"No, don't try dot!" spoke Mr. Switzer, and somehow, in this emergency, he seemed very calm and collected. "Der horses vould shy und balk at der flames," went on the German, who seemed far from being funny now. He was deadly in earnest. "Ve can not drive dem past der flames," he added.
"But what are we to do?" asked Paul. "We can't stay here to be——"
He did not finish the sentence, but they all knew what he meant.
"Vait vun minute," suggested the German. He stood up on the seat so as to bring his head above the canvas top of the wagon. Those in it, save Paul, who remained holding the reins to quiet the very restive horses, had jumped to the ground.
"The wind is driving on der flames dot are back of us," said Mr. Switzer in a low voice. "It is driving dem on."
He turned in the opposite direction, where the flames and smoke were less marked, but still dangerously in evidence.
"Und dere, too," the German murmured. "Der vind dere, too, is driving dem on—driving dem on! I don't understand it. Dere must be a vacuum caused by der two fires."
"Well, what's to be done?" asked Mr. Towne, who formed one of the fleeing party. "We can't stay here forever—between two fires, you know."
"Yah! I know," remarked Mr. Switzer, slowly. "Ve must get avay. We cannot go back, ve cannot go forvarts. Den ve must——"
"Oh, if we can't go back, what has become of those whom we left behind?" cried Ruth. "My father—and the others?"