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About The Bonneville Dam chronicle. (Bonneville, Or.) 1934-1939 | View Entire Issue (March 20, 1936)
FOURTEEN .. ,, , , , , .. T H K U O \ X K \ 11. I K h % \| i • Il |( O \ M * I. K M 1 " ______ _ FLAME IN THE FOREST»,,^ t ... by © By Harold Titus CHAPTER I filled his eyes and his S MOKE throat. Heat, so intense that Illustrations by IRW IN MYERS W N f Ser» driving the engine himself, snak deuly s"t<er and Jerking Ids head ing the empties over the steel fit at the lad. “ Twenty two bunder»! I small as it Is. M bust me right now to shake the stakes out. ! so get that out if anything pops The crew was on the tire then. | But him . . . If you got a chance. of course, and old Jack's voice, ; send him Into town anyways.” . . generally so good-natured, was So Kerry knew that J.o W thought sharp as a kuife when he ques i more of him than he did of goln» tloned Tod who was telephoning for more wardens. Jack stuffed i bust. He sat there a long time, feeling the payroll money Into the safe as important. It wasn't much that he talked, and then, telling Ted he could do for Jack ever, hut certain things to do all in one breath, he Jumped Into the waiting now - watching that hie, he knew buckboard and galloped to th - that If fire should Come Into carni southward, where a milewide front ' he'd grab that box anti g«*t to tin o f slash fire advanced toward speeder faster than be had ever gotten anywhere before in hla Ilf«* camp. Kerry waked up when Jack came lie rose finally and l«Htked through in that night. Their room was next the window toward the water tank where the speeder walled T«*d the office, with a big bed and a lit West was Just then c»«tnlng up tie one; and he lay in his little one and looked through the open door from the alders along the creek way and saw Jack standing by the looking around In a funny waj desk, shirt all scorched, hair as if he expected to see »«>n)»*body singed, talking lowly to Tod. It or something alarming. was bad. he said. He'd brought When, only minutes later, he heard Tod bawling his name, hi* heart went fllppetj-flop and almost choked him. “ Kerry! . . . K erry! . . . A run nin‘, Kerry!” And he was running desperately, hugging the file against Ids belly. He threw a look to hi.* left where a streamer of thick, white »moke was coming up to mingle with the blue haze which had been drifting through camp f«»r three days. Brush was on fire south of the barn. Tod began trying to save the cook shanry an«i Kerry wondered why he didn't throw water on the office, which was in greater danger but Tod, too, was terribly excited “ She’s goin’ !” Tod yell«-I. -o ld office’s goin’, K erry!” His voice « a s funny, for all the world n» though he were glad because the office was being licked by hungry fast-devouring flames. It seemed to be fluid, poured over them. The sound of the speeder's motor and the clatter of its wheels on the uneven rails was almost drowned In the raging voice of the fire; and Tod, an arm around him. holding him close as they rocked and swayed down the grade, was trembling. But he wasn’t going to cry, even If he was more scared than he ever had been in his seven years of ex perience Not much, he wasn’t ! He hugged the precious letter-file with old Jack's pay-roll in it closer, and tried to look ahead; and when he saw living flames from the burn ing cars of chemical wood swept across the track like a curtain, he threw himself flat and squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath, and did not complain with so much as a grunt when Tod's big body, sprawling suddenly over his small one, made his ribs bend out of shape. No, sir! This was no time to act like a baby! Headquarters was going, sure enough, but they were getting good old Jack's money out to safety. That was his jo b : to help save good old Jack from going bust When you’ve got a job like that, for a man like that, you can't let on you’re scared, can you? No; not even at seven, you can’t ! He had been outside the office, standing In the deserted camp clearing, staring off up the road which Jack and the crew had taken before daylight, and where the cook had just gone with dinner for the fire-fighters, when the book keeper called to him. “ Listen, Kerry,” Tod had said. "I want you to sit right here un til I call you or come back. Wind’s getting worse His big, ordinarily good-natured face was white, and fine beads of moisture pricked out above his eye