achines filled the valley; the horses were speeded up to recover lost time. Transley and Y.D. rode ab

bolt-still on his hors

" he

ablaze, and a great pillar of smoke was rolling skyward. Even as they watched, the base of the fi

d, Y.D.," said Transley. "I bet they

agely and rolling it in his lips, but, according to the law of the hayfield, refraining from lighting it. At first there was a gleam of vengeance in his

an't sit and look at that! Order the m

round in his saddle and st

ven't as much as a plow, either, but we can gallop down with some barrels in a wagon and put a sac

e. Transley despatched four men and two teams to take barrels, sacks, and horse blankets to

seemed to realize the tension in the air. His keen, hard-s

start, Dad?"

eturned, shortly. "D'

, so you better have your answer handy. I'm going to gal

hink," said Transley. "The grass there is

d in smoke. Clouds of blue and mauve and creamy yellow rolled from the meadows and stacks. The fire was whippin

ff," said Ze

fire." But already her horse was stretching lo

and coffee," said Transley. "I guess there'll be no cooking in Landson's outfit t

close to the contractor. "Transley," he s

id Transley, "any

t you KNEW. I asked y

e minutes in silence.

his kind. He should know, or keep his mouth sh

has nothin' to gain, and this

y explained. "He probably will boast openly about it

nse

ense, but Drazk does

the nearest cottonw

for Zen. He doesn't know of any reason why Zen shouldn't look on him with fa

irst time I run into him," said Y.D. savagely. "Z

far as Drazk or his type is concerned," Transley returned.

"I admit I like a quick worker. But

ns in a few words, and then turned to ride down to Landson's. They h

, and his voice was shak

niffed the air. When he turn

gasped. "The wi

wind, which a few minutes before had been coming down the valley, was now blowing back up again. Even whi

. Got any speed in that nag of yours?" Without waiting for an answer he

lo path to work against. But he was already starting back-fires at intervals of fifty yards, allotting three men to each fire. A back-fire is a fire started for the purpose of stopping another. Usually a road, or a plowed strip, or even a cattle path, is used for a base. On the windward side of this base the back-fire is st

rrels of water to hold the back-fire in check as best they could. So far they were succeeding. As soon as the fire had burned a few feet the forward side

he drew up and surveyed operations. "S

but we can never cross the valley. The fire will be on us before we have b

im into the saddle. "You're played, boy!" he shouted in his foreman's ear. "Ride d

barrel at the end and set it bodily on the ground. He sprang into the wagon, shouting commands to horses and men. A hundred yards they galloped along the fighting front; then Transley sprang out and set another barrel on the

d burned back until there was no danger of it jumping the burned space. Then Transley picked up his kit and rushed it on to a new fro

he barrels fell off and collapsed. Some of the men were playing out. The horses were wild with excitement

nsley; you can't hold i

the shoulder. He cru

rose above the shouts of the fighters. Up galloped the water wagon; made a sharp lurch and turn, and a front

ley. For one moment he

ain?" he deman

Some of you men yank the hub out of it. Othe

slowly along the battle front. As they moved the burning grass in the rim set fire to the grass on the prairie underneath; the rim partly rubbed it out again as it came over, and the men were able to keep what remaine

ansley whipped off his shirt, rolled it into a little heap, set fire to it,

d fire and the excitement of the fight, immediately bolted. The teamster took Transley in his arms and half carried, half dragged him into the saf

ridden into the fire area. To avoid the possibility of being cut off by the fire, and also for better air, she turned her horse to the river. All through the valley were billows of smoke, wi

believing that by making a detour in this way she could pass the wedge of fire that had interrupted her and get back on to

n as Zen brought her eyes back to the water she saw a man on horseback not forty yards ahead. Her first thought was that it must be one of the fire fighters, driven like herself to safety, but a second glance revealed George Drazk. For a moment

y seen her and was headed her way. In the excitement of w

cent of you to ride down an' meet

razk, and you know it. Keep out of

all the better for that. Who wants a tame horse? An' as for

y in front of her. When Zen's horse came w

lmly as she could, but in a white passion. "Will

"Gad, but you're a stunner!" he

t around the wrist that held her brid

hissed, "jus' for that we drop

dged in deeper still. Finding that she could not beat Drazk off Zen clutched her saddle and drove the spurs into her horse. At this unaccustomed treatment he plunged wildly forward, but Drazk's grip on her was too strong to be broken. The manoeuvre had, however, the effect

ith me-you made a fool of me. We'll see who's the fool in the end." With a mighty wre

ss you'll be good," he threatened. "I'

lenged. "I'll drown

just yet. Afterwards y

carried free, and the horses began to swim for the shore. Drazk held to both reins with one hand, still c

uld think of no device to foil him. It was not her practice to carry weapons; her whip had already gone down the stream. Presently she saw a long leather thong floating out from the sa

ried frantically, in sudden fright

awing her up to him. "I knew

once around his neck. Then, pulling the lash violently, she fought herself out of his grip. He clutched at her wil

aw his mouth open and refuse to close; heard strange

promised to settle with you; I did no

ed that he was drowning. She let go of the thong, clu

; his horse had landed somewhat farther down.... Doubtless Drazk

d thing to forget. She could not have done otherwise under the circumstances

et. On the contrary, her inborn self-confidence, her assurance that she could take c

r help now would be needed, not by Mrs. Landson, but probably at their own camp. She sprang on her horse, re-crossed the stream, and set out on a gallop for the camp. On the way she had to ride through one thin line of fire, which she accomplished successfully. Through the

pkins there. He had already run a little back

e cried, bursting upon him

. But they'll never hold the main fire; it'll go up t

ive up th

am an' fresh eggs you was good enough to notice, Ma'am. An' there's no men folks about;

, and as the Lints are evidently farmers there will be some plowed land, or at le

field. Mrs. Lint, however, was little less thankful for Zen's interest than she would have been had their little steading been in danger. She pressed Zen to wait and have at least a cup of tea, and the girl, knowing that she could be of little or no service down the valley, allowed herself to be persuaded. In this little harbor of quiet her mind began to arrange the day's events. The t

the banked clouds of smoke resting against the mountains to the west; the flames danced and flickered, advanced and receded, sprang up and died down again, along mile after mile of front. It was a beautiful thing to behold, and Zen drew her horse to a s

s men, but could not recall having seen him in the camp. He sat his horse with an ease and grace that her

ed, and before waiting for a reply hastened to introduce himse

ith a quick sense of the barrier between them, she added, "I hope you don't think that

takes," he answered. "Neither of us understand

hat rather appealed to her. "I

and," she continued, "if I say that I was riding down to see if I could be of some use to

as over I rode up to Transley's camp. Only the cook was there, and he told me of your having set out to help Mr

have spurned and despised him, but nothing unites the factions of man like a fight against a common elemental enemy. Besides, there was the question, How DID the fire start? That was a question which every Landson man would be asking. Grant had been generous about it; he had asked her to be equally generous about the episode of the stakes.... And there was som

" he suggested. "By Jove! Th

the side. The warmth of its breath already pressed against their faces; the funnel effect created by the c

our horse face it?" he asked. "If

ll right this afternoon, but he was

a dozen yards of the circle of fire. Then he stopped

g off his leather coat. "A sleeve of my shirt

prot

er, as he placed his knife in her hand.

above the elbow and drew it through t

ck. You'll go through all right. Give hi

he horse plunged into a badger hole and fell headlong. She went over his