The Sauk Centre herald., 1913-07-24

eral occasions accompanied Ned or
when Ned boldly and confidently called
on Mr. bennett and asked for his
daughter in marriage. This denied, he
! endeavored to drown his disappOint
! ment by greater activity in his profes
sion, resolved that he would prove to
Mr.. bennett that there were other
ways than selling groceries to acquire
! a competency. So things went on for
| several weeks; then something hap.
! pened.
The days were longer, and the July
sun scorched a dry and overheated
earth. There had been no rain for
! weeks, and forest fires were raging
here and there over the state.
At Lincrest the air was heavy with
the acrid smoke waited from the burn
ing mountain slopes. The sun shone-
a crimson, lurid ball-through smoky
haze, and the top of Old Mans Head,
the highest peak in the neighborhood,
had been invisible for days.
Over at Haverwood, where Ned Har-
risOn's aerodrOme was situated, the
country was very level and cleared of
timber, but smoke from the burning
mountain ten miles to the north cloud
ed the air so that for the tine expert
mental flying was out of the question.
Many of the aviators took their ma
chimes down to the Long Island train
ing fields. and Ned Harrison and his
partner suddenly found business as fiat
as the fields about them.
1T spells ruin for me-" muttered Ned
on the sixth day, looking toward the
clouded northern hills. Il expect Mr..
bennett is having the laugh on me all
right. 'Tisn't like wholesale groceries.
because folks must eat no matter what
happens. but these army aviatOrs are
so darn full of business and 50 high
and mighty that they can go anywhere
they please. If it wasn't for the ma
chimes stored l would be down and out
for sure"
He went into the shed where his own
flying machine, two passenger mono
plane. was stored and carefully went
over all the machinery. He was in the
act of smiling to find it in perfect tune
when a mOtOrcar rushed to a standstill
before the open door, and man dash
ed out.
"Ned!' he called sharply.
"Mr. Dennett-what is the matter? ?"
Ned was beside the older man instant
ly. what has happenedw
Mr.. bennett leaned against the door
frame and painted. His face was ghast-
ly pale and his hands trembled.
'It's Elsiev' he groaned. You know
that the east slope Of Old Mans Head
was afire yesterday and the beaters
managed to put it out? Well, this
morning that confounded new dog of
Elsie's ran away, and Peterkin, the
milkman, says he saw the pup kitng
up the path to Old Mans after rabbit.
Nothing would answer but Elsie must
chase after him. She went over in her
runabout, and now-now"- He paused
and pressed handkerchief to his trem-
bling lips.
"Now-now?" repeated Ned impa-
tently.
"She's up there on Old Mans Head,
and the mountain is afire all around.
You know the summit is clump Of
pines"
Ned stared with Mortified eyes at the
older man. In three minutes he had
seen a way out and put his project into
motion.
STAND out of the wayv' he ordered.
"Gustav, take you car away" he said
to the chauffeur of Dennett's machine.
In another moment Ned Harrison had
rolled his monoplane out into the field
and was pulling on a leather jacket
and puttees. Mr.. bennett, unconvinced
and quite dazed at the suddenness Of
the expedition. stood aside while Gus
tav started the propeller blades. When
the regular throb of the engine an
nounced that the spark had caught
Ned sent the machine forward and.
after rocking uncertainty for a hun
dred yards, the monoplane rose oblique-
ly in the air. turned gracefully and
headed north toward Old Mans Head.
SOOu Sne was lOSl dDOFe Lue pan VI
smoke overhead.
Down there below Richard bennett
and Gustav broke all speed limits as
the handsome car eliminated the dis
tance between Haverwood and Lin
crest, where Old Mans Head was send
ing forth dense clouds Of yellow smoke
mingled with flying cinders and ashes.
cts her only chance now," muttered
bennett hoarsely. "but if the cinders
fall on his planes-they are inflam-
mable. you know. Gustav and so on
all through the desperate drive to the
foot Of the mountain path.
Three hundred feet in the air, where
the monoplane secuted cautiously
around the mountain top for landing
1t was sitting. The acrid smoke stung
Ned's eyes. but he relieved them oc-
easionally with an application of the
water soaked towel he had brought
along.
Down below there he could see FL
sizes white clad form leaning against a
great bowlder. At her feet crouched
the wiry little terrier which had lured
her to this death trap. Both Of Elsie's
hands were over her face. 1t was evi-
dent that she did not see or hear the