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.
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