Polytechnic High School - Caerulea Yearbook (Long Beach, CA)

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LITERARY 9 IlllllllllllIIIHIHIIIHIIIIIHlllllllllllllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHIIIIIKIIIIIIIIIIIUKIHIIIIlI!IIVIIIlllllllllIIIIIllllillllIIIIIlIIIIIIIIIIIIIlllllllllllllllllllllll boys, we had better eat a bite and then get to work. He opened his knapsack and began eating. The rest followed his example. After they had finished, they started to build a back-fire with the purpose of burning a strip on the side of the reservoir menaced by the fire. They kept the fire well under control and soon had a considerable strip burned free of brush and trees. Then all they could do was to fwait until the fire should come down upon them, and to keep the flame from jumping the open space. Down rushed the fire upon the little clearing in which the doz- en boys kept guard. Down rushed the fire, driven by the south wind, roaring, charging, destroying everything in its path. To Ivan and the rest down in the little clearing the flames seemed to roar and flash and laugh at their puny efforts. The smoke began to come into the clearing. Apparently the only thing to do was to run and leave the reservoir to its fate, for what good could they do anyway? But did any of them ever so much as think of running? No, because they were Americans. They were Amer- icans with the exception of one, Ivan Bonovitch. He was a Russian who hated the Americans, and yet, strangely, he had no thought of running either. In the fighting that followed Ivan saw many things. He saw Ernest Rogers, the braggart, the bully, intent on one thing, the checking of the fire, smiling at him, encouraging him, and telling him that they would win out yet. Tom Hargis was everywhere. Ivan saw him, at the risk of his own life, save a boy from being hit by a falling tree. The boys saw Ivan also in a different light. They saw him with utmost coolness perform his duty as if he were used to danger. Tom Hargis smiled as he watched Ivan. I always knew he had the right stuff in him,', he kept repeating to himself. The boys could not hold out much longer. They were scorched in the blaze which seemed to dry them up. They were parched with thirst and nearly exhausted by their work. Yet they fought on, doggedly fighting the fires which continually broke out upon the wooden base of the reservoir. The fire reached the fire-break and

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3 CAERULEA '21 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIHIVIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIXIIIVIIIIVII!IIIIIHIIIlllIllllllllIlillIIllIIKIIIIIIIIIllllIlIIIIIlIIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllllHIIIIKIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHHIIII Is it possible for the puny hand of Man to stay the fierce onrush of Fire?,' The sky dome, now instead of burnished blue, was streaked with great clouds of smoke and the air was filled with ashes. The city in the valley had changed its looks. Scorched and black, it looked as if it were crouching dojwn in its valley to escape the onrush of the flames. If only the confounded wind would change there might be some chance of saving the rest of the forest, muttered Tom to Ivan as they walked side by side thru the woods toward the reservoir. Then another chance there is none? Not unless it rains, and of course there is not a possible chance of that happening. They Walked on in silence until Ernie Rogers, who had gone a little in advance, came back excitedly shouting that there was a fire on the southern slope of Clark's lVIountain. They all looked and saw this to be true. Not a word was said. All realized what a fire in that region meant, for if the reservoir was destroyed the whole city would be without Water for an indefinite time. The boys all rushed toward the fire with one fixed idea, to put it out or, at least, to check it. When they came near, they found that it had gained considerable headway and that no one was fighting it. The fire had evidently been started by Hying sparks from the main fire and was bearing directly down upon the reservoir. A fire-break surrounded the reservoir for a distance of twenty-five feet, but a large fire would easily jump this and destroy the Whole reservoir. The best thing We can do, said Tom, is to build a backfire and fight the fire as best we can until aid comes. Polack, since you were afraid to fight Ernie, you will surely be afraid to fight the fire, so you can go back and bring aidf' Ivan flushed. I am not afraid. I will stay. Send Reginald. Reginald was the boy With the spectacles. Tom looked pleased. Reginald, you go and tell them to send all available men they can over there as soon as possible. And now,

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10 ' CAERI JLEA '21 IIIHIHIIIlIIIIIIlIlIIIIIIIIllllllllllllllllllllllllllIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIlllIllllIlIIIIIIlllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIlllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIHIIIIHIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIHIIHIIIIIIHIIIHIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKHIIIIIIIIII halted for a moment and then started a flanking movement to each side. The boys were done for. But no! They heard voices. Help was at hand. llfany men rushed into the clearing and set to work. The fire was speedily checked. The men brought news that the wind had changed suddenly, which accounted for the flanking move- ment of the flames. The main fire burned itself out the next day, after having destroyed many, many square miles of forest and caus- ing untold loss. In the meantime the boys were carried back to the city. Their clothes were torn, their eyebrows and lashes were burnt of, their hair was scorched. But they had saved the reservoir and the water supply to the city. They were petted and pampered, and there was talk of medals from Washington. Especially happy, however, was Ivan Bony, for at last he understood. The Americans were not his enemies, but his friends. He had learned the great lesson in Americanism, and it had come to him as a revelation, that the American Boy is not serious in all that he says and does. Several weeks later to this American school in this American city came two men, undoubtedly Russians, who, in this aforesaid American school, inquired for Prince Ivanoff Bonovitch. Ivan was called. To him the men bowed respectfully and began to speak in Russian. . Your Royal Highness, the time is come when you may go back to Russia and fight for your rights. At last your long awaited call is here. Come with us. Without an instant's hesitation, Prince Ivan answered in English, in the presence of the principal, Ernie Rogers, Tom Hargis, Reginald Smith, and many others, Honorable sirs, I say to you that back to Russia I will not go! And furthermore, I wish to say that I renounce my right to the title of Prince. You may take that mes- sage back. As for me, I am going to be an Americanln