A thought occurred to her, for, suddenly, with the new respect for him the knowledge of his trained and ready muscles gave her, arose a new consideration for him, almost motherly.  He would be breasting dreadful peril in the passage of the flames—­peril to his eyes and face and clinging, tight-clasped hands especially.  And round her limbs there was the means of saving him, in part, from it.

“You let me down for just a minute,” she said briefly.  “Just a minute.  Then I’ll let you take me up an’ carry me.  An’ you can do it, too!  You’re strong, ain’t you?”

Wondering, he released his hold on her, and she slid to her feet.  Then, with a quick movement, she unbuttoned the waistband of her outer skirt, and, letting it slip down to the ground, stepped out of it.

“Ain’t it lucky I got wet?” said she, and smiled.  “It ain’t more’n half dry yet.  The under one is wet, too, and both of ’em are wool—­and that don’t burn like cotton would.

“Now pick me up again an’ I’ll just fix this skirt—­so—­there—­now—­that’s the way.  Can you see, now?  All right?  Well, it’ll keep th’ fire from catchin’ in our hair, an’ it’ll save your eyes.”

[Illustration:  A MIGHTY LEAP HAD CARRIED THEM BEYOND THE BLAZING BARRIER]

He laughed.  “That’s fine!” said he, and, almost before she realized that they were under way, a mighty leap had taken them close to the blazing barrier, another one had landed them within its very midst, another one had carried them beyond its greatest menace, another had delivered them from actual peril, leaving them on ground where filmy grass, dead leaves, dry needles, had blazed quickly, with a consuming flash, and, utterly and almost instantly destroyed, had left behind them only thin, hot ash, devoid of peril, scarce to be considered.

But he did not let her feet touch ground again until they were even beyond this.  Finally, when they reached a rocky “barren,” where the little fire had found no fuel, she felt his tautened thews relax.

Instantly she slipped from his encircling arms, and he began to whip the flames in grass and little brush close to them with the dampened skirt.  Even on the little isle of safety they found it necessary, still, to agilely avoid innumerable bits of floating “light-wood” brands, and, for a time, to beat, beat at the hungry little flames around them, but, at last, the danger was all over, and they stood there, looking at each other, with a sense of great relief.  He smiled, breathing hard, but not exhausted.

“Tight work, eh?” he said cheerfully.

“Jest wonderful!” she answered, with a ready tribute.

Then the memory of his embracing arm, the fact that her own arms had been as tightly clasped about his neck, came to her with a rush, although, while they had raced across the burning strip she had not thought of these things.  Shyness stirred in her almost as definitely as it had while she lay hidden at the pool’s mouth, watching him and tingling with shamed thrills at thought of her amazing plight there.  No man had ever had his arms about her in her life before.