58 BIRDS OF THE ROCKIES 



a mansion nor a palace, not even a cottage, but never 

 before was I so glad to get a glimpse of a building 

 erected by human hands. It was past nine o'clock when 

 I staggered up to the door and rang the night bell, 

 having spent more than three hours and a half in 

 climbing about two miles and a half. Too weary to 

 sleep, I tossed for hours on my bed. At last, however, 

 " nature's sweet restorer " came to my relief, and I slept 

 the deep sleep of unconsciousness until seven o'clock 

 the next morning, allowing the sun to rise upon the 

 Peak without getting up to greet him. That omission 

 may have been an unpardonable sin, for one of the 

 chief fads of visitors is to see the sun rise from the 

 Peak ; but I must say in my defence that, in the first 

 place, I failed to wake up in time to witness the Day 

 King's advent, and, in a second place, being on bird 

 lore intent rather than scenic wonders, my principal 

 need was to recruit my strength for the tramping to be 

 done during the day. The sequel proved that, for my 

 special purpose, I had chosen the wiser course. 



By eight o'clock I had written a letter home, eaten a 

 refreshing breakfast, paying a dollar for it, and another 

 for lodging, and was starting down the mountain, sur- 

 prised at the exhilaration I felt, in view of my extreme 

 exhaustion of the evening before. I naturally expected 

 to feel stiff and sore in every joint, languid and woe-be- 

 gone ; but such was not the case. It is wonderful how 