brows. “ Sure,” said Kerry Young, and swallowed, his heart going faster ‘ Kid, Which File Did You Bring?” with Tod looking so scared. “ Now, listen, careful. I took the half the crew in to get some rest; payroll out of the cash drawer, he'd turn in himself and try to see! It's in this letter-file — this catch a wink, because with all that one, right here.” He laid his hand chopping afire, tomorrow was go on the brown box on top of the ing to be hell Itself. . . . And tomorrow was, with the tel safe. Another file was on the desk, ephone ringing and help from town and more on a shelf above it; but coming through all day, and the Tod put his hand right on that smoke thick and thicker. special one. “ I’m goin’ out to scout But at breakfast this morning, around. If anything happens, it eaten before the first crack of may happen fast. The speeder’s dawn, Jack had said: right on the track, now—right by We got an even break, now. the water-tank, there. If I yell, you bring the file and come a-runnin’. We’d ought to hold her, but you never can tell. Why, yesterday, Understand that?” “ Sure, Tod,” said Kerry, and some of them damn’ lurch stubs got swallowed again, even if his mouth burnin’ clean to the top. 'nd I’ll bet they was throwin’ live brands was drier than ever. “ Good boy! Everybody’s got to half a mile ahead of ’em.” do his part, time like this.” ‘And they might go further than He went out, then, and Kerry that,” Tod West commented. sat down on a chair with his They might, another said; not breath fluttery in his throat. Re likely, but #»till they might and sponsibility sat heavily on his small then Jack pulled Tod to one side shoulders, but he'd do just what where nobody but Kerry could hear Tod had told him to do. That pay and said: roll was old Jack’s money, and he'd Since this thing broke I've break his neck to help old Jack, thought no more about pay-roll he would! Good old Jack, who than the boys have about pay day. had found him in the house the Shows I’m gettln’ old. You’ll be day before his mother died, and here, Tod. Somebody with a head got the doctor and did all that he °n 'cm’s got to stay by the tele- could do, and who, after it was all phone again. It ain’t lik«dy she’ll over and he was alone, brought get away from us. If site does. It him to camp. That had been win- ain’t likely she’ll get clean to camp ter before last, and It looked as If in a hurry. But If anything should he was going to stay with Jack happen, you get that pay-roll Into forever. He certainly hoped so. town. Silver’s all right, but it’s Nobody In the world could be so mostly bills and bllls’d burn sure kind to a little boy who had no- In that old safe of mine.” body else to look out for him as They sure would,” agreed Tod. could old Jack, and breaking your Then Jack had looked at Kerry. neck for a man like that would be “ Be good boy, son!” he said little enough to do. cheerily, as If he were only going Jack had been so worried since out on the Job and not to a fire the fire started, day before yester line. “ Be good boy,”—and tweaked day! He had been in town when Kerry’s ear playfully. It came up, and had come back, “And him,” he said to Tod, sud " :'"u did he shove the spc«-dcr ahead nn til the motor caught and coughed. Aril then they were loom ing pant the aiding, and he scream»^! from the heat that beat upon him ; op ened hla throat and yelled and writhed against the weight o f To»!'» body. Then, auddenly, ttie torture was past and he was half sitting up and they were hitting It down the grade. Then he felt l*ettrr an«! they were cli* king over the aw Itch point* and lo-re wa* town an«! the motor *t«»pi»ed and T«»*! \Ve*t wa* calling out to somebody with a lot m<>re excitement than he ha«! shown hack at ramp (tint Jack* hca«!«|uartera were burning A group quickly gathered m«**ll) ««Id men an«l hoy». |>ecau*e the b«*»l I ma„ power o f town waa out on the fire line, and they follow ed Tod and Kerry acr«««*» the street to the bank. They cr<»w«!ed Into the bank an«! a man r«»*e fr«»m Ida desk b*-tilnd ». % . . . ■nd My fault !" Moiio-one •aid: .-I« slat fault. Toil fl»« kid. t ie d ” A Dot her * m , <, i . i i,,,",' *• M ................ .. he kltewr *u (hey All hut Tod „ * " » Uuu, ? r» l 414 w **»y; there **• « * about Tini « * " 3 !*1 * I Ilia . . . »M , awmlie«] In hi j helph-** * ra» his be*, a sen*e of i nhu*t-d out,.i bu«t hi U* hi. * * burned up but he had iaT! »~f..re (liai : ’ •’* be k * . * ^ *M * » * 1 ! , l ' **” * * d far be?