He then turned and hurried across the blackened waste.  He tried to keep calm, but his heart beat fast, and a great dread possessed him.  What if his mother and Jess were both dead!  The thought was appalling.  It drove him forward like a hound.  He leaped over sticks and stones in his headlong speed, dashed through the burned trees, and sprang out upon the shore of the lake.  Here he stopped, and as his eyes rested upon the island a cry of despair burst from his lips.  The fire had reached the place and swept it from end to end!  But what of his mother and Jess!  Were they alive? or were their charred bodies now lying exposed to the pelting rain?  He called again and again at the top of his voice, but received no reply.  The silence was ominous, for from where he was standing anyone, even in the middle of the small island, should be able to hear.

The one thing now for him to do was to cross that narrow strip of water and find out just what had happened.  The only way to get there was to swim, for his boat which he had left that morning at the upper end of the lake could not have escaped the devouring flames.  He could see that the fire had passed over the very place, close to the water’s edge.

Tearing off his shoes and vest, in another minute he was into the lake, and headed for the island.  He was a good swimmer and under ordinary circumstances the swim would have been mere child’s play.  But he was weak after his fearful exertions, and his clothes impeded his progress.  But still he struggled forward, and at length, wearied almost to the point of exhaustion, his feet touched bottom, and he staggered heavily out of the water, and fell upon the shore.  Again he called, but received no reply.

After a few minutes’ rest, he regained his feet and groped his way along the shore until he reached the spot where he had landed the women the night before.  Fearfully he turned his eyes up the path leading to the house, and as he looked, his heart sank within him.  Nothing remained of the building but a few black sticks, from which small wreaths of smoke were issuing.  He walked slowly up the path like one in a dream, and stopped before the ruins.  But no charred bodies did he find.

And as he looked, a new hope seized him.  The women must have fled to the water for protection.  Perhaps, even now, they were somewhere on the shore, most likely at the farther end of the island.

Encouraged by this thought, he hurried back to the landing, and made his way down along the shore.  He kept a sharp outlook, but no sign of life met his view.  As he advanced, nothing rewarded his efforts, and despair once more seized him.  The women could not have escaped from the island without assistance, he was certain.  And it was hardly likely that any rescuer would be on hand in the time of need.  Perhaps they had rushed into the water, and driven by the fury of the flames had gone beyond their depth.  All this came into his mind as he turned the lower end of the island and viewed the shore to his right.  He stopped and cast his eyes toward the mainland, but everywhere was the same scene of black desolation.  It was wonderful how fast and far the fire had travelled before being checked by the rain.