The Republican journal., 1902-11-06
"Why so?" l asked CURLY, for h,

ton that Frank did; open your noStrils.
You smell smoke"
"Well, suppose | do smell smoke
I've smelt it before from your old black
pipe. DO you think because | smell
'smo-oke' that I'm going to sit here on
this little log all day and do nothing?"
| was little angry
Il don't mean to keep you, Alex"
said this never irritated John Tapley,
''but predict that you'll be comforting
an everlasting blessing on yourself by
remaining somewhere near that little
log all day "
Despite my protests the two boys de
cided against my plan and were for re-
manning at home.
During the afternoon the light wind
shifted, the air was cleared, and our
spirits were greatly enIivened. | must
confess that during the early morning |
had had my fears of forest ire, and it
was not till Tapley pointed out the sig
nlticance of the animals moving i'll one
NtlISS tloil ttS lllouS IL llilliliiS away Ilolll
danger, that ! saw the truth in the OBJ
seryation But now that the air had
cleared my patience. which had been
provoked by the long idle day was
sorely strained. | sulked disagreeably,
ate my supper in silence and went to
my hammock in silence, and so made
myself and the two boys exceedingly
lil-splrited. But the idle day was soon
forgotten for early in the evening |
fell into a heavy sleep.
It might have been eleven O'Clock. |
do not think had been sleeping much
over four hours, when | was startled
into Wakefulness by the shouting of
Tapley Fire Get up, boys Fire,
Fine
was on my feet and into my clothes
in an instant. There was strong smell
of the burning forest in the tent and
outside a strange lurid light was glim-
mering. Half awake. or half da7ed. |
followed Tapley and Frank out into the
strange weird night The wind was
blowing a terrific gale. while the trees
were moaning and groanlng, and | re
member distinctly to have heard the
distressing cry of a moose as he swept
past us to place of safety. The smoke
would at first roll down upon us. sud
denly it would recoil and stink away
and then we could see the dark water
of the lake and the boat before us. The
fire was yet some distance off but COM
ing Oh like race-horse At first we
seemed to hear low distant grumble
as OF thunder heralding a storm: then
when we had reached the boat the low
gumble had changed to swiftly sue
ceedlng crashes
We clambered aboard and pushed the
boat from shore. Then the race began.
Tapley and | took the oars, leaving
Frank in the bow to watch out for
rocks or sunken logs. 1t was a long.
steady, firm stroke. The light boat
seemed to leap out of the water. Paus-
ing for breath, we were fairly deafened
by the sounds in the great forests. We
saw the west to be atlame, and frequent
| riffs in the clouds of smoke showed us
everywhere seething wlir OF flashing
light. Our eyes burned fearfully as the
hot air settled down about us
| We bent once more to the oars and
again we sped along-one-tw o-tive-
twenty thirty-sixty strokes: we must
rest. How sutfocating it all Was-the
smoke, the flying brands, the hot air,
| the deafening roar and thunder.
And now the boat began rolling and
pitching. The strong winds were pill
ing the waves of the little lake higher
and higher ana we were floating along
Oh immature ocean. We had now
gone about half way across. By pad
ding HOW and then we could keep the
boat headed to the wind and waves. and
somewhere near the centre of the lake
! From above us came the sound as of
bursting shells Look ing up we could
see great balls of red and blue light
gather and burst, scattering and trail
ing the fire. More than once our clothes
were ablaze so that we dragged our
coats in the water and then wrapped
them around our bodies.
| Never will | forget that night. We
waited out there how long | do not
know; it seemed a century | could
hear nothing save continual grind
and crash: could see nothing save the
binding flashes of the fire-balls; under
me could feel the irregular pitch and
quivering of the boat.
The night dragged on. Hour after
hour we waited there, hot and choking,
our eyes filled with tears and smarting
fearfully-waiting for morning. 1t
seemed as if it would never come. But
gradually the noise grew less and less
loud, the wind little by little spent it.
SELF and the boat rose and fell in long
and regular pitches. Still the sickening
smoke settled down over the lake thick
er than ever
At last after endless waiting the
morning broke. We could not see the
| fnr ho oil