at the road where they
had begun, the head fire was already meeting their line of back fire and
dying down in sullen smoke. Still, that hundred yards of blue stem was
untouched.

They paused a moment at its edge in hurried consultation.

"Let's souse all the mops--dripping wet--and trail across first,"
suggested Chicken Little in short, labored gasps. She had been running
for several minutes.

"Yes, and then fire back. Christ!--we must hurry!" Sherm, too, was
breathless. "Can you stick it out a few minutes longer, Marian?"

Marian Morton's face was drawn and colorless. She nodded and rested a
moment, leaning on her mop.

For the next sixty-five yards the blows of the wet mops rained down with
the precision of clock work. Twice the flames started in quick eddies
back of their line, but, panting, the girls almost sobbing, they beat
them back. The smoke was growing stifling. The wind, freshening, blew it
from both fires full in their faces. They could see only a few feet
ahead.

"Light another torch and run, Chicken Little--there's no time to
lose--we must chance it!"

Chicken Little obeyed silently. Half way to the breaking she stumbled
and fell. Her torch of twisted grass flew from her hand, scattering the
burning fragments about her. Before she could get to her feet, the grass
was ablaze all around. Quick-witted Sherm threw her a mop, then beat his
way toward her. Marian, summoning her last remaining strength, ran to
help, but sank to the ground in a faint before she could reach Jane.

Sherm and Chicken Little, beating, stamping madly, did not see her fall.
The flames fairly licked up the long grass. They beat them out around
Jane only to see them spread in an ever-increasing circle. Chicken
Little's legs gave way under her and she sank helplessly down, watching
the rushing fire. Sherm struggled on with parched throat and stinging
eyes, but he, too, was fast becoming exhausted in the unequal fight,
when a strong pair of hands seized the mop from his straining arms and
rained swift blows on the flaming grass. Answering blows resounded from
four other stout pairs of hands and an irregular line of charred
vegetation was soon all that was left to tell the tale of the danger
they had escaped.

"Thank God, we got here in time!" Captain Clarke ejaculated fervently,
raising Marian's head and dashing water in her face to restore her.

"We're so shut in by the timber at our place, I didn't dream the fire
was in this