nly causes of the average forest fire. All are
avoidable. None is avoided. And the loss to property and to life and to
natural resources is unbelievably great.

Any fool can start a forest fire. Indeed, a fool generally does. But a
hundred men cannot check it. Forest wardens post warnings. Forest
patrols, afoot or in airships, keep sharp watch. But the selfish
carelessness of man undoes their best precautions.

Sometimes in spring or in lush summer, but far oftenest in the dry
autumn, the Red Terror stalks over mountain and valley; leaving black
ruin in its wake. Scarce an autumn passes that the dirty smoke reek
does not creep over miles of sweet woodland, blotting out the sunshine
for a time and blotting out rich vegetation for much longer.

This particular autumn was no exception. On the day before camp was
broken, the Mistress had spied, from the eyrie heights of the knoll, a
grim line of haze far to southward; and a lesser smoke-smear to the
west. And the night sky, on two horizons, had been faintly lurid.

The campers had noted these phenomena, with sorrow. For, each
wraithlike smoke-swirl meant the death of tree and shrub. Lad noted the
smudges as distinctly as did they. Indeed, to his canine nostrils, the
chill autumn air brought the faint reek of wood-smoke; an odor much too
elusive, at that distance, for humans to smell. And, once or twice, he
would glance in worried concern at these humans; as if wondering why
they took so coolly a manifestation that a thousand-year-old hereditary
instinct made the dog shrink from.

But the humans showed no outward sign of terror or of rage. And, as
ever, taking his tone from his gods, Lad decided there was nothing to
fear. So, he tried to give no further heed to the reek.

The driver of the truck and his assistant were full of tales of the
fire's ravages in other sections. And their recital was heard with
active interest by the folk who for fourteen days had been out of touch
with the world.

"It's well we're lighting out for civilization," said the Master, as he
superintended the loading of the truck. "The woods are as dry as
tinder. And if the wind should change and grow a bit fresher, the blaze
over near Wildcat Mountain might come in this direction. If ever it
does, it'll travel faster than any gang of fire-fighters can block it.
This region is dead ripe for such a thing. Not a drop of rain in a
month . . . . No, no, Laddie!" he broke off in his maunderings, as the