CHAPTER XXV.
CAUGHT IN THE FOREST FIRE.
"What's to be done about it, Jim?" demanded the scoutmaster.
"Nawthin' as I kin see," came the guide's philosophical reply. "Wehain't knowin' which way ther ole wind'll turn next, so it's as safe furus tew keep right along like we was aheadin', as tew turn back furcamp."
"Then let's go on; an' perhaps after all, the fire'll give us thego-by," and as he said this Thad put his best foot forward.
"Anyway," Jim pursued, presently, "we cudn't know haow tew shape ourplans till we cotched sight o' ther fire, an' knowed jest what she be.By naow p'raps ther hull woods ahind us mout be aflame; so by turnin'back, we'd jest be puttin' aour noses tew ther grindstone."
They walked on a little faster than before. The talk was of course allabout forest fires now, since it began to seem likely that Thad wasabout to witness the first real big one of his experience.
Thad had a way of asking leading questions, and Jim was no way averse togiving all the information in his power; so that before long the BoyScout had learned a great many interesting facts connected with theseterrors of the piney woods, by means of which thousands of acres ofvaluable timber used to be wiped out of existence every year, and oftenmany lives lost as well.
Things are not the same as they used to be. The State of Maine has awell equipped fire warden department; and during the fall season whenthe danger is greatest, extreme care is taken to call out these seasonedfire-fighters whenever their services are needed. Besides, everylicensed guide is expected to work in conjunction with the authoritiesin seeing that no party which he pilots into the woods becomes recklessabout leaving fires burning after breaking camp.
When another half hour had passed Thad could no longer doubt that therewas a fire burning somewhere not far away, and that they were now muchcloser than before to the scene of the conflagration.
The smoke had become a thing that could be easily seen as well assmelled, and felt in the way of burning eyes and tickled nostrils.
Jim was on the alert. Well did he know that it was no child's play,matching one's wits against a forest fire that was apt to encircle theunwary woodsman, and cut off his retreat, finally roasting him in atrap.
"Do you think it's already swept down on the Martin cabin?" Thad asked,somewhat anxiously.
"Thet I kain't tell," replied Jim, as he looked up at the smoke that wassweeping above the tops of the tallest pines. "Time was when it wudn'tamattered any, 'cause yer see, Dad Martin, he kept a good clearin' all'raound his shack; but I guess as haow he's been an' neglected it senseI took Lina away, an' it's all growed up with brush, thet'd burn liketinder."
"How far away are we now from the cabin?" continued Thad, presently.
"It mout be a matter o' two mile er so," grunted Jim; for they werepushing on at a lively pace, and there was not much breath to waste inlong sentences.
"That smoke keeps on getting heavier all the while," remarked Thad.
"She dew thet," admitted Jim.
"And my stars, how it stings a fellow's eyes," continued thescoutmaster, who from time to time felt the tears running down hischeeks.
Jim shook his head as he answered:
"'Tain't a circumstance tew what we'll run up aginst right soon, efthings keeps on a gettin' wusser all ther while."
"Look! there goes a moose, upon my word; and he's making tracks as if hedidn't fear human beings one half as much as he did that crackling firehe left behind!" Thad cried out, about five minutes later.
Shortly afterwards he discovered a huge lumbering animal rushing throughthe woods to one side of them.
"Why, isn't that a black bear, Jim?" he asked, pointing as he spoke.
"It sure is," replied the guide, grinning; "an' 'baout as skeered ablack as ye cud see in a week o' Sundays. Like as not he smelled thersmoke while he was boxed up in sum holler tree, whar he 'spected tewstay till Spring kim along. But say, he knowed what'd happen tew him;an' forgettin' as haow he orter be sleepin' ther winter aout, alivin' onhis fat, he jest climbs aout, an' scoots fur sum hole in ther ground heknows is awaitin' fur him. He'll git thar, awl rite, too; 'cause I neverseed a bar cort in a forest fire, an' burned tew a crisp."
"The deer can easily escape, I suppose, being so fleet of foot?" Thadwent on.
"Gin'rally speakin' they kin," Jim replied; "an' thar goes wun ritenaow. Look at ther way he jumps over thet fallen tree like it wasnawthin'. Ef yeou an' me hed ther gift o' leapin' like thet, Thad, wecud larf at forest fires tew."
They lapsed into silence again. The smoke began to enter their lungswhen they talked too much, and half choked them. It was getting darker,Thad saw; and looking up, he realized that clouds had covered theheavens; though at first he rather fancied this might be another strataof smoke further up.
