started just in time.

Helen turned around and together the girls watched the fire skip down
the slope. When the scene was finally shut off by their own descent into
another valley, the fire was almost to the ranchhouse and Janet felt
sick at heart as she thought of the destruction which was inevitable for
the friendly, rambling old structure.

The trail they had been following faded completely away and Curt brought
the bus to a stop.

"Want to get out and walk or shall we go on in the bus?"

The director's reply came quickly.

"Where can we go?"

Curt shrugged his shoulder.

"You know as well as I do. We've got to go someplace; anywhere to stay
ahead of the fire."

"Then jam the bus along as far as it will go," ordered the director.

"Who's going to pay for the damage?" demanded the driver.

"Never mind that," snapped Curt. "The first thing is to save our own
necks. Then we'll worry about the bus."

"But I'll have to report what happened to the company."

"You'll be lucky to get back and make a report," retorted the cowboy.

They lurched into motion once more, traveling almost blindly now, and
much slower.

Curt felt his way around clumps of underbrush and outcroppings of rock.
The wind, swirling along with them, carried a heavy curtain of smoke.

They were rolling down a long slope when a front tire let go with an
explosion like that from a young cannon and Curt twisted desperately at
the wheel, fighting for control of the big vehicle. The driver jumped to
help him and between the two of them they brought it to a halt without
an upset.

Curt jumped out to survey the damage and returned almost at once.

"No chance of repairing the tire even if there was time," he announced.
"We'll see how much further we can go."

With both Curt and the bus driver clinging to the wheel, they started
on, though traveling at a painfully slow pace.

At the bottom of the valley they stopped, a thin ribbon of a stream
blocking their way.

Once more the cowboy lunged out into the smoke-filled night to stamp
through the shallow waters of the stream. The bottom seemed fairly firm
and Curt returned and took the wheel.

"We'll try to go through, but everyone unload. No use to carry any
excess weight."

The entire company piled out of the bus and watched Curt start across
the stream. He made good progress, the front wheels climbing out on the
other bank and for a moment it looked like he was going across. Then the
sa