The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1936-02-13

FLAME TN THE FOREST
By HAROLD TITUS
ouvsn,vHrnrnm mustai by IRWIN
Illustrations by Irwin Myers


-She's goin', Kerry" be said and |
gave a queer laugh which made the |
boy wonder II grown men, also, some |
times laughed when they felt like cry |
Ing.
He glanced at Kerry, then, and at |
the letter-file and licked his lips.
"Sure you got the right oney he |
asked.
"The one you told me-" - stoutly. |
"we'd better haul, hadn't weT'
lust a minute, nowi"
He waited, standing there and watch |
ing while part Of the Office roof tum-
bled in Only then did he shove the
speeder ahead until the motor caught
and coughed.
II he had started Just a minute
earlier they would not have had 70
face that barrier Of living fire across
the track and the boy might have made
IL to town without whimper.
And then they were there, looming
past the siding. and he screamed from
the heat that beat upon him; opened
his throat and yelled and writhed
against the weight Of Tod's body. The
smell OF burning paint poured into his
nostrils and then, suddenly, the tor
ture was past and he was half sit
ting up and they were hitting 1t down
the grade.
Then he felt better and they were
clicking over switch points and here
was town and the motor stopped and
Tod West was calling out 10 somebody
with lot more excitement than he
had shown back at camp that Jacks
headquarters were burning.
A group quickly gathered, mostly old
men and boys, because the best man
power Of town was out on the fire line.
and they followed Tod and Kerry
across the street TO the bank.
They crowded into the bank and
man rose from his desk behind the
counter.
Jacks headquarters are gone" said
Tod. handing the file TO the man. But
we brought in the payroll Did my
damnedest to save something OF camp
but I was alone. Kerry, here, lugged
the money out Of the office just in
time"
That's fine" said the banker, press
ing the catch of the file. That's sure
lucky! happen to know that If Jack
should lose"
He stopped short, then. and Tod
leaned forward and the others pressed
I'D close, attracted by the look on
/ Vests face, likely. It was look that
even a seven-year-old boy would no
| tee.
why" the banker said, "why, Tod,
it's empty"
moment of terrific silence followed
and then Tod looked down at Kerry
and said in a queer, unfriendly way:
kid, which file did you bring?"
The boy swallowed, with a new sort
OF thrill running his small frame.
why" he said, "why, fetched O.. d.
You told me the one on the safe. Tod :"
The bookkeeper swore slowly under
his breath and looked at the banker.
Good God. 1 trusted him." he said
| in a whisper.
The other clicked his tongue.
"Oh-h!' he said, long-drawn. But he's
only a little boy" he added and
slapped the file shut. That surely is
| going to be tough for jack"
| Kerry's knees were shaking and
| there seemed TO be a vacant place in
his middle.
| Tod, what's the matterF' he asked
shrilly. Tod, is the money back yon-
der? Did it burn up, TOd?" And then,
summoning all his yigor, TOD, l done
just what you told mel"
West shook his head. "No, you
didn't understand" he said in moan.
You didn't understand. and the mon
| ey's burned sure as hell and =. My
God, boys, it's my fault"
He said other things but Kerry did
not hear. He moved away a little.
Someone said: The kid got rat
tied"
Another said: 1T amt your fault,
Tod. The kid. he got ratified"
third said: It'll be all day with
old Jack now!"
They all looked at the boy and he
knew they were blaming him. All but
Tod. Tod did not look his way; there
was something funny about Tod's eyes.
But the others -.
His nOstrils smarted and a lump
swelled in his throat suddenly. A help
less feeling ran his bones and a sense
Of having been put-upon. abused, out
ragged. Jack had gone bust because
his payroll was burned up but he had