IN THE 1'AR WEST. 273 



might not bo compelled to make any efforts to obtain it. 

 After this J returned to camp, and I had scarcely done so 

 ere a violent storm, accompanied by thunder and lightning 1 , 

 burst forth with the greatest fury. The rain seemed to come 

 down in black lines through a yellowish atmosphere ; the 

 lightning darted like flashes of electric light across the sky; 

 and the mountains seemed to fairly vibrate beneath the shocks 

 of thunder that growled, spluttered, and roared without much 

 intermission nearly all night long. When I awoke the next 

 morning the air was so clear and bracing that I concluded to 

 have a walk before breakfast, but, on emerging from my tent, 

 I was surprised to see volumes of dense smoke hanging over a 

 portion of the mountain in the direction of the Indian camp, 

 and to note the occasional appearance of a tongue of lurid 

 light as it shot skywards. 



I realized the situation at once, and as the flames appeared 

 to be approaching my position, I struck tent in the promptest 

 manner, and then awaited the arrival of my companion most 

 anxiously, for I was very much afraid that if he did not 

 hasten, the trophies of the week would be lost to us. lie did 

 not disappoint me, as he arrived at an early hour, and after 

 placing the teams and venison in a place of safety, we tried to 

 enter the forest in the direction of the Indian camp, to see if 

 we could rescue the poor creatures who had been left thoro; but 

 we found all our efforts unavailing, owing to the density of the 

 smoke, which blinded and partially suffocated us, and the terror 

 of our horses, which nothing could induce to charge through 

 the black clouds. Finding we could do nothing further, we 

 wheeled about and rode back to our cache, but not a moment 

 too soon, as the fire had broken out so closely behind us that 

 we were just able to flank it without being compelled to get 

 any nearer the crackling flames than to barely feel their heat, 

 though the smoke was thick and choking enough to make us 

 gag a little and to bring the tears in streams to our eyes. 

 Had we been a little later in getting away, we should have 

 been forced to leave our horses to their fate, as we could not 

 have ridden them across a chasm that approached our position, 

 closely on the left, and which would have obstructed our 

 passage had. we not been able to Hank it by our timely retreat. 



T 



