Suddenly Chouse darted off the main road into a narrow path. Greta and her father followed right at his heels, for they knew that the dog was leading them somewhere. This was his only way of telling them something that he thought they should know. Soon he turned off to still another path. Never for a moment did he hesitate. Chouse knew exactly where he was going.
When they came to the very edge of the forest, Chouse dashed around and jumped up and down in great excitement. At last they had reached the place to which he had been leading them. And no wonder that Chouse was so excited, for right in front of them, just a few feet from the line of trees, there was a fire!
"Oh, Father, will the whole forest burn down?" asked Greta, as she watched the flames which crackled through the pile of twigs and underbrush.
"No, Greta. Thanks to Chouse, we got here in time. But if the wind should change suddenly, the whole forest could very easily burn down."
"How did such a fire ever get started?"
"I told old Peter to clear out some of the twigs and underbrush," explained her father, "but I also told him that he must never go away when these piles were burning. He must stay with them every minute."
"I wonder where he is now?"
"I don't know. But he should be right here, watching this fire."
"If the wind did change, how would he put out the fire?"
"By throwing earth on it, Greta."