Produced by Bethanne M. Simms, Janet Blenkinship and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net [Illustration: Book Cover] _WILD-WOODS SERIES--No. 1._ * * * * * [Illustration: "Heavenly Father! please take care of me," prayed Nellie.] THROUGH FOREST AND FIRE BY EDWARD S. ELLIS, AUTHOR OF "YOUNG PIONEER SERIES," "LOG CABIN SERIES," "DEERFOOT SERIES," "WYOMING SERIES," ETC., ETC. [Illustration] PHILADELPHIA: PORTER & COATES. COPYRIGHT, 1891, BY PORTER & COATES. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I.--NICK, 5 II.--SCHOOL DAYS, 14 III.--A MATHEMATICAL DISCUSSION, 21 IV.--LOST, 29 V.--THE PARTY OF SEARCH, 37 VI.--GROPING IN DARKNESS, 47 VII.--AN ALARMING DISCOVERY, 55 VIII.--STARTLING FOOTPRINTS, 63 IX.--THE LITTLE WANDERER, 69 X.--IN GREAT DANGER, 79 XI.--"GOTT SEI DANK!" 88 XII.--OMINOUS PREPARATIONS, 96 XIII.--THE BEAR HUNTERS, 103 XIV.--A RECRUIT, 113 XV.--A SURPRISE, 119 XVI.--THE DINNER IN THE WOODS, 126 XVII.--A TEST OF MARKSMANSHIP, 132 XVIII.--A QUAIL, 139 XIX.--AN UNEXPECTED LESSON, 145 XX.--BOWSER PROVES HIMSELF OF SOME USE, 152 XXI.--FACE TO FACE, 158 XXII.--THE "VACANT CHAIR," 165 XXIII.--HUNTING A BUCK, 171 XXIV.--HUNTED BY A BUCK, 176 XXV.--THE CAMP FIRE, 183 XXVI.--AN UNEXPECTED ATTACK, 190 XXVII.--WAS IT A JOKE? 196 XXVIII.--THE TRAIL OF THE BEAR, 205 XXIX.--"HELP! HELP!" 209 XXX.--A FRIEND IN NEED, 216 XXXI.--THE "DARK DAY" OF SEPTEMBER, 1881, 222 XXXII.--THE BURNING FOREST, 231 XXXIII.--THROUGH THE FIRE, 246 XXXIV.--CALLING IN VAIN, 248 XXXV.--WHAT FRIGHTENED NELLIE, 257 XXXVI.--AN UNWELCOME PASSENGER, 266 XXXVII.--A BRAVE STRUGGLE, 275 XXXVIII.--BEAR AND FORBEAR, 283 XXXIX.--CONCLUSION, 292 THROUGH FOREST AND FIRE; OR, "God Helps Them that Help Themselves." CHAPTER I. NICK. Nicholas Ribsam was a comical fellow from his earliest babyhood, and had an original way of doing almost everything he undertook.