Show ofle ners tay B 1 S 16 e SY by DODO MEAD AND aim CC MAny CHAPTER XVI continued 1 16 I 1 go on I 1 good dog cried mr blagg lead tho the way to hannahs carlyn I 1 I 1 ile iio heard the little girl screaming oh uncle joe I 1 oh uncle joo joe I 1 hero hera we are I 1 cherry rattled the buckboard down to 10 tile the bottom of the hollow and stopped there was some smoke here tut lut not much the man leaped to the ground when besaw he saw a figure rise up from tho the foot of a tree by the spring a figure lit in brown I 1 josepp joseph I 1 thank god I 1 murmured amanda At nanda the bar hardware dware denler dealer strode to her she had put out both her hands to bilm and he saw sair that they were trem mang blang and that tears filled her great brown eyes CUPS oh joel she sold said 1 I feared you would come too latel intel but im here mandy and im not too loo intel lie ho cried and somehow neither cither in of them could perhaps have just how his arms went around her and herlands her herl hands bands rested on lis ills shoulders while she elie looked earnestly into ills his face oil oh joel toe I 1 joel joe 1 it was like a surrendering sob its notton not loo late Is it mandy blandy say it ft too latcu intaj he pleaded no its not too late she whispered ahls if it if were not too old olal almost shouted joseph stagg 1 I dont remember r oliever of feeling so young us as I 1 do right bowl and suddenly he stooped find and kissed her bless met what tools fools weve been all tills this time I 1 oh uncle joe I 1 oh bliss amanda I 1 cried caroyln tiny may standing before them find pointing with nith a rather index finger you arent road mad tit nt ench each other tiny any more are you oh I 1 nm am so glad I 1 so glad I 1 and her face showed her pleasure but lie ilia situation was wag too difficult to allow of much but practical thoughts wheres Wh cres the old woman asked jo MW ceph stagg stage quickly her husband came with a horse and buggy late last night tind and took her over to the new camp was the reply the fire was coming into the camp phen when I 1 left wo we must get out of here in a hurry declared mr stagg we arent going to be burned up pow now when un uncle le joe Is here miss mandy carolyn may declared with confidence sea how nice lie he and prince found us why they are heroes arent they they are indeed child agreed the woman she turned to joseph stagg happiness shining chining in her eyes and looking prettier than ever before la in her life he be thought the hollow was rapidly becoming filled with smoke the man did not understand this but it f foreboder foreboded fore or oded boded trouble ire he t turned cherry cheny an and tile the buckboard around and then lie he helped amanda into tho the seat up you go too carlyn may ho he said lifting tile little girl into tho the rear of the buckboard joseph stagg felt very tery serious ns as lie he seated himself by amandas side and picked up tile reins the hore borso quickly retraced his steps up thell the hilll to tile the tote ditoto rond road As they came out into tills this broader path they saw the smoke pouring through it in a choking cloud I 1 oil oh JOP joe gasped arganda its coming 1 ait it surely Is agreed the liar hardware dware merchant were in a hot corner comer my girl garl but trust to me itic P oil oh I 1 do joel sho she exclaimed squeezing his bis arm 1 I nm suro buro you iou know what Is be best qt to do PH ill try to prove that coo eo he said with ith a subdued chuckle oil oh uncle acel dia cried carolyn may suddenly cant wo we got get out of this awful smoke it it chokes moll walt wait whispered amanda to the mm man til ill lift her over tho the back of the sent scat I 1 think she had better bo be to in my lap ivars so lie he agreed and ho be told held in the nervous cherry for a moment till tile tho change was vas accomplished shed the roaring of the fire grow louder and louder in their ears suddenly joseph stagg dragged cherrys chernys Cher rys head around the tha horse snorted and hesitated for tile smoke was blinding him 1 I pretty near missed these forks I 1 exclaimed the hardware merchant tills left rodd road tikes takes us toward to the lake oh joe can wo we reach it whispered annanda weve got to tol I 1 ho he returned grimly its three miles if its no an anch hut but cherry hoa has got to matte make IV it they were