Jerry snickered. “He’s also a confirmed coward.” The dog cocked his head to one side and regarded Jerry with plaintive eyes.
“See, you hurt his feelings,” Quiz said.
Jerry patted Prince’s head. “That’s all right, feller. So am I.”
“That’s not what we hear,” Fenning told him. “Mr. Landers says you boys were right in the thick of it all night. It was pretty rough, I guess.”
“It sure was,” Sandy admitted. “And discouraging. When we came back this morning, we thought it was all over but the shouting.”
The three Canadians nodded sympathetically. “That’s fire for you,” Lukas said.
Quiz asked the men what had brought them all the way down from Canada.
“Good neighbor policy,” Fenning said. “Your boys have helped us out on some tough fires.”
At the cutoff that led to the fire sector, three trucks loaded with men and equipment were parked by the side of the road.
Lukas waved to them as he drove past. “We’re off, boys. Follow us.”