in the distance were on fire!  Great clouds of smoke were rolling across the land, and at times blotting the hills entirely from view.  The fire was off to the right, and perhaps a mile or more away.  But he well knew that between it and Island Lake was a large stretch of blueberry plains.  When the fire reached this, it would travel rapidly, devouring everything in its way.  Then it would sweep through a thicket of fir and spruce trees on the shore of the lake, and the flames would be sure to leap to the island, which here was but a short distance across.  And Jess and his mother were there!  They could not escape, for they had no boat.  And if they did, where could they go for safety?  The fire would reach them no matter where they went, for from all appearance it was making a wide sweep in its onward rush.

“Confound Sam Lemon for starting that fire!” he growled.  “I feel sure he did it, for he told me the other day that he was going to burn that fallow of his.  I warned him to be careful, but he only laughed.  I wish I had hold of him now, the scamp!”

John, however, knew that such lamentations would be of no use.  Something must be done and at once if the women on the island were to be rescued.  Just what he could do he was not sure.  Anyway, if he were with them something might be done.  He could not leave them there without an effort to save them.  He was greatly excited now, so hurrying to his car, he sprang on board and started down the road.  He drove faster than usual, and in a short time reached the Rebel Trail, by which he had come that very morning.  Under ordinary circumstances he would have driven slowly and carefully over the rough way, for there were gullies formed by the rain, and rocks around which it was necessary to steer most cautiously.  But John was so anxious and excited that he threw caution to the wind and sent forward the car at a break-neck speed.  For a time all went well until he reached a small bridge, formed of poles, which had become very rotten.  The inevitable happened, for no sooner had the car touched the bridge than the right wheel crashed through, and in an instant the car was tightly jammed, the sudden impact hurling John against the wind-shield, which broke beneath his weight.

Recovering himself as quickly as possible, he examined the car, and found the wheel so firmly wedged among a mass of rotten sticks, earth, and rocks that it could not be removed without assistance.  And, anyway, he did not have time, for every minute was precious with the fire sweeping steadily onward.  The only thing now left was to walk the rest of the way.  By the road this would mean over two miles, but across country, through the woods, and along the edge of the blueberry plains it was about one mile shorter.  He knew this route well, as he had travelled it often before he bought the car.  He did not relish the idea of the walk on such a hot day, especially as he would be forced to hurry as fast as possible if he would win out against the fire.