And in no time at all men and machines were peeling off in orderly fashion to the right and left; up the ridge to the northeast; and southwest through the forest, clearing a strip through the trees the width of two bulldozers.
Behind the dozers came the plows, rooting up the thick bed of duff on the forest floor; then the graders, piling up soil and sand in a high bank against the advancing flames. Working by the light of big spots mounted on trucks, agile volunteers--mainly high riggers from the lumber camps--climbed the trees along the edge of the growing line, lopping off low branches that hung across into the danger area.
"Just to make sure our backfires don't backfire on us," Dick Fellows said wryly.
The young ranger set up his command post in the headlights of a jeep; it consisted of a folding table, canvas chair and the walkie-talkie. Quiz was intrigued by the little battery-operated receiver-transmitter. Dick pulled the rod antennae out of the top of the little oblong case until they were fully extended, and flipped the switch. There was a crackle of static and a variety of other interference before he succeeded in getting through to Fire Boss Landers at headquarters. Reception was poor and he kept his head bent close to the instrument. The boys were only able to catch snatches of the conversation. Finally he signed off and looked up.
"The chief just received a report from air observation. She's progressing pretty much according to type. About three-quarters of a mile wide at the head, and covering roughly one hundred acres. There's just enough wind to benefit us--keep the fire moving due east and restricting the spread at the rear. Unless the picture alters radically before morning, we've got her licked."
Quiz glanced over the treetops at the faint reddish glow in the sky to the west. "It's not nearly so bright over that way now."
"You're right," the ranger agreed. "That's because the crown fire has died out. It's strictly a surface fire now. Of course if we get another scorcher tomorrow, she'll likely flare up again."
Jerry was peering anxiously through the thick forest in front of them. "You can just about see the flames now flickering over there."
"It's possible," Dick admitted. "She's only about a quarter of a mile off now." Ruefully, he surveyed the tall, stately pines in the grove opposite them. "It breaks my heart to think we're going to have to sacrifice all that timber."