50 SPOTTING ADVENTURES 



to say, were not damaged, although every bone 

 in his body was broken. Meanwhile the fire 

 had extended down the mountain side, crossed 

 the valley and swept over an extent of ground 

 fully a mile square, destroying everything in its 

 course, and making an awful noise : the path 

 by which we had ascended in the morning was 

 intercepted by the flames, and we had to find 

 our way down by another way. In the evening 

 two officers returned from a hunting expedition ; 

 they had ridden many miles beyond where we 

 had been, and had killed three fine old rams, 

 with which they were returning, when they were 

 horrified to find their retreat cut off by the fire. 

 The path was completely obliterated, and it was 

 getting dark and almost impossible for them to 

 find their way, when most fortunately they hit 

 upon a trail which brought them to the settle- 

 ment. 



The following day we made an expedition to 

 the top of a hill, called Selkirk's look-out, where 

 Alexander Selkirk used regularly to watch for 

 passing vessels. A sharp climb took us to the 



