allowed to feed during the night they would be unable to carry
us the next day.

After leaving our horses to pick up their supper, we were about to
return to our cave, when, on looking to the eastward, we observed that
the fire was making most rapid progress in our direction. We felt
thankful indeed that we were on the right side of the river.

On came the conflagration, the heat sensibly increasing every minute,
while dark wreaths of smoke filled the air, below which the burning
grass and shrubs hissed and crackled. The darkness of night added to
the fearful character of the scene. As far as the eye could reach there
appeared a long unbroken line of fire: now, as it caught some thick bush
or clump of trees, forked flames rose high in the air; in other places
it came along maintaining the same height, but ever advancing, till it
reached the bank of the river, when every shrub and tree was enveloped
in a sheet of fire; and notwithstanding the width of the river, we
expected every instant to see some of the sparks carried across, and the
whole country on our side given over to destruction. We might save our
own lives, but our horses would inevitably be lost.

We sat anxiously watching the conflagration as it raged along the entire
bank: now the sparks, wafted by the wind, flew high into the air; now
burning branches fell hissing into the water.

"It's all very fine," observed Mike, after watching it for some time;
"but I would rather be afther going quietly to slape."

I felt quite as tired as did Mike, but I sat up till my eyes began to
close and my head to droop, and I could not for the life of me tell what
I was looking at. I had just sense enough left to lie down alongside
Mike, when I was almost directly asleep. I do not think I ever slept
more soundly in my life than I did on that occasion. So thoroughly
wearied out was I, that I forgot all about the fire raging within a few
hundred yards of us; or prowling wolves, or Indians, or rattlesnakes,
which might have made their holes in the bank.

When I awoke I found Mike sitting up, dawn having just broken. The fire
had burned itself out, a few burning embers alone appearing on the
opposite side, with here and there a blackened stem of some tree which
had resisted the flames. One side of the river presented a scene of
utter desolation, while the other was still green, and glittering with
the dew of early morn.

We knelt down and returned thanks to God fo