As the wind continued to shift, it became certain that the lodge would not be touched, and Dale and Owen determined to go back to the Paxton camp and learn how matters were going on there.
"I will let you have horses," said Mrs. Wilbur, and ordered one of her servants to bring out the animals.
"You see, we've got all our belongings at that camp," said Dale. "We haven't much, but what little there is we shouldn't like to lose."
"I hope you save everything," said the lady of the lodge, and then she added: "You must promise to come and see me as soon as the fire is out."
The steeds were good ones, and fresh, and the young lumbermen made fast time when once on the road. The sky overhead still hung heavy with smoke, and there was a strong smell of burnt pitch in the air. Along one section of the road the flames had eaten their way in the form of a circle, and here they came upon a number of snakes twisting and curling in their death agonies. They gave the reptiles a wide berth, and lost no time in leaving the locality behind them.
When they at last dashed into camp, they found that the men were all out, cutting down trees and plowing up the ground at a corner of the claim, for that was the one spot threatened by the fire. Stabling the horses they got their axes and spades and joined the gang.
"Hullo! back, are you?" shouted Gilroy, who was pitching in as hard as anybody. "Glad to see you. We were afraid you'd been pinched by the flare-up!"
"We came pretty close to it," answered Owen.
"Didn't get to the other camp, did you?"
"No," came from Dale; and that was all that was said, for the present needs were too urgent to admit of further conversation.