Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1916-02-23

Its done. Johnny" said Ma Daily.
painting in the light. her sleeves
rolled up from brown, capable arms.
Il sent Sletz some time back. She's
calm fer all the stations between"
The valley was as light as day. ilIu.
mined all up and down its length, and
three horsemen were Looping up its
level floor. Lean, 1.-the men they
were, clad IN sober khaki, and they
leaped from their horses with bust
nesslike alacrity. dropping reins over
saddle horns instead of on the ground.
Those three horses were we'll trained,
intelligent aids, ready to stand for
hours in one spot, to come at a
whistle, and they wanted no drag
ging straps to hinder.
We're forest rangers" announced
the spokesman, quick-eyed. steady
young chap, to Sandry. give me your
men"
Thank tn Lord!" said Daily fer
vently. take command"
The newcomer talked a moment
with his two companions. motioning.
dividing localities. sketching a quick
plan. Then he gathered twenty men,
putting them under one of his aides.
Go up over that ridge" he direct
ed briefly, and cut a forty-foot fall
straight across the dip behind the
fire. Go on and cut it up over the big
ridge. Don't stop % 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 fre-dig.
ging trenches, cutting a great pine
here, 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. Wish't we had q hun
dred of EN-. They'd save tn country
is goin' to hell with these fires"
Dawn came over the mountains in
b'oodred haze. 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 firm hand on his shout
der.
You're spelling me-" he protested
through soot-grimed lips. and can't
AFFORD TO sleep"
Cant afford to go down fer good.
said the general sternly, no steam,
no power. Food an sleep-fuel an
water Do you tend TO your bilers.
And the owner. with a wry smile
sank on pile of gunnysaeks beside
the improvised rollway of the upper
cutting
When he awoke it was TO find him
self under light 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
saw here and there groups of Indians.
The reservation had arrived in force
But things were growing worse with
every hour.
Fire was everywhere, in the earth
and in the heavens. 1t heated the
sweet winds to unbearable. scorching
blasts. 1t illumined the dun dusk with
dull, crimson light. It deserted the
cutting and swept forward toward the
north, leaving ashes and ruin, sullen
brands and smoldering logs that
famed forth vindictively from tiEe
to time.
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 a trench shut off
ground fire, and tho telling of a single
pine change the trend of a food OF
flame that was going out of bounds.
But by twelve o'clock the wind
turned and headed south. With ap-
palling might the food spread up
the ridges, crept down into the dip
and joined the slowburning 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 a growth of young
spruce.
Go telegraph for the Vancouver
soldiers" he directed tersely. this
is going to beat all records"