She woke her husband, who at first was in despair, but she had recollected the story of Kit Carson, and howhe had fought fire by backfiring the prairie. The story of their youthful days, brought fruition, for by burning the grass about the wagon, they escaped the "red terror" that came after them over the distant hills. The others were not in the path of the fire, and were greatly relieved when the Scamahorns came on along the road after the fire had passed.
In due time the party arrived at Boiling Springs where Jim Dahlman worked in the early days, and here it was necessary to ford the Niobrara river. The oxen went into the water in good shape but turned down stream, and Rev. Scamahorn seemed to be able to do nothing that would change their course. The other men rushed in and by their combined efforts the stubborn beasts were turned to the shore. At Newman's ranch they had to again cross the river, and a bunch of cow-boys were there to see them arrive. They had heard of the "outfit of new settlers" and the "old preacher" with them, and they had planned that it would be a good joke to give him a "baptizing" in an apparently accidental way. As before, the oxen could not be controlled and turned stubbornly down the stream. The "old preacher" jumped into the water waist deep and made the team head for the shore without accident. Mrs. Scamahorn said she was concerned lest the chicken crate should fall into the water and her fowls be drowned. The cow-boys cheered and said they guessed he "would do." He asked to buy some hay, and they filled his wagon full, when one of them said: "Well, old Spookendyke, is that enough?" Mr.