Then he dropped the stick in the grass, with curious intent and a strange feeling of regret.
Instantly the grass blazed with a little sputtering roar.

Nagger snorted.

"Wildfire!" exclaimed Slone.

That word was a favorite one with riders, and now Slone used it both to call out his menace to the stallion and to express his feeling for that blaze, already running wild.
Without looking back Slone rode across the valley, dropping a glowing stick every quarter of a mile.

When he reached the other side there were a dozen fires behind him, burning slowly, with white smoke rising lazily.