VII
A RACE THROUGH THE FLAMES
The fall had been an exceptionally dry one in that section of the middlewest, and in consequence several forest fires had occurred, several notfar from Bixton. Thus, when a few mornings following Jack's arrival heand Alex proposed a visit to the old house in the woods where Alex hadhad his thrilling experience with the foreign trackmen, Mrs. Wardobjected.
"You know there was a fire but five miles west yesterday, Alex," shesaid.
"But that was only in the grass along the track, Mother, and thesection-men soon had it out. They are watching everywhere. And on thefirst sign of smoke we will light for home like good fellows--won't we,Jack?" he promised. Somewhat reluctantly Mrs. Ward finally consented, andgave the boys a lunch, and they set off to make a day of it.
Paying a visit first to the abandoned brick-yard, it was noon when Jackand Alex emerged from the woods at the rear of the deserted old cabin.
"So that's it!" exclaimed Jack with keen interest as they went forward."And up there is the very door you dropped from, I suppose?"
"Yes, that is it. Still half open, too--just as I left it. And over thereis the barn and cow-stable. But let us have lunch first, and I'll explaineverything afterward," Alex said, leading the way toward the house. "I amas hollow as a bass-drum."
Ten minutes later, sitting on the cabin floor just within the doorway,eating and chatting, the two boys became suddenly silent, and sniffed atthe air. With an exclamation both leaped to their feet, and to the door.
Rolling from the trees at the southern border of the clearing was a whitebank of smoke. The woods were on fire!
"Which way?" cried Jack, as they sprang forth. "The railroad?"
Alex darted to the corner of the house and glanced about. "No! The windhas swung to the southwest! We'd never make it! North, for thebrick-yard! Come on!
"If we are cornered there, we can swim the river," he explained as theyran. "The fire isn't likely to cross the water."
They reached the trees, and immediately found themselves in a madlyfrightened procession. At their feet scurried rabbits, squirrels,chipmunks. A fox flashed by within a yard of them. Overhead, birdsscreamed and called in terror.
On they dashed, and a ghostly yellow light began to envelop them. "Thesmoke overhead," said Alex. "It will soon be down here, too."
"I smell it," panted Jack a moment later. Soon they began to feel it intheir eyes.
Jack began to lag. "How much farther, Alex?" he gasped.
"Only a short distance, now. Yes, here we are," announced Alex, asbrighter light appeared ahead of them. A moment after they broke into theclearing.
Without slackening pace Alex headed for the old semaphore. "From up therewe can see just how we stand," he explained. Almost exhausted, theyreached it, and Alex ran up the ladder. Scrambling onto the littleplatform, he turned toward the river, two hundred yards distant. A crybroke from him.
"We are cut off! The fire has crossed the river!"
Jack hastily clambered up beside him, and above the tree-tops beyond theriver he beheld a gray-white cloud.
The boys gazed at one another with paling faces. "What shall we do?"asked Jack.
Alex shook his head. "We might swim the river, and try a dash for it. Itis two miles out of the woods, but there might be a chance."
"We couldn't do it. We're too nearly exhausted.
"How about staying right in the river, by the bank?" Jack suggested."I've heard of people doing that."
"It is too deep here, and it's awfully cold. We would chill and cramp inno time.
"No; I tell you," went on Alex suddenly. "We'll try one of the old tileovens on the other side of the yard. Perhaps we can box ourselves up inone of them."
There was no time to lose, for the clearing was now blue with smoke, andclimbing hastily to the ground, the boys were again off on the run. Theyreached the group of round-topped ovens.
A glance showed that their hope was futile. All about the furnaces werethickets of dead weeds, and a short distance away, and directly towindward, was a huge pile of light brushwood.
Promptly Alex turned back. "We would be smothered or roasted in fiveminutes," he declared. "No. It is the water, or nothing. Perhaps we canwork it by floating on a log."
As they approached the river, the boys crossed the old yard siding.Stumbling over the rails, partially blinded with the now stinging smoke,both suddenly ran into something, and fell in a heap. Scrambling to theirfeet, they found an old push-car, with low sides.
