Grey winding-sheets of smoke wrapped them, and of the out dun clouds a column of fire fell presently, leaving a scarlet streak across the sight. Red flames ran like merry monkeys up the swinging moss-beard of an ancient spruce; twitched little branches off and flung them on Dick's head. Flames crept unseen up the stairway of a hollow trunk, and waved triumphant banners as the wild bees rolled out in a terrified swarm or the squirrels rushed and tumbled to their death below. And everywhere the forest moaned and cried, and fought the coming death, and bowed and fell before it. In the air; from the sky; up from the tormented earth, the man recognised the cry of the helpless against the devourer; of nature against the hideously unnatural; of life against death. Branches cracked and flew off with the report of pistols. Tall trees pitched sideways with a human shriek, bearing others down; and the fire leapt on the ruin with the chuckling hurry of the despoilers of the slain.
A man who knew less of horses than Dick did could never have forced the terrified gelding down those trails where he plunged and reared and struggled against the bit that was growing hot in his mouth. Heat seared the eye-balls and parched the lips; shooting flames snatched and bit, and smoke drove into the labouring lungs. The gelding pitched suddenly; and before Dick found his feet again the glazing eyes and shivering outstretched body told him all that he needed to know. He stooped, wrenching off his spurs in two quick movements.
"But I've only one boot-sole left," he said, and turned and crashed into the brush with never a look behind. The dying horse had come to the end of the passage, even as he himself would come some day. But it had done its work first. If he brought so good a record he would be content.
It was Slicker, smoking his fifth cigarette, and still trying to cheer Grange, who saw something loom and gather shape and stagger near in the rift. He ran forward; caught Dick's shoulder, and felt the cloth crisp and melt under his hand. But sudden strangling, unexpected sobs kept him from any words at all. Dick did not heed. Stopped in his blind reeling progress, he sat down
