Chapter Six
THE SMOKY MENACE
Janet fell heavily, turning over several times before she finally cameto rest against a clump of dry brush.
Helen was at her side almost instantly, her face drawn and tense.
"Did it strike you?" she asked, deep anxiety marking her words.
Janet, still dazed by the shock of hurling herself to the ground, lookedup and managed a wan smile. She shook her head and with Helen giving hera hand, got to her feet.
"No, I'm all right. Just scared a little. It was so sudden."
"The snake was coiled up on the back of the rock. I saw it just as yousat down. For a second I was speechless; then I seemed to explode into ascream," explained Helen.
"It's a good thing for me that you did," said Janet. "I don't think thesnake missed it more than inches. We'd better get some stout clubs ifwe're going to do any more climbing around these rocks."
"One thing, we're not going to sit down on any of them," declared Helen,who was watching the pile of rocks with open suspicion. There was stillthat fetid smell in the air, but no sign of any snakes.
They looked about for sticks which could be used for clubs and Helenfound several sizeable sticks which would serve that purpose.
The incident had unnerved them more than they cared to confess and theysat down to rest on the sandy soil, taking care that nothing was nearthem which would conceal a snake.
The afternoon deepened and the sun was about to sink over the westernhills when they roused themselves and started on toward the summit ofthe promontory they had been climbing.
Janet stopped and sniffed the air. The odor of smoke seemed strongernow, yet there was no visible sign of it.
Helen also smelled it, for the wind, if anything, was sharper now.
"If there's a fire burning somewhere near here, it might be bad for us,"she said. "This dry grass and underbrush would burn like tinder."
"That's what Curt fears," added Janet.
They stopped to rest once more before they started the final ascent tothe rocky outcropping from which they hoped to be able to survey theentire surrounding country.
As they started up the final slope, the smell of the smoke becamestronger. Looking back into the valley where the bus was stalled, Janetcould see the men in the company all grouped around the front end. Itwas evident that the trouble had not been repaired. Some distance fromthe bus a lone figure was striding along the trail, evidently bound forthe nearest ranch or village where he could telephone for another busand a repair crew.
They toiled up the last few yards to the summit of the promontory andreached it only to drop down in an open space, gasping for breath, forthe last part of the climb had been arduous.
A sharp cry from Helen drew Janet's attention away from the bus, whichnow seemed far down in the valley.
"There's fire burning in that further valley," cried Helen, aninvoluntary note of alarm in her voice.
Janet turned quickly and gazed in the direction Helen was pointing. Hercompanion was right. There was fire in one of the distant valleys. Fromtheir elevation they could see a low, creeping wave of smoke shotthrough with an occasional tongue of flame.
The wind, riffling past them now, was sweeping the fire in theirdirection at a steady pace, but it was at least two miles away, perhapseven further, estimated Janet.
"Does it look serious?" asked Helen.
"I should say it does," replied Janet quickly. "One of us must get backto the bus at once and warn Curt. This is what he's feared."
"I'll stay," said Helen, but Janet noted that her companion's face paledat the thought of staying on top of the ridge and watching the firesweep toward her.
"No you won't. If there's any staying to be done up here, I'll be theone," decided Janet. "Besides, I can run faster than you and your shoesare in no condition to go racing over this rough ground. You start downnow and tell Curt exactly what's happening. Tell him the fire is movingsteadily in our direction and I can't see that anyone is in front of itattempting to beat it out or to build barriers to halt it."
"But I hate to leave you here alone," protested Helen.
"Never mind that. You get back to the bus. Hurry!" There was an anxiousnote of appeal in Janet's last words and Helen flung down the stick shehad been carrying and started back down the slope.
Janet watched her for a time as she darted around outcroppings of rock.Then she turned and gazed at the low wall of smoke which was beingwhipped along by the wind.
From that distance it was hard to imagine that the advancing smoke andfire could be such a deadly thing--that it could lay waste to everythingin its path, leaving, where it had passed, only a sear and desolatelandscape.
The wind seemed to be strengthening with the passing of each minute. Thecrest of the advancing fire topped the ridge of another valley andstarted down the near slope, but it was still better than a mile and ahalf away. Occasionally a jet of flame rose higher than the others, asthough some madman had tossed a torch high into the air at hisexhilaration over the destruction the flames were causing.
The afternoon was waning rapidly and in the valleys between Janet andthe flames the light was fading. She turned and gazed back down the longslope. Helen was almost at the bus, making every effort at speed andJanet felt sorry for her for she knew Helen must be suffering intensepain from her too-thin shoes for the rocks would bruise her feet badly.
Janet saw Helen reach the bus and the men turned their attention fromthe stalled motor to the newcomer. Janet thought she could distinguishCurt Newsom looming above the others but she couldn't be sure.
In less than a minute a solitary figure detached itself from the grouparound the bus and started up the slope toward Janet. From the longstride and the graceful carriage of the body she knew it was the cowboystar, coming up to get a first-hand glimpse of the advancing fire.
Someone down at the bus turned on the headlights, and twin beams oflight flashed through the gathering purple of the evening.
Janet heard a scurrying up the other slope and a jack rabbit, scentingthe danger of the approaching wall of smoke and fire, dashed past her.She knew that later there would be an onrush of the smaller animalsseeking to evade the danger. But for some reason Janet felt strangelycalm.
The fire was still more than a mile away. True, it was advancingsteadily, but the thought of being trapped by flames had never reallyentered her mind and she refused to be stampeded now.
She turned back to watch the progress of Curt Newsom as he raced up theslope. It was almost dusk now where she was standing but she could seehim coming steadily toward her. He would be beside her in anotherminute.
The cowboy star, puffing heavily from the race up the rocky slope,reached Janet's side.
The smell of smoke was stronger now and the flames were brighter asthough they were eating their way through heavier underbrush.
Curt's features were plainly visible in the half light of the earlyevening and Janet could see the lines of worry on his face.
"It's worse than I thought from what Helen told us," he said, shieldinghis eyes and looking across the intervening valleys to the ridge downwhich the fire was now racing.
"Is it serious?" asked Janet. "Are we in danger?"
Curt stared at her hard, wondering just how much he dared to tell her.Then he decided she might as well know the truth and he spoke frankly.
"The wind's rising all the time and this fire's spreading rapidly. We'vegot to get out of here within the next few minutes or we may never leavethese valleys alive."
Janet Hardy in Radio City Page 6