The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-10-10
even pace until the glow faded from
the sky In the west

tervals he passed loggers' camps and
more rarely farm in the forest, but
he avoided these. Instinct told him
that the news of Ryder's murder had
travelled far and wide. In all that
range of country there was no inhabit-
ed spot where he dare show his face.
Now that he had evolved definite
purpose he was quite cheerful and hap
| py save for occasional spells Of de-
preston and bitter self accusation, but
the excitement of his flight buoyed him
/ up amazingly.
I He had distlnced and outwitted pur-
suit, and his old pride in his physical
strength and superiority returned. The
! woods never ceased TO interest him.
There was mighty freedom about
them, freedom he shared and joyed
In. He felt he could tramp on forever,
with the scent of the pines filling his
nostrils and the sweep of the wind in
/ his ears. His muscles seemed of iron.
There was cunning and craft, too, in
/ the life he was living
The days We're sultry August days.
No rain had fallen in weeks. and the
earth was a dead dry brown. A hot
haze quivered under the great trees.
OF in the north, against which his face
was set, long, low, black cloud lay
on the horizon Sometimes the wind
lifted 1t higher, and ii sifted down dark
threads of color against the softer blue
of the summer sky. Presently the
wind brought the odor Of smoke At
first 1t was almost imperceptible-a
suggestion merely-but by and by 1t
was in every breath he drew. The for
est was on fire ahead Of him. He
judged that the tide Of devastation
was rolling nearer, and he veered to
the west. Then one evening he saw
what he had not seen before-a dull
red light that shone sullenly above the
| pines. The next day the smoke was
! thick in the woods. The wind, blow
| ing strongly from the north, foated
little wisps and wreaths of it down
upon him. 1t rested like heavy mist
/ above the cool surface Of the lake, on
the shores of which he had made his
! camp the night previous, while some
thickly grown depressions lie crossed
were sour with the stale, rancid odor
that clung to his clothes and rendered
breathing difficult. There was pow
At first il resembled a boar frost and
then a seanty fall OF snow.
/ BY O'Clock he gained the summit OF
low ridge. From its top he was able
to secure an extended view of the fire.
4 red line-as red as the reddest sunset
stretched away to the north as Tar
as the eye could see. He was pro-
foundly impressed by the spectacle
! The confiagration was on scale SO
gigantic that 1t fairly staggered him.
He knew millions of feet of timber
must be blazing
He decided to remain on the ridge
and study the course of the fire, SO he
lay down to rest Sleep came over him
for the day had been fatiguing one
but al midnight he awoke. a dull
roaring sound was surging through the
forest, and the air was sitting. The
fire had burned closer while he slept
1t had reached the ridge opposite,
which was nearly parallel to the one
he was OH. and was burning along its
northern base. The ridge tiattened per-
ceptibly to the west, and already at
this point single lone line Of fire had
surmounted the blunt crest and was
creeping down into the valley which
interviewed. Presently tongues Of fire
shot upward. The dark, nearer side of
the ridge showed clearly in the fierce
light, and soon the fire rolled over Its
entire length, a long, rudy cataract Of
fame. AS it gained the summit 1t
seemed to fail forward and catch fresh
timber, then it raced down the slope
toward the valley, forming great red
avalanche that roared and Missed and
cracked and sent up vast clouds of
smoke into the night.
Clearly any attempt to go farther
north would be but a waste of time
and strength. The fire shut him off
completely IN that quarter. He must
retrace his steps until he was well to
the south again. Then he could 60
either to the east or west and perhaps
work around into the burned district.
AAC AAoh Ic an VI Ndpluit dlQ MI
worry him. Indeed, he scarcely con-
tidered II. He felt certain the pursuit,
e pursuit there were. had been aban-
doned days before. He had a shrewd
Idea that the fire would give people
something else to think of. His only
fear was that his provisions would be
exhausted. When they went he knew
the chances We're that he would starve.
but he put this fear resolutely aside
whenever II obtruded Itself. With care
bis 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 It 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 well beyond the immedi-
ate range Of the conhagration. There
was only an occasional faint odor Of
smoke In the woods He had crossed