THE RETURN. 179

tance before them. It was in the direction of the
General’s house. Lucy and her mother both saw
it at the same time. Lucy thought it was a beau-
tiful light, but her mother was frightened. She
was afraid that it was the General’s house on fire.

“No,” said Robert; “it is not our house. Ik
is this side of our house. It must be some fire in
the woods.”

But who should be building fires in the
woods this time of the day?” asked her mother.

“I don’t know,” replied Robert ; “ only I know
that there often are fires about.”

As they went on, the light grew broader and
brighter. Presently they thought they saw the
flash of a flame, and then some sparks ascending.

«“ What can it be?” said Robert. “It looks
as if it was near my clearing. There!” he ex-
claimed again, after a moment’s pause, “I know
what it is. It is that great heap which we tried
to set on fire.”

“ That heap?” said Lucy

* Yes,” said Robert; “I’ve no doubt it’s that
heap. ‘The fire has been working under it all
day, heating it through, and now these gusts of
wind have set it a-going.”

Robert was right. Lucy’s mother could hardly
believe that fire could have remained inactive
under such a heap of combustibles, and finally
break out, after so long an interval. But it was
really so. ‘The wood which they had put under
it, had set some of the lower parts of the heap on
fire, and they had burned away slowly ; while the