In the short time Steve and Zach had been inside their tent packing their tools, wind-blown flame had skipped from the top of one tree to another. The long dry summer had turned the forest into a tinderbox.
"Let's go! We can make it back to the river we crossed today!" Steve kept Brady on the lead and their heads down against the fire-wind. But Brady barked a sharp warning. Ahead of them lay a thick curtain of smoke across the track. They would never make it through that. The dog was pulling at his lead trying to draw them away from the smoke, and yet Steve was uneasy. It seemed to him that they were moving away from the river.
Suddenly, Zach cried. "Zach!" Steve shouted. "Are you OK? Where are you?" Then Brady pulled Steve down a sharp slope(坡). At its base, Zach was rubbing his ankle.
As Steve helped his friend to his feet, Brady lifted his head and snuffed(嗅) the smoke-laden wind. Next moment, the dog bounded away and disappeared. The boys shouted for him, but he didn't come back. Steve couldn't blame Brady for panicking. He himself wanted to run even though he didn't have a clue which way.
Steve and Zach hadn't gone far when there was a familiar bark, and Brady came bounding, stopped directly in front of Steve and hit him with his head, pushing him back toward the slope they'd just climbed. But Steve didn't get it. Then Brady grabbed the boy's jeans and started pulling. The message was clear, but Steve hesitated. Of course he remembered Brady saving his uncle's life when the dog was much younger. Was he still sharp enough to get them through this?
Nearby, a pine went up in a whoosh of smoke. Brady pulled again, urgently. "OK, big guy," Steve gritted(咬紧牙关). Brady led them back down the slope and into the trees. Not far from them fire was touching underbrush. Several times the big dog stopped. Often he changed directions. Steve was so tired that he just wanted to rest, but Brady wouldn't have it. The dog bullied both boys to go on. How long they'd walked Steve had no idea. He was almost numb when he heard it—the wonderful sound of rushing water!
