Sunset Ranch: A Story of a Boy's Adventures in the West — page 33: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Chased by a Prairie Fire. 27 waters of the Powder River, they gazed upon the sublime spectacle presented when the on-sweeping prairie fire bucked up against this obstacle to its further progress, and Karl vouched for the fact that many a conflagration had this same old river turned back in the days that were gone. The roar decreased in volume, the awful blaze be- gan to die out, with here and there a dead tree flashing up like a gigantic torch. But the fire had met its death and sullenly ac- quiesced in its destiny, since the breeze had failed to carry the sparks across the green belt marking the river’s course. All this the newcomer saw with wondering eyes, never to forget what danger lies in a careless spark upon the billowy plains at a certain time of year. “Come,” said Karl, at length, “we must ford the river while we can see. The other shore will give us a camp. For one, I haven’t had enough sleep, and I kinder reckon poor old Buckskin feels like he could drop.”’ The cowboy always thinks of his horse, nor can this be wondered at when that animal means every- thing to him, even as the fleet steed of the desert does to the Arab or Bedouin. ; So they cautiously made their way across, Karl on the watch against quicksands, for the river was notoriously treacherous in this regard. Thanks to Karl’s sagacity, they reached the op- posite bank in safety, and not being very particular, threw themselves upon the ground to rest. Presently, however, Karl thought best to make a fire at which they could dry their clothes after a fashion, for he remembered that his companion had never spent nights on the range tending cattle in the midst of tropical downpours, with only an old yellow “slicker” for protection, and slept comfort- ComiclOoks (C@