low wall of smoke which was being
whipped along by the wind.

From that distance it was hard to imagine that the advancing smoke and
fire could be such a deadly thing--that it could lay waste to everything
in its path, leaving, where it had passed, only a sear and desolate
landscape.

The wind seemed to be strengthening with the passing of each minute. The
crest of the advancing fire topped the ridge of another valley and
started down the near slope, but it was still better than a mile and a
half away. Occasionally a jet of flame rose higher than the others, as
though some madman had tossed a torch high into the air at his
exhilaration over the destruction the flames were causing.

The afternoon was waning rapidly and in the valleys between Janet and
the flames the light was fading. She turned and gazed back down the long
slope. Helen was almost at the bus, making every effort at speed and
Janet felt sorry for her for she knew Helen must be suffering intense
pain from her too-thin shoes for the rocks would bruise her feet badly.

Janet saw Helen reach the bus and the men turned their attention from
the stalled motor to the newcomer. Janet thought she could distinguish
Curt Newsom looming above the others but she couldn't be sure.

In less than a minute a solitary figure detached itself from the group
around the bus and started up the slope toward Janet. From the long
stride and the graceful carriage of the body she knew it was the cowboy
star, coming up to get a first-hand glimpse of the advancing fire.

Someone down at the bus turned on the headlights, and twin beams of
light flashed through the gathering purple of the evening.

Janet heard a scurrying up the other slope and a jack rabbit, scenting
the danger of the approaching wall of smoke and fire, dashed past her.
She knew that later there would be an onrush of the smaller animals
seeking to evade the danger. But for some reason Janet felt strangely
calm.

The fire was still more than a mile away. True, it was advancing
steadily, but the thought of being trapped by flames had never really
entered her mind and she refused to be stampeded now.

She turned back to watch the progress of Curt Newsom as he raced up the
slope. It was almost dusk now where she was standing but she could see
him coming steadily toward her. He would be beside her in another
minute.

The cowboy star, puffing heavily from the race up the rocky slope,
reached Janet's side.

The sm