e was a fire over on Elm Creek night before last," spoke up Sherm.
"Grant Stowe's cousin was telling us about it at school."

"I saw smoke off to the north yesterday," said Chicken Little.

"Oh, I hope we sha'n't have any bad fires this fall!" exclaimed Mrs.
Morton. "I do think a big prairie fire is one of the most terrifying
sights, especially at night. I couldn't sleep that first fall for
dreading them. I used to get up in the middle of the night and look out
the windows to see if that awful glare was anywhere on the horizon."

"Don't go borrowing trouble, Mother. There hasn't been a bad fire on Big
John for years. The country is so thickly settled a fire doesn't have
the sweep it used to." Dr. Morton tried to reassure her.

"They must be wonderful things to see. I hope there won't be any bad
ones, but if one shows up anywhere within ten miles, I propose to be on
hand," Sherm said eagerly.

"You won't be so keen after you have fought one or two, Sherm." Frank
smiled with the wisdom of the initiated. "Say, Father, I think Jim and I
had better fire round those stacks on the north eighty. It would be hard
to save them if a fire got started on the divide."

"Yes, I don't know but you'd best do it this afternoon. Burn a pretty
wide strip. And we ought to run a guard on the west from that field of
winter wheat to the county road. If a fire ever got in there, it might
come down on the house."

Chicken Little spoke up. "May I go, too, Frank? I love to watch you."

"You will be in school, but you can come home that way if we are still
at work. You can easily see the smoke. We won't try it if the wind
rises, and I believe it is going to."

"Chicken Little, if you see the smoke you may tell Mr. Clay I won't come
for my recitation this afternoon. I am going to find out how this
back-firing business is done."

Sherm had begun his studies some two weeks previous and was making rapid
progress, studying evenings, and going to the school a half hour before
closing time to recite.

Chicken Little found this arrangement extremely pleasant, because Sherm
was always there to walk home with her. They took all sorts of detours
and by-paths through the woods, instead of coming along the road to the
ford. They discovered unexpected stores of walnuts and acorns and wild
rose hips, and scarlet bitter-sweet just opening its gorgeous berries
after the first hard frosts.

Jane helped Sherm press autumn leaves and pack a huge box of nu