"But you'll be burned!" she exclaimed. "The fire is coming closer."
And indeed the flames, closing up the circle of fire, were drawing nearer and nearer.
"I'll be all right," he assured her. "I just want to get some pictures showing the wagon and the cowboys going across the creek. Then I'll wade across myself. Of course I'd like to get a front view, but I'll have to be content with a rear one."
And as the wagon drawn by the frantic horses plunged into the water, followed by the shouting cowboys and the members of the film company, Russ calmly set his camera up on the edge of the stream, and took a magnificent film that afterward, under the title "The Escape from Fire," made a great sensation in New York.
The brave young operator remained until he felt the heat of the flames uncomfortably close and then, holding his precious camera high above his head, he waded into the creek. The waters did not come above his waist, and when he was safe on the other side with his friends, finding he had a few more feet of film left, he took the pictures showing the fire as it raged and burned the last of the grass, and other pictures giving views of the exhausted men, women and horses in a temporary camp.
"Whew! But that was hot work!" cried Mr. Bunn, mopping his face.
"You're right," agreed Mr. Pertell. "I don't believe I'll chance any more prairie fires. This one rather got away from us."
There was a shout from some of the cowboys who stood in a group on the bank of the creek.
"Look! Look at those fellows!" cried Bow Backus. "They just got out of the fire by a close shave—same as we did."
They all looked to where he pointed.