Suppose it remained all night? They had not fuel enough to last until midnight at the reckless rate they were using it.
When it was all gone, and the fire died down—what then? The thought was really terrifying. If the blaze was what kept the beast at bay, once the fire was dead, the girls would be at the animal’s mercy.
Dorothy Dale did not lose her head and become hysterical, like Tavia. She knew something must be done. Tavia was absolutely helpless. After they had so uselessly screamed, she just sat hiding her eyes, and trembling.
Dorothy knew that if anything was to be done to scare away the beast, it devolved upon her to do it. Now! should she try to gather more fuel, or should she rise up and attack the watchful brute?
The latter was the more desperate expediency, yet the wiser. A quick dash might drive the animal away.
Without a word to Tavia of her intention, Dorothy gathered her feet under her, reached for a blazing branch on the fire, and suddenly sprang erect.
With a scream she leaped past the fire and, holding the flaming branch straight out before her, ran across the glade toward the staring eyes!
Had she stopped to contemplate the desperate venture, she never would have started. Almost as she determined on making the attack, she had sprung into action.
She was half way to the edge of the woods ere she realized that her charge did not seem to startle the enemy at all. The eyes did not even blink.
If ever in her life, Dorothy Dale showed desperate courage at this moment. She kept straight on—whirling the burning branch to make the sparks fly—and dashed up to the bulky object which had so terrified her and her chum.