Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-10-13
BIG TT NJ BE r
Continued from Sixth Page.

there's any occasion to worry. lilo
might "a gone to the head uh the lake
with them constahlcs that went up last
night. Ilow's Charlie Bcnton?'
She told him briefly.
"ThatS good" said Lefty. "Now, I'd
so around to Cougar bay IL was you,
Mrs. jack. Hes liable to come in there
any time. You could stay at the house
tonight. Everything around there,
shacks nnd all. was burned days ago, SO
the fire can't touch the house. Tho
crew there has grub and cook I
kinda expect Jackll he there unless ho
fell in with them conStahlcs."
She trudEcd silently back to the Wa.
tcrbug. Barlow started the engine and
the boat took up her slow way. AS
they sliirtcd the shore Stella began to
see here AMI there the fierce havoc of
the fire. Black trunks OF fir reared
markedly to the smoky sky, lny crisscroSs
on bank and beach. Nowhere was there
a green blade, living bush--nothing
but charred black, n melancholy waste
Of smoking litter, with here and there
pitch soaked stub still waving its
banner of flame or glowing rcdly. Back
OF those scared skeletons shifting
cloud OF smoke obscure1 everything.
Presently they drew In to Cougar bay.
Men moved about on the beach; two
bulky scows stood nosc-on to tho shore.
Upon them rested half n dozen donkey
engines, thick hcllictl. upright machines,
clown down, dead on their Skids About
these In great coils lay piled tho gear
OF logging miles OF steel cable, blocks,
the varied tools of the loggcr's trade
The Panther lny between the scows
with lines from each passed over her
towing bits.
Stella could see the outline of the
white bungalow Oh It's grassy knoll
They had saved only that, Of oil the
camp, by Il fight that sent three men
to tho hospital on Il day when tho wind
shifted into the northwest aud sent q
sheet of flame rolling through tho tim.
Der and down ON Cougar bay like
tidal wave, so Barlow told her. He
cuppcd his hands now and called to his
fellows OH the beach.
No, Fyfc hnd not como back yet.
"Go up to the mouth of Tumbling
creek" Stella ordered.
INV" ~'F'i.a 'lt' Nht'EDnE ABOUT,
cleared the Stint anu stood uE along
tho shore. Stella sat on cushioned
seat ut the back OF the pilothousc, hard
eyed, struggling against that dead
weight that seemed to grow and grow
In her breast. That elemental fury
raging In tho woods made her shrink.
Her own hand had helped to loose it,
but her hands were powcrlcss to stay
1t; she could only sit ana watch and
wait, eaten up with misery Of her own
making. She was horribly afraid, with
fear she would not nnmc to her
self.
Behind TINT density Of atmosphere
the sun had gone to rest The first
shadows OF dusk were closing In, be-
tokencd by thicicning of the smoke
fog into which the Watcrbug slowly
plowcd. TO port q dimming shore line;
to starbOard, aft and dead ahead, water
and air merged in two boat lengths.
Barlow leaned through the pilothouse
window, one hand on the wheel, strain
Ing his eyes on their course Suddenly
he threw out the clutch, shut down his
throttle control with one hand and
yanked with the other ut the cord
which looscd the Wntcrbug's shrill
whistle.
an answering loot.
II thought heard gas boat" Bar
low exclaimed. "Sulrerin' Jerusalem!
Hi, thcrc!"
He threw his weight on the wheel,
sending 1t hard over. The cruiser still
had way on. The momentum Of her
ten ton weight scarcely had slackened,
ana she answered the helm Out Of
the deceptive thickness ahead doomed
the sharp, flaring bow Of another forty
footer, shccring quickly as her pilot
sighted them. She was upon them and
abreast and gone, with IL whtcry purl
Of her bow wave. n subducd muttcr of
exhaust, passing so near that an active
man could have lcapcd the space be-
tween.
"Suffcrin' Jcrusnlcm!" Barlow repeat.
cd, turning to Stella. did you SEQ
that, Mrs. Jack? They got him."
Stella nodded. She, too, had seen
Mon0lan seated on the aftcrdeck, his
head sunk on his breast. irons on his
wrists. y glimpse, no more.
'"Thatll help some," Barlow gr,lnted.
"Quick work. But they come blame
near cuttin' us down, bcltin' along ut
ten knots when you can't SEQ forty
feet ahead"
An empty beach greeted them ut
Tumbing creek. Reluctantly Stella
babe Barlow turn back. 1t would soon
be dark, and Barlow said no would
be taking chances OF pling on the
shore before he could sec 1t or getting
lost In the profound black that would
shut down on the water with daylights
end.
But by luck Barlow made his way,
laundering fairly into the landing at
tho foot Of the path that led to tho
bungalow as If the cruiser knew the
way to her old berth. And as he reach
Oh tho float the front windows on the
hillock broke ont yellow, pale blurs in
tho smoky night.
"Wnll rio