Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1937-11-19
CHAPTER II

of the flames.
Hammond went on, hurrying fol-
Jeanne's store, to find her there, load
ing what food her shelves possessed
into arms of waiting miners. He de-
livered Terry's orders. Then:
"Don't get excited and leave your
money to burn up in the store"
She managed to smile.
"Oh, I've got it." Then again she
looked concernedly at his bruised fea-
lures and matted hair, indicating cut
on the right side of his head. please"
she begged, "I've some white cloth
here could use for bandages."
''Thanks. That salve I've got over
in the cabin is best. Bandages are
bad stuff when there's fire around" !"
"But you will take care Of your
self?"
He promised and whirled, calling to
a miner to start rescue squad with
canoes to Whoopee.
Then he said to Jeanne:
"Tell the women they'll probably
have to mix with the girls from A
round the World Annie's when they
get on the rafts."
Jeanne handed sack of dried pota-
toes to 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 cabin"
The girl looked up.
'I've already done it," she answer
ed. 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 a pat of
her hand, to forgive every blow which
Lew Slade had dealt her.
A score of miners awaited him as
he came down the narrow street from
his cabin after hasty dressing of his
wounds.
Ready for ORDERS" said one of
them.
Hammond replied quickly, "We've
got to hit for Loon creek. And start
back-firing."
He led the way out of town and up
the stream, dropping a man at inter-
walls of three or four hundred feet, at
last to present line nearly a mile
AOng, waiting the signal. Hammond
gave it, with shout that was picked
up by the nearest man, sent onward,
to be echoed and reechoed. Make
shift torches blazed, family yellow in
the brighter glare. Flames leaped to
life. Then with steadily strength
ening crackle, the marsh grass began
to burn, while the workers under Ham,
mond followed 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
fer salvation-to send fire against
the wind and into the forest, that
flame might meet flame, and thus con-
strict it's area of destruction.
1t was slow, choking work. The
wind from the main fire was oven hot
now; Hammond and his men breathec
with difficulty. They worked with we
bandannas wrapped around their face'
to shield their nostrils; the bite O.
smoke and burning pitch cut through
nevertheless. Coughing, gasping TO
clean air, they went on. Then, a
they slowly made their desperate wa
along the hot, blackened marsh waste
toward the forest proper, a worke
Strengthened suddenly, shouting:
Somebody's out there in tn
grass!"
Hammond followed the direction
which the miner had pointed. Deep
the marsh weeds man had risen an
was looking about him in bewildere
terror. The light of the forest fiji
blazed higher, flashing against tt
heavy layers of smoke and glancir
downward through the haze. Han
mond's eyes centered. Smoked o.
from his hiding place, even as dozt
forms of animal life were being smo
ed out, Bruce Kenning stood out the
in a yellowed, inflammable sea-tral
fixed with fear.
"Come this way!" Hammond shou
ed thickly. His lips were heavl
puffed and painful. you've got
bare chance! Put your coat over yo
head and make a run for It'll"
For moment, the man seem
about to obey. He even moved fe
feet toward the advancing line