The general, the captain, and the doctor, under the directions of the hunter, did as he desired, whilst his companion lassoed the horses and the mules, and hobbled them in the centre of the camp. "Be quick! be quick!" the hunter cried incessantly, "the fire gains upon us!" Everyone redoubled his exertions, and, in a short time a large space was cleared. Doña Luz surveyed with admiration this strange man, who had suddenly appeared among them in such a providential manner, and who, amidst the horrible danger that enveloped them, was as calm and self-possessed as if he had had the power to command the awful scourge which continued to advance upon them with giant strides. The maiden could not take her eyes off him; in spite of herself, she felt attracted towards this unknown preserver, whose voice, gestures,--his whole person, in short, interested her. When the grass and herbs had been pulled up with that feverish rapidity which men in fear of death display in all they do, the hunter smiled calmly. "Now," he said, addressing the Mexicans, "the rest concerns me and my friend; leave us to act as we think proper; wrap yourselves carefully in damp blankets." Everyone followed his directions. The stranger cast a glance around him, and then after making a sign to his friend, walked straight towards the fire. "I shall not quit you," the general said, earnestly. "Come on, then," the stranger replied, laconically. When they reached the extremity of the space where the grass had been pulled up, the hunter made a heap of plants and dry wood with his feet, and scattering a little gunpowder over it, he set fire to the mass. "What are you doing?" the general exclaimed, in amazement. "As you see, I make fire fight against fire," the hunter replied, quietly. His companion had acted in the same manner in an opposite direction. A curtain of flames arose rapidly around them, and, for some minutes, the camp was almost concealed beneath a vault of fire. A quarter of an hour of terrible anxiety and intense expectation ensued. By degrees the flames became less fierce, the air more pure; the smoke dispersed, the roarings of the conflagration diminished. At length they were able to recognise each other in this horrible chaos. A sigh of relief burst from every breast. The camp was saved! The conflagration, whose roaring became gradually more dull, conquered by the hunter, went to convey destruction in other directions. Everyone rushed towards the stranger to thank him. "You have saved the life of my niece," said the general warmly; "how shall I discharge my debt to you?" "You owe me nothing, sir," the hunter replied, with noble simplicity; "in the prairie all men are brothers; I have only performed my duty by coming to your assistance." As soon as the first moments of joy were past, and the camp had been put in a little order, everyone felt the necessity for repose after the terrible anxieties of the night.