THREE MILES OF FLAME 



67 



get too lively at some particular point, 

 and threaten to get away before the 

 nearest gang could work up to it, the 

 car brought that gang at once. It was 

 like the Highlanders being whirled into 

 the charge by clinging to the stirrups of 

 the Scots Grays, the men hanging to the 

 running boards, on behind, anywhere 

 for a foothold or a grip. 



And so it went all the morning, and all 

 the afternoon, too, food and hot coffee 

 being brought along the line at noon by 

 a city man whose summer place was 

 threatened by the fire. By nightfall the 

 enemy was under control, but the job 

 was not yet finished. It must be kept 

 under control, and so, bit by bit, put 

 out. 



A competent fire warden, like a 

 general, must be considerate of his men. 

 It would be a reckless extravagance in 

 human energy to keep more men on 

 the line that night than were absolutely 

 necessary. Another fire might break 

 out at any time in some other part of the 

 town or section, and with everyone 

 exhausted, and unable to put up another 

 ounce of fight, there would be nothing 

 to do but to let it burn. The men who 

 had borne the brunt of the battle that 

 day, full half the crew, were sent home 

 to sleep. The rest were summoned to 

 another meal, and while they toyed 

 with sandwiches, hot soup and coffee, 

 the warden regaled them further with 

 a bit of his choicest table talk. 



"Boys, I'm sure enough tickled with 

 the way you've stood to this game 

 today. You've got things in shape now 

 for a clean knock-out if you'll stick to 

 it tonight. The scrap isn't going to be 

 quite so strenuous from now on. What 

 fire there is left wont be very energetic 

 between now and morning, unless we 

 should get a big breeze, which doesn't 

 seem likely. All we've got to do is to 

 keep on soaking it, and by morning a 

 handful of guards can handle what's 

 left. We'll try the scheme of putting in 

 the night in two watches. No. 1 crew 

 can go out on line now, I'll set you along 

 the road with the machine, a couple 

 here and a couple there, and keep in 

 touch from time to time. No. 2 crew 

 can take a leaf, and catch forty winks 

 till their relief time comes, unless an 

 emergency spoils their dreams." 



The men were game, and the supper 

 had put new gimp into them. All spots 

 that still showed a lurking vigor were 

 given first attention, all smouldering 

 logs and stubs were drenched down, and 

 everything was going to the Queen's 

 taste when, along about midnight, and 

 quite without warning, the wind hauled 

 south and steadily freshened, stirring 

 up latent sparks and introducing wholly 

 new conditions. 



It was No. 2 crew's time to be called, 

 but, by the same token, it was not No. 1 

 crew's time to sleep under these circum- 

 stances. All hands and the cook were 

 needed now, and for a time it was lively 

 work. Instead of bringing discourage- 

 ment the revival of the fire seemed to 

 arouse a renewed amount of fight in the 

 men, and by dawn they had not only 

 conquered, but had managed to wholly 

 clear up the leaf litter along a stretch of 

 road to leeward and next the reservation, 

 and, what was even more cheering, they 

 had seen the grimy face of the warden 

 relax into a real smile. It was evident 

 that the battle was won. A small 

 patrol could handle what was left. 

 Half a dozen sentinels for another day 

 and the incident would be closed, save 

 for the following unromantic entry in 

 the official returns : 



Cause Careless hunter ; Acres Burned 

 -600. Cost to Extinguish $250. 

 Damage $2,000. 



Hardly worthy of any greater fuss 

 someone may think. But how about 

 the little farming town that has to 

 stand the cost and the loss? That is 

 where the pinch comes. 



To this particular town the bill of 

 costs of $250 amounted to just about 

 one-fifth of its total annual public 

 revenue, and the loss of $2,000 worth of 

 wood and timber on the stump meant 

 a shrinkage of three per cent in its 

 total assessed valuation. 



But for the State's timely aid the loss 

 to the town might have been far greater, 

 and into the bargain the State itself 

 stood to lose its 10,000 acre forest on 

 Whitetop Mountain which had cost the 

 public treasury $150,000 to purchase 

 and develop. 



The economic question naturally 

 arises: Does the revenue from hunting 

 licenses cover these losses ? 



