50 The Mountaineer 
Even to this day there is no vegetation on the miles of 
waste rock. The dust may fill a small crevice or two. The 
rain moistens the seeds dropped therein by the birds, but that 
is all. They are lke the biblical seeds that were dropped by 
the wayside and brought forth fruit—no fold. This clean, new, 
vegetationless bed, even though old by our standards, impressed 
upon us a clear perception of the age of the world and the 
long, slow processes of time. The usual and unusual incidents 
of the trip, including our escape, had enlarged our soul vision 
and made us meek. 
We left the lava beds at two, were picked up by the shaky 
jinrickisha at the lone tea house at three, had another drink out 
of yesterday's spring at four, and in the gathering dusk at 
6:30 we swung into Karuizawa, pleased, weary, tired. And 
soon all those in the village whose tongues were Japanese 
knew that a pair of foreigners had spent the night on top and 
returned safely from the feared and mighty voleano, Asama 
Yama. 
AT CLOSE OF NIGHT ON VOLCANO 
