where the edge of
the forest was enveloped in a sea of twisting and seething fire. It was
only a matter of minutes--perhaps seconds. Death had them both in its
grip.

He looked again at O'Grady, and there was no longer the desire for the
other's life in his heart. He could see that the giant was unharmed,
except for his eyes.

"Listen, O'Grady," he cried. "My legs are broken, I guess, and I can't
move. It's sure death to stay here another minute. You can get away.
Follow the wall--to your right. The slope is still free of fire,
and--and--"

O'Grady began to move, guiding himself slowly along the wall. Then,
suddenly, he stopped.

"Jan Larose--you say you can't move?" he shouted.

"Yes."

Slowly O'Grady turned and came gropingly toward the sound of Jan's
voice. Jan held tight to the rock that he had gripped in his left hand.
Was it possible that O'Grady would kill him now, stricken as he was? He
tried to drag himself to a new position, but his effort was futile.

"Jan! Jan Larose!" called O'Grady, stopping to listen.

Jan held his breath. Then the truth seemed to dawn upon O'Grady. He
laughed, differently than he had laughed before, and stretched out his
arms.

"My God, Jan," he cried, "you don't think I'm clean BEAST, do you? The
fight's over, man, an' I guess God A'mighty brought this on us to show
what fools we was. Where are y', Jan Larose? I'm goin' t' carry you
out!"

"I'm here!" called Jan.

He could see truth and fearlessness in O'Grady's sightless face, and he
guided him without fear. Their hands met. Then O'Grady lowered himself
and hoisted Jan to his shoulders as easily as he would have lifted a
boy. He straightened himself and drew a deep breath, broken by a
stabbing throb of pain.

"I'm blind an' I won't see any more," he said, "an' mebbe you won't
ever walk any more. But if we ever git to that gold I kin do the work
and you kin show me how. Now--p'int out the way, Jan Larose!"

With his arms clasped about O'Grady's naked shoulders, Jan's smarting
eyes searched through the thickening smother of fire and smoke for a
road that the other's feet might tread. He shouted
"Left"--"right"--"right"--"right"--"left" into this blind companion's
ears until they touched the wall. As the heat smote them more fiercely,
O'Grady bowed his great head upon his chest and obeyed mutely the
signals that rang in his ears. The bottoms of his moccasins were burned
from his feet, live embers ate at his flesh, his b