“Not a soul,” gasped the woman, faintly. “I was alone—all alone,” she continued in a dreary tone. “Oh, it was awful, awful! I feared I would never see my husband again.”
“May I ask where he is?” pressed Hiram.
“He went to Doubleday to get some winter supplies,” explained the woman. “It takes three days. I hope he got there safely.”
The pilot of the Comet and Elmer were able to hear all that was said as their comrade patiently drew out her story. The burned cabin was the only habitation in the wilderness district.
“How far away is this Doubleday?” inquired Hiram.
“It is about a hundred miles,” she explained; “nearly south of here. There’s a sort of trail to follow through the valleys, but I guess it’s all burned over.”
“Of course we will take the lady to Doubleday, Dave?” suggested Hiram.
“Yes, we must do that,” replied the young airman.
Twenty miles covered, the Comet passed the extreme southern limit of the fire. There was a full moon, and as darkness came on Dave was able to still keep track of the landscape.
It was not quite nine o’clock in the evening when some scattering land lights showed in the distance.