“What’s to be done about it, Jim?” demanded the scoutmaster.

“Nawthin’ as I kin see,” came the guide’s philosophical reply. “We hain’t knowin’ which way ther olé wind’ll turn next, so it’s as safe fur us tew keep right along like we was aheadin’, as tew turn back fur camp.”

“Then let’s go on; an’ perhaps after all, the fire’ll give us the go-by,” and as he said this Thad put his best foot forward.

“Anyway,” Jim pursued, presently, “we cudn’t know haow tew shape our plans till we cotched sight o’ ther fire, an’ knowed jest what she be. By naow p’raps ther hull woods ahind us moût be aflame; so by turnin’ back, we’d jest be puttin’ aour noses tew ther grindstone.”

They walked on a little faster than before. The talk was of course all about forest fires now, since it began to seem likely that Thad was about to witness the first real big one of his experience.

Thad had a way of asking leading questions, and Jim was no way averse to giving all the information in his power; so that before long the Boy Scout had learned a great many interesting facts connected with these terrors of the piney woods, by means of which thousands of acres of valuable timber used to be wiped out of existence every year, and often many lives lost as well.

Things are not the same as they used to be. The State of Maine has a well equipped fire warden department; and during the fall season when the danger is greatest, extreme care is taken to call out these seasoned fire-fighters whenever their services are needed. Besides, every licensed guide is expected to work in conjunction with the authorities in seeing that no party which he pilots into the woods becomes reckless about leaving fires burning after breaking camp.

When another half hour had passed Thad could no longer doubt that there was a fire burning somewhere not far away, and that they were now much closer than before to the scene of the conflagration.

The smoke had become a thing that could be easily seen as well as smelled, and felt in the way of burning eyes and tickled nostrils.

Jim was on the alert. Well did he know that it was no child’s play, matching one’s wits against a forest fire that was apt to encircle the unwary woodsman, and cut off his retreat, finally roasting him in a trap.

“Do you think it’s already swept down on the Martin cabin?” Thad asked, somewhat anxiously.

“Thet I kain’t tell,” replied Jim, as he looked up at the smoke that was sweeping above the tops of the tallest pines. “Time was when it wudn’t amattered any, ‘cause yer see, Dad Martin, he kept a good clearin’ all ‘raound his shack; but I guess as haow he’s been an’ neglected it sense I took Lina away, an’ it’s all growed up with brush, thet’d burn like tinder.”

“How far away are we now from the cabin?” continued Thad, presently.

“It moût be a matter o’ two mile er so,” grunted Jim; for they were pushing on at a lively pace, and there was not much breath to waste in long sentences.

“That smoke keeps on getting heavier all the while,” remarked Thad.

“She dew thet,” admitted Jim.

“And my stars, how it stings a fellow’s eyes,” continued the scoutmaster, who from time to time felt the tears running down his cheeks.

Jim shook his head as he answered:

“’Tain’t a circumstance tew what we’ll run up aginst right soon, ef things keeps on a gettin’ wusser all ther while.”

“Look! there goes a moose, upon my word; and he’s making tracks as if he didn’t fear human beings one half as much as he did that crackling fire he left behind!” Thad cried out, about five minutes later.

Shortly afterwards he discovered a huge lumbering animal rushing through the woods to one side of them.

“Why, isn’t that a black bear, Jim?” he asked, pointing as he spoke.

“It sure is,” replied the guide, grinning; “an’ ’baout as skeered a black as ye cud see in a week o’ Sundays. Like as not he smelled ther smoke while he was boxed up in sum holler tree, whar he ’spected tew stay till Spring kim along. But say, he knowed what’d happen tew him; an’ forgettin’ as haow he orter be sleepin’ ther winter août, alivin’ on his fat, he jest climbs août, an’ scoots fur sum hole in ther ground he knows is awaitin’ fur him. He’ll git thar, awl rite, too; ’cause I never seed a bar cort in a forest fire, an’ burned tew a crisp.”

“The deer can easily escape, I suppose, being so fleet of foot?” Thad went on.

“Gin’rally speakin’ they kin,” Jim replied; “an’ thar goes wun rite naow. Look at ther way he jumps over thet fallen tree like it was nawthin’. Ef yeou an’ me hed ther gift o’ leapin’ like thet, Thad, we cud larf at forest fires tew.”

They lapsed into silence again. The smoke began to enter their lungs when they talked too much, and half choked them. It was getting darker, Thad saw; and looking up, he realized that clouds had covered the heavens; though at first he rather fancied this might be another strata of smoke further up.

