l, down hill lap of their journey.

The cowboys were the first to reach the ranchyard and Janet could hear
them ripping the cover off the well. There was a shout ahead of them.

"The water's okay. Hurry up!" It was one of the cowboys, and the news
gave them the courage to quicken their lagging steps.

Billy Fenstow handed Janet a blackened dipper, but she insisted that
Helen take the first drink. There was plenty of water and they all drank
their fill while Billy Fenstow scrambled around the timbers above the
well hunting for the wires which had been fastened to the film
containers they had lowered into the well. He found them at last, but
decided they were safer in the water than any place else.

"What about going on?" asked one of the cowboys.

"No use in that. Someone had used the dipper before we got here, so that
means Curt is up ahead of us and he's traveling much faster than we
could. We'll do better to wait right here where they'll find us. Try and
make yourselves comfortable."

But the director's last words were of little help. The air was still dry
and searing and there was no shelter anywhere. Fires still glowed all
over the valley and little clouds of smoke swept around them.

Janet and Helen walked over to the ranchhouse, but the embers were
glowing so brightly that it was impossible to get very close.

"I ache all over," confessed Helen. "When I finally get into bed I'm
going to sleep the clock around."

"Count me in on that program," nodded Janet. "Well, we might as well sit
down and keep as comfortable as possible."

But they went back to the well for another drink before trying to relax
on the ground.

The men were gathered a short distance away, talking in low voices about
their harrowing escape. They conversed in monotones that soon lulled the
girls' tired minds and before she knew it Janet found herself dozing.
They were fitful little naps, broken with sudden thoughts of the fire.
Then she would snap to complete wakefulness, only to have her fatigue
overcome her again. She had dozed perhaps half a dozen times when the
increasing chill of the air awakened her.

Helen, curled up on the ground, was breathing steadily and deeply and
had not noticed the change in the atmosphere.

Janet scanned the horizon. There was no scarlet in the northwest
now--only a dense blackness that seemed to be growing thicker. The
southeastern sky was still vividly flame seared.

The men had ceased their talkin