Alex uttered a cry. "Jack, why can't we make a dash down the spur withthis old car--pushing it? And say, couldn't we lift it onto the main-linerails, and run all the way home?"
Jack hesitated. "Look there," he said, pointing to the wall of smoke intowhich the track disappeared a hundred yards away. "And wouldn't there beburned-down trees across the rails?"
"No; not yet. The fire hasn't been burning long enough. And as to thesmoke, it'll soon be just as bad on the river," Alex declared.
"All right. Let us try it. But first, let us jump in the river and getgood and wet," suggested Jack.
"Good idea! Come on!
"Or; wait!" exclaimed Alex. "Another idea. There is an old rubbish pilejust over here, and a lot of tin cans. Let us get some, and fill themwith water--to keep our handkerchiefs wet, to breathe through."
They turned aside, quickly found and secured several empty cans each, andran on. Reaching the water, they dropped the cans on the bank, andplunged in bodily.
As Alex had said, the water was intensely cold, and despite the relief totheir eyes from the smoke, they clambered out again immediately, hastilyfilled the tins, and only pausing to tie their dripping handkerchiefsover their mouths, dashed back for the siding.
"You help me start her, Jack," directed Alex as they placed the cans ofwater in the forward end of the car, "and when we reach the edge of thewoods, jump in. I'll run it the first spell, then you can relieve me.That way we can keep it going at a good clip.
"All ready? Let her go!" With bowed heads they threw themselves againstthe little car, the rusty wheels began to screech; rapidly they gainedheadway, and soon were on the run.
They neared the smoke-hidden border of the clearing.
WITH A RUSH THEY DASHED INTO THE WALL OF SMOKE.]
"Jump in, Jack!" cried Alex. Jack sprang over the tail-board and threwhimself flat on his face, and with a rush they dashed into the wall ofsmoke.
Rumbling and screeching, the car sped onward. Alex began to feel theheat. Suddenly it swept over them like the breath of a furnace, and therecame a mighty roar.
They were in the midst of the flames.
"Are you all right, Alex?" cried Jack.
"Yes." A moment later, however, Alex too sprang into the car, as he didso tearing off his handkerchief and stuffing it into one of thewater-cans. "I couldn't have held on another minute," he choked. "Ibelieve the handkerchief was burning."
Jack prepared to climb out to take Alex's place.
"No! Lay still!" interposed Alex. "The car will run by itself here.There's a down grade."
Jack dropped back thankfully. "Isn't it awful," he gasped. "My eyes arepaining as though they would burst."
On rushed the car down the roaring, crackling tunnel of flames, groaningand screeching like a mad thing. Tongues of fire began to lick over thesides of the car at the cringing boys within.
Faster the car went. Presently it began to rock. "She'll be off thetrack!" cried Jack at last.
"Lie farther over!" directed Alex above the roar, himself moving in theopposite direction. The rearrangement steadied the car slightly, butstill it rocked and plunged on the long unused track so that at times theboys' hearts leaped into their throats.
The heat was now terrific. The floor and sides of the car began toblister and crack.
"We can't stand it much longer! We'll be cooked!" coughed Jack.
"Empty one of the cans over your head," Alex shouted. "Keep up a fewminutes longer, and we will be over
the worst. It is the leaves and brushthat are making the heat, and we'll soon be where they have burned out.
"I think we are over the worst of it now," he announced a moment later."There's not so much crackling; and I don't think it is so hot."
Simultaneously the car began to leap less wildly, then perceptibly toslow up. Alex at once prepared to climb out again. "I'll give her anotherrun," he said. But promptly Jack pressed him back. "No you don't! I'mgoing to take my turn." And in another moment he was out in the fullglare of the still shrivelling heat, rushing the car on at the top of hisspeed. A hundred yards he drove it, and scrambled back within, gaspingfor breath. Emptying one of the remaining cans over Jack's head, Alexsprang out and took his place.
A moment after, they struck a slight up grade. Alex uttered a joyfulshout. "Only a short run farther, Jack, and we're out of the woods!"
But immediately he followed this glad announcement with one of new alarm.
"The washout! I'd forgotten it! It's just ahead! The rails there almosthang in the air!"
