THE BURNING FOREST.
"It is growing darker all the time."
"So it seems; I never saw anything like it."
"Maybe it is really night, Nick, and we have lost our reckoning. Isn't
there any way by which the world might swing out of its--what do you
call it?"
"Orbit, I suppose, you mean; there may be such a way, but from what I
have studied, when it does do that there will be more of a disturbance
than simple darkness like this."
These words were exchanged between brother and sister after they had
penetrated the woods a considerable distance on their return home. It
had become like night around them, except that, as has been shown, the
gloom was of that peculiar lurid nature which can hardly be described,
and can never be forgotten by those who saw it.
Even Nick Ribsam was impressed. It could not have been otherwise, for
any one would have been lacking in natural sensibility had he failed to
be awed by the singular sight. It can scarcely be said that the lad was
frightened, although there came over him a yearning feeling that he
might hurry home so the family could all be together, if the awful
calamity--whatever it might be--should descend.
It was different with the sister Nellie; her nature was more
impressible, and it was only by a strong effort that she kept her
self-control so long. As she peeped furtively out from the carriage, she
looked at the woods, penetrated by the strange haze, which perhaps took
on a more striking appearance in an autumnal forest like that, than
anywhere else.
"Nick, I believe it's the Last Day that has come."
The lad turned toward his sister, who was sitting far back in her seat,
as though trying to shut out the scene which had such a fascination for
her.
The face of the girl wore such a ghastly color, that Nick could not
wonder at her fright, but he shook his head. He felt he was the man now,
and it would not do for him to show any weakness.
"It isn't the Judgment Day, Nellie; for, according to the Bible, it will
come in a different way than this. There are a good many things which
are not understood by folks, and I suppose this must be one of them."
"I can smell burning wood," broke in the sister, leaning forward and
snuffing the smoky air.
"I am sure I do, and that's what is making all this trouble."
"But suppose, Nick, these woods are on fire? How far is it back to where
we entered them?"
"About three miles, and it is five to the open country ahead, where we
leave them; but there is the creek, less than a mile ahead, so if we
should find the woods burning, we can stop there till it is over."
The sister, however, had suggested a danger to the brother which alarmed
him. The mare had been walking slowly, for it seemed more in harmony
with the scene that she should do so. The driver now jerked the lines so
sharply that she pricked up her ears and started off at a rapid gait,
that is as the mare herself doubtless looked upon traveling.
The first real thrill of alarm came to the lad, when he recalled that if
a fire should appear, he and his sister were in the worst possible
position: there were three miles of forest behind and five in front.
The mare seemed to awaken to a sense of danger, for she threw up her
head with unusual sprightliness, struck into a trot so rapid that Nick
was a little frightened, lest in the gloom the carriage should come in
contact with some obstruction which he could not detect in time.
"See there!"
As Nellie uttered the exclamation, she caught the arm of her brother and
pointed ahead, but there was no need of her doing so, for he had seen
the peril. The road immediately in front was filled with heavy smoke,
which, as it rolled forward, caused them to cough almost to the
strangulation point. At the same time, a crimson streak of flame shot
in and out of the murky vapor, like the flashing of lightning: the fire
was burning immediately in front and it would not do to go further.
Nick stopped the horse, and, half rising and bending forward, peered
into the suffocating vapor. Then he turned and looked behind him, in
which direction Nellie was also gazing.
"How is it there?" he asked.
"There is plenty of smoke, but I see no fire."
"Then we must go back."
The road was quite narrow, though there was room for two teams to pass
each other, and Nick turned the frightened mare as quickly as he could;
she was so nervous and fidgety that it was hard work to control her, but
she was headed toward Dunbarton, after some difficulty, and as soon as
the rein was given her, away she went at a spanking trot.
But neither the brother nor sister was relieved of fear, for the smoke
grew denser every minute, and Nick might well ask himself whether he
would be able to pass the three miles before he could reach the safety
of the open country.
The question was answered much sooner than he anticipated. The sharp
crackling was heard, and they caught glimpses of the fiery tongues
leaping in and out among the dried leaves and vegetation on either hand.
Suddenly the flames seemed to meet in front in such a rushing, roaring
volume that it was vain to think of pushing any further in the face of
it.
"Oh, Nick," moaned Nellie, shrinking close to him, "we are going to be
burned alive!"
"It does look bad, Nellie, but we mustn't give up yet; one thing is
certain, it won't do to try to reach Dunbarton to-day."
"But we can't go homeward."
"It doesn't look so bad that way as it does toward Dunbarton: we must
try one of the roads, and I would rather work toward home than away from
it."
Nick was busy while talking; he saw that the mare was becoming
panic-stricken, and it required all his strength and firmness to keep
her from breaking away from him.
[Illustration: "O Nick," moaned Nellie, "we are going to be burned
alive."]
By using the whip, he managed to turn her again in the road, and then he
struck her sharply with the lash.
"Nellie, catch hold of my arm," he said to her, feeling that even if
everything came out in the best form, a severe struggle was before them.
The mare sniffed, and, glancing to her right and left, gave a whinny of
terror as she dropped into her swiftest trot, which, a minute after, she
changed to a gallop; but Nick brought her down instantly to her more
natural gait.
Nellie slipped her arm under the elbow of her brother, and then clasped
her two hands, so as to hold fast for the shock which she believed would
soon come.
A large branch had fallen across the road, and Nick did not catch sight
of it until too late to check the flying mare. The carriage seemed to
bound fully a foot into the air, and an ominous wrench told the driver
that it had suffered material damage.
But there was no time to stop and examine; the terrified horse sprang
into a gallop again, and this time Nick did not restrain her.
There was smoke all around them; the air was hot and suffocating; they
could hear the crackling of flames, and now and then the crimson flash
through the murky vapor showed that a frightful forest fire was raging
on every hand.
Still the mare kept forward at the same swift gallop, and Nick knew that
more than once she felt the blistering heat on her haunches. It is a
strange peculiarity of the horse, which often shows a wonderful degree
of intelligence, that he generally loses his wits when caught in a
conflagration. Instead of running away from the flames he often charges
among them, and there remains, fighting those who are trying to save
him.
Very probably the mare would have acted similarly in the instance of
which I am speaking had the circumstances permitted it; but there was
fire all about her, and the temptation was as strong, therefore, in one
direction as another.
Nick kept his self-possession. He knew by the desperate energy with
which Nellie clung to his arm that she was helpless, and that every
minute they were likely to plunge headlong into and among the roaring
flames.
He could not guide the mare, which was now controlled by her own
instinctive desire to escape a danger which was on every hand. He merely
sought to direct her, so far as possible, in the hope that he might save
the carriage from being dashed to pieces.
When he saw the flames meeting across the road he shouted to Nellie to
hold her breath, and he did the same, until they had swept through the
fiery, strangling ring, and were able to catch a mouthful of the smoky
and scorching atmosphere beyond.