WAPITI-RUNNING ON THE PLAINS 85 



thirty feet high into the air, like as if a vast pent- 

 up flood of molten metal had suddenly burst its 

 barriers and spread over the plain. No living 

 creature that walks the earth, however fleet of 

 foot, could have escaped the fierce onslaught of 

 those flames. The approach of the fire was not 

 uniform and regular, but was affected by every 

 change and flaw of wind ; sometimes it would 

 move slowly, with a loud crackling noise like that 

 made by a bundle of dry sticks burning ; then it 

 would come tearing on in leaps and bounds, de- 

 vouring the earth and roaring like a huge furnace. 

 Occasionally a great body of fire advanced steadily 

 in one direction for some time, till, checked by 

 some change of wind, it would die down altogether, 

 or move on in some other course ; but, in spite of 

 occasional deflections of this kind, the general 

 drift of the fire was straight towards us, and it 

 soon became painfully evident that unless the 

 enemy could be checked or turned aside the fort 

 was doomed. Fire is an awful foe, but the men 

 met it gallantly — advancing in line, commanded 

 by their officers, as if moving against a living 

 enemy, only, instead of being armed with sabre 

 and rifle, they carried water-buckets and blankets. 

 As soon as they got as near as the intense heat 