relieved after h n minute or two in this new road tho the smoke had bad not so completely filled it but it was wai a ro rougher uglier way and tho the backboard bounced until carolyn ma Maici led out in fear they drove over a little hillock hat bat i raised alsed them higher than the tote r road had done amanda clutched mr 0 taws MM arin again and uttered tittered a halt half ohr ohl f I 1 i tl hc ehat a zi a n ce to ta tho the left A mass of flame broke out I 1 in n the he wood not for far off this trall trail tho top of a great grent tree was on fire the wind Is carrying brands this way muttered the man A dozen new fires will be started well gid ap cherry I 1 and he bo seized the whirl whip again 6 tho the horse was wai well spent now but ho fie was plucky ile iio tried 0 to o increase ills his stride A hot breath of wind camo came rushing through the forest bending the branches all and shaking the leafy foliage the evina fairly to scorch the fugitives tho the roaring of tho the fire increased through the more anoro open woods which 0 tau t aa I 1 oh uncle joel oh miss amanda cried carolyn may bordered this path they saw the smoke advancing in a thicker walland wall andigone an dione one as high n the tree tops to y youve got to make it old poy Y muttered joseph stagg und and he lashed the horse again the spirited cherry leaped forward both tile the woman woma n and the child screaming Is it far rs Is it far gasped amanda I 1 in his ear too aarfor tar for comfort but keep your heart up As the man spoke a blazing brand swung through theair the air and camo came down right on amandas shoulders carolyn may shrieked joseph stagg brushed off the burning stick slick cherry mounted another small ridge and then they glatte clattered down into a little hollow where there was a slough beside the road tho the water was green find and stagnant but it was water the man lif in the hard pressed horse hoi so and leaped down passing the r reins eins to amanda ile he whipped off tits hla coat nid and dipped it in the lie ile drew it out dripping with water and slime look out hero here I 1 have to shut your cycil lie he warned his bis two companions on the seat of the buckboard and clr threw tho the saturated coat over miss Ant amandas andas lead head the dripping garment sheltered bhelt cred carolyn may as well now good horse I 1 ho he yelled to cherry leaping back to the seat ficat gid tip aal P the horse started up the slope another swirling brand came down upon them joseph stagg fought it oft off with tits his baro bare hand ills shirt sleeve caught fire and lie he was painfully burned on the forearm befaro he bo could smother the blaze another flaming brand fell landing on cherrys chernys Cher rys back the horse squealed find and leaped forward at a pace which fl ilch mr air stagg could not control maddened by the burn cherry had bad token taken the bit in tits hla teeth and was running away iiii hue man threw down the reins ila iio could do nothing toward retarding tho frightened horses indeed he bo did not want to stop him itus left arm h lit flung around miss amanda end and the child and with bli bla right hand band clung to the rocking seat of the careening buckboard the wet steaming coat saved tho the woman and the child from injury joseph stagg had lost all count of time the forest road might still extend ahead of them for a mile for all he be knew dut but suddenly L they broke cover cherry still galloping wildly and plunged down an open ravine to the edge of a lake of sparkling water bless fuel me the lake I 1 the tha linkel lake I 1 hoarsely shouted touted sf the man the walls of the ravine sheltered them flient from smote and fire for a moment but the brands still fell cherry ind baited on the rha edge of the lake but joseph urged urfred him on into the wo after i flanc deep the shore shor ewas was narrow pud and afforded corded space pace for ie refuge f ng Q lie a lifted amanda nna the child bodily from tho the seat beat and dropped them In water were vore safe fe now Z he be sidd hoarsely jumping ping tn in himself and holding carolyn may an and amanda weve were got ot wa ter enough hero here charts bet danz 0 oa to fd nie me mandy im not going to lot you get eel away comoro no bior moro beverl never I 1 and by themay the kayu which the woman hornad clung to his arm nril lt it was