it was hard to remain cool when surrounded by such peril as were nick and nellie ribsam but the sturdy lad acquitted himself like a hero.
his belief was that all the woods were not on fire—that is, the entire tract was not burning at once, and that, as a consequence, if he could break through the flaming circle in which he was caught, he could place himself and sister in front of the danger, so to speak, and then they would be able to run away from it altogether.
if such were the case, it followed that just then speed was the most important of all things, and for that reason he kept the mare on her sweeping gallop, at the imminent risk of dashing the carriage to pieces every minute.
he was glad that he did not meet any vehicles, for it not only showed that no one else in the neighborhood was placed in the same extremity as were he and his sister, but it lessened the danger of collision.
nick thought it was all over with them, when a fiery serpent, as it seemed, darted across from one side of the road to the other, directly in front. it was at the height of five or six feet, and coiling itself about a dry pine it shot horizontally toward another pine, wrapped with a flaming girdle, which sent out a line of fire to meet it, like the intense blaze seen when a blow-pipe is used.
it was a curious manifestation, and it would be hard to explain it, for, though a strong wind was blowing, that would not account for the fact that the two tongues of fire, as they really were, met each other in this fashion across the road, for of a necessity they extended themselves in opposite directions.
they did not burn steadily, but whisked back and forth, just as it may be imagined two serpents would have done who saw the fugitives coming, and, making ready, said by their actions, "thus far, but no farther."
to nick ribsam it looked like the flaming sword of hazael, sweeping across the highway; but it would never do to hesitate, and the mare galloped straight on. the fiery serpents darted angrily at each other, but the head of the horse glided beneath and the boy caught a hot blast as he shot by.
"where is the bridge?" shouted nellie, who could see nothing, and who clung more desperately than ever to the supporting arm of her brother.
"it must be close at hand—there it is!"
so it was, indeed, but the fire was ahead of them; the whole structure was one mass of flames, roaring and crackling with fury.
the scene that followed was a dreadful one: the sight of the furnace-like structure set the mare wild, and she broke into a dead run toward the blazing mass of kindling wood, determined to plunge headlong into it.
nick ribsam rose to his feet, and bent back with might and main, but he might as well have tried to check a runaway locomotive: the mare took the bit in her teeth and was beyond control.
with a presence of mind which did him credit, nick wrenched her to one side, while she was at the height of this mad flight, so that the hub of the fore wheel struck a tree at the side of the road, checking the vehicle so abruptly that both traces snapped as if they were ribbons, and the mare continued her gallop in the direction of the bridge.
the momentum of nellie threw her violently against the dashboard, while nick, before he could let go the reins, was jerked out the carriage, and, lighting on his feet, ran a dozen steps ere he could check himself and free his hands from the reins.
he stopped almost on the edge of the creek, and caught one glimpse of the mare as she bounded out of sight into the smoke and flames, and was gone forever.
the lad felt a pang of sorrow for the foolish beast, who stood as good a chance of saving herself as he, had she but used a tithe of common sense; but there was no time for mourning, and he ran back to the vehicle, where nellie was crouching, and crying violently.
"why, nellie, i am ashamed of you!" said her brother, reprovingly. "is it going to mend matters to sit down and cry?"
"but how can i help it, nick?" she asked, rubbing her red eyes with her apron and trying to check herself; "i don't see how you can keep from crying yourself!"
"i'm glad i ain't such a ninny as you, and when i get home i am going to tell father and mother."
"you needn't be so smart," said nellie, beginning to fire up under the reproof of her brother; "you haven't got home yet."
"and mighty little chance i would stand of ever getting there if i should sit down like you and begin to blubber. come out of the carriage and go with me."
nellie's face was very red and there were tears on her cheeks, her countenance wearing a strange appearance in the lurid haze around them.
the girl did not make any objection, for she could not do otherwise than lean on the strong arm of her brother, who never seemed to lose his head over anything. every minute or so a distressing feeling came over them—such a feeling as we can imagine would be ours were we suddenly to find ourselves shut in a room where the air was so impure we could not breathe it.
there was a gasping, hurried inhalation of the strangling hot smoke—a coughing and filling of the eyes with tears, and then a frantic rush of several steps, during which the breath was held until a chance to get a mouthful of fresh air was gained.
it was useless to turn back. the children were in the very heart of the wood, and the conflagration was raging so furiously on both sides, and in front and rear, that it was impossible to escape in either direction.
but for the timely arrival at the edge of the creek they must have perished a few minutes later, and they could not feel certain as yet that even water would save them.
the creek was so low, that when they hurriedly picked their way down the bank to it, nick could have taken nellie on his back and carried her across without wetting her feet; but there was nothing to be gained by doing so, as the fire was burning as fiercely on one side as on the other.
the conflagration must stop when it should reach the margin of the stream, and nick drew a sigh of relief, feeling that they were safe.
"we will wait here till the fire is done burning," said he, standing with the hand of his sister in his own, while he gazed about him on the extraordinary scene.
the day had been quite warm, and nick and nellie, pausing on the bank of the shrunken creek, began to find themselves exceedingly uncomfortable; for not only was there a great increase of heat, but the smoke was too heavy to be breathed without great pain and irritation to the lungs.
"it looks as if we are to be strangled to death, after all," nick said, "for it is hard to breathe now, and it is growing worse every minute."
"let's go up by the pond: it isn't far away."
"it must be as bad there as anywhere else, but we shall die if we stay here."
there seemed little choice in the matter, but one of the impossibilities is for a boy or girl to stand still when suffering, and the suggestion of nellie was acted upon at once.
she had released the arm of nick, who started up the right bank, she following close behind him. the walking was easy, for the creek had receded from the greater portion of the bed it usually occupied, and that had become hardened by long exposure to the heat of the sun.
it was not far to the pond of which i have spoken, and which occupied an extent of an acre, or perhaps more. the place was a favorite with the boys of the neighborhood, and some of the most delightful swims nick ribsam had ever enjoyed were in that sheet of water.
the water was cold, clear, and deep in many places. what more tempting resort for a tired, thirsty and overheated lad can be imagined especially when he knows that it will be a piece of disobedience for him to go there?
"that's the place," he exclaimed, hastening his footsteps; "when we get there, we'll have a chance to breathe."
"hurry up, then, nick, for i can't stand this much longer."
