iffly, for he was very tired from
the unusual ride, and he crouched forward, saving his horse all that
he could, but he was a figure not easily to be forgotten as he
disappeared over the crown of the hill, seeming to ride right on into
the sky.

Suddenly she felt Brom Bones quiver under her. He was looking away to
the right of the long, terraced hill before her. The fire was coming,
sweeping diagonally down across the face of the hill straight toward
her home.

All her life she had been hearing of forest fires. Hardly a summer had
passed within her memory when the menace of them had not been present
among the hills. She had grown up, as all hill children did, expecting
to some day have to fly for her life before one. But she had never
before seen a wall of breathing fire marching down a hill toward her.

For moments the sight held her enthralled in wonder and awe. It was a
living thing, moving down the hillside with an intelligent, defined
course for itself. She saw it chase a red deer and a silver fox down
the hill. It could not catch those timid, fleet animals in the open
chase. But if they halted or turned aside it might come upon them and
surround them.

While she looked, one part of her brain was numbed by the sight, but
the other part was thinking rapidly. This was not the real fire. This
was only one great paw of fire that shot out before the body, to sweep
in any foolish thing that did not at first alarm hurry down to the
level lands and safety.

The body of the fire, she was sure, was coming on in a solid front
beyond the hill. It would not yet have struck the road up which the
Bishop was hurrying. He might think that he could skirt past it and
get into French Village before it should cross the road. But she was
sure he could not do so. He would go on until he found it squarely
before him. Then he would have to turn back. And here was this great
limb of fire already stretching out behind him. In five minutes he
would be cut off. The formation of the hills had sent the wind
whirling down through a gap and carrying one stream of fire away ahead
of the rest. The Bishop did not know the country to the north of the
road. If he left the road he could only flounder about and wander
aimlessly until the fire closed in upon him.

Ruth's decision was taken on the instant. The two women did not need
her. They would know enough to drive on down to safety when they saw
the fire surely coming. There was a man gone unb