CHAPTER XVI
A TIMELY WARNING
It was nearly dark when they finally arrived at the lake. Chris Bentonand Jim Burroughs were waiting for them at the landing with a couple ofcanoes, and they were soon skimming over the placid waters of the laketo the Benton camp.
"This smoke's pretty thick here," said Jack.
"The woods are on fire all around us," said Chris.
"That's the trouble," said Jim Burroughs. "The summer's been mightydry. See how low the lake is. A lot of the streams around here havedried up. This lake is partly spring fed, and it doesn't dependaltogether on the little brooks that flow into it. Otherwise I'mafraid this wouldn't be much of a place just now."
"Is there any danger of the fire coming this way, Jim?" asked Jack.
"Not a bit, Jack. The wind's the other way, and if it shifts it'scertain to bring rain with it and put the fire out, anyhow. It wouldtake a good, strong, east wind to blow the fire over this way, and thatwould mean a regular rain storm, sure. So we're safe enough here.Fires never have reached Eagle Lake."
"I'm glad of that. It would be a shame to have any fire here. Itmight burn up the camps, you know, and that would be a pity."
"It sure would! But I guess we're safe enough here. The guides allsay so, and they ought to know, certainly. They've lived in the woodsmost of their lives, from what they say, and they don't seem to thinkthat there's any danger at all."
"They certainly ought to know," agreed Jack. "They know more than wedo, anyhow. That's a sure thing."
The two Scouts were pretty well tired out from their long hike, andthey enjoyed their comfortable beds that night. It was warm, and eventhough the air was full of smoke, it was strong and bracing. So theyawoke in the morning refreshed and full of life, and, when Chris hailedthem, they joined him with a will in a plunge into the chilly water ofthe lake.
"How far away is the fire, Jim?" Jack asked, after breakfast.
"Two or three miles to the west, I guess," said Jim, carelessly. "Itwon't come any nearer, either, Jack."
"I think I'll go take a look at it," said Jack. "Coming, Pete andChris?"
"Sure we are!" they cried.
Their eyes smarted, and their throats were parched as they made theirway toward the burning timber, but they didn't mind such smalldiscomforts, and soon Jack had a chance to see a real woods fireburning at its height.
"This is the real thing, Pete," he said, when they got a good look atthe fire from the ridge where they had found Bess Benton on the firstnight they had been at Eagle Lake, some weeks earlier.
"Gee," said Pete, "I thought that fire we helped to stop near the citywas big enough, but this beats it all hollow, doesn't it, Jack?"
"Come on!" said Jack, with sudden determination. "This isn't safe, nomatter what the guides say. If the wind changes this fire would sweepright down to the edge of the lake. A little rain wouldn't make anyimpression on it at all."
Jack, once his mind was made up, wasn't afraid of ridicule or anythingelse. He went back to camp, and sought out Mr. Benton.
"I think that fire's mighty dangerous, Mr. Benton," he said. "I knowthe guides say you're perfectly safe here, but I've lived in a placewhere they had big woods fires nearly every year, and this is thebiggest fire I ever saw. It would take a week's soaking rain to stopit, and if the wind turns to the east, even if it does bring some rain,it will turn that fire straight for the lake here, and burn upeverything it meets on the way."
"What would you advise, Jack?" asked Mr. Benton. There was a twinklein his eye, for he thought the guides knew more than Jack, but hewanted to humor the Scout, who stood very high in his estimation.
"I'd dig a deep, broad ditch, and fill it with water. I'd make it atleast five feet deep, and ten or twelve feet broad, Mr. Benton. Thatwould give us a chance to keep the fire from reaching the buildingshere. There's still some water in that brook that runs down from theridge, though there won't be very long, and you could divert that intothe ditch, and then dam the ditch at the lake, so that you'd have quitea little pond behind the houses on the side nearest the fire. If youcould get half a dozen men they could dig a ditch like that, roughly,in a day. And I'd certainly do it, sir!"
Mr. Benton was impressed, despite himself, by Jack's earnestness. Hiscamp had cost him nearly ten thousand dollars, and practically nothingwould survive the fire if it should sweep over it. So, after a littlethought, and not heeding the laughter of Jim Burroughs and the guides,he decided to take Jack's advice.
