84 THE NAUTILUS. 



compromised and camped anyhow. Beds were made in the 

 trail. Before saying good-night a couple of heavily armed men 

 came riding rapidly up the trail in search of a horse thief. We 

 were questioned closely and our steeds inspected by flashlight. 

 They did not find a chestnut horse, and we escaped. 



Next a ranchman, we had heard helping the Metcalf Mexi- 

 cans celebrate their independence day, came riding, roaring, 

 questioning and horse inspecting. Easily satisfied or some- 

 thing, and without declaring intentions, he dropped his bridle 

 reins on the ground and plumped into bed with Cole, hat, boots 

 and pistol. 



These adventures of an afternoon were all we had. In the 

 morning light Cole recognized in the roaring midnight rider an 

 old and generous acquaintance, and gave a monster breakfast in 

 his honor. Every day after is a delightful memory in snails, 

 venison, bear meat, mountain trout, interesting people, mag- 

 nificent forests, beautiful parks and newness botanically. Here 

 was a paradise in gentian time, fringed and unfringed, with 

 mountain asters and pentstemons. 



From Clifton to the Double Circle ranch on Eagle creek it is 

 a rough country, mostly forested and with sufficient rock slides 

 for cover; but the snails do not like it. The trail here ran 

 northwesterly for about 35 miles. Then directly north on 

 Eagle creek to the south rim of the Blue mountains, 16 miles, 

 except a short diversion eastward to get an easier climb. 



Pupas and Vallonias were found near the Honeymoon U. S. 

 ranger station, and a mile or two farther came in the Oreohelix, 

 fifty miles from Clifton and fourteen days from Tucson. Here 

 Cole found the bear. A party of Tucson friends in camp had 

 been looking for it, so we split fifty-fifty, the rug going with the 

 snail collection. 



The rim of the Blue has a wall of broken granite. We found 

 Ashmunella mogollonensis and a greyish form of Oreohelix cooperi. 

 The latter is also found in the quaking asp and cork-bark fir 

 groves of the vicinity, and upon the slopes of the White moun- 

 tains. Our route lay northwesterly again across the K. P. 

 citnaga, down Corduroy and Fish creeks and across Black river 

 to Reservation creek, the eastern boundary of the Apache 

 nation, perhaps 20 miles. This is in Apache county. 



