!"

And looking ahead Thad saw the sheen of a body of water in the dull glow
of the forest fire. It was not a large pond, but would offer them an
asylum, where in all possibility they might laugh at the efforts of the
fire to get them.

When they gained the shore Jim kept pushing on until a point had been
reached that was opposite to the course over which they had just come.
This threw the water of the little pond between them and the source of
danger.

Thad drew a long breath of relief as he realized that their race with
the flames was over, and safety assured. The giant sank down upon the
ground, and scooping up the water in the cup of his hand, drank
savagely, showing that he must be almost parched with thirst.

Feeling a little the same way himself, Thad followed suit; and never in
all his life had water tasted as refreshing as then. After that, he just
stood and watched the terrible panorama that was being gradually
unfolded before his eyes; listening to the roar of the devouring element
as it seized whole rows of pines in its grip, and enveloped them with a
mantle of flames.

Thad was fairly awed by the sight. He had never dreamed it could be so
terrible, even when his imagination played at its liveliest clip. He saw
the leaping billows toss higher and higher; he watched them play tag
with one another; and all the while realized what havoc was being made
with that splendid forest. When the fire had passed on, or been finally
extinguished by the downpour from above, it would leave blackened and
smouldering trunks where just a brief while before the glorious pines
stood in all their robes of green.

The heat was rather fierce, too, and often they would bend forward to
lave their faces in the cooling waters of the pond. Long since had the
rim of ice around the edge of the pool vanished, as though by magic;
this was on account of the warmth that had taken possession of the
atmosphere while the conflagration lasted.

But Thad was satisfied that they were going to escape, for the main body
of fire had already gone rushing away before the wind. Only straggling
trailers worked in behind the pond, and they were already feeling the
effect of the rain that was now falling heavily, though at other places
it must have taken the form of snow.

Jim was apparently more or less anxious about Cale. He feared the old
man might have received serious injuries that needed attention; and
taking advantage of the first opportuni