loor.

She stood irresolute for an instant, undecided whether to read or to
fetch some walnuts from the smokehouse for Sunday. Dr. Morton always
liked to have a basket of walnuts handy on Sunday afternoons. "I guess
I'll get the nuts, and perhaps I'd better run up the hill to be sure
that old fire hasn't had a change of heart. Father says often some
little side fire smolders and burns after the main fire is all out.
Though I guess one would have showed up long before this if there'd been
any this time."

She argued with herself for two or three minutes, finally deciding that
it wasn't much trouble to go take a look, even if it were foolish. Just
outside the door she met Sherm and he walked up to the crest with her.

Half way up the slope Chicken Little suddenly stopped, sniffing
suspiciously. "Sherm, I believe I smell smoke again."

Sherm stopped also to draw in a long breath. He did not wait to announce
his observations, but broke into a run for the top of the hill. Chicken
Little followed him a length in the rear. Sherm took one look and gave
vent to a surprised whistle. Chicken Little stared, fascinated, at a
tiny line of fire burning merrily on a hillside not a mile distant.

"Jumping Jehosophat!" exclaimed Sherm, "how did it ever creep up on us
this way?"

Jane was thinking rapidly. She scarcely noticed what he said.

"Sherm, Frank left the water barrels and the mops and everything on the
wagon, didn't he?"

"Yes--what----"

"Are the barrels filled?"

"Yep, do you think----"

"Sherm, run hitch the bay team to the wagon quick. I'll get Marian and
warn Annie not to tell Mother--she's asleep still. Hurry, Sherm, every
minute's precious!"

Sherm's "All right" drifted from him on the run. He was already on his
way to the stable. He realized that Jane knew more about fire fighting
than he did.

Jane hurried to the cottage. Marian listened to her news, white to the
lips.

"Annie can take Jilly. Perhaps I'd better ride over after Mr. Benton."

"Marian," protested Chicken Little, "there isn't time. And if Mr.
Benton's home, he has probably seen it, too, and is trying to protect
his own place. No, we've got to work fast. Unless we can run a fire
guard before the fire reaches that tall grass on the division line, the
whole place is a goner! It isn't coming very fast yet. Here, I'll run
with Jilly over to the house and you put on a pair of Frank's
trousers--your skirts might catch. I'll get that old pair of