The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-09-13

the chances were tnat he woulu srarve,
but he put this fear resolutely aside
whenever it obtruded itself. With care
his supplies could be made to last
many days.
He did not sleep any more that night,
but watched the fire eat its way across
the valley When 1t reached the slope
at his feet he shouldered his pack and
started south. 1t was noon when he
made his first halt. He rested for two
hours and then resumed his march.
He was now we'll beyond the immedi-
ate range of the conflagration. There
was only an occasional faint odor Of
smoke In the woods. He had crossed
several small streams, and he knew
they would be an obstacle in the path
of the fire unless the wind, which was
from the north, should freshen.
Night fell. He lighted campfire
and scraped together his bed of pine
needles and lay down to sleep with the
comforting thought that he had put a
sufficient distance between himself and
the burning forest. He would turn to
the west when morning came. He
trusted to long days journey to carry
him out of the menaced territory. 1t
would be easier travelling, too, for the
ridges which cut the face of the coun-
try ran east and west. The sun was III
the boughs of the hemlocks when he
awoke. There had been a light rain
during the night, and the forest world
had taken on new beauty. But it grew
hot and oppressive as the hours passed.
The smoke thickened once more. At
first he tried to believe it was only his
east and the woods became noticeahly
clearer. He pushed ahead with renew
ed hope. This change in the wind was
a good sign. If it ever got into the
south it would drive the fire back on
itself.
He tramped for half the night and
threw himself down and slept heavily
the sleep of utter exhaustion and
WEAKNESS. 1t was broad day when he
opened his eyes. The first sound he
heard was the dull roar of the flames.
He turned with hunted, fugitive look
toward the west. a bright light shone
through the trees. The fire was creep
ing around and already encircled him
on two sides. His feeling was one of
bitter disappointment; fear, too, min
gled with it. In the south We're Ryder's
friends-Dannie's enemies and his. OF
the east he had horror which the
study of his map did not tend to allay;
there We're towns there and settle
ments, thicllly scattered. Finally he
concluded he would go forward and eX-
anime the line of fire. There might be
some means by which he could make
his way through it.
A journey of two miles brought him
to small water course The fire was
burning along the opposite bank 1t
blazed among the scrub and under
brush and leaped from tree to tree.
first to shrivel their foliage to dead,
dry brown and then envelop them in
sheets Of flame. The cracking was
like the report of musketry.
Roger Oakley was awed by the sight.
In spite of the smoke and heat he sat
down on the trunk Of fallen pine to
rest. Some birds futtered out of the
rolling masses Of smoke above his head
and flew south with shrill cries Of
alarm. A deer crossed the stream, not
200 yards from where he sat, at sin
gle bound. Next two large timber
wolves entered the water. They land
ed within n stones throw of him and
trotted leisurely off. The heat soon
drove him from his position, and he,
too. sought refuge In the south. The
wall Of flame cut him off from the
north and west, and to the east he
would not 60
There was something tragic In this
blocking Of his way. He wondered If
1t was not the Lords wish after all that
he should be taken This thought had
been troubling him for some time Then
he remembered Dannie Dannie, to
whom he had brought only shame and
sorrow. He set his lips with grim de-
termination. Right or wrong, the
Lords vengeance would have to wait.
Perhaps he would understand the stu
alton. He prayed that he might.
Twenty four hours later and he had
turned westward with the desperate
hope that he could cross out of the
path of the fire. but the hope proved
futile. There was no help for it. To
the east he must go If he would escape.
1t was the towns and settlements he
feared most. and the. people. Perhaps
they still continued the search When
he left the wilderness the one precau-
ton he could take would be to travel
only by night. This plan when it was
firmly fixed in his mind greatly encour-
aged him. But at the end Of ten hours
Of steady tramping he discovered that
the fire surrounded him on three sides.
Still he did not despair.
For two days he lodged from east
to west, and each day the wall of
flame and smoke drew closer about
him. and the distances in which he
moved became less and less. And now
a great fear of Antioch possessed him.
The railroad ran nearly due east and
| west from BuckhOrn Junction to Har-