“Yes, Ma said she ’lowed you wouldn’t know the fust thing ter do,” remarked Willette complacently. “An’ Pa said he reckoned school larnin’ in the East could make folks more like nateral born fools than anything under the sun.” Olive was very little obliged to the Wright and Winkle spouses for their opinion of her. She remained therefore silent. They soon reached the furrows that were being so desperately ploughed by Ezra and his foam-covered horses. The swift twilight was almost upon them, but they could see Wright urging his horses along the south side of the land nearest his house, while away across at the east side of Perfection City Brother Dummy was thundering along with his waggon bringing up his plough to the rescue, and that completed all the horse-power of the Community. Little tongues of flame here and there along the furrows denoted that the back-firing had begun in several spots. Meanwhile the sky was reddening up with the reflection of the on-coming conflagration, and the fierce wind blew ever harder directly from its long blood-red line. “Now you jes’ set afire ’long hyar, front this hyar furrow,” said Willette, kneeling down with her matches and starting the fire as she spoke. “Now then, yo’ jes’ see to that, an’ don’t yo’ let that ar fire hop over behind yer, or it’ll be worse nor nothin’.” “What am I to do?” asked Olive trembling with excitement and fear, it was all so strange and alarming. “I never saw a fire and don’t know anything about it,” she added. “Jes’ paddle it out with yer shingle, ef it gits over. There ain’t no sight o’ larnin’ wanted for that,” said Willette in scorn. “Mind yer ends, and look after tongues in the middle. They’ll be powerful handy at jumpin’ over this hyar furrow, and you mustn’t let the fire git away from yer, else yo’ll be clear done for. Keep yer eyes behind yer and min’ the back line,” said Willette walking away. “Land o’ liberty! look at that!” Willette made one bound behind Olive and commenced furiously beating the ground with her wooden paddle, while Olive, bewildered, turned round to see that she had indeed let the fire get behind her even as Willette was uttering her warning. “We ’uns would ha’ been clear burnt out in one grasshopper’s jump on’y I was there,” said Willette looking critically to see if any little spark of fire lingered in the tall grass which could by any chance start into life again. “Oh I can never manage it! What shall I do?” “Be spry and—Look at that again now!” Willette sprang to a new place and beat the ground. She was back again in an instant, here there and every where, with the activity of a monkey, beating down for dear life, whenever the fire crossed the narrow base-line of the up-turned sod, and as the wind was high it was frequently doing this. Constant vigilance was required, especially as Ezra had only had time to run a few furrows with the plough, instead of a band five or six feet wide.