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

dangerous animal, stunning his fel.
lows. The solitude and the loneliness
suited him. He would make perma-
nent camp somewhere close to the
laEes, in the widest spot he could find,
and end his days there.
He carried in his pocket small rail-
road map of the state, and in the
morning, after careful study of it,
marked out his course. That day, and
for several days following, he plodded
on and on in tireless, patient fash
ion, and with but the briefest stops at
noon for his meager lunch. Each morn
ing he was up and on his way With the
first glimmer Of light, and he kept his
even pace until the glow faded from
the sky in the west.
Beyond Burrows Sawmills the pine
woods stretched away to the north in
one unbroken wilderness. AT long in
tervals he passed loggers' camps and
more rarely a 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
Ply save for occasional spells of de-
preston and bitter self accusation, but
the excitement of his flight buoyed him
up amazingly.
He had distanced and outwitted pul.-
suit, and his old pride in his physical
strength and superiority returned The
woods never ceased to interest him.
There was a mighty freedom about
them, Il 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 dead, dry brown. A hot
haze quivered under the great trees.
Off in the north against which his face
was set, a long, low, black cloud lay
OIL the horizon. Sometimes the wind
lifted it higher, and it sifted down dark
threads OF color against the softer blue
of the summer sky. Presently the
wind brought the odor of smoke. At
first it was almost imperceptible-a
suggestion merely-but by and by it
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 he crossed
were sour with the stale, rancid Odor
that chung to his clothes and rendered
breathing difficult. There was pow
dering Of fine white ashes everywhere.
At first it resembled hoar frost and
then a scanty fall of snow.
BY 5 O'clock he gained the summit of
low ridge. From its top he was able
to secure an extended view Of the fire.
A red line-as red as the reddest sunset
stretched away to the north as far
as the eye could see. He was pro
foundly impressed by the spectacle.
The contiagration was on scale SO
gigantic that it 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 at 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 on, and was burning along its
northern base. The ridge tlattened per-
ceptibly to the west, and already al
this point single lone line OF fire had
SufllOuuleu tuc Dluul crest anu WIS
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. long, ruddy cataract OF
flame. AS it gained the summit il
seemed to fall forward and catch fresl
] timber, then it raced down the slope
toward the valley, forming a great rec
avalanche that roared and Kissed an(
cracked and sent up vast clouds o.
smoke into the night
Clearly any attempt to go farthe
north would be but waste of tim,
and strength. The fire shut him OF
completely in that quarter. He mus
retrace his steps until he was we'll t;
the south again. Then he could 6,
either to the east or west and perhaps
work around into the burned district
The risk he ran of capture did no
worry him. Indeed, he scarcely con
sidered it. He felt certain the pursuit
If pursuit there We're, had been aban