THE FIRES. 327 



there is a wind, because the grass is very light and 

 dry, with very little bottom to it, and the wind carries 

 both the flame and ashes away. The only danger is 

 when the fire runs into the heavy grass and brush 

 wood of a creek; then if a man encamped permits 

 himself to be thus caught, everything he had that could 

 not break loose and run away would be destroyed. Sup 

 posing the wind to have driven a considerable fire in 

 my direction, the fire extending for miles, prohibiting 

 any idea of outflanking it, I should immediately have 

 called all hands with lucifer matches, a large quantity 

 of which should ever be in the commander's posses 

 sion, and have fired the plains at my foot, and for 

 a space have followed my own fire. An act such as 

 this, when resolved on in time, puts all danger out of 

 the question. 



On the evening of which I speak I sat watching the fires 

 fill the breath of wind went entirely t down, and then re 

 tired to rest. From a very sound sleep I was suddenly 

 aroused by hearing a mule start violently to the end of 

 her larriet, and commence a succession of snorts at some 

 object that offended her. Brutus and Druid too heard the 

 same thing, and flew out angrily to the extent of their 

 chains. Not having any faith in the fidelity of the watch 

 on duty, I arose, pulled on my snake boots, took Pape's 

 breech-loading rifle in my hand, girded my couteau de 

 chasse and revolver at my waist, and crept quietly from 

 my ambulance. The moon or the stars were up, though 

 obscured by the smoky sky, and my ear having directed 

 me whence the snort from the mule came, I soon arrived 

 sufficiently near to observe that one of my best mules had 

 retreated to the full extent of her larriet, and in terror 

 still had her eyes fixed on something in the long grass. 



