Grant was close upon her. She fairly hurled herself out the door and most unexpectedly b.u.mped into Sherm, who caught her in time to save her catapulting down the steps.

"Save the pieces, Chicken Little, what's your hurry?"

"O Sherm,--oh, I'm so glad you came--I----"

Before she could finish Grant reached the door, stopping short on seeing Sherm.

Jane clutched Sherm's arm tight. "Don't let him, please don't let him!"

Her words were not entirely clear, but Sherm promptly shoved her behind him and confronted Grant angrily.

"Big business you're in, frightening girls--you bully!"

Sherm had taken a dislike to Grant that evening at Mamie's and exulted in this opportunity to pick a quarrel. Grant was equally ready. He scorned explanations and replied by pulling off his coat. Sherm swiftly peeled his also. Chicken Little was alarmed by these warlike preparations.

"Don't, boys, don't! I guess it was part my fault, Sherm. Grant didn't mean any harm. We were sc.r.a.pping over the election and----"

"I don't care whether it was your fault or not, Jane. If Grant doesn't know enough to be a gentleman, it's time he learned."

Sherm sprang forward and the boys clinched. They were pretty evenly matched. Grant outweighed Sherm, but the latter was quicker and had had some training in wrestling. This was the popular method of settling quarrels, boxing not having come into vogue. Inside of three minutes both were down, rolling over the ground an indiscriminate, writhing heap of arms and legs.

Chicken Little was utterly dismayed. She didn't want either of the boys hurt, but they heeded her remonstrances no more than if she had been a mosquito. She even tried pulling at the one who came uppermost, but they both pantingly warned her off. Chicken Little set her jaw firmly. She flew into the schoolhouse to the water bench, and seizing the water bucket, flew out. Pausing long enough to take good aim, she dashed its contents over the boys' heads with all her might.

Grant being underneath at the moment, with lips parted from his exertions, received the full force of the water in his mouth and nose, and nearly strangled from the dose. Sherm had to let him up and apply first aid to help him recover his breath--the lad was purple. When he began to breathe readily once more, both boys got to their feet, glaring reproachfully at Chicken Little. Each was restrained by the presence of the other from expressing forcibly his opinion of the young lady. The heroine was in wrong with both the villain and the hero. However, the heroine did not care.

"You boys ought to be ashamed of yourselves, both of you--fighting like a pair of kids. I wish you could see yourselves! You look exactly like drowned rats!"

The lads could not not see themselves, but they could see each other, and the exhibit was convincing. Sherm's mouth puckered into its crooked smile.

"Well, if that's the way you feel about it, Chicken Little, it's all right with me. So long, Grant."

Sherm picked up his coat and cap and set off, leaving Jane to follow or linger as she saw fit. She turned to Grant.

"I didn't mean to get you into trouble, Grant."

"Don't mention it, and, truly--I didn't intend to frighten you, Chicken Little. I guess you aren't like most of the girls on the Creek--I didn't suppose you'd take it that way. Good-bye, Sherm," he called. Grant also picked up his belongings and departed.

Chicken Little rescued the water pail and carried it into the schoolhouse. She secured her hat and lunch basket, and was starting for the door when a wonderful idea buzzed in her brain. Slipping to the window she glanced out. Grant was striding rapidly off up the road. She ran to the board and hastily erased that hateful "Hanc.o.c.k and English"

and as hastily wrote the names of the other presidential candidates in letters a foot high across the front board, underlining them heavily and putting hands pointing toward them on each of the side boards. This done, she locked the schoolhouse door, as she had promised Mr. Clay, and, taking the key over to a neighbor's a few rods away, joyously departed homeward.

Sherm was not in sight when she started. A little farther down the hill she saw him waiting beside a haystack. He had evidently been watching to make sure she did not get into further trouble. He walked briskly on as soon as he caught sight of her.

Young Mr. Dart looked a trifle sulky at supper that evening. Chicken Little tried to attract his attention in various ways without success.

Sherm was resolved to ignore her. Finally, she addressed him directly.

"Won't you please pa.s.s the water, Sherm?" she asked with exaggerated meekness.

Sherm grinned in spite of himself. The other members of the family looked at Jane inquiringly. Jane, having received the water, ate her supper in profound silence.

He came on her unexpectedly down by the spring a little later. It was growing dark and he did not see her until he was almost beside her. He hesitated a moment, then joined her. She glanced up demurely.

He regarded her an instant in complete silence. Chicken Little tossed her head.

Sherm came a step closer and Jane prepared to fly if necessary, but Sherm contented himself with staring at her till he made her drop her eyes.

"You mischievous witch, I'd like to shake you hard!"

CHAPTER XVI

THE PRAIRIE FIRE

The prairies were brown--a dead, crisp brown, as if they had been baked by hot suns through long, rainless days and nipped by a whole winter of killing frosts.

"I don't understand why the gra.s.s is so dry by the middle of November,"

said Dr. Morton. "Of course the summer was pretty dry, but then we had rains in September."

"Yes, Father," Frank replied, "but there has been less rainfall for the past two years than Kansas has known for a decade. I imagine the ground is baked underneath on the prairies, and the rains only helped for a time."

"Well, whatever caused it, we shall have to feed earlier than usual. I am afraid we may have some bad fires, too, if we don't have rain or a snowfall soon."

"There was a fire over on Elm Creek night before last," spoke up Sherm.

"Grant Stowe's cousin was telling us about it at school."

"I saw smoke off to the north yesterday," said Chicken Little.

"Oh, I hope we sha'n't have any bad fires this fall!" exclaimed Mrs.

Morton. "I do think a big prairie fire is one of the most terrifying sights, especially at night. I couldn't sleep that first fall for dreading them. I used to get up in the middle of the night and look out the windows to see if that awful glare was anywhere on the horizon."

"Don't go borrowing trouble, Mother. There hasn't been a bad fire on Big John for years. The country is so thickly settled a fire doesn't have the sweep it used to." Dr. Morton tried to rea.s.sure her.

"They must be wonderful things to see. I hope there won't be any bad ones, but if one shows up anywhere within ten miles, I propose to be on hand," Sherm said eagerly.

"You won't be so keen after you have fought one or two, Sherm." Frank smiled with the wisdom of the initiated. "Say, Father, I think Jim and I had better fire round those stacks on the north eighty. It would be hard to save them if a fire got started on the divide."

"Yes, I don't know but you'd best do it this afternoon. Burn a pretty wide strip. And we ought to run a guard on the west from that field of winter wheat to the county road. If a fire ever got in there, it might come down on the house."

Chicken Little spoke up. "May I go, too, Frank? I love to watch you."

"You will be in school, but you can come home that way if we are still at work. You can easily see the smoke. We won't try it if the wind rises, and I believe it is going to."

"Chicken Little, if you see the smoke you may tell Mr. Clay I won't come for my recitation this afternoon. I am going to find out how this back-firing business is done."

Sherm had begun his studies some two weeks previous and was making rapid progress, studying evenings, and going to the school a half hour before closing time to recite.

Chicken Little found this arrangement extremely pleasant, because Sherm was always there to walk home with her. They took all sorts of detours and by-paths through the woods, instead of coming along the road to the ford. They discovered unexpected stores of walnuts and acorns and wild rose hips, and scarlet bitter-sweet just opening its gorgeous berries after the first hard frosts.