BURNING PRAIRIE--FIGHTING FIRE.
We started out on an exploring expedition to hunt Indians when we left
Camp Pope. On the prairies there are enemies of various sorts--Indians,
dust, heat and fire. The latter is a most formidable weapon with the
Indian if the grass is plentiful and the weather dry, and they can use it
to great advantage if the attacking party is not cool headed.
Our sentinels were always instructed to report fire at once, no matter
how far off it might appear to be. This enemy came in good time--it
appeared one night when there was a high wind.
The flames spread, becoming one vast sheet, sweeping over the prairies--a
very roaring cataract of fire, the billows of which reached to the
clouds. Coming on at this rapid, relentless rate, it would envelop and
destroy the whole command.
To arms! to arms! we are called, by bugle and by drum, and in face of
this enemy, at a "double quick," we march out to meet it. In case of fire
the animals are frenzied, and it was a question at one time whether there
would not be a stampede.
The only way to conquer this sort of an enemy is to fight fire with
fire, and this is done by burning away from you; so we started our fire,
and as it burned away from us, we took possession of the burnt area as
the fire demon in the rear came roaring on to consume us in his hot
embrace. The red flames roared on high, the dense smoke obscured the moon
and the stars, the atmosphere was stifling and thick with coal black
dust, and the roar, as the fire fiend rolled on towards us, would have
struck terror to the stoutest heart did we not know that his fury would
soon be spent.