lips, and keen eyes, sat there on his
strongly-built mustang, his rifle held across his saddle, he did look
like a man very capable of doing what he said he had done, and what he
said he would do. Nearly all hands were raised up.

"Thank you, friends," he said; "I will stay another day with you, and we
will talk the matter over again. If a fair number are determined to
move, we will go together; if not, I shall soon find others who know
their interests better than you seem to do."

Saying this, he dismounted, and went to spend the evening with Mr
Claxton, who was one of his chief adherents.

I returned home to report to Uncle Mark what Mr Sparks had said; but he
was doubtful about moving till he had secured a purchaser for the land
we had cleared with so much labour.

We were about to turn in for the night, when Quambo, who had been to
look after the cattle and pigs, reported that he observed a peculiar
glare through the opening towards the west, though no camp-fire was
likely to be burning in that direction. We all hurried out to look at
what the black had described, and saw the brilliancy of the glare
rapidly increasing.

"It is such a fire as it will take many bucketfuls of water to put out!"
exclaimed Uncle Mark. "As I live, boys, the forest is in flames! And
they are likely to extend pretty rapidly, too, with the wood dry as it
now is."

"What had we better do?" I asked.

"Collect our cattle, pigs, and poultry, take our guns and ammunition,
and a supply of food, and get out of the wood as fast as possible," he
answered, quite calmly. "In a few minutes, if I mistake not, we shall
have the forest blazing away all round us; and nothing that I know of
can save the hut from destruction. It will be fortunate if the village
itself escapes, for the forest comes close up to it on two sides; and
there will be no time to clear away the trees, and put an open belt
between the houses and the fire."

Influenced by Uncle Mark's spirit, we immediately set to work to drive
in the cattle, set the pigs free, and collect the poultry. We loaded
the waggon with as many articles as it could carry; and harnessing the
oxen, commenced our retreat.

We were not a moment too soon, for already the forest to the westward
was in a blaze, extending from the river far away to the north. A
narrow belt of trees alone remained between us and the conflagration,
the dense smoke, curling in thick wreaths, being sent by the wind
to