THE WOLF HUNTERS 



I rushed to the stable and he followed me, talk- 

 ing as I saddled up. 



"Near as I could make him out through the 

 glass, I believe it's that infernal old Broken Nose 

 that's done this job. It looked some like him 

 and I noticed he climbed on and off his pony like 

 an old man." 



I soon had Prince saddled and led him up onto 

 the bank, where we impatiently waited what 

 seemed an endless time but was really only a few 

 minutes. 



The fire was now roaring and crackling just be- 

 yond the strip of timber bordering the creek. The 

 smoke would probably have been stifling in our 

 camp by this time, but on striking the timber the 

 wind had given it an upward pitch that sent most 

 of it above us. 



The fire kept up such a roaring and rushing noise 

 that I began to fear that the wind might carry 

 some of it across the creek, but as soon as it entered 

 the timber on the north side, where the grass was 

 shorter, a marked subsidence was apparent. 



I mounted and moved up to the south bank of 

 the creek, anxious to be off on my search for Jack, 

 but a dense cloud of smoke and flying ashes 

 whirled through the trees from the burnt ground 

 for some minutes after the fire seemed to have ex- 

 hausted its fury, and, impatient as I was, I yet 

 had to wait before venturing to enter the burnt 

 district. As soon as I could endure it I crossed 



238 



