h a flame.

Not so upon the "weed-prairies," or those where the tall reed-grass
rises above the withers of a horse--its culms matted and laced together
by the trailing stems of various species of bindweed, by creeping
convolvulus, cucurbitacese, and wild pea-vines. In the dry season, when
a fire lays its hold upon vegetation of this character, there is danger
indeed--where it rages, there is death.

It was smoke that affected our eyes, causing them to wince and water.
Fire must be causing the smoke--what was on fire?

I could detect apprehension in the looks of my followers, as we rode on.
It was but slight, for as yet the smoke was scarcely perceptible, and
the fire, wherever it was, must be distant--so fancied we.

As we advanced, the glances of the men became more uneasy. Beyond a
doubt, the smoke was thickening around us, the sky was fast becoming
darker, and the pain in our eyes more acute.

"The woods are on fire," said Stanfield.

Stanfield was a backwoodsman--his thoughts ran upon "woods."

Whether forest or prairie, a conflagration was certainly raging. It
might be far off--for the wind will carry the smoke of a prairie fire a
long distance--but I had an unpleasant suspicion that it was _not_
distant. I noticed dropping around us the white floe of burnt leaves,
and from the intense bitterness of the smoke, I reasoned that it could
not have floated far--its gases were not yet dissipated.

It was not the distance of the fire that so much troubled me, as its
direction. The wind blew right in our teeth, and the smoke was
travelling with the wind. The conflagration must be ahead--directly
upon the trail!

The smoke grew thicker and thicker--ahead, the sky appeared slashed with
a lurid light; I fancied I could hear the crackling of the flames. The
air felt hot and dry: a choking sensation was produced in our throats,
and one and all were hacking and gasping for breath.

So dark had it suddenly become--or rather so blinded were we with the
smoke--we could scarcely make out the trail.

My followers would have stopped, but I urged them on. With voice and
example, I urged them on--myself leading the way. My heart was too full
of anxiety to make pause.

Where in all this were Rube and Garey? We had come far and fast; we
should now be nearly up with them--they could not be much ahead.

I halloed as we advanced.

"Hullow!" came the response, in the rough baritone of the younger
trapper.

We hurr