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

giving darkness TO the Worlo-tne
little world Of the Dillingworth valley.
Long streamers of the gray moss that
hung from the branches high above
famed out in fantastic shapes and
banners.
The cutting at tho valleys head had
changed in these few hours beyond
recognition, its close-packed, green
Businesses being now but blackened
spikes reaching high, its splendid,
straight trunks fallen like jackstrawl
across one another.
Fire was everywhere. in the earth
and in the heavens. It heated the
sweet winds to unbearable. scorchins
blasts. 1t illumined the dun dusk with
dull, crimson light. It deserted the
cutting and swept forward toward the
north, leaving ashes and ruin, sulleu
brands and smoldering logs that
famed forth vtndictively from time
to time.
But as It went It leaped and ex-
ulted. for it rushed to the embrace of
heavier timber. The wind still held
by north.by-northeast. veering slightly
this way and that, threatening now
the reservation OF the siletz, in whose
basin there lay the finest body Of
standing timber in all the common
wealth of the states. now the magnif-
cent East Belt that seemed to grip
the heart of Walter Sandry like ltv-
ing thing In danger.
So dawn found them on that hot,
grim day in August.
The lean. young ranger was every
where, and Sandry. in amazed appre-
citation, saw q trench shut on .
ground. fire, and the Telling of single
pine change the trend OF flood OF
flame that was going out Of bounds.
But by twelve o'clock the wind
turned and headed south. With ap-
palling might the flood spread up
the ridges. crept down into the dip
and Joined the slow-burning menace
there.
At that the ranger fred three shots
into the air which brought one of his
aids running out of the smoke, pant
ing and disheveled from fighting
hand-to-hand with growth Of young
spruce.
go telegraph for the Vancouver
soldiers" he directed tersely, this
is going to beat all records"
IF we only had trails!" he rasped
to Daily. trails and telephones and
men and horses! Damn stingy gov
eminent! And what fine timber it is!
Going up In smoke unless we get help
at once. We can't cut trails fast
enough to get In and work to advan-
tage. A straight fall through beyond
this hollow would head off that
branch" he waved an arm vehement
", 'but It'll beat the trail cutters!"
They called all the men they could
spare from the north and set them at
work in the rolling smoke ahead OF
the fire that was beginning to eat
southwark.
In darkness. in = great heat that
seemed to tear the lining from lungs
that breathed It, without rest or food,
they raced with the monster that
laughed at their puny efforts, raced to.
gether, Dillingworth and Siwash and
Yellow Pines, side BY side, and there
was neither color nor enmity nor per.
sonality between them. sandry pulled
q saw with the huge red.shirt he had
once tried to drag out Of the light at
the cabin in the East Belt, and Collins
worked savagely with Brady Of the
Yellow Pines whom he had thrown
into the slough after the incident Of
tho sawed rollway.
SO they toiled. hanging on grimly
! while :As world took Are about them
| and It seemed ~ though no living
thing could escape its wrath. Birds
flying across the canopy, fell nutter
Ing to the earth, ana once An antlered
buck and two does shot past tho line
unhindered. Az the hre grew In vol
ume and area many Of the woods crea
lures began to come down into the
valleys, headed for the soa.
Once Sandry stopped to 80 down t.
! the cutting for : cup Of coffee. realiz