Page:Mehalah 1920.djvu/167

Rh to catch fire it was certain to go like tinder. A spout of flame came out of her mother's bedroom window. The fire glowed and roared in the old kitchen sitting-room.

"Where is my mother?" asked Mehalah abruptly. "She is all safe," answered Abraham Dowsing, who was dragging some saved bedding out of reach of the sparks. "She is in the boat." "The cow?" asked Mehalah. "She is all right also. The fire has not caught the stable."

"Who got my mother out?"

"I did, Glory!" answered Elijah Rebow. "You owe her life to me. Why were you not here? Fighting your destiny, I suppose." Several articles were scattered about under the trees. The Sharlands had not many valuables; such as they had seemed to have been saved. "Where is my mother? Lead me to her."

"She is in the boat, Glory!" said Rebow. "Come with me. The fire must burn itself out. There is nothing further, to be done; we must put your mother at once under shelter. There is a cruel frost, and she will suffer." "Where is she? What have you done with her?" again asked Mehalah, still hardly collected and conscious of what she said. "She is safe in my boat, well wrapped up. Come with me. You shall see her. Abraham and my man shall stay and watch till the fire dies out, and see that no further harm is done, and then follow in your boat." "Where are you going?"

"I am going to place your mother under cover, at once, or the cold will kill her. Come on, Glory!"

Elijah led the way down the steep gravelly slope to the Rhyn. There floated his boat—his large two-oared boat, and in the stern half lay, half crouched, Mrs. Sharland, amidst blankets and bedding. "Joseph!" shouted Elijah to one of the men by the fire, "follow us as soon as you can, and bring Abraham Dowsing with you. We will fetch away the traps to-morrow." Mrs. Sharland was wailing and wringing her hands.