They were clearing brush and hauling logs away from the immediate vicinity of the out-buildings, and had got quite a space ready in which the ploughs could be set to work.
In the house Mrs.Elmer, Ruth, and Aunt Chloe had collected all the carpets, blankets, and woollen goods they could lay their hands on, and piled them near the cistern, where they could be quickly soaked with water, and placed over exposed portions of the walls or roof.

They were now busy packing up clothing and lighter articles of furniture, ready for instant removal.
As fast as the teams and ploughs arrived, Mr.Elmer set them to work ploughing long furrows through the dry grass about a rod outside the line of fence nearest the approaching flames.

Inside this line he and Mr.March set the grass on fire in many places.

They could easily check these small fires as they reached the fence by beating them out with cedar boughs.
Meantime the flames came roaring and rushing on, leaping from tree to tree, and fanned into fury by the fierce wind.

Above them hundreds of birds fluttered and circled with shrill cries of distress, until, bewildered by the smoke and glare, they fell, helpless victims, into the terrible furnace.
Wild animals of all kinds, among which were a small herd of deer, dashed out of the woods ahead of the fire, and fled across the open field unmolested by the men, who were too busy to give them a thought.
In his zeal to do his utmost, and to show what a splendid animal he had, Black Joe was ploughing far ahead of the others, when suddenly he saw rushing from the forest, and coming directly towards him, a bear.
Terror-stricken at this sight, and without stopping to reflect that the bear was himself too frightened to harm anybody just then, Joe dropped the plough-handles and ran, leaving his beloved ox to its fate.