#AF  ,! ,FIRE

  ,LAT] ON 9 ! EV5+ A TRAVEL]'S HORSE 0
BR"\ 9 0! SECOND HO/L]1 & :ILE HE 0
CL1N+ HM A "Y MAN )A PIPE 9 8 M\? L\NG$
96! /A# 6GOSSIP4
  8,I SAY1 ,T[L]10 SD ! HO/L]1 8J RUN UP
! LA4] 96! L(T & PUT "S HAY D[N 96?
HORSE'S RACK1 W Y8 ONLY LAY D[N YR
PIPE40
  8,ALL "R10 SD ! O!R1 & W5T UP "? !
TRAPDOOR2 & ,I HE>D HM /EP ACR ! FLOOR
OV]H1D & PUT D[N ! HAY4 ,JAMES CAME 9
6LOOK AT U ! LA/ ?+1 & !N ! DOOR 0
LOCK$4
  ,I _C SAY H[ L;G ,I _H SLEPT1 NOR :AT
"T 9 ! NI<T X WAS1 B ,I WOKE UP V
UNCOM=TA#1 ?\< ,I H>DLY KNEW :Y4 ,I GOT
UP2 ! AIR SEEM$ ALL ?ICK & *OK+4 ,I HE>D
,G+] C\<+ & "O (! O!R HORSES SEEM$ V
RE/.S2 X 0 Q D>K1 & ,I CD SEE NO?+1 B !
/A# SEEM$ FULL ( SMOKE1 & ,I H>DLY KNEW
H[ 6BR1!4
  ,! TRAPDOOR _H BE5 LEFT OP51 & ,I ?"\
T 0 ! PLACE X CAME "?4 ,I LI/5$1 & HE>D
                ,! ,FIRE
A S(T RU%+ SORT ( NOISE &A L[ CRACKL+ &
SNAPP+4 ,I DID N "K :AT X WAS1 B "! 0
"S?+ 9 ! S.D S /RANGE T X MADE ME TREM#
ALL OV]4 ,! O!R HORSES 7 ALL AWAKE2 "S 7
PULL+ AT _! HALT]S1 O!RS /AMP+4
  ,AT LA/ ,I HE>D /EPS \TSIDE1 &! HO/L]
:O _H PUT UP ! TRAVEL]'S HORSE BUR/ 96!
/A# )A LANT]N1 & 2GAN 6UNTIE ! HORSES1 &
TRY 6L1D !M \2 B HE SEEM$ 9 S* A HURRY &
S F"R5$ HMF T HE F"R5$ ME / M4 ,! F/
HORSE WD N G ) HM2 HE TRI$ ! SECOND &
?IRD1 & !Y TOO WD N /IR4 ,HE CAME 6ME
NEXT & TRI$ 6DRAG ME \ (! /ALL 0=CE2 (
C\RSE T 0 NO USE4 ,HE TRI$ U ALL 0TURNS
& !N LEFT ! /A#4
  ,NO D\BT WE 7 V FOOLI%1 B DANG] SEEM$
6BE ALL R.D1 & "! 0 NOBODY WE KNEW 6TRU/
IN1 & ALL 0 /RANGE & UNC]TA94 ,! FRE%
AIR T _H -E 9 "? ! OP5 DOOR MADE X EASI]
6BR1!1 B ! RU%+ S.D OV]H1D GREW L\D]1 &
Z ,I LOOK$ UPW>D "? ! B>S ( MY EMPTY
RACK ,I SAW A R$ LI<T FLICK]+ ON ! WALL4
,!N ,I HE>D A CRY ( 8,FIRE60 \TSIDE1 &!
OLD HO/L] QUIETLY & QKLY CAME IN2 HE GOT
                ,! ,FIRE
"O HORSE \1 & W5T 6ANO!R1 B ! FLAMES 7
PLAY+ R.D ! TRAPDOOR1 &! RO>+ OV]H1D 0
DR1D;L4
  ,! NEXT ?+ ,I HE>D 0 ,JAMES' VOICE1
QUIET & *E]Y1 Z X ALW WAS4
  8,-E1 MY B1UTIES1 X IS "T = U 6BE (F1
S WAKE UP & -E AL;G40 ,I /OOD NE>E/ !
DOOR1 S HE CAME 6ME F/1 PATT+ ME Z HE
CAME IN4
  8,-E1 ,B1UTY1 ON ) YR BRIDLE1 MY BOY1
WE'LL SOON 2 \ ( ? S"M40 ,X 0 ON 9 NO
"T2 !N HE TOOK ! SC>F (F 8 NECK1 & TI$ X
LI<TLY OV] MY EYES1 & PATT+ & COAX+ HE
L$ ME \ (! /A#4 ,SAFE 9 ! Y>D1 HE SLIPP$
! SC>F (F MY EYES1 & %\T$1 8,"H "SBODY6
TAKE ? HORSE :ILE ,I G BACK =! O!R40
  ,A TALL1 BROAD MAN /EPP$ =W>D & TOOK
ME1 & ,JAMES D>T$ BACK 96! /A#4 ,I SET
UP A %RILL :9NY Z ,I SAW HM G4 ,G+] TOLD
ME AFW T :9NY 0 ! BE/ ?+ ,I CD H D"O =
H]1 = _H %E N HE>D ME \TSIDE %E WD N"E H
_H C\RAGE 6-E \4
  ,"! 0 M* 3FU.N 9 ! Y>D2 ! HORSES 2+
GOT \ ( O!R /A#S1 &! C>RIAGES & GIGS 2+
                ,! ,FIRE
PULL$ \ ( H\SES & %$S1 LE/ ! FLAMES %D
SPR1D FUR!R4 ,ON ! O!R SIDE ! Y>D W9D[S
7 ?R[N UP1 & P 7 %\T+ ALL SORTS ( ?+S2 B
,I KEPT MY EYE FIX$ ON ! /A# DOOR1 ": !
SMOKE P\R$ \ ?ICK] ?AN "E1 & ,I CD SEE
FLA%ES ( R$ LI<T2 PRES5TLY ,I HE>D ABV
ALL ! /IR & D9 A L\D1 CLE> VOICE1 : ,I
KNEW 0 MA/]'S3
  8,JAMES ,H[>D6 ,JAMES ,H[>D6 ,>E Y
"!80 ,"! 0 NO ANSW]1 B ,I HE>D A CRA% (
"S?+ FALL+ 9 ! /A#1 &! NEXT MO;T ,I GAVE
A L\D1 JOY;L NEI<1 = ,I SAW ,JAMES -+ "?
! SMOKE L1D+ ,G+] ) HM2 %E 0 C\<+
VIOL5TLY1 & HE 0 N A# 6SP1K4

