ped at full speed over the ground. The motion
caused my wounds to bleed afresh, but it was no time to stop to bind
them up. I felt very weak, and the dreadful thought came across me
that, should I faint, my new friend would suppose me dead, and naturally
leave me to my fate. Might he not even do so, at all events, should the
fire come rapidly after us, for the sake of preserving his own life? He
seemed to divine my thoughts.

"`I will not desert you, lad,' he said. `Cheer up; we have but a few
leagues to go to reach a river, on the further side of which we shall be
safe. My good steed has been well accustomed to carry a heavy weight,
and he makes nothing of what he has now on his back.'

"While he was speaking, a loud dull roar like thunder was heard, and a
dense column of smoke rose upward from the spot where we had been
encamped.

"`Ah! ah! the red-skins have lost the booty they were so eager to
secure,' he exclaimed with a peculiar laugh.

"The fire had reached the camp, and the casks of powder had ignited and
blown the carts and the rest of their contents into the air.

"`We shall be safe from them, at all events,' observed the stranger;
`for they will not pull rein for many a long league from this, if they
should escape the effects of their own carelessness.'

"The raging fire had now extended from east to west as far as the eye
could reach, and came on even faster than we could move. Still the
dauntless hunter showed no signs of fear or intention of abandoning me,
that he might insure his own safety. The love of life was strong within
me, but I felt that it was almost unjust to allow him to risk his for
the sake of saving mine. Away we went, scouring the prairie, the hunter
urging on his steed with slackened rein and spur, and by word of mouth.
Already I could hear the ominous crackling and hissing of the flames as
they made their way over the long dry grass, and caught the bushes which
here and there were scattered over the plain. Every now and then the
hunter looked behind him. Nearer and nearer came the long line of fire
and smoke; the sky overhead was darkened; the air was hot and stifling.
Still he cheered on his steed. Fast as we went, the fire came faster.

"On and on we galloped, the dense smoke surrounding us. I gasped for
breath; already it seemed that the flames were close at the horse's
heels. The animal appeared to know his danger as well as his rider, and
sprang frantically forwa