Fire: Chicago 1871 by Kathleen Duey Page A

to burn.”
    Nate nodded. “If there is a horse, can you ride?”
    â€œYes. Sidesaddle, or astride. My uncle Jack taught me.”
    â€œGood. What’s the quickest way down to the stables?”
    Julie showed him a side door. He opened it. Smoke and noise poured into the house. Julie caught his sleeve as he went past her. “I’ll fill the canteen, then come down there as quick as I can.”
    Nate saw an odd look in her eyes and realizedthat she was still terrified. Awkwardly, he reached out to squeeze her hand. “We’ll make it out, Julie. Just hurry.”
    Nate ran along a stone walk, then followed a little path that led around a garden and down to the stables. He could hear a horse inside, whinnying anxiously. There were poplar trees around the paddock, and the ground was strewn with broken limbs. He lifted the lock bar and let the big double doors fly open, the wind holding them flat against the wall.
    All the stalls were standing open. They were all empty except for one. In the last stall, a gelding stood trembling, its eyes circled in white, its nostrils flared. Nate glanced around the barn. Buckets had been knocked over, a saddle had been thrown aside and lay on the hay. It was obvious that the horses had been moved in a hurry. The remaining gelding had likely refused to move, terrified by the smell of smoke, too frightened to leave the safety of its barn.
    Nate approached the gelding slowly, talking quietly. The horse turned to face him, its ears pitched forward. Nate took one step, then paused, then a second step, talking gently the whole time. Slowly, Nate worked his way closer to the gelding.
    Nate knew it would be dangerous to ride a terrified horse through the smoky streets with the flames roaring closer. But the horse would save them precious time, too. “Steady, boy, steady,” Nate murmured, trying to keep his voice calm. He took one more step and caught the gelding’s halter in his hand. To his surprise, the horse stepped toward him, nudging his arm. “You’re ready to get out of here now, aren’t you, boy?” Nate asked softly, leading the gelding out of the stall.
    Nate found a feed sack that would serve as a saddle blanket, and a bridle that he managed to let out to fit the gelding. At the barn door, the gelding reared, but Nate calmed him down and talked him into edging outside into the hot wind.
    Blinking in the weird reddish light, the gelding stood, trembling, as Nate looked toward the house. Julie was coming down the path toward him. Behind her, less than a quarter mile away, a towering wall of flame lit the night sky.

Chapter Twelve
    The scalding wind hit Julie as she came out the door carrying her father’s old army canteen. She glanced at the approaching wall of fire, then followed the path around the garden. Nate was standing just outside the stable door. He had saddled her father’s new gelding and stood holding the reins tightly in one hand. The instant he saw her, he gestured toward the flames, then motioned her to hurry. Julie began to run, the canteen banging against her side.
    When she reached him, Nate was patting the horse’s neck, trying to calm it down.
    â€œIt might be best if I ride in front. I’m stronger.”
    Julie nodded. Nate boosted her up and waited until she had managed to arrange her skirts. Then hepulled the nervous gelding around in a tight circle, finally getting his foot into the stirrup. She leaned back to let him swing his leg over, then straightened again. Without warning, the gelding surged forward. Julie grabbed at Nate’s waist, hoping he could control the frightened animal.
    For a few seconds, all Julie could do was hang on. Then, Nate hauled the gelding back into a slow canter. Julie leaned forward and shouted into Nate’s ear, “That path leads up to Michigan Avenue.” She pointed to the dirt track that led through the poplar trees.
    Nate swung the gelding around and