8,MY BRAVE LAD60 SD MA/]1 LAY+ 8 H& ON 8
  %\LD]1
8>E Y HURT80

  ,JAMES %OOK 8 H1D1 = HE CD N YET SP1K4
  8,AY10 SD ! BIG MAN :O HELD ME2 8HE IS
A BRAVE LAD1 & NO MISTAKE40
  8,& N[10 SD MA/]1 8:5 Y H GOT YR BR1?1
,JAMES1 WE'LL GET \ ( ? PLACE Z QKLY Z
                ,! ,FIRE
WE C10 & WE 7 MOV+ T[>D ! 5TRY1 :5 F !
M>KET-PLACE "! CAME A S.D ( GALLOP+ FEET
& L\D RUMBL+ :EELS4
  8',TIS ! FIRE-5G9E6 ! FIRE-5G9E60 %\T$
TWO OR ?REE VOICES1 8/& BACK1 MAKE WAY60
& CLATT]+ & ?"U+ OV] ! /"OS TWO HORSES
DA%$ 96! Y>D )A H1VY 5G9E 2H !M4 ,!
FIREM5 L1P$ 6! GR.D2 "! 0 NO NE$ 6ASK ":
! FIRE 0 --X 0 ROLL+ UP 9 A GRT BLAZE F
! RO(4
  ,WE GOT \ Z FA/ Z WE CD 96! BROAD
QUIET M>KET-PLACE2 ! />S 7 %9+1 & EXCEPT
! NOISE 2H U1 ALL 0 /4 ,MA/] L$ ! WAY 6A
L>GE HOTEL ON ! O!R SIDE1 & Z SOON Z !
HO/L] CAME1 HE SD1 8,JAMES1 ,I M/ N[
HA/5 6YR MI/RESS2 ,I TRU/ ! HORSES
5TIRELY 6Y1 ORD] :AT"E Y ?9K IS NE$$10
&) T HE 0 G"O4 ,! MA/] DID N RUN1 B ,I
N"E SAW MORTAL MAN WALK S FA/ Z HE DID T
NI<T4




                ,! ,FIRE
,"! 0 A DR1D;L S.D 2F WE GOT 96\R /ALLS
  --
! %RIEKS ( ^? POOR HORSES T 7 LEFT BURN+
  6D1?
9 ! /A# -- X 0 V T]RI#6 & MADE BO? ,G+]
  & ME
FEEL V BAD4 ,WE1 H["E1 7 TAK5 9 & WELL
  D"O BY4

  ,! NEXT MORN+ ! MA/] CAME 6SEE H[ WE 7
& 6SP1K 6,JAMES4 ,I DID N HE> M*1 =!
HO/L] 0 RU2+ ME D[N1 B ,I CD SEE T
,JAMES LOOK$ V HAPPY1 & ,I ?"\ ! MA/] 0
PR\D ( HM4 ,\R MI/RESS _H BE5 S M* AL>M$
9 ! NI<T T ! J\RNEY 0 PUT (F TILL ! AFN1
S ,JAMES _H ! MORN+ ON H&1 & W5T F/ 6!
9N 6SEE AB \R H>;S &! C>RIAGE1 & !N 6HE>
M AB ! FIRE4 ,:5 HE CAME BACK WE HE>D HM
TELL ! HO/L] AB X4 ,AT F/ NO "O CD GUESS
H[ ! FIRE _H BE5 CAUS$1 B AT LA/ A MAN
SD HE SAW ,DICK ,T[L] G 96! /A# )A PIPE
9 8 M\?1 & :5 HE CAME \ HE _H N "O1 &
W5T 6! TAP = ANO!R4 ,!N ! "U HO/L] SD HE
_H ASK$ ,DICK 6G UP ! LA4] 6PUT D[N "S
                ,! ,FIRE
HAY1 B TOLD HM 6LAY D[N 8 PIPE F/4 ,DICK
D5I$ TAK+ ! PIPE ) HM1 B NO "O 2LIEV$
HM4 ,I REMEMB] \R ,JOHN ,MANLY'S RULE1
N"E 6ALL[ A PIPE 9 ! /A#1 & ?"\ X "\ 6BE
! RULE "EY":4
  ,JAMES SD ! RO( & FLOOR _H ALL FALL5
IN1 & T ONLY ! BLACK WALLS 7 /&+2 ! TWO
POOR HORSES T CD N 2 GOT \ 7 BURI$ "U !
BURNT RAFT]S & TILES4