The others stared at Jessie incredulously for a moment. Then Amy rushed forward and grasped one of the phones. Suddenly the dread in Jessie’s face spread to hers.

“It must be a terrible fire! They are calling out the reserves!” she exclaimed.

“What shall we do?” cried Nell. “We don’t know which way to run!”

“Let me pass, please,” cried an authoritative voice, and a forest ranger dashed past them and rushed up to the radio set. The young folks watched him with fascinated interest.

The ranger listened for a moment with furrowed brow, then, by means of the sending apparatus with which the hut was also equipped, sent back word to the station that the orders had been heard and would be obeyed.

Then he looked at the young folks as though seeing them for the first time.

“Better get out of here, quick!” he commanded, in the curt tones of one who has not a moment to waste. “Fire sweeping in this direction. Worst one in years. Run for it.”

“But where, where?” cried Jessie, catching his sleeve, as he was hurrying out again. “Where shall we go?”

“Straight down to the lake, keep facing northwest,” commanded the ranger. “Better get out on the lake if you have boats. Fire apt to sweep the water front if we don’t get busy. Run!” With these words he turned and dashed from the hut.

Following him out into the open, the girls and boys saw him join a group of rangers, all fully equipped for fire fighting. He shouted a command to the men, and they turned and ran through the woods away from the lake.

“They are going to beat the fire back!” gasped Jessie, as they started on a run in the general direction of the water. “Poor Darry, we can’t even look for him now!”

“Look at that smoke!” cried Nell, pointing to a heavy black cloud that swirled above the trees and seemed to be bearing down upon them.

“The fire must be gaining on us!” sobbed Amy, as she pushed steadily on through the nightmare branches and entangling vines. “Suppose we can’t reach the lake!”

“We must reach it!” said Jessie, in a hard voice that she did not recognize as hers at all. “Let’s run, can’t we?”

It was then she discovered something that Burd had valiantly kept from them up to that time. He limped, and one foot seemed to drag painfully behind him.

“Burd, you are hurt!” she cried, in quick concern. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“It isn’t anything,” the young fellow assured her, trying to summon up his old cheerful grin. “Caught my ankle in the root of a tree this morning and took a pretty header. Serves me right for not watching my step.”

“Oh, but that is dreadful, Burd!” cried Amy, forgetful momentarily of their danger, and even of Darry, in sympathy for him. “You must have been in agony, dragging all these miles with a sprained ankle.”

“Just wrenched, that’s all. Don’t worry about it,” said Burd, limping on. But the girls saw that his mouth was set in a straight line and his eyes were clouded with pain.

Fol and Nell were already out of sight. Fol knew nothing of Burd’s plight, or he would, of course, have stayed to help him.

Back of them there was a distant crackling sound, the pungent odor of burning wood filled their nostrils, choking them.

Jessie gave a quick glance over her shoulder and caught her breath. A thin fork of red had rent for a moment the curtain of smoke. The fire was gaining on them!

“Lean on me, Burd, do,” she said, breathlessly. “Amy will take the other side, and we can help you. That’s the way.”

Some new and urgent quality in her voice caused Burd also to look behind. He shut his eyes and groaned.

“You will have to go on, girls,” he said. “The fire is gaining fast. This foot—I can’t go any faster.”

“We are not going any faster than you can go, Burd Alling,” Amy flashed out at him fiercely. “Do you think for a moment we would go and leave you? You ought to be ashamed of yourself!”

“I am,” said Burd, with an imitation of his old grin.

The next moment he stumbled heavily and fel............