The forest here was like a jungle on both sides of the tote road. Once let the fire get into it, it would burn with the intense heat of a blast furnace. Mr. Stagg realised that he must get out quickly if he would save himself and the horse.
He had just stepped into the buckboard again, when there was an excited scrambling in the underbrush, and a welcoming bark was given.
“Prince! Good boy!” the man shouted. “Where are they?”
The excited dog flew at him, leaping on the buckboard so as to reach him. The mongrel was delighted, and showed it as plainly as a dumb brute could.
But he was anxious, too. He leaped back to the ground, ran a little ahead, and then looked back to see if the man was following. The hardware dealer shouted to him again:
“Go ahead, Princey! We’re coming!”
He picked up the reins and Cherry started. The dog, barking his satisfaction, ran on ahead and struck into a side path which led down a glade. Joseph Stagg knew immediately where this path led to. There was a spring and a small morass in the bottom of the hollow.
“Bless me!” he thought, “once this fire gets to going, the heat will lick up that spring in a mouthful.”
He forced Cherry into the path. It was somewhat difficult to push through with the buckboard. Prince still barked, running ahead.
“Go on! Good dog!” cried Mr. Stagg. “Lead the way to Hannah’s Car’lyn!”