ched the trees directly beside the trail, pausing there
till some fresh gust of wind, or shower of sparks, carried it to the other
side.

But now Phil saw before him a spot where on both sides of the road the
forest was a flaming furnace. He did not falter. On flew the car. Another
moment and it was in the midst of the fire. A hundred yards it ran
through the deadly heat, the awful roar and sheets of flame leaping upward
and outward till their fiery fingers were all but seizing the brave lad
and his passengers.

Safely the Thirty ran the fearful gauntlet. There came a shout of praise
and admiration from the golfing man, words of thanksgiving from the woman.
The worst was over.

Rapidly, but not so fast as in the direct course of the wind, the fire
was reaching out toward Opal Lake. Like a galloping army it came on behind
the car, but, barring accident, could never, would never, overtake the
swift machine.

Barring accident! Bravely the engine, clutch, gears, springs, axles and
wheels had withstood the strain of the terrific speed, the heavy load
and the wretched road. Bravely, with every charge of gas, each cylinder
delivered generous power.

The car shot down the grade into the small valley where, some distance
below, the gravel road came to its abrupt ending. There was a heavy jolt
as the front wheels struck the dry bed of the shallow stream.

Anderson, the giant, pitched forward. He might have caught and righted
himself quite readily had he had complete use of his hands and arms, long
since partially paralyzed; but in his disabled condition he missed the
windshield frame he tried to catch, and went partly overboard.

With his left hand Phil Way reached for his falling passenger, still
holding the wheel with his right. He seized poor Anderson just in time,
but the great bulk of the fellow drew him partly from his own seat, and
pulled the steering wheel sharply round.

Still going at speed, though now on the upward grade, the automobile
answered instantly to the call of the steering knuckles--true to its
mechanism, perfectly, to the last--answered to the driver's unintended
command, and sharply swerved to the right. A large pine stood in its
course.

So quickly did the collision occur, so unprepared were any of the
automobile's occupants to meet the terrible shock that the escape of all
from serious injury was truly miraculous. The outcome must surely have
been far worse had the tree been struck squarely hea