The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-07-09
CHAPTER XXI.
Out Of the Fire.


~ TDDENLY out Of the northeast
a great black car came careen-
~ ing down the road.
With a jolt it stopped before
the cottage. and Il black haired giant
leaped out and ran up on to the porch,
Without a pause he rushed into the
house. ON the couch lay Clayton. The
man started in surprise, but with a
bound was at the side of the sleeping
man.
Shaking him roughly by the shout
der, he cried:
Are YOU all mad here? Don't you
know you are nearly surrounded by
fire? Where is Miss Porter?'
Clayton sprang to his feet. He did
not recognize the man. but he under
stood the words and was upon the
veranda in a 53n42d.
He cried out in CONSERVATION, then,
dashing back into the house, called:
Jane, Jane. Where are you?"
In an instant Esmeralda, Professor
Porter and Mr.. Philander had Joined
the two men.
where is Miss Jane?" demanded
Clayton, Selling Esmeralda by the
shoulders and shaking her roughly.
ooh. Marse Clayton. she done gone
for a walk"
Hasn't she come back YETI"
And without waiting for a reply Clay
ton dashed out into the yard. followed
by the others.
(Which way did she go?" cried the
black haired giant to Esmeralda.
Down dat road" cried the fright
ened black. pointing toward the south,
where a mighty wall of roaring flames
shut out the view.
Put these people in the other carr
shouted the stranger to Clayton. 81
saw one as l drove up. Get them out
of here by the north road.
Leave my car here. If | find Miss
Porter we shall need it.. If l don't no
one will need it. Do as | say" as
Clayton hesitated.
They saw the 1.-THE figure bound
away across the clearing toward the
northwest. where the forest still stood.
untouched by fame.
In each rose the unaccountable feel
ing that a great responsibility had been
raised from their shoulders. a kind Of
implicit confidence in the power of the
stranger t o save the girl if she could
be saved.
"Who was that?' asked Professor
Porter.
Il don't know" replied Clayton. HE
called me by name. and he knew Jane,
meralda by name"
There was something most star
tlingly familiar about him." exclaimed
Mr.. Philander. yet. bless me. l know
l never saw him before"
Tut. tut!' cried Professor Porter.
Mos remarkable! who could it have
been. and why do l feel that Jane is
safe now that he has set out in search
of her?"
Il can't tell you. professor" said
Clayton soberly, but l know l have
the same uncanny feeling"
But come" he cried; I'VE must get
out of here ourselves or we shall be
shut Off" And the party FASTENED to-
ward Clayton's machine.
When Jane Porter turned to retrace
her steps homeward she was alarmed
to note how near the smoke of the for
est fire seemed. and as she FASTENED
onward her alarm became almost a
panic when she perceived that the
rushing flames were rapidly forcing
their way between herself and the cot.
tage.
AZ length she was compelled to turn
into the dense thicket and attempt to
force her way 20 the west in an effort
to circle around the flames and regain
her home.
In a short time the futility OF her at
tempt became apparent. ana then her
one hope lay in retracing her steps to
the road and flying for her life to the
south toward the town.
The twenty minutes that it took her
to regain the road was all that had
been needed to cut off her retreat as
effectually as her advance had been
cut off before. Jane Porter knew that
1t was useless to attempt to force her
way again through the underground.
She had tried it once and failed.
Now she realized that it would be but
q matter of minutes ere the whole
space between the enemy on the north
and the enemy on the south would be
a seething mass Of flames.
Calmly the girl kneeled down in the
dust Of the roadway and prayed for
strength to meet her fate bravely and
to deliver her father and her friends
from death. She did not think to pray
for deliverance for herself: she knew
there was no hope.
Suddenly she heard her name being
called aloud through the forest:
"Jane! Jane Porter" 1t rang strong
and clear, but in a strange voice.
"Herev' she called In reply. Here!