Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-22
CHAPTER IX-Continued.

at the window in the fragrant night, iooh
ing over at the fires which, like long, shape
less monsters. were crawling up the noun
tains. 1t was Fate after all one must
obey the great laws of life. and the great
est of all Is that which makes US what we
are. and fixes forever our metes ana ponhus
before ever we have found ourselves OF
know aught Of life's meaning.
ON Monday morning the smoke was thlck-
or than ever The Squire had business at
Sinking Springs that would engage MN
until late in the night. and Amos was gong
with him. Al breakfast held always IN the
Hartswick home in the morning twiilghe'
he had said to Rose:
81 don't like the way that smokes com
ing II looks to me jest as if the fire might
be vorK.ng over toward the Brown lot on
the third mountain. / wish Amos didn
have 20 40 with me. Ia send him over
.gut l can do Just exactly as much good
as Amos can. I'll hitch UP Ponp attei
dinner and run over. II It's getting dah-
geruus / can raise a hfe-Sahs Ju9' a'
au!cks "A man could
''AlI right: hut don't go too near, Rose.
Tfs awful DRY. and trelI run like the very
Now. don't worry about me. Pap.
NothmE's ever caught me yet. she
laughed UP ut him in her old griish way.
.'Sure enough. Rose, and there won L
Ill bet on you against all of en- Ho' no
ho," He chuckcd her under the cnin,
laughing nightly. But look out for the
dre. Dot Don't go TO running any risks
Them narrow valleys are awtuly danger
Gus We'll, goodbye. Dot. Look out Tor
yourself 1T.
ing with Pomp along the second pike. All
the morning it had been suhocatngiy
warm The sun had poured down on the
cover of smoke as on tin roof, ana the
tn %
It received. Before noon there had nor
been a breath Of air. now however, a httle
breeze was sprnginS up. though at Hrst II
seemed only to increase she heat.
To Rose the experience was not new
Every spring since she could remember
fires had swept here and there among the
valleys and ridges and there had always
been "a week or two e smoke. OFTEN tre,
driven boy fierce winds down some funnel OF
a valley Allied with "a rhodndendron snarl'
and the dry wrcckage of the lumber
men. sweeps with terrific heat over
miles ana miles. licking Up every trace
OF organic matter and leaving penny penny
1t only blackcugd rocks and sterile
stone powder, from which nothing save the
bird cherry and the blackberry can ever
spring.
BY > o'clock Rose was beyond the second
range IN the chaotic valley known as Black
Log Fun. Here at length she left the road,
which had become little better than tran,
ard struck into a wood road that some
years before had been worn smooth by
the lumbermeu. This branch valley was
Cherry creek. Three miles further on in
a SIDE spur from this valley lay the Brown
lot, a magnificent bunch of pines which
the squire had kept thus far from the ak.
The fire as Rose Judged from the drift
oil the smoke, was some distance to the
right in the second valley parallel to the
one she was in. If the wind, which was
rapidly increasing, did not Shift, there
seemed TO be little danger TO her fathers
lot 1t was hard, however. in the thick
smoke TO judge accurately.
1t was a Wild lonesome region that she
was traveTSing, one seldom visited save
by the trout fishermen In the spring. The
ridge sides on either hand were steep and
chaotic. mere jagged heaps of sandstone
litter and the valley bottom, scarce hun
bred rods wide in places, was snarled full
of the skeleton tops of Old trees ana OF
down logs-a dreary mass of ruin which
great jungle of rhododendron was doing its
best to conceal. The valley stream. still
full from the melting snow, nosed its way
bewilderedly down through the tangle and
in places cverfowed the crooked little trail.
Rose, however, kept on.
Two miles further UP the valley a man
doomed suddenly out Of the tangle He was
right by the horses head before she saw
him. 1t startled her; there is no telling
what wild characters one may find in these
remote valleys. a second glance, how
ever, showed her young Jim Farthing.
Why, Is this your" ne blurted out in
startled voice.
Yes. I'm up to see If the Brown lot is
IN danger" she replied in business tone.
do you know how the fire is running?'
why YES: and it's bad He had come
forward and was leaning over the front
wheel Il was up on the ridge only min
ute ago, and il looked to me as If the fire
was striking right for this valley The
winds getting higher every minute. l
think there'n be Il thunder gust
II it gets in here will it so on to the
Brown LOTT"
cant help IT," he answered positively.
Then l must drive right back and scare
up "a gang" She Strengthened up briskly.
And I think you can { get out OF here
ar,- too uuick It's really dangerous here.
II tie fire is driven over the ridge down
there by BIack Log, It will sweep this val
lev Ike a hurricane right up through here
Won could climb over the ridge but the
horse couldn't. I'll turn you right round.
You mustn't lose single minute lie TOOK
the horse by the bit and turned him al
most roughly.
There. run him out lust as fast as You
possibly can. Don't lose a second She
locke. at him half incredulously. she was
not easily scared; his nervous sollcitude ap-
paaled to her almost hnmorousiy.
-Rnt really Miss Hartswick, there's
darger. II I'm any judge at all, the
fra,s liable TO get into tae valley here
any minute The winds getting higher
ali tho time" She fell into driving at
14ft7e INSTANTLY and shook out the reins.
sudden thought. without "a word he slid his
AK into the buggy and sprang In beside
her. Then they began to bump down the
Wild trail as fast as 10 was safe to trot
The tense anxiety Of the man, written In
every feature became at length contagious.
She threw her whole soul into her driving,
as II The fire We're an assured fact ana she
was racing with It. Young Jim watched her
with hungry eyes, noting her every move
rneut as She refined the horse past stones
and logs and through sloughs and gullies.
In his admiration he forgot for a moment
all else How alert and agile she was. now
instant her decisions. how perfect her con-
troll II the horse y sudden cry from the
girl aroused him.
look See there
Tile smoke had dcepened until they could
scarce see beyond ;nc horse $ head. and now
cIots OF SCOT the size Of leaves We're falling
al about them. One that lighted on the lap
robe had the CLINT OF fire in ii.
Hold Up quick he ordered sharply, and
she pulled the horse onto his launches.
"Harki"
spluttering roar. mingled with fierce
era Killings and shricks. was right ahead or
them Something huvtling in mad panic up
the trail almost crashed into the horse. 1t
veered into the scrubs not six feet from the
buggy, "a deer with antlers. a rabbit in
mad deliriuri scurried under the very
wheels The horse began prancing and
snorting. rearing and paving the air, then
backing and lurcching and crashing into the
rhododendron The girl did not lose her
head
Here, quick" she ordered sharply Jump