the distress of the brother and sister became greater every minute. they walked hurriedly along the bank of the creek, their path through the gloom illuminated now and then by the flashes of fire which shot through the strangling volumes of vapor. nick, more than likely, would have gone astray but for his familiarity with the neighborhood.
it seemed to him as if the smoke, heavy, dense, sulphurous and suffocating, caused by the burning forest, was driven toward the bed of the stream, where it was pressed down by the weight from above, until it was the utmost he and nellie could do to inhale enough of the contaminated air to sustain life.
they hurried and struggled forward as best they could, and at last caught the glimmer of the broad expanse of water, which presented itself in the light of a haven of refuge to them.
it was a most welcome relief indeed, for they were now assured of one thing—they could not die the frightful death that overtook the poor mare. this broad expanse of cool, refreshing water could not burn up, no matter how fervent the heat that might envelop its shores. its cool depths offered a refreshing refuge, such as can hardly be understood by one who is not suffering similarly.
but it was rather curious that the boy and girl had endured more from the suffocating vapor than from the fire itself. looking down at their garments, they were surprised to find them scorched in several places, and nellie gave just the faintest scream when a pungent odor directed her gaze to a large hole burning in her dress.
nick glanced around, and, understanding what the matter was, called rather sharply:
"pinch it out!"
she was already doing so, and she asked:
"why don't you pinch out that fire on your coat?"
just then her brother jumped into the air and shouted, "oh—ouch!" for the burning sleeve had gone through the shirt and reached the bare skin. he whipped off his coat in a twinkling, dipped it hastily into the water, doing the same with his right elbow, the element which extinguished the smoking garment being very grateful to the scorched limb.
"nellie," said he, "just cast your eye over me, and let me know whether there are any more fires going."
he made up his mind that if she reported other conflagrations breaking out, he would subdue them in a lump by taking a header in the pond, whose shore they reached at that moment. but nellie said he was in no danger so far as she could see, of immediate combustion and when she came to examine her own garments they were also free from the same peril.
"now, what shall we do that we have got here?" she asked, as, after walking a few steps, he came to a stop.
"wait, and see how things are coming out," he answered. "i begin to feel tired, so suppose we sit down and rest ourselves."
the moment this was done, both uttered an exclamation of pleasure; for the relief from the distressing smoke was so great that it was as if they had emerged into the open country, where there was none of it at all.
"why did we not think of this before?" said nick; "we ought to have known that smoke doesn't keep close to the ground."
the atmosphere was not clear by any means, but the change was so marked that it appeared more than pure, and they sat several minutes gratefully inhaling that from which it seemed they had been shut off for many hours.
but their rejoicing was too soon; for, though it may be true that in a burning building the surest place in which to gain enough air to support life is close to the floor, yet there can be so much of the strangling vapor that it will penetrate everywhere.
less than five minutes had passed, when a volume of smoke swept over and enveloped them, so dense that it was like the darkness of egypt, that could be felt, and the suffering of the brother and sister was pitiful.
"put your face close to the water," called out nick, as well as he could do from coughing and strangling.
at the same moment, their fevered cheeks touched the cold, refreshing surface, and something of relief was experienced.
"it won't do to stay here," said nick, a moment later.
"but where can we go?"
"out in the pond; there's a better chance to breathe there than along shore."
"but i can't swim, nick."
"what of that? i can, and i'll take care of you; but there is plenty of wood and we can make a raft. that reminds me that there was a raft here last week, when sam harper and i had a swim: i wonder where it can be. help me to look for it."
they moved slowly along the margin of the pond, peering through the gloom as best they could, but seeing nothing of the support on which they now placed so much hope.
nick ribsam, however, did not fail to notice one thing—it was becoming hotter every minute and they could not wait much longer before entering the water in very self-defense.
they pushed bravely on, and when the circuit of shark pond was half completed, reached a point where the thick vapor lifted, or, more properly, it had not yet descended, and they stopped to rest themselves again.
"well," exclaimed nick, with a sigh, "some folks would call this fun, but i don't see where it comes in."
"i don't see how any one could find fun in such suffering; but, nick, you will have to make a raft."
"i believe you are right; there isn't much chance to fasten these dry logs together, and i haven't time to build one that will hold us both."
"what will you do?"
"i will place you on it, and i'll swim along-side——"
"there's the raft! i see it! i see it!"
nellie sprang to her feet and pointed out on the pond where, through the smoky gloom, the outlines of the half dozen logs, which nick and several of his playmates had bound together with withes, when frolicking in the water, were seen.
the lad threw off his hat, vest, shoes, and stockings, so that only his shirt and trousers remained, and then took a header, his whole being thrilling with pleasure as the cold water closed around him.
"take care of my clothes!" he called to nellie, "and i'll bring the raft over to you."
as there was no immediate hurry, the situation of his sister being quite comfortable, the lad could not resist the temptation to disport himself awhile in the cool, refreshing element. he sank until his bare feet touched the pebbly bottom, and then shot upward with a bound; then he went over backward, floundered, and tumbled about like a porpoise.
"nick," called his sister, "you had better hurry and get that raft, for i cannot see it now."
this startled the lad, but when he found he could not see nellie either, he understood that it was on account of the overshadowing gloom that had fallen still lower; at the same time the disturbance of the atmosphere had caused a strong wind to blow across the pond, and it was doubtless this which had started the mass of pine logs from the land, and was now bearing it away from where it lay when discovered by the girl.
"are you comfortable there?" called out nick to his sister.
"yes, but don't wait too long, for it is growing warm, and i think the fire is close to me."
the lad felt he had done wrong in idling his time, and he bent all his energies toward swimming to the raft, which, under any circumstances could not be far off.
as it was, nick was amazed to find it necessary to go a considerable ways before he caught sight of the familiar pile of logs floating buoyantly on the water, but he speedily reached them, and, drawing himself on top, hunted for the long pole that he had used so many times in navigating the pond.
but it was not there, and he sank back into the water, and, holding on with his hands, used his feet vigorously to propel the raft toward the bank, where he had left his loved sister but a short time before.
"i'll soon be there, nellie," he called; "are you all right?"
this was a curious question to ask, though it was natural, perhaps, for any boy, under similar circumstances, but nick felt a pang of fear when he repeated the call and did not receive any answer.
he put forth all the energy at his command, and steadily pushed the float toward land. now and then, while doing so, he shouted to his sister, without hearing any reply.
"can it be anything has happened to her?" he asked himself several times as he peered through the gloom, unable to catch the outlines of brave little nellie.
