earth it seemed was a raging sea of fire. Once
more the forests were ablaze in every direction. The blistering
tongues of fire had licked up the heavy rain, and were again roaring
destruction over the land.

Far as the eye could reach the lurid pall of smoke was spread out,
rolling upward and onward, borne upon the bosom of the gale. In its
midst, and through it, the merciless flames leapt up and up. The
booming of falling timbers, and the roar of the flames smote painfully
upon the hearts of the watchers. It was a spectacle to crush every
earthly hope. It was a sight so painful as to drive the mind of man
distracted. In all their lives these people had never imagined such a
terror. In all their lives they could never witness such again.

Theyof burning. There
was no darkness here beyond the blackened tree trunks, for the
brilliant summer sun lit up the glades, which, for ages, no sun's rays
had ever penetrated. The sense of ruin was passing from the minds of
these children of the wilderness. Their focus had already adapted
itself. Almost, even, their youthful eyes and hearts saw new beauties
springing up about them. It was the work of that wonderful fount of
hope, which dies so hardly in us all, and in youth never.

At length they left the mouldering skeletons behind them, and the
gracious, waving, tawny grass of the plains opened out before their
gladdened eyes. A light breeze tempered the glorious sunlight, and set
ripples afloat upon the waving crests of the motionless rollers of a
grassy ocean.

Buck drew his horse down to a walk