The birds, now they knew what had caused their restlessness, and being assured by Bumper that timely warning would be given if the fire spread, breathed easier and soon forgot all about it. But not Bumper. He was anxious to find out for himself if the fire was coming toward them.
As soon as he could get away from Fuzzy Wuzz, he ran as fast as he could in the direction of Bald Mountain. It was a long run, but Bumper was feeling fine, and he covered the ground with great speed.
Half way there he stumbled upon Crawler the Tortoise, who was trudging along in the opposite direction. “Where to now, Crawler?” he hailed.
“For the river,” replied Crawler without stopping. “I smell smoke, and I’m going to get in the river mud before it’s too late.”
“The fire’s a long distance away, isn’t it?” replied Bumper.
“Yes, but it takes me a long time to crawl a short distance. So I’m going to start early.”
Bumper thought this was a good idea, and he made no attempt to detain Crawler. If he couldn’t travel any faster than the Tortoise, he would do the same—start early.
Half a mile further he found Hoppy the Toad burrowing into the ground. “What are you digging for, Hoppy?” he asked.
“For a safe place when the fire comes,” was the reply. “If I don’t burrow down a foot or more I’ll be roasted alive.”
“Do you think the fire’s coming this way?” asked Bumper more alarmed than ever.