Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-31


either quarter Then. as the night approach
ed they watched anxiously for ooat' Du'
nothing met their gaze save the nod0ihe 4'es'
The darkness prevented fusher work on
the raft. and. with the fire burning Drlghti!'
the bows waited in suspense Tor some slen
telling that their messages had been received
by those on the schooner.
At every sound from the water the ANXIOUS
party on the shore started and gazeo eagerly
down into the gloom that made the rlNer look
like stream OF ink; but each time they were
DISAPPOINTED. It was ten O'Clock, and II any
Of their messages had been received they
should have been answered before THIS
Perhaps they can't see our FIRE, suggested
Val. 'Being on the shore, as It IS, 1t may De
hidden by some point on the river, and they
have turned back, thinking that the hunting
Dartv has cone to our assistance
1t was not a probable supposluon, but all
hands preferred to believe 1t rather than
think their signals had failed to attract aiVen-
tion.
Lets build fire on the end Of the raft,
proposed Val. They viii be sure to see see. 1t
then, and anything will be better than si''lng
here counting the seconds.
Wen do It. and perhaps the saplIngs VIII
burn. and we shall get nd Of some Of the
work Of chopping the fsstenings'
large armful Of fuel, carrying it to the ex-
treme end Of the raft.
In a short time huge pile Of klndlngs
and wood had been collected, and the rays Of
this new beacon iIlumined the black1ooking
water until il sparkled like diamonds.
sHurrahl" cried Val, as the fastenlngs Of
two of the logs were burned asunder, and
they hoated down the stream, blazing fercely
in the breeze that was springing up II they
didn't see our flags, they can't fan to see the
flames: and besides, we are getting rid Of our
raft without having TO do 50 much work with
the axes"
So far as dispensing the raft was concern
ed the fire was a great success, and the boys
wondered why they had not thought OF the
scheme before BY that means the work could
have gone on night and day without fatigue
10 them
As the breeze sprang up, it famed the
blaze until il spread in every direction, burn
ing hercely and log after log drifted away
into the night. a messenger OF light to those
whose attention the boys hoped to attract.
But little notice was at first paid to the
progress the fire was making upon the raft.
1t was serving such a good purpose that IL
was not until fully one half Of the logs were
ablaze on the top that there was any thought
Of possible danger
much blowing from directly across the river,
that the timbers no longer drifted away. but
remained as closely packed IN as If the fasten-
inrs were stillf Intact.
The heat had become 50 great that the boys
could no longer remain on the logs but were
forced to shelter themselves on the shore, and
they began TO realize that fire is a very bad
master. however good a servant it may be.
do YOU think there is any danger that the
Yacht viii be burnedg" asked Val, IN a tone
of alarm.
We ought to have had more sense than to
start the ire ] am afraid we have DESTROYED
the steamer by our carelessness. Then he
sdded. as he ran toward the Yacht. Come
oni we must fight the flames, and perhaps
we may be able to save her. bad as things
look.
Midget. and with these the boys proposed to
fight an enemy against which five times their
number could have accomplished nothing.
Although they were directly on the river,
flIev were as badly situated as if the water
had been fifty yards away, Tor they were
Obliged to go 70 one side or the othcr OF The
raft to get it..
The tons of the logs were as dry as tinder,
exposed as they probably had been for months
10 the ravs of a tropical sun, and the flames
swept over them rapidly, while 1t was i'm
possible for the boys to get near enough 10
ase the water to any advantage
1t Is no use said Arthur. after they had
fought against the ire nearly half an hour
without checking il in the slightest I'VE
have burned the Yacht, for that's about what
Il amounts 10, and the only thing we can do
now IS to save what there is on board OF
Val stood irresolutely a moment. with his