"Oh! if that snow-storm Jim believes is due would only hurry, and comealong," he was saying to himself, "it might do some good in putting outthis fire. While I'd like right well to see what it all looks like,still, as a fire warden, I ought to want it to be smothered as quick aspossible. And between the two why, I'll just have to take what comes,and be thankful it's no worse."
Then he thought of the other scouts. Were any of them in danger from thefire? He did not believe this could be the case, for, so far as he knew,there had been no plan on foot for a hunt that day, the boys beingsatisfied to hang around camp, and do things they had in mind.
And as they were right on the edge of the lake, if the worst came, andfire happened to sweep down upon them, the tents could be thrown intothe canoes, and all hands put out upon the surface of the lake wherethey would be safe.
So Thad, as the one in charge of the patrol in the absence of Dr.Philander Hobbs, the regular authorized scoutmaster, made up his mindthat he need not worry about his chums any more. Indeed, as thesituation grew worse and worse around himself and Jim, it began to lookas though he had need of all his anxiety in connection with his owncondition.
Of course he relied entirely on Jim. The guide had had long experiencewith the fires in the pines. He had served as one of the fire wardens,and so long as he was in charge of the expedition there was no need ofThad trying to figure out any plan of campaign. Had he been alone, orwith some of his companions, Thad would have striven to meet thenecessities of the situation manfully, and done all in his power tooutwit the flames. Now he was in Jim's charge, and depended on theastute Maine guide to pilot him through.
"I can hear the flames roaring, I think, Jim!" the scout remarked,presently.
"Thet's rite," returned the other; and from his manner Thad knew Jim hadknown of the circumstance longer than he dreamed possible.
"It lies over there on our right, don't it?" Thad persisted in asking.
"Yep," the guide answered, shortly.
Gauging the direction of the wind, Thad saw that they would in a measurebe running a race with the fire, to see which could get to the cabin ofOld Cale first. He knew Jim was figuring things out closely. A mistakein calculations might cost them dear. Even a change in wind, which wasliable to occur at any time now, would bring them face to face with newdifficulties, and make them grapple with problems of a seriouscharacter.
Thad asked no more questions, for he saw that Jim did not want to havehis mind distracted from his duty. He would do the right thing, of thatthe boy felt assured.
One thing was plain enough, and this seemed apt to have more or lessbearing on the final outcome of their race to the cabin.
The wind was gradually increasing in force all the while. It had beengentle at first, but was now blowing at the rate of ten miles an hour,and Thad could notice how rapidly even this was changing.
Should it reach hurricane force ere long, the fire must be driven aheadat a speed that would be simply frightful. Thad already began toexperience some of the thrill he had been told was connected with one ofthese woods' fires; even though as yet he had to see the first flash offlame. What must it be when surrounded on all sides by the leapingtongues that, they said, looke
d like great red snakes coiling up thepine trees, licking the resinous foliage with greedy breath, so that itseemed as though the whole world must be ablaze?
Well, the boy had wanted to look upon just such a sight, so that hecould say he had been caught in a forest fire; and from the way thingswere turning out, his wish was in a fair way to be gratified.
They must surely have come about a mile since he last asked Jim how faraway the cabin might be; that would indicate half of the distance hadbeen passed over. He wondered why Jim did not start running, so as tobeat the fire, that was apparently aiming for the same place; but onsecond thought Thad believed he could guess the reason for this. Jim wassaving their wind for an emergency. If that came upon them, they mighthave to change their own course, and head for the pond Jim had spoken ofas offering a fair haven of refuge in a case of this kind.
The roaring sound had grown more audible. It sounded now very much likea freight train on the railroad, Thad thought; and drawing closer allthe while! This would seem to indicate that the fire was catching upwith them, and shortening the gap between at the same time.
Thad began to cast curious glances in the direction of the ominoussound; nor could it be said that anxiety was not unmixed with his otherfeelings. He was but a boy, after all; and even by now the dark massesof smoke that were sweeping over the pine tops, as well as the otherindications of a great conflagration around him, had begun to affectThad.
And as they pushed along it chanced that they came to a little break inthe wall of pines that rose around them. For the first time the BoyScout saw, when he turned his head toward the right, and the rear,something that seemed to leap madly upwards, as though endeavoring tolick the overhanging clouds.
There was no need of Thad to ask the guide what that was, for he knewonly too well. Those leaping, tossing billows were flames; and theysealed the death warrant of many a noble pine that for years and yearshad seen the lovely summer come and go, to give place to the furiousgales of the Maine winter season.
And Thad Brewster experienced a real genuine thrill, that might betinged with alarm, as he viewed this fiery panorama over the tops of thetrees.