80 THE PLAINS. 



theft. Unless proper precautions are taken, horses are 

 almost sure to be lost, for nothing frightens animals so 

 thoroughly as fire. 



I have been followed for several days in succession 

 by a party of Indians, who fired the grass to windward 

 of my camp every night, forcing me to burn all round the 

 camp every evening before posting sentinels, and not only 

 to double the ropes securing the animals, but even to 

 keep on side lines to prevent their plunging at the picket 

 line. 



I once shot a deer, which, running a little distance, fell 

 dead in a grassy glade, surrounded by a thicket of trees, 

 bushes, and tall grass. Biding near the spot, I dismounted, 

 and, giving the horse to my servant to fasten, I walked to 

 the deer. He was a splendid animal, with, I think, the 

 most magnificent antlers I have ever seen. Admiring his 

 beautiful proportions and meditating how I would have 

 the head ' set up ' until the servant joined me, I leaned 

 my rifle against a convenient tree, some little distance off, 

 and we proceeded to disembowel my prize. 



Just then I wanted a smoke, filled my pipe, struck a 

 match, got a light, and blowing out the match (as I sup- 

 posed)** threw the extinguished stick behind me, and went 

 on with iny work. Scarcely a minute after, the servant 

 (who was holding while I cut the deer) sprang to his feet 

 with an exclamation, and, looking to the rear, I found the 

 grass blazing to the height of three or four feet. We 

 both jumped on the fire and attempted to put it out by 

 trampling with our feet. Finding this impossible and the 

 fire gaining, I directed him to run for the horses. I ran 

 for my gun, and the progress of the flames towards it was 

 so extremely rapid that I barely secured it in time. 

 Kunning off, and quartering to the wind, I fortunately 

 found under some large trees a spot of half an acre in 

 extent bare of grass and underbrush. Here I remained 

 for nearly half an hour, almost stifled by the smoke and 

 heat, until the fire had passed and the burned ground got 



