A Prairie Fire 



reached a dry bluff, which made me say : " It looks 

 bad for some of those fellows further west, so 

 we had better be off and see what we can do." 



" What about the stock ? " asked Tom. 



" We will leave them loose," I answered, 

 adding : " Our bulls won't be much use ploughing 

 in front of the fire, and they will all be safer 

 loose if the fire comes this way." 



So, armed with a bag each, we set forth, hurry- 

 ing across our breaking to a point just behind 

 the smoke. After walking about a mile, we came 

 to the edge of the burnt prairie, where the grass 

 was still burning slowly towards the north-west. 

 We walked briskly along this line, beating the 

 smouldering material out with our bags as we 

 walked. It was, however, before the wind in 

 a north-westerly direction that the main fire 

 was travelling. 



We soon came up to half a dozen men and boys 

 and one woman busily fighting a line of fire which 

 was travelling in a westerly direction, and were 

 able to take in the situation at this point. 



Immediately in front was a small slough or 

 lake, fringed with dry willow and some poplar, 

 ^n the north side of which, on rising ground, was a 



ittler's homestead with a shack and stable. The 



lain fire had gone away to the westward round 

 ^he south side of the slough, and the efforts of 



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