hair scorched from their
sides, and the wagon covers on fire, while the drivers feeling they
were safe sank on the sand, half way up the hill from exhaustion.

Mrs. Duncan, and the children, were soon by the wagons, tearing off the
covers, and by so doing, saved the contents from burning. Then pouring
water over and down the throats of their exhausted oxen, they were soon
able to breathe freely. In the meantime, by Mrs. Duncan's direction,
Anne had taken a basin of water and bathed the faces and hands of the
drivers, so that they were, though quite exhausted, very comfortable.
The fire rolled past them without reaching them further, and finally,
after having spent itself died away, leaving the broad prairie that was
at noon so heavily covered with verdure, a blackened plain.

"This is a pretty fix for us to get in, Duncan," said Howe, as the fire
rolling away, left them clear of smoke, and gave them a full view of
their position. "Here we are," he continued, "every drop of water
spent, without a blade of grass around us, begrimed with soot and
smoke, looking worse than any Indians I ever saw."

"We ought to be thankful," said Mr. Duncan, "that no lives are lost. We
have escaped better than we had reason to hope, placed as we were."

"To be sure we have escaped ourselves, but see what a pitiable plight
our oxen are in. They will not be able to draw another load in a week,
at least; and what are we to do in the meantime?"

"I declare, uncle, I think you have the horrors; for whoever before saw
you at a loss for an expedient under any circumstances?" said Jane,
with a merry twinkle in her eye; for this was a peculiar phase in her
uncle's character, to hold up to others the worst side of any
circumstance, while at the same time he was taking active measures to
remedy it. So in this instance: for he had already made arrangements to
reconnoitre the forest, that lay west of the Sand Hills, not over two
and a half miles distant. Accordingly, mounting one horse, with Lewis
on the other, they galloped over the plain, and striking the forest at
the nearest point, they found it dry, destitute of grass, and totally
unfit for a camping ground. Taking a circuit in a southerly direction,
where the surface seemed more broken, they found they were on higher
ground, and as they rode on, the thick undergrowth all the while
growing more dense, encouraged them to proceed; for which they were
rewarded by striking a small brooklet of pure