70 PRAIRIE FIRES. 
for that purpose in so high a wind. An hour was passed nervously 
watching the progress of the light and listening to the moaning of 
the wind, as it roughly swept the newly frost-killed grass. At last 
I could distinctly see the fire making its way down to the stream 
upon the further valley side; then for a time its light seemed 
. to be gone, and I hoped its progress had been stayed by the water 
of the stream, but in a few moments more it had gained the 
top of the hither valley side. No time was now to be lost, so 
quickly arousing my companions, and bidding them follow me with 
their blankets, I seized a brand from the camp-fire and running a 
few rods to the leeward, a moment sufficed us to start a new fire 
from our camp, its progress towards it (for it will sometimes work 
its way slowly against the wind) being arrested by the beating of 
our blankets. One man then leading the horses into the burnt 
space, we followed, dragging tent, bedding, harness and camp- 
chest ; then seizing the wagon, which was fortunately upon inclin- 
ing ground, we rolled it safely in by the light of the fire we had 
kindled and also of that which was fast approaching us. Scarcely 
had we secured the last article and passed within the charmed 
circle, when the dense flames, leaping high in the air and rolling 
like surf upon the sea-shore, gathered around us, and enveloped us 
with their hot and suffocating smoke. We all, horses and men, 
stood there motionless ; conscious of our safety it is true, but with 
an instinctive feeling of terror at the danger we had escaped. 
We were upon a hollow island in a sea of fire. A moment more, 
and it was a peninsula, for the advancing fire-flood parted around 
us; andshen we were left in the darkness, intensified by the black- 
ness of the charred earth, while the flames swept on over the dis- 
tant prairie, like a troop of flying fiends. 
Gathering our scattered equipage together, we lay down again 
for the night, with no regret except that our faithful horses could 
not have their accustomed grazing. Next morning found us in the 
midst of a dreary blackened waste, not “without the smell of fire 
“pon our garments,” but we were free from similar danger until we. 
. should reach a region of unburnt prairie. 
