The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-03-27
OUT OF THE FIRE.
BY JOSEPHINE R. MARTIN.

Day after day the forest fires had
crept nearer and nearer the little clear
ing where Bunt Doble's cabin stood,
away back toward Cat Mountain. The
sky was lit each night by the sicken-
ing glare, the air was full of smoke,
and terrified and strange birds flew
wildly about.
Sometimes the smoke stifed them,
then as the wind shifted, for a little
while they breathed easier, but still
the great army of flames marched
steadily onward, while over h d
blazed relentless sun in cloudless
sky, with no promise of rain to end
the dreadful destruction.
"Pears like we amt goin ter hev
no more rain. guess it's the end
of all things comm slowly" re-
marked Bunt Doble, and Lora wear
lily assented. To Lora it did not seem
to matter much she looked out on
life with beautiful, tired eyes. Forced
into an early and unwilling marriage
with Bunt Doble, by her French Cana
dian father (who owed Bunt money,
and thought that was the best way of
paying his debt), she rebelled against
fate with all the strength of her beauti-
full young womanhood. She hated
the little clearing, thick set with tan
gled shrubbery she hated the thick
forest, and the mountains farther away
that seemed to shut out all that was
great and good in the big world be-
yond she hated more than all Bunt
Doble, gaunt and gray, with an ugly
leer in his green eyes, and fierce set
of his lean jaw and sometimes she
even hated herself, her own beautiful
face and perfectly formed womanhood.
Bunt Doble, outlaw, and the terror
of all game wardens the country
through, was certainly no fit mate
for the beautiful wild creature who
was bound to him for life and Lora
was afraid of him, so afraid that she
paled before the leer in his eyes and
the firm set of his hateful mouth.
All this day they had fought the
fire, with their few bits of household
goods packed in readiness for flight,
but at night the wind had shifted and
the gentle patter of rain on the leaves
brought the belief that the worst was
over. Bunt wearied beyond endur-
ance, drank deeply, and threw him
self down in stupid sleep, but Lora
crept out to the edge of the clearing
to cool her hot face in the water of
the brook. AS she plunged her wrists
deep in the coolness, a whisper star.
tied her, and a dark, handsome face
peered out of the bushes. 'It's only
Peter, Lora," he whispered. Pete
Carson, the young guide, who had
loved Lora long and hopelessly and
Lora loved him, too, but would not
acknowledge it, for was she not bound
to Bunt?
''I only wanted to make sure you
was right, Lora that brute will kill
you yet, and I'm always fearful. l
wish could take you away, Lora. "
Pete's voice was full of feeling.
Don't, Pete" she half sobbed,
m his wife, you know, and I'd
ought not be here talking with you,
but, oh, Pete, I wish I could die" ="
She sobbed softly and Pete watched
her, his face full of misery.
eff you want me, Lora, I'll be
near" he said gently. "You can
cali; I'm never far away; guess
the worst is over, but come to me if
you want me. 1 must co." and with
a reassuring grasp of her hand he
went silently away. Itwas way after
midnight when Lora awoke with the
sensation of smothering. She sprang
up and rushed out of the cabin, fight
ing her way through the smoke; the
wind had shifted again and the fire
was creeping up closer, the cracking
of the boughs sounded like the firing
of musketry, the heat was unbeara-
BILE, the smoke sitting, there was no
time to lose, already the brands, glow
ing red, were falling in to the clearing.
Lora rushed back to the cabin.
"Bunt," she cried, wake up, the
fire is upon us, but Bunk, deep in
drunken slumber was not so easily
aroused. A feeling of frenzy arose
in her heart, "Lie there" " she cried
"Lie there and burn it'll be the best
nights work the fire has yet done. y
Hastily snatching few things she
rushed out and plunged into the
thicket toward the road leading tc
Pete's cabin. But even as she flew
onward, remorse few more quickly
and overlook her; with a groan she
stopped and wrung her hands. 81
can't do it," she moaned. 81 know
he's brute, but I'd feel like muir
deress. l must not leave him So"
Back through the underbrush she
plunged again, her eyes smoke blind
ed; the trees were falling everywhere
with crash and roar, while overhead
the stars shone mockingly in the clear
rainless sky.
Lora had almost reached the clear
ing when she stumbled over the body
of a man. "Get up, Bunt," she
cried, realizing he was overcome BY
heat and smoke. "Get up or you'll
burn. I'll help you." She helped
him struggle to his feet, her eyes Sc
blinded she could not open them
reused by her words the man stag
gered blindly on, dragging on hel
helplessly but fear gave her strength
and half leading, half dragging hin
! she plunged on until they reached th'