“Miss Briggs!” he called, and Elfreda was at his side in a moment.
“What is it, Mr. White?”
“You are a level-headed woman—”
“Thank you,” answered Elfreda smilingly, mopping the perspiration on her face into sooty streaks.
“I wish you would go around the right-hand side of this burn. The smoke is blowing towards us now, so you will get little odor from it. Go into the forest a little way and watch and listen and sniff. Watch the ground, not the sides. Any indications of fire that you discover, hear or smell, let me know instantly.”
“Thank you, Mr. White. Carrying water is not particularly inspiring. I am glad to do something that will occupy me more absorbingly. How shall I get back here if you fire the right-hand side you just mentioned?”
“This side will be burned off by then, but don’t stand in one spot many seconds at a time when crossing it. You might burn your feet. Be careful that you don’t get lost. I trust you to take care of yourself.”
For a few brief seconds they held each other’s eyes, then Elfreda turned and walked briskly away.
“Please, Hamilton, won’t you come back out of danger,” begged Emma, slipping an arm through his at this juncture. “I am terribly nervous, but I am demonstrating for you with every fiber of my being.”
“Go demonstrate on the villagers—do something worth while,” advised Stacy sourly.