The Mountaineer 5 
begun. Owing to the zig-zageineg of the trail we still had some 
two miles to go to reach our goal. The route was marked by 
stone cairns. 
When about half way up to the top, which we were usually 
watching, we saw an unexpected eruption like many we had 
seen at longer range. It consisted of smoke, steam, and ashes, 
one-eighth of a mile in diameter at the crater mouth, projected 
about a mile and a half straight up in the air. It went sky- 
ward, seemingly slowly, but in fact with great speed, gradually 
unfolding and spreading out until the top was much larger than 
the base upon which it appeared to stand. As the vast gray- 
brown volume ascended, more of course took its place from the 
crater, thereby keeping the form of the ever-rising shape. The 
whole mass literally boiled and tried to unfold and unwind 
and untwist hike great brown clouds each trying to get out of 
the immensity of itself and vet always keeping an approximate 
waterspout shape, unable to accomplish its separating purpose. 
Soon the winds began to drift it over until its symmetry was 
lost and it mingled with the clouds distinguishable only by 
being a little darker in color. It had been a wonderful sight 
and not soon to be forgotten. In a few minutes we were 
treated to a rain of fine, penetrating, biting ashes. After 
awhile we turned to the right and followed around the side of 
the mountain instead of climbing directly up. This was easier 
work, though more dangerous, for it took us across a very long 
steep slope with preearious footing. At last this diagonal trail 
brought us out on a fairly level knoll about 1000 feet from the 
erater and 150 feet below it. We reached the top at 4:00 
o'clock. The climb was 4500 feet. 
When within 50 feet of the crater there was a booming 
roar from directly under us like unto ten Niagaras. We were 
instantly enveloped in ashes and a black sulphurous smoke 
mixed with hot steam which had no respect for our sense of 
smell any more than the ashes had for our eyesight. At the 
same time we distinctly heard rocks and stones dropping back 
into the liquid lava way down in the unearthly crater. They 
fell with great, thick-sounding, heavy puds as of immense 
bodies of ore dropping into molten iron. The falling masses 
had an ugly, angry, spiteful sound as if sulky and mad at not 
having been spit out of the seething mass entirely. There we 
were in the smells and smokes fresh from hell and in semi- 
