Now for a good wind and
from the looks of things it's going to come,' and it did.

"Later it came on to blow, as it only can in the high altitudes.

"It was a wind from the New Mexican Desert, blowing through the canyons
and roaring over the summits of the range. The fierce wind that blows
from stark, clear horizons."

CHAPTER IX

A MOUNTAIN FIRE

It was the afternoon of the third day of our imprisonment that Jim and I
had first discovered the forest fire.

"I suppose we will be like two beautiful browned potatoes with the
jackets on," laughed Jim, who could not be disconcerted by any crisis.
"Don't you worry, Jo, we will be pretty safe here I'm thinking."

We watched the rolling clouds of smoke with decided interest. The whole
of the south side of the range seemed involved and no line of battle
ever sent up more dense volumes of smoke.

"What do you suppose started it?" I asked.

"It could happen in several ways," replied Jim. "It might be by some
wandering Indians or a trapper. Then again a stroke of lightning might
have started it."

"They are not uncommon anyway," I remarked. "You can tell that by the
thousands of dead trees that are fallen in the mountains."

"The new growth comes on quick, that's one good thing," said Jim.

We stood watching the rolling columns of smoke with fascinated interest.
It seemed as if the whole south range had burst into a dozen eruptive
volcanoes.

"Is that roaring sound the fire?" I asked.

"No, that must be the wind that is driving it," replied Jim.

"It won't do a thing to this valley," I said. "Just look at the thick
brush that covers the mountain side."

"Yes," remarked Jim, "and those pine trees, my! won't they burn?"

"I bet it will beat a prairie fire," I said.

"That's the one thing that we missed in Kansas," remarked Jim.

"But this will make up for it," I commented quickly.

"Yes, I reckon it will be more exciting than that cyclone twister that
came near wafting us away," Jim said.

It was a lurid night when the sun went down in the clouds of smoke like
a great red ball. Then as night came on we saw the glare of the fire in
the smoke and the rolling clouds were great red columns flowing in white
capitals.

"Here she comes," cried Jim.

As he spoke a great pine on the upper crest was transformed into a
pillar of flame. The first crackle became a whole roaring volley as the
charging fire swept to the summit, its red chargers spurred on by t