evident that sho she did not propose to lose litin film sly my uncle joel you are luat just tha bravest mani man I 1 declared carolyn may finding her voice lie i mandy and see ills his arm la Is ill all burned dear roc me we must get home homa to aunty aulty rose and lot let lier her do it up for him CHAPTER X via twos company 1 toward the cast tile foresti tract was waa completely burned to to the banks of cod lera creek As the wind which had sprung up hod had driven the fire IF westward there was little danger of the tha names pressing nearer than the creek to sunrise cove and the corners cornera joseph stagg lea the horse out of 0 the water and advised bliss amanda and carolyn tidy may to get into the seat beat of the buckboard again then ho he set bet forth leading the horse along the narrow clr beach while prince followed wearily in the rear it was a rough route they followed but the blackened blackin cd forest was stilt still too hot for them to puss pass through had they been able to find a path this was a lonely strip of shore find and they saw no living soul but themselves it was it u long tramp and the horse the dog and the roan man wore were alike wearied C carolyn arolyn may bray wen went t fast asleep with her lead pillowed billowed pill owed in miss aman das daa lap tip the latter and joseph stagg talked much indeed thero there was ay iy much itch for or them to say after all these thes 0 years ot of silence the woman oman worn woin find scorched of face looked down on the smutted ana s sweating eating man with an expression in her eyes that him to the marrow she was w as proud of him and tile the gaze of love and ami longing that the hardware merchant turned upon amnnda amanda would have amazed those people eliat believed lie he had consideration and thought only for busi business in these few hours of alarm and close intimacy the man and the woman had leaped all the barri barriers drs time and pride had bad set up nothing further could keep joseph stagg and amanda barlow apart and yet they never for one ln instant stant discussed the original cause of their estrangement that was ins a dead issue the refugo es cg reached the corners about nine jedidjah had hobbled up to the store and was just then organizing a party of 0 searchers to go to the rescue of the hardware dealer and those of whom he had set forth in search the village turned out ext en ma makyta 4 w welcome elcome the atio who 1 rac ul bously escaped the fire aunty aulty roses relief knew no bounds mr was undeniably glad to see his daughter safe otherwise he would never have overlooked the pitiable state his horse was in poor cherry would never be the same unblemished animal again I 1 well I 1 vurn auml r ho he said bald to joseph stagg you do done it t Bet bittern tern I 1 could too I 1 reckon ril rii take tile the hosi boss horae home you comial with me mundy mandy then ho he saw sav the burns on the younger mans shoulders and arms the good land of Jehosha phat I 1 heres work for you to do mandy it if you air any sort eort of a nurse I 1 reckon you got your hands full right here beret alth with joe stagg ho he added with some pride in ills his daughters ability phew I 1 rhems bad lookin burns 1 I they are indeed agreed S aandy rose it was a fact that tant mr stagg was wag in ft a bad state carolyn may had suggested that aunty aulty rose would dress life his burns but bliss amanda would allow nobody to do that but herself when the curious and sympathetic neighbors ila had gono gone and miss bits s amanda was still busy making joseph stagg comfortable comforti blo in ili the sitting bitting room aunty aulty roso came out into the kitchen where w hero 0 I 1 f 81 owl yes yea it nice they arent mail mad 0 at each other i 1 she had bad almeady bathed and helped carolyn may to undress and where the little girl was now sleepily eating her supper aupper of brend bread and milk well wonders dont ever cense ccase I 1 I 1 guess she ehe said more to herself th than a n to her little confidant abod have bavo vj aught it I 1 eliod havo have thought what AWS rose hose inquired carolyn may your uncle and mandy have bava made it up tip breathed tb tbt woman evl evi dantly much impressed ey thy the wonder of it yes yen indeed I 1 F cried the abita awl it nice they arent mild mail pt at each othe any more 1 fio BIB coni conter i |