“Oh! if that snow-storm Jim believes is due would only hurry, and come along,” he was saying to himself, “it might do some good in putting out this fire. While I’d like right well to see what it all looks like, still, as a fire warden, I ought to want it to be smothered as quick as possible. And between the two why, I’ll just have to take what comes, and be thankful it’s no worse.”

Then he thought of the other scouts. Were any of them in danger from the fire? He did not believe this could be the case, for, so far as he knew, there had been no plan on foot for a hunt that day, the boys being satisfied to hang around camp, and do things they had in mind.

And as they were right on the edge of the lake, if the worst came, and fire happened to sweep down upon them, the tents could be thrown into the canoes, and all hands put out upon the surface of the lake where they would be safe.

So Thad, as the one in charge of the patrol in the absence of Dr. Philander Hobbs, the regular authorized scoutmaster, made up his mind that he need not worry about his chums any more. Indeed, as the situation grew worse and worse around himself and Jim, it began to look as though he had need of all his anxiety in connection with his own condition.

Of course he relied entirely on Jim. The guide had had long experience with the fires in the pines. He had served as one of the fire wardens, and so long as he was in charge of the expedition there was no need of Thad trying to figure out any plan of campaign. Had he been alone, or with some of his companions, Thad would have striven to meet the necessities of the situation manfully, and done all in his power to outwit the flames. Now he was in Jim’s charge, and depended on the astute Maine guide to pilot him through.

“I can hear the flames roaring, I think, Jim!” the scout remarked, presently.

“Thet’s rite,” returned the other; and from his manner Thad knew Jim had known of the circumstance longer than he dreamed possible.

“It lies over there on our right, don’t it?” Thad persisted in asking.

“Yep,” the guide answered, shortly.

Gauging the direction of the wind, Thad saw that they would in a measure be running a race with the fire, to see which could get to the cabin of Old Cale first. He knew Jim was figuring things out closely. A mistake in calculations might cost them dear. Even a change in wind, which was liable to occur at any time now, would bring them face to face with new difficulties, and make them grapple with problems of a serious character.

Thad asked no more questions, for he saw that Jim did not want to have his mind distracted from his duty. He would do the right thing, of that the boy felt assured.

One thing was plain enough, and this seemed apt to have more or less bearing on the final outcome of their race to the cabin.

The wind was gradually increasing in force all the while. It had been gentle at first, but was now blowing at the rate of ten miles an hour, and Thad could notice how rapidly even this was changing.

Should it reach hurricane force ere long, the fire must be driven ahead at a speed that would be simply frightful. Thad already began to experience some of the thrill he had been told was connected with one of these woods’ fires; even though as yet he had to see the first flash of flame. What must it be when surrounded on all sides by the leaping tongues that, they said, looked like great red snakes coiling up the pine trees, licking the resinous foliage with greedy breath, so that it seemed as though the whole world must be ablaze?

Well, the boy had wanted to look upon just such a sight, so that he could say he had been caught in a forest fire; and from the way things were turning out, his wish was in a fair way to be gratified.

They must surely have come about a mile since he last asked Jim how far away the cabin might be; that would indicate half of the distance had been passed over. He wondered why Jim did not start running, so as to beat the fire, that was apparently aiming for the same place; but on second thought Thad believed he could guess the reason for this. Jim was saving their wind for an emergency. If that came upon them, they might have to change their own course, and head for the pond Jim had spoken of as offering a fair haven of refuge in a case of this kind.

The roaring sound had grown more audible. It sounded now very much like a freight train on the railroad, Thad thought; and drawing closer all the while! This would seem to indicate that the fire was catching up with them, and shortening the gap between at the same time.

Thad began to cast curious glances in the direction of the ominous sound; nor could it be said that anxiety was not unmixed with his other feelings. He was but a boy, after all; and even by now the dark masses of smoke that were sweeping over the pine tops, as well as the other indications of a great conflagration around him, had begun to affect Thad.

And as they pushed along it chanced that they came to a little break in the wall of pines that rose around them. For the first time the Boy Scout saw, when he turned his head toward the right, and the rear, something that seemed to leap madly upwards, as though endeavoring to lick the overhanging clouds.

There was no need of Thad to ask the guide what that was, for he knew only too well. Those leaping, tossing billows were flames; and they sealed the death warrant of many a noble pine that for years and years had seen the lovely summer come and go, to give place to the furious gales of the Maine winter season.

And Thad Brewster experienced a real genuine thrill, that might be tinged with alarm, as he viewed this fiery panorama over the tops of the trees.