Part 27 (1/2)

Jennie seemed to scan the company with her sightless eyes, sniffing the air wildly.

”The woods are burning,” she said. ”The flames are coming nearer. They are slow, but they are sure. Everything is so dry. You must hurry, if you would save the house!”

”Save the house?” repeated Miss Stuart mechanically. ”Do you mean to say there is danger of this house being burned down? Is the fire coming this way? Great heavens! Order the car at once, children. We must leave at any cost. This is the last straw!”

”But, Aunt Sallie,” urged Ruth, laying a detaining hand on her aunt's arm, ”you wouldn't have us desert the major's house, would you, and leave all these beautiful things to burn? Besides, we may be running away from the major and the boys. How do we know but that they are in the woods? They may need our help.”

”My child, we are not a fire department,” exclaimed Miss Sallie, ”and if we are to save this beautiful house, how do you propose to do it?”

”If worse comes to worst,” cried Bab, ”we can form a bucket brigade here, and keep the fire from getting to the house.”

”What about water?” demanded Miss Sallie.

”Don't you remember the major said he had a well of water reserved for fires?” said Ruth.

”It may not be necessary to use the water,” Bab continued. ”The first thing to do is to cut off the forest fire by having a trench dug on that side of the house. Everybody will have to get to work. Come on! We must not lose time.”

Miss Sallie ran into the hall and rang a bell violently. John, the butler, came at once.

”John,” she cried, speaking very rapidly, ”the forest is on fire. Get every available person on the place as fast as you can, with shovels and hoes and help the young ladies dig a trench to protect the major's house.”

John looked dazed, sniffed the air and ran without a word. Presently a bell thundered out in the stillness. It had not been rung for many years, but the employees on the place knew what it meant, and came running from their cottages, and the work of digging a trench beyond Ten Eyck Hall was begun. Each moment the air was growing more dense and a darkness was settling down which was lit up, toward the west, by a lurid glow. The heat was intense and fine ashes filled the toilers' throats and nostrils. Birds, blinded by the smoke dashed past, almost hitting the workers' faces. People came running from the burning forest, the old Gypsy woman and her granddaughter and other women from the Gypsy band.

The men were bringing the wagons around by the road; old Adam and his wife, driving their wood cart and frantically beating the worn-out horse; and finally, the hermit, with his white locks flying. Ten Eyck Hall would seem to have been the refuge of all these terrified dwellers in the forest. They regarded it with pride and love. Even the Gypsies had sought its protection, and the gray, rambling old place appeared to stretch out its arms to them. Blind Jennie strode up and down the lawn, wildly waving her stick, while old Adam called to Miss Sallie:

”Where is the master? Where are the young masters?”

And where were the old master and the young ones? If ever they were needed, it was now!

In the meantime, the girls, leaving Miss Sallie to direct the digging of the trench, had run to the house.

”I think, Ruth,” called Bab, ”we had better collect all the buckets and pails we can find.”

”Yes,” replied Ruth, ”and the hose should be attached to the reserve well. John is attending to that. Mollie and Grace, run and get whatever blankets there are in the bed rooms, and close the windows all over the house.”

While John was attaching the hose to the faucet of the reserve well, Ruth and Bab invaded the enormous kitchen of the hall. The servants had fled. Only Mary and John could be depended upon. The pumping engine had been started and the tank was rapidly filling.

”O Ruth,” exclaimed Bab, ”how careless of us to have forgotten the cars!

The garage is nearest to the forest and the automobiles should be run out right off. We may need them if things get very bad.”

”Of course,” replied Ruth. ”Where is the chauffeur? Did you ever know any of these people to be on hand when they were needed?”

Das.h.i.+ng to the garage, they cranked up the two machines and ran them out onto the lawn in an open s.p.a.ce. Jose's motor cycle came next.

”The fire has come,” cried Grace and Mollie running up with their arms full of blankets. They could hear the roaring, crackling sound as the flames licked their way through the dry underbrush.

”Where is Miss Sallie?” demanded Ruth. ”She will faint in this terrible atmosphere.”

”There she is,” answered Grace; ”she is overseeing the trench-digging. I think she has ordered them to make it broader.”