The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-06-20

all, when Bowyer assumed control.
The engine-houses were fire-red ru-
ms, belching up black, sticky smoke
that c1ogged the fighters lungs and
settled In fine particles of black dust
all over them. Drums of oil and gaso-
line exploded with the salvoes of ar
tillery, shooting up streamers Of fame
sky-high- Rivulets of fire broke forth
and streamed through the camp,
spreading the destruction.
The encircling arms of the conf1a-
grafton had thrust their fingers all
about them through the forest, which
was ablaze in every direction. But
in the open space itself the fire had
been stayed, though hardly anything
was left except the kitchens and
bunk-houses. The sheds and engine
houses had gone up in a few minutes,
and now glowed fiercely with an in
tense heat, but without flame
The fighters had done all they
| could do, and that was nothing. They
could do nothing more now, except to
guard the bunk houses from the rivers
of blazing Oil. Wilton found few
men and told them to take spades and
throw up mounds along the courses Of
| these torrents, in order to divert them
The Hunkies, mad with drink, gath
cred in clusters at the doors of the
| bunk-houses and jeered at the men
who fought to save them; and these,
| too disconsolate to care, having at
| last secured the remaining structures,
| flung down their spades and drew out
of their way. Everyone knew this was
| the end.
Out OF the smoke came the figure
| of MCGEE, the head locomotive engi-
neer. His hair was crisped like a ne
| gro's-he was as black, and the tears
had furrowed white channels down his
| cheeks.
tits all gone" he shouted. "Noth-
ing but scrap-iron and junk. Well
have a bargain salei" He recognized
| Wilton and seized him by the arm.
"Who set that blazer he screamed.
"Man, there was gasoline, gallons of
it, soaking the sheds before ever the
fire come there. They were soaked
with 1t. Who did it? Show me the
d-n skunk!" he shouted, half beside
himself.
| "It doesn't matter now" said VIII.
| ton.
| MCGEE raved, cursing and sobbing,
and suddenly rushed away into the
smoke and was lost to view.
| Wilton was making his way toward
his shack before it occurred to him
that he would not md it. Yet there
was the safe, He would stay guard
| over that. To his immense surprise
however, he discovered that the shack
had escaped the conf1agration, though
nothing remained of Kitty's but rev
blackened beams. A 5aekf1re had
been set successfully The grass was
burned all about the place, and some
of the tfmbers were scorched, but that
was all. The shack was an oasis ii
the devastation of cinderss Jules
hal stuck to his post,
Wilton knew there had been treach
cry. He knew that Bowyer's appear
ance at the portage had not beer
chance. Bowyer had not driven miles
from Cold Junction by coincidence
Wilton had Nc doubt that the fire wa;
of his making.
And even that did not matter
At the door of his shack he stopped
He had a strange instinct of danger
the instinct of the beast returning II
it's den, which tells 1T that something
has been there during its absence.
| He unlocked the Office door and wen
in. For moment he thought his sus
picions groundless. Then he saw Lha
the door of the safe was open. H.
ran to it, and found tae papers insid
and apparently intact just as they1a'
been.
, Jules must have scared the thieve
| away before they could accomplish
their design. But how had they go
the combination?
Wilton shouted for Jules, and ther
remembering that the deaf-muta. couf
not hear him, went ont OF the roor
toward the little wooden outbuildin
which, jules had constructed for hi
Il abode, But the Muskegon was nc
there.
> He went back through the kitchen
In the middle of the C0ona he sal
something dimly outlined on the foo
He struck match and found Jules i
III a pool of blood One side of his hea
had been almost battered to piece
with a Ratchet that lay on the fsof
nearby.
And yet Jules was not dead, for, q
s Wilton bent over him, he opened h
E. eyes and smiled very family into b
: masters face. And the fingers OF OIL
r outstretched hand quiyered and poth
ed toward the office,
ell Wilton raised Jules gently in
< arms and carried him within. and la
f him on the floor. The Indian was g
8 most at his last gasp, and he SCENE
a struggling to express something befo
IS he died.