im; that I looked away
for very pity's sake, praying that I might quickly breathe the flames,
as I made sure he had, and so be the sooner past the anguish crisis.

There was good hope that the prayer would have a speedy answer. The
fires were burning clearer now, leaping up in broad dragon's tongues of
flame from the outer edges of the fagot piles to curtain off all that
lay beyond. Through the luminous flame-veil the capering savages took on
shapes the most weird and grotesque; and when I had a glimpse of the
dead men's row, each hideous face in it seemed to wear a grin of leering
triumph.

Thus far there had been never a puff of wind to fan the blaze. But now
above the shrilling of the Indian chant and the crackling of the flames
a low growl of thunder trembled in the upper air, and a gentle breeze
swept through the tree-tops.

So now I would commend my soul to God, making sure that the breath He
gave would go out on the wings of the first gust that should come to
drive the fiery veil inward. But when the gust came it was from behind;
a sweeping besom to beat down the leaping dragons' tongues; a pouring
flood of blessed coolness to turn the ebbing life-tide and to set the
dulled senses once more keenly alert.

With the wind came the rain, a passing summer-night's shower of great
drops spattering on the leaves above and dripping thence to fall hissing
in the fires. Then the thunder growled again; and into the monotonous
droning of the Indian chant, or rather rising sharp and clear above it,
came a sudden rattling fire of musketry from the camp in the
savanna--this, and the sharp skirling of the troop captain's whistle
shrilling the assembly.

While yet the flames lay flattened in the wind, I saw the Indians wheel
and bound away to the rescue of their camp like a pack of hounds in full
cry. In a trice they were wallowing through the stream at the foot of
the powder boulder; and then, as the flames leaped up again, a dark form
burst through the fiery barrier, my bonds were cut, and a strong hand
plucked me out of the scorching hell-pit.

If I did aught to help it was all mechanical. I do remember dimly some
fierce struggle to free my legs from the blazing tangle; this, and the
swelling sob of joy at the sight of the faithful Catawba hacking at
Dick's lashings and dragging him also free of the fire. And you may
believe the welcome tears came to ease the pain of my seared eyes when
my poor lad--I had thought him gon