“Try it!” suggested Ham White, giving the man a long, steady look in the eyes. The protesting villager melted away.
At White’s direction, the storekeeper got out all the pails in his store, which, together with axes and grub-hoes, were cast out on the porch.
“You ladies must keep back out of the way,” directed Ham.
“We shall do our part, Mr. White,” answered Grace. “Give us something to do.”
“Very well,” answered the guide after slight hesitation. “You may fill all these pails with water and distribute them along the edge of the village on the north side.”
Boughs, green and tough, were quickly cut by White, who then directed Hippy to start backfiring, which means firing towards the approaching forest fire, the start of which is always a risk—the risk of its getting away and burning that which the fire fighters are seeking to protect. Only a small section at the edge of the forest was fired at first, Ham White standing guard with Stacy, ready to leap to the danger point if a blaze should begin creeping towards the village.
Not a villager lifted a hand to assist, but loud protests were voiced when the pungent smoke from the burning grass settled over them.
“You will be in luck if you swallow nothing worse than smoke,” Ham White flung back at them.
There was something in this lithe, upstanding man of the forest that held the villagers back from taking matters into their own hands and driving the intruders from the place. He was everywhere, directing Hippy where to fire, advising the girls where to pour water, prodding Stacy Brown to keep that worthy from sitting down and shirking his share of the labor.
Perspiration was standing out on every face, and every face was red from the heat of the flames that were rapidly eating their way towards the big trees in the background. Ham White wanted to fell those trees, but he could not do it alone, nor would the villagers do it for him, so he did what could be done, and was glad that he had such ready workers as the Overland Riders proved themselves to be. They were resourceful, too, and soon understanding what the guide was seeking to accomplish, went to it without further instruction.