id, all out of breath, "We can't keep this up; it's
gaining; I can even feel the heat."

"We can't flank it, that's sure," Harry said; "hustle for all you're worth;
that's all I can say."

Gee, I'll never forget that night. We just pushed on up through the brush,
stumbling and falling and lifting each other and trying to run. Our clothes
were all torn and we were panting like a lot of dogs.

"Watch and see that no fellow is left behind," Harry panted.

Every minute two or three of us were just dragging some fellow up out of
the brush. I guess it was a case of more haste, less speed; it's pretty
hard running through brush.

Harry just panted out, "Boys, we're in a pretty tight place; don't get
rattled. Lift your feet high with each step and follow right in my tracks.
If anybody falls, _shout._"

I said, "We're losing all the time; what's the use?"

"We can keep ahead of it for a couple of hundred yards," he said; "maybe
we'll strike clear land. Anyway, we can't do anything else than give it a
race."

By that time we could feel the heat and sometimes sparks blew almost over
our heads, but they were out when they reached ground. Harry just kept
panting out, "Hustle," and "Keep your nerve."

By now the crackling was loud and I could taste smoke. I knew there wasn't
much chance for us, but I didn't say so. Anywhere a blown fire is bad
enough, but uphill it just rushes. It seemed funny that I'd have to die on
Marjorie's birthday, and all of a sudden I thought how I had tried to
'phone her. Gee, she'd never even know that.

"Hustle," Harry said.

"Do you hear a voice?" Dorry asked; _"listen."_ As plain as could be, I
heard a girl's voice, crying. It kind of seemed as if it might be Marjorie
crying, because I was dead.

Then I heard Hunt Manners say, "Yes, I hear it."

Harry just panted out, "Never mind, step high and hustle."

CHAPTER XXXVIII

WE FIGHT AND RUN AWAY

"Where are you?" Harry shouted; "all call together."

We could hear several voices answering all together, "Here."

"Keep shouting," he called; "we're coming. Is there any open land up
there?"

"No," a voice said; "hurry!"

We followed the voices and pretty soon came to the observation station. It
was just a little shanty with a trestle-work wooden tower close to it.

"Did you get 'phone connection yet?" Harry called as we came up.

"Guess the poles are burned down," a fellow's voice answered. "We can't
even get Central. Have you got