ly
stopped; from a furious speed, the coach came to a blank
stand-still. A voice was heard from the coach-box cheering the
horses--but the dead pause continued. And now when the rattle
of the wheels ceased, the sweep of the fiery storm could be
heard and felt. A wind had risen, or more likely was created
by the great draught of the fire; and its rush through the
woods, driving the flames before it, and catching up the
clouds of smoke to pile them upon the faces and throats of the
travellers was with a hiss and a fury and a blinding which
came like the malice of a spiteful thing. It was almost
impossible to breathe; and yet the coach stood still! A half-
minute seemed the growth of a year. The women became frantic;
Mr. Falkirk kept them in the coach by the sheer exertion of
force. Wych Hazel in vain strained her eyes to see through the
smoke what the detaining cause was.

The horses had been scared at last by the fire crackling and
snapping in their faces, and confounded by the clouds of
smoke. Bewildered, they had stopped short; and voice and whip
were powerless against fear. That was a moment never to be
forgotten, at least by those withinside the stage-coach, who
could do nothing but wait and scream.

'Hush! the horses are frightened: that is all,' said Mr.
Falkirk. 'He's----what's he doing, Wych?--yes, he's blinding the
leaders; that's it. There!'

The intense anxiety which was smothered in every one of these
words, Wych Hazel long remembered. They saw, as he spoke, they
could see Rollo at the horses' heads, going from one to the
other; they saw him dimly through the smoke; they caught the
light of something white in his hand. Mr. Falkirk had guessed
right. Then they saw Rollo throw himself postillion-wise upon
one of the leaders. In another moment the coach moved,
doubtfully; then amid the rush and roar they could hear the
cheer of their charioteer's voice, and the frightened animals
plunged on again. Presently, encouraged perhaps by a little
opening in the smoke, they dashed forward as heartily as ever,
and--yes--the smoke was less thick and the air less dark, and
momentarily brightening. The worst was over. Surely the worst
was over, but the travellers drew breath if freer yet
fearfully, till the lessening cloud and disappearing fire and
stillness in the woods, said that had left the danger behind.
Black charred stems and branches began to show what had been
where they now were; little puffs of grey smoke