In a panic Alex slowed up. Jack climbed out beside him. "Let us rush it,"he suggested. "The rails may hold--like a bridge. We're not heavy. And wemay as well take one more chance."
Alex debated. "All right! Come on! And jump quick when I say! I think Ican tell when we are near it."
Once more the car was flying onward through the haze.
"Here we come! _Now!_"
With a bound Jack was back in the car. Alex made a final rush, and sprangafter. The car dipped forward and sideways, a breathless instant seemedto hang in mid-air, then righted, and shot forward smoothly. Uttering ahoarse shout of joy, the boys leaped out, and were again running the carahead, and a moment later gave vent to a second and louder cry.
In their faces blew the cooler air of a clearing.
A few yards farther they halted.
"I can't see a thing. Can't open them," declared Jack, as they stoodrubbing their eyes, and recovering their breath.
"Neither can I. Give me your hand, and we'll soon fix it. There is a pathhere down to the water." Feeling with his foot, Alex found it, andpulling Jack after, hastened down, and in another moment both were ontheir stomachs on the river-bank, their faces deep in the cooling water.
Ten minutes later, greatly revived, but with faces and hands intenselysmarting from their burns, the boys replenished the cans of water--forthey still had a two miles' run through the smother of smoke--and liftedthe car onto the main-line rails.
As they did so, from far to the west came a whistle.
"A train! Can't we stop her?" suggested Jack.
"They'd never see us in the smoke."
"Then, say, let us throw the old car across the tracks, so they'll strikeit. They would probably stop to see what it was."
"It might derail her. No. I've got it. Come on, and get the car startedso she'll cross the bridge, and I'll explain."
"Now," said Jack, as they rolled out on the trestle.
"You remember the steep grade just over the bridge? Well, we'll stopabout fifty yards this side, wait till the train whistles the lastcrossing, then hit it up for all we are worth, and--"
"And let the train catch us?" cried Jack. "But, gracious! won't that betaking an awful chance?"
"No, for she won't be going very fast, on account of the curve at thebottom, and we'll be going like a house afire," declared Alex,confidently. "And when she bunts us, we'll jump for her cow-catcher, andfive minutes later we'll be out in the glorious fresh air again."
CLOSER CAME THE ROARING MONSTER.]
"Well, all right. If you are willing to take the risk, I am," said Jack.
They reached the spot designated by Alex, and brought the car to a stand.
Again came the whistle of the train. "Ready!" cried Alex. "The nexttime!"
It came. Like sprinters they threw themselves at the car, and in a fewstrides were racing down the rails at full speed; reached the head of thegrade, and sprang over the tail-board just as the train rumbled onto thebridge.
Downward they shot, gaining momentum at every turn of the wheels.
"Whe-ew! But we're taking an awful chance," said Jack, nervously.
"No. Listen to her brakes," said Alex.
Despite his assurance, when, a moment later, the great engine suddenlyappeared out of the smoke and came thundering down upon them, Alexfaltered, and, with Jack, nervously clutched the sides of the little car.But dashing on unrestrained, they yet further increased their mad speed,and for a few seconds seemed even to be holding their own with the mightymogul.
Then the great engine began eating up the distance between them, and theboys gathered themselves together for the supreme moment.
Closer came the roaring monster. "Now, don't jump," cautioned Alex, whohad regained his nerve. "Wait until she is just going to hit us, thenfall forward and grab the brace--that rod there.
"Here she comes! Ready! _Now!_"
With a jolt the engine hit the car, and in an instant the boys fellforward, grasped a smoke-box brace, and in another moment had scrambledto the top of the cow-catcher.
And they were safe!
When, ten minutes later, the train came to a standstill at Bixton, theengineer suddenly felt his hair rise on end as two wildly unkempt andblackened figures appeared slowly dismounting from the front of hisengine, and stumbled across the station platform. But the shout of joywhich greeted them told they were no ghosts.
"Although I think we weren't far from it, were we, Jack?" said Alex, athome a few minutes after, when his mother made a similar comparison.
"I hope I'll not be as near it again for a long time to come," said Jack,earnestly.