for the fire had rolled across our track, consuming every blade of grass
in its course, and our only hope of safety was to continue onward and
endeavor to outstrip our enemy.

Suddenly Day checked his horse, and waited for us to gain his side.

"We can't get to the river this way," he said, hurriedly, "for the grass
is all on fire in front of us, and is burning like a furnace. Our
animals would drop before they got twenty rods, and then where should we
be?"

The question was too pertinent to be answered readily, even if we had
the time.

"I think that we had better take to the woods on our right and endeavor
to gain the mountain, or the foot of it at least. The fire does not
spread so fast in the vicinity of the trees, although there is more
smoke than on the open land."

"There is danger of our getting confused, and rushing into the fire,
instead of out of it," replied Mr. Brown, in answer to my suggestion.

"Not if Day knows the ground," I replied.

"I know every rod of it between here and the Loddon," he answered,
promptly.

"Then lead the way, and the risk be on my head," I said, turning my
horse's head in the direction of the woods.

The shepherd hesitated for a moment, and while he was considering the
matter, a huge kangaroo bounded from the woods on our left, passed
within ten feet of us, and disappeared in the smoke that was rising from
the trees on our right. A second afterwards my horse suddenly started,
and with difficulty could I control him. I thought that the fire had got
under his feet, but a glance to the ground convinced me that such was
not the case, and that the animal was frightened at something more
dreadful than the flames, for creeping across the trail, with head erect
and flashing eyes, was a huge diamond snake, nearly fifteen feet long
and about fourteen inches in diameter. The serpent was too eager to make
his escape, and was too much frightened to think of molesting us, but I
was not sorry to lose sight of him, although at any other time I would
have given him the contents of my revolver.

"That kangaroo knows the best route for getting clear of the danger.
Let's follow him."

Day's idea of following the animal was good, but it was exceedingly
probable that the brute was half a mile from us before we made up our
minds which direction to take. Kangaroos get over the ground with more
than railroad speed, each bound which they make averaging from fifteen
to twenty-five feet in len