11 



1916. That was twice in six years and in only one 

 part of Canada. And in Minnesota in 1917 more 

 than 500 perished in a forest fire. So you see that 

 what Douglas Fir saw was only too common. Then 

 in every case there was the great loss of property, 

 through which people who did save their lives were 

 reduced to poverty. You now understand why all 

 trees dread the Red Demon." 



"You said you were nearly destroyed yourself on 

 that occasion," said the Stove addressing Douglas 

 Fir. 



"Yes, as I indicated, the wind was not in my 

 direction but the fire worked over towards me and 

 burned deeply into my bark, but fortunately it 

 was so thick the fire did not reach my vitals. It 

 was as if a man had his coat burned but was saved 

 himself. Some of the younger trees with thinner 

 bark were killed outright. It was a little while 

 after that that the lumbermen came and cut down 

 the trees that had been left by the fire. They used 

 axes at first and then a great saw, for I was eight feet 

 through and chopping would have been a wasteful 

 job. After we were on the ground they cut us up 

 into great logs and then chains were fixed around one 

 end of each log. I saw then for the first time a 

 great wire stretched overhead like a railway track 

 in the air. On this was a pulley attached to a 

 wheel, and in an instant a great hook came down, 

 caught the chain on the end of the log, and, before 

 we could think, we were hoisted high up and were 

 rushing through the air close up to the wire. At the 

 end of the wire we were let down gently on to a 

 railway car, and as soon as the train of cars was 

 full of logs we were whisked off on the crookedest 

 254512* 



