I felt the strong breeze and smelled the burnt wood.
Puffs of white smoke ran out ahead of the main clouds, and I saw three of
them widely separated. What they meant puzzled me. But all of a sudden I
saw in front of the nearest a flickering gleam of red. Then I knew those
white streams of smoke rose where the fire was being sucked up the canyons.
They leaped along with amazing speed. It was then that I realized that Dick
and Hiram had been caught by one of these offshoots of the fire, and had
been compelled to turn away to save their lives. Perhaps they would both be
lost. For a moment I felt faint, but I fought it off. I had to think of
myself. It was every one for himself, and perhaps there was many a man
caught on Penetier with only a slender chance for life.
"Oh! oh!" I cried, suddenly. "Herky, Bud, and Bill tied helpless in that
cabin! Dick forgot them. They'll be burned to death!"
As I stood there, trembling at the thought of Herky and his comrades bound
hand and foot, the first roar of the forest fire reached my ears. It
threatened, but it roused my courage. I jumped as if I had been shot, and
clattered down that crag with wings guiding my long leaps. No crevice or
jumble of loose stones or steep descent daunted me. I reached the horse,
and, grasping the bridle, I started to lead him.
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