SEED PASSING OF A PRAIRIE FIRE 369 



throat and eyes were as red-hot cinders caught in a 

 whirlwind. 



I had nearly reached the potato-patch, which 

 would form another and considerable link in the 

 guard, and would give the flames at any rate a 

 roundabout trail to the house and the two-thousand- 

 bushel granary, which still contained seed and feed 

 grain of considerable value, when a growth of extra- 

 dry grass gave a sudden impulse to the flame. It 

 leaped into the air and raced along on its way 

 towards the stable-door. I plunged my sack into 

 the water and went for it with a desperate effort, 

 which was successful, but my last for the time being. 

 To my horror I found that energy had played out 

 completely ! For a moment there was neither a 

 bang nor a yell left in me, and between the burnt- 

 out guard and the potato-patch there still stretched 

 a patch of dry herbage. I looked towards the 

 flaming prairie to measure time. Between the 

 scarlet flames, now no longer steadily but audaciously 

 advancing along the fireproof trail, there came 

 running towards me the figure of a man I knew, and 

 in a few seconds he was at my side. He took up the 

 sack and went on with my task, and I made my 

 way round to the other side to find that my brother 

 had succeeded in linking his guard with the guard 

 of fallow land, so that we were comparatively safe 

 on that side from the big fire, though still in serious 

 danger from our own as the ever-freshening wind 

 rekindled dying sparks to vigorous life, and from 

 half a dozen places flame was creeping with the 

 swiftness of a serpent to the invasion of the bluff. 

 But my strength had come back and we fought them 

 one by one. 



2A 



