ered their danger.

Only a person who has seen a fire in the open among shrubs and trees
already parched for lack of water, and fanned by a wind each moment
growing stronger, can realize with what rapidity the fire spread. To
Harvey and Beth, it seemed as if from the moment of discovery, the fire
hemmed them in.

The air was sultry, notwithstanding the wind, and with the spread of
the fire it grew more so. The sky was marked with fantastic clouds
which turned from gray to flaming red.

Beth gazed around her helplessly. She felt as if there was no escape
for them from a fiery death, which made her heartily repentant that she
had come. She silently prayed to God to deliver them, and vowed if she
lived, never, never to do anything again without her mother's knowledge.

The awfulness of their surroundings and the enormity of his
responsibility, came upon Harvey with overwhelming force. He was too
horrified for speech, and, for a few seconds, too stunned for action.

On rushed the triumphant flames, blasting everything within range. The
hot breath from the fire recalled Harvey to the need of action.

"Oh, Beth, how can I get you out of this horrible place? We are
surrounded by fire." Then, in a moment, he added, "I see a way out, if
we run."

He caught her hand and half-dragged her through scorching shrubs,
circling to the left. Fortunately, they managed to reach a road
skirting the woods without serious injury.

Here they saw excited men running towards the woods. "It will burn our
homes, our all," they heard one cry. "Our one hope is to start counter
fires," another cried.

At the word, to the horror of Beth who did not understand, the men set
fire to the low palmettoes a short distance away where there was an
open space.

It seemed wicked to her to set more trees on fire, especially when the
men seemed so anxious about their homes burning.

"Let's go," she sobbed.

Harvey held his head high. "No, indeed, I won't go. If their houses
burn, it's my fault. I have some money in the bank and I'll give them
every cent of it. They look like poor fishermen. Oh, Beth, it's too
terrible. See how high the flames go."

Up, up, they leaped, growing higher and more fierce every moment. The
sparks flew inland. If some change did not occur, no power under the
sun could save the poor fishermen's homes.

The two poor, forlorn little culprits waited in the roadway and watched
the progress of the awful fla