Year: 1871

1t was in 1916, [ think, and 1 was
bearing dispatches from Fremont to
General Kearney in regard to the con-
quest of that country.


"The Colonel wanted me to take
an escort, but 1 knew that would not
do, so started off by myself. Be-
! fore L got through, 1 had good reason
to congratulate myself that L wasn't
bothered with a lot of numbering
! dragons.


THE route 1 chose lay around by
Pyramid Lake, thence eastward along
a canon in Mary's River Mountains,
by the southern shore of Utah Lake,
and then direct over the Wausatch
range.


''It is good deal easier to lay this
route down than it is to travel it
The country was swarming with war
and hunting parties, and as fast as I
would shake loose from one, another
would be on my trail or heading me
off, till L really began to thiuk I'd
have to back out and take the return
path.


Il managed, however, to get thro'
to the Wasatch, and cross them with
out any very serious adventure; but
Immediately after striking the level
land on the eastern side, came very
near having my tramp cut short in a
manner not at all agreeable.


Eastward from the foot of the
mountains there stretches wide sweep
Of rolling prairie, without timber or
| lush, and covered for some distance
with rich growth of buffalo grass,
beyond which the weed prairie began.
| knew that the Indians were moving
on the high grounds. and consequent
ly the moment ventured out upon
the open prairie would be sighted.
In view of this l determined to wait
for night, which I did, and shortly
after dark ventured from cover and
struck across the plain.


cat midnight l. halted for an hour,
having entered the weeds and high
grass, and then pushed ahead as fast
AS the nature of the ground would
permit.


''For perhaps three hours after my
midnight halt [ kept steadily ahead,
at the end of which time reddish
glow along the eastern horizon gave
me to understand that day was break
ing. At least such was my impression
Oh first sighting it, and for some little
time after, when it suddenly occurred
to me that I was either wrong in my
calculation of time. or else day was
dawning some two hours sooner than
it ought.


81 turned to look at the stars in the
| west and south, but they made it only
! about four o'clock; but then, as [
looked eastward, there was the un-
mistakable evidence that the sun was
about to show his face for new day.
But was not long in doubt. My
prairie life, years of it, had taught me
all the signs, and when 1 really came
to reflect upon the matter-I had paid
| but passing attention to it before-1
knew the cause of that red glow which
had deceived me.


"The prairie was afire. And when
after wetting my finger and holding
it up, 1 found that the wind, what
there was of it, was blowing directly
from the east, began to fully realize
that MY situation might become one
os deadly peril. Had there been
anything of breeze, 1 could have
avertcd all danger and saved myself
by clearing space and starting fire
to lceward, but there was not, and l
knew the dry grass and weeds would
burn in every direction.


1.-The dull red glow on the border
had rapidly assumed i brighter hue,
| opJ tl,i, v,,S p,Dr,optori1y inprenSinor
You understand that the heat and
flame OF the fire always create an ar
tifcial breeze, by which the conaagra,
tion is driven forward three, or even
more times as fast as the natural wind
may be travelling at the tine.


"Ahead of me there was a consid-
cradle roll in the prairie, and to the
top of this l pushed as fast as possible.
From the summit of the rise l had a
fair view of the appalling scene, for
such it Was, assure You.


81 then discovered that the fire was
coming down with terrible rapidity,
being driven onward, the advance
courier, as it were, of a storm that
was rolling up in the east


"But there was something else 1
saw. There we're mounted men be-
tween me and the fire, and they were
urging their horses with frantic efforts,
as they fled before the leaping flames.
I could see the light of the fire flash
upon tn ,ir arms, helmets and metal
shields, and knew that they were Ma
, vajoes.


Still beyond them was. long dark
line of swiftly moving objects, stretch
ing away on either hand as far as my
eye could reach.


"These were buffaloes, an immense
herd Of them, and as saw the funny
condition of affairs, great as the dan
ger was, could not help laughing
Here was q prairie fire chasing herd
of buffaloes, the buffaloes alter war
party of Navajoes, and these last, as
we'll as the others, all laundering
down on me, single man, out Of the
reach of the faintest chance of escape,
and with no alternative but to stand
and take it.


''But had no idea of giving up
without trial for it any how.


II knew rlmning-I was on foot,
you will would be worse
than useless. There was no cover,
not bush nor a crark in the earth,
into which could squeeze myself
My only chance was to reach the
mountains l had left some hours he
fore. But how to get there was the
question.


GA man in such fix as chat will
think fast, and it did not take me long
so make up my mind that there was