Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-18

Breathing the heated air had created an
intense thirst, which we had no means of
allaying. My mouth and throat were dry
| and parched, while the poor dog was painting
convulsively. = 1t could last but few min
utes longer / was almost ready to sink from
exhaustion, and give up in despair, when not
a dozen rods ahead / saw something that re-
vived hope in my breast.
1t was narrow ravine and / knew that
through this ran little mountain torrent. liz
we could reach that in advance of the fire,
perhaps we might crouch down In the cool
waters and be saved.
think, Rover recognized it; At any rate,
in less than three minutes he had rushed
water, was tapping it up eagerly-.not more
eagerly than did Frank and myself, and al
though the fire was already on the. crest Of
the bank, we did not stop till we had got our
about for the best place in. which to re-
main during the fiery ordeal that was to
come.
short distance up the bed of the stream
was deep, narrow gorge, worn down through
the solid ledge by the water itself. knew the
place well, for 1 had been there fishing many
times: Ii we could only reach that in time,
we might take shelter in its cool recesses until
the scorching flames had passed by.
Inc walls OF the gorge were perhaps ten or
hewn and polished. The wall on the. right
was shelving, and beneath it was good-sized
pool Of water, perhaps eighteen inches deep.
Into this we plunged, as the cinders and burn.
ing foliage, were dropping about us. Here we
lay securely while the fire reared and ragged
above and around us. The heated air swept
through the narrow gorge like a blast from
a furnace. The smoke drove down upon us
In dense masses; but by keeping our faces
close to the water, we were enabled to breathe.
Once burning limb fell on Rover,s back,
and his hairy coat was burning until splashed
water over him to put it out. We were also
obliged to throw water over ourselves and
turn from side to side in the pool whenever
the heat became too intense.
Here we crouched while the flames rolled
over us, the time occupied being not. more
than twenty or thirty minutes at most, but
to us it seemed as many hours. Then, as the
avalanche of fire swept down, the mountain,
we erept out of our hiding place.
hot and smoking yet. AL about us were
smouldering tree trunks and burning brands.
Rover could not travel in the track. of the
conhagration, even if we could So, dripping
had no hope of getting home that night. We
did not know as we would be able to reach
it before another night, and perhaps not even
then.
:, clark" said I, as I heard low rumble in
get shower before long"
And get it we did; for in less than half an
hour there came downpour of hail and tor
rent OF rain, accompanied by terrific flashes
Of lightning and deafening peals of thunder.
For about half an hour this continued, and
when at last it cleared away, and the full
moon shed her rays over the desolate scene, it
found us drenched to the skin, cold and shiv-
ering, but free to go home if we pleased; for
the fire had been completely subdued.
Gathering great pile Of charred limbs and
other fuel scattered plentifully about, l built
fire, placing Frank in as comfortable position
as | could, and we prepared to pass the re-
mainder of the night there.
In the course of an hour we had dried our
clothes, and Frank, whose ankle had kept
wet with water, had gone fast to sleep with
his head pillowed on Rover's side. 1 was lean
ing against a charred stump and fast drawsing
off myself, when a strange sound startled me.
1t was again and again repeated, the sounds
echong and re-echoing through the dim aisles
of the forest.
At last L understood. II was some one
blowing dinner horn. knew in a moment
what that meant-there was searching party
out after US. Springing up, gave a shriil
shout by way of reply.
Presently there was glimmer of lights in
the distance, and then our two fathers, fol.
lowed by q party of neighbors bearing torches
and lanterns, came toward US.
1t is scarcely necessary to say that our
parents were overjoyed at finding us still alive
"a joy that was fully shared by the kindly
neigbbors.