The San Francisco call., 1905-03-19

brush. 1t burned his eyes and hurs
his lungs. The heat OF the fire, too,
added to the hot rays of the sun,
scorched and blistered his skin.
With his long red hair hanging wet
over his face. Carrots chopped his way
through the first patch OF greasewood
to the open pinon fiat. Here he resort
ed to the shovel again, keeping his fire.
break away from the trees and needles.
He worked his way swiftly across the
fiat. and started upon the swale
through the brush higher up.
The fire had now nearly reached the
top. There must be no faltering. no
resting.
The heavy banks of smoke crowded
in upon him until he had to throw
himself face down to fill his lungs with
air. But always he would rise to his
knees again, and continue swinging the
ak. He wondered why the men did not
come, why he alone was there to fight
the fire He wondered if he could con-
quer, if he could save his fathers
house and oil. But with all of his
thoughts he continued to chop the
brush away from the swale.
Carrots gained a short respite as the
fire won the top. for mountain fires.
although they burn rapidly up the hill.
burn more slowly on the ridges Down
hill they eat their way with the pace
of a snail.
II he could only gain on it and force
il to burn away from the oil! He set TO
work with renewed eagerness, cutting
his swinging curved swale along the
slope.
He was working in the fire now.
What did it matter if his hands and
face did smart; If his shoes were shriv-
cling and burning his feet; IL he could
not breathe or see. if he could only cut
off the fire on the favorable downward
slope?
Working along the edge OF the fire in
whirling heat and flame; standing in
smoke and hot ashes-Carrots beat out
the burning grass with his shovel or
chopped new cutoff around some
slowly burning brush heap.
Slowly he gained at first; then as the
fire began to lag on the downward
slope he forged ahead and gained
the top of the canyon And then at
last he knew that the fire was cut on
from the lower cos@try. 1t is true that
it had vast expanse of brushy noun
tain ahead of it. but that was beyond
his control. At least it was headed
away from the house and the oil camp.
Carrots stopped for a bare moment TO
breathe How his parched tongue and
throat thirsted for water and his whole
body for rest. But he could not rest
now. There was still work to do.
twenty feet high rush on up the noun
tain. then he turned and walked down
lis swale. cutting 1t a little wider here
and there. or scraping away the burn
ing twigs from the path.
And then there only remained a big,
black, smoking mountain slope, with
little patches of brush burning idly IN
the yellow sunlight
Half way down the ridge Carrots met
the oil men stamping out the last
smoldering embers. The wide clean
swale had excited their wonder and
admiration. Little did they imagine
who the worker was, until they saw
the black. scorched, hatless Carrots
stumbling through the ashes and
burnt brush.
II guess my boy is all right" Mr..
Patton said a little later. with his hand
on Carrots shoulder.
There was something in the tone and
toucN that had not been there before
a new note, a new tenderness Car
rots suddenly found himself embAr-
rassed beyond words Something
beautiful had suddenly come into his
life. He tried to break away, but this
time he could not escape unnoticed.
TT is all right, my boy. I UNDER
stand"
oh" exclaimed Carrots. In confu-
sion. II wanted to tell you I didn't
forget the alfalfa I worked hard and
finished 1t first
Mr.. Patton remembered his words
of few hours before with a sudden
pang. He it was who now became en-
barrassed.
It's all right. my boy" he said. 'T
shall not misunderstood you again"
Then he added: And you shall have
your schooling. You have fairly earn
ed it by this one days work"
That was all; but years later after
he had gone through college and was
deep In his stories. Carrots looked back
with gratefulness at this mountain dre
that had gained for him his fathers
confidence and understanding.
RUPERT CRAM. Fairmont, Cal.
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