8 A BOOK-LOVER'S HOLIDAYS 



handsome. In a few places the forest is dense; 

 in most places it is sufficiently open to allow a 

 mountain-horse to twist in and out among the 

 tree trunks at a smart canter. The tall yellow 

 pines are everywhere; the erect spires of the 

 mountain-spruce and of the blue-tipped West- 

 ern balsam shoot up around their taller cousins, 

 and the quaking asps, the aspens with their 

 ever-quivering leaves and glimmering white boles, 

 are scattered among and beneath the conifers, 

 or stand in groves by themselves. Blue grouse 

 were plentiful — having increased greatly, partly 

 because of the war waged by Uncle Jim against 

 their foes the great horned owls; and among 

 the numerous birds were long-crested, dark-blue 

 jays, pinyon-jays, doves, band-tailed pigeons, 

 golden-winged flickers, chickadees, juncos, 

 mountain-bluebirds, thistle-finches, and Loui- 

 siana tanagers. A very handsome cock tanager, 

 the orange yellow of its plumage dashed with 

 red on the head and throat, flew familiarly 

 round Uncle Jim's cabin, and spent most of its 

 time foraging in the grass. Once three birds 

 flew by which I am convinced were the strange 

 and interesting evening grosbeaks. Chipmunks 

 and white-footed mice lived in the cabin, the 

 former very bold and friendly; in fact, the chip- 

 munks, of several species, were everywhere; 



