wered. "Look
there, Masther Roger. What does that mane?"

He pointed, as he spoke, to a long line of what looked like grey mist,
forming wreaths, and rising above the horizon to the westward.

I saw several of the Indians standing up in their stirrups and gazing in
the same direction. They knew perfectly well what it was, but they were
trying to ascertain a point of vital importance to us all. The prairie
was on fire! Of that there was no doubt; but, in order to give
themselves the best chance of saving their lives, it was necessary to
settle, before galloping forward, what course to take.

While the Indians were discussing this point, Mike, who had been looking
about him, exclaimed to me,--"There is one way we want to go, and that
is to the north-east. Never mind if we do get singed a little, for
sure, as we came along, I remember that we passed several swamps. If we
can get into one of them we shall be safe, as the fire won't be afther
crossing the wather."

"But the Indians will probably take the same direction," I observed.

"Sure, if they intinded doing that same, they would have been off at
once," he answered. "They have some raison for what they think of
doing, and we have another for what we will do; so come along, Masther
Roger. There's only one thing I mourn for, and that is me fiddle; but
no matther; maybe I will be afther getting that another time.
Whallop-ahoo-aboo! Erin go bragh!" Then digging his heels into his
horse's flanks, he set off in the direction he proposed; and I, seeing
that the Indians were too much occupied to notice us, galloped after
him.

As I turned my head I saw them scampering along towards the north-west.
The fire having approached with far greater rapidity than I could have
supposed possible, I began to fear that they were right and we were
wrong, when I saw the flames catching the dry grass and flaring up
furiously, with dense masses of black smoke above them, and already
scarcely a mile behind us; indeed, they looked very much nearer. Onward
came the conflagration, faster than any horse could gallop. Happily we
had the start of it, but we must, we knew, keep our steeds at the utmost
stretch of their powers to maintain a safe distance.

As our course diverged more and more from that of the Indians, they soon
discovered our object, and shouted to us to accompany them.

"Bawl away, me boys!" answered Mike. "It is not convanient just now to
attind to you."

When