I'll bet it come down out of the mountains." They passed on up the creek valley toward the Reserve far more rapidly than the weaker car of Big Aleck had climbed the same grade the day previous, but the main body of the forest lay three thousand feet above the valley floor, and the ascent was so sharp that at times they were obliged to stop in order to allow the engine to cool.
"What's that ?" said Sim Gage after a time, when they had been on their way perhaps an hour up the winding canon, and had paused for the time.
"Smoke?
That ain't no camp fire--it's more." They made one or two more curves of the road and then got confirmation.
A long, low blanket of smoke was drifting off down the valley to the right, settling in a gray-blue cloud along the mountain side.

The wind was from left to right, so that the smoke carried free of the trail.
"She's a-fire, boys!" exclaimed Wid.

"We better git out of here while we can." "We ain't a-going to do nothing of the sort," said a quiet voice.

Wid Gardner turned to look into the face of Sim Gage.

"We're a-going right on up ahead." Wid Gardner looked at Doctor Barnes.