"I'm sick of it from my hair to my toes," growled Greson.

"So am I; but I am thankful we are alive," returned Leo grimly.

The noon hour pa.s.sed slowly.

It was furiously hot.

"Wouldn't you think the fire would burn itself out, Leo?" remarked the a.s.sistant.

"There are a good many thousands of cords of wood to consume, and that takes time, Larry."

About the middle of the afternoon it began to grow dark.

"More smoke coming this way," announced Greson.

"No, it's clouds!"

"Clouds! yes, and-hark!"

They listened intently. A low rumble was heard.

"A thunderstorm! If it only rains hard enough!"

The sky kept growing blacker and blacker. Then came a flash of lightning through the smoke, and the patter of rain.

As the rain came down the smoke grew thicker, and soon it drifted into the cave, and they were all but driven out.

"We can't stand this! Let us get out!" said Greson.

"No, no; wait awhile, Larry! See, the wind is changing!"

The young gymnast was right. The wind swerved around and at once the smoke left them.

Another hour pa.s.sed, and still the rain came down steadily. It had full effect on the burning forest, for the fire died out in spot after spot.

"We'll be able to get out by morning," said Leo.

That night they thought it safe to sleep, and lay down utterly exhausted.

In the morning it was still raining. All around the lake the burned trunks of tall trees were left standing. Every bush was reduced to ashes.

They had not even a compa.s.s by which to make their course out of the forest. But this did not stop them from departing.

"Here is a stream that flows from the lake," said Leo. "It must lead to some river or larger lake. We will follow it for a few miles and see where it brings us."

"That's right; keep near the water. We may need it if the rain stops and the fire starts up again," replied Greson.

They picked their way slowly along the bank of the brook, sometimes walking directly in the water where the dirt and stones became too hot for their feet.

"Hurrah!" cried the young gymnast at the end of a long turn in the stream.

He pointed ahead. There, beyond a stretch of prairie gra.s.s, lay a small village.

Evidently it had entirely escaped the ravages of the fierce forest fire.

The prairie gra.s.s was burned in spots, but that was all.

The village could be distinctly seen, but they knew it was, nevertheless, several miles off.

One can see a long distance over a prairie, the same as over the water.

The middle of the afternoon saw them safe in the village of Rallings, footsore and weary.

The people were astonished to hear their tale.

"It's lucky ye escaped with your lives," said one old inhabitant, and Leo and Larry Greson agreed with him.

To keep the circus folks from worrying, Leo sent Barton Reeve a telegram stating they were both safe. That very day they started back to join the "Greatest Show on Earth."

When they returned it was found that Professor Ricardo was still sick.

He had another balloon, but this would be of no use unless somebody was found to take his place.

"I'll become balloonist for awhile," said Leo, "that is, if you don't ask me to go up near any burning forests again."

"That's right," put in Greson. "No more such adventures for me. Besides, burning up balloons is rather expensive."

The matter was talked over, and it was decided that for the next few weeks Leo should take the old balloonist's place.

CHAPTER XXVIII.-THE RIVAL BALLOONISTS.

"We're going to have fun to-day, Leo," said his a.s.sistant two days later.

"How so, Larry?"

"There is a rival here."

"Who?"

"Porler from New Orleans."

"You don't mean to say he is going to give an exhibition here?" said the young gymnast with much interest.

"So he says, and he adds that he will show up in a way that will throw the circus exhibition away in the shade."