Show brave stephen tho in warren gladden was a settler pine creek at the time of the die arous trous forest fires in and H CoUn counties counder deS mich sc acme me yeary years since family consisted of himself his v and baby girl garl A boy of fourteen made his ho with the gladdens worked tor for board and attended school stephen boyd was an orphan nel bors bore shook their heads when tl learned that the boyd boy had bad b 50 taken in by the gladdens and prop aled all sorts of trouble the bo had not been regarded with favor h ing had a reputation for and how could his son aon be any belt they changed their minds thon after the fire and it happened in t way school adjourned prematurely premature pre matur oo 00 afternoon aftem the teacher had bad melved aelred news that the woods were fir atre and that the fire was coming th way As warren gladdens house v the nea nearest stephen was allowed to home first the other ot ber children w soon coon after him the teacher bringing the rear stephen found mrs gladden grea the alarmed and advocated starting the allford Sl lford ford but ere that could he be read there were woods and the fire seen to be spreading around in that adli tion mrs gladden was sure tl is would donld be cut off then stephen p posed fighting fire with fire and bu ing the brush heaps ht aps around the hoi and thus hasten basten the destruction dest ruedon the the property exclaimed mrs al den he well I 1 dont know replied the b a thoughtful look filling his eyes remember once when I 1 was real am seeing men where my father wort save a mill from burning by build back fires and I 1 think if we co burn up all the loose stuff about tit before the big fire comes along to would be safe aade it you are only a boy stephen 1 I know with a downcast lo 10 then the boy walked wall led away short distance from the house water in n the open boat to towa tug ing rain min began to fall fal and n day dan dawned arned the fire had b ami out so nearly that our friend d d safe for them to land slowly stephen and his big is chia char their way back to the clearts ring on on creek here by the smoking ruins the house they found warren gladden gladd and several neighbors gloomily sarv n ing the ashes warren gladden alarmed at the i ports of the fire which reached him town had hastened his return hon when he first entered the clearing his believed that his wife anid ana baby we victims of the fire when mrs gladden told the story her escape through the aid of steph boyd the boy was wag showered ri praise until his cheeks tingled r T merrill in philadelphia inquirer 0 is has AD CA it be I 1 dis 7 it the mil it and one for sav ed paused and looked in the direction the fire clr he saw that it was waa fast by dins cling about the little clearing and t the they would soon be hemmed in all AJI at once stephen thou thought bt of pond it was a mile off and to re it they must go diagonally across country and part way through woods but once there they would e it is doubtful id he v hethel we burned all the brush in the clear we could save the horse let us m for the pond I 1 know where inc al tom leaves his canoe come en mrs gladden hastily made prep he afons for flight gathering a few ne sary articles in a satchel she pla this in the hands of stephen t snatched matched up her babe and followed fol loved sit boy across the clearing to the r to a leading to the lake to down the forest road boy and man ran actuated by the impulse self preservation A sudden outcry from mrs glad brought stephen bod to a halt of most in their pathway leaped a glow stephen turned quickly he saw 1 the and exertion were sug ing upon his benefactress still their path lad had sprung up a n flame having been started b ya brand blown from a pine knot by rising zal gale d a before them a fire was rapidly lar barging ging fanned by the wind and by dry decaying embers mrs G be den was pale and panting utterly lapsed cant you go on he asked b ing over her his own face white terrible fear hl not another step she gasa save my child stephen and let the die here four flinging aside the satchel he be 1 the attle e girl from her mothese mot heie s ai and speaking her name asked her he clasp him about the neck ad c tightly the child obeyed stephen now having his bis hands 1 in lifted mrs gladden to her feet an spoke a word of encouragement in ar ear he then pushed forward 1 dragging half leading the w WOE geol down dow the road until after an inte which seemed to him thrice Us ac length he be cried thank godl god theres therea the water Is NEM mrs gladden stumbling va with bow d head bead mined her eyes she the AM tone thue kinc since e she had fa gure bute enough there was waa the miter enter between the trees now for the caboot cried led step his an AH through the long plight the he md gaid woman an and child remained ea on OB 9 U i |