Watched by a score of anxious eyes—for the foresters under Green had all been told of the coming relief—the aeroplane shot down, struck the ground at the center of the “burn,” rolled swiftly for a few yards, and stopped. At that moment the space above filled with flame.
Both boys threw themselves on the ground and waited. When the fierce gust was over the men gathered about them eagerly.
“Did you make it?” asked Green.
“Yes,” Ned replied. “Get the bags out and distribute the water. Don’t let the men waste it.”
“I’ll see to that,” cried Green.
Without the water, without the cooling sips, without the wet cloths held over nose and mouth, without the saturated sponges laid on scorched heads, the men would have died there in the forest. Presently, when the consumption of the timber to the west reduced the heat, when the wind quieted down in a measure, they were ready for another fight with the flames, and it was owing largely to their exertions that the fire was extinguished before millions of acres had been burned over.
“It is a dream!” Green exclaimed, that afternoon, as he stood by Ned and the aeroplane. “I don’t believe yet that you did it.”
“I don’t see how I did,” laughed Ned. “Anyhow, I’m sure I couldn’t do it again. I guess Providence took the matter into his own hands. Honestly, I do not believe any human strength or skill could do what was done with the aeroplane to-day. It was a miracle.”
“I know of a nervy boy who had something to do with the miracle,” said Green.
Ned was naturally anxious regarding Pat, Jack and Jimmie, but believed they would show up in good form whenever he got back to the vicinity of the place where they had been left. When the boys were in camp with the rangers that night, Ned asked Frank about Pat’s idea of safety after refusing to go up in the aeroplane.