«** yj ^ ' *-"k* 1 him and k* slant - It I 4 “ Jack * headquarters are gone," ' 1 J l' *• * » « f'U»t «»>4 they «uf ^ was te-esum *ald To»!, handing the file to the . *. ‘‘ “* WtlH »tg ile «lone as he'd b«ea he had «bme y man. “ But we brought In the pay ) tried his be*t (o help» roll 1 *id my damnedest to aa»e something o f ramp but I wa* alone CHAPTER li Kerry, here, lugged the money out . of the office Ju»( In time.** - . . .. , , -That'S floe," a* Id the hanker I , *r»J errat* * pressing ft.** catch o f the fib- .. * * * ^ ,<VBS M fin sure lucky! I bn. ’ - t know that If Jack should l o s e - " r' ,unM** but h- ! *<! t»t heart t*s . . . , , . .. , „ , !»»■ payroll M m He st«q ped short, then, and T«*d th»*y t«dd ¡i n i - norüag leaned f<»r»»nrl and the other* l^rhai-s. a quarter of a mlnutg prevMtl up ch-re. attracted by the In th«-».- M-cond* he »grd. look on West's face. |lk«-!y. It « « < men had « alb-l hita 014 J«t w a look that even a seven year oI«J cause tfirj |«»»ed bltO. , . ifte b»»y would notice. war t, he wa* an old mas U !at “ Why.** the banker said “ why. The f.r»t t Ing he «a¡-! tíre It T«*|. It’s empty !** knew the w«'.«-»■ that bad u;.*** A moment of terrific «Hence f..| referred to K«*rry. II« c low*-d and then T«*l look«-*1 down at the boy an I wink«-! and natagdi Kerry and said In a queer, un *.«rt «jf grin and »aid: “Bet ptf!» friendly w ay: all right, »on!* a* if that tetd "Kid. which file did you bring?** he would a lnnt a* belt* of UJ » The boy **slb>wed. with a new port a n«-e sort o f thrill running h i* ' small And after that he Mid tat > frame. tie for day*, lie ap{«earvd U I« “ Why.” he said. “ why. | fetched ten when p<- '■«• talked b«t if ta . . . You told me the one on the heard h«- »• : «m arjwerxd safe. T o d !" erly. The ho« kkeeper swore slowly tin Once he said P» K«TTy. etal Htf lie did not start away at once der his breath and looked at the were alone In tl «-¡r tww if ö* He stood there priming the motor banker. mill boarding b««une: slowly, spilling gasoline, because "Good God. I trusted h im !" be “ Tough, to let a r«npla tvwul his hands shook so much, lie kept »aid In a wbi*;*4-r. bust you. . . . But It wm fta his eyes on the office where flame* The other clicked his tongue. d o s t.” were licking at the roof, eating He manage«! to rustle «r.-«sfl» Oh h !" he said, h-ng drawn “ Hut into the hewn log sides. he's only a little boy," he ad»led pay off the crew; that b. d * “ She’s goin’, K erry!” he »aid and and alapped the file abut “ That who would lake what ttry bl gave a queer laugh which made *urely I« going |0 be »«.ugh f..r coming. the boy wonder If grown tm-n. also J a ck !" lie began to he ferertil w sometimes laughed when they felt Kerry's knee* were shaking an«I talk«-*! at night In hU »leep. keifik like crying. there seemed to be a vacan| place the little boy ch»sc In M “ * He glanced at Kerry, then, an«l In his middle. while the tremor* ran throw* U* at the letter-file and licked t.u T«xl \1 i -»I came to My P0'1* “ Tod. what’s the m ntfer?" he lips. asked shrilly. *Tod. la the money nn«l declared again that It •** “ Sure you got the right one?” back yonder? iMd It burn up. T o d ?" fault, that lie should bare Wd" he asked. And then, summoning all his vigor. the letter file himself. “ The one you told me."—«tout Jack r««ti»e«l fr«»m hi* lettarff T od, I d«»ne Ju»t what you tol J ly. “ We’d better haul, hadn’t we? me!” -Fault, hell? ’ he snorted ind *» “ Just a minute, n«>w!” West shook his bead. “ No. you the way he n»«*d «« <1° He waited, standing there arc! «lldn t understand,” be said In a done your damned«*. watching while a part of the of m«>nn. ’*\ou didn't umlcrstand. and flee roof tumbled in. Only th«*r (To nr. a » t i m ti» the money’s burned sure as bei. Ifo’ilin iV wojr___ r FLAME in the FO REST A Big Woods Serial With Action K.v Harold Til U N Start right here on one o f the swiftest, nmn«kin*r*t adventures o f your whole life. Never In-fore has even this noted writer of out* door a d v e n t u r e s t o r i e s reached the peak of |H «>- Begi n t o d a y wi t h Ke r r y ^»Hing in his tietertnined search for the man who wrouged him when lie was »inly a Ix.y— you II never give up until you’ ve finished the °f r LAME IN THE FOREST, 11 AMfc « now. last thrilling chapter! Start 'HIK FOREST THIS IS THE FIRST I NSTALLMENT 5 !6' " “ 0* an,, f,,llow FLAME in t h e SOREST every week in tin , new .papcr ^ sM •My K