Page 72 of Eleanor’s Earrings

Smoke rolled across the camp. The wind pushed the flames faster than people could stamp them out.

“Beat the edge!” Eleanor shouted. “Not the center!”

The heat struck her face. She swung the wet blanket against the grass. Once. Twice. Again.

Her ribs screamed with every movement, but there was no time to feel them.

Behind her, an ox bellowed.

Eleanor turned. One of the Whitaker animals had broken its tether and was running away from the smoke.

Lydia ran after it.

“Lydia, stop!”

Her sister did not hear her.

Eleanor took one step after her, then looked back at the fire. The rear wagons were still moving. If she abandoned the line, the flames could reach them before they found bare ground.

Nathaniel appeared through the smoke.

“Lydia!” Eleanor pointed.

He looked once and understood. “Stay here. You are the only person keeping this line organized.”

“Bring her back.”

“I will.”

He mounted and rode after Lydia.

Eleanor returned to the fire.

Choosing the line instead of her sister felt like tearing herself in two.

The second Whitaker wagon reached the bare patch. A gust lifted burning grass and threw sparks against its canvas.

“The wagon!” Rebecca screamed.

Eleanor ran.

Flame climbed the rear corner. She pulled at the burning canvas, but the fastening had swollen and would not release. Rebecca threw water. It slowed the fire without stopping it.

Nathaniel rode into camp with Lydia behind him and the runaway ox tied to his saddle.

He leapt down and ran to Eleanor. Together they climbed onto the rear wheel. Nathaniel cut the fastening with his knife while Eleanor pulled the canvas away from the supplies beneath it.

The burning section fell to the ground.

Rebecca and two men smothered it with dirt.

For several minutes, everything was smoke, heat, shouts, and desperate movement.

Then the flame line weakened.

People beat out the last burning patches. The wind carried smoke away from the wagons. Eleanor stood beside the blackened corner of the second wagon and tried to breathe.

Lydia approached slowly.