Middletown transcript., 1922-09-09


ordinary circumstances, and the work
that was being pushed had left no time
for anything else.
Backfiring was impossible, for the
wind came up the cleared road from
the muskeg with hurricane force. VIII
ton posted his men along the near side
of the way, to beat out the patches or
flame that would spring up from the
burning brands carried over 1t by the
wind.
The conflagration came roaring
down on them before many minutes
had passed. 1t seemed to gather force
MS 1t advanced. The smoke was sti-
fling. They could see one another
only dimly in the swirling fog.
The line of fire shot through the
cracking ferns and underground be-
fore them, and reached the edge Of
the cleared way. Then the workers
found themselves surrounded with
ring Of flame. The trees and grass
were alight behind them. And along
the muskeg edge the conflagration had
thrust out gripping tentacles of flame
that edged round and in toward the
engine-sheds.
Shouting to those nearest him to fol-
low. Wilton ran down toward the
swamp. But when the grade came
into sight he saw something that
caught his cry and killed 1t on his lips.
OF d sudden hts veins seemed to run
ice for blood. The fire had caught the
trestling and was running along the
timbers, eating it's way toward the
east bank.
But what made him catch his breath
and clench his fists was this: the fire
was moving eastward and yet 1T could
not have started on the west bank, for
here the trestling was completely hid
den under the foundation, over which
the flames could not pass. The fire
had started In the middle of the mus
keg, and had been started there Of
design.
1t was the end of everything. Big
Muskeg would remain unspanned after
all, when Bowyer assumed control.
The engine-houses were fire-red ru.
ins, belching up a>black, sticky smoke
that clogged the fighters lungs and
settled In fine particles of black dust
all over them. Drums of oil and gaso
fine exploded with the salvoes of ar.
tillery, shooting up streamers of flame
.sky-high. Rivulets of fire broke forth
, and streamed through the camp
spreading the destruction.
The encircling arms of the confla
grafton had thrust their fingers al
, about them through the forest, which
$ was ablaze in every direction. Bu
in the open space itself the fire hat
been stayed, though hardly anything
: was left except the kitchens ant
. bunk-houses. The sheds and engine
= houses had gone up in few minutes
!. and now glowed fiercely with an in
r tense heat, but without flame.
}, The fighters had done all the.
t could do, and that was nothing. The.
! could do nothing more now, except t.
:. guard the bunk-houses from the river
f of blazing oil. Wilton found a few
/. men and told them to take spades ant
a throw up mounds along the courses o
e these torrents, in order to divert them
y The Hunkies. mad with drink, gath
I cred In clusters at the doors Of tn
bunk houses and jeered at the mel
:, who fought to save them; and these
k too disconsolate to care, having a
e last secured the remaining structures
h flung down their spades and drew ou
d of their way. Everyone knew this wa
q the end.
Out of the smoke came the fgur
: of McGee the head locomotive eng
e neer His hair was crisped like a nj
gros-he was as black, and the tear
had furrowed white channels down hi
cheeks.
Its all gone!" he shouted. "Notf
ing but scrap-iron and junk. We
have a bargain sale!" He recognize
Wilton and seized him by the arm
"Who set that blazer" he screame'
"Man, there was gasoline, gallons
it, soaking the sheds before ever tn
fire come there. They were soake
with 1t. Who did it? Show me IL
d-n skunk! |" he shouted half besit
himself.
at doesn't matter now" said w
ton.
McGee raved, cursing and sobbin
and suddenly rushed away into Il
smoke and was lost to view.
Wilton was making his way towal
his shack before 1t occurred to hi
that he would not find it. Yet the
I was the safe. He would stay gual
\ over that. To his immense surpris
however, he discovered that the shat
+ had escaped the conflagration, thout
nothing remained of Kitty's but fe
blackened beams. A backfire hi
been set successfully. The grass W
burned all about the place. and son
of the timbers were scorched, but tn
was all. The shack was an oasis
the devastation of cinders. Jul
had stuck TO his post.
II" Wilton knew there had been treac
cry. He knew that Bowyers appea
nd ance at the portage had not be
of chance. Bowyer had not driven mil
from Cold Junction by coinciden'
us. Wilton had no doubt that the fire W
as Of his making.
Lrd And even that dld not matter.
,se At the door of his shack he stopp'
ng He had a strange instinct of danger
not the instinct of the beast returning
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