| Show I 1 i a i r r Pl Plain Pete te Becomes Becom sa a Hero Story of a Western Western Prairie rairie I Fire F I I BT BY MAUD WALKEr STEP ANDERSON AD was t the e son so n of O t tn n poor farmer Indeed Indeed every one P In the county nty where Peter Teter llred was poor So to be poor was lVA not in Itself a disgrace In that part of the world w dd nor did it set men apart from fr m mth th their r fellows All fought the tb same bard hard fight In a new country where rata rain ral l was w s I IlI scarce lI a and crops were III r few f And Ad all aUw were I possessed of rare courage conrage and and splendid hope h I Nature had done ne so little for lor f r Petr Peter Anderson It had crowned his bIs huge buge head h d i With brilliant red hair hal It had covered j his h fares with brown freckles It had en endowed I f dowed him with w large f feet t and an d hands bind 1 both being exposed to sun and air and the view viers vie of all aU whose eyes yeS fen feD upon tIP Peter Pet Peter er for tor shoes were only to o be worn worn I orn In Inthe Inthe Inthe the severest winter weather and gloves glares 1 n not t at all The latter were for tor folks folka fain and fair Pair ladies ladles And Peters manners manners were not as refined or easy as were the manners of boys who bad had moth mothers mo moers ers or grandmothers to instruct them In such things Wags Peter knew no refined feint femi feminine f ml nine influence His grandmothers had died died before his birth His mother bad had depart departed ed this life Ute when Peter was w s a tot toto of three SO from front Infancy Peters sole sale salet teacher acher t and dally daily companion n at home had been his goodna ored I 1 but uneducated father a poor farmer on o the Western Plains Plain During Daring four or six months of each year Peter reter went to the little district school two tito miles from his home bome The school was was taught by bya a young man who did not bother himself about the general deportment deport deportment deportment ment of his pupils They could learn finery at home bome he be said Raid And the boys bolS i who had bad mothers did learn finery nt at home which meant to remove their hats or caps on entering a house to talk quietly and to laugh moderately to ask I few questions and to avoid being rude rode or bold toward towa d others to use knife nail I fork tork properly and many other ways to follow fonow certain rules of etiquette j And P Peter Peter Anderson having haTing none Done of t this training soon became known as Plain Pete Both In manner canner and ap appearance appearance appearance Peter was most unprepossessing And often otten his bis comrades at school chool made Jests at his expense When Joked concerning his has huge hands and feet teet and long sinewy arms be he would laugh broadly brol lT and declare But my fists an arms an air powerful stoat boys boy I kin handle bandle half haIt a dozen of ot you you fellows at once Ton all live on pie an white bread I 1 live lire on corn com coin dodger an buttermilk Im not puny to look Jook nt t but And Peter would double doable up upp his fists ata and straighten out out his muscUlar muscular muscular lar arms showing his strength Golly I 1 could most lift a 11 boss hou be he said one day When the spring opened and the ground und was ready for tilling the country ool was dosed closed clos for far t the season The Tho boys were ere needed n on the farms and a d could not O spare the time timeto to attend schooL So Pet Peter er eror or Plain Pete ete as the women and aad girls of the community called him hims was once more alone with his father on farm and rarely did cUd they go h to visit haft the neighbors during the th The bosses hosse are too tired togo to go o a o t a Sunday old Mr Anderson Andersonn would w uld say when Invited by some of othe the neighbors to come over on Sunday an fetch letch Pete Fete an stay to dinner The Th wife is goin to kill kUla a rooster an therell the U be some Ome But all this homely routine of ot Fetes Petes life Ute bas has little or nothing to do with th my mysto story sto of how bow he became a hero It happened hap bap happened In this way During Daring the spring and following the first rains raina the dry grass of the prairie becomes be omes like tinder Under under the hot April and May M y suns And then it fa is that the property and life lite Ii tl menaced on the plains by the fierce prairie fires that break out oat o now and again sweeping like a whirlwind every everything everythIng everything thing before them It is 15 the custom on n the frontier to prepare firebreaks and It Is a lazy farmer who wh neglects n to to pro provide provide vide vl e his family and property with such protection On the farm adjoining that of the Andersons was a poor farmer fanner larm who had bad been ill iii during the spring and who had not pot been able to plow his firebreaks fire firebreaks breaks With him lived his aged mother who was very frail being unable to walk any an great distance On a beautiful though windy morning in early May the theman theman man maIl whose name was Jones started to too town on a matter of ot business just be before before before fore hitching his horses to to the th big farm wagon he be b remarked to his mother Next ext week I 1 must m st plow low some firebreaks Dickinson county was was swept by a terrible fire a few tew days ago Anderson told me about it as is he be passed here this morning on his way y to town He offered to come come over OTer and plow mine for tor me but as Im Imon Imon Imon on the mend now T i will be able to do it myself myel In a few days Yes Tes es it te la dangerous to have haTe no fire ire firebreaks firebreaks breaks brea replied the aged ag Mrs Jones Ton ion must mast attend to the matter as soon as you yon can mn sot son I After Mr Jones bad departed for town bis ht mother returned to the little sod shanty to wash up the breakfast things She was In hi the midst of her mornings work when I suddenly a strange estrange odor came cameto I to her on the wind She dropped the work and went to the door the I atmosphere tino ip ere