The guides, pressed into service for the digging of the ditch, thoughtthat the task was foolish. They grumbled at having to do it, but theyhad no choice but to obey, once Mr. Benton had given the order. Andbefore they were half done, the wind, which had died away completely,began to come again in short puffs from the east.
"That means rain," said Jim. "Jack, you young rascal, I believe youstarted this scare just to see us all work!"
"I've known the wind to blow from the northeast for a whole day beforethe rain came," said Jack, "especially at this time of the year."
The fire was a mile nearer the camp when the ditch was finished. Itwasn't much of a ditch, and it wouldn't last very long, but looking itover, Jack decided that it was much better than nothing. And it heldthe water, at least, which was the most important thing.
As the wind continued to come from the east, without a sign of thehoped for rain, Mr. Benton looked very grave.
"I think you've saved us from a real disaster by your insistence,Jack," he said. "I'm certainly glad that we took your advice."
The roaring of the fire could be plainly heard now. The smoke was sothick that all of them went around with wet cloths tied over theirmouths, and smoked glasses to protect their eyes. Even the guideslooked serious, and seemed to have a new and greater respect for JackDanby and the precaution he had forced them to take.
"Never saw nothin' like this," said one of them. "Never in all theyears I've been in the woods. The youngster sure do know a fire whenhe sees it."
"I'm sorry I laughed at you, Jack, old man," said Jim Burroughs,choking as he spoke. "You certainly had the right dope on this fire.Gosh, listen to it roaring back there!"
The ditch was in the form of a rough half circle, and went completelyaround the Benton clearing. It was dug so that the brook from theridge ran into it and filled it, and a space of a foot or so was leftuntouched at each end of it where it reached the lake. This made anatural dam, and held the water in, so that, as the brook continued toflow in, a small pond was formed behind the clearing, just as Dick hadsuggested. That made a wide space for the fire to leap, and Jack feltthat, even if the fire swept completely around his ditch, the men inthe clearing, by constant vigilance, would be able to beat out anysparks and flying embers that might otherwise have set fire to thebuildings. But, as a further precaution, the boats of the camp, withwater and provisions, were kept ready, so that the family might take tothe lake if the need arose.
"Gee," said Pete, suddenly after nightfall, "we forgot the stuff atCamp Simms, Jack!"
"So we did!" cried Jack. "Well, there's time enough yet. The firewill burn right over the camp site there, but it's better cleared thanthis, and there won't be much damage if we take the stuff from theshack and bring it all over here. We can't save the shack, but thatcan be built up again in a hurry after the fire's all over. Come on!"
They told the others what they planned to do, and Jim Burroughsvolunteered to go with them and help them. In an hour they had broughteverything portable from Camp Simms to the Benton camp, which was notvery far away, and then they felt that they had taken every possibleprecaution. There was nothing more to do after that but wait on thefire. It could not be hurried, and, so great had it become, it couldnot be delayed or checked by any human agency.
There was no question in the mind of any of them now of the wisdom ofJack's fears. Had it not been for the ditch, they admitted, they couldnot have done anything to save the camp.
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p; "There'll be no sleep for any of us to-night," said Mr. Benton. "We'llhave to be ready when it gets near enough to keep it from jumping theditch and the pond. There's nothing else to stop it, certainly."
The guides were on watch, beyond the water, like pickets, and beforelong they were driven in by the advancing fire. The heat was terrific,and, under Mr. Benton's direction, lines of hose were laid to the lake,and with the windmill that pumped fresh water to give pressure, thehose was played constantly on the roofs and walls of the buildings ofthe camp, to make it harder for flying sparks to set them afire.
There was plenty of hose, and as the fire advanced Jack was thankfulfor that. Water was better than branches and sticks for beating outany fire that leaped the water wall, and the hose was easier to handle,too.
Soon after eleven great drops of water began to fall, and then therewas a steady downpour of rain.
"There's your rain, at last, Jim," said Jack. "You can see how mucheffect it has. It's like pouring water from a flower pot down avolcano and hoping to put it out. The fire doesn't even know it'sraining!"
