e rocky bare places, and the highest places, and wound
on, half a mile, over a point. This point, with a long slope from the
ridge to the valley there, was open and fire-proof. The lower end of the
line was that willow bog, which lay in a basin right in a split of the
timber. Away across from our ridge was another gravelly ridge, and
beyond that was the snowy range. (Note 53.)

The smoke was growing thick and strong, so that we could smell it plain.
The fire was coming right along, making for us. There were the three of
us to cover a half-mile or more of fire line, so we got busy. We divided
the line into three patrols, and set to work tramping down the brush on
the fire side of it and making ready.

Pretty soon wild animals began to pass, routed out by the fire. That was
fun, to watch deer and coyotes and rabbits and other things scoot by,
among the trees, as if they were moving pictures. Once I saw a wolf,
and little Jed Smith called that he had seen a bear. Kit Carson reported
that some of the animals seemed to be heading into the willow bog beyond
his end of the line.

It was kind of nervous work, getting ready and waiting for the fire. It
was worse than actual fighting, and we'd rather meet the fire halfway
than wait for it to come to us. But we were here to wait.

The fire did not arrive all at once, with a jump. Not where I was. A
thin blue smoke, lazy and harmless, drifted through among the trees, and
a crackling sounded louder and louder. Then there were breaths of hot
air, as if a dragon was foraging about. Birds flew over, calling and
excited, and squirrels raced along, and porcupines and skunks, and even
worms and ants crawled and ran, trying to escape the dragon. A wind
blew, and the timber moaned as if hurt and frightened. I felt sorry for
the pines and spruces and cedars. They could not run away, and they were
doomed to be burnt alive.

The birds all had gone, worms and ants and bugs were still hurrying, and
the timber was quiet except for the crackling. Now I glimpsed the dragon
himself. He was digging around, up the slope a little way, extending his
claws further and further like a cat as he explored new ground and
gathered in every morsel.

This is the way the fire came--not roaring and leaping, but sneaking
along the ground and among the bushes, with little advance squads like
dragon's claws or like the scouts of an army, reconnoitering. The
crackling increased, the hot gusts blew oftener, I cou