But these men, terrified by the imminence of the peril, had lost all self-possession. And then, what remedy could be employed? The flames formed an immense circle, of which the camp had become the centre. The strong breeze, however, which up to that moment had kept alive the conflagration, by lending it wings, sank all at once. There was not a breath of air. The progress of the fire slackened. Providence granted these unhappy creatures a few minutes more. At this moment the camp presented a strange aspect. All the men, struck with terror, had lost the sense even of self-preservation. The _lanceros_ confessed to each other. The guides were plunged in gloomy despair. The general accused Heaven of his misfortune. As for the doctor, he only regretted the plant he could not discover; with him every other consideration yielded to that. Doña Luz, with her hands clasped, and her knees on the ground, was praying fervently. The fire continued to approach, with its vanguard of wild beasts. "Oh!" cried the general, shaking the arm of the guide violently, "will you leave us to be burnt thus, without making an effort to save us?" "What can be done against the will of God?" the Babbler replied, stoically. "Are there no means, then, of preserving us from death?" "None!" "There is one!" a man cried, who, with a scorched face, and half-burnt hair, rushed into the camp, climbing over the baggage, and followed by another individual. "Who are you?" the general exclaimed. "That is of little consequence," the stranger replied, drily; "I come to save you! My companion and I were out of danger; to succour you we have braved unheard-of perils--that should satisfy you. Your safety is in your own hands; you have only to will it." "Command!" the general replied, "I will be the first to give you the example of obedience." "Have you no guides with you, then?" "Certainly we have," said the general. "Then they are traitors or cowards, for the means I am about to employ are known to everybody in the prairie." The general darted a glance of mistrust at the Babbler, who had not been able to suppress an appearance of disagreeable surprise at the sudden coming of the two strangers. "Well," said the hunter, "that is an account you can settle with them hereafter; we have something else to think of now." The Mexicans at the sight of this determined man, with his sharp impressive language, had instinctively beheld a preserver; they felt their courage revive with hope, and held themselves ready to execute his orders with promptness. "Be quick!" said the hunter, "and pull up all the grass that surrounds the camp." Everyone set to work at once. "For our part," the stranger continued, addressing the general, "we will take wetted blankets and spread them in front of the baggage."