Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-18
CONTINUED from Yesterdays capital)

Scddenly TINS snrupDery caught and
went of almost like an explosion. Pro
fessor Sulliter staggered backward
from the intense heat, and realized
presently that he was backing into an
other area of heat equally intense.
On his hands and knees he made OFF
in a direction that took him winding
between the two; he went quite long
way. In his breast was the first touch
of panic.
Wherever he went the fire found
him out and drove him on. A strong
wind had risen. and as the flames win
moved their way down the mountain
side and across they found more and
larger stun to feed on.
Professor Stilliter got hurts every
now and then. His hands and knees
were lacerated. his face had had some
hard knocks. His blind eyes smarted
with smoke and the air which he
breathed half choked him
To a man with average sight il
would have been an easy matter to
have eluded that fire 1t had descend
ed the mountain in a narrow path.
1t was Professor Stilliters misfortune
that he had been unable to sidestep il.
By taking up his original stand at the
back OF the hut, instead of at the front
he need not have moved until help
came.
Even now old man Smellsgood was
standing at a comfortable distance
from the red-hot ruins of the hut and
wondering what fool had set it on fire
and why.
Through the forest itself the fire
was only burning a broad path. con
dned to this by open barrens and
;wamps or by timber too green and
well watered to burn. From the mouth
of the cave it looked like a receding
column of smoke, and there was no
real menace in it for anyone but Pro
fessor Stilliter. Him it bounded on
and on. And now, continually like a
child that babbles, he was asking God
to save him, Christ to pity him.
AS he lost blood, his progress be-
came slower and slower, and death
stared him in the back. He was to
have one short reprieve. He came to
gravelly bank so steep that in try
ing to get down 1t he began to slide.
could not save himself and was dumped
presently into the ice cold deep water.
For a moment the shock refreshed
and invigorated him and gave him
hope. He could swim. and water can
not burn Whether he was in a pond
or lake of some size he did not know.
If lake and not very large, he could
swim across and at least find safety
from the fire. At first it was easy to
swim in the right direction, guided by
the heat that came from behind, but
after awhile it was not so easy.
He was a good swimmer, and while
floating and treading water he man
aged to get rid of his shoes and most
OF his clothes. He would need them
when he got ashore. Yes, but he
would have to do without them.
He began to tire again, and there
was no sign of the opposite shore
He was in one of the narrowest
lakes in that part of the Adirondacks,
but it was several miles long and he
was trying to swim it from end to end.
The Jig was up.
When he realized this he FASTENED
the inevitable by screaming and
screaming and then by bursting into
tears and sobbing.
After a while his final struggles
stopped He floated in the water with
his face under; a kind of foam came
to the surface from the corners of his
mouth. Twice he drew up his knees
and kicked feebly, as if he were still
alive and trying TO swim.
After a long time Freddie the Fer.
rett, leading Celestia as if she had
been blind, blundered 10 the foot of
the cliff in which was the main en-
trance to the cave. Into this he pene
trated little way and there began to
shout for Tommy with all his might
The only response was the echoing of
his voice.
So Freddie went back to Celestia,
and there she stood with bewildered,
puzzled look on her face, and both her
hands being held by Tommy Barclay
himself, who was breathing as If he
had been running up hill.
Don't look puzzled now, Celestial"
Tommy was saying, you know me.
It's all right. I'm the driver, you
know. and you have to obey the driver.
So wake up. Be yourself"
Then Celestia spoke.
"The driver" she said, 'is dead.
Professor StilIiter told me-"
"Told you / was dead"
Celestia nodded and turned away az
if the matte was of no further inter
est.
Freddie" exclaimed Tommy, what
are we going to do about Celestial
Has she been this way ever since
went into the cave?"
She's bughouse." said Freddie
simply.
What's happened? How did you
keep Stilliter from getting hold OF
her? He thought he'd shot me.
couldn't get out of the cave as quickly
as he could. / supposed, of course,
he'd run off with her"
HE did, said Freddie laconically.
But here she is. What became of
him?"
Dunno"
What do you know, Freddie?"
Then the Ferret told his little story