of 



many a glad going back, intense days were lived. 

 After two great weeks I climbed off the treeless 

 heights and went down into the woods to watch 

 and learn the deadly and dramatic ways of 

 forest fires. 



This revolution in plans was brought about 

 by the view from amid the broken granite on 

 the summit of Long's Peak. Far below and far 

 away the magnificent mountain distances re- 

 posed in the autumn sunshine. The dark crags, 

 snowy summits, light-tipped peaks, bright 

 lakes, purple forests traced with silver streams 

 and groves of aspen, all fused and faded 

 away in the golden haze. But these splendid 

 scenes were being blurred and blotted out by 

 the smoke of a dozen or more forest fires. 



Little realizing that for six weeks I was to 

 hesitate on fire-threatened heights and hurry 

 through smoke-filled forests, I took a good look 

 at the destruction from afar and then hastened 

 toward the nearest fire-front. This was a smoke- 

 clouded blaze on the Rabbit-Ear Range that 

 was storming its way eastward. In a few hours 

 it would travel to the Grand River, which 



140 



