it did not impede my progresa it would be no banier tothe roaring flamea that by thig Umethreatened my doom every moment as they leaped liigli into the heavens and lit up the glooni of nightfall with a wild unearthly glare. Bul Fleetfoot was well named and the only fear I had was the crossing of the ravine. The smoke was already stitiing lid I knew that two minute t dèlay would be my inevitable doom. It was a moment of thc.greatest suspense, with no tune lo ehoose a crossing. 1 chose the nearest point Thcn giving the sphitcd animal the rein I bent forward to the very inane, urging liim to the utmost and together we made the fearful leap. He struggled for n moment as we reached the opposite bank, Uien regaininghis fuoting plunged on, and not too soon either, for the tire had made the crossing as well as we, and seomed to travel laster than ever. Uut on we sped and to add to the scène of terror the storm was nearly upon us. The thunder seeined to shake the heavens aild vivid llashes of ligVtning lit up the heatens. Itseemed an age to me before I reached the waters, and a moment alter I rode into it the Dames Bwept the banks behind us. The rain liad now begun to f all and Fleetfoot, thoroughly tevrified with fear at the roaring elements, reared and plunged, threatening every moment to unseat me. Half paralyzed with fright I endeavored to turn his head toward the shore, and in doing so lost nvy balance and feil into the current. The clouds were by this time pouiing rain and but for my excellent knowledge of Bwimming sbould have been drowned. With one last desperate eft'ort I made back for the shore and us I reached its banks feil down insensible. When 1 came to I foimd Fleetfoot standing by me, evidently ashamed of the fear he had shown. He gave a low whinny of joy at sceing me ahve, and showed so evident a dcsire for me to remount tliat 1 simimoned Btrength enough to niake the attempt, when he carefullt carried me home. I have lived to see every prestig ( of prairie sod lor mile around me turned by the plow and my husband now owns the very tract of ground over whicli I made my wild ride; vet years have not ett'aced from my mimi the terror of that hour when I rode for mv life.