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

through the open doorway and saw
Jack standing by the desk, shirt all
scorched. hair singed, talking lowly TO
Tod. II was bad, he said. He'd
brought half the crew In TO get some
rest; he'd turn In himself and try TO
catch q wink. because with all that
chopping afire, tomorrow was going TO
be hell itself. -.
And tomorrow was, with the tele-
phone ringing and help from town COM
ing through all day, and the smoke
thick and thicker, and logging wholly
forgotten in this emergency.
But at breakfast this morning, eaten
before the first crack Of dawn, Jack
had said:
I'VE got an even break, now. We'd
ought to hold her, but you never can
tell Why. yesterday, some Of them
damn birch stubs got burnin' clean
TO the top, nd I'll bet they was throw
in live brands half q mile ahead OF
EN-"
And they might go further than
L0dL. w
They might. another said; not likely,
but still they might and then Jack
pulled Tod TO one side where nobody
but Kerry could hear and said:
Since this thing broke I've thought
no more about payroll than the boys
have about pay day. Shows I'm gettin'
old. You'll be here, Tod. Somebody
with a head on ems got to stay by
the telephone again II amt likely
she'll get away from US. If she does,
1t amt likely she'll get clean to camp
in a hurry. But If anything should
happen. you get that payroll into town
SiIver's all right. but it's mostly bills
nd biIls'd burn sure in that old safe OF
mine"
They sure would" agreed Tod
Then Jack had looked at Kerry.
BE good boy, SON." he said cheerily,
as If he were only going out on the job
and not to a fire line. BE good boy"
and tweaked Kerry's ear playfully.
And him." he said TO Tod. suddenly
sober and jerking his head at the lad.
twenty-five HUNDRED, small as II is, d
bust me right now, so get that out
II anything pops. But him =. If you
get a chance, send him into town
anyways" So Kerry knew that
Jack thought more Of him than he
did OF going bust
He sat there a long time, feeling i'm
portant- It wasn't much that he could
do for Jack ever, but now, watching
that file. he knew that If fire should
come into camp he'd grab that box
and get TO the speeder faster than he
had ever gotten anywhere before in his
life. He rose finally and looked through
the window toward the water tank
where the speeder waited. Tod West
was just then coming up from the aid
ers along the creek, looking around in
a funny way, as if he expected to see
somebody or something alarming and
Kerry. for the moment, almost hoped
that the bookkeeper would see fire
so he would have a chance 10 do
something for good old Jack.
But when, only minutes later. he
heard Tod bawling his name, his heart
went fippety-fop and almost choked
him.
Kerry -. Kerry! =. A-runnin'.
Kerry"
And he was running desperately,
hugging the file against his belly, leg
ging it with all his might for the speed
er waiting by the water tank
He threw a look TO his left where
a streamer of thick. white smoke was
coming up 70 miEgle with the blue haze
which had been drifting through camp
for three days. Brush was on fire
south of the barn. In a moment he
could see orange tongues of flame lick.
ing ar more brush piles.
Tod began trying TO save the coos
shanty and Kerry wondered why be
didn't throw water on the office, which
was in greater danger, but Tod. too
was terribly excited. The boy could tel
that by the way he acted when he ran
up TO the speeder.
"She's goin'I' he yelled. "Old office;
goin', Kerry" His voice was funny
for all the world as though he were
glad because the Office was being licked
by hungry, fast-devouring flames.
He did not start away at once. Ht
stood there printing the motor slowly
splitting gasoline because his hand:
shook so much. He did not look a
what he was doing. either. He KEEP
his eyes on the office where flames wert
licking at the roof. eating into thu
hewn log sides. seeming to melt hole.
| In those stout timbers.