Mike's arms were sore and tired, but he swung his axe even faster. He didn't even
stop to wipe the tears from his stinging eyes. The greedy fire kept coming. The
more the fire destroyed, the more it wanted. Mike worked shoulder to shoulder
with the other smokejumpers to build a firebreak. His only thought was to stop
the flaming monster that was raging through the forest.
2) At last, the smoke jumpers finished the firebreak. If the fire were powerful
enough, it would jump over the firebreak that they had worked so hard to make.
Then they would have to start all over again. Mike stood motionless, his face
black with ash, his shirt wet with sweat. He was too exhausted to move because
he had given all of himself to fighting the fire. He turned his head and noticed Ben
watching him.
3) Suddenly all that Ben had taught Mike about proving his bravery was clear. A man
was not brave if he did something just to prove his courage. He was brave only
when he forgot about himself. Today Mike had showed that he cared very much
about the others with whom he was working.