mes.

The two fires looked like immense dragons that were rushing at each
other in uncontrolled fury. The sparks flew right and left, but the
counter fire served its purpose somewhat in that part of the flames'
force was spent upon the other.

The fires crackled and hissed, and to Harvey these were the voices of
the dragons defying and mocking him. To him they said:

"What can you do to stop us? Nothing. Yes, you may well tremble. It
was you, you alone, that set us monsters free and we will not be
chained now that we are loose." Upward the fire dragons flew, and even
as they sank down somewhat, their mocking did not cease.

"Counter fires may check us momentarily, but presently we will sweep
upwards and devour the fishermen's huts in our fiery grasp. It is
awful to you, but to us it is fun, fun, fun, and we will not be
stopped. Look at us. Look at us."

Again the flames leaped higher and higher. Harvey covered his face
with his hands. He could not bear the sight another instant.

Beth would have comforted him if she had known how, but what could she
say? She, too, felt that nothing could stop the onward rush of the
dragons.

But the one opponent that had power over them suddenly descended to
take part in the fray.

Beth clapped her hands in glee. "It's raining, Harvey; it's raining."

The sun was still shining brightly, but, sure enough, one of those
showers peculiar to tropical lands was descending, and the wind, too,
abated somewhat.

"Thank God," murmured Harvey. "Beth, I'm going to speak to the men."

She grasped him by the arm. "Oh, Harvey, they might arrest you."

"Nonsense, Beth; they don't know how the fire started, and if their
houses don't burn, there's no use in telling. You wait here for me."

He was gone only a few minutes, and, when Beth caught sight of his
radiant face, she knew the good news before he said a word.

"Beth, they say the houses won't burn. We can go now."

They circled around the woods by the road, and, when they came to the
river, walked down the beach to their boat which they found unharmed.

The fish were burned to cinders.

"We don't care, do we, Beth? I couldn't eat them, anyway, after all
the trouble they have caused us. It was all their fault. If they
hadn't been so foolish as to be caught, there wouldn't have been any
fire. But I've built fires a hundred times before and never had
anything like this to happen."

Trouble, it is said, never c