stood there, trembling at the thought of Herky and his comrades
bound hand and foot, the first roar of the forest fire reached my ears.
It threatened, but it roused my courage. I jumped as if I had been
shot, and clattered down that crag with wings guiding my long leaps. No
crevice or jumble of loose stones or steep descent daunted me. I reached
the horse, and, grasping the bridle, I started to lead him. We had
zigzagged up, we went straight down. Target was too spirited to balk,
but he did everything else. More than once he reared with his hoofs high
in the air, and, snorting, crashed down. He pulled me off my feet, he
pawed at me with his great iron shoes. When we got clear of the roughest
and most thickly overgrown part of the descent I mounted him. Then
I needed no longer to urge him. The fire had entered the canyon,
the hollow roar swept up and filled Target with the same fright that
possessed me. He plunged down, slid on his haunches, jumped the logs,
crashed through brush. I had continually to rein him toward the camp. He
wanted to turn from that hot wind and strange roar.

We reached a level, the open, stony ground, then the pool. The
pack-ponies were standing patiently with drooping heads. The sun was
obscured in thin blue haze. Smoke and dust and ashes blew by with the
wind. I put Target's nose down to the water, so that he would drink.
Then I cut packs off the ponies, spilled the contents, and filled my
pockets with whatever I could lay my hands on in the way of eatables.
I hung a canteen on the pommel, and threw a bag of biscuits over
the saddle and tied it fast. My fingers worked swiftly. There was a
fluttering in my throat, and my sight was dim. All the time the roar of
the forest fire grew louder and more ominous.

The ponies would be safe. I would be safe in the lee of the big rocks
near the pool. But I did not mean to stay. I could not stay with those
men lying tied up in the cabin. Herky had saved me. Still it was not
that which spurred me on.

Target snorted shrilly and started back from the water, ready to
stampede. Slipping the bridle into place, I snapped the bit between his
teeth. I had to swing off my feet to pull his head down.

Even as I did this I felt the force of the wind. It was hard to breathe.
A white tumbling column of smoke hid sky and sun. All about me it was
like a blue twilight.

The appalling roar held me spellbound with my foot in the stirrup. It
drew my glance even in that m