74 FIRE ON THE MOUNTAINS. 



should not enjoy the same exemption from death. My 

 pet cimaron shuddered at the sight of the ravenous wolves, 

 and crept close to my side. 



Following custom in such cases, I drew my animals into 

 as small a space as possible, and then fell to work pulling 

 up the herbage within a circle of about fifty feet in dia- 

 meter. As it was extremely scanty, this was a labor 

 quickly performed. The fire swept far and near. I was 

 completely surrounded by the flames, but succeeded in 

 keeping myself and stock unscorched. When any herbage 

 caught my camp, I quickly trampled it out, and although 

 thus kept rather busy, I rendered myself more secure. 

 From the direction of the wind, I judged that the Sho- 

 shonee encampment would escape the fire. For this, I 

 thanked God, as had the encampment been attacked, Joe 

 would have been abandoned to his fate. 



I was unacquainted with the origin of the fire ; but 

 conjectured that some marauding Indians, perhaps Ara- 

 pahoes, had taken this method of destroying some of their 

 enemies, or stealing their horses and mules, as this is 

 often attempted. Occasionally, however, these tremen- 

 dous fires originate in accident, such as dropping a spark 

 among some dry leaves, or the blowing away of a small 

 coal from a camp-fire which innocent incendiary is left 

 to commence the work of destruction, because unobserved. 



For two days I remained encamped on this island, in 



