56 BIRDS OF THE ROCKIES 



now was that, if I ventured farther down the hollow, I 

 should lose my way and be compelled to spend the night 

 alone in this deserted place. I am neither very brave 

 nor very cowardly ; but, in any case, such a prospect was 

 not pleasing to contemplate. Besides, I was by no means 

 sure of being able to secure lodgings at the mountaineer's 

 shanty, even if I should be able to find it in the dark. 

 There seemed to be only one thing to do to climb 

 back to the signal station on the summit. 



I turned about and began the ascent. How much 

 steeper the acclivities were than they had seemed to be 

 when I came down ! My limbs ached before I had 

 gone many rods, and my breath came short. Upward I 

 toiled, and by the time my trail reached the cog-road 

 I was ready to drop from exhaustion. Yet I had not 

 gone more than a third of the way to the top. I had 

 had no supper, but was too weary even to crave food, 

 my only desire being to find some place wherein to rest. 

 Night had now come, but fortunately the moon shone 

 brightly from a sky that was almost clear, and I had 

 no difficulty in following the road. 



Wearily I began to climb up the steep cog-wheel 

 track. Having trudged around one curve, I came to a 

 portion of the road that stretched straight up before 

 me for what seemed an almost interminable distance, 

 and, oh ! the way looked so steep, almost as if it would 

 tumble back upon my head. Could I ever drag myself 