"I guess you're right, Jack," said Jim. "Don't rub it in, though.I'll admit that you saved the situation by making us do what youwanted."
Now began the real fight with the fire. Roaring, bellowing, furious inits onslaught, it swept all about the ditch that held it from its prey.It seemed maddened with rage at the obstacle that man had opposed toits conquering rush, and, raging, it flung sparks and flaming embers atthe defenders of the camp.
For two hours they worked, looking, through the light of the luridflames, like fiends. Their faces were blackened by the smoke, but theynever ceased their efforts. Buckets of water were placed all about theclearing, and into these they plunged the cloths that they kept overtheir faces. Other buckets of barley water, with dippers, were alsothere, and when there was a chance for a moment's pause, they drankdeep draughts of the most cooling and refreshing drink that man has yetdevised. Barley water with a little lemon juice did more to moistenparched throats and mouths than the most elaborate drink could havedone. It was food and drink alike.
The rain came down to help them all this time, pouring a great volumeof water on the fire. And, after about two hours of fighting, the firewas beaten. It had burned over the whole section near the camp. Thelake stopped it, and the fire, growling and angry, died away becausethere was nothing else for it to burn. But the vigil lasted all night.
Morning saw Camp Benton standing like an oasis in a desert of blackenedtrees and stumps. The whole side of the lake was a wilderness. Butthe camp, thanks to the Boy Scout fire fighters, was saved.
"You're certainly welcome guests!" said Mr. Benton. "Thanks to you, westill have the camp. The trees will grow again. And now I think wecan all go to sleep for about twenty-four hours."
_THE BRADEN BOOKS_
FAR PAST THE FRONTIER.
By JAMES A. BRADEN
The sub-title "Two Boy Pioneers" indicates the nature of thisstory--that it has to do with the days when the Ohio Valley and theNorthwest country were sparsely settled. Such a topic is an unfailingfund of interest to boys, especially when involving a couple ofstalwart young men who leave the East to make their fortunes and toincur untold dangers.
"Strong, vigorous, healthy, manly."--_Seattle Times_.
CONNECTICUT BOYS IN THE WESTERN RESERVE
By JAMES A. BRADEN
The author once more sends his heroes toward the setting sun. "In allthe glowing enthusiasm of youth, the youngsters seek their fortunes inthe great, fertile wilderness of northern Ohio, and eventually achievefair success, though their progress is hindered and sometimes halted byadventures innumerable. It is a lively, wholesome tale, never dull,and absorbing in interest for boys who love the fabled life of thefrontier."--Chicago Tribune.
THE TRAIL OF THE SENECA
By JAMES A. BRADEN
In which we follow the romantic careers of John Jerome and ReturnKingdom a little farther.
These two self-reliant boys are living peaceably in their cabin on theCuyahoga when an Indian warrior is found dead in the woods nearby. TheSeneca accuses John of witchcraft. This means death at the stake if heis captured. They decide that the Seneca's charge is made to shieldhimself, and set out to prove it. Mad Anthony, then on the Ohio, comesto their aid, but all their efforts prove futile and the lone cabin isfound in ashes on their return.
CAPTIVES THREE
By JAMES A. BRADEN
A tale of frontier life, and how three children--two boys and agirl--attempt to reach the settlements in a canoe, but are captured bythe Indians. A common enough occurrence in the days of ourgreat-grandfathers has been woven into a thrilling story.
The Saalfield Publishing Co, AKRON, OHIO
THE BOY SCOUT SERIES
1 THE BOY SCOUTS IN CAMP 2 THE BOY SCOUTS TO THE RESCUE 3 THE BOY SCOUTS ON THE TRAIL 4 THE BOY SCOUT FIRE-FIGHTERS 5 THE BOY SCOUTS AFLOAT 6 THE BOY SCOUT PATHFINDERS 7 THE BOY SCOUT AUTOMOBILISTS 8 THE BOY SCOUT AVIATORS 9 THE BOY SCOUTS' CHAMPION RECRUIT 10 THE BOY SCOUTS' DEFIANCE 11 THE BOY SCOUTS' CHALLENGE 12 THE BOY SCOUTS' VICTORY
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