The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-07-29
CHAPTER XI-Continued

Sdl0 W OSdlIlCs
''Tel the women they'll probably
have to mix with the girls from
Around the World Annie's when
they get on the RATS"
Jeanne handed a sack of dried
potatoes to a waiting miner.
eyes, I'll tell them. They've got
enough sense to understand"
and send someone for Kay
Joyce-to be sure she gets out of
her cottage"
The girl looked up.
give already done it." she an
swered. Hammond turned away.
1t was like Jeanne Towers, to think
first of the woman who had reviled
her. Just as she had been able,
with pat of her hand, to forgive
every blow which Lew shade had
dealt her.
A score of miners awaited him
as he came down the narrow street
from his cabin after a hasty dress
ing of his wounds.
Ready for ORDERS" said one of
them.
Hammond replied quickly, We've
got to hit for Loon creek. And start
back-fring"
He led the way out of town and
up the stream, dropping a man at
intervals of three or four hundred
feet, at last to present line nearly
a mile long, waiting for the signal.
Hammond gave it, with shout that
was picked up by the nearest man,
sent onward, to be echoed and re-
echoed. Makeshift torches blazed,
family yellow in the brighter glare.
Flames leaped to life. Then, with a
steadily strengthening crackle, the
marsh grass began to burn, while
the workers under Hammond fol-
lowed it slowly, to re-ignite it at
spots, and to be ready, once they
reached the forest, to apply even
more fire if, for any reason, the
sweep of this onslaught did not take
root there. 1t was the only chance
the town had for salvation-to send
q fire against the wind and into the
crest, that flame might meet flame
and thus construct its area of de-
struction.
1t was slow, choking work. The
wind from the main fire was oven
hot now; Hammond and his men
breathed with difficulty. They
worked with wet bandannas
wrapped around their faces to
shield their nostrils; the bite of
smoke and burning pitch cut
through, nevertheless. Coughing,
gasping for clean air, they went on.
Then, as they slowly made their
desperate way along the hot, black
ened marsh wastes toward the for
est proper, worker Strengthened
suddenly, shouting:
Somebody's out there in the
grass!"
Hammond followed the direction
In which the miner had pointed.
Deep in the marsh weeds man
had risen and was looking about him
In bewildered terror. The light of
the forest fire blazed higher, fash
ing against the heavy layers of
smoke and glancing downward
through the haze. Hammond's eyes
conferred. Smoked out from his hid
ing place, even as a dozen forms of
animal life were being smoked out,
Bruce Kenning stood out there in a
yellowed, inf1ammable sea-trans-
fixed with fear.
"Come this way!" Hammond
shouted thickly. His lips were heav-
lily pulled and painful. you've
got bare chance! Put your coat
over your head and make run for
iti'
For a moment, the man seemed
about to obey. He even moved a
few feet toward the advancing line
of marsh fire, now throwing ten
foot wall of flame upward as it
cracked along its line of defense
toward the forest. Then suddenly,
he changed his mind; he whirled
and made for the smoky outlines of
the deeper timber.
Hell never get through therel"
a workman called.
"Afraid not" Hammond an
swered. "Unless he knows a way to
circle the main fire. There's still a
burning-he might make the lake"
''Not if it's any hotter in there
than it is here" The workman
rubbed at smarting eyes.
They were beginning to approach
the end of endurance; at last, they
were forced to turn back. The heat
had become that of a Superheated
oven. Men were staggering, claw
ing at their threats. Nevertheless,
they retreated with hope; the grass
fire had reached the forest; tree
had blazed up with booming ex-
plosion, the fire spreading to other
trees about it.
But the hope faded. Even before
they had reached the town again,
embers were falling there. The wind
heightened, blowing the smoke
clouds over the huddled little settle
ment, like great pillows of black-red
fog. The forms of men now were
only family visible, as they worked
at the burying of stores, or strove to-
lug down to the lake the possessions
they deemed most valuable, their
dogs snarling and fighting about
them. Then a cry came, high
pitched, frantic.
Help me, somebody! Help me
with my cabin. It's caught fire!"
The effort was useless. In an
other ten minutes dozen structures
were blazing; the red-black clouds
above seemed to have looseo a ver-
liable rain of fire. Heavy embers,
as large as mans arm, and blaz-
ing fercely, were falling thickly; it
seemed impossible that wind could
carry anything so weighty. Spruce
needles, half burnt, or untouched,