hat in a few minutes their
beauty would be gone, and they would be left mere gaunt and shrivelled
spectres. From their low position, and protected by the trees, the
vast clouds of smoke did not greatly affect them, but swirled high
above. This could not be for long, as already the woman had caught the
first glimpse of the fire among the trees. Would the boat reach them
in time? That was the question she asked herself, as she looked again
in its direction. The rower was straining every effort, and he was now
but a few yards away. On and on rushed the boat, and as the rower
turned his face toward the women they were startled to see, not the one
they had imagined, but Eben Tobin. There was no time, however, for
questions now. As the boat neared the rocks, the boy rose to his feet
and reached out a fending oar. There was a bump, a grating sound, and
a roar from Eben.

"On board, quick," he ordered. "The fire's on top of us!"

Quickly the women obeyed, and scrambled from the rock into the boat,
nearly capsizing it as they did so.

"Set there, an' be still," Eben commanded, as he pushed away from the
shore, seated himself, and again dipped the oars into the water. He
headed the boat around the lower point of the island, and rowed hard.
So taken up were the women with watching the fire, that they hardly
looked at their rescuer. Had they done so they would have been greatly
shocked. The hair had disappeared from his head, his face, arms and
hands were red and swollen, while his shirt was entirely charred across
his chest and shoulders. His blood-shot eyes, and the haggard
expression on his face told their own tale, although he gave no outward
sign of his suffering. He rowed as he had never rowed before, for the
lives of the women depended upon his exertions.

Eben had been rowing only a few minutes when the fire reached the lower
end of the island. It burst with a mighty roar from among the trees,
and hurled its flames out over the rocks where the women had been
huddled but a short time before. They shivered as they watched the
fearful sight, and silently clung to each other. But even now they
were not beyond danger. The flames, as if angered by losing their
human prey, reached out over the water in a final effort to seize the
fleeing ones. Showers of blazing embers were poured forth, and fell
around the boat, and at times upon the occupants. The women were now
kept alert and busy extinguishing these br