The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-05-11


ness?"
s'Nesters saved us a couple of
Shots" was Sierra's laconic report.
Where's Louise?" Breck asked.
"Gone out. 1t looked like we were
going to be surrounded and some
one had to reach telephone. She's
trying to make it to your station"
"Rock House?" Breck gasped.
Good Godi" He looked south into
pail of smoke. THAT whole trails
under firel''
ST know it." Cook admitted.
Someone had to go. and she
wouldn't let me spare a man. Be-
sides that, she had to get old Tom
and the Senator out"
He mounted, giving orders, "You
ride that north canyon. JG and
some of his boys are up there. Slim
and I will 60 to bunch working
on Nine Mile. Do what you can;
God knows we're blind without
wire to Kern Peak"
What they could do was little
enough. Breck realized that when
he came upon Jackson and hand
full of cowpunchers. The cowman
met him, grim.faced, as he said,
We've done our damnedest, Rang
err"
Breck took up his tools and
plunged into the endless job of clear
ing brush. But only giant, able to
tear trees by the roofs, could have
held the blaze that swept steadily
upward. Night came; men had to
sleep. They dropped on the ground
for two-hour turns, Breck waiting
until his legs collapsed beneath him.
Dawn rose over that most desolate
of sights-a mountain range being
laid waste. Throughout the morn
ing Breck flung his wearied crew
against the line, yet they were
blocked. Even as they built back
fires in one canyon, spots fared fur
ther on.
Toward noon he rode to a bald
knob, hoping to get some idea of
their position. He was half an hour
in climbing up and found that the
| point which had seemed so high was
still lower than those around it. He
sat numbed in mind and body. In
another day the whole South Sierra
would be stripped. Only miracle
could save the forest.
He did not believe in miracles.
though as he rested on the knob
| there sounded far-off droning. 1t
| puzzled him; recognition of its mag
ic came slowly. Then suddenly he
knew. Not the miracle of rain from
cloudless sky, nor an unseen hand
beating back the flames, but of a
winged man.
| The droning surged into a roar
as white ship burst through rolls of
| smoke. It shot close over his posi-
ton and he read the letters: USFS.
From somewhere word had gone
| outside!
Swept with grateful impulse he
! lifted clasped hands high toward it.
The plane banked as if answering,
circled, and upon passing once more.
dropped long white ribbon. Breck
rushed to it, found q small bag
weighted with sand, then a tube Of
| paper.
"Reief," it said, coming in from
Sequoia."
] Swinging upon Kit. he raced from
the knob and shouted the magic
word to his men below. They've
got us located, boys. Wen get re-
lief now"
| The planes promise was not full
filled through the afternoon nor in
the first hours of dark. But about
| midnight Breck saw back fires
springing up over a ten mile front
both north and south. and by morn
ing the line was almost solid. Hun
dreds of men must have poured up
Kern River gap under the air pa
trolls direction.
1t was a little before midday that
lean, brown-faced man rode in
at the head of an emergency crew
He halted among Jackson's cow
boys and swung off. II guess you fell
lows have had enough of it. Is
Breck here?"
Breck went to him.
"Im Green" the man said, "from
Sequoia. Well finish this. Cook
says for you to meet him at Temple
Meadow"
"Did you get the call through
Rock House Station?" Breck asked,
his first thought for Louise.
81 don't know" Green answered.
| T0or shot c4r ,,o&1 -
deadened body. He threw on his
saddle and rode at once. All the
way as he climbed summit then
dropped into Long Canyon, a dread
goaded him on. A familiar spot in
the canyon momentarily turned his
| thoughts to another day.
Here he had saved Louise from
the cattle stampede. He had car
ried her home in his arms. They
yearned for her now. That day he
had not known what it was to love.
Desperation swept upon him. He
could make life happy for her.
She could paint. They would live
below winters. But summers
they must come back. Realization
of that struck him forcibly. Bound
into his love for Louise, growing out
of it, was love for the High ST.
erras.
Temple Meadow, since he last
] saw it, had changed from fiesta
! grounds to hospital ward. He loped
in before evening, coming among
cots beneath the pines where men
lay asleep with arms and faces in
white cloths.