many dogs, then the midnight air was rent in twain
by the vibrations caused from the firing of pistols and rifles.

"What now?" thought the ponderer. "Ye gods! this is a fearful
condition."

Some two miles away a faint red light grew up out of the mist. Wade
strained his eyes in an effort to discern more clearly the cause. The
light grew until the watcher could clearly discern the flickering blaze
as it leaped high into the heavens, apparently bent on devouring the
very stars that gave light to the darkened earth. Still the blaze grew,
sending forth sparks like great balloons of fire. Over a little way
beyond another light sprang up to greet the straining eyes of the
watcher, and also grew in brightness, until the whole landscape for
miles over the valley was one bright sea of flame. The sight was too
much for Wade; he could not sit longer and watch it from such a great
distance. Hastily saddling his horse he rode toward the conflagration,
having two specific objects in view. One, and the lesser, to witness the
great conflagration; the other, to learn something of interest to
himself.

The road over which he was traveling was so entirely new to him that he
found it quite difficult to make any speed, therefore he resigned
himself to a jog-trot, picking his way over ravines and around low
growing shrubs, sometimes emerging out into the open and traveling
beneath the large forest trees. He often wondered how it was possible
for the horsemen who had gone on ahead of him to have kept up such a
terrible speed on such a road. They knew the earth beneath their horses'
feet, every inch of it, and feared not, he concluded. Their horses were
fully acquainted with the rough way, and hesitated not. How friendly the
light of the waning moon appeared to that lonely traveler in that silent
dark region! How beautifully shone the little friendly stars, those
small heavenly bodies, from their homes in the clear blue sky! One does
not realize the full value of the moonlight until one has real necessity
for it, then its great value is known--indeed no value can be placed
upon it then.

No light now came from the conflagration he was desiring to witness, but
there would be, as soon as he emerged once more into the open. He went
on cautiously, until he came out into the moonlight again. Yonder to the
right of him was the fire, still burning brightly, sending up a
flickering blaze. He hurried his pace as much as possible over the road,
a