that he would take her through
to safety.

A thought occurred to her, for, suddenly, with the new respect for him
the knowledge of his trained and ready muscles gave her, arose a new
consideration for him, almost motherly. He would be breasting dreadful
peril in the passage of the flames--peril to his eyes and face and
clinging, tight-clasped hands especially. And round her limbs there was
the means of saving him, in part, from it.

"You let me down for just a minute," she said briefly. "Just a minute.
Then I'll let you take me up an' carry me. An' you can _do_ it, too!
You're strong, ain't you?"

Wondering, he released his hold on her, and she slid to her feet. Then,
with a quick movement, she unbuttoned the waistband of her outer skirt,
and, letting it slip down to the ground, stepped out of it.

"Ain't it lucky I got wet?" said she, and smiled. "It ain't more'n half
dry yet. The under one is wet, too, and both of 'em are wool--and that
don't burn like cotton would.

"Now pick me up again an' I'll just fix this
skirt--so--there--now--that's the way. Can you see, now? All right?
Well, it'll keep th' fire from catchin' in our hair, an' it'll save your
eyes."

[Illustration: A MIGHTY LEAP HAD CARRIED THEM BEYOND THE BLAZING
BARRIER]

He laughed. "That's fine!" said he, and, almost before she realized that
they were under way, a mighty leap had taken them close to the blazing
barrier, another one had landed them within its very midst, another one
had carried them beyond its greatest menace, another had delivered them
from actual peril, leaving them on ground where filmy grass, dead
leaves, dry needles, had blazed quickly, with a consuming flash, and,
utterly and almost instantly destroyed, had left behind them only thin,
hot ash, devoid of peril, scarce to be considered.

But he did not let her feet touch ground again until they were even
beyond this. Finally, when they reached a rocky "barren," where the
little fire had found no fuel, she felt his tautened thews relax.

Instantly she slipped from his encircling arms, and he began to whip the
flames in grass and little brush close to them with the dampened skirt.
Even on the little isle of safety they found it necessary, still, to
agilely avoid innumerable bits of floating "light-wood" brands, and, for
a time, to beat, beat at the hungry little flames around them, but, at
last, the danger was all over, and they stood there, looking at each
other, with a sense