Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-08

and held up his hat to get the force
and direction of the wind. .... Id.
North" said Daily. "ben whippin'
up from tn backwater like hell all
day. That's what's done tn business"
Wrong" said the ranger, north
by-northeast. Worse, for it's going to
change. Then it'll go back toward
that heavier timber there.
He nodded toward the East Belt and
Daily groaned.
Sandry only shut his lips.
He began to see why his foreman,
himself Z born woodsman and familiar
with the region, had 30 heartily
turned over his command to this
stranger, popped up from nowhere.
He recognized trained ability, man
Of business handling his business.
They hastily returned to the valley
and the ranger gathered twenty men.
putting them under one of his aides.
Go up over that ridge" he direct
ed briefly, "and cut . forty-foot fall
straight across the dip behind the
fire. Go on and cut 1t up over the big
ridge. Don't stop to fight"
AS the men hurried off with cross
cuts and axes, he plunged into the
smoke and fire. shouting terse COM
mands, taking men from what seemed
imperative tasks to put them at work
in places removed from the f1re-dig-
ging trenches, cutting great pine
here, a towering spruce or fir there
Good man." painted Sandry to his
foreman as they passed with axes
and dripping sacks.
BEST thing in the timber. They
know tn woods an tn fires an tn
air currents. Wisht we had hun.
dred OF 'em. They'd save tn country
'ts goin' to hell with these fires"
The one-horse railroad redeemed It.
self that night. for it sent special
train from the Summit with all the
men from the stations along the iso-
lated mountain line. That was no
great load, for the few tiny towns lost
in the wilderness had little to boast
of in population, yet what they sent
was good, live stuff-timbermen and
fire.fghters by instinct.
Dawn came over the mountains In
blood-red haze. The sun was ball Of
copper shining dimly through can
opy Of dun.white smoke. The wind,
which had dropped bit in the latter
part of the night. came up again and
gave new impetus to the flames. The
roar was incessant. Here giant
pine, rich with resin, caught fire and
fairly, tore into the sky in its fury of
burning-there q huge fir, eaten
through at the base by a pack of tin
der, fell with q majesty Of sound that
was awesome. And everywhere the
men, like ants attacking some mighty
task, toiled without sleep.
Daily had been up for forty.eight
hours. yet he went as strongly as at
the beginning, while Sandry. still far
from hale, was compelled to drop for
an hours sleep. In fact, Ma did the
compelling, going into the smoke and
ashes after him, bringing him out
bodily with arm hand on his shout.
der.
You're spelling me-" he protested
through soot-grimed lips. "and ! can't
afford to Sleep
Cant afford to 30 down fer good"
said the general sternly, mo steam,
no power. Food an sleep-fuel an
wster. DO you tend to your bilers."
And the owner, with wry smile,
sank ON pile Of gunnysacks beside
the improyised rollway Of the upper
cutting.
whe:. he :wo.ke It was 10 IND him
self under . hight blanket Of fanciful
weave which belonged to Siletz. The
shy, silent girl had been about him in
his sleep.
When he hurried to the work he
cav here and there groups OF Indians
The reservation had arrived in force
But things were growing worse with
every hour.
The sound Of the flames was % the
surf ON . thousand miies of shore
The pail OF smoke shut out the light
OF heaven. lending lonesome. fear