"Well, sir," he began in a weak voice, "I believe it's the closest call I've had this long time, and I never want to get into such another tight place, where breath is so scarce. I'd killed the buffalo and begun ripping open the hide to skin it back, and just then I got a smell of grass a-burning, and, looking up, I saw in a jiffy what a trap I was in and no way out of it unless I could fly. Suddenly I thought of that skame that Peck read about the other night, and in a minute I was cutting and slashing in blood up to my shoulders. "I ripped open the throat and cut off the windpipe and cut loose everything around the lights inside as far as I could reach. Then I started in behind the brisket and ripped open the belly and reached in and got a holt of the windpipe and begun pulling the entrails back, and all the time I was too busy to look up to see how nigh the fire was a-getting; but I knew by the smoke thick around me and the roar of the fire that I didn't have any time to fool away. "When I got the in'ards dragged out I placed my wolfskin coat over the opening I'd made in the breast and then propped up the short ribs and flank with me carbine so's I could crawl in, and in I went, pulling my carbine in after me; and none too soon, either, for the fire was roaring around me and I could smell the wool a-burning in a second after I'd got inside. "And then's when I begun to smell hell for sure! The little bit of fresh air that was inside the buffalo soon gave way to hot smoke, and oh, man! it was horrible! I hope I may never come so nigh suffocation again. "After the fire had passed and I began to breathe again, I felt weak and all gone, like I hadn't strength enough to crawl out of the carcass. I wondthered whether you would ever find my remains. I laid there awhile and by and by I began to feel better, and then I crawfished out backwards. After shaking myself together I says to myself, says I, 'Never say die, Jacky boy! You're better than two dead men yet, so you are!' And picking up my carbine I made a brave stagger for camp, but if you hadn't met me with the horse it's a long time I'd 'a' been getting here, so I would." CHAPTER XXII SATANK ARRIVES Early March found us closing up our affairs at the camp, preparatory to starting back to the settlements. We had succeeded in taking a few more than our three thousand wolfskins; and in addition to these we would have nearly a wagonful of bales of the dressed buffalo robes and other skins we had traded for with To hausen's people, together with the beaver, otter, antelope, and other pelts we had taken in our camp.