"The bridge is on fire! Run for your lives!" shouted the guide.
"Never mind the horses. Run!"

With one common impulse the girls and their guardian started toward the
other end of the bridge, which was not more than twenty feet from them.
Margery uttered a scream of terror. Jane grabbed her by one shoulder,
giving her a violent shake.

"Don't make things any worse than they are. Tell when you begin to
burn, but don't make us think we are burning till the fire gets to us."

"Go on, girls," cried Harriet. "I'm going back to the other end. We
must think about saving our packs and our horses." Unheeding their
warning shouts, the girl ran back toward where Janus and the driver
were still engaged in trying to lift the horses. Miss Elting had
followed Harriet, and the two women now implored Janus to hurry with
the rescue of the animals.

"It's no use!" he exclaimed angrily. "We can't do it before the fire
gets to us. We are likely to lose our packs, too, unless we let these
horses go and attend to them."

"Never mind the packs," said Harriet stubbornly, as she laid a firm
hand on one of the guide's arms. "We are going to save these poor
animals. Let us keep on trying, and I feel sure we can not fail. Now,
think hard. What is the quickest and best thing to be done?"