Mr. Riley had pulled in his horse almost immediately.
“We couldn’t get there in time to cross before it would be hot enough to scorch our hair off, Frank!” he exclaimed.
Bob expected that the only thing left for them to do would be to turn back over the plains and head once more for the shelter of the mountains from which they had so recently come. And with tired horses to depend on, the chances of their being speedily overtaken by that bounding wall of fire were pretty strong.
But Frank knew something about these things. He had listened to many tales of men who had been caught in such a trap; and how they had managed to escape destruction by some clever move.
“Notice the wind, that it’s a little off to one side!” he called out.
“Yes, that’s so, Frank,” replied Mr. Riley, knowing full well that the prairie boy must have some plan in view when he said this, and quite ready to join in with him in following that plan out.
“Our only chance lies in trying to outride the fire to the west!” cried Frank. “It’s eating that way slowly, and perhaps we can make it, so as to pass around that end. Come along, and make the horses do their prettiest now!”
With that they were off on the jump. Little need to dig their heels into the heaving sides of the animals. The sight of the fire, increasing in size constantly, as the wind carried the flames into new territory, was enough to excite the flagging energies of the three horses; and they rushed along at a pace that was little short of remarkable, considering their tired condition.
Bob would not let Domino fall behind, even had the black failed to show sufficient energy on his own account. It seemed to the Kentucky lad that once he became separated from his friends he must be overwhelmed in that dreadful fire.
Of course, since they were now galloping almost along the front of the blaze, it was constantly drawing closer to them. Bob could feel the increasing heat. It struck upon his face, and was entirely different from the sensation he had experienced because of the warmth of the day. This was dry, scorching. He could easily imagine what a fierce temperature there must be in the midst of that sizzling, dead grass.