The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1916-04-27

upon the cook-shach ana the iesert.
ed cabins. empty ever since their for.
mer occupants had turned their coats
for Hampden's two-year contracts.
Suddenly Coosnah. lying on the
step, got up and shifted the air. 81.
letz looked at him. her fingers ar
rested. Then he sat down on his
launches. threw up his muzzle, and
began to bay. a melancholy. lonesome
sound.
Hush" said Siletz, hush. Coos
nah!" And she. too. lifted her head
after the fashion OF wild things,
smelling the sultry atmosphere.
"Mother!" she cried swiftly. ITS
fret"
The general creaked up and hur-
ried to the steps. but already Siletz
was OF and running up the valley
toward the cutting. When she reached
the donkey Sandry was standing be-
side It, but the girl passed him with.
out glance. running to where the
foreman set a choker.
"Johnl" she cried: "John-there's
a fire on the west ridgei"
Every mar within hearing dropped
his work instantly and stood up.
Call in tn men," said Daily as he
Sassed the donkey engineer, "an' send
'em along We'd better all go. Mr.
Sandry. 'Tain't likely it's much. but
we got to stomp II out. whatever tbs.
l ben lookin' fer EN-"
They all trailed down the valley on
dogtrot. II took them the better
part OF an hour, but when they went
down there was not a spark left
alight.
What do you suppose started It..
John?" asked Sandry.
"Oh. some darned little college
snipe from Corvallis, likely. with a
gun an cigarette. Or mebbe II was
some camper stayin' overnight on
tho rfdge-some greenhorn. An it's
mighty dry-mighty dry"
They went back to the cutting.
thoush Every jack of them lifted up
his -y.J from time to time to the
ridges ~sound. At supper the loggers
discussed the forest fires OF other
years. the topic opened by the Incl.
dent. II was a close night with a
dark cay, though the heat had given
way to the sweet coolness of the
coast under the mysterious ocean
wind. and Sandry from his old seat
at table looked out at the western
ridge.
"John!" he cried, rising suddenly,
ITS broken out again!"
Sure enough. Against the upper
darkness little red tongues licked At.
fully up and the men, white and In.
dian, tumbled out OF the cook .shac ok.
1t was twelve o'clock when they
turned in. and Sandry was puzzled.
The next day nothing happened.
Then at dawn of the day following
the camp awoke to see a fine, fairy.
white haze all through the valley and
the crest OF the west ridge. for half
mile. sending up fanciful pearl
plumes in the soft morning. This
time II had gained a start and the
camp turned out in earnest.
John" said Sandry solemnly. that
is no college boy with his cigarette.
Could II be Hampden?"
The foreman turned upon the
owner.
you hain't a real westerner, yet.
Mr.. Sandry," he said with a smile.
You think Hampden'd resk his yella
pine-as fine timber as there is In tn
whole state? He'd bury tn hatchet
an come fight with us like q brother
first"
Then what's setting those fires p
for It looks as II they are being set
My God! Look therel There's an.
other!"
A merry. red eve winked and leaped
and died. to leap again across the
early twilight at the valleys head.
That's damned close to our cut.
tinI" cried Daily starting down the
nov9tain on a sliding run.
and that last fire. burning strongly
where no brand could have dropped
even with a wind, marked the begin.