Will tumbled more than any of
the others, somehow or other. Perhaps it was because he was carrying his
camera so carefully, and thinking more about it than his own person.
Finally Frank missed him entirely.
"Where's Will gone?" he demanded.
The others, turning, were horrified to find their chum missing.
"Keep right on, you fellows! Don't you dare stop, or follow me! I'll get
Will! The river's close by!" he called out, and then turned around,
retracing his steps directly toward the advancing fire.
Never had Will seemed so precious in the sight of the boy who thus
placed his own life in jeopardy in order to save that of his chum. In
imagination Frank pictured his agony of mind if he had to tell Violet
that her twin brother had perished miserably in a forest fire, while he
escaped.
"Will! Will!" he was shouting frantically, as loud as he could, and this
was not anything to boast of, for the smoke choked him, and he could
hardly keep from coughing almost constantly.
"Hi! Here I am! Lost like the babes in the woods!" sang out a voice.
Frank pounced on his friend, who, with smarting eyes, was fairly
staggering about, hardly knowing which way he was trying to go, having
become more or less rattled by the impending peril and the state of his
own feelings.
Pages:
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196