Jack pulled up the
pony's picket-pin, and brought her on also, while the other horses,
being loose, sought the place themselves. The flames came up to
the edge of the burned place, reached over for more grass, did not
find it, and died out. But on both sides of us they rushed on, and
soon overtook our little fire, and went on to the northwest. The
wind, first hot from the fire, now came cool and fresh, though full
of the odor of the burned grass.
"Closest call we've had," said Jack. "Yes," I replied; "been
pretty warm for us if we hadn't waked up. Our animals are doing
better; first Snoozer distinguished himself, and now I think we've
to thank Old Blacky mainly for this alarm."
We were pretty well frightened, and though we went back to bed, I
do not believe that any of us slept again that night. At the first
touch of dawn we were up. As it grew lighter, the great change in
the landscape became apparent. The gray of the prairie was turned
to the blackest of black. Only an occasional big staring buffalo
skull relieved the inkiness.
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