worry, dear," begged Alice.

"But I can't help it."

"Perhaps they are all right, Ruth. They may have gone to one side, just
as we did, and of course they couldn't ride towards us until they got
beyond the path of the flames."

"Oh, if I could only hope so!" the elder girl replied.

The wagon was rocking and swaying over the uneven ground as the horses
galloped on. Russ, who had run to one side when the halt was made, held
up his hand as a signal to halt. He had taken films until the vehicle
was too close to be in proper focus.

"Do get up and get in with us!" begged Ruth. "You must not stay here any
longer."

"I was thinking that myself," he said grimly.

A glance back showed that the fire there had increased in intensity, and
the one in front was also growing. There was presented the rather
strange sight of two fires rushing together, though the one in the rear,
or behind the refugees, came on with greater speed, urged by a stronger
wind. As Mr. Switzer had said, a vacuum might have been created by the
larger conflagration, which made a draft that blew the smaller fire
toward the bigger one.

"Do you see any opening, either backward or forward?" asked Russ of
Paul, when they had gone on for perhaps half a mile.

"Not yet," answered the driver. "Though the smoke, does seem to be
getting a bit thinner ahead there, on the left."

But it was a false hope, and going on a little farther it was seen that
the two fires had joined about a mile ahead, completely cutting off an
advance in that direction.

It was as though our friends were in an ever narrowing circle of flame.
There was a fire behind them, in front of them and to one side. There
only remained the one other side.

Would there be an opening in the circle--an opening by which they could
escape?

"Ve must go to der right," cried Mr. Switzer.

"Und I vill drive, Paul. I haf driven in der German army yet, und I know
how."

They were now tearing along in a lane bordered with fire on either side,
with raging flames behind them. Their only hope lay in front.

"Well, these films may never be developed," observed Russ, grimly, as
took his camera off the tripod, "but I'm going to get a picture of this
prairie fire. It's the best chance I've ever had--and it may be my last.
But I'm not going to miss it!"

And so, as the wagon careened along between the two lines of fire, Russ
took picture after picture, holding the camera on his knees.

On and on the f