A shudder went through her herold herold herold old body bOOt for It was burning grass that she smelt And far tar to the west w st hung a alow alow I low l w line of haze hUe to the frontier people a sign of the fire which I is coming Fear seized the aged woman for she had bad no place of safety There was one field broken but it was only a n patch with th grass graM and stubble fields all about It To try to the live on on that spot In the midst of the smoke and nd fire would be out of ot the question And she could not walk to the neighbors neighbor her frail strength would not endure It t Her son had been linen gone over an hour and as he was traveling from the source of o the fire doubtless ss would not become con conscious selous of it tin till he had bad reached town And he be could not drive drie home in time to save her for tor If the fire were on Its way war down the valley Talley toward her ber home It would reach there before another hour Oh what shall I do doT doI she asked herself heisel What Is to become of me meShe me meShe She got together a few tew valuables wrapped them In an old shawl preparatory preparatory preparatory tory to leaving the house bouse If It the worst came came she would attempt the field of plowed ground And by all hazards she must preserve her ber sons eons valuable papers his tax tu receipts receIpt and a for S 30 50 A Besides there was his Sunday suit snit of o black and her own black silk dress with the white lace collar one she had worn worD for to ten years All these things she made Into a bundle with the intention of ot burying them in the plowed field While she was thus busying herself ber elt and trembling in every limb but praying to her God in whom she trusted a voice spoke to her suddenly from the doorway Mrs Jones a fires Here get ready quick an come with me Mrs Jones turned to see Plain Pete standing at the door his freckled face serious but brave Come dont waste a moment he be urged d But where am lm I 1 to go goT asked the theold theold theold old woman Have BaTe you yon a II wagon here You Yon see my son John went to town this I know I saw him over OTer the thelong thelong thelong long hill hill bill Interrupted Pete Dad has gone to t town too so BO were without bosses or wagon Ill IU have haTe to be both for you yon Mrs Irs Jones Here dont stop to talk Smell Smelt that smoke Golly WeT Were get no time Ume to fool away Come git gat on my back Ill hold bold my arms behind me to tomake tomake tomake make a saddle l ull set safe sate enough Youre not a gal of 12 Youre Toure so spare Come Com or r well welt be too late Golly I can smell the smoke and see cinders clad ers For a few moments the old woman was WS uncertain about trying to ride into safe safety safety safety ty on Plain Petes Pete s broad strong back but fear of the coming fire and trusting the strength of the big boy she soon complied with his orders and was on his bis bisback back hanging about his neck with her h l II trembling old arms She slid did ld not weigh b more than 90 pounds for as Pete had hadu u S i r I Q I p IIII lili ll lu lun n i A j d i lire j J June ne a ires re cumin c Here Bere get ready read quick t an aa a come With me sac meV V r 1 J said she was spare to emaciation Now Xo is 18 this to go along asked Pete grabbing up the bundle Oh yes if you dont mind said theold the theold theold I old lady And she hung it over O l one arm Then off ort set Pete not stopping to close I the door d l of the shanty Its It s all the same to the fire whether the doors open or not he said philosophically It dont stop to knock anyway An Mrs Jones I r reckon its goodby to that ole house forever That Th t fires coming pell mell down the valley and arid this place is Isn In n its ita path the winds helping it ft too As Pete talked he be ran across the prairie prairie rie not going out of his way to gain the road On and on he went his strong large feet as sure as those of a deer And the sinewy arms held the trembling frail trail old form torm on his back Otherwise the th poor old woman would have haTe fallen off oIL The run rim between the farms of Ander Anderson Anderson Anderson son and Jones was one and a 11 half halt miles and Pete had bad the advantage of the fire as he was going east the direction the I fire was traveling So he had that much j In his favor But twice he be was obliged to slacken his pace for f r the burden on his back became very henry heavy and once be he feared be lie might be unable to get through But pulling palling all his young strength together t eth ether er and making a aTe vow sow to reach his own home ome In safety Ith the dear old woman on his back managed to gain the dooryard Just V t a fire behind him was entering the Joy jot shanty eating up the furniture and clo Ing therein A few tew hours after the fire had hd passed I over oer and anel had bad died from want of ot more fuel Mr Jones Joncs and Mr Anderson were seated in the house bouse of the latter lauer while I old Mrs Jones lay half halt exhausted on n the bed Pete was miS down about the horse lot feeding fee hig the stock He lIe had gone to the public road to meet Mr Jones and to tell him that his bis mother was t S safe at his own house horse But not a n word did he tell tellof tellof tellof of his part put In saving saTing the dear old lady Jady And when the son got the story from his mothers mE lips he broke down and md wept like a child Hes one of them fellers tellers you TOU call a hero he lie sobbed An to think folks call him Plain Fete Pete Gosh Hes the tM handsomest feller teller in the tho world That he Is said Grandmother Jones from the bed bro Hes moren a hero Hes a saint on ou earth He lIe run TUn the risk of o beta bem burned alive Just to save an old woman May God bless him himmen Amen men said Petes father tather In a low voice I always my boy was tas no common dirt An Au so eo all nIl the th folks will TIll find out now And all the folks did find It out oat too I and Plain Pete became the hero of the community and even e e 1 the young girls be began b bI began gan to think him the handsomest feller teller I in the county |
