A PRAIRIE FIRE. 87 



think, about thirty miles by sunset. The country was unin- 

 teresting, being what is called a rolling prairie, covered with 

 small ponds, on which were a few ducks, and of these we 

 managed to shoot three, and when they were split open and 

 broiled they made us a capital supper. 



The first eleven days of our journey were very uneventful, 

 the only incident being the unsuccessful stalk of a white-tailed 

 deer and the shooting of two wolves ; but on the night of the 

 twelfth day we were awoke by feeling our feet burning, and on 

 jumping up we found the whole prairie on one side of us on fire, 

 and three sides of a large blanket on which we were sleeping 

 quite black. We at once rushed to the horses, pulled up the 

 picket-pins, and rode them into a swamp, by the side of which 

 we had camped in order to get willows for our beds. We 

 then rescued our bedding, or what remained of it, and our 

 rifles, which, lying in the middle of the blanket, had escaped 

 damage, and joined the horses in the swamp. The fire soon 

 passed us, leaving the whole country a black desert, the ponds 

 and a little marshy ground round them being the only green 

 spots not a pleasant prospect for us, as we had to follow the 

 fire, our journey lying in the same direction. There was no 

 use in going to bed again ; so we had breakfast and started at 

 once, making a long day's journey. We hoped to find that 

 the fire had been stopped by some large stream, but all those 

 which we passed during the day had been too small for the 

 purpose, and the fire had leaped over them. We had therefore 

 to camp by a swamp, and picket our horses in it, their only 

 food being the wet rushes, which were very bad for them, as 

 such food is very likely to give them colic. 



I noticed that Badger had been in very bad spirits all day, 



