The fire began two nights later.
Most of the camp was asleep.
Snow fell lightly through the street, and the Copper Pot's windows glowed with the last light from the stove. Loretta had finished preparing dough for the following morning and was resting in the small room behind the kitchen.
Elias slept in the storeroom.
Shortly after midnight, he woke to the smell of smoke.
At first, he assumed a log had shifted inside the stove.
Then he heard a sharp crack from the rear office.
He rose immediately.
The smoke wasn't coming from the stove.
It was seeping beneath the office door.
Elias shouted Loretta's name.
Then he moved toward the doorway and saw flames beginning to spread across a wooden shelf.
He didn't rush blindly inside.
He knew how quickly smoke could overwhelm a person in a confined room.
Instead, he opened the rear exit and called toward the neighboring buildings for help.
Loretta emerged from her sleeping room.
She saw the smoke.
Then her eyes widened.
"My books!"
Elias moved toward her.
"The records can wait. We need to get outside."
She looked toward the office.
The ledger containing eighteen months of meals was stored in a tin box beneath the desk.
For a moment, she considered trying to reach it.
Then the smoke thickened.
She understood the danger.
Elias opened the broad service doorway and cleared the path.
Loretta moved toward it as quickly as she could, steadying herself against the wall where necessary. Her size made hurried movement difficult, but she knew the kitchen's layout and didn't stop to retrieve belongings.
Elias remained beside her without trying to lift or drag her.
He made sure the exit stayed clear.
Then they reached the yard.
Cold air struck their faces.
Loretta began coughing.
Elias guided her toward the sheltered area beside the neighboring store.
Within minutes, Walter Boone arrived with several miners carrying buckets, tools, and blankets. The men worked to prevent the flames from spreading while others kept clear of the dangerous smoke.
The fire damaged the office and part of the storeroom.
But the main dining room survived.
And so did the ledger.
The tin box had protected it from the worst of the heat.
When the immediate danger had passed and the building was safe enough for the proper people to examine, Walter found the box beneath a fallen shelf.
He carried it outside.
Loretta stared.
Then she began crying.
Elias stood beside her.