The Bozeman courier., 1927-11-04

the fire was spreading with frightful We
locity. If it should have reached the
pear, If they had to turn back-Ducane,
with an icy pringle along his spine that
chilled his racing blood, glanced down
at the girl. She sat shrinking against
and clenched in the mares name as fast
as the other gripped his shoulder. She
had not seen, it seemed
The road curved outward, stretched in
a long sweep, turned sharply again, and
the pear was close ahead. Ducane refined
in; the cry OF both came together. The
fire had reached it; almost half Of the
mile-wide belt was alight; the tinder-
dry mass Of scorched cacti, overhung by
a billowing canopy Of smoke, cracked
and blazed fercely, very inferno. The
girl cried out again.
I'VE can't get through" She clutched
him, her face panic-stricken. Can we?"
Can we?"
mo, we sure can't. It's most reached
the track now. Wind has veered,
reckon. We must go back" said Ducane.
Back? The way we came? But where
the road curves in the fire was coming
close when we passed"
'I didn't know you saw" He felt the
trembling Of her against him as her ter
rihed hold frightened. Eyes, pretty close.
But it's the only way. If we can make
out to get through far as the Long
Branch road-we've got to do 1tl Hold
/ on to me and don't get scared" said
Ducane.
And again the mare was flying. The
turn was passed. The long stretch was
| passed. The outward curve was behind
them, the inward curve before. And the
fire had reached the edge Of the track
was licking over the dried grass; the
underbrush blazed, driving before ii
spark-spangled volumes of smoke.
A great darting tongue Of flame caught
at her blown skirt and set it flaming
she screamed and he crushed it out with
| his hand. The mare was weak.
ening, was failing in her stride with
stretched neck, heaving hanks, foam
dropping nostrils. But the curve was
behind them. Ducane flung himself out
of the saddle.
"She can't do it," he said hoarsely
! Not with both of us. She'll go till SHIT
drops, breaks her heart, but she's done
thirty miles already since morning. I
I shorten the stirrup this side you cal
manage to hold on If lead her and ruI
by you?" He was hurriedly doing as HI
said; she had nodded dumbly. 'It mean
going slower, but I'm pretty spry on m,
feet. We'd best strike the track you
pony took-that's the nearest cut to th
Long Branch road. Ready? Gentle 70
, while and let her get her wind.
reckon we're through the worst Of it any
, way.
She nodded again, easily, it seemed
accepting the lie. The lie, for he guesse,
that the track when reached might prov
! impossible. AS it did-halfway througl
its windings smoke and flame drove then
back. great branch, dead and rotter
caught by the fire, crashed down blazin
as they turned, and, barely missing tn
: girl, sent Ducane half stunned to hi
knees, with clothes smoldering and bloc
trickling from a cut on his head. Bac
on the wide track he found himsel
reeling sickly and stopped, meeting th
dilated eyes that shone black in th
pallor Of the small face that was like
child's under the short, loose toss {
! hair.
: '"That hasn't made me feel any to
/ good" he said thickly. eff drop pre-
Z emily, you go on. OhI Understand
you don't, If you wait, it means ths
you go, too-you an the mare. An
don't help me any. Keep right aheal
: fast as you can, till you come to a b
Il rock. Then follow the track around it |
t the right. That,n bring you out on
!. clearing most opposite the nearest hous
y ! Go there-they know the mare. And 1t
= safe because Of the clearing. Round
the rock